SCENE IV. The same. A tent. King Lear  Shakespeare homepage  |  King Lear  | Act 4, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. The same. A tent. 

 Enter, with drum and colours, CORDELIA, Doctor, and Soldiers  CORDELIA  Alack, 'tis he: why, he was met even now 

 As mad as the vex'd sea; singing aloud; 

 Crown'd with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds, 

 With bur-docks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers, 

 Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow 

 In our sustaining corn. A century send forth; 

 Search every acre in the high-grown field, 

 And bring him to our eye. 



 Exit an Officer  What can man's wisdom 

 In the restoring his bereaved sense? 

 He that helps him take all my outward worth. 

 Doctor  There is means, madam: 

 Our foster-nurse of nature is repose, 

 The which he lacks; that to provoke in him, 

 Are many simples operative, whose power 

 Will close the eye of anguish. 

 CORDELIA  All blest secrets, 

 All you unpublish'd virtues of the earth, 

 Spring with my tears! be aidant and remediate 

 In the good man's distress! Seek, seek for him; 

 Lest his ungovern'd rage dissolve the life 

 That wants the means to lead it. 



 Enter a Messenger  Messenger  News, madam; 

 The British powers are marching hitherward. 

 CORDELIA  'Tis known before; our preparation stands 

 In expectation of them. O dear father, 

 It is thy business that I go about; 

 Therefore great France 

 My mourning and important tears hath pitied. 

 No blown ambition doth our arms incite, 

 But love, dear love, and our aged father's right: 

 Soon may I hear and see him! 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  King Lear  | Act 4, Scene 4 

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