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the surfeit of our own behaviour) we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars as if we were villains by necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treachers, by spherical predominance; drunkards, liars, and adulterers, by an enforced obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on. An admirable evasion of whore-master man, to lay his goatish disposition on the charge of a star! My father compounded with my mother under the dragon's tail; and my nativity was under ursa major; so that it follows, I am rough and lecherous.-Tut, § I should have been that I am, had the maidenliest star in the firmament twinkled on my bastardizing. Edgar-and pat he comes, like the catastrophe of the old comedy: my cue is villainous melancholy, with a sigh like Tom o' Bedlam.

Enter EDGAR.

O, these eclipses do portend these divisions! fa, sol, la, mi.

EDG. How now, brother Edmund! what serious contemplation are you in?

EDM. I am thinking, brother, of a prediction I read this other day, what should follow these eclipses.

EDG. Do you busy yourself with that?

EDM. I promise you, the effects he writes of succeed unhappily; as of unnaturalness between the child and the parent; death, dearth, dissolutions of ancient amities; divisions in state, menaces and maledictions against king and nobles; needless diffidences, banishment of friends, dissipation of cohorts, nuptial breaches, and I know not what.

EDG. How long have you been a sectary astronomical?

EDM. Come, come; when saw you my father last?

EDG. The night gone by.
EDм. Spake you with him?
EDG. Ay, two hours together.

EDM. Parted you in good terms? Found you no displeasure in him, by word nor countenance? EDG. None at all.

EDM. Bethink yourself wherein you may have offended him and at my entreaty forbear his presence until some little time hath qualified the heat of his displeasure; which at this instant so rageth in him, that with the mischief of your person it would scarcely allay.

(*) First folio, surfets. (+) First folio omits, the. (1) First folio, on. (§) First folio omits, Tut. () First folio omits, Edgar-and. -as of unnaturalness-] The folio, omitting the intervening lines, reads,

"BAST. I promise you, the effects he writes of, succeede unVOL. III. 65

EDм. Brother, I advise you to the best; go armed; I am no honest man, if there be any good meaning toward you: I have told you what I have seen and heard but faintly; nothing like the image and horror of it: pray you, away. EDG. Shall I hear from you anon? EDM. I do serve you in this business.— [Exit EDGAR.

A credulous father, and a brother noble,
Whose nature is so far from doing harms,
That he suspects none; on whose foolish honesty
My practices ride easy!--I see the business.—
Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit:
All with me's meet, that I can fashion fit. [Exit.

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He flashes into one gross crime or other,
That sets us all at odds: I'll not endure it:
His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us
On every trifle.-When he returns from hunting,
I will not speak with him; say I am sick :—
If you come slack of former services,
You shall do well; the fault of it I'll answer.
Osw. He's coming, madam; I hear him.
[Horns without.
GON. Put on what weary negligence you
please,

You and your fellows; I'd have it come to question:

If he distaste it, let him to my sister,
Whose mind and mine, I know, in that are one,
Not to be over-rul'd. Idle old man,
That still would manage those authorities,

(*) First folio omits, go armed.

happily. When saw you my Father last?"

b That's my fear.] In the quartos, the remainder of this speech, and Edgar's reply, are omitted.

c Not to be over-rul'd.] This, and the four following lines, are omitted in the folio.

F

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LEAR. Who wouldst thou serve? KENT. You.

LEAR. Dost thou know me, fellow ? KENT. No, sir; but you have that in your countenance which I would fain call master.

LEAR. What's that?

KENT. Authority.

LEAR. What services canst thou do?

KENT. I can keep honest counsel, ride, run, mar a curious tale in telling it, and deliver a plain message bluntly: that which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in; and the best of me is,-diligence.

LEAR. How old art thou?

KENT. Not so young, sir, to love a woman for singing; nor so old, to dote on her for any thing: I have years on my back forty-eight.

LEAR. Follow me; thou shalt serve me, if I like thee no worse after dinner. I will not part from thee yet. Dinner, ho, dinner!—Where's my knave? my fool? Go you and call my fool hither. [Exit an Attendant.

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KNIGHT. My lord, I know not what the matter is; but, to my judgment, your highness is not entertained 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 also, and your daughter.

LEAR. Ha! sayest thou so?

KNIGHT. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, if I be mistaken; for my duty cannot be silent when I think your highness wronged.

LEAR. Thou but rememberest me of mine own

(*) First folio, Daughters.

b That can my speech diffuse,-] Diffuse, here, signifies. disguise.

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LEAR. My lady's father! my lord's knave: you whoreson dog! you slave! you cur!

Osw. I am none of these, my lord; I beseech your pardon.

LEAR. Do you bandy looks with me, you rascal? [Striking him.

Osw. I'll not be struck,* my lord. KENT. Nor tripp'd neither, you base foot-ball player. [Tripping up his heels. LEAR. I thank thee, fellow; thou servest me, and I'll love thee.

KENT. Come, sir, arise, away! I'll teach you differences; away, away! If you will measure your lubber's length again, tarry: but away! go to; have you wisdom? So. [Pushes OSWALD out. LEAR. Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee: there's earnest of thy service.

[Giving KENT money.

Enter Fool.

FOOL. Let me hire him too;-here's my [Giving KENT his cap. coxcomb. LEAR. How now, my pretty knave! how dost thou?

