III. i.

40

50

I am a Gentleman of blood and breeding,
And from fome knowledge and affurance,
Offer this office to you.

Gent. I will talke farther with you.

Kent. No doe not,

For confirmation that I much more

Then my out-wall, open this purfe and take
What it containes, if you shall see Cordelia,
As feare not but you shall, fhew her this ring,
And she will tell you who your fellow is,
That yet you doe not know, fie on this storme,
I will goe feeke the King.

Gent. Giue me your hand, haue you no more to say?

Kent. Few words but to effect more then all yet:

That when we haue found the King,

Ile this way, you that, he that first lights

On him, hollow the other.

III.ii.

10

20

Enter Lear and Foole.

Lear. Blow wind & cracke your cheekes, rage, blow
You caterickes, & Hircanios fpout til you haue drencht,
The steeples drown'd the cockes, you fulpherous and
Thought executing fires, vaunt-currers to

Oke-cleauing thunderboults, finge my white head,
And thou all shaking thunder, smite flat

The thicke Rotunditie of the world, cracke natures
Mold, all Germains fpill at once that make

Ingratefull man.

Foole. O Nunckle, Court holy water in a drie house
Is better then this raine water out a doore,
Good Nunckle in, and aske thy daughters blessing,
Heers a night pities nether wife man nor foole.

Lear. Rumble thy belly full, fpit fire, spout raine,
Nor raine, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters,
I taske not you you elements with vnkindnes,

I neuer gaue you kingdome, cald you children,

You owe me no fubfcription, why then let fall your horrible
Here I stad your flaue, a poore infirme weak &

Defpis'd ould man, but yet I call you feruile

(plefure

.

III. i.

Gent. I will talke further with you.

Kent. No, do not:.

For confirmation that I am much more
Then my out-wall; open this Purse, and take
What it containes. If you fhall fee Cordelia,
(As feare not but you fhall) fhew her this Ring,
And she will tell you who that Fellow is
That yet you do not know. Fye on this Storme,

50 I will go feeke the King.

Gent. Giue me your hand,

Haue you no more to say?

Kent. Few words, but to effect more then all yet; That when we haue found the King, in which your pain That way, Ile this: He that firft lights on him,

Holla the other.

Exeunt.

III. ii.

10

20

Lear. Blow windes, & crack your cheeks; Rage, blow You Cataracts, and Hyrricano's spout,

Till you haue drench'd our Steeples, drown the Cockes.

You Sulph'rous and Thought-executing Fires,

Vaunt-curriors of Oake-cleauing Thunder-bolts,

Sindge my white head. And thou all-shaking Thunder,
Strike flat the thicke Rotundity o'th'world,

Cracke Natures moulds, all germaines fpill at once

That makes ingratefull Man.

Foole. O Nunkle, Court holy-water in a dry house, is better then this Rain-water out o'doore. Good Nunkle, in, aske thy Daughters bleffing, heere's a night pitties neither Wifemen, nor Fooles.

Lear. Rumble thy belly full: fpit Fire, fpowt Raine: Nor Raine, Winde, Thunder, Fire are my Daughters;

I taxe not you, you Elements with vnkindneffe.

I neuer gaue you Kingdome, call'd you Children;

You owe me no subscription. Then let fall
Your horrible pleasure. Heere I ftand your Slaue,
A poore, infirme, weake, and difpis'd old man:

III.ii.

30

Ministers, that haue with 2. pernitious daughters ioin'd
Your high engèdred battel gainst a head fo old & white
As this, O tis foule.

Foole. Hee that has a houfe to put his head in, has a good
headpeece, the Codpeece that will houfe before the head, has
any the head and hee shall lowfe, fo beggers mary many, the
man that makes his toe, what hee his heart should make, fhall

haue а corne cry woe, and turne his fleepe to wake, for
there was neuer yet faire woman but shee made mouthes in a
glaffe.

40

Lear. No I will be the patterne of all patience En.ter Kent.
I will fay nothing.

Kent. Whose there?

Foole.

a foole.

Marry heers Grace, & a codpis, that's a wiseman and

Kent. Alas fir, fit you here?

