that ceremonious affection as you were wont; there's a great abatement of kindness appears as well in the gek neral dependants, as in the Duke himself alfo, and your daughter. Lear. Ha! fay'ft thou fo? Knight. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, if I be mistaken; for my duty cannot be filent, when I think your Highness is wrong'd. Lear. Thou but remember'ft me of my own conception. I have perceiv'd a most faint neglect of late, which I have rather blamed as my own jealous curiofity, than as a very pretence and purpose of unkindnefs; I will look further into't; but where's my fool? I have not feen him these 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; go you and tell my daughter, I would fpeak with her. Go you, call hither my fool. O, you, Sir, come you hither, Sir; who am I, Sir? Enter Steward. Stew. My lady's father. Lear. My lady's father? my lord's knave!ies you whorfon dog, you flave, you cur. Stew. I am none of these, my lord; I befeech your pardon. Lear. Do you bandy looks with me, you rascal? Stew. I'll not be ftruck, my lord. [Striking him. Kent. Nor tript neither, you base foot-ball player. [Tripping up his heels. Lear. I thank thee, fellow. Thou ferv'ft me, and I'll love thee. Kent. Come, Sir, arife, away; I'll teach you diffe rences: away, away; if you will measure your lubber's length again, tarry again; but away, go to: have you wisdom? fo.. [Pufbes the Steward out. Lear. Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee; there's earnest of thy fervice. To ge. Our be 1. To them, Enter Fool. Fool. Let me hire him too, here's my coxcomb. [Giving his cap :coxcomb. my c Fool. Why? for taking one's part, that is out of favour; nay, an thou canst not fmile as the wind fits, thou'lt catch cold shortly. There, take my coxcomb; why, this fellow has banish'd two of his daughters, and did the third a blefling against his will; if thou follow him, thou must needs wear my coxcomb. How 10 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 felf; there's mine, beg another of thy daugh ters. Leer. Take heed, Sirrah, the whip. Fool. Truth's a dog muft to kennel; he must be whip'd out, when the lady brach may ftand by th' fire and ftink. Lear. A peftilent gall to me. Fool. Sirrah, I'll teach thee a speech. Lear. Do. Fool. Mark it, nuncle; Have more than thou fhoweft, Speak lefs than thou knowest, Lend lefs than thou owest, Kent. This is nothing, fool. [To Kent. 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. 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. Doft thou know the difference, my boy, between a bitter fool and a sweet one? Lear. No, lad, teach me. Fool. That Lord, that counfel'd thee to give away thy Land, Come, place him here by me! do Thou for him stand; The fweet 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 haft 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 too, they'll not let me have all fool to my felf, they'll be fnatching. Give me an egg, nuncle, and I'll give thee two crowns. Lear. What two crowns fhall 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 cloveft thy Crown i'th' middle and gav'ft away both parts, thou bor'ft thine afs on thy back o'er the dirt; thou hadft little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gav'ft thy golden one away: if I fpeak like my felf in this, let him be whip'd that firft finds it fo. Fools ne'er had lefs grace in a year, [Singing. Lear. When were you wont to be fo full of fongs, firrah? Fool. I have ufed it, nuncle, e'er fince thou mad'ft thy daughters thy mothers; for when thou gav'ft them the rod, and put'ft down thy own breeches, Then Then they for fudden joy did weep, That fuch a King should play bo-peep, Pr'ythee, nuncle, keep a school-mafter that can teach thy fool to lie; I would fain learn to lie. Lear. 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 fpeaking true, thou'lt have me whipt for lying; and, fometimes, 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 haft pared thy wit o'both fides, 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 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, forfooth, I will hold my tongue; [To Gonerill.] fo your face bids me, tho' you fay nothing. Mum, mum, he that keeps nor cruft nor crum,. [Singing. That's a fheal'd peafcod. Gon. Not only, Sir, this your all-licens'd fool, Do hourly carp and quarrel, breaking forth In rank and not to be endured riots. I thought, by making this well known unto you, B Might |