King Lear (Adapted by Nahum Tate) (Modern)

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

 [3.2]
2.0.11385The palace.
2.0.21386Enter Cornwall, Regan, Bastard, servants. Cornwall with Gloster's letters.
2.11387Cornwall
 I will have my revenge ere I depart his house.
2.21388Regan, see here, a plot upon our state.
2.31389'Tis Gloster's character, that has betrayed
2.41390His double trust of subject and of host.
2.51391Regan
 Then double be our vengeance. This confirms
2.61392The intelligence that we now received,
2.71393That he has been this night to seek the king.
2.81394But who, sir, was the kind discoverer?
2.91395Cornwall
 Our eagle, quick to spy, and fierce to seize,
2.101396Our trusty Edmund.
2.111397Regan
 'Twas a noble service.
2.121398Oh, Cornwall, take him to thy deepest trust,
2.131399And wear him as a jewel at thy heart.
2.141400Bastard
 Think, sir, how hard a fortune I sustain,
2.151401That makes me thus repent of serving you!
2.15.11402Weeps.
2.161403O that this treason had not been, or I
2.171404Not the discoverer.
2.181405Cornwall
 Edmund, thou shalt find
2.191406A father in our love, and from this minute
2.201407We call thee Earl of Gloster. But there yet
2.211408Remains another justice to be done,
2.221409And that's to punish this discarded traitor.
2.231410But lest thy tender nature should relent
2.241411At his just sufferings, nor brook the sight,
2.251412We wish thee to withdraw.
2.261413Regan
 The grotto, sir, within the lower grove,
2.26.11414To Edmund aside
2.271415Has privacy to suit a mourner's thought.
2.281416Bastard
 And there I may expect a comforter,
2.291417Ha, madam?
2.301418Regan
 What may happen, sir, I know not.
2.311419But 'twas a friend's advice.
2.31.11420Exit Bastard.
2.321421Cornwall
 Bring in the traitor.
2.32.11422Gloster brought in.
2.331423Bind fast his arms.
2.341424Gloster
 What mean your graces?
2.351425You are my guests, pray do me no foul play.
2.361426Cornwall
 Bind him, I say. Hard, harder yet.
2.371427Regan
 Now, traitor, thou shalt find --
2.381428Cornwall
 Speak, rebel, where hast thou sent the king?
2.391429Whom spite of our decree thou saw'st last night.
2.401430Gloster
 I'm tied to the stake, and I must stand the course.
2.411431Regan
 Say where and why thou hast concealed him.
2.421432Gloster
 Because I would not see thy cruel hands
2.431433Tear out his poor old eyes, nor thy fierce sister
2.441434Carve his anointed flesh. But I shall see
2.451435The swift-winged vengeance overtake such children.
2.461436Cornwall
 See't shalt thou never. Slaves, perform your work.
2.471437Out with those treacherous eyes. Dispatch, I say,
2.481438If thou seest vengeance --
2.491439Gloster
 He that will think to live 'till he be old,
2.501440Give me some help – Oh, cruel! Oh! Ye gods.
2.50.11441They put out his eyes.
2.511442Servant
 Hold, hold, my lord, I bar your cruelty.
2.521443I cannot love your safety and give way
2.531444To such a barbarous practice.
2.541445Cornwall
 Ha, my villain.
2.551446Servant
 I have been your servant from my infancy,
2.561447But better service have I never done you
2.571448Then with this boldness --
2.581449Cornwall
 Take thy death, slave.
2.591450Servant
 Nay, then revenge whilst yet my blood is warm.
2.59.11451Fight.
2.601452Regan
 Help here -- are you not hurt, my lord?
2.611453Gloster
 Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature
2.621454To quit this horrid act.
2.631455Regan
 Out, treacherous villain,
2.641456Thou call'st on him that hates thee. It was he
2.651457That broached thy treason, showed us thy dispatches.
2.661458There -- read, and save the Cambrian prince a
2.671459labor.
2.681460If thy eyes fail thee call for spectacles.
2.691461Gloster
 O my folly!
2.701462Than Edgar was abused. Kind gods forgive me that.
2.711463Regan
 How is it, my lord?
2.721464Cornwall
 Turn out that eyeless villain, let him smell
2.731465His way to Cambrai. Throw this slave upon a dunghill.
2.741466Regan,
2.751467I bleed apace, give me your arm.
2.75.11468Exeunt.
2.761469Gloster
 All dark and comfortless!
2.771470Where are those various objects that but now
2.781471Employed my busy eyes? Where those eyes?
2.791472Dead are their piercing rays that lately shot
2.801473Over flowery vales to distant sunny hills,
2.811474And drew with joy the vast horizon in.
2.821475These groping hands are now my only guides,
2.831476And feeling all my sight.
2.841477O misery! What words can sound my grief?
2.851478Shut from the living whilst among the living.
2.861479Dark as the grave amidst the bustling world.
2.871480At once from business and from pleasure barred.
2.881481No more to view the beauty of the spring,
2.891482Nor see the face of kindred, or of friend.
2.901483Yet still one way the extremest fate affords,
2.911484And even the blind can find the way to death.
2.921485Must I then tamely die, and unrevenged?
2.931486So Lear may fall. No, with these bleeding rings
2.941487I will present me to the pitying crowd,
2.951488And with the rhetoric of these dropping veins
2.961489Enflame them to revenge their king and me.
2.971490Then when the glorious mischief is on wing,
2.981491This lumber from some precipice I'll throw,
2.991492And dash it on the ragged flint below.
2.1001493Whence my freed soul to her bright sphere shall fly,
2.1011494Through boundless orbs, eternal regions spy,
2.1021495And like the sun, be all one glorious eye.
2.102.11496Exit.

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King Lear (Adapted by Nahum Tate) (Modern)