My naked head expos'd to th' merciless air, Lear. Now, I pr'ythee, daughter, do not make me mad! I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell; Nor tell tales of thee to avenging Heaven. Reg. Your pardon, sir; I look'd not for you yet, nor am provided Lear. Is this well spoken, now? Reg. My sister treats you fair. What! fifty followers? Is it not well? What should you need of more? ance From those whom she calls servants, or from mine? Reg. Why not, my lord? If then they chance to slack you, We could control them.-If you come to me, For now I see the danger, I intreat you To bring but five and twenty; to no more Will I give place. Lear. I gave you all! Reg. And in good time you gave it. Lear. Hold, now, my temper! stand this bolt unmov'd, And I am thunder proof. The wicked, when compar'd with the more wicked, Stands in some rank of praise. Now, Goneril, Gon. Hear me, my lord. [It begins to rain. What need you five and twenty, ten, or five, Reg. What need one? [Distant Thunder. Lear. Heav'ns drop your patience down! Stain my man's cheek!-No, you unnatural hags, That all the world shall-I will do such things,- No, I'll not weep: weep; I have full cause of weeping; but this heart O, gods, I shall go mad! [Rain-Thunder-Lightning. [Exeunt KING LEAR, KENT and the KNIGHTS— ACT THE THIRD. SCENE I. A desert Heath.-Rain-Thunder -Lightning. Enter KING LEAR and Kent. Lear. Blow, winds, and burst your cheeks! rage Fantastic lightning, singe, singe my white head! Till you have drown'd the towns and palaces Of proud, ingrateful man! Kent. Not all my best intreaties can persuade him Into some needful shelter, or to 'bide This poor slight cov'ring on his aged head, [Thunder. Lear. Rumble thy fill! fight whirlwind, rain and fire ! Not fire, wind, rain, or thunder, are my daughters: Your horrible pleasure! Here I stand your slave, [Rain-Thunder-Lightning. Yet I will call you servile ministers, That have with two pernicious daughters join'd So old and white as this. Oh! oh! 'tis foul. Lear. I will forget my nature. Ay, there's the point. What! so kind a [Rain-Thunder-Lightning. Kent. Consider, good my liege, things, that love night, Love not such nights as this; these wrathful skies And make them keep their caves: such drenching rain, Such sheets of fire, such claps of horrid thunder, Such groans of roaring winds, have ne'er been known. Lear. Let the great gods, [Thunder. That keep this dreadful pother o'er our heads, Find out their enemies now. Tremble, thou wretch, That hast within thee undiscover'd crimes ! Hide, hide, thou murd'rer, hide thy bloody hand!— Thou perjur'd villain, holy hypocrite, I am a man That drink'st the widow's tears, sigh now, and ask Lear. My wits begin to turn. Come on, my boy; how dost, my boy? art cold? And can make vile things precious.-my poor knave, [Rain-Thunder-Lightning.-Exeunt; SCENE II. A Room in GLOSTER's Castle. Enter EDMUND. Edm. The storm is in our louder rev'lings drown'd. Thus would I reign, could I but mount a throne. The riots of these proud imperial sisters Already have impos'd the galling yoke Of taxes, and hard impositions, on The drudging peasant's neck, who bellows out Two PAGES, from several Entrances, deliver him each a [Reads.] Where merit is so transparent, not to behold it were blindness, and not to reward it, ingratitude. Enough! blind and ungrateful should I be, GONERIL [Reads.] If modesty be not your enemy, doubt not to find me your friend. REGAN. |