Not Peer Reviewed
- Edition: King Lear
King Lear (Folio 1, 1623)
- Introduction
- Texts of this edition
- Contextual materials
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- Holinshed on King Lear
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- The History of King Leir
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- Albion's England (Selection)
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- Hardyng's Chronicle (Selection)
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- Kings of Britain
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- Chronicles of England
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- Faerie Queene
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- The Mirror for Magistrates
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- The Arcadia
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- A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures
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- Aristotle on tragedy
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- The Book of Job (Selections)
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- The Monk's Tale (Selections)
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- The Defense of Poetry
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- The First Blast of the Trumpet
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- Basilicon Doron
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- On Bastards
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- On Aging
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- King Lear (Adapted by Nahum Tate)
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- Facsimiles
529Scena Quarta.
530Enter Kent.
531Kent. If but as will I other accents borrow,
537Shall find thee full of labours.
538Hornes within. Enter Lear and Attendants.
541Kent. A man Sir.
543with vs?
545him truely that will put me in trust, to loue him that is
549Lear. What art thou?
551the King.
554Kent. Seruice.
556Kent. You.
559which I would faine call Master.
560Lear. What's that?
561Kent. Authority.
564curious tale in telling it, and deliuer a plaine message
567Lear. How old art thou?
569nor so old to dote on her for any thing. I haue yeares on
570my backe forty eight.
572worse after dinner, I will not part from thee yet. Dinner
574my Foole hither. You you Sirrah, where's my Daughter?
575Enter Steward.
578pole backe: wher's my Foole? Ho, I thinke the world's
582call'd him?
584would not.
586Knight. My Lord, I know not what the matter is,
587but to my iudgement your Highnesse is not entertain'd
589theres a great abatement of kindnesse appeares as well in
591your Daughter.
595your Highnesse wrong'd.
598which I haue rather blamed as mine owne iealous curio-
600I will looke further intoo't: but where's my Foole? I
601haue not seene him this two daies.
602Knight. Since my young Ladies going into France
603Sir, the Foole hath much pined away.
604Lear. No more of that, I haue noted it well, goe you
606call hither my Foole; Oh you Sir, you, come you hither
607Sir, who am I Sir?
608Enter Steward.
609Ste. My Ladies Father.
613I beseech your pardon.
617Lear. I thanke thee fellow.
622Lear. Now my friendly knaue I thanke thee, there's
624Enter Foole.
628Lear. Why my Boy?
632ha's banish'd two on's Daughters, and did the third a
634needs weare my Coxcombe. How now Nunckle? would
635I had two Coxcombes and two Daughters.
636Lear. Why my Boy?
638combes my selfe, there's mine, beg another of thy
639Daughters.
643and stinke.
646Lear. Do.
647Foole. Marke it Nuncle;
651Ride more then thou goest,
652Learne more then thou trowest,
654Leaue thy drinke and thy whore,
655And keepe in a dore,
656And thou shalt haue more,
657Then two tens to a score.
658Kent. This is nothing Foole.
659Foole. Then 'tis like the breath of an vnfeed Lawyer,
661thing Nuncle ?
662Lear. Why no Boy,
663Nothing can be made out of nothing.
665comes to, he will not beleeue a Foole.
666Lear. A bitter Foole.
669Lear. No Lad, reach me.
670Foole. Nunckle, giue me an egge, and Ile giue thee
671two Crownes.
673Foole. Why after I haue cut the egge i'th'middle and
680Fooles had nere lesse grace in a yeere,
682And know not how their wits to weare,
686thy Daughters thy Mothers, for when thou gau'st them
688For sodaine ioy did weepe,
691And goe the Foole among.
692Pry'thy Nunckle keepe a Schoolemaster that can teach
693thy Foole to lie, I would faine learne to lie.
695Foole. I maruell what kin thou and thy daughters are,
696they'l haue me whipt for speaking true: thou'lt haue me
697whipt for lying, and sometimes I am whipt for holding
698my peace. I had rather be any kind o'thing then a foole,
700wit o'both sides, and left nothing i'th'middle; heere
701comes one o'the parings.
