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]
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]
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]
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.
head-piece.
The cod-piece that will house[3603]
Before the head has any,[3603]
The head and he shall louse;[3603]
So beggars marry many.[3603] 30
The man that makes his toe[3603][3604]
What he his heart should make[3603][3605]
Shall of a corn cry woe,[3603][3606]
And turn his sleep to wake.[3603]
Before the head has any,[3603]
The head and he shall louse;[3603]
So beggars marry many.[3603] 30
The man that makes his toe[3603][3604]
What he his heart should make[3603][3605]
Shall of a corn cry woe,[3603][3606]
And turn his sleep to wake.[3603]
For there was never yet fair woman but she made mouths[3607] 35
in a glass.
in a glass.
Lear. No, I will be the pattern of all patience;[3608]
I will say nothing.
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.
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Fool. [Singing] He that has and a little tiny wit,—[3633][3634][3635]
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,—[3634][3636] 75
Must make content with his fortunes fit,[3634]
For the rain it raineth every day.[3634][3637]
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,—[3634][3636] 75
Must make content with his fortunes fit,[3634]
For the rain it raineth every day.[3634][3637]
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
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]
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