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his goatish disposition to the charge of a star!

My father compounded with my mother under

the dragon's tail, and my nativity was under

ursa major; so that it follows I am rough

and lecherous. 'Sfoot! I should have been that

I am had the maidenliest star in the firmament

twinkled on my bastardizing. Edgar—

and pat he comes, like the catastrophe of the

old comedy: my cue is villainous melancholy,

with a sigh like Tom o' Bedlam. O, these

eclipses do portend these divisions! Fa, sol,

la, mi.

Edg. How now, brother Edmund! What

serious contemplation are you in?

Edm. I am thinking, brother, of a prediction

I read this other day, what should follow these

eclipses.

Edg. Do you busy yourself with that?

Edm. I promise you the effects he writes of

succeed unhappily; [as of unnaturalness between

the child and the parent; death, dearth, dissolu-

tions of ancient amities; divisions in state;

menaces and maledictions against king and

nobles; needless diffidences, banishment of

friends, dissipation of cohorts, nuptial breaches,

and I know not what.

Edg. How long have you been a sectary

astronomical?

Edm. Come, come;] when saw you my father

last?

 145 dragon's tail; cf. n.

147 'Sfoot: God's foot!

153 Fa; cf. n.

166 diffidences: suspicions

169 sectary astronomical: member of the astronomical sect

