I can be patient; I can stay with Regan, Not altogether so; 235 For your fit welcome. Give ear, sir, to my sister; For those that mingle reason with your passion Must be content to think you old, and so But she knows what she does. Lear. Is this well spoken? Reg. I dare avouch it, sir. What, fifty followers ! Is it not well? What should you need of more ? Yea, or so many, sith that both charge and danger Speak 'gainst so great a number? How, in one house, Should many people, under two commands, Hold amity ? 'T is hard ; almost impossible. 245 Gon. Why might not you, my lord, receive attend ance From those that she calls servants or from mine? Reg. Why not, my lord ? If then they chanc'd to 241 slack ye, We could control them. If you will come to me, 250 To bring but five and twenty ; to no more Will I give place or notice. Lear. I gave you all. And in good time you gave it. Lear. Made you my guardians, my depositaries ; But kept a reservation to be followed 255 With such a number. What, must I come to you With five and twenty, Regan? Said you so ? Reg. And speak 't again, my lord; no more with me. Lear. Those wicked creatures yet do look wellfavour'd 259 When others are more wicked; not being the worst Stands in some rank of praise. [To Gon.] I'll go with thee. Hear me, my lord : 265 Have a command to tend you ? Reg. What need one? Lear. O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars Are in the poorest thing superfluous. Allow not nature more than nature needs, Man's life is cheap as beast's. Thou art a lady; 270 If only to go warm were gorgeous, Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear'st, Which scarcely keeps thee warm. But, for true need, You heavens, give me that patience, patience I need! You see me here, you gods, a poor old man, 275 As full of grief as age; wretched in both ! If it be you that stirs these daughters' hearts Against their father, fool me not so much To bear it tamely; touch me with noble anger, And let not women's weapons, water-drops, 280 Stain my man's cheeks ! No, you unnatural hags, I will have such revenges on you both That all the world shall — I will do such things, 259. well-favour'd=well-featured. 268. in the poorest thing superfluous : even deepest poverty has something unnecessary. What they are, yet I know not; but they shall be weep: 285 No, I'll not weep. I have full cause of weeping; but this heart [Storm and tempest. Shall break into a hundred thousand flaws, Or ere I 'll weep. O, Fool! I shall go inad! [Exeunt, Lear, Gloucester, Kent, and Fool. Corn. Let us withdraw ; 't will be a storm. 290 Reg. This house is little; the old man and 's people Cannot be well bestow'd. Gon. 'Tis his own blame; hath put himself from rest, And must needs taste his folly. Reg. For his particular, I 'll receive him gladly, 295 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. 300 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 289. Or ere: the two words are equivalent in meaning, or being an old spelling of ere (=before) and not the common conjunction. 295. particular=person. Cf. I, iv, 360. Do sorely ruffle; for many miles about 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. And what they may incense him to, being apt 305 310 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. Contending with the fretful elements; Or swell the curled waters 'bove the main, 5 That things might change or cease; [tears his white hair, Which the impetuous blasts, with eyeless rage, 304. ruffle become boisterous. 4. elements: according to the old Physics, the universe is composed of four elements, earth, fire, air, and water. 6. main=mainland; elsewhere in S. it means the sea. 9. make nothing of treat slightingly; the opposite of "make much of." Strives in his little world of man to out-scorn 10 But who is with him? 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 20 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, 25 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; 10. his little world of man: an allusion to the theory that man is an image in miniature of the universe. 12, cub-drawn=hungry because sucked dry by her cubs. 19. dear : cf. I, iv, 294. 22, 23. as who ... high : as have all persons set in high places by fortune. 23. who seem no less : i. e. who seem merely servants. 24. speculations: abstract for concrete=speculators, spies. 25. Intelligent=bearing intelligence. 26. snuffs and packings=huffs and plottings. 29. furnishings=external pretences. Something may be omitted between lines 29 and 30 where the |