King Lear
ACT III SCENE I | A heath. | |
[Storm still. Enter KENT and a Gentleman, meeting] | ||
KENT | Who’s there, besides foul weather? | |
Gentleman | One minded like the weather, most unquietly. | |
KENT | I know you. Where’s the king? | |
Gentleman | Contending with the fretful element: | |
Bids the winds blow the earth into the sea, | 5 | |
Or swell the curled water ‘bove the main, | ||
That things might change or cease; tears his white hair, | ||
Which the impetuous blasts, with eyeless rage, | ||
Catch in their fury, and make nothing of; | ||
Strives in his little world of man to out-scorn | 10 | |
The to-and-fro-conflicting wind and rain. | ||
This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch, | ||
The lion and the belly-pinched wolf | ||
Keep their fur dry, unbonneted he runs, | ||
And bids what will take all. | 15 | |
KENT | But who is with him? | |
Gentleman | 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 note, | 20 | |
Commend a dear thing to you. There is division, | ||
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, | 25 | |
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, | 30 | |
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 | 35 | |
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 | 40 | |
The king hath cause to plain. | ||
I am a gentleman of blood and breeding; | ||
And, from some knowledge and assurance, offer | ||
This office to you. | ||
Gentleman | I will talk further with you. | 45 |
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; | 50 | |
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. | ||
Gentleman | Give me your hand: have you no more to say? | |
KENT | Few words, but, to effect, more than all yet; | 55 |
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] |
King Lear, Act 3, Scene 2