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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    Glost. I serue you Madam, your Graces are right welcome.
    1075Enter Kent, and Steward.
    Steward. Good euen to thee friend, art of the house?
    Kent. I.Stew. Where may we set our horses?
    Kent. It'h mire.Stew. 1080Prethee if thou loue me, tell me.
    Kent. I loue thee not. Stew. Why then I care not for thee.
    Kent. If I had thee in Lipsburie pinfold, I would make thee
    care for mee.
    1085Stew. Why dost thou vse me thus? I know thee not.
    Kent. Fellow I know thee.
    Stew, What dost thou know me for?
    Kent. A knaue, a rascall, an eater of broken meates, a base,
    proud, shallow, beggerly, three shewted hundred 1090pound, filthy
    worsted-stocken knaue, a lilly lyuer'd action taking knaue, a
    whorson glassegazing superfinicall rogue, one truncke inheri-
    ting slaue, one that would'st bee a baud in way of good seruice,
    and art nothing but the composition of a knaue, begger, cow-
    ard, 1095pander, and the sonne and heire of a mungrell bitch, whom
    I will beat into clamorous whyning, if thou denie the least silla-
    ble of the addition.
    Stew. What a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to raile on one,
    that's neither 1100knowne of thee, nor knowes thee.
    Kent. What a brazen fac't varlet art thou, to deny thou
    knowest mee, is it two dayes agoe since I beat thee, and tript vp
    thy heeles before the King? draw you rogue, for though it be
    night the Moone shines, ile make a 1105sop of the moone-shine a'you,
    draw you whorson cullyonly barber-munger, draw?
    Stew. Away, I haue nothing to doe with thee.
    Kent. Draw you rascall, you bring letters against the King,
    and take Vanitie the puppets part, 1110against the royaltie of her
    father, draw you rogue or ile so carbonado your shankes, draw
    you rascall, come your wayes.
    Stew. Helpe, ho, murther, helpe.
    Kent. Strike you slaue, stand rogue, stand you neate 1115slaue,
    strike? Stew. Helpe, ho, murther, helpe.
    Enter Edmund with his rapier drawne, Gloster the Duke
    and Dutchesse.
    Bast. How now, whats the matter?
    Kent.
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