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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    Is practice, onely giue me my seruant foorth;
    Tell the Duke and's wife, Ile speake with them
    Now presently, bid them come forth and heare me,
    Or at their chamber doore Ile beate the drum,
    1395Till it cry sleepe to death.
    Glost. I would haue all well betwixt you.
    Lear. O my heart! my heart.
    Foole. Cry to it Nunckle, as the Cockney did to the Eeles,
    when she put them vp i'th paste aliue, she rapt vm ath coxcombs
    1400with a sticke, and cryed downe wantons, downe; twas her bro-
    ther, that in pure kindnesse to his horse, butterd his hay.

    Enter Duke and Regan.
    Lear. Good morrow to you both.
    1405Duke. Haile to your Grace.
    Reg. I am glad to see your Highnesse.
    Lear. Regan, I thinke you are, I know what reason
    I haue to thinke so; if thou shouldst not be glad,
    I would diuorce me from thy mothers toombe,
    1410Sepulchring an adulteresse, yea, are you free?
    Some other time for that. Beloued Regan,
    Thy sister is naught, ô Regan she hath tied
    Sharpe tooth'd vnkindnesse, like a vulture heere.
    I can scarse speake to thee, thou't not beleeue,
    1415Of how depriued a quality, O Regan.
    Reg. I pray sir take patience, I haue hope
    You lesse know how to value her desert,
    Then she to slacke her duty.
    1425Lear. My curses on her.
    Reg. O sir, you are olde,
    Nature on you stands on the very verge of her Confine,
    You should be ruled and led by some discretion,
    That discernes your state better then you your selfe,
    1430Therefore I pray, that to our sister you do make returne,
    Say you haue wrongd her sir.
    Lear. Aske her forgiuenesse,
    Do you marke how this becomes the house?
    Deare