Lear. Thou but remember'ft me of my own conception. I have perceiv'd a moft faint neglect of late, which I have rather blamed as my own jealous curiofity, than as a very pretence and purpose of unkindness; 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 speak 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! whorfon dog, you flave, you cur.

-you

Stew. I am none of thefe, my Lord; I befeech your pardon.

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

Stew. I'll not be ftruck, my Lord.
Kent. Nor tript neither, you

Lear. I thank thee, fellow. I'll love thee.

[Striking him.

bafe foot-ball player.
[Tripping up his heels.
Thou ferv'ft me, and

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 wifdom? fo.[Pushes the Steward out. Lear. Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee; there's earneft of thy fervice.

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 best take my coxcomb.

Kent. Why, my boy?

Fool. Why? for taking one's part, that is out of

favour ;

favour; nay, an thou can'ft not smile 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 follow 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 myfelf; 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 whipt 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.
Lear. Do.

Fool. Mark it, nuncle;

Have more than thou fhoweft,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou oweft,
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou troweft,
Set lefs 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.

[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. 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 fweet one?

Lear. No, lad, teach me.

Fool.

Fool. That Lord, that counfel'd thee to give away thy land,

Come, place him here by me! do thou for him ftand; The fweet and bitter fool will prefently 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 too, they'll not let me have all fool to myself, 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 myself in this, let him be whipt that first finds it fo.

Fools ne'er bad lefs grace in a year,
For wife men are grown foppish;
And know not how their wits to wear,
Their manners are fo apifh.

[Singing.

Lear. When were you wont to be so 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 they for fadden joy did weep,

And I for forrow fung;

That fuch a King should play bo-peep,

And go the fools among.

[Singing.

Pr'ythee, nuncle, keep a school-mafter that can teach

thy fool to lye; I would fain learn to lye.

Lear. If you lye, firrah, we'll have you whipt.

Fool.

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 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. Weary of all, fhall want fome.

That's a fheal'd peafcod.

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 spoke and done,
That you protect this courfe, and put it on
By your allowance; if you fhould, the fault
Would not 'scape cenfure, nor the redreffes fleep;
Which, in the tender of a wholesome 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-Sparrow 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?

Gon.

Gon. I would, you would make ufe of your good wisdom, Whereof I know you are fraught, and put away Thefe difpofitions, which of late tranfport 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 lethargy'd-Ha! waking-'tis not fo;
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 fhould be falfe perfuaded I had daughters.
Your name, fair gentlewoman?

Gon. This admiration, Sir, is much o'th' favour
Of other your new pranks. I do befeech 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 she begs,
1 Of fifty to difquantity your train;

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

Lear. Darkness and devils!

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

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

Mr. Pope.

Gon.