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  • Title: King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)
  • Editor: Pervez Rizvi
  • 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: Pervez Rizvi
    Not Peer Reviewed

    King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)

    The History of King Lear.
    Gon. Come sir, no more ; you, more knaue then foole, after your
    master.
    835Foole. Nuncle Lear, Nuncle Lear, tarry and take the foole with
    a fox when one has caught her, and such a daughter, should sure
    to the slaughter, if my cap would buy a halter, so the foole fol-
    lowes after.
    Gon. What Oswald, ho.
    848.1Oswald. Heere Madam.
    Gon. What, haue you writ this letter to my sister?
    Osw. Yes Madam.
    860Gon. Take you some company, and away to horse, informe her
    full of my particular feares, and thereto adde such reasons of your
    owne, as may compact it more, get you gone, and after your re-
    turne -------- now my Lord, this mildie gentlenesse and course of
    865yours though I dislike not, yet vnder pardon y'are much more a-
    lapt want of wisedome, then praise for harmfull mildnesse.
    Duke. How farre your eies may pierce I cannot tell,
    870Striuing to better ought, we marre what's well.
    Gon. Nay then -------
    Duke. Well, well, the euent. Exit.

    Enter Lear, Kent, and Foole.
    875Lear. Go you before to Glocester with these Letters, acquaint
    my daughter no further with any thing you know, then comes
    from her demand out of the Letter, if your diligence be not spee-
    die, I shall be there before you.
    880Kent. I will not sleepe my Lord, till I haue deliuered your let-
    9603+36ter. Exit.
    Foole. If a mans braines were in his heeles, wert not in danger
    of kybes?Lear. I boy.
    885Foole. Then I prethee be merry, thy wit shall nere go slipshod.
    Lear. Ha, ha, ha.
    Foole. Shalt see thy other daughter will vse thee kindly, for
    though she is as like this, as a crabbe is like an apple, yet I con,
    890what I can tell.
    Lear. Why what canst thou tell my boy?
    Foole. Shee'l taste as like this, as a crab doth to a crab; thou
    canst
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