King Lear

QUARTO PASSAGES THAT DO

NOT APPEAR IN THE FOLIO

Lines are numbered continuously, for ease of reference.

Following 1.2.88:

EDMUND Nor is not, sure¹.

GLOUCESTER To his father, that so tenderly and entirely loves him.

Heaven and earth!

Following 1.2.130:

as of unnaturalness⁴ between the child and the parent,

death, dearth, dissolutions of ancient amities, divisions⁵ in

state, menaces and maledictions⁶ against king and nobles,

needless diffidences, banishment of friends, dissipation of⁷

cohorts, nuptial breaches⁸, and I know not what.

EDGAR How long have you been a sectary astronomical⁹?

EDMUND Come, come,

Following 1.3.16:

Not to be overruled. Idle¹¹ old man,

That still would manage those authorities

That he hath given away! Now by my life

Old fools are babes again, and must be used¹⁴

With checks as flatteries, when they are seen abused¹⁵.

Following 1.4.131:

FOOL That lord that counselled thee to give away thy land,

Come place him here by me, do thou for him stand¹⁷,

The sweet and bitter fool will presently¹⁸ appear:

The one in motley¹⁹ here, the other found out there.

LEAR Dost thou call me fool, boy?

FOOL All thy other titles thou hast given away, that thou

wast born with.

KENT This is not altogether fool²³ my lord.

FOOL No, faith, lords and great men will not let me, if I

had a monopoly out, they would have part on’t²⁵: and ladies

too, they will not let me have all the fool to myself, they’ll be

snatching²⁷.

Following 1.4.204:

I would learn that, for by the marks²⁸ of sovereignty,

knowledge, and reason, I should be false²⁹ persuaded I had

daughters.

FOOL Which they will make an obedient father.

Following 2.2.137:

His fault is much, and the good king, his master,

Will check him for’t: your purposed low correction³³

Is such as basest and ’temnest³⁴ wretches

For pilf’rings and most common trespasses³⁵

Are punished with.

Following 3.1.7:

tears his white hair,

Which the impetuous blasts with eyeless³⁸ rage

Catch³⁹ in their fury, and make nothing of,

Strives in his little world of man to out-scorn,

The to-and-fro-conflicting wind and rain:

This night wherein the cubdrawn bear would couch⁴²,

The lion and the belly-pinchèd⁴³ wolf

Keep their fur dry, unbonneted⁴⁴ he runs,

And bids what will take all⁴⁵.

Replaces 3.1.16–23:

But true it is, from France there comes a power⁴⁶

Into this scattered⁴⁷ kingdom, who already

Wise in our negligence, have secret feet⁴⁸

In some of our best ports, and are at point⁴⁹

To show their open banner.

Now to you:

If on my credit⁵² you dare build so far

To make your speed to Dover, you shall find

Some that will thank you, making just report⁵⁴

Of how unnatural and bemadding⁵⁵ sorrow

The king hath cause to ’plain⁵⁶.

I am a gentleman of blood⁵⁷ and breeding,

And from some knowledge and assurance⁵⁸,

Offer this office⁵⁹ to you.

Following 3.6.16:

EDGAR The foul fiend bites my back.

FOOL He’s mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a

horse’s health, a boy’s love, or a whore’s oath.

LEAR It shall be done, I will arraign them straight⁶³,

To Edgar

Come sit thou here most learnèd justice⁶⁴.—

To the Fool

Thou, sapient⁶⁵ sir sit here.

No, you she foxes—

EDGAR Look where he stands and glares. Want’st thou eyes⁶⁷

at trial, madam?

Come o’er the bourn⁶⁹, Bessy, to me—

Sings

FOOL Her boat hath a leak⁷⁰,

And she must not speak⁷¹

Why she dares not come over⁷² to thee.

EDGAR The foul⁷³ fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a

nightingale, Hopdance⁷⁴ cries in Tom’s belly for two white

herring,

Croak not black angel⁷⁶, I have no food for thee.

