O, let not women's weapons, water-drops, That all the world shall-I will do such things, I have full cause of weeping; but this heart [Exeunt LEAR, GLOSTER, KENT, and Fool. Corn. Let us withdraw, 'twill be a storm. Reg. This house [Storm heard at a distance. Is little; the old man and his people cannot Gon. 'Tis his own blame; he hath put Himself from rest, and must needs taste his folly. Gon. So am I purpos'd. Where is my lord of Gloster? Re-enter GLOSTER. Corn. Follow'd the old man forth :-he is return'd. Glo. The king is in high rage. Corn. Whither is he going? Glo. He calls to horse; but will I know not whither. Corn. 'Tis best to give him way; he leads himself. Gon. My lord, entreat him by no means to stay. Glo. Alack, the night comes on, and the bleak winds 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; He is attended with a desperate train ; And what they may incense him to, being apt Corn. Shut up your doors, my lord; 'tis a wild night; My Regan counsels well: come out o'the storm. [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE L--4 Heath. A storm is heard, with thunder and lightning. Enter KENT, and a Gentleman, meeting. Kent. Who's here, beside foul weather? Gent. One minded like the weather, most unquietly. Gent. Contending with the fretful element : That things might change,or cease: tears his white hair; This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch,4 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; And dare, upon the warrant of my art,5 Commend a dear thing to you. There is division, With mutual cunning, 'twixt Albany and Cornwall; [4] Cub drawn has been explained to signify drawn by nature to its young; whereas it means whose dugs are drawn dry by its young. For no animals leave their dens by night but for prey. So that the meaning is, "that even hunger, and the support of its young would not force the bear to leave her den in such a night." WARBURTON. [5] On the strength of that art or skill, which teaches us "to find the mind's construction in the face." MALONE. [6] Snuffs are dislikes, and packings underhand contrivances. STEEVENS. [7] Furnishings are what we now call colours, external pretences. JOHN. Wise in our negligence, have secret feet To make your speed to Dover, you shall find I am a gentleman of blood and breeding; 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 That yet you do not know. Fye on this storm! Gent. Give me your hand: Have you no more to say? SCENE II. Another Part of the Heath. Storm continues. Enter Lear and Lear. Blow, wind, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow! Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks! Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder, Crack nature's moulds, all germins spill at once, Fool. O nuncle, court holy-water9 in a dry house is better than this rain-water out o'door. Good nuncle, [8] Doing execution with rapidity equal to thought. JOHNSON. [9] Ray, among his proverbial phrases, mentions court holy water to mean fair words. The french have the same phrase Eau benite de cour; fair empty words-Chambaud's Dict. STEEVENS. 1 in, and ask thy daughters blessing; here's a night pities neither wise men nor fools. Lear. Rumble thy bellyfull! spit, fire! spout, rain ! That have with two pernicious daughters join'd Fool. He that has a house to put his head in, has a good head-piece. The cod-piece that will house, The man that makes his toe What he his heart would 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. Enter KENT. Lear. No, I will be the pattern of all patience, I will say nothing. Kent. Who's there? Fool. Marry, here's grace, and a cod-piece; 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,3 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, [1] Subscription-for obedience. WARBURTON. [2] A beggar marries a wife and lice. [3] Gallow a west country word, signifies to scare or frighten, WARE. So the Somersetshire proverb, "The dunder do gally the beans." Beans are vulgarly supposed to shoot up faster after thunder-storms. STEEVENS, That keep this dreadful pother o'er our heads, Unwhipp'd of justice: Hide thee, thou bloody hand; Kent. Alack, bare-headed ! Gracious my lord, hard by here is a hovel; Some friendship will it lend you 'gainst the tempest ; Repose you there: while I to this hard house (More hard than is the stone whereof 'tis rais'd; Denied me to come in,) return, and force Lear. My wits begin to turn. Come on, my boy: How dost, my boy? Art cold? That can make vile things precious. Come, your hovel, That's sorry yet for thee. Fool. He that has a little tiny wit, hovel. With heigh, ho, the wind and the rain,- Lear. True, my good boy.-Come, bring us to this [Exe. 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; [4] Convenient needs not be understood in any other than its usual and proper sense; accommodate to the present purpose; suitable to a design. Convenient seeming is appearance, such as may promote his purpose to destroy. JOHNSON. [5] Continent-stands for that which contains or incloses." JOHNSON. [6] Summoners are here the officers that summon offenders before a proper tribunal. STEEVENS. |