Things that loue night, loue not such nights as these,

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The wrathfull Skies gallow, the very wanderer of the
Darke, and makes them keepe their caues,

Since I was man, fuch sheets of fire,

50

Such bursts of horred thunder, fuch grones of
Roaring winde, and rayne, I ne're remember

To haue heard, mans nature cannot cary

The affliction, nor the force.

Lear. Let the great Gods that keepe this dreadful
Powther ore our heades, find out their enemies now,
Tremble thou wretch that haft within thee

Vndivulged crimes, vnwhipt of Iuftice,

Hide thee thou bloudy hand, thou periur'd, and
Thou fimular man of vertue that art inceftious,

Caytife in peeces shake, that vnder couert

And conuenient feeming, haft practifed on mans life,
Clofe pent vp guilts, riue your concealed centers,
And cry thefe dreadfull fummoners grace,

60 I am a man more find against their finning.

Kent Alacke bare headed, gracious my Lord, hard by here is a houell, fome friendship will it lend you gainst the tempeft, repofe you there, whilft I to this hard houfe, more hard then is the ftone whereof tis rais'd, which euen but now demaunding

III. ii.

But yet I call you Seruile Ministers,

That will with two pernicious Daughters ioyne
Your high-engender'd Battailes, 'gainst a head
So old, and white as this. O, ho! 'tis foule.

Foole. He that has a houfe to put's head in, has a good
Head-peece:

[296b

30

40

50

60

The Codpiece that will house, before the head has any;
The Head, and he fhall Lowfe: fo Beggers marry many.
The man makes his Toe, what he his Hart fhold make,
Shall of a Corne cry woe, and turne his fleepe to wake.
For there was neuer yet faire woman, but thee made
mouthes in a glaffe.

Enter Kent.

Lear. No, I will be the patterne of all patience,
I will fay nothing.

Kent. Who's there?

Foole. Marry here's Grace, and a Codpiece, that's a
Wiseman, and a Foole.

Kent. Alas Sir are you here? Things that loue night,
Loue not fuch nights as thefe: The wrathfull Skies
Gallow the very wanderers of the darke

And make them keepe their Caues: Since I was man,
Such fheets of Fire, fuch burfts of horrid Thunder,
Such groanes of roaring Winde, and Raine, I neuer
Remember to haue heard. Mans Nature cannot carry
Th'affliction, nor the feare.

Lear. Let the great Goddes

That keepe this dreadfull pudder o're our heads,

Finde out their enemies now. Tremble thou Wretch,

That haft within thee vndivulged Crimes

Vnwhipt of Iuftice. Hide thee, thou Bloudy hand;

Thou Periur'd, and thou Simular of Vertue

That art Incestuous. Caytiffe, to peeces shake

That vnder couert, and conuenient feeming

Ha's practis'd on mans life. Clofe pent-vp guilts,
Riue your concealing Continents, and cry

Thefe dreadfull Summoners grace. I am a man,
More finn'd againft, then finning.

Kent. Alacke, bare-headed?

Gracious my Lord, hard by heere is a Houell,

Some friendship will it lend you 'gainst the Tempest:
Repofe you there, while I to this hard houfe,

III. ii.

after me, denide me to come in, returne and force their fcanted
curtefie.

70

Lear. My wit begins to turne,

Come on my boy, how doft my boy, art cold?

I am cold my felfe, where is this ftraw my fellow,
The art of our neceffities is strange that can,
Make vild things precious, come you houell poore,
Foole and knaue, I haue one part of my heart
That forrowes yet for thee.

Foole. Hee that has a little tine witte, with hey ho the wind
and the raine, muft make content with his fortunes fit, for the
raine, it raineth euery day.

Lear. True my good boy, come bring vs to this houell?

III. iii.

Enter Glofter and the Bastard with lights.
Gloft. Alacke alacke Edmund I like not this,
Vnnaturall dealing when I defir'd their leaue
That I might pitty him, they tooke me from me
The vse of mine owne house, charg'd me on paine
Of their displeasure, neither to speake of him,
Intreat for him, nor any way sustaine him.

[43