KENT How do you sir? Stand you not so amazed⁷⁷,

Will you lie down and rest upon the cushings⁷⁸?

LEAR I’ll see their trial first, bring in their evidence.—

To Edgar

Thou robèd man of justice, take thy place—

To the Fool

And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity⁸¹,

To Kent

Bench by his side:— you are o’th’commission⁸²,

Sit you too.

EDGAR Let us deal justly.

Sleepest or wakest thou, jolly shepherd?

Thy sheep be in the corn,

And for one blast of thy minikin⁸⁷ mouth,

Thy sheep shall take no harm.

Purr⁸⁹, the cat is grey.

LEAR Arraign her first, ’tis Goneril. I here take my oath

before this honourable assembly, she kicked the poor king

her father.

FOOL Come hither, mistress. Is your name Goneril?

LEAR She cannot deny it.

FOOL Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool⁹⁵.

LEAR And here’s another whose warped looks⁹⁶ proclaim

What store her heart is made on⁹⁷: stop her there!

Arms, arms, sword, fire! Corruption in the place!

False justicer, why hast thou let her scape⁹⁹?

Following 3.6.55:

KENT Oppressed¹⁰⁰ nature sleeps:

This rest might yet have balmed thy broken sinews¹⁰¹,

Which, if convenience¹⁰² will not allow,

To Fool

Stand in hard cure¹⁰³.— Come help to bear thy master:

Thou must not stay behind.

Exeunt. [Edgar remains]

EDGAR When we our betters see bearing our woes¹⁰⁵,

We scarcely think our miseries our foes.

Who alone suffers, suffers most i’th’mind¹⁰⁷,

Leaving free things and happy shows¹⁰⁸ behind,

But then the mind much sufferance doth o’erskip¹⁰⁹,

When grief hath mates, and bearing¹¹⁰ fellowship:

How light and portable¹¹¹ my pain seems now,

When that which makes me bend, makes the king bow¹¹²:

He childed as I fathered¹¹³. Tom away!

Mark the high noises and thyself bewray¹¹⁴

When false opinion, whose wrong thoughts defile thee,

In thy just proof¹¹⁶ repeals and reconciles thee.

What will hap more tonight, safe scape the king¹¹⁷:

Lurk¹¹⁸, lurk.

Exit

Following 3.7.109:

SERVANT I’ll never care what wickedness I do,

If this man come to good.

SECOND SERVANT If she live long,

And in the end meet the old course of death¹²²,

Women will all turn monsters.

FIRST SERVANT Let’s follow the old earl, and get the Bedlam¹²⁴

To lead him where he would¹²⁵: his madness

Allows itself to¹²⁶ anything.

SECOND SERVANT Go thou: I’ll fetch some flax and whites of eggs¹²⁷

To apply to his bleeding face. Now heaven help him!

Following 4.1.66:

Five fiends have been in poor Tom at once: of lust, as

Obidicut, Hobbididence, prince of dumbness, Mahu of¹³⁰

stealing, Modo of murder, Flibbertigibbet of mopping and¹³¹

mowing, who since possesses chambermaids and waiting-

women. So, bless thee, master.

Following 4.2.35:

I fear your disposition:

That nature, which contemns i’th’origin¹³⁵

Cannot be bordered certain¹³⁶ in itself.

She that herself will sliver and disbranch¹³⁷

From her material sap perforce¹³⁸ must wither

And come to deadly use¹³⁹.

GONERIL No more, the text¹⁴⁰ is foolish.

ALBANY Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile:

Filths savour but¹⁴² themselves. What have you done?

Tigers, not daughters, what have you performed?

A father, and a gracious¹⁴⁴ agèd man,

Whose reverence even the head-lugged¹⁴⁵ bear would lick,

Most barbarous, most degenerate, have you madded¹⁴⁶. Could

my good brother suffer¹⁴⁷ you to do it?

