King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)

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

The Historie of King Lear.
 21111850Corn. And what confederacy haue you with the tra2112tours late
 1851footed in the king dome?
 21131852Reg. To whose hands 2114you haue sent the lunatick King speake? 
 21151853Glost. I haue a letter gessingly set downe
 21161854Which came from one, that's of a neutrall heart,
 21171855And not from one oppos'd.
 21181856Corn. Cunning. 2119Reg. And false.
 21201857 Corn. Where hast thou sent the King? Glost. 2121To Douer.
 21221858Reg. Wherefore to Douer? 2123wast thou not charg'd at perill--- 
 21241859Corn. Wherefore to Douer? let him first answere that.
 21251860Glost. I am tide tot'h stake, 2126and I must stand the course.
 21271861Reg. Wherefore to Douer sir?
 21281862Glost. Because I would not see thy cruell nayles
 21291863Pluck out his poore old eyes, nor thy fierce sister
 21301864In his annoynted flesh rash borish phangs,
 21311865The Sea with such a storme of his lou'd head
 21321866In hell blacke night indur'd, would haue layd vp
 21331867And quencht the steeled fires, 2134yet poore old heart,
 1868Hee holpt the heauens to rage,
 21351869If wolues had at thy gate heard that dearne time
 21361870Thou shouldst haue said, good Porter turne the key,
 21371871All cruels else subscrib'd but I shall see
 21381872The winged vengeance ouertake such children.
 21391873Corn. Seet shalt thou neuer, fellowes hold the chaire,
 21401874Vpon those eyes of thine, Ile set my foote.
 21411875Glost. He that will thinke to liue till he be old
 21421876Giue me some helpe, O cruell, O ye Gods!
 21431877Reg. One side will mocke another, tother to.
 21441878Corn. If you see vengeance--- 
 21451879Seruant. Hold your hand my Lord
 21461880I haue seru'd euer since I was a child
 21471881But better seruice haue I neuer done you, 2148thẽ now to bid(you hold.
 21491882Reg. How now you dogge.
 21501883Seru. If you did weare a beard vpon your chin 2151id'e shake it
 1884on this quarrell, what doe you meane?
 21521885Corn. My villaine.
  draw and fight.
 21531886Seru. Why then come on, and take the chance of anger.
 21541887Reg. Giue me thy sword, a pesant stand vp thus.
 Shee

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King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)