The History of King Lear.
3215Alb. The Gods defend her, beare him hence a while.
¶Enter Lear with Cordelia in his armes.
¶Lear. Howle, howle, howle, howle: O you are men of
stones,
¶Had I your tongues and eyes, I would v
se them
so,
¶That heauens vault
should cracke: O,
she is gone for euer.
3220I know when one is dead, and when one liues,
¶Shees dead as earth: Lend me a looking-gla
sse,
¶If that her breath will mi
st and
staine the
stone,
she then liues.
¶Kent. Is this the promi
st end!
3225Edg. Or image of that horror?
Alb. Fall and cease.
¶Lear. This feather
stirs,
she liues, if it be
so, it is a chance that
¶do's redeeme all
sorrowes that euer I haue felt.
3230Kent. A my good ma
ster.
¶Edg. Tis Noble
Kent your friend.
¶Lear. A plague vpon you murdrous traitors all, I might haue
¶saued her, now
shees gone for euer:
Cordelia,
Cordelia,
stay a li-
3235tle. What i
st thou
say
st? her voice was euer
soft, gentle & low,
¶an excellent thing in woman. I kild the
slaue that was a hanging
Cap. Tis true my Lords hee did.
3240Lear. Did I not fellow? I ha
seene the day, that with my bi-
¶ting Fauchion I would haue made them skip: I am old now, and
¶the
se
same cro
sses
spoile me. Who are you? Mine eyes are none
¶o'th be
st, Ile tell you
straight.
3245Kent. If Fortune bragd of two
she loued or hated,
¶Kent. The
same your
seruant
Kent, wher is your
seruãt
Caius?
3250Lear. Hees a good fellow, I can tell that,
¶Heel
strike and quickly too, hees dead and rotten.
¶Kent. No my good Lord, I am the very man.
¶Lear. Ile
see that
straight.
¶Kent. That from your life of difference and decay,
3255Haue followed your
sad
steps.
¶Lear. You are welcome hether.
¶Kent. Nor no man el
se: All's cheerele
sse, darke, and deadly,
¶Your elde
st daughters haue fore-doom'd them
selues,
