The History of King Lear.
¶Come hether friend, tell me what more thou knowe
st.
2347.1Enter Kent and a Gentleman.
¶Kent. Why the King of
France is
so
suddenly gone backe,
¶Gent. Something he left imperfect in the
state, which
since his
.5comming foorth is thought of, which imports to the Kingdom,
¶so much feare and danger that his per
sonall returne was mo
st re-
¶Kent. Who hath he left behinde him, Generall?
¶Gent. The Mar
shall of
France, Moun
sieur
la Far.
.10Kent. Did your letters pierce the Queene to any demon
strati-
¶Gent. I
say
she tooke them, read them in my pre
sence,
¶And now and then an ample teare trild downe
¶Her delicate cheeke, it
seemd
she was a Queene ore her pa
ssion,
.15Who mo
st rebell-like,
sought to be King ore her.
¶Kent. O then it moued her.
¶Gent. Not to a rage, patience and
sorrow
streme,
¶Who
should expre
sse her goodlie
st, you haue
seene
¶Sun-
shine and raine at once, her
smiles and teares,
.20Were like a better way, tho
se happy
smilets
¶That plaid on her ripe lip,
seeme not to know
¶What gue
sts were in her eyes, which parted thence
¶As pearles from Diamonds dropt; in briefe,
¶Sorrow would be a rarity mo
st beloued,
.25If all could
so become it.
¶Kent. Made
she no verball que
stion?
¶Gent. Faith once or twice
she heau'd the name of father
¶Pantingly foorth, as if it pre
st her heart,
¶Cried
si
sters,
si
sters,
shame of Ladies
si
sters;
.30Kent. Father,
si
sters, what ith-
storme ith night?
¶Let pitty not be beleeu'd, there
she
shooke
¶The holy water from her heauenly eyes,
¶And clamour moi
stened her, then away
she
started,
¶To deale with griefe alone.
.35Kent, It is the
stars, the
stars aboue vs gouern our conditions,
