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