1492Deseru'd much lesse aduancement.

1493Lear. You? Did you?

1494Reg. I pray you Father being weake, seeme so.

1495If till the expiration of your Moneth

1496You will returne and soiourne with my Sister,

1497Dismissing halfe your traine, come then to me,

1498I am now from home, and out of that prouision

1499Which shall be needfull for your entertainement.

1500Lear. Returne to her? and fifty men dismiss'd?

1501No, rather I abiure all roofes, and chuse

1502To wage against the enmity oth'ayre,

1503To be a Comrade with the Wolfe, and Owle,

1504Necessities sharpe pinch. Returne with her?

1505Why the hot-bloodiedFrance, that dowerlesse tooke

1506Our yongest borne, I could as well be brought

1507To knee his Throne, and Squire-like pension beg,

1508To keepe base life a foote; returne with her?

1509Perswade me rather to be slaue and sumpter

1510To this detested groome.

1511Gon. At your choice Sir.

1512Lear. I prythee Daughter do not make me mad,

1513I will not trouble thee my Child; farewell:

1514Wee'l no more meete, no more see one another.

1515But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my Daughter,

1516Or rather a disease that's in my flesh,

1517Which I must needs call mine. Thou art a Byle,

1518A plague sore, or imbossed Carbuncle

1519In my corrupted blood. But Ile not chide thee,

1520Let shame come when it will, I do not call it,

1521I do not bid the Thunder-bearer shoote,

1522Nor tell tales of thee to high-iudging Ioue,

1523Mend when thou can'st, be better at thy leisure,

1524I can be patient, I can stay with Regan,

1525I and my hundred Knights.

1526Reg. Not altogether so,

1527I look'd not for you yet, nor am prouided

1528For your fit welcome, giue eare Sir to my Sister,

1529For those that mingle reason with your passion,

1530Must be content to thinke you old, and so,

1531But she knowes what she doe's.

1532Lear. Is this well spoken?

1533Reg. I dare auouch it Sir, what fifty Followers?

1534Is it not well? What should you need of more?

1535Yea, or so many? Sith that both charge and danger,

1536Speake 'gainst so great a number? How in one house

1537Should many people, vnder two commands

1538Hold amity? 'Tis hard, almost impossible.

1539Gon. Why might not you my Lord, receiue attendance

1540From those that she cals Seruants, or from mine?

1541Reg. Why not my Lord?

1542If then they chanc'd to slacke ye,

1543We could comptroll them; if you will come to me,

1544(For now I spie a danger) I entreate you

1545To bring but fiue and twentie ,to no more

1546Will I giue place or notice.

1547Lear. I gaue you all.

1548Reg. And in good time you gaue it.

1549Lear. Made you my Guardians, my Depositaries,

1550But kept a reseruation to be followed

1551With such a number? What , must I come to you

1552With fiue and twenty? Regan, said you so?

1553Reg. And speak't againe my Lord, no more with me.

1554Lea. Those wicked Creatures yet do look wel fauor'd

1555When others are more wicked, not being the worst

1556Stands in some ranke of praise, Ile go with thee,

1557Thy fifty yet doth double fiue and twenty,

1558And thou art twice her Loue.

1559Gon. Heare me my Lord;

1560What need you fiue and twenty? Ten? Or fiue?

1561To follow in a house, where twice so many

1562Haue a command to tend you?

1563Reg. What need one?

1564Lear. O reason not the need: our basest Beggers

1565Are in the poorest thing superfluous.

1566Allow not Nature, more then Nature needs:

1567Mans life is cheape as Beastes. Thou art a Lady;

1568If onely to go warme were gorgeous,

1569Why Nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear'st,

1570Which scarcely keepes thee warme, but for true need:

1571You Heauens, giue me that patience, patience I need,

1572You see me heere (you Gods) a poore old man,

1573As full of griefe as age, wretched in both,

1574If it be you that stirres these Daughters hearts

1575Against their Father, foole me not so much,

1576To beare it tamely: touch me with Noble anger,

1577And let not womens weapons, water drops,

1578Staine my mans cheekes. No you vnnaturall Hags,

1579I will haue such reuenges on you both,

1580That all the world shall---I will do such things,

1581What they are yet, I know not, but they shal be

1582The terrors of the earth? you thinke Ile weepe,

1583No, Ile not weepe, I haue full cause of weeping.

1585But this heart shal break into a hundred thousand flawes

1586Or ere Ile weepe; O Foole, I shall go mad. Exeunt.

1587Corn. Let vs withdraw, 'twill be a Storme.

1588Reg. This house is little, the old man an'ds people,

1589Cannot be well bestow'd.

1590Gon. 'Tis his owne blame hath put himselfe from rest,

1591And must needs taste his folly.

1592Reg. For his particular, Ile receiue him gladly,

1593But not one follower.

1594Gon. So am I purpos'd.

1595Where is my Lord of Gloster?

1597Corn. Followed the old man forth, he is return'd.

1598Glo. The King is in high rage.

1599Corn. Whether is he going?

1600Glo. He cals to Horse, but will I know not whether.

1601Corn. 'Tis best to giue him way, he leads himselfe.

1602Gon. My Lord, entreate him by no meanes to stay.

1603Glo. Alacke the night comes on, and the high windes

1604Do sorely ruffle, for many Miles about

1605There's scarce a Bush.

1606Reg. O Sir, to wilfull men,

1607The iniuries that they themselues procure,

1608Must be their Schoole-Masters: shut vp your doores,

1609He is attended with a desperate traine,

1610And what they may incense him too, being apt,

1611To haue his eare abus'd, wisedome bids feare.

1612Cor. Shut vp your doores my Lord, 'tis a wil'd night,

1613My Regan counsels well: come out oth'storme. Exeunt.

1616Kent. Who's there besides foule weather?

1617Gen. One minded like the weather, most vnquietly.