King Lear (Modern, Folio)

Introduction
2. Textual Introduction
Texts of this edition
1. King Lear (Folio, 1623)
3. Modern
5. Extended modern
7. Old-spelling transcription
8. King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)
10. Modern
12. Extended modern
14. Old-spelling transcription
15. King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)
17. Old-spelling transcription
Contextual materials
1. Sources for the Lear story
3. Holinshed on King Lear
5. The History of King Leir
7. Albion's England (Selection)
9. Hardyng's Chronicle (Selection)
11. Kings of Britain
13. Chronicles of England
15. Faerie Queene
17. The Mirror for Magistrates
18. Sources for the Gloucester plot
20. The Arcadia
22. A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures
23. Literary, political, and social contexts
25. Aristotle on tragedy
27. The Book of Job (Selections)
29. The Monk's Tale (Selections)
31. The Defense of Poetry
33. The First Blast of the Trumpet
35. Basilicon Doron
37. On Bastards
39. On Aging
40. King Lear's afterlife
42. King Lear (Adapted by Nahum Tate)
Facsimiles

[Scene 5 in Quarto]
 1.5.0.18731.5
 1.5.0.2874Enter Lear, Kent [disguised as Caius], Gentleman, and Fool.
 1.5.1875Lear
 [To Kent] Go you before to Gloucester with these letters. 876Acquaint my daughter no further with anything you 877know than comes from her demand out of the letter. 878If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore 879you.
 1.5.2880Kent
 I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered 881your letter.
 1.5.2.1Exit.
 1.5.3882Fool
 If a man's brains were in's heels, were't not in 883danger of kibes?
 1.5.4884Lear
 Ay, boy.
 1.5.5885Fool
 Then I prithee be merry. Thy wit shall not go 886slipshod.
 1.5.6887Lear
 Ha ha ha.
 1.5.7888Fool
 Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly, 889for though she's as like this as a crab's like an 890apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.
 1.5.8891Lear
 What can'st tell, boy?
 1.5.9892Fool
 She will taste as like this as a crab does to a 893crab. Thou canst tell why one's nose stands i'th'middle 894on's face?
 1.5.10895Lear
 No.
 1.5.11896Fool
 Why to keep one's eyes of either side 's nose, 897that what a man cannot smell out he may spy into.
 1.5.12898Lear
 I did her wrong.
 1.5.13899Fool
 Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell?
 1.5.14900Lear
 No.
 1.5.15901Fool
 Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail has 902a house.
 1.5.16903Lear
 Why?
 1.5.17904Fool
 Why to put 's head in, not to give it away to his 905daughters and leave his horns without a case.
 1.5.18906Lear
 I will forget my nature. So kind a father. Be 907my horses ready?
 1.5.19908Fool
 Thy asses are gone about 'em. The reason why 909the seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty reason.
 1.5.20910Lear
 Because they are not eight?
 1.5.21911Fool
 Yes indeed. Thou wouldst make a good fool.
 1.5.22912Lear
 To tak't again perforce. Monster ingratitude!
 1.5.23913Fool
 If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee 914beaten for being old before thy time.
 1.5.24915Lear
 How's that?
 1.5.25916Fool
 Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst 917been wise.
 1.5.26918Lear
 O let me not be mad; not mad, sweet heaven. 919Keep me in temper. I would not be mad.
 1.5.30.1[Enter a Gentleman.]
 1.5.27How now, are 920the horses ready?
 1.5.28921Gentleman
 Ready, my lord.
 1.5.29922Lear
 Come, boy.
 1.5.30923Fool
 She that's a maid now, and laughs at my departure,
 1.5.31924Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter.
 1.5.31.1925Exeunt.

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King Lear (Modern, Folio)