FOOL. Sirrah, you were best take my coxcomb. KENT. Why, fool? *

a

FOOL. Why, for taking one's part that's out of favour. Nay, an thou canst not smile as the wind sits, thou'lt catch cold shortly: there, take my coxcomb. Why, this fellow has banished two on's 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 gave them all my living, I'd keep my coxcombs 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 whipped out, when the lady brach may stand by the fire and stink.

LEAR. A pestilent gall to me!

FOOL. Sirrah, I'll teach thee a speech.
LEAR. DO.

FOOL. Mark it, nuncle

Have more than thou showest,

Speak less than thou knowest,

Lend less than thou owest,
Ride more than thou goest,

(*) First folio, strucken.

a Why, fool?] This interrogatory, in the form of, "Why, my boy?" is given in the folio to Lear; but, as Mr. Dyce observes, it is plain that the Fool addresses the King for the first time, when he says, "How now, nuncle!"

b than thou trowest,-] That is, than thou believest.

c This is nothing, fool.] In the folio, this speech is assigned to Kent.

d No, lad, teach me.] This line and the portion of the dialogue

Learn more than thou trowest,"
Set less than thou throwest;
Leave thy drink and thy whore,
And keep in-a-door,
And thou shalt have more

Than two tens to a score.

LEAR. This is nothing, fool.

FOOL. Then 'tis 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. Dost thou know the difference, my boy, between a bitter fool and a sweet one? LEAR. No, lad, teach me."

FOOL. That lord, that counsell'd thee
To give away thy land,
Come place him here by me,-

Or do 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 out,(3) they would have part on't and ladies too, they will not let me have all fool to myself; they'll be snatching.— Nuncle, give me an egg, and I'll give thee two

crowns.

LEAR. What two crowns shall 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 clovest thy crown i' the middle, and gavest away both parts, thou borest thine ass on thy back o'er the dirt: thou hadst little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gavest thy golden one away. If I speak like myself in this, let him be whipped that first finds it so.

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

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LEAR. When were you wont to be so full of songs, sirrah?

FOOL. I have used it, nuncle, ever since thou madest thy daughters thy mothers: for when thou gavest them the rod, and putt'st down thine own breeches,

Then they for sudden joy did weep, And I for sorrow sung,a

[Singing.

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

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

LEAR. An you lie, sirrah, we'll have you whipped.

FOOL. I marvel what kin thou and thy daughters are they'll have me whipped for speaking true, thou❜lt have me whipped for lying; and sometimes I am whipped for holding my peace. I had rather be any kind o' thing than a fool; and yet I would not be thee, nuncle; thou hast pared thy wit o' both sides, and left nothing i' the middle. Here comes one o' the parings.

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Then they for sudden joy did weep,
And I for sorrow sung," &c.]

So in Heywood's "Rape of Lucrece,❞—

"When Tarquin first in court began,
And was approved King,

Some men for sudden joy gan weep,
And I for sorrow sing."

b That it's had it head bit off by it young.] Meaning, That it has had its head bit off, &c.] See note (3), Vol. I. p. 330.

cdarkling.] This word, which, like the Scotch darklins, implied in the dark, occurs again in "A Midsummer Night's Dream,'

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By what yourself too late have spoke and done,
That you protect this course, and put it on
By your allowance; which if you should, the
fault

Would not 'scape censure, nor the redresses sleep,
Which, in the tender of a wholesome weal,
Might in their working do you that offence,—
Which else were shame--that then necessity
Will call discreet proceeding.

FOOL. For you trow,* nuncle,

The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long,
That it's had it head bit off by it young."

So, out went the candle, and we were left darkling."
LEAR. Are you our daughter?

GON. I would you would make use of that † good wisdom

Whereof I know you are fraught; and put away These dispositions, which of late transport you From what you rightly are.

FOOL. May not an ass know when the cart draws the horse?—Whoop, Jug! I love thee. LEAR. Does any here know me ?—This is not Lear: [his eyes ? Does Lear walk thus ? speak thus? Where are Either his notion weakens, his discernings Are lethargied.-Ha! Waking ?-'tis not so.Who is it that can tell me who I am?— FOOL. Lear's shadow?

LEAR. I would learn that, for, by the marks of sovereignty, knowledge, and reason,

d

I should be false persuaded I had daughters.— FOOL. Which they will make an

father."

obedient

LEAR. Your name, fair gentlewoman? GON. This admiration, sir, is much o' the favour Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you To understand my purposes aright: [wise. As you are old and reverend, you‡ should be Here do you keep a hundred knights and squires; Men so disordered, so debosh'd, and bold, That this our court, infected with their manners, Shows like a riotous inn: epicurism and lust Make it more like a tavern or a brothel, Than a grac'd palace. The shame itself doth speak

For instant remedy: be, then, desir'd

By her, that else will take the thing she begs,

(*) First folio, know.

d

(t) First folio, your. () First folio omits, you.

Act II. Sc. 3; and is found in the ancient comedy of "Roister Doister," Act III. Sc. 1,-"He will go darklyng to his grave." for, by the marks of sovereignty, knowledge, and reason, I should be false persuaded," &c.] This is certainly obscure, Warburton reads, " of sovereignty of knowledge," &c.; but possibly the meaning may be restored by simply omitting the comma after sovereignty, - by the marks of sovereignty know, ledge and reason," i.e. of supreme or sovereign knowledge, &c. e an obedient father.] This and the three preceding lines are only found in the quartos.

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