Lear. What dost thou profess? What would'sty thou with us? Kent. I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve him truly, that will put me in trust; to love him that is honest; to converse with him that is 5 wise, and says little; to fear judgement; to fight, when I cannot choose; and to eat no fish2. Lear. What art thou? Kent. A very honest-hearted fellow, and as poor as the king. Lear. If thou be as poor for a subject as he is for a king, thou art poor enough. What would'st thou? Kent. Service. jappears, as well in the general dependents, as in the duke himself also, and your daughter. Lear. Ha! say'st thou so? Knight. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, if I be mistaken; for my duty cannot be sient, when I think your highness is wrong'd. Lear. Thou but remember'st me of mine own conception: I have perceived a most faint neglect of late; which I have rather blained as mine own 10 jealous curiosity, than as a very pretence 'and purpose of unkindness: I will look further into 't.But where 's my fool? I have not seen hin these two days. Knight. Since my young lady's going into 15 France, sir, the fool hath much pin'd away. Lear. No more of that; I have noted it well.- 200, you sir, you sir, come you hither: Who am I, Kent. I can keep honest counsel, ride, run, mar a curious tale in telling it, and deliver a plain message bluntly: that which ordinary men are fit 25 for, I am qualify'd in; and the best of me is diligence. Lear. How old art thou? 1 45 Stew. I am none of these, my lord; I beseech you, pardon me. 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'st 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 carnest of thy service. [Giving Kent money. Enter Fool. Fool. Let me hire him too;-Here's my coxcomb. [Giring Kent his cap. Lear. How now, my pretty knave? how dost thou? Fool. Sirrah, you were best take my coxcomb. Fool. Why, for taking one's part that is out of favour: Nay, an thou canst not smile as the wind sits, thou'lt catch cold shortly: There, take my oxcomb: Why, this fellow has banish'd two of his daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will; it thou follow him, thou must needs wear my coxcomb.-—How now, nuncle è 'Would I had two coxcombs, and two daughters! To converse signifies immediately and properly to keep company, not to discourse or talk. His meaning is, that he chooses for his companions men of reserve and caution; men who are no tattlers nor tale-bearers, In Queen Elizabeth's time, the Papists were esteemed, and with good reason, enemies to the government.-Hence the proverbial phrase of He's an honest man, and eats no fish; to signify he is a friend to the government, and a Protestant; the eating fish, on a religious account, being then esteemed such a badge of popery, that when it was enjoin'd for a season by act of parliament, for the encouragement of the fish-towns, it was thought necessary to declare the reason; hence it was called Cecil's fast. 3 Pretence for design. * Meaning his cap, called so because on the top of the fool's or jester's cap was sewed a piece of red cloth, resembling the comb of a cock.-The word, afterwards, was used to denote a vain, conceited, meddling fellow. Two toolscaps, intended, as it seems, to mark double folly in the man that gives all to his daughters., 304 Lear. 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 5 middle, and gavest away both parts, thou borest thine ass on thy back over the dirt: Thou had'st little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gavest thy golden one away. If I speak like myself in this, let him be whipp'd that first finds it so. Fool. Sirrah, I'll teach thee a speech. [To Kent, 10 Fool. Mark it, nuncle : Have more than thou showest, And thou shalt have more Fool's ne'er had less grace in a year; [Singing. And know not how their wits to wear, Lear. When were you wont to be so full of 15 songs, sirrah? 20 Can you 25 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. Dost thou know the difference, my boy, Fool. That lord, that counsell'd thee 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. I have used it, nuncle, ever since thou mad'st thy daughters thy mothers: for when thou gav'st them the rod, and putt'st down thine own breeches, Then they for sudden joy did weep, [Singing, That such a king should play bo-peep, Pr'ythee, nuncle, keep a school-master that can Fool. I marvel, what kin thou and thy daughters are: they'll have me whipt for speaking true, thou 'It have me whipt for lying; and, sometimes, 30I am whipt for holding my peace. I had rather be any kind of thing, than a fool: and yet I would not be thee, nuncle; thou hast pared thy wit o' both sides, and left nothing in the middle: Here comes one of the parings." 