KING LEAR [[THE FOLIO TEXT]]

Act 4 Scene 3

(Enter with a drummer and colours, Queen Cordelia, Gentlemen, and soldiers)
l1l	Cordelia	 Alack, ’tis he! Why, he was met even now,
l2l		As mad as the vexed sea, singing aloud,
l3l		Crowned with rank fumitor and furrow-weeds,
l4l		With burdocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
l5l		Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow
l6l		In our sustaining corn. A century send forth.
l7l		Search every acre in the high-grown field,
l8l		And bring him to our eye.
		(Exit one or more)
		 What can man’s wisdom
l9l		In the restoring his bereavèd sense,
l10l		He that helps him take all my outward worth.
l11l	[First] Gentleman	There is means, madam.
l12l		Our foster-nurse of nature is repose,
l13l		The which he lacks. That to provoke in him
l14l		Are many simples operative, whose power
l15l		Will close the eye of anguish.
	Cordelia	All blest secrets,
l16l		All you unpublished virtues of the earth,
l17l		Spring with my tears, be aidant and remediate
l18l		In the good man’s distress!—Seek, seek for him,
l19l		Lest his ungoverned rage dissolve the life
l20l		That wants the means to lead it.
		(Enter a Messenger)
		
	Messenger	 News, madam.
l21l		The British powers are marching hitherward.
l22l	Cordelia	’Tis known before# our preparation stands
l23l		In expectation of them.—O dear father,
l24l		It is thy business that I go about#
l25l		Therefore great France
l26l		My mourning and importuned tears hath pitied.
l27l		No blown ambition doth our arms incite,
l28l		But love, dear love, and our aged father’s right.
l29l		Soon may I hear and see him!
		(Exeunt)