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

 [5.3]
3.0.12349A prison.
3.0.22350Lear asleep, with his head on Cordelia's lap.
3.12351Cordelia
 What toils, thou wretched king, hast thou endured
3.22352To make thee draw, in chains, a sleep so sound?
3.32353Thy better angel charm thy ravished mind
3.42354With fancied freedom. Peace is used to lodge
3.52355On cottage straw; thou hast the beggar's bed,
3.62356Therefore shouldst have the beggar's careless thought.
3.72357And now, my Edgar, I remember thee.
3.82358What fate has seized thee in this general wreck
3.92359I know not, but I know thou must be wretched
3.102360Because Cordelia holds thee dear.
3.112361O gods! Sudden gloom overwhelms me, and the image
3.122362Of death overspreads the place. Ha! Who are these?
3.12.12363Enter Captain and officers with cords.
3.132364Captain
 Now, sirs, dispatch. Already you are paid
3.142365In part, the best of your reward's to come.
3.152366Lear
 Charge, charge upon their flank, their last wing halts.
3.162367Push, push the battle, and the day's our own.
3.172368Their ranks are broke. Down, down with Albany.
3.182369Who holds my hands? – Oh, thou deceiving sleep,
3.192370I was this very minute on the chase.
3.202371And now a prisoner here. What mean the slaves?
3.212372You will not murder me?
3.222373Cordelia
 Help earth and heaven!
3.232374For your souls' sakes, dear sirs, and for the gods'.
3.242375Officer
 No tears, good lady, no pleading against gold and preferment.
3.252376Come, sirs, make ready your cords.
3.262377Cordelia
 You, sir, I'll seize.
3.272378You have a human form, and if no prayers
3.282379Can touch your soul to spare a poor king's life,
3.292380If there be anything that you hold dear,
3.302381By that I beg you to dispatch me first.
3.312382Captain
 Comply with her request, dispatch her first.
3.322383Lear
 Off hell-hounds, by the gods I charge you spare her.
3.332384'Tis my Cordelia, my true pious daughter.
3.342385No pity? Nay then, take an old man's vengeance.
3.34.12386Snatches a partisan, and strikes down two of them. The rest quit Cordelia, and turn upon him. Enter Edgar and Albany.
3.352387Edgar
 Death! Hell! Ye vultures hold your impious hands,
3.362388Or take a speedier death than you would give.
3.372389Captain
 By whose command?
3.382390Edgar
 Behold the duke, your lord.
3.392391Albany
 Guards, seize those instruments of cruelty.
3.402392Cordelia
 My Edgar, oh!
3.412393Edgar
 My dear Cordelia, lucky was the minute
3.422394Of our approach. The gods have weighed our sufferings;
3.432395We are past the fire, and now must shine to ages.
3.442396Gentleman
 Look here, my lord, see where the generous king
3.452397Has slain two of them.
3.462398Lear
 Did I not, fellow?
3.472399I've seen the day, with my good biting falchion
3.482400I could have made them skip. I am old now,
3.492401And these vile crosses spoil me. Out of breath!
3.502402Fie, oh! Quite out of breath and spent.
3.512403Albany
 Bring in old Kent, and, Edgar, guide you hither
3.522404Your father, whom you said was near.
3.52.12405Exit Edgar.
3.532406He may be an ear-witness at the least
3.542407Of our proceedings.
3.54.12408Kent brought in here.
3.552409Lear
 Who are you?
3.562410My eyes are none of the best, I'll tell you straight.
3.572411Oh, Albany! Well, sir, we are your captives,
3.582412And you are come to see death pass upon us.
3.592413Why this delay? Or is it Your Highness' pleasure
3.602414To give us first the torture? Say ye so?
3.612415Why here's old Kent and I, as tough a pair
3.622416As ever bore tyrant's stroke. But my Cordelia,
3.632417My poor Cordelia here, oh pity!
3.642418Albany
 Take off their chains. Thou injured majesty,
3.652419The wheel of fortune now has made her circle,
3.662420And blessings yet stand betwixt thy grave and thee.
3.672421Lear
 Com'st thou, inhuman lord, to soothe us back
3.682422To a fool's paradise of hope, to make
3.692423Our doom more wretched? Go to, we are too well-
3.702424Acquainted with misfortune to be gulled
3.712425With lying hope. No, we will hope no more.
3.722426Albany
 I have a tale to unfold so full of wonder
3.732427As cannot meet an easy faith,
3.742428But by that royal injured head 'tis true.
3.752429Kent
 What would Your Highness?
3.762430Albany
 Know the noble Edgar
3.772431Impeached Lord Edmund since the fight, of treason,
3.782432And dared him for the proof to single combat,
3.792433In which the gods confirmed his charge by conquest.
3.802434I left even now the traitor wounded mortally.
3.812435Lear
 And whither tends this story?
3.822436Albany
 Ere they fought,
3.832437Lord Edgar gave into my hands this paper,
3.842438A blacker scroll of treason and of lust
3.852439Than can be found in the records of hell.
