First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
| |
| Enter with Drum and Colours, Cordelia, Gentlemen, and | Enter, with drum and colours, Cordelia, Doctor, and | colours (n.) battle-flags, ensigns, standards, banners | KL IV.iv.1.1 | |
| Souldiours. | soldiers | | KL IV.iv.1.2 | |
| Cor. | CORDELIA | | | |
| Alacke, 'tis he: why he was met euen now | Alack, 'tis he! Why, he was met even now | | KL IV.iv.1 | |
| As mad as the vext Sea, singing alowd, | As mad as the vexed sea, singing aloud, | vexed (adj.)stormy, turbulent, blustery | KL IV.iv.2 | |
| Crown'd with ranke Fenitar, and furrow weeds, | Crowned with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds, | rank (adj.)foul-smelling, stinking | KL IV.iv.3 | |
| | fumiter (n.)fumitory [variety of weed] | | |
| | furrow-weed (n.)weed growing in the furrows of ploughed fields | | |
| With Hardokes, Hemlocke, Nettles, Cuckoo flowres, | With hardokes, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers, | hemlock (n.)variety of poisonous plant | KL IV.iv.4 | |
| | hardoke (n.)variety of weedy plant, possibly burdock | | |
| | cuckoo-flower (n.)variety of wild flower growing at the time of year when cuckoos call | | |
| Darnell, and all the idle weedes that grow | Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow | idle (adj.)useless, barren, worthless | KL IV.iv.5 | |
| | darnel (n.)weeds, cockle, tares | | |
| In our sustaining Corne. A Centery send forth; | In our sustaining corn. (To soldiers) A century send forth; | sustaining (adj.)life-supporting, nourishing | KL IV.iv.6 | |
| | century (n.)army company of 100 soldiers | | |
| Search euery Acre in the high-growne field, | Search every acre in the high-grown field | | KL IV.iv.7 | |
| And bring him to our eye. | And bring him to our eye. | eye (n.)sight, view, presence | KL IV.iv.8.1 | |
| Exeunt soldiers | | KL IV.iv.8.0 | |
| (To Doctor) | | KL IV.iv.8.3 | |
| What can mans wisedome | What can man's wisdom | wisdom (n.)knowledge, learning, science | KL IV.iv.8.2 | |
| In the restoring his bereaued Sense; | In the restoring his bereaved sense? | bereaved (adj.)deprived, robbed, stolen | KL IV.iv.9 | |
| he that helpes him, / Take all my outward worth. | He that helps him, take all my outward worth. | outward (adj.)external, surface, superficial | KL IV.iv.10 | |
| | worth (n.)means, resources, wherewithal | | |
| Gent. | DOCTOR | | | |
| There is meanes Madam: | There is means, madam. | | KL IV.iv.11 | |
| Our foster Nurse of Nature, is repose, | Our foster-nurse of nature is repose, | nature (n.)natural powers, normal state [of mind and body] | KL IV.iv.12 | |
| | foster-nurse (n.)nurse who brings up someone else's child as her own | | |
| The which he lackes: that to prouoke in him | The which he lacks; that to provoke in him | provoke (v.)bring about, induce, engender | KL IV.iv.13 | |
| Are many Simples operatiue, whose power | Are many simples operative, whose power | operative (adj.)effective, efficacious, capable of working | KL IV.iv.14 | |
| | simple (n.)medicinal herb, medicine | | |
| Will close the eye of Anguish. | Will close the eye of anguish. | | KL IV.iv.15.1 | |
| Cord. | CORDELIA | | | |
| All blest Secrets, | All blest secrets, | | KL IV.iv.15.2 | |
| All you vnpublish'd Vertues of the earth | All you unpublished virtues of the earth, | unpublished (adj.)undisclosed, concealed, not divulged | KL IV.iv.16 | |
| | virtue (n.)power, capability, efficacy, property | | |
| Spring with my teares; be aydant, and remediate | Spring with my tears! Be aidant and remediate | remediate (adj.)remedial, restorative, healing | KL IV.iv.17 | |
| | spring (v.)spring up, rise up, multiply | | |
| | aidant (adj.)helpful, assisting, beneficial | | |
| In the Goodmans desires: seeke, seeke for him, | In the good man's distress. Seek, seek for him, | | KL IV.iv.18 | |
| Least his vngouern'd rage, dissolue the life | Lest his ungoverned rage dissolve the life | rage (n.)madness, insanity, derangement | KL IV.iv.19 | |
| | ungoverned (adj.)uncontrolled, unchecked, violent | | |
| That wants the meanes to leade it. | That wants the means to lead it. | want (v.)lack, need, be without | KL IV.iv.20.1 | |
| Enter Messenger. | Enter a Messenger | | KL IV.iv.20 | |
| Mes. | MESSENGER | | | |
| Newes Madam, | News, madam: | | KL IV.iv.20.2 | |
| The Brittish Powres are marching hitherward. | The British powers are marching hitherward. | power (n.)armed force, troops, host, army | KL IV.iv.21 | |
| Cor. | CORDELIA | | | |
| 'Tis knowne before. Our preparation stands | 'Tis known before. Our preparation stands | preparation (n.)equipped military force, force ready for war | KL IV.iv.22 | |
| In expectation of them. O deere Father, | In expectation of them. O dear father, | | KL IV.iv.23 | |
| It is thy businesse that I go about: | It is thy business that I go about. | | KL IV.iv.24 | |
| Therfore great France | Therefore great France | | KL IV.iv.25 | |
| My mourning, and important teares hath pittied: | My mourning and importuned tears hath pitied. | importuned (adj.)beseeching, pleading, imploring | KL IV.iv.26 | |
| No blowne Ambition doth our Armes incite, | No blown ambition doth our arms incite | blown (adj.)swollen, inflated with pride | KL IV.iv.27 | |
| But loue, deere loue, and our ag'd Fathers Rite: | But love, dear love, and our aged father's right. | | KL IV.iv.28 | |
| Soone may I heare, and see him. | Soon may I hear and see him! | | KL IV.iv.29 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt | | KL IV.iv.29 | |