702Enter Gonerill.
703Lear. How now Daughter? what makes that Frontlet
704on? You are too much of late i'th'frowne.
706need to care for her frowning, now thou art an O with-
713But other of your insolent retinue
714Do hourely Carpe and is Quarrell, breaking forth
716I had thought by making this well knowne vnto you,
722Which in the tender of a wholesome weale,
723Might in their working do you that offence,
725Will call discreet proceeding.
726Foole. For you know Nunckle, the Hedge-Sparrow
729ling.
730Lear. Are you our Daughter?
732(Whereof I know you are fraught), and put away
734From what you rightly are.
737Whoop Iugge I loue thee.
739This is not Lear:
740Do's Lear walke thus? Speake thus? Where are his eies?
741Either his Notion weakens, his Discernings
742Are Lethargied. Ha! Waking? 'Tis not so?
743Who is it that can tell me who I am?
745Lear. Your name, faire Gentlewoman?
747Of other your new prankes. I do beseech you
750Heere do you keepe a hundred Knights and Squires,
752That this our Court infected with their manners,
754Makes it more like a Tauerne, or a Brothell,
758A little to disquantity your Traine,
761Which know themselues, and you.
763Saddle my horses: call my Traine together.
764Degenerate Bastard, Ile not trouble thee;
765Yet haue I left a daughter.
767make Seruants of their Betters.
768Enter Albany.
769Lear. Woe, that too late repents:
771Ingratitude! thou Marble-hearted Fiend,
773Then the Sea-monster.
774Alb. Pray Sir be patient.
776My Traine are men of choice, and rarest parts,
777That all particulars of dutie know,
781Which like an Engine, wrencht my frame of Nature
782From the fixt place: drew from my heart all loue,
783And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear!
784Beate at this gate that let thy Folly in,
787Of what hath moued you.
789Heare Nature, heare deere Goddesse, heare:
791To make this Creature fruitfull:
792Into her Wombe conuey stirrility,
793Drie vp in her the Organs of increase,
794And from her derogate body, neuer spring
796Create her childe of Spleene, that it may liue
797And be a thwart disnatur'd torment to her.
798Let it stampe wrinkles in her brow of youth,
799With cadent Teares fret Channels in her cheekes,
802How sharper then a Serpents tooth it is,
804Alb. Now Gods that we adore,
805Whereof comes this?
808As dotage giues it.
809Enter Lear.
811Within a fortnight?
812Alb. What's the matter, Sir?
813Lear. Ile tell thee:
814Life and death, I am asham'd
816That these hot teares, which breake from me perforce
817Should make thee worth them.
818Blastes and Fogges vpon thee:
819Th'vntented woundings of a Fathers curse
821Beweepe this cause againe, Ile plucke ye out,
823To temper Clay. Ha? Let it be so.
824I haue another daughter,
825Who I am sure is kinde and comfortable:
830Gon. Do you marke that?
832To the great loue I beare you.
835Foole. Nunkle Lear, Nunkle Lear,
836Tarry, take the Foole with thee:
837A Fox, when one has caught her,
838And such a Daughter,
839Should sure to the Slaughter,
840If my Cap would buy a Halter,
841So the Foole followes after. Exit
843A hundred Knights?
844'Tis politike, and safe to let him keepe
845At point a hundred Knights: yes, that on euerie dreame,
846Each buz, each fancie, each complaint, dislike,
847He may enguard his dotage with their powres,
851Let me still take away the harmes I feare,
852Not feare still to be taken. I know his heart,
853What he hath vtter'd I haue writ my Sister:
856Enter Steward.
857How now Oswald?
858What haue you writ that Letter to my Sister?
859Stew. I Madam.
861Informe her full of my particular feare,
863As may compact it more. Get you gone,
866Though I condemne not, yet vnder pardon
867Your are much more at task for want of wisedome,
868Then prai'sd for harmefull mildnesse.
869Alb. How farre your eies may pierce I cannot tell;
870Striuing to better, oft we marre what's well.
871Gon. Nay then----