Stew. I am none of these, my lord; I beseech your pardon. Lear. Do you bandy looks with me, you rascal ?

[Striking him, Stew. I'll not be struck, my lord. Kent. Nor tript neither, you base foot-ball player.

[Tripping up his heels. Lear. I thank thee, fellow. Thou serv'l 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 the Steward out. Lear. Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee; there's earnest of thy service.

To them, Enter Fool.
Fool. Let me hire him too, here's my coxcomb.

[Giving his cap. Lear. How now, my pretty knave? how do'st thou? Fool. Sirrah, you were best take

my coxcomb. Kent. Why, my boy?

Fool. Why? for taking one's part, that is out of favour; nay, an thou canst not smile as the wind fits, thou'lt catch cold shortly. There, take

There, take my coxcomb; why, this fellow has banish'd two of his daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will; if thou fol low 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 give them all my living, I'll keep my coxcomb my self; there's mine, beg another of thy daughters.

Lear. Take heed, Sirrah, the whip.

Fool. Truth's a dog muft to kennel, le must be whip'd out, when the lady brach may stand by th' fire and stink.

Lear. A peftilent gall to me.
Fool. Sirrah, I'll teach thee a speech.

[To Kent.

Lear.

Lear. Do.

Fool. Mark it, nuncle;
Have more than thou showeft,
Speak less than thou knoweit,
Lend less than thou owest,
Ride more than thou goeit,
Learn more than thou trowelt,
Set less than thou throwest,
Leave thy drink and thy whore,
And keep within door,
And thou shalt have more
Than two tens to a score.

Kent. This is nothing, fool.

Fool. Then it is 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 Rothing,

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.

[Land, (10) Fool. That Lord, that counsel'd thee to give away thy Come, place him here by me! do Thou for him ftand; The sweet 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 hast 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 on't, they would have part on't: nay, the Ladies tuo, they'll not let me have all fool to myself, they'll be snatching.

(10) Fool. That Lord, that counfeld thee -] These four lines I þave restor'd from the old 4t0; and, surely, the retrenchment of them by the players was very injudicious. For, without them, how very abfurdly does Lear reply, Doft ebeu call me fool, boy? VOL. VI.

B

Give

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'th' middle and eat up the meat, the two crowns of the egg: when thou cloveit thy Crown i'th' middle and gav'ft away both parts, thou bor'st thine ass on thy back o'er the dirt; thou had'ft little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gav'it thy golden one away: if I speak like myself in this, let him be whip’d that first finds it so.

Fools ne'er had less grace in a year, [Singing,

For wifemen are grown foppish;
And know not how their wits to wear,

Their manners are so apish. Lear. When were you wont to be so full of songs, firrah ?

Fool. I have used it, nuncle, e'er fince thou mad'it. thy daughters thy mothers; for when thou gav'it them the rod, and put'ft down thine own breeches,

Then they for sudden joy did weep, [Singing:

And I for sorrow sung;
That fuch a King should play bo-peep,

And go the fools among. Pr'ythee, nuncle, keep a school-mafter that can teach thy fool to lie; I would fain learn to lie.

Lent. 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, sometimes, I am whipt for holding my peace. I had rather be any kind o’thing than a fool, and yet I would not be thee, nuncle; thou halt pared thy wit o'both sides, and left nothing i'th' middle; here comes one.o'th' parings.

To them, Enter Gonerill. Lear, How now, daughter, what makes that frontlet on? you are too much of late i'th' frown.

Fool. Thou waft a pretty fellow, when thou hadit no. need to care for her frowning; now thou art an Q with

out

out a figure; I am better than thou art now; I am a fool, thou art nothing.--Yes, forsooth, I will hold my tongue; (To Gonerill.] so your face bids me, tho' you say nothing

Mum, mum, he that keeps nor crust nor crum,
Weary of all, shall want some.

[Singing. That's a sheald pearcod.

Gon. Not only, Sir, this your all-licens'd fool,
But other of your infolent retinue,
Do hourly carp and quarrel, breaking forth
In rank and not to be endured riots.
I thought by making this well known unto you,
T' have found a safe redress; but now grow fcarsul,
By what yourself too late have spoke and done,
That you protect this course, and put it on
By your allowance; if you should, the fault
Would not 'scape censure, nor the redresses sleep;
Which, in the tender of a wholesome wenl,
Might in their working do you that offence,
(Which else were shame,) that then neceflity
Will call difcrcet proceeding.

Fool. For you know, nuncle,
The hedge-Sparrow fed the Cuckoo so long,
That it had its bead bit of by its Young ;
So out went the candle, and we were left darkling,
Lear. Are you our daughter?

(wisdom,
Gon. I would, you would make use of your good
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: Does Lear walk thus? speak thus ? where are his eyes? Either his notion weakens, his discernings Are lethargiedHa! waking 'is not fog Who is it that can tell me who I am? Lear's fhadow. I would learn; for by the marks Of fovereignty, of knowledge, and of reason, I should be false persuaded I had daughters.

B 2

Your

Your name, fair gentlewoman?

Gon. This admiration, Sir, is much o'th' favour
Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you,
To understand my purposes aright.
You, as you're old and reverend, should be wise.
Here do you keep a hundred Knights and Squires,
Men so disorder'd, fo debauch'd and bold,
That this our Court, infected with their manners,
Shews like a riotous Inn; Epicurism and luft
Make it more like a tavern or a brothel,
Than a grac'd Palace. Shame itself doth speak
For instant remedy. Be then desir’d
By her, that else will take the thing she begs,
I of fifty to disquantity your train;
And the remainders, that shall still depend,
To be such men as may befort your age,
And know themselves and you.

Lear. Darkness and devils !
Saddle my horses, call my train together.
Degen’rate 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.
To them, Enter Albany.

[come? Lear. Woe! that too late repents—0, Sir, are you Is it your will, speak, Sir? prepare my horses.

[To Albany, Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend, More hideous when thou shew'it thee in a child, Than the sea-monster.

Alb. Pray, Sir, be patient.

Lear, Detested kite! thou lieft. [To Gonerill, 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 names, O most small fault !

1 A little is the common reading; but it appears, from wbat Lear says jumbe next Scene, that this number fifty was requir'd to be cut off, webicka (as abe editions food) is no qubere specify'd by Gonerill. Mr. Popeo

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