The History of King Lear.
¶Kent. All the power of his wits haue giuen way to impatience,
¶the Gods de
serue your kindne
sse.
¶Edg. Fretereto cals me, and tels me
Nero is an angler in the lake
2005of darkne
sse, pray innocent beware the foule fiend.
¶Foole. Prethee Nunckle tell me, whether a mad man may bee a
¶Lear. A King, a King, to haue a thou
sand with red burning
¶spits come hi
ssing in vpon them.
2014.1Edg. The foule fiend bites my backe.
¶Foole. Hee's mad that tru
sts in the tamene
sse of a Wolfe, a
¶hor
ses health, a boyes loue, or a whores oath.
¶Lear. It
shall be done, I will arraigne them
straight,
.5Come
sit thou heere mo
st learned Iu
stice,
¶Thou
sapient
sir,
sit heere now you
shee Foxes ---------
¶Edg. Looke where he
stands and glars, want
st thou eies at tri-
¶all madam, come ore the broome
Bessy to me.
¶Foole. Her boat hath a leake, and
she mu
st not
speak,
.10Why
she dares not come ouer to thee.
¶Edg. The foule fiend haunts poore
Tom in the voyce of a night-
¶ingale, Hoppedance cried in
Toms belly for two white herring,
¶Croke not blacke Angell, I haue no food for thee.
¶Kent. How do you
sir?
stand you not
so amaz'd, will you lie
.15downe and re
st vpon the Cu
shions?
¶Lear. Ile
see their triall fir
st, bring in their euidence, thou rob-
¶bed man of iu
stice take thy place, & thou his yoke-fellow of e-
¶quity, bench by his
side, you are o'th commi
ssion,
sit you too.
¶Ed. Let vs deale iu
stly,
sleepe
st or wake
st thou iolly
shepheard,
.20Thy
sheepe bee in the corne, and for one bla
st of thy minikin
¶mouth, thy
sheepe
shall take no harme, Pur the cat is gray.
¶Lear. Arraignne her fir
st, tis
Gonorill, I here take my oath before
¶this honourable a
ssembly
she kickt the poore King her father.
¶Foole. Come hither Mi
stre
sse, is your name
Gonorill.
.25Lear. She cannot deny it.
¶Foole. Cry you mercy, I tooke you for a ioynt
stoole.
¶Lear. And heres another who
se warpt lookes proclaime
¶What
store her heart is made an,
stop her there,
G2
