King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)

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 History of King Lear.
 13011128Thou maist deserue, or they purpose this vsage,
 13021129Comming from vs.
 13031130Kent. My Lord, when at their home
 13041131I did commend your Highnesse Letters to them,
 13051132Ere I was risen from the place that shewed
 13061133My duty kneeling, came there a reeking Poste,
 13071134Stewd in his haste, halfe breathlesse, panting forth
 13081135From Gonorill his Mistris, salutations,
 13091136Deliuered letters spite of intermission,
 13101137Which presently they read; on whose contents
 13111138They summoned vp their men, straight tooke horse,
 13121139Commanded me to follow, and attend the leisure
 13131140Of their answer, gaue me cold lookes,
 13141141And meeting heere the other Messenger,
 13151142Whose welcome I perceiu'd had poisoned mine,
 13161143Being the very fellow that of late
 13171144Displaid so sawcily against your Highnesse,
 13181145Hauing more man then wit about me, drew;
 13191146He raised the house with loud and coward cries,
 13201147Your sonne and daughter found this trespasse worth
 13211148This shame which here it suffers.
 13281149Lear. O how this mother swels vp toward my heart,
 13291150Historica passio downe thou climing sorrow,
 13301151Thy element's below, where is this daughter?
 13311152Kent. With the Earle sir within.
 13321153Lear. Follow me not, stay there.
 13331154Knight. Made you no more offence then what you speake of?
 13351155Kent. No, how chance the King comes with so small a traine?
 13371156Foole. If thou hadst beene set in the stockes for that question,
 13381157 thou hadst well deserued it.
 13391158Kent. Why foole?
 13401159Foole. Wee'l set thee to schoole to an Ant, to teach thee ther's
 13411160no labouring in the winter, all that follow their noses, are led by
 13421161their eyes, but blinde men, and there's not a nose among a hun-
 13431162dred, but can smell him that's stincking; let goe thy hold when
 13441163a great wheele runs downe a hill, least it breake thy necke with
 13451164following it, but the great one that goes vp the hil, let him draw
thee

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King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)