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'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?

gave

FOOL. If I 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,

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.

[TO KENT.

LEAR. A bitter fool!
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.

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.

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.

(*) First folio, Foole.

(†) First folio omits, Methinks. 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.

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

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.b

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

GON. I would you would make use of that t 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?

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. 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." dfor, 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 knowledge 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.

(+) First folio, your. (1) First folio omits, you.

[SCENE IV.

feel

Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt; that she may
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a thankless child!-Away, away! [Exit.
ALB. Now, gods that we adore, whereof comes

this?

GON. Never afflict yourself to know the cause; But let his disposition have that scope That dotage gives it.

Should make thee worth them.-Blasts and fogs upon thee!

C

The untented woundings of a father's curse
Pierce every sense about thee !-Old fond eyes,
Beweep this cause again, I'll pluck ye out,
And cast you, with the waters that you loose,
To temper clay.-Ha! is it come to this?
Let it be so; yet have I left a daughter,
Who, I am sure, is kind and comfortable;
When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails
She'll flay thy wolfish visage. Thou shalt find
That I'll resume the shape which thou dost think
I have cast off for ever; thou shalt, I warrant
thee.‡

[Exeunt LEAR, KENT, and Attendants.
GON. Do you mark that, my lord? §
ALB. I cannot be so partial, Goneril,
To the great love I bear you,-
GON. Pray you, content.

ho!

What, Oswald,

You, sir, more knave than fool, after your master. [To the Fool. FOOL. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, and || take the fool with thee.

A fox, when one has caught her,
And such a daughter,

Should sure to the slaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter:

So the fool follows after.

(*) First folio, to know more of it.

[Exit.

(+) First folio, As. () First folio omits, and.

(1) First folio omits, thou shalt, I warrant thee. (§) First folio omits, my lord.

d

"Ha?

I have another daughter."

GON. This man hath had good counsel:*-a hundred knights!

'Tis politic and safe to let him keep
At point a hundred knights: yes, that on every
dream,

Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike,
He may enguard his dotage with their powers,
And hold our lives in mercy.-Oswald, I say!—
ALB. Well, you may fear too far.
GON.
Safer than trust too far:
Let me still take away the harms I fear,
Not fear still to be taken: I know his heart.
What he hath utter'd I have writ my sister;
If she sustain him and his hundred knights,
When I have show'd the unfitness,—

Inform her full of my particular fear;

And thereto add such reasons of your own

As may compact it more. Get you gone;

And hasten your return.-[Exit Osw.] No, no, my lord,

This milky gentleness and course of yours
Though I condemn not, yet, under pardon,
You are much more attask'd* for want of wisdom,
Than prais'd for harmful mildness.

ALB. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot tell;

Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.

GON. Nay, then

FOOL. Why, to keep one's eyes of either side his nose; that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into.

LEAR. I did her wrong.—

FOOL. Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell? LEAR. NO.

FOOL. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail has a house.

LEAR. Why?

FOOL. Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without

a case.

LEAR. I will forget my nature. So kind a father!-Be my horses ready?

FOOL. Thy asses are gone about 'em. The reason why the seven stars are no more than seven, is a pretty reason.

LEAR. Because they are not eight?

FOOL. Yes, indeed: thou wouldst make a good fool.

LEAR. To take 't again perforce !-Monster ingratitude!

FOOL. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time. LEAR. How's that?

FOOL. Thou shouldst not have been old, before* thou hadst been wise.

LEAR. O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!

Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!—

- thy other daughter will use thee kindly:] Kindly is here used, as Malone pointed out, with the double meaning of affectionately, and after her nature, or kind.

CUR. Nay, I know not. You have heard of the news abroad, I mean the whispered ones, for they are yet but ear-kissing arguments?

EDM. Not I; pray you, what are they? CUR. Have you heard of no likely wars toward, 'twixt the dukes of Cornwall and Albany? EDM. Not a word.

CUR. You may do, then, in time. Fare you well, sir. [Exit. EDM. The duke be here to-night? The better! best!

This weaves itself perforce into my business.
My father hath set guard to take my brother;
And I have one thing, of a queasy question,
Which I must act :-briefness and fortune,
work!-

Brother, a word;-descend:-brother, I say!

(*) First folio, your.

Enter EDGAR.

My father watches:-O, sir, fly this place;
Intelligence is given where you are hid;
You have now the good advantage of the
night :-

Have you not spoken 'gainst the duke of Cornwall? He's coming hither; now, i' the night, i' the haste,

And Regan with him; have you nothing said
Upon his party 'gainst the duke of Albany?
Advise yourself.

EDG.
I am sure on 't, not a word.
EDM. I hear my father coming,-pardon me;
In cunning I must draw my sword upon you:-
Draw seem to defend yourself: now quit you
well.-

Yield:

come before my father.-Light, ho,

here!

Fly, brother.-Torches! torches!-So, farewell.[Exit EDGAR. [Wounds his arm. Of my more fierce endeavour: I have seen drunk

Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion

ards

Do more than this in sport.-Father! father! Stop, stop! No help?