3.862440There, sacred sir, behold the character
3.872441Of Gonerill, the worst of daughters, but
3.882442More vicious wife.
3.892443Cordelia
 Could there be yet addition to their guilt?
3.902444What will not they that wrong a father do?
3.912445Albany
 Since then my injuries, Lear, fall in with thine.
3.922446I have resolved the same redress for both.
3.932447Kent
 What says my lord?
3.942448Cordelia
 Speak, for me thought I heard
3.952449The charming voice of a descending god.
3.962450Albany
 The troops by Edmund raised, I have disbanded.
3.972451Those that remain are under my command.
3.982452What comfort may be brought to cheer your age
3.992453And heal your savage wrongs, shall be applied,
3.1002454For to your majesty we do resign
3.1012455Your kingdom, save what part yourself conferred
3.1022456On us in marriage.
3.1032457Kent
 Hear you that, my liege?
3.1042458Cordelia
 Then there are gods, and virtue is their care.
3.1052459Lear
 Is it possible?
3.1062460Let the spheres stop their course, the sun make halt,
3.1072461The winds be hushed, the seas and fountains rest;
3.1082462All nature pause, and listen to the change.
3.1092463Where is my Kent, my Cajus?
3.1102464Kent
 Here, my liege.
3.1112465Lear
 Why, I have news that will recall thy youth.
3.1122466Ha! Didst thou hear it, or did the inspiring gods
3.1132467Whisper to me alone? Old Lear shall be
3.1142468A king again.
3.1152469Kent
 The prince, that like a god has power, has said it.
3.1162470Lear
 Cordelia then shall be a queen, mark that;
3.1172471Cordelia shall be queen. Winds catch the sound
3.1182472And bear it on your rosy wings to heaven.
3.1192473Cordelia is a queen.
3.119.12474Re-enter Edgar with Gloster.
3.1202475Albany
 Look, sir, where pious Edgar comes
3.1212476Leading his eyeless father. O my liege!
3.1222477His wondrous story will deserve your leisure,
3.1232478What he has done and suffered for your sake,
3.1242479What for the fair Cordelia's.
3.1252480Gloster
 Where is my liege? Conduct me to his knees to hail
3.1262481His second birth of empire. My dear Edgar
3.1272482Has, with himself, revealed the king's blest restoration.
3.1282483Lear
 My poor, dark Gloster.
3.1292484Gloster
 O let me kiss that once-more sceptered hand!
3.1302485Lear
 Hold, thou mistak'st the majesty, kneel here.
3.1312486Cordelia has our power, Cordelia's queen.
3.1322487Speak, is not that the noble suffering Edgar?
3.1332488Gloster
 My pious son, more dear than my lost eyes.
3.1342489Lear
 I wronged him too, but here's the fair amends.
3.1352490Edgar
 Your leave, my liege, for an unwelcome message.
3.1362491Edmund (but that's a trifle) is expired.
3.1372492What more will touch you: your imperious daughters
3.1382493Gonerill and haughty Regan, both are dead,
3.1392494Each by the other poisoned at a banquet.
3.1402495This, dying, they confessed.
3.1412496Cordelia
 O fatal period of ill-governed life!
3.1422497Lear
 Ingrateful as they were, my heart feels yet
3.1432498A pang of nature for their wretched fall.
3.1442499But, Edgar, I defer thy joys too long.
3.1452500Thou served'st distressed Cordelia; take her crowned,
3.1462501The imperial grace fresh blooming on her brow.
3.1472502Nay, Gloster, thou hast here a father's right.
3.1482503Thy helping hand to heap blessings on their head.
3.1492504Kent
 Old Kent throws in his hearty wishes too.
3.1502505Edgar
 The gods and you too largely recompense
3.1512506What I have done. The gift strikes merit dumb.
3.1522507Cordelia
 Nor do I blush to own myself overpaid
3.1532508For all my sufferings past.
3.1542509Gloster
 Now, gentle gods, give Gloster his discharge.
3.1552510Lear
 No, Gloster, thou hast business yet for life.
3.1562511Thou, Kent and I, retired to some cool cell,
3.1572512Will gently pass our short reserves of time
3.1582513In calm reflections on our fortunes past,
3.1592514Cheered with relation of the prosperous reign
3.1602515Of this celestial pair. Thus our remains
3.1612516Shall in an even course of thought be passed.
3.1622517Enjoy the present hour, nor fear the last.
3.1632518Edgar
 Our drooping country now erects her head,
3.1642519Peace spreads her balmy wings, and plenty blooms.
 It was important to Tate's politics that his play end with the restoration of peace. See more. [[ Document Tate_footnotes does not exist ]]
3.1652520Divine Cordelia, all the gods can witness
3.1662521How much thy love to empire I prefer!
3.1672522Thy bright example shall convince the world
3.1682523(Whatever storms of fortune are decreed)
3.1692524That truth and virtue shall at last succeed.
3.169.12525Exeunt all.

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King Lear (Adapted by Nahum Tate) (Modern)