A man, a prince, by him so benefited!

If that the heavens do not their visible spirits¹⁴⁹

Send quickly down to tame¹⁵⁰ the vile offences, it will come,

Humanity must perforce prey on itself,

Like monsters of the deep.

Following 4.2.39:

that not know’st

Fools do those villains pity who are punished¹⁵⁴

Ere they have done their mischief. Where’s thy drum?

France spreads his banners in our noiseless¹⁵⁶ land,

With plumèd helm, thy state begins threat¹⁵⁷,

Whilst thou, a moral¹⁵⁸ fool, sits still and cries

‘Alack, why does he so?’

Following 4.2.43:

ALBANY Thou changèd and self-covered¹⁶⁰ thing, for shame

Bemonster not thy feature. Were’t my fitness¹⁶¹

To let these hands obey my blood¹⁶²,

They are apt enough to dislocate and tear

Thy flesh and bones: howe’er¹⁶⁴ thou art a fiend,

A woman’s shape doth shield thee.

GONERIL Marry, your manhood mew¹⁶⁶—

Enter a Gentleman

ALBANY What news?

Following 4.2.77:

Enter Kent and a Gentleman

KENT Why the King of France is so suddenly gone back¹⁶⁸,

know you no reason?

GENTLEMAN Something he left imperfect¹⁷⁰ in the state, which

since his coming forth is thought of, which imports¹⁷¹ to the

kingdom so much fear and danger that his personal return

was most required and necessary.

KENT Who hath he left behind him general?

GENTLEMAN The Marshal of France, Monsieur La Far.

KENT Did your letters pierce the queen to any

demonstration of grief?

GENTLEMAN Ay, sir, she took them, read them in my presence,

And now and then an ample tear trilled¹⁷⁹ down

Her delicate cheek: it seemed she was a queen over

Her passion¹⁸¹, who, most rebel-like,

Sought to be king o’er her.

KENT O, then it moved her.

GENTLEMAN Not to a rage: patience and sorrow strove

Who should express her goodliest¹⁸⁵. You have seen

Sunshine and rain at once: her smiles and tears

Were like a better way: those happy smilets¹⁸⁷,

That played on her ripe lip seem not to know

What guests were in her eyes, which, parted thence,

As pearls from diamonds dropped. In brief,

Sorrow would be a rarity most beloved,

If all could so become it¹⁹².

KENT Made she no verbal question?

GENTLEMAN Faith, once or twice she heaved the name of ‘father’

Pantingly forth, as if it pressed her heart:

Cried ‘Sisters, sisters! Shame of ladies, sisters!

Kent, father, sisters! What, i’th’storm, i’th’night?

Let pity not be believed¹⁹⁸!’ There she shook

The holy water from her heavenly eyes,

And clamour moistened her: then away she started²⁰⁰

To deal with grief alone.

KENT It is the stars,

The stars above us, govern our conditions,

Else one self mate and make²⁰⁴ could not beget

Such different issues²⁰⁵. You spoke not with her since?

GENTLEMAN No.

KENT Was this before the king returned?

GENTLEMAN No, since.

KENT Well, sir, the poor distressèd Lear’s i’th’town;

Who sometime, in his better tune²¹⁰, remembers

What we are come about, and by no means

Will yield to see his daughter.

GENTLEMAN Why, good sir?

KENT A sovereign shame so elbows²¹⁴ him: his own unkindness,

That stripped her from his benediction, turned her

To foreign casualties²¹⁶, gave her dear rights

To his dog-hearted daughters: these things sting

His mind so venomously, that burning shame

Detains him from Cordelia.

GENTLEMAN Alack, poor gentleman!

KENT Of Albany’s and Cornwall’s powers you heard not?

GENTLEMAN ’Tis so, they are afoot²²².

