King Lear (Modern, Quarto)

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

[Act 3, scene 4 in Folio]
 11.0.11776[Scene 11]
 11.0.217771531Enter Lear, Kent [disguised], and Fool.
 11.16117781532Kent
 Here is the place, my lord. Good my lord, enter.
 11.21779The 1533tyranny of the open night's too rough
 11.31780For nature to endure.
 11.3.1[Storm still]
 17811534Lear
 For nature to endure.  Let me alone.
 11.41782Kent
 Good my lord, enter.
 17831535Lear
 Good my lord, enter.  Wilt break my heart?
 11.517841536Kent
 I had rather break mine own. 1785Good my lord, enter.
 11.617861537Lear
 Thou think'st 'tis much that this contentious storm
 11.717871538Invades us to the skin. So 'tis to thee;
 11.817881539But where the greater malady is fixed
 11.917891540The lesser is scarce felt. Thou'dst shun a bear,
 11.1017901541But if thy flight lay toward the roaring sea
 11.1117911542Thou'dst meet the bear i'th'mouth. When the mind's free,
 11.1217921543The body's delicate. This tempest in my mind
 11.1317931544Doth from my senses take all feeling else
 11.1417941545Save what beats there. Filial ingratitude!
 11.1517951546Is it not as this mouth should tear this hand
 11.1617961547For lifting food to't? But I will punish sure.
 11.1717971548No, I will weep no more. 1799In such a night as this?
 11.181549O Regan, Goneril, 1800your old kind father
 11.191550Whose frank heart gave you all!--1801Oh, that way madness lies;
 11.201551Let me shun that; 1802no more of that.
 11.2118031552Kent
 Good my lord, enter.
 11.2218041553Lear
 Prithee go in thyself, seek thy own ease.
 11.2318051554This tempest will not give me leave to ponder
 11.2418061555On things would hurt me more. But I'll go in.
 11.24.1[Exit Fool.]
 11.2518091556Poor naked wretches wheresoe'er you are
 11.2618101557That bide the pelting of this pitiless night,
 11.2718111558How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
 11.2818121559Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you
 11.2918131560From seasons such as these? Oh, I have ta'en
 11.3018141561Too little care of this. Take physic, pomp.
 11.3118151562Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel,
 11.3218161563That thou mayst shake the superflux to them
 11.3318171564And show the heavens more just.
 11.33.11818[Enter Fool.]
 11.3418201565Fool
 Come not in here, nuncle, here's a spirit. Help 1821me, help 1566me!
 11.3518221567Kent
 Give me thy hand. Who's there?
 11.3618231568Fool
 A spirit. He says his name's Poor 1824Tom.
 11.3718251569Kent
 What art thou that dost grumble there in the 1826straw? 1570Come forth.
 11.37.1[Enter Edgar.]
 11.3818271571Edgar
 Away, the foul fiend follows me. Through the 1828sharp 1572hawthorn blows the cold wind. Go to thy cold 1829bed and warm 1573thee.
 11.3918301574Lear
 Hast thou given all to thy two daughters, and art 1831thou 1575come to this?
 11.4018321576Edgar
 Who gives anything to poor Tom, whom 1833the foul 1577fiend hath led through fire, and 1834through ford and 1578whirlpool, o'er bog and 1835quagmire; that has laid knives 1579under his pillow and halters 1836in his pew, set ratsbane by his pottage; 1580made him 1837proud of heart, to ride on a bay trotting-horse over 1581four-1838inched bridges; to course his own shadow for a traitor. 18391582Bless thy five wits. Tom's a-cold. 1840Bless thee from whirlwinds, 1583star-blasting, and 1841taking. Do poor Tom some charity, whom 1584the foul fiend 1842vexes. There could I have him now, and there, 1585and there 1843again.
 11.44.1[Storm still]
 11.4118441586Lear
 What? His daughters brought him to this pass?
 11.4218451587Couldst thou save nothing? Didst thou give them all?
 11.4318461588Fool
 Nay, he reserved a blanket, else we had been all 1847shamed.
 11.4418481589Lear
 Now all the plagues that in the pendulous air
 11.4518491590Hang fated o'er men's faults fall on thy daughters.
 11.4618501591Kent
 He hath no daughters, sir.
 11.4718511592Lear
 Death, traitor! Nothing could have subdued nature
 11.4818521593To such a lowness but his unkind daughters.
 11.4918531594Is it the fashion that discarded fathers
 11.5018541595Should have thus little mercy on their flesh?
 11.5118551596Judicious punishment: 'twas this flesh
 11.521597Begot 1856those pelican daughters.
 11.5318571598Edgar
 Pillicock sat on Pillicock's hill, a lo, lo, lo.
 11.5418581599Fool
 This cold night will turn us all to fools and 1859madmen.
 11.5518601600Edgar
 Take heed o'th'foul fiend, obey thy 1861parents, keep thy 1601words justly, swear not, commit not 1862with man's sworn spouse, 1602set not thy sweet heart on 1863proud array. Tom's a-cold.
 11.5618641603Lear
 What hast thou been?
 11.5718651604Edgar
 A servingman, proud in heart and mind, that 1866curled my 1605hair, wore gloves in my cap, served the lust 1867of my mistress's heart 1606and did the act of darkness with 1868her; swore as many oaths as I 1607spake words, and broke 1869them in the sweet face of heaven. One 1608that slept in the 1870contriving of lust and waked to do it. Wine 1609loved I 1871deeply, dice dearly, and in woman out-paramoured 1872the 1610Turk; false of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand; 1873hog in sloth, 1611fox in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog 1874in madness, lion 1612in prey. Let not the creaking of shoes 1875nor the rustlings of silks 1613betray thy poor heart to wo1876men. Keep thy foot out of 1614brothel, thy hand out of 1877placket, thy pen from lender's book, 1615and defy the 1878foul fiend. Still through the hawthorn blows the 18791616cold wind, heigh no nonny. Dolphin, my boy, 1880my boy. Cease! 1617Let him trot by.
