ACT III.
Scene I. A heath.
Storm still. Enter Kent and a Gentleman, meeting.[3541]
Kent. Who's there, besides foul weather?[3542]
Gent. One minded like the weather, most unquietly.
Kent. I know you. Where's the king?
Gent. Contending with the fretful elements;[3543]
Bids the wind blow the earth into the sea, 5
Or swell the curled waters 'bove the main,[3544]
That things might change or cease; tears his white hair,[3545]
Which the impetuous blasts, with eyeless rage,[3545]
Catch in their fury, and make nothing of;[3545]
Strives in his little world of man to out-scorn[3545][3546][3547] 10
The to-and-fro-conflicting wind and rain.[3545][3546][3548]
This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch,[3545][3549]
The lion and the belly-pinched wolf[3545][3550]
Keep their fur dry, unbonneted he runs,[3545]
And bids what will take all.[3545]
Kent. But who is with him? 15
Gent. None but the fool; who labours to out-jest
His heart-struck injuries.[3551]
Kent. Sir, I do know you;
And dare, upon the warrant of my note,[3552]
Commend a dear thing to you. There is division,[3553]
Although as yet the face of it be cover'd[3554] 20
With mutual cunning, 'twixt Albany and Cornwall;[3555]
Who have—as who have not, that their great stars[3556][3557]
Throned and set high?—servants, who seem no less,[3556][3558]
Which are to France the spies and speculations[3556][3559]
Intelligent of our state; what hath been seen,[3556][3560] 25
Either in snuffs and packings of the dukes,[3556]
Or the hard rein which both of them have borne[3556][3561]
Against the old kind king, or something deeper,[3556]
Whereof perchance these are but furnishings,—[3556][3562]
But true it is, from France there comes a power[3563][3564] 30
Into this scatter'd kingdom; who already,[3564][3565][3566]
Wise in our negligence, have secret feet[3564][3565][3567]
In some of our best ports, and are at point[3564][3565]
To show their open banner. Now to you:[3564][3565]
If on my credit you dare build so far[3564][3565] 35
To make your speed to Dover, you shall find[3564]
Some that will thank you, making just report[3564]
Of how unnatural and bemadding sorrow[3564][3568]
The king hath cause to plain.[3564][3569]
I am a gentleman of blood and breeding,[3564][3569] 40
And from some knowledge and assurance offer[3564][3569][3570]
This office to you.[3564][3569][3570]
Gent. I will talk further with you.[3571]
Kent. No, do not.
For confirmation that I am much more[3572]
Than my out-wall, open this purse and take 45
What it contains. If you shall see Cordelia,—
As fear not but you shall,—show her this ring,[3573]
And she will tell you who your fellow is[3574]
That yet you do not know. Fie on this storm!
I will go seek the king.
Gent. Give me your hand:[3575] 50
Have you no more to say?[3575]
Kent. Few words, but, to effect, more than all yet;
That when we have found the king,—in which your pain[3576]
That way, I'll this,—he that first lights on him[3576]
Holla the other. [Exeunt severally.[3576][3577] 55
Scene II. Another part of the heath. Storm still.[3578]
Enter Lear and Fool.
Lear. Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow![3579]
You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout[3580][3581]
Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks![3580][3582]
You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,[3580][3583]
Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts,[3580][3584] 5
Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder,[3580][3585]
Smite flat the thick rotundity o' the world![3580][3586]
Crack nature's moulds, all germins spill at once[3580][3587]
That make ingrateful man![3580][3588]
Fool. O nuncle, court holy-water in a dry house is[3589] 10
better than this rain-water out o' door. Good nuncle, in,[3589][3590]
and ask thy daughters' blessing: here's a night pities neither[3589][3591]
wise man nor fool.[3589][3592]
Lear. Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! spout, rain![3593]
Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters: 15
I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness;[3594]
I never gave you kingdom, call'd you children,[3595]
You owe me no subscription: then let fall[3596][3597]
Your horrible pleasure; here I stand, your slave,[3596][3598]
A poor, infirm, weak and despised old man:[3596] 20
But yet I call you servile ministers,[3596]
That have with two pernicious daughters join'd[3596][3599]
Your high-engender'd battles 'gainst a head[3596][3600]
So old and white as this. O! O! 'tis foul![3596][3601]
Fool. He that has a house to put's head in has a good[3602] 25
head-piece.
For there was never yet fair woman but she made mouths[3607] 35
in a glass.
Lear. No, I will be the pattern of all patience;[3608]
I will say nothing.
Enter Kent.
Kent. Who's there?
