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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    Old man. I my Lord.
    Glost. Then prethee get thee gone, if for my sake
    Thou wilt ore-take vs here a mile or twaine
    2230I'th way to Douer, do it for ancient loue,
    And bring some couering for this naked soule,
    Who ile entreate to lead me.
    Old man. Alacke sir he is mad.
    Glost. Tis the times plague, when madmen leade the blinde,
    Do as I bid thee, or rather do thy pleasure,
    Aboue the rest, be gone.
    Old man. Ile bring him the best parrell that I haue,
    Come on't what will.
    2240Glo. Sirra, naked fellow.
    Edg. Poore Toms a cold, I cannot dance it farther.
    Glo. Come hither fellow.
    Edg. Blesse thy sweete eyes, they bleed.
    2245Glo. Knowst thou the way to Douer?
    Edg. Both stile and gate, horse-way, and foot-path,
    Poore Tom hath beene scard out of his good wits,
    Blesse the good man from the foule fiend,
    2248.1Fiue fiends haue beene in poore Tom at once,
    Of lust, as Obidicut, Hobbididence Prince of dumbnesse,
    Mahu of stealing, Modo of murder, Stiberdigebit of Mobing,
    And Mohing who since possesses chambermaids
    2248.5And waiting women, so, blesse thee master.
    Glo. Here take this purse, thou whom the heauens plagues
    2250Haue humbled to all strokes, that I am wretched, makes thee
    The happier, heauens deale so still,
    Let the superfluous and lust-dieted man
    That stands your ordinance, that will not see
    Because he doth not feele, feele your power quickly,
    2255So distribution should vnder excesse,
    And each man haue enough: dost thou know Douer?
    Edg. I master.
    Glo. There is a cliffe, whose high and bending head
    Lookes firmely in the confined deepe,
    2260Bring me but to the very brim of it,
    And
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