Gon. Why might not you my Lord, receiue attendance From those that she cals Seruants, or from mine?
Reg. Why not my Lord?
If then they chanc"d to slacke ye, We could comptroll them; if you will come to me, (For now I spie a danger) I entreate you To bring but fiue and twentie, to no more Will I giue place or notice
Lear. I gaue you all
Reg. And in good time you gaue it
Lear. Made you my Guardians, my Depositaries, But kept a reseruation to be followed With such a number? What, must I come to you With fiue and twenty? Regan, said you so?
Reg. And speak"t againe my Lord, no more with me
Lea. Those wicked Creatures yet do look wel fauor"d When others are more wicked, not being the worst Stands in some ranke of praise, Ile go with thee, Thy fifty yet doth double fiue and twenty, And thou art twice her Loue
Gon. Heare me my Lord; What need you fiue and twenty? Ten? Or fiue?
To follow in a house, where twice so many Haue a command to tend you?
Reg. What need one?
Lear. O reason not the need: our basest Beggers Are in the poorest thing superfluous.
Allow not Nature, more then Nature needs: Mans life is cheape as Beastes. Thou art a Lady; If onely to go warme were gorgeous, Why Nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear"st, Which scarcely keepes thee warme, but for true need: You Heauens, giue me that patience, patience I need, You see me heere (you G.o.ds) a poore old man, As full of griefe as age, wretched in both, If it be you that stirres these Daughters hearts Against their Father, foole me not so much, To beare it tamely: touch me with n.o.ble anger, And let not womens weapons, water drops, Staine my mans cheekes. No you vnnaturall Hags, I will haue such reuenges on you both, That all the world shall- I will do such things, What they are yet, I know not, but they shalbe The terrors of the earth? you thinke Ile weepe, No, Ile not weepe, I haue full cause of weeping.
Storme and Tempest.
But this heart shal break into a hundred thousand flawes Or ere Ile weepe; O Foole, I shall go mad.
Exeunt.
Corn. Let vs withdraw, "twill be a Storme
Reg. This house is little, the old man and"s people, Cannot be well bestow"d
Gon. "Tis his owne blame hath put himselfe from rest, And must needs taste his folly
Reg. For his particular, Ile receiue him gladly, But not one follower
Gon. So am I purpos"d, Where is my Lord of Gloster?
Enter Gloster.
Corn. Followed the old man forth, he is return"d
Glo. The King is in high rage
Corn. Whether is he going?
Glo. He cals to Horse, but will I know not whether
Corn. "Tis best to giue him way, he leads himselfe
Gon. My Lord, entreate him by no meanes to stay
Glo. Alacke the night comes on, and the high windes Do sorely ruffle, for many Miles about There"s scarce a Bush
Reg. O Sir, to wilfull men, The iniuries that they themselues procure, Must be their Schoole-Masters: shut vp your doores, He is attended with a desperate traine, And what they may incense him too, being apt, To haue his eare abus"d, wisedome bids feare
Cor. Shut vp your doores my Lord, "tis a wil"d night, My Regan counsels well: come out oth" storme.
Exeunt.
Actus Tertius. Scena Prima.
Storme still. Enter Kent, and a Gentleman, seuerally.
Kent. Who"s there besides foule weather?
Gen. One minded like the weather, most vnquietly
Kent. I know you: Where"s the King?
Gent. Contending with the fretfull Elements; Bids the winde blow the Earth into the Sea, Or swell the curled Waters "boue the Maine, That things might change, or cease
Kent. But who is with him?
Gent. None but the Foole, who labours to out-iest His heart-strooke iniuries
Kent. Sir, I do know you, And dare vpon the warrant of my note Commend a deere thing to you. There is diuision (Although as yet the face of it is couer"d With mutuall cunning) "twixt Albany, and Cornwall: Who haue, as who haue not, that their great Starres Thron"d and set high; Seruants, who seeme no lesse, Which are to France the Spies and Speculations Intelligent of our State. What hath bin seene, Either in snuffes, and packings of the Dukes, Or the hard Reine which both of them hath borne Against the old kinde King; or something deeper, Whereof (perchance) these are but furnishings
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 shall see Cordelia, (As feare not but you shall) shew her this Ring, And she will tell you who that Fellow is That yet you do not know. Fye on this Storme, I will go seeke 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 first lights on him, Holla the other.
Exeunt.
Scena Secunda.
Storme still. Enter Lear, and Foole.
Lear. Blow windes, & crack your cheeks; Rage, blow You Cataracts, and Hyrricano"s spout, Till you haue drench"d our Steeples, drown the c.o.c.kes.
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 spill 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 blessing, heere"s a night pitties neither Wis.e.m.e.n, nor Fooles
Lear. Rumble thy belly full: spit Fire, spowt Raine: Nor Raine, Winde, Thunder, Fire are my Daughters; I taxe not you, you Elements with vnkindnesse.
I neuer gaue you Kingdome, call"d you Children; You owe me no subscription. Then let fall Your horrible pleasure. Heere I stand your Slaue, A poore, infirme, weake, and dispis"d old man: 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 house to put"s head in, has a good Head-peece: The Codpiece that will house, before the head has any; The Head, and he shall Lowse: so Beggers marry many.
The man y makes his Toe, what he his Hart shold make, Shall of a Corne cry woe, and turne his sleepe to wake.
For there was neuer yet faire woman, but shee made mouthes in a gla.s.se.
Enter Kent
Lear. No, I will be the patterne of all patience, I will say nothing