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that is wise, and says little; to fear judgement; to fight when I cannot choose; and to eat no fish. Lear. What art thou?

Kent. A very honest-hearted fellow, and as poor as the king.

Lear. If thou be as poor for a subject as he is for a king, thou art poor enough. thou?

Kent. Service.

Lear. Who wouldst thou serve?

Kent. You.

What wouldst

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?

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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.

Enter OSWALD.

You, you, sirrah, where's my daughter?

Osw. So please you,—

[Exit.

20

30

40

35. curious, complicated.

Lear. What

clotpoll back.

says the fellow there? Call the 50
[Exit a
[Exit a Knight.] Where's my

fool, ho? I think the world's asleep.

Re-enter Knight.

How now! where's that mongrel ?

Knight. He says, my lord, your daughter is not well.

Lear. Why came not the slave back to me when I called him?

Knight. Sir, he answered 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 judgement, 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?

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Knight. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, if I be mistaken; for my duty cannot be silent 70 when I think your highness wronged.

Lear. Thou but rememberest me of mine own conception: I have perceived a most faint neglect of late; which I have rather blamed as mine own jealous curiosity than as a very pretence and purpose of unkindness: I will look further into 't. But where's my fool? I have not seen him this two days.

Knight. Since my young lady's going into France, sir, the fool hath much pined away. Lear. No more of that; I have noted it well.

73. faint, cold.

75. curiosity, nicety

of

suspicion.

75. pretence, deliberate offer.

80

Go you, and tell my daughter I would speak with her. [Exit an Attendant.] Go you, call hither my fool. [Exit an Attendant.

Re-enter OsWALD.

O, you sir, you, come you hither, sir: who am I, sir ?

Osw. My lady's father.

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 tripped neither, you base foot-ball player. [Tripping up his heels. Lear. I thank thee, fellow; thou servest me, and I'll love thee.

90

Kent. Come, sir, arise, away! I'll teach you differences away, away! If you will measure 100 your lubber's length again, to; have you wisdom? so. Lear. Now, my friendly there's earnest of thy service.

tarry: but away! go [Pushes Oswald out. knave, I thank thee:

[Giving Kent money.

Enter Fool.

comb.

Fool. Let me hire him too: here's my cox[Offering Kent his cap. Lear. How now, my pretty knave! how dost thou?

Fool. Sirrah, you were best take my coxcomb.
Kent. Why, fool?

105. coxcomb, the fool's cap.

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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 done 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'ld 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 Lady the brach may stand by the fire and stink.

out.

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,
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. Kent. This is nothing, fool.

113. catch cold, i.e. be turned

117. nuncle, 'the customary address of a licensed fool to his superiors' (Nares).

120

130

140

125. Lady the brach, i.e. the bitch-hound. Malone's reading for Ff the Lady Brach.'

131. showest, seemest to have. 134. goest, walkest.

Fool. Then 'tis like the breath of an unfee'd lawyer; you gave me nothing for 't.

make no use of nothing, nuncle?

Can you

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

Fool. [To Kent] Prithee, tell him, so much. the rent of his land comes to: he will not believe a fool.

Lear. A bitter fool!

Fool. Dost thou know the difference, my boy, between a bitter fool and a sweet fool?

Lear. No, lad; teach me.

Fool. That lord that counsell'd thee
To give away thy land,

Come place him here by me,

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.

150

160

Fool. No, faith, lords and great men will not let me; if I had a monopoly out, they would have part on't and ladies too, they will not let me have all fool to myself; they'll be snatching. Give me an egg, nuncle, and I'll give thee two 170

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 When thou clovest thy crown the

the egg.

167. out, issued, granted to

me.

168. ladies; Capell's emendation for Qq 'lodes.'

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