Lear. Why, no, boy; nothing can be made out of nothing. Fool. Pr'ythee, tell him, fo mich the rent of his land comes to; he will not believe a fool. [To Kent. Lear. A bitter fool! Fool. Doft thou know the difference, my boy, between a bitter fool and a sweet fool? 2 Lear. No, lad, teach me. Fool. That lord, that counsel'd thee Come place him here by me,- The fweet and bitter fool Will presently appear; The one in motley here, The other found out there. Lear. Doft thou call me fool, boy? Fool. All thy other titles thou haft given away; that thou waft 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 out, they would have part No, lad-] This dialogue, from No, lad, teach me, down to Give me an egg, was restored from the first edition by Mr. Theobald. It is omitted in the folio, perhaps for political reafons, as it feemed to cenfure monopolies. JoHNSON. 3 -if I had a monopoly out, they would have a part on't:] A fatire on the grofs abufes of monopolies at that time; and the corruption and avarice of the courtiers, who commonly went fhares with the patentee. WARBURTON. The modern editors, without authority, read a monopoly on't, Monopolies were in Shakspeare's time the common objects of fatire. So, in Decker's Match me in London, 1631: "Give him a court loaf, ftop his mouth with a monopoly.” Again, in Ram-Alley, or Merry Tricks, 1611: "A knight part on't and ladies too, they will not let me have all fool to myfelf: they'll be fnatching.-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' the middle, and eat up the meat, the two crowns of the egg. When thou cloveft thy crown i' the middle, and gaveft away both parts, thou boreft thine afs on thy back over the dirt: Thou had'ft little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gavest thy golden one away. If 1 fpeak like myself in this, let him be whipp'd that firft finds it fo. + Fools ne'er bad lefs grace in a year; [Singing. And know not how their wits to wear, Lear. When were you wont to be fo full of fongs, firrah? Fool. I have used it nuncle, ever fince thou mad❜ft thy daughters thy mothers: for when thou gavest them the rod, and put'ft down thine own breeches, "A knight and never heard of fmock-fees! I would I had a monopoly of them, fo there was no impoft fet on them." Again, in the Birth of Merlin, 1662: begging.' -So foul a monster would be a fair monopoly worth the In the books of the Stationers' Company, I meet with the following entry. "John Charlewoode, Oct. 1587: lycenfed unto him by the whole confent of the affiftants, the onlye ymprynting of all manner of billes for plaiers." Again, Nov. 6, 1615, The liberty of printing all billes for fencing was granted to Mr. Purfoot. STEEVENS. Fools ne'er had lefs grace in a year,] There never was a time when fools were lefs in favour; and the reafon is, that they were never fo little wanted, for wife men now fupply their place. Such I think is the meaning. Both the quartos read wit for grace. JOHNSON. Then they for fudden joy did weep, [Singing, That fuch a king fhould play bo-peep, And go go the fools among. 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 speaking true, thou❜lt have me whipt for lying; and, fometimes, I am whipt for holding my peace. I had rather be any kind of thing, than a fool: and yet I would not be thee, nuncle; thou haft pared thy wit o' both fides, and left nothing in the middle: Here comes one o' the parings. Enter Goneril. 6 Lear. How now, daughter? what makes that frontlet on? Methinks, you are too much of late i' the frown. Then they for fudden joy did weep, &c.] So, in the Rape of Lucrece, by Heywood, 1630: "When Tarquin first in court began, And was approved' king, "So men for fudden joy did weep, I cannot afcertain in what year T. Heywood first published this play, as the copy in 1630, which I have ufed, was the fourth imprefiion. STEEVENS. that frontlet -] Lear alludes to the frontlet, which was anciently part of a woman's drefs. So, in the play called the Foure P's, 1569: "Forfooth women have many lets, "And they be masked in many nets: "As frontlets, fillets, partlets, and bracelets: "And then their bonets and their pionets." Again, in Lylly's Midas, 1592: -Hoods, frontlets, wires, cauls, curling-irons, perriwigs, bodkins, fillets, hair-laces, ribbons, roles, knotftrings, glaffes, &c." STEEVENS. Fool. Fool. Thou waft a pretty fellow, when thou had'st no need to care for her frowning; now thou art an O without a figure: I am better than thou art now; I am a fool, thou art nothing.-Yes, forfooth, I will hold my tongue; [To Goneril] so your face bids me, though you fay nothing. Mum, mum, He that keeps nor cruft nor crum, That's a fheal'd peafcod. [Pointing to Lear. Gon. Not only, fir, this your all-licens'd fool, But other of your infolent retinue Do hourly carp and quarrel; breaking forth I had thought, by making this well known unto you, By your allowance; which if you should, 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, 7 -now thou art an O without a figure :] The fool means to fay, that Lear," having pared his wit on both fides, and left nothing in the middle," is become a mere cypher; which has no arithmetical value, unless preceeded or followed by fome figure. MALONE. That's a fheal'd peafcod.] i. e. Now a mere hufk, which contains nothing. The outfide of a king remains, but all the intrinfic parts of royalty are gone: he has nothing to give. JOHNSON. That's a fheal'd peafcod.] The robing of Richard IId's effigy in Westminster-abbey is wrought with peafcods open, and the peas out; perhaps in allufion to his being once in full poffeffion of fovereignty, but foon reduced to an empty title. See Camden's TOLLET. Remains, 1674, P. 453, edit. 1657, P. 340. 9-put it on] i. e. promote, push it forward. So, in Macbeth: -the pow'rs "" "Put on their inftruments." STEEVENS. By your allowance ;] By your approbation. MALONE. Which elfe were fhame, that then neceffity Fool. For you trow, 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 ling. Lear. Are you our daughter? were left dark I would; you would make use of that good wisdom Whereof I know you are fraught; and put away Thefe difpofitions, which of late transform you From what you rightly are. Foo!. May not an afs know when the cart draws the horfe Whoop, Jug! I love thee. Lear. Does any here know me ?-Why this is not Lear 5: Docs Lear walk thus? fpeak thus ?-Where are his eyes? were left darkling.] This word is ufed by Milton, Paradife Loft, book i: -as the wakeful bird "Sings darkling." Dr. Farmer concurs with me in fuppofing, that the wordsSo cut went the candle, &c. are a fragment of fome old fong. STEEVENS. 3 transform you.] Thus the quartos. The folio reads➡ transport you. STEEVENS. 4 Whoop, Jug, &c.] There are in the fool's fpeeches feveral paffages which feem to be proverbial allufions, perhaps not now to be understood. JOHNSON. -Whoop, Jug, I love thee.] This, as I am informed, is a quotation from the burthen of an old fong. STEVENS. Whoop, Jug, I'll do thee no harm, occurs in The Winter's Tale. MALONE. 3 this is not Lear:] This paffage appears to have been imitated by Ben Jonfon in his Sad Shepherd: this is not Marian! "Nor am I Robin Hood! I pray you ask her! "Or I be I." 4 STEEVENS. Either |