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Lear. How now, my pretty knave! how dost thou?
Fool. Sirrah, you were best take my coxcomb.
Lear. Why, my boy?

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?

Fool. If I gave 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.

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Why, my boy ?] In the folio, this question is put into Lear's mouth: in the quartos, it is given to Kent, in the words "Why, fool?"

7

when the lady BRACH,] The quartos unintelligibly read, "when lady o' the brach." A "brach" was a female hound, but the word was also used for a dog in general. See Vol. iii. p. 108; Vol. iv. p. 288; and Vol. vi. p. 44.

Lear. This is nothing, fools.

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.

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;

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, they would have part on't, and loads too': they will not let me have all fool to myself; they'll be snatching.-Give me an egg, nuncle, and I'll give thee two crowns.

8 This is nothing, fool.] The fool's speech seems addressed to Lear," Mark it, nuncle ;" and it is natural that Lear should make this reply to it. He does so in the quartos, but the folio attributes "This is nothing, fool," to Kent.

• That lord, that counsell'd thee] From this line down to "Give me an egg, nuncle," is only in the quarto impressions. It was, perhaps, politically objec tionable, and was therefore omitted.

1 — and LOADS, too:] Modern editors, without the slightest authority, read, "and ladies, too," when the old copies have not a word about ladies: all the fool means to say is, that if he had a monopoly of folly, great men would have part of it, and a large part, too—" and loads, too "-printed lodes in the quartos.

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.

Fools had ne'er less grace in a year2; [Singing.

For wise men 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, sirrah?

Fool. I have used it, nuncle, ever since thou madest thy daughters thy mothers: for, when thou gavest them the rod and putt'st down thine own breeches,

Then they for sudden joy did weep3,

And I for sorrow sung,

That such a king should play bo-peep,
And go the fools among.

[Singing.

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.

2 Fools had ne'er less GRACE in a year;] So the folio: the quartos, "less wit in a year." The next line but one seems also corrupt in the oldest editions, "They know not how their wits do wear."

3 Then they for sudden joy did weep, &c.] So, in "The Rape of Lucrece," by Thomas Heywood:

"When Tarquin first in court began,

And was approved king,

Some men for sodden joy gan weep,

And I for sorrow sing.”

Steevens" could not ascertain" in what year this play was first published. The date of the earliest edition is 1608: Heywood multiplied the songs in subsequent impressions, and its popularity must have been great.

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.

Enter GONERIL.

Lear. How now, daughter! what makes that frontlet on?

Methinks, you are too much of late i' the frown*.

Fool. Thou wast a pretty fellow, when thou hadst no need to care for her frowning; now thou art an O without a figures. I am better than thou art now: I am a fool; thou art nothing.-Yes, forsooth, I will hold my tongue! so your face [To GON.] bids me, though you say nothing. Mum, mum :

He that keeps nor crust nor crum,

Weary of all, shall want some.

That's a shealed peascod.

Gon. Not only, sir, this your all-licens'd fool, But other of your insolent retinue

Do hourly carp and quarrel; breaking forth

In rank, and not-to-be-endured, riots.

Sir,

I had thought, by making this well known unto you,
To have found a safe redress, but now grow fearful,
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

METHINKS, you are too much of late i' the frown.] The folio prints this and the preceding line as prose, and makes them so by omitting "Methinks." Some modern editors, who are opposed to a text made up from the quartos and folios, nevertheless, without notice, insert "Methinks" from the quartos.

5 - now thou art an O WITHOUT A FIGURE.] The Fool (observes Malone) means to say, that Lear, "having pared his wit on both sides, and left nothing in the middle," is become a mere cypher.

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 had its head bit off by its young.

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

Gon. I would, you would make use of your good wisdom',

Whereof I know you are fraught, and put away
These dispositions, which of late transform 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 ?-Why this is not Lear: does Lear walk thus? speak thus? Where are his eyes? Either his notion weakens, or his discernings are lethargied.-Sleeping or waking?-Ha! sure 'tis not so. Who is it that can tell me who I am?-Lear's shadows? I would learn that; for by the marks of sovereignty, knowledge, and reason, I should be false persuaded I had daughters.

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Fool. Which they will make an obedient father.
Lear. Your name, fair gentlewoman?

Gon. This admiration, sir, is much o' the favour

6 Will call discreet proceeding.] The quartos, "Must call discreet proceedings." The whole speech, and others that follow it, are there printed as prose. The Fool's observation, notwithstanding the rhyme, (probably from some old song) is made prose in all the old copies, quarto and folio.

7 I would, you would make use of your good wisdom] The folio omits "Come, sir," of the quartos, before this speech, and makes that verse which most modern editors have printed as prose.

* Lear's shadow ?] These words are given in the folio to the Fool, and it leaves out what follows down to the question, " Your name, fair gentlewoman?" The folio in other respects corrupts Lear's speech.

This admiration, sir, is much o' the favour] The quartos again precede this speech by, "Come, sir :" we follow the text of the folio, which is in verse.

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