King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)

Introduction
2. Textual Introduction
Texts of this edition
1. King Lear (Folio, 1623)
3. Modern
5. Extended modern
7. Old-spelling transcription
8. King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)
10. Modern
12. Extended modern
14. Old-spelling transcription
15. King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)
17. Old-spelling transcription
Contextual materials
1. Sources for the Lear story
3. Holinshed on King Lear
5. The History of King Leir
7. Albion's England (Selection)
9. Hardyng's Chronicle (Selection)
11. Kings of Britain
13. Chronicles of England
15. Faerie Queene
17. The Mirror for Magistrates
18. Sources for the Gloucester plot
20. The Arcadia
22. A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures
23. Literary, political, and social contexts
25. Aristotle on tragedy
27. The Book of Job (Selections)
29. The Monk's Tale (Selections)
31. The Defense of Poetry
33. The First Blast of the Trumpet
35. Basilicon Doron
37. On Bastards
39. On Aging
40. King Lear's afterlife
42. King Lear (Adapted by Nahum Tate)
Facsimiles

 23492205Enter Cordelia, Doctor, and others.
 23512206Cor. Alacke tis he, why he was euen now,
 23522207As mad as the vent sea, singing aloud,
 23532208Crownd with ranke femiter and furrow weeds,
 23542209With hor-docks, hemlocke, nettles, coockow-flowers,
 23552210Darnell and all the idle weeds that grow
 23562211In our sustaining, Corne, a century is sent foorth,
 23572212Search euery acre in the high growne field,
 23582213And bring him to our eye, what can mans wisedome do
 23592214In the restoring his bereaued sence? he that can helpe him
 23602215Take all my outward worth.
 23612216Doct. There is meanes Madame,
 23622217Our foster nurse of nature is repose,
 23632218The which he lackes, that to prouoke in him
 23642219Are many simples operatiue, whose power
 23652220Will close the eye of anguish.
 23662221Cord. All blest secrets, all you vnpublisht vertues of the earth,
 23682222Spring with my teares, be aidant and remediat
 23692223In the good mans distresse, seeke, seeke for him,
 23702224Least his vngouernd rage dissolue the life,
 23712225That wants the meanes to leade it.
 23722226Enter a Messenger.
 23732227Messen. Newes Madam, the British powers are marching he-
 23742228 therward.
 23752229Cord. Tis knowne before, our preparation stands
 23762230In expectation of them, ô deare Father,
 23772231It is thy businesse that I go about, therefore great France,
 23782232My mourning and important teares hath pittied,
 23792233No blowne ambition doth our armes insite,
 23802234But loue, deare loue, and our aged fathers right,
 23812235Soone may I heare and see him. Exit.

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King Lear (Quarto 2, 1619)