Fool. Marry, here's grace and a cod-piece; that's a 40
wise man and a fool.
Kent. Alas, sir, are you here? things that love night[3609][3610]
Love not such nights as these; the wrathful skies[3609]
Gallow the very wanderers of the dark,[3609][3611]
And make them keep their caves: since I was man,[3609][3612] 45
Such sheets of fire, such bursts of horrid thunder,[3609]
Such groans of roaring wind and rain, I never[3609][3613]
Remember to have heard: man's nature cannot carry[3609]
The affliction nor the fear.[3609]
Lear. Let the great gods,[3609][3614]
That keep this dreadful pother o'er our heads,[3609][3615] 50
Find out their enemies now. Tremble, thou wretch,[3609]
That hast within thee undivulged crimes,[3609]
Unwhipp'd of justice: hide thee, thou bloody hand;[3609]
Thou perjured, and thou simular man of virtue[3609][3616]
That art incestuous: caitiff, to pieces shake,[3609][3617] 55
That under covert and convenient seeming[3609][3618]
Hast practised on man's life: close pent-up guilts,[3609][3619]
Rive your concealing continents and cry[3609][3620]
These dreadful summoners grace. I am a man[3609]
More sinn'd against than sinning.[3621]
Kent. Alack, bare-headed![3622] 60
Gracious my lord, hard by here is a hovel;[3622]
Some friendship will it lend you 'gainst the tempest:[3622]
Repose you there; while I to this hard house—[3622][3623]
More harder than the stones whereof 'tis raised;[3622][3624]
Which even but now, demanding after you,[3622][3625] 65
Denied me to come in—return, and force[3622]
Their scanted courtesy.[3622]
Lear. My wits begin to turn.[3626]
Come on, my boy: how dost, my boy? art cold?
I am cold myself. Where is this straw, my fellow?[3627]
The art of our necessities is strange,[3628] 70
That can make vile things precious. Come, your hovel.[3628][3629][3630]
Poor fool and knave, I have one part in my heart[3628][3630][3631]
That's sorry yet for thee.[3632]
Lear. True, my good boy. Come, bring us to this hovel. [Exeunt Lear and Kent.[3638]
Fool. This is a brave night to cool a courtezan. I'll[3639][3640][3641]
speak a prophecy ere I go:[3639][3640][3642] 80
When priests are more in word than matter;[3639][3643]
When brewers mar their malt with water;[3639]
When nobles are their tailors' tutors;[3639]
No heretics burn'd, but wenches' suitors;[3639]
When every case in law is right;[3639] 85
No squire in debt, nor no poor knight;[3639][3644]
When slanders do not live in tongues,[3639][3645]
Nor cutpurses come not to throngs;[3639][3646]
When usurers tell their gold i' the field,[3639]
And bawds and whores do churches build;[3639] 90
Then shall the realm of Albion[3639][3647]
Come to great confusion:[3639][3647]
Then comes the time, who lives to see't,[3639][3648]
That going shall be used with feet.[3639][3648]
This prophecy Merlin shall make; for I live before his time. 95
[Exit.[3649]
Scene III. Gloucester's castle.
Enter Gloucester and Edmund.[3650]
Glou. Alack, alack, Edmund, I like not this unnatural[3651]
dealing. When I desired their leave that I might pity him,[3651]
they took from me the use of mine own house; charged[3651][3652]
me, on pain of their perpetual displeasure, neither to speak[3651][3653]
of him, entreat for him, nor any way sustain him.[3651][3654] 5
Glou. Go to; say you nothing. There's a division betwixt[3651][3656]
the dukes, and a worse matter than that: I have received[3651]
a letter this night; 'tis dangerous to be spoken; I[3651]
have locked the letter in my closet: these injuries the king[3651] 10
now bears will be revenged home; there is part of a power[3651][3657]
already footed: we must incline to the king. I will seek[3651][3658]
him and privily relieve him: go you, and maintain talk[3651]
with the duke, that my charity be not of him perceived: if[3651]
he ask for me, I am ill and gone to bed. Though I die[3651][3659] 15
for it, as no less is threatened me, the king my old master[3651][3660]
must be relieved. There is some strange thing toward,[3651][3661]
Edmund; pray you, be careful. [Exit.[3651]
Edm. This courtesy, forbid thee, shall the duke[3662][3663]
Instantly know, and of that letter too:[3662] 20
This seems a fair deserving, and must draw me[3662][3664]
That which my father loses; no less than all:[3662][3665]
The younger rises when the old doth fall. [Exit.[3662][3666]
Scene IV. The heath. Before a hovel.[3667]
Enter Lear, Kent, and Fool.