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 out

jest

His heart-struck injuries.

Kent.

Sir, I do know you ;

There is division,

And dare, upon the warrant of my note,
Commend a dear thing to you.

Although as yet the face of it be cover'd

With mutual cunning, 'twixt Albany and Cornwall; Who have-as who have not, that their great stars Throned 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 power
Into this scatter'd kingdom; who already,
Wise in our negligence, have secret feet
In some of our best ports, and are at point
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;

18. note, information.

19. dear, momentous.

24. speculations, observers.

20

30

40

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 your fellow is
That yet you do not know. Fie on this storm!
I will go seek the king.

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

50

SCENE II. Another part of the heath. Storm still. Consbaet betivit eas

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 to oak-cleaving thunderbolts,

Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking
thunder,

52. to, as to.

53. pain, i.e. labour of search

(lies).

2. hurricanoes, waterspouts.

4. thought-executing, doing execution with the speed of thought.

5. Vaunt-couriers, heralds.

Smite flat the thick rotundity o' the world!
Crack nature's moulds, all germens spill at once,
That make ingrateful man!

Fool. O nuncle, court holy-water in a dry house is better than this rain-water out o' door. Good nuncle, in, and ask thy daughters' blessing: here's a night pities neither wise man nor fool.

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;
You owe me no subscription: then let fall
Your horrible pleasure; here I stand, your slave,
A poor, infirm, weak and despised old man :
But yet I call you servile ministers,
That have with two pernicious daughters join'd
Your high-engender'd battles 'gainst a head
So old and white as this. O! O! 'tis foul !
Fool. He that has a house to put's head in
has a good head-piece.

The cod-piece that will house

Before the head has any,

The head and he shall louse;

So beggars marry many.

The man that makes his toe

What he his heart should make

Shall of a corn cry woe,

And turn his sleep to wake.

For there was never yet fair woman but she made mouths in a glass.

23. high- engender'd battles, battalions engendered in the air. 27. cod-piece, a part of male dress.

Lear. No, I will be the pattern of all patience;

I will say nothing.

Enter KENT.

Kent. Who's there?

Fool. Marry, here's grace and a cod-piece; 40 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 dark,

And make them keep their caves: 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 pother o'er our heads, Find out their enemies now. Tremble, thou wretch, That hast within thee undivulged crimes, Unwhipp'd of justice: hide thee, thou bloody hand; Thou perjured, and thou simular man of virtue That art incestuous: caitiff, to pieces shake, That under covert and convenient seeming Hast practised 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.

50

Alack, bare-headed! 60

Gracious my lord, hard by here is a hovel;

Some friendship will it lend you 'gainst the tempest:

40. grace, the king's grace. 44. Gallow, terrify.

54. simular man of virtue, VOL. IX

81

simulator of virtue; so Qq. Ff' simular of virtue.'

58. concealing continents, shrouds of secrecy. L.

G

Repose you there; while I to this hard house-
More harder than the stones whereof 'tis raised;
Which even but now, demanding after you,

Denied me to come in-return, and force
Their scanted courtesy.

My wits begin to turn.

Lear. Come on, my boy: how dost, my boy? art cold? I am cold myself. Where is this straw, my fellow ? The art of our necessities is strange,

That 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] He that has and a little tiny wit,

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

Lear. True, my good 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;
When slanders do not live in tongues;
Nor cutpurses come not to throngs;
When usurers tell their gold i' the field;

74-77. This is perhaps a variant of the Clown's song in Twelfth Night (end).

79-95. This is wanting in Qq, and probably spurious.

81 f. A parody of the then

70

80

familiar verses known as
'Chaucer's Prophesy.' Lines
90, 91 there appear as :-

Then shall the realm of Albion
Be brought to great confusion.