KENT Well, sir, I’ll bring you to our master Lear,

And leave you to attend him: some dear cause²²⁴

Will in concealment wrap me up awhile.

When I am known aright, you shall not grieve²²⁶

Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you go

Along with me.

Exeunt

Following 4.6.27:

CORDELIA Very well.

DOCTOR Please you, draw near.— Louder the music there!

Following 4.6.35:

To stand against the deep dread-bolted²³¹ thunder,

In the most terrible and nimble stroke

Of quick cross lightning? To watch — poor perdu²³⁴!—

With this thin helm²³⁴?

Following 4.6.89:

GENTLEMAN Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so

slain?

KENT Most certain, sir.

GENTLEMAN Who is conductor of his people²³⁸?

KENT As ’tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester.

GENTLEMAN They say Edgar, his banished son, is with the Earl of

Kent in Germany.

KENT Report²⁴² is changeable. ’Tis time to look about: the

powers of the kingdom approach apace²⁴³.

GENTLEMAN The arbitrament²⁴⁴ is like to be bloody. Fare you well,

sir.

KENT My point and period will be throughly wrought²⁴⁶,

Or²⁴⁷ well or ill, as this day’s battle’s fought.

Exit

Following 5.1.13:

EDMUND That thought abuses²⁴⁸ you.

REGAN I am doubtful that you have been conjunct²⁴⁹

And bosomed with her, as far as we call hers²⁵⁰

Following 5.1.17:

GONERIL I had rather lose the battle than that sister

Should loosen him and me.

Following 5.1.21:

Where I could not be honest²⁵³,

I never yet was valiant. For²⁵⁴ this business,

It touches us as²⁵⁵ France invades our land,

Not bolds the king, with²⁵⁶ others whom I fear,

Most just and heavy causes make oppose²⁵⁷.

EDMUND Sir, you speak nobly.

Following 5.3.55:

At this time

We sweat and bleed: the friend hath lost his friend;

And the best quarrels, in the heat, are cursed²⁶¹

By those that feel their sharpness:

The question of Cordelia and her father

Requires a fitter place.

Following 5.3.220:

EDGAR This would have seemed a period²⁶⁵

To such as love not sorrow, but another,²⁶⁶

To amplify too much, would make much more,

And top extremity.

Whilst I was big in clamour²⁶⁹, came there in a man,

Who, having seen me in my worst estate²⁷⁰,

Shunned my abhorred society, but then finding

Who ’twas that so endured, with his strong arms

He fastened on my neck²⁷³ and bellowed out

As²⁷⁴ he’d burst heaven, threw me on my father,

Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him

That ever ear received, which in recounting

His grief grew puissant and the strings of life²⁷⁷

Began to crack: twice then the trumpets sounded,

And there I left him ’tranced²⁷⁹.

ALBANY But who was this?

EDGAR Kent, sir, the banished Kent, who in disguise

Followed his enemy king²⁸² and did him service

Improper for²⁸³ a slave.

TEXTUAL NOTES

Q = First Quarto text of 1608

Q2 = a correction introduced in the Second Quarto text of 1619

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

SH = Speech heading (i.e. speaker’s name)

1 SH EDMUND = Ed. Q = Bast. (throughout) 25 on’t = Q. Q2 = an’t ladies = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = lodes 34 basest and ’temnest = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = belest and contaned 67 Want’st = Q2. Q = wanst 69 bourn = Ed. Q = broome 91 she kicked = Ed. Q = kickt 95 joint-stool = Q2. Q = ioyne stoole 97 on = Ed. Q = an 125 madness = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = rogish madnes 131 Flibbertigibbet spelled Stiberdigebit in Q 131–32 mopping and mowing = Ed. Q = Mobing, & Mohing 151 Humanity = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = Humanly 157 threat spelled thereat in Q (corrected) state begins threat = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = slayer begin threats 166 mew = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = now 178 Ay, sir, = Ed. Q = I say 184 strove = Ed. Q = streme