Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Pervez Rizvi
Not Peer Reviewed

King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)

The History of King Lear.
Glo. 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.
Steward. Where may we set our horses?
Kent. In the mire.
1080Stew. Prethee 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 Lipsbury pinfold, I would make thee care
for me.
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 pound, filthy
1090worsted stocken knaue, a lilly liuer'd action taking knaue, a
whoreson glasse-gazing superfinicall rogue, one trunke inheri-
ting slaue, one that would'st be baud in way of good seruice, &
art nothing but the composition of a knaue, begger, coward,
1095pander, and the sonne and heire of a mungrell bitch, whom I will
beate into clamorous whining, if thou deny the least sillable of
the addition.
Stew. What a monstrous fellow art thon, thus to raile on one
that's neither knowne of thee, nor knowes thee.
Kent. What a brazen fac'st varlet art thou, to deny thou know-
est me, is it two daies agoe since I beate thee, and tript vp thy
heeles before the King? draw you rogue, for though it be night
1105the Moon shines, ile make a sop of the Moone-shine a'you, draw
you whoreson cullyonly barber-munger, draw.
Stew. Away, I haue nothing to do with thee.
Kent. Draw you rascall, you bring Letters against the King, &
take Vanity the puppets part, against the royalty of her father,
1110draw you rogue, or ile so carbonado your shankes, draw you ras-
call, come your wayes.
Stew. Helpe, ho, murther, helpe.
Kent.