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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 coxcomb.
[Giving KENT his cap.
Lear. How now, my pretty knave? how dost thou ?
Fool. Sirrah, you were best take my coxcomb.

Kent. Why, fool?

Fool. Why? For taking one's part that is out of favour: Nay, an thou canst not smile as the wind sits, thou'it catch cold shortly: There, take my coxcomb:4 Why, this fellow has banished 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: 5 '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 that must to kennel; he must be whipped out, when Lady, the brach,6 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,7
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou trowest, 8
Set less than thou throwest;

[4] Coxcomb-meaning his cap, called so, because on the top of the fool or jester's cap was sewed a piece of red cloth, resembling the comb of a cock. The word, afterwards, was used to denote a vain, conceited, meddling. fellow. WARBURTON. 1

[5] It is remarkable at this day, that the lower people in Shropshire cal the judge of assize my nuncle the judge." VAILLANT.

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[6] Brach, a bitch of the hunting kind. Lady is still a common name for a hound. So Hotspur;

"I had rather hear Lady my brach howl in Irish."

STEEV.

[7] Do not lend all that thou hast. To owe in old English, is to possess. If ewe be taken for to be in debt, the more prudent precept would be,

Lend more than thou owest.

JOHNSON.

[8] To trow-is an old word, which signifies to believe. The precept is admirable. WARBURTON.

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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 fool?

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, they would have part on't:9 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 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 over 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.

[] A satire on the gross abuses of monopolies at that time; and the corruption and avarice of the courtiers, who commonly went shares with the patentec. WARBURTON.

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.

[Singing.

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 mother: for when thou gavest them the rod, and put'st down thine own breeches,

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

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

[Singing.

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

Lear. If 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 of 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.

Enter GONERIL.

Lear. How now, daughter? what makes that frontlet on 12 Methinks you are too much of late i'the frown. Fool. Thou wast a pretty fellow, when thou hadst 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, forsooth, I will hold my tongue; [To GONERIL.] So your face bids me, though you say nothing. Mum, mum,

He that keeps nor crust nor crumb,
Weary of all, shall want some.—

That's a shealed peascod. 3

[Pointing to LEAR.

Gon. Not only, sir, this your all-licens'd fool,

[1] There was never a time when fools were less in favour; and the reason is, that they were never so little wanted, for wise men now supply their place. JOHNSON.

[2] A frontlet was a forehead-cloth used formerly by ladies at night to render that part smooth. Lear, I suppose, means to say, that Goneril's brow was as completely covered by a frown, as it would be by a frontlet. MAL. [3], Now a mere husk, which contains nothing. The outside of a king remains, but all the intrinsic parts of royalty are gone; he has nothing to give. JOHNSON.

But other of your insolent retinue

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

Sir,

I had thought, by making this well known unto you,
To have found a safe 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; 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 had its head bit off by its young.

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

Gon. Come, sir, I would, you would make use of that good wisdom whereof I know you are fraught; and put away these dispositions, which of late transform you from what you rightly are.

Fool. May not an ass know when the cart draws the horse?-Whoop, Jug! I love thee. 5

Lear. Does any here know me?-Why this is not Lear: does Lear walk thus ? speak thus? Where are his eyes? Either his notion weakens, or his discernings are lethargied.-Sleeping or waking?-Ha! sure 'tis not so:--Who is it that can tell me who I am?-Lear's shadow? I would learn that; for by the marks of sovereignty, knowledge, and reason, I should be false persuaded I had daughters.

Fool. Which they will make an obedient father.
Lear. Your name, fair gentlewoman?

Gon. Come, sir;

This admiration is much o'the favour

Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you

To understand my purposes aright:

As you are old and reverend, you should be wise:
Here do you keep a hundred knights and squires ;
Men so disorder'd, so debauch'd, and bold,

[5] There are in the fool's speeches several passages which seem to be proverbial allusions, perhaps not now to be understood. JOHNSON.

In a very old dramatic piece entitled, The longer thou livest, the more fool thou art, we find the following stage-direction: "Entreth Moros, counterfaiting a vaine gesture and a foolish countenance, synging the foote of many songs as fools are wont." MALONE.

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,

A little to disquantity your train ;

And the remainder, that shall still depend,7

To be such men as may besort your age,
And know themselves and you.

Lear. Darkness and devils!

Saddle my horses; call my train together-
Degenerate bastard! I'll not trouble thee;
Yet have I left a daughter.

Gon. You strike my people; and your disorder'd rabble Make servants of their betters.

Enter ALBANY.

Lear. Woe, that too late repents,-O,sir, are you come? Is it your will? [To ALB.] Speak, sir.-Prepare my horses.

Ingratitude thou marble-hearted fiend,

More hideous, when thou show'st thee in a child,

Than the sea-monster !8

Alb. Pray, sir, be patient.

Lear. Detested kite! thou liest :

[To GONERIL.

My train are men of choice and rarest parts,

That all particulars of duty know;

And in the most exact regard support

The worships of their name.-O most small fault,
How ugly didst thou in Cordelia show !

9.

Which, like an engine, wrench'd my frame of nature
From the fix'd place; drew from my heart all love,
And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear! ·

Beat at this gate, that let thy folly in, [Striking his head.
And thy dear judgment out!-Go, go, my people.
Alb. My lord, I am guiltless, as I am ignorant

Of what hath mov'd you.

Lear. It may be so, my lord.-Hear, nature, hear !* Dear goddess, hear! Suspend thy purpose, if

WARBURTON.

[6] A palace graced by the presence of a sovereign. [7] Depend-for continue in service. WARBURTON. [8] Mr. Upton observes, that the sea-monster is the Hippopotamus, the hieroglyphical symbol of impiety and ingratitude. Sandys, in his Travels, says that he killeth his sire, and ravisheth his own dam.' STEEV. [9] Mr. Edwards conjectures that by an engine is meant the rack. He is right. To engine is, in Chaucer, to strain upon the rack. STEEVENS

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