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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    Edg. The foule fiend haũts poore Tom in the voyce of a nigh- (tingale,
    Hoppedance cries in Toms belly for two white herring,
    Croke not blacke Angell, I haue no foode for thee.
    Kent. How doe you sir? stand you not so amazd, will you
    2014.15lie downe and rest vpon the cushings?
    Lear. Ile see their triall first, bring in their euidence, thou
    robbed man of Iustice take thy place, & thou his yokefellow of
    equity, bench by his side, you are ot'h commission, sit you too.
    Ed. Let vs deale iustly sleepest or wakest thou iolly shepheard,
    2014.20Thy sheepe bee in the corne, and for one blast of thy minikin
    mouth, thy sheepe shall take no harme, Pur the cat is gray.
    Lear. Arraigne her first tis Gonoril, I here take my oath before
    this honorable assembly kickt the poore king her father.
    Foole. Come hither mistrisse is your name Gonorill.
    2014.25Lear. She cannot deny it.
    Fool. Cry you mercy I tooke you for a ioyne stoole.
    Lear. And heres another whose warpt lookes proclaime,
    What store her hart is made an, stop her there,
    Armes, armes, sword, fire, corruption in the place,
    2014.30False Iusticer why hast thou let her scape.
    2015Edg. Blesse thy fiue wits.
    Kent. O pity sir, where is the patience now,
    That you so oft haue boasted to retaine.
    Edg. My teares begin to take his part so much,
    Theile marre my counterfeiting.
    2020Lear. The little dogs and all
    Trey, Blanch, and Sweet hart, see they barke at me.
    Edg. Tom will throw his head at them, auant you curs,
    Be thy mouth, or blacke, or white, tooth that poysons if it bite,
    2025Mastife, grayhoũd, mungril, grim-hoũd or spaniel, brach or him,
    Bobtaile tike, or trũdletaile, Tom will make them weep & waile,
    For with throwing thus my head, 2030dogs leape the hatch and all
    are fled, loudla doodla come march to wakes, and faires, and
    market townes, poore Tom thy horne is dry.
    Lear. Then let them anotomize Regan, see what breeds about (her
    Hart is there any cause in nature that 2035makes this hardnes,
    You sir, I entertaine you for one of my hundred,
    Only I do not like the fashion of your garments youle say,
    They
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