Enter Steward.

Stew. So please you-

Exit.

Lear. What fays the fellow there? call the clotpole back where's my fool, ho?-I think the world's afleep; how now? where's that mungrel ?

Knight. He fays, my lord, your daughter is not well. Lear. Why came not the flave back to me when I call'd him?

Knight. Sir, he anfwer'd me in the roundest manner, he would not.

Lear. He would not?

Knight. My lord, I know not what the matter is; but to my judgment, your Highness is not entertain'd with that ceremonious affection as you were wont; there's a great abatement of kindness appears as well in the general dependants, as in the Duke himself alfo, and your daughter.

Lear. Ha! fay'ft thou fo?

Knight. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, if I be mistaken; for my duty cannot be filent, when I think your Highness is wrong'd.

Lear. Thou but remember'ft me of my own conception. I have perceiv'd a most faint neglect of late, which I have rather blamed as my own jealous curiofity, than as a very pretence and purpose of unkindness; I will look further into't; but where's my fool? I have not feen him these two days.

Knight. Since my young lady's going into France, Sir, the fool hath much pin'd away.

Lear. No more of that, I have noted it well; go you and tell my daughter, I would fpeak with her. Go you, call hither my fool. O, you, Sir, come you hither, Sir; who am I, Sir?

Enter Steward.

Stew. My lady's father.

Lear. My lady's father? my lord's knave! -you whorefon dog, you slave, you cur.

Stew.

Steru. I am none of these, my lord; I beseech your pardon. Lear. Do you bandy looks with me, you rascal?

[Striking him.

Stew. I'll not be struck, my lord. Kent. Nor tript neither, you base foot-ball player. [Tripping up bis heels. Lear. I thank thee, fellow. Thou serv'it me, and I'll love thee.

Kent. Come, Sir, arife, away; I'll teach you differences: away, away; if you will measure your lubber's length again, tarry; but away, go to: have you wifdom? fo. [Pushes the Steward out.

Lear. Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee; there's earneft of thy service.

To them, Enter Fool.

Fool. Let me hire him too, here's my coxcomb.

[Giving his cap. Lear. How now, my pretty knave? how do'it thou ? Fool. Sirrah, you were best take my coxcomb. Kent. Why, my boy?

Fool. Why? for taking one's part, that is out of favour; nay, an thou canst not smile as the wind fits, thou'lt catch cold shortly. There, take my coxcomb; why, this fellow has banish'd two of his daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will; if thou follow him, thou must needs wear my coxcomb. How now, nuncle? would, I had two coxcombs, and two daughters.

Lear. Why, my boy?

Fool. If I give them all my living, I'll keep my coxcomb myself; there's mine, beg another of thy daughters.

Lear. Take heed, Sirrah, the whip.

Fool. Truth's a dog must to kennel, he must be whip'd out, when the lady brach may stand by th' fire and stink.

Lear. A pestilent gall to me.

Fool. Sirrah, I'll teach thee a speech.

[To Kent. Lear.

Lear. Do.

Fool. Mark it, nuncle;

Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou oweft,
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou trowest,
Set less than thou throwest,
Leave thy drink and thy whore,
And keep within door,
And thou shalt have more

Than two tens to a score.

Kent. This is nothing, fool.

Fool. Then it is like the breath of an unfee'd lawyer, you gave me nothing for't; can you make no use of nothing, nuncle ?

Lear. Why, no, boy; nothing can be made out of nothing.

Fool. Pr'ythee, tell him, so much the rent of his land

comes to: he will not believe a fool.

Lear. A bitter fool!

[To Kent.

Fool. Doft thou know the difference, my boy, be

tween a bitter fool and a sweet one?

Lear, No, lad, teach me.

[Land, (10)

Fool. That Lord, that counsell'd thee to give away thy Come, place him here by me! dò Thou for him stand; The sweet and bitter fool will presently appear,

The One, in motley 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 fool, my lord.

