the utmost fury of the storm abroad, than stay under the same
roof with these ungrateful daughters: and they, saying that the injuries
which wilful men procure to themselves are their just punishment,
suffered him to go in that condition and shut their doors upon him.

The winds were high, and the rain and storm increased, when the old man
sallied forth to combat with the elements, less sharp than his
daughters' unkindness. For many miles about there was scarce a bush; and
there upon a heath, exposed to the fury of the storm in a dark night,
did King Lear wander out, and defy the winds and the thunder; and he bid
the winds to blow the earth into the sea, or swell the waves of the sea
till they drowned the earth, that no token might remain of any such
ungrateful animal as man. The old king was now left with no other
companion than the poor fool, who still abided with him, with his merry
conceits striving to outjest misfortune, saying it was but a naughty
night to swim in, and truly the king had better go in and ask his
daughter's blessing:--

But he that has a little tiny wit.
With heigh ho, the wind and the rain!
Must make content with his fortunes fit.
Though the rain it raineth every day:

and swearing it was a brave night to cool a lady's pride.

Thus poorly accompanied, this once great monarch was found by his
ever-faithful servant the good Earl of Kent, now transformed to Caius,
who ever followed close at his side, though the king did not know him to
be the earl; and he said, "Alas! sir, are you here? creatures that love
night, love not such nights as these. This dreadful storm has driven the
beasts to their hiding places. Man's nature cannot endure the affliction
or the fear." And Lear rebuked him and said, these lesser evils were not
felt, where a greater malady was fixed. When the mind is at ease, the
body has leisure to be delicate, but the tempest in his mind did take
all feeling else from his senses, but of that which beat at his
heart. And he spoke of filial ingratitude, and said it was all one as if
the mouth should tear the hand for lifting food to it; for parents were
hands and food and everything to children.

[Illustration: THERE UPON A HEATH, EXPOSED TO THE FURY OF THE STORM ON A
DARK NIGHT, DID KING LEAR WANDER OUT]

But the good Caius still persisting in his entreaties that the king
would not stay out in the open air, at last persuaded him to enter a
little wretched hovel which st