The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 3: Books for ChildrenLamb, Charles
General
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 3: Books for Children
Lamb, Charles
Children's poetry; Children's stories
And from this and many such wild speeches which he uttered, the good
Caius plainly perceived that he was not in his perfect mind, but that
his daughters' ill usage had really made him go mad. And now the
loyalty of this worthy earl of Kent shewed itself in more essential
services than he had hitherto found opportunity to perform. For with
the assistance of some of the king's attendants who remained loyal, he
had the person of his royal master removed at day-break to the castle
of Dover, where his own friends and influence, as earl of Kent,
chiefly lay: and himself embarking for France, hastened to the court
of Cordelia, and did there in such moving terms represent the pitiful
condition of her royal father, and set out in such lively colours the
inhumanity of her sisters, that this good and loving child with many
tears besought the king her husband, that he would give her leave
to embark for England with a sufficient power to subdue these cruel
daughters and their husbands, and restore the old king her father to
his throne; which being granted, she set forth, and with a royal army
landed at Dover.
Lear having by some chance escaped from the guardians which the good
earl of Kent had put over him to take care of him in his lunacy,
was found by some of Cordelia's train, wandering about the fields
near Dover, in a pitiable condition, stark mad and singing aloud
to himself, with a crown upon his head which he had made of straw,
and nettles, and other wild weeds that he had picked up in the
corn-fields. By the advice of the physicians, Cordelia, though
earnestly desirous of seeing her father, was prevailed upon to put off
the meeting, till, by sleep and the operation of herbs which they gave
him, he should be restored to greater composure. By the aid of these
skilful physicians, to whom Cordelia promised all her gold and jewels
for the recovery of the old king, Lear was soon in a condition to see
his daughter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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