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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    Kent. This way my Lord.
    Lear. With him I will keepe still, with my Philosopher.
    1960Kent. Good my Lord sooth him, let him take the fellow.
    Glost. Take him you on.
    Kent. Sirra come on, go along with vs.
    Lear. Come good Athenian.
    1965Glost. No words, no words, hush.
    Edg. Childe Rowland, to the darke towne come,
    His word was still fye, fo, and fum,
    I smell the bloud of a British man.

    1970Enter Cornwall and Bastard.
    Corn. I will haue my reuenge ere I depart the house.
    Bast. How my Lord I may be censured, that nature thus giues
    way to loyalty, some-thing feares me to thinke of.
    1975Corn. I now preceiue it was not altogether your brothers euil
    disposition made him seeke his death, but a prouoking merit, set
    a worke by a reproueable badnesse in himselfe.
    Bast. How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to bee
    1980iust? this is the Letter he spoke off, which approues him an in-
    telligent partie to the aduantages of France, O heauens, that his
    treason were, or not I the detecter.
    Corn. Go with me to the Dutches.
    1985Bast. If the matter of this paper be certaine, you haue mighty
    businesse in hand.
    Corn. True or false, it hath made thee Earle of Glocester, seeke
    out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehen-
    sion.
    1990Bast. If I finde him comforting the King, it will stuffe his sus-
    pition more fully, I will perseuere in my course of loyalty, thogh
    the conflict be sore betweene that and my bloud.
    Corn. I will lay trust vpon thee, and thou shalt finde a dearer
    1995father in my loue. Exit.

    Enter Glocester, Lear, Kent, Foole, and Tom.
    Glost. Here is better then the open ayre, take it thankfully, I
    will peece out the comfort with what addition I can, I will not
    be