 [Storm still]
 11.5818811618Lear
 Why, thou wert better in thy grave than to answer 18821619with thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies. Is 1883man no 1620more but this? Consider him well. Thou owest 1884the worm no silk, 1621the beast no hide, the sheep no 1885wool, the cat no perfume. Here's 1622three on's are 1886sophisticated; thou art the thing itself. 16231887Unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor bare forked 1888animal 1624as thou art. Off, off, you lendings. [Attempts to take off his clothes] Come, 1889unbutton--
 11.5918911625Fool
 Prithee, nuncle, be content. This is a naughty 1892night to 1626swim in. Now a little fire in a wild field 1893were like an old letcher's 1627heart, a small spark, all the rest 1894in's body cold. Look, here comes 1628a walking fire.
 11.60.11890Enter Gloucester [with a torch].
 11.6018951629Edgar
 This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibet. He begins at 18961630curfew and walks till the first cock. He gives the web 1897and the pin, 1631squinies the eye, and makes the harelip; 1898mildews the white 1632wheat and hurts the poor 1899creature of earth.
 [Sings.]
 11.61621900Swithold footed 1633thrice the wold,
 11.621901He met the nightmare and her ninefold,
 11.631902 Bid her 1634alight
 11.64 And her troth plight,
 11.651903And aroint thee, witch, aroint thee.
 11.6619041635Kent
 How fares your grace?
 11.6719051636Lear
 What's he?
 11.6819061637Kent
 Who's there? What is't you seek?
 11.6919071638Gloucester
 What are you there? Your names?
 11.7019081639Edgar
 Poor Tom, that eats the swimming frog, the 1909toad, the 1640tadpole, the wall-newt, and the water; that 1910in the fury of his 1641heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats 1911cow dung for salads, 1642swallows the old rat and the 1912ditch dog; drinks the green 1643mantle of the standing 1913pool; who is whipped from tithing to tithing, 1644and 1914stock-punished and imprisoned; who hath had three suits 1915to 1645his back, six shirts to his body.
 11.711916Horse to ride, and weapon 1646to wear.
 11.7219171647But mice and rats and such small deer
 11.7319181648Hath been Tom's food for seven long year.
 11.7419191649Beware my follower. Peace, Smolking, peace thou fiend!
 11.7519201650Gloucester
 What, hath your grace no better company?
 11.7619211651Edgar
 The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman. Modo, 1922he's called, 1652and Mahu--
 11.776319231653Gloucester
 Our flesh and blood is grown so 1924vile, my lord,
 11.78That it 1654doth hate what gets it.
 11.796419251655Edgar
 Poor Tom's a-cold.
 11.806519261656Gloucester
 [To Lear] Go in with me. My duty cannot suffer
 11.811927To obey in all your 1657daughters' hard commands.
 11.821928Though their injunction be to bar 1658my doors
 11.831929And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
 11.841930Yet 1659have I ventured to come seek you out
 11.851931And bring you where 1660both food and fire is ready.
 11.8619321661Lear
 First let me talk with this philosopher.
 11.8719331662What is the cause of thunder?
 11.8819341663Kent
 My good lord, take his offer. 1935Go into the house.
 11.8919361664Lear
 I'll talk a word with this most learnèd Theban.
 11.901937What is 1665your study?
 11.9119381666Edgar
 How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin.
 11.9219391667Lear
 Let me ask you one word in private.
 11.9319401668Kent
 [To Gloucester] Importune him [once more] to go, my lord. 1941His wits
 11.94Begin to unsettle.
 19421669Gloucester
 Begin to unsettle.  Canst thou blame him?
 11.94.1[Storm still]
 11.9519431670His daughters seek his death. Oh, that good Kent,
 11.9619441671He said it would be thus, poor banished man.
 11.9719451672Thou say'st the King grows mad. I'll tell thee, friend,
 11.9819461673I am almost mad myself. I had a son
 11.9919471674Now outlawed from my blood. 'A sought my life
 11.10019481675But lately, very late. I loved him, friend,
 11.10119491676No father his son dearer. True to tell thee,
 11.10219501677The grief hath crazed my wits.
 11.1031678What a night's this?1951 [To Lear] I do beseech your grace--
 11.10419521679Lear
 Oh, cry you mercy. 1953Noble philosopher, your company.
 11.10519541680Edgar
 Tom's a-cold.
 11.10619551681Gloucester
 In fellow. There, in th'hovel, keep thee warm.
 11.10719561682Lear
 Come, let's in all.
 19571683Kent
 Come, let's in all.  This way, my lord.
 19581684Lear
 Come, let's in all. This way, my lord.  With him.
 11.1081959I will keep still with my philosopher.
 11.10919601685Kent
 [To Gloucester] Good my lord, soothe him. 1961Let him take the fellow.
 11.11019621686Gloucester
 Take him you on.
 11.11119631687Kent
 Sirrah, come on. Go along with us.
 11.11219641688Lear
 Come, good Athenian.
 11.11319651689Gloucester
 No words, no words, hush.
 11.11419661690Edgar
 Childe Rowland to the dark town come,
 11.11519671691His word was still "Fie, fo, and fum,
 11.11619681692I smell the blood of a British man."
 11.30.131[Exeunt.]31.1

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King Lear (Modern, Quarto)