King Lear
ACT IV SCENE III | The French camp near Dover. | |
[Enter KENT and a Gentleman] | ||
KENT | Why the King of France is so suddenly gone back | |
know you the reason? | ||
Gentleman | Something he left imperfect in the | |
state, which since his coming forth is thought | ||
of; which imports to the kingdom so much | 5 | |
fear and danger, that his personal return was | ||
most required and necessary. | ||
KENT | Who hath he left behind him general? | |
Gentleman | The Marshal of France, Monsieur La Far. | |
KENT | Did your letters pierce the queen to any | 10 |
demonstration of grief? | ||
Gentleman | Ay, sir; she took them, read them in my presence; | |
And now and then an ample tear trill’d down | ||
Her delicate cheek: it seem’d she was a queen | ||
Over her passion; who, most rebel-like, | 15 | |
Sought to be king o’er her. | ||
KENT | O, then it moved her. | |
Gentleman | Not to a rage: patience and sorrow strove | |
Who should express her goodliest. You have seen | ||
Sunshine and rain at once: her smiles and tears | 20 | |
Were like a better way: those happy smilets, | ||
That play’d on her ripe lip, seem’d not to know | ||
What guests were in her eyes; which parted thence, | ||
As pearls from diamonds dropp’d. In brief, | ||
Sorrow would be a rarity most beloved, | 25 | |
If all could so become it. | ||
KENT | Made she no verbal question? | |
Gentleman | ‘Faith, once or twice she heaved the name of ‘father’ | |
Pantingly forth, as if it press’d her heart: | ||
Cried ‘Sisters! sisters! Shame of ladies! sisters! | 30 | |
Kent! father! sisters! What, i’ the storm? i’ the night? | ||
Let pity not be believed!’ There she shook | ||
The holy water from her heavenly eyes, | ||
And clamour moisten’d: then away she started | ||
To deal with grief alone. | 35 | |
KENT | It is the stars, | |
The stars above us, govern our conditions; | ||
Else one self mate and mate could not beget | ||
Such different issues. You spoke not with her since? | ||
Gentleman | No. | 40 |
KENT | Was this before the king return’d? | |
Gentleman | No, since. | |
KENT | Well, sir, the poor distressed Lear’s i’ the town; | |
Who sometime, in his better tune, remembers | ||
What we are come about, and by no means | 45 | |
Will yield to see his daughter. | ||
Gentleman | Why, good sir? | |
KENT | A sovereign shame so elbows him: his own unkindness, | |
That stripp’d her from his benediction, turn’d her | ||
To foreign casualties, gave her dear rights | 50 | |
To his dog-hearted daughters, these things sting | ||
His mind so venomously, that burning shame | ||
Detains him from Cordelia. | ||
Gentleman | Alack, poor gentleman! | |
KENT | Of Albany’s and Cornwall’s powers you heard not? | 55 |
Gentleman | ‘Tis so, they are afoot. | |
KENT | Well, sir, I’ll bring you to our master Lear, | |
And leave you to attend him: some dear cause | ||
Will in concealment wrap me up awhile; | ||
When I am known aright, you shall not grieve | 60 | |
Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you, go | ||
Along with me. | ||
[Exeunt] |
King Lear, Act 4, Scene 4