REG. This house is little; the old man and 's people Cannot be well bestow'd."

GON. 'T is his own blame; hath put himself from rest, And must needs taste his folly.

REG. For his particular," I 'll receive him gladly,

But not one follower.

GON.

So am I purpos'd.

Where is my Lord of Gloucester?

Re-enter GLOUCESTER

CORN. Followed the old man forth. He is return'd.
GLOU. The King is in high rage.

CORN.
Whither is he going?
GLOU. He calls to horse; but will I know not whither.
CORN. 'T is best to give him way; he leads himself.
GON. My lord, entreat him by no means to stay.
GLOU. Alack, the night comes on, and the high winds
Do sorely ruffle; for many miles about

88

There's scarce a bush.

REG.

O, sir, to wilful men,

The injuries that they themselves procure

Must be their schoolmasters. Shut up your doors.
He is attended with a desperate train;

And what they may incense him to, being apt

To have his ear abus'd," wisdom bids fear.

CORN. Shut up your doors, my lord; 't is a wild night: My Regan counsels well. Come out o' the storm.

[Exeunt.]

ACT III

SCENE I. [The open country near Gloucester's castle]

Storm still. Enter KENT and a GENTLEMAN, severally

KENT. Who's there, besides foul weather?

GENT. One minded like the weather, most unquietly.
KENT. I know you. Where's the King?

GENT. Contending with the fretful elements;

Bids the wind blow the earth into the sea,

36. Lodged. 87 Him individually.

38 Bluster. 39 Deceived.

Or swell the curled waters 'bove the main,1

That things might change or cease; [tears his white hair, Which the impetuous blasts, with eyeless rage,

Catch in their fury, and make nothing of;

Strives in his little world of man to out-scorn

The to-and-fro-conflicting wind and rain.

This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch, The lion and the belly-pinched wolf

Keep their fur dry, unbonneted he runs,

And bids what will take all.]

KENT.

But who is with him?

GENT. None but the Fool; who labours to outjest His heart-struck injuries.

KENT.

Sir, I do know you;

And dare, upon the warrant of my note,

Commend a dear thing to you. There is division,
Although as yet the face of it is cover'd

With mutual cunning, 'twixt Albany and Cornwall;
Who have-as who have not, that their great stars
Thron'd and set high?-servants, who seem no less,
Which are to France the spies and speculations
Intelligent of our state; what hath been seen,
Either in snuffs' and packings of the Dukes,
Or the hard rein which both of them have borne
Against the old kind king, or something deeper,
Whereof perchance these are but furnishings;'
[But, true it is, from France there comes a power1
Into this scattered" kingdom; who already,
Wise in our negligence, have secret feet
In some of our best ports, and are at point1
To show their open banner. Now to you:
If on my credit you dare build so far
To make your speed to Dover, you shall find
Some that will thank you, making just report
Of how unnatural and bemadding sorrow
The King hath cause to plain.

I am a gentleman of blood and breeding;

3 Observation.

• Observers.
Externals.

1 Land. 2 Sucked dry, and so fierce.
• Important. • Fortunes.
Offence-takings. 8 Plots.
10 Army.
11 Divided. 12 Ready.

13 Maddening.

And, from some knowledge and assurance, offer

This office to you.]

GENT. I will talk further with you.
KENT.

No, do not.

For confirmation that I am much more
Than my out-wall," open this purse, and take
What it contains. If you shall see Cordelia,-
As fear not but you shall,—show her this ring;
And she will tell you who that fellow is
That yet you do not know. Fie on this storm!
I will go seek the King.

15

GENT. Give me your hand. Have you no more to say? KENT. Few words, but, to effect, more than all yet; That, when we have found the King,—in which your pain" That way, I'll this, he that first lights on him

Holla the other.

Exeunt [severally].

SCENE II. [The same.] Storm still

Enter LEAR and FOOL

LEAR. Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout

Till

you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks! You sulphurous and thought-executing" fires,

Vaunt-couriers of oak-cleaving thunderbolts,

Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder,
Strike flat the thick rotundity o' the world!

Crack nature's moulds, all germens spill at once,

That makes ingrateful man!

FOOL. O nuncle, court holy-water" in a dry house is better than this rain-water out o' door. Good nuncle, in; ask thy daughters' blessing. Here's a night pities neither wise men nor fools.

LEAR. Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout, rain!
Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters.
I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness;

I never gave you kingdom, call'd you children;

1 Seeds.

14 Exterior. 15 Important. 18 Take you pains to search.
17 Quick as thought. 18 Fore-runners.
20 Destroy. 21 Flattery. 22 Blame.

You owe me no subscription." Then let fall
Your horrible pleasure. Here I stand, your slave,
A poor, infirm, weak, and despis'd old man;
But yet I call you servile ministers,

That will with two pernicious daughters join
Your high engender'd battles" 'gainst a head
So old and white as this. Oh! Oh! 't is foul!

FOOL. He that has a house to put 's head in has a good head-piece.

"The cod-piece that will house

LEAR. No, I will be the pattern of all patience; I will say nothing.

KENT. Who's there?

FOOL. Marry, here's grace and a cod-piece; that's a wise man and a fool.

KENT. Alas, sir, are you here? Things that love night Love not such nights as these; the wrathful skies Gallow the very wanderers of the

And make them keep their caves.

dark,

Since I was man,

Such sheets of fire, such bursts of horrid thunder,

Such groans of roaring wind and rain, I never

Remember to have heard. Man's nature cannot carry
The affliction nor the fear.

LEAR.

Let the great gods,

That keep this dreadful pudder" o'er our heads,

Find out their enemies now. Tremble, thou wretch,

That hast within thee undivulged crimes,

23 Allegiance. 24 Battalions mustered in the heavens.

25 He who cherishes the mean in preference to the worthy, shall suffer from the mean.

20 Frighten. 27 Turmoil.

Unwhipp'd of justice! Hide thee, thou bloody hand;
Thou perjur'd, and thou simular" of virtue

That art incestuous! Caitiff, to pieces shake,
That under covert and convenient seeming
Has practis'd" on man's life! Close pent-up guilts,
Rive your concealing continents, and cry
These dreadful summoners grace. I am a man
More sinn'd against than sinning.

KENT.

81

Alack, bare-headed!

Gracious my lord, hard by here is a hovel;

Some friendship will it lend you 'gainst the tempest.
Repose you there; while I to this hard house-
More harder than the stones whereof 't is rais'd;
Which even but now, demanding after you,
Deni'd me to come in-return, and force

Their scanted courtesy.

LEAR.

Come on, my boy.

I am cold myself.

My wits begin to turn.

How dost, my boy? Art cold?

Where is this straw, my fellow?

The art of our necessities is strange,

And can make vile things precious. Come, your hovel.

Poor Fool and knave, I have one part in my heart
That's sorry yet for thee.

FOOL. [Singing.]

66

He that has and a little tiny wit,—

With heigh-ho, the wind and the rain,—
Must make content with his fortunes fit,
For the rain it raineth every day."

LEAR. True, boy. Come, bring us to this hovel.

Exeunt [LEAR and KENT].
FOOL. This is a brave night to cool a courtezan.
I'll speak a prophecy ere I go:

When priests are more in word than matter;
When brewers mar their malt with water;
When nobles are their tailors' tutors;
No heretics burn'd, but wenches' suitors;
When every case in law is right;

No squire in debt, nor no poor knight;

28 Simulator.

31 For mercy.

29 Plotted against. 30 What hides you.

82 Refused to allow.