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

 [4.2]
2.0.11558The field.
2.0.21559Enter Edgar.
2.11560Edgar
 The lowest and most abject thing of fortune
2.21561Stands still in hope, and is secure from fear.
2.31562The lamentable change is from the best;
2.41563The worst returns to better. Who comes here?
2.4.11564Enter Gloster, led by an Old Man.
2.51565My father poorly led? Deprived of sight?
2.61566The precious stones torn from their bleeding rings!
2.71567Something I heard of this inhuman deed
2.81568But disbelieved it, as an act too horrid
2.91569For the hot hell of a cursed woman's fury.
2.101570When will the measure of my woes be full?
2.111571Gloster
 Revenge, thou art afoot, success attend thee.
2.121572Well have I sold my eyes, if the event
2.131573Prove happy for the injured king.
2.141574Old Man
 O, my good lord, I have been your tenant and your father's
2.151575Tenant these fourscore years.
2.161576Gloster
 Away, get thee away, good friend, be gone.
2.171577Thy comforts can do me no good at all,
2.181578Thee they may hurt.
2.191579Old Man
 You cannot see your way.
2.201580Gloster
 I have no way, and therefore want no eyes.
2.211581I stumbled when I saw. O dear son Edgar,
2.221582The food of thy abused father's wrath,
2.231583Might I but live to see thee in my touch
2.241584I'd say I had eyes again.
2.251585Edgar
 Alas, he's sensible that I was wronged,
2.25.11585.1[Aside]
2.261586And should I own myself, his tender heart
2.271587Would break betwixt the extremes of grief and joy.
2.281588Old Man
 How now, who's there?
2.291589Edgar
 A charity for poor Tom. Play fair, and defy the foul
2.301590fiend.
2.311591O gods! And must I still pursue this trade,
2.31.11592Aside
2.321593Trifling beneath such loads of misery?
2.331594Old Man
 'Tis poor mad Tom.
2.341595Gloster
 In the late storm I such a fellow saw,
2.351596Which made me think a man a worm.
2.361597Where is the lunatic?
2.371598Old Man
 Here, my lord.
2.381599Gloster
 Get thee now away. If for my sake
2.391600Thou wilt overtake us hence a mile or two
2.401601In the way toward Dover, do it for ancient love,
2.411602And bring some covering for this naked wretch
2.421603Whom I'll entreat to lead me.
2.431604Old Man
 Alack, my lord, he's mad.
2.441605Gloster
 'Tis the time's plague when madmen lead the blind.
2.451606Do as I bid thee.
2.461607Old Man
 I'll bring him the best apparel that I have
2.471608Come on it what will.
2.47.11609Exit.
2.481610Gloster
 Sirrah, naked fellow.
2.491611Edgar
 Poor Tom's a cold -- I cannot fool it longer,
2.501612And yet I must -- bless thy sweet eyes, they bleed.
2.511613Believe it Poor Tom even weeps his blind to see them.
2.521614Gloster
 Know'st thou the way to Dover?
2.531615Edgar
 Both stile and gate, horseway and footpath. Poor Tom has
2.541616been scared out of his good wits. Bless every true man's son from
2.551617the foul fiend.
2.561618Gloster
 Here, take this purse; that I am wretched
2.571619Makes thee the happier, heaven deal so still.
2.581620Thus let the griping usurer's hoard be scattered,
2.591621So distribution shall undo excess,
2.601622And each man have enough. Dost thou know Dover?
2.611623Edgar
 Ay, master.
2.621624Gloster
 There is a cliff, whose high and bending head
2.631625Looks dreadfully down on the roaring deep.
2.641626Bring me but to the very brink of it,
2.651627And I'll repair the poverty thou bear'st
2.661628With something rich about me. From that place
2.671629I shall no leading need.
2.681630Edgar
 Give me thy arm. Poor Tom shall guide thee.
2.691631Gloster
 Soft, for I hear the tread of passengers.
2.69.11632Enter Kent and Cordelia.
2.701633Cordelia
 Ah me! Your fear's too true, it was the king.
2.711634I spoke but now with some that met him
2.721635As mad as the vexed sea, singing aloud,
2.731636Crowned with rank fumiter and furrow weeds,
2.741637With berries, burdocks, violets, daisies, poppies,
2.751638And all the idle flowers that grow
2.761639In our sustaining corn. Conduct me to him
2.771640To prove my last endeavors to restore him,
2.781641And heaven so prosper thee.
2.791642Kent
 I will, good lady.
2.801643Ha, Gloster here! -- Turn, poor dark man, and
2.811644hear
2.821645A friend's condolement, who at sight of thine
2.831646Forgets his own distress, thy old true Kent.
2.841647Gloster
 How, Kent? From whence returned?
2.851648Kent
 I have not since my banishment been absent,
2.861649But in disguise followed the abandoned king.
2.871650'Twas me thou saw'st with him in the late storm.
2.881651Gloster
 Let me embrace thee. Had I eyes I now
2.891652Should weep for joy, but let this trickling blood
2.901653Suffice instead of tears.
2.911654Cordelia
 O misery!
2.921655To whom shall I complain, or in what language?
2.931656Forgive, O wretched man, the piety
2.941657That brought thee to this pass, 'twas I that caused it.
2.951658I cast me at thy feet, and beg of thee
2.961659To crush these weeping eyes to equal darkness,
2.971660If that will give thee any recompense.
2.981661Edgar
 Was ever season so distressed as this?
2.98.11662Aside
2.991663Gloster
 I think Cordelia's voice! Easy, pious princess,
2.1001664And take a dark man's blessing.
2.1011665Cordelia
 Oh, my Edgar,
2.1021666My virtue's now grown guilty, works the bane
2.1031667Of those that do befriend me. Heaven forsakes me,
2.1041668And when you look that way, it is but just
2.1051669That you should hate me too.
2.1061670Edgar
 O waive this cutting speech, and spare to wound
2.1071671A heart that's on the rack.
2.1081672Gloster
 No longer cloud thee, Kent, in that disguise.
2.1091673There's business for thee and of noblest weight.
2.1101674Our injured country is at length in arms,
2.1111675Urged by the king's inhuman wrongs and mine,
2.1121676And only want a chief to lead them on.
2.1131677That task be thine.
2.1141678Edgar
 Brave Britons, then there's life in it yet.
2.114.11679Aside
2.1151680Kent
 Then have we one cast for our fortune yet.
2.1161681Come, princess, I'll bestow you with the king,
2.1171682Then on the spur to head these forces.
2.1181683Farewell, good Gloster, to our conduct trust.
2.1191684Gloster
 And be your cause as prosperous as 'tis just.
2.119.11685Exeunt.

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King Lear (Adapted by Nahum Tate) (Modern)