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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    Ere ile weepe; ô foole, I shall go mad.
    Exuent Lear, Glocester, Kent, and Foole
    Duke. Let vs withdraw, twill be a storme.
    Reg. This house is little, the old man and his people,
    Cannot be well bestowed.
    1590Gon. Tis his owne blame hath put himselfe from rest,
    And must needs taste his folly.
    Reg. For his particular, ile receiue him gladly,
    But not one follower.
    Duke. So am I purposd, where is my Lord of Glocester
    Enter Glocester.
    Reg. Followed the old man forth, he is return'd.
    Glo. The King is in high rage, and will I know not whether.
    Reg. Tis good to giue him way, he leads himselfe.
    Gon. My Lord, entreate him by no meanes to stay.
    Glo. Alacke, the night comes on, and the bleake windes
    Do sorely ruffell, for many miles about there's not a bush.
    Reg. O sir, to wilfull men,
    The iniuries that they themselues procure,
    Must be their schoole-masters, shut vp your doores,
    He is attended with a desperate traine,
    1610And what they may incense him too, being apt,
    To haue his eare abused, wisedome bids feare.
    Duke. Shut vp your doores my Lord, tis a wilde night,
    My Regan counsels well, come out ath storme.
    Exuent omnes.
    1615Enter Kent and a Gentleman at seuerall doores.
    Kent. What's heere beside foule weather?
    Gent. One minded like the weather, most vnquietly.
    Kent. I know you, where's the King?
    Gent. Contending with the fretfull Element,
    1620Bids the winde blow the earth into the sea,
    Or swell the curled waters boue the maine,
    That things might change or cease, teares his white haire,
    1622.1Which the impetuous blasts with eielesse rage
    Catch in their fury, and make nothing of,
    Striues in his little world of man to out-scorne,
    The
    F
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