Imatges de pàgina
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lord; I beseech your

Stew. I am none of thefe, my

pardon.

Lear. Do you bandy looks with me, you rafcal?

Stew. I'll not be ftruck, my lord.

[Striking him.

Kent. Nor tript neither, you bafe 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 differences: away, away; if you will measure your lubber's length again, tarry; but away, go to: have you wifdom? fo.[Pufbes the Steward out. Lear. Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee; there's carneft 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'ft thou? Fool. Sirrah, you were beft take my coxcomb. Kent. Why, my boy?

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 fhortly. There, take my coxcomb; why, this fellow has banish'd two of his daughters, and did the third a bleffing 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 felf; there's mine, beg another of thy daughters.

Lear. Take heed, Sirrah, the whip.

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

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 lefs than thou knoweft,
Lend less than thou oweft,
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou troweft,
Set less than thou throweft,
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 ufe of nothing, nuncle?

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

Fool. Pr'ythee, tell him, fo 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. [Land, (10) Fool. That Lord, that counsel'd thee to give away thy Come, place him here by me! do Thou for him fland; 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.

part

Fool. No, faith; Lords, and great men will not let me; if I had a monopoly on't, they would have on't: nay, the Ladies too, they'll not let me have all fool to myself, they'll be fnatching.

(10) Fool. That Lord, that counsel'd thee

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] Thefe four lines I have reftor'd from the old 4to; and, furely, the retrenchment of them by the players was very injudicious. For, without them, how very abfurdly does Lear reply, Doft thou call me fool, boy? B

VOL. VI.

Give

Give me an egg, nuncle, and I'll give thee two crowns. Lear. What two crowns fhall they be?

eat

Fool. Why, after I have cut the egg i' th' middle and 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 had'ft little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gav't thy golden one away: if I fpeak like myself in this, let him be whip'd that first finds it fo.

Fools ne'er had lefs grace in a year,
For wifemen are grown foppifh;

And know not how their wits to wear,
Their manners are so apish.

[Singing,

Lear, When were you wont to be fo full of fongs, firrah?

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

Then they for fudden joy did weep,
And I for forrow fung;

That fuch a King fhould play bo-peep,

And go the fools among.

[Singing.

Pr'ythee, nuncle, keep a fchool-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 speaking 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 hadft no need to care for her frowning; now thou art an O̟ with

out

out 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,
Weary of all, fhall want fome.

That's a fheal'd peafcod.

[Singing.

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 fafe redrefs; but now grow fearful,
By what yourself too late have fpoke and done,
That you protect this courfe, and put it on
By your allowance; if you fhould, the fault
Would not 'fcape cenfure, nor the redreffes fleep;
Which, in the tender of a wholefome weal,
Might in their working do you that offence,
(Which elfe were fhame,) that then neceffity
Will call difcreet proceeding.

Fool. For you know, nuncle,

The hedge-fparrow fed the Cuckoo fo 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?

[wifdom,

Gon. I would, you would make ufe of your good Whereof I know you are fraught, and put away Thefe difpofitions, which of late transport you From what you rightly are.

Fool. May not an afs know when the cart draws the horfe? whoop, Jug, I love thee.

Lear. Does any here know me? this is not Lear: Does Lear walk thus? fpeak thus ? where are his eyes? Either his notion weakens, his difcernings

Are lethargied-Ha! waking-'tis not fos
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 reafon,
I should be falfe perfuaded 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, fhould be wife.
Here do you keep a hundred Knights and Squires,
Men fo diforder'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 inftant remedy. Be then defir'd

By her, that elfe will take the thing the begs,
Of fifty to difquantity your train;

And the remainders, that fhall ftill depend,
To be fuch men as may befort your age,
And know themselves and you.

Lear. Darknefs and devils!

Saddle my horses, call my train together.
Degen'rate baftard! I'll not trouble thee;
Yet have I left a daughter.

Gon. You ftrike my people, and your disorder'd rabble Make fervants of their betters.

To them, Enter Albany.

[come? Lear. Woe! that too late repents-O, Sir, are you Is it your will, fpeak, Sir? prepare my horfes.

Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend,

[To Albany,

More hideous when thou shew'ft thee in a child,
Than the fea-monster.

Alb. Pray, Sir, be patient.

Lear. Detefted kite! thou lieft.

[To Gonerill.

My train are men of choice and rarest parts,

That all particulars of duty know;

And in the moft exact regard fupport
The worships of their names,

Omoft fmall fault!

A little is the common reading; but it appears, from what Lear says in the next Scene, that this number fifty was requir'd to be cut off, which (as the editions flood) is no where specify'd by Gonerill. Mr. Pope

How

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