The Tragedy Of King Lear

1 Enter with drum and colours, Cordelia, Physician
2 and Soldiers.
3 CORDELIA.
4 Alack, ’tis he: why, he was met even now
5 As mad as the vex’d sea; singing aloud;
6 Crown’d with rank fumiter and furrow weeds,
7 With harlocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
8 Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow
9 In our sustaining corn. A century send forth;
10 Search every acre in the high-grown field,
11 And bring him to our eye.
12 [_Exit an Officer._]
13 What can man’s wisdom
14 In the restoring his bereaved sense,
15 He that helps him take all my outward worth.
16 PHYSICIAN.
17 There is means, madam:
18 Our foster nurse of nature is repose,
19 The which he lacks; that to provoke in him
20 Are many simples operative, whose power
21 Will close the eye of anguish.
22 CORDELIA.
23 All bless’d secrets,
24 All you unpublish’d virtues of the earth,
25 Spring with my tears! Be aidant and remediate
26 In the good man’s distress! Seek, seek for him;
27 Lest his ungovern’d rage dissolve the life
28 That wants the means to lead it.
29 Enter a Messenger.
30 MESSENGER.
31 News, madam;
32 The British powers are marching hitherward.
33 CORDELIA.
34 ’Tis known before. Our preparation stands
35 In expectation of them. O dear father,
36 It is thy business that I go about;
37 Therefore great France
38 My mourning and important tears hath pitied.
39 No blown ambition doth our arms incite,
40 But love, dear love, and our ag’d father’s right:
41 Soon may I hear and see him!
42 [_Exeunt._]