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  • Title: King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)
  • Editor: Michael Best
  • Textual editors: James D. Mardock, Eric Rasmussen
  • Coordinating editor: Michael Best

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-463-9

    Copyright Michael Best. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Michael Best
    Not Peer Reviewed

    King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)

    The Historie of King Lear.
    predominance, Drunkards, Lyars, and Adulterers by an enforst
    obedience of planitary influence, and all that wee are euill in,
    by a diuine thru455sting on, an admirable euasion of whoremaster
    man, to lay his gotish disposition to the charge of Starres: my
    Father compounded with my Mother vnder the Dragons taile,
    and my natiuitie was vnder Vrsa maior, so that it followes, I am
    rough and lecherous, Fut, I should 460haue beene that I am, had the
    maidenlest starre of the Firmament twinckled on my bastardy
    er Edgar
    Edgar; and out hee comes like the Catastrophe of the old Co-
    medy, mine is villanous melancholy, with a sith like them of
    465Bedlam; O these eclipses doe portend these diuisions.
    Edgar. How now brother Edmund, what serious contempla-
    tion are you in?
    Bast. I am thinking brother of a prediction I read this 470other
    day, what should follow these Eclipses.
    Edg. Doe you busie your selfe about that?
    Bast. I promise you the effects he writ of, succeed vnhappily,
    as of vnnaturalnesse betweene the child and the parent, death,
    473.1dearth, dissolutions of ancient amities, diuisions in state, mena-
    ces and maledictions against King and nobles, needles diffiden-
    ces, banishment of friẽds, dissipation of Cohorts, nuptial breach-
    es, and I know not what.
    473.5Edg. How long haue you beene a sectary Astronomicall?
    Bast. Come, come, when saw you my father last?
    Edg. Why, 475the night gon by.
    Bast. Spake you with him?
    Edg. Two houres together.
    Bast. Parted you in good tearmes? found you no displeasure
    in him by word or countenance?
    480Edg. None at all.
    Bast. Bethinke your selfe wherein you may haue offended
    him, and at my intreatie, forbeare his presence, till some little
    time hath qualified the heat of his displeasure, which at this in-
    stant so rageth in him, that with the mis485chiefe, of your parson it
    would scarce allay.
    Edg. Some villaine hath done me wrong.
    Bast. Thats my feare brother, I aduise you to the best, goe
    arm'd, I am no honest man if there bee any good meaning to-
    wards
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