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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    her forkes presageth snow, that minces vertue, and do shake the
    2565head, heare of pleasures name to fichew, nor the soyled Horsse
    goes toot with a more riotous appetite: downe from the waste
    they are Centaures, though women all aboue, but to the girdle
    do the gods inherit, beneath is all the fiends, theres Hell, theres
    darknesse, fie, fie, fie, pah, pah: Giue mee an ounce of Ciuet,
    good Apothecary, to sweeten my imagination, ther's money for
    thee.
    Glo. O let me kisse that hand.
    2575Lear. Here wipe it first, it smels of mortality.
    Glo. O ruin'd peece of nature, this great world shold so weare
    out to nought, do you know me?
    2580Lear. I remember thy eyes well enough, dost thou squiny on
    me: no, do thy worst blinde Cupid, Ile not loue: Read thou that
    challenge, marke the penning on't.
    Glo. Were all the letters suns I could not see one.
    2585Edg. I would not take this from report, it is, & my hart breaks
    at it.
    Lear. Read.
    Glo. What, with the case of eyes.
    Lear. O ho, are you there with me? No eyes in your head nor
    2590money in your purse? your eyes are in a heauy case, your pursse
    in a light; yet you see how this world goes?
    Glo. I see it feelingly.
    Lea. What art mad? A man may see how the world goes with
    2595no eyes. Looke with thy eares, see how yon Iustice railes vppon
    yon simple theefe: hearke in thy eare, handy dandy, which is the
    theefe, which is the Iustice. Thou hast seene a farmers dog barke
    at a begger.
    2600Glo. I sir.
    Lear. And the creature run from the cur? There thou mightst
    behold the great image of Authoritie, a dogge, so bad in office.
    Thou Rascall Beadle hold thy bloody hand; why dost thou lash
    that whore? strip thine owne backe, thy blood hotly lusts to vse
    2605her in that kind for which thou whipst her. The vsurer hangs the
    cozener, through tattered ragges small vices do appeare, Robes
    and
    I3
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