Fool. No, faith; Lords, and great men will not let me; if I had a monopoly on't, they would have part on't: nay, the Ladies too, they'll not let me have all fool to myself, they'll be snatching.

(10) Fool. That Lord that counsel'd thee] These four lines I have restor'd from the old 4to; and, surely, the retrenchment of them by the players was very injudicious. For, without them, how very abfurdly does Lear reply, Dost thou call me fool, boy?

VOL. VI.

B

Give

Give me an egg, nuncle, and I'll give thee two crowns. Lear. What two crowns fhall they be?

Fool. Why, after I have cut the egg i' th' middle and eat up the meat, the two crowns of the egg: when thou cloveft thy crown i' th' middle and gav'it away both parts, thou bor'ft thine afs on thy back o'er the dirt; thou had'ft little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gav❜st thy golden one away: if I fpeak like myself in this, let him be whipt that firft finds it fo.

Fools ne'er had lefs grace in a year,
For wifemen are grown foppish;
And know not how their wits to wear,
Their manners are so apish.

[Singing.

Lear. When were you wont to be fo full of fongs, firrah?

Fool. I have used it, nuncle, e'er fince thou mad'st thy daughters thy mothers; for when thou gav'ft them the rod, and put'ft down thine own breeches,

Then they for fudden joy did weep,
And I for forrow fung;

That such a King should play bo-peep,
And go the fools among.

[Singing.

Pr'ythee, nuncle, keep a fchool-mafter that can teach thy fool to lie; I would fain learn to lie.

Lear. If you lie, firrah, we'll have you whipt.

Fool. I marvel, what kin thou and thy daughters are: they'll have me whipt for fpeaking true, thou'lt have me whipt for lying; and, fometimes, I am whipt for holding my peace. I had rather be any kind o'thing than a fool, and yet I would not be thee, nuncle; thou haft pared thy wit o'both fides, and left nothing i' th' middle: here comes one o' th' parings.

To them, Enter GoneriH.

Lear. How now, daughter, what makes that frontlet on you are too much of late i' th' frown.

Fool. Thou waft a pretty fellow, when thou hadst no need to care for her frowning; now thou art an O with

Out

out a figure; I am better than thou art now; I am a fool, thou art nothing. Yes, forfooth, I will hold my tongue; [To Gonerill.] fo your face bids me, tho' you fay nothing.

Mum, mum, he that keeps nor cruft nor crum,
Weary of all, fhall want fome.

That's a fheal'd peafcod.

[Singing.

Gon. Not only, Sir, this your all-licens'd fool,
But other of your infolent retinue,

Do hourly carp and quarrel, breaking forth
In rank and not to be endured riots.

I thought by making this well known unto you,
T' have found a fafe redress; but now grow fearful,
By what yourself too late have spoke and done,
That you protect this course, and put it on
By your allowance; if you fhould," the fault
Would not 'fcape cenfure, nor the redreffes fleep;
Which, in the tender of a wholesome weal,
Might in their working do you that offence,
(Which elfe were fhame,) that then neceffity
Will call difcreet proceeding.

Fool. For you know, nuncle,

The hedge-fparrow fed the Cuckoo fo long,
That it had its head bit off by its Young;

So out went the candle, and we were left darkling.

Lear. Are you our daughter?

[wisdom,

Gon. I would, you would make ufe of your good

Whereof I know you are fraught, and put away
Thefe difpofitions, which of late tranfport you

From what you rightly are.

Fool. May not an afs know when the cart draws the horfe? whoop, Jug, I love thee.

Lear. Does any here know me this is not Lear: -Does Lear walk thus? fpeak thus ? where are his eyes ? Either his notion weakens, his difcernings

Are lethargied-Ha! waking--'tis not fo;
Who is it that can tell me who I am?

Lear's fhadow? I would learn; for by the marks
Of fovereignty, of knowledge, and of reason,
I fhould be falfe perfuaded I had de”ghters.

B 2

Your