35 Enter Goneril. Lear. How now, daughter? what makes that frontlet on? 6 Methinks, you are too much of late i' the frown, Fool. Thou wast a pretty fellow, when thou 40had'st 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, forsooth, I will hold my tongue; [to Goneril.] so your face bids me, though you say nothing. 45 Mum, mum, Fool. No, 'faith, lords and great men will not let me; if I had a monopoly on't, they would have 50 part on 't: and ladies 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, 3 2 He that keeps nor crust nor crum, [Pointing to Lear. 1 Brach is a bitch of the hunting-kind. 'That is, do not lend all that thou hast.—To owe, in old English, is to possess. To trow, is an old word which signifies to believe. • A satire on the gross abuses of monopolies at that time; and the corruption and avarice of the courtiers, who commonly went shares with the patentee.-Monopolies were, in Shakspeare's time, the common objects of satire. "The meaning is, There never was a time when fools were less in favour; and the reason is, that they were never so little wanted, for wise men now supply their place. Both the quarto editions read less wit for less grace. Lear alludes to the frontlet, which was anciently part of a woman's dress. i.e now a mere husk, which contains nothing. By By what yourself too late have spoke and done, Fool. For you trow, nuncle, The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long, So, out went the candle, and we were left darkling. Gon. Come, sir, I would, you would make use of that good wisdom Fool. May not an ass know when the cart draws [eyes? I would learn that; for by the marks Gon. Come, sir, This admiration is much o' the favour As you are old and reverend, you should be wise: By her, that else will take the thing she begs, Lear. Darkness and devils! Saddle my horses; call my train together.— [rabble Is it your will? speak, sir.-Prepare my horses.— Alb. Pray, sir, be patient. Lear. Detested kite! thou liest: [To Goneril. My train are men of choice and rarest parts, That all particulars of duty know; 10 And in the most exact regard support 15 The worships of their name.-O most small fault, Lear. It may be so, my lord. Hear, nature! hear; dear goddess, hear! 25 Into her womb convey sterility; 8 Dry up in her the organs of increase; this? upon thee! The untented 10 woundings of a father's curse 4 1i. e. promote, push it forward. 2 Mr. Steevens has been informed, that this is a quotation from the burthen of an old song, A palace grac'd by the presence of a sovereign. Depend, for continue in service. 'Mr. Upton observes, that the sea-monster is the Hippopotamus, the hieroglyphical symbol of impiety and ingratitude.-Sandys, in his Travels, says "that he killeth his sire, and ravisheth his own dam.". By an engine is meant the rack. Derogate here means degraded, blasted. " Disnatur'd is wanting in natural affection. i. e. falling tears. tepted wounds, means wounds in their worst state, not having a tent in them to digest them. 6 7 10 Un To Let me still take away the harms I fear, Enter Steward. What, have you writ that letter to my sister? [horse: [Exit Steward. 45| This milky gentleness, and course of yours, Though I condemn it not, yet, under pardon, You are much more at task for want of wisdom, Than prais'd for harmful mildness. [tell: fters: acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know than comes from her demand out of the letter: If your diligence be not speedy, L shall be there before you. Kent. I will not sleep, my lord, 'till I have deliver'd your letter. Fool. If a man's brains were in his heels,were't not in danger of kibes? Lear. Ay, boy. Fool. Then I pr'ythee be merry; thy wit shall not go slip-shod. Lear. Ha, ha, ha! Fool. Shalt see, thy other daughter will use thee kindly; for though she's as like this as a crab is like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell. Lear. Why, what canst thou tell, boy? Fool. She will taste as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Thou canst tell why one's nose stands i' the middle of one's face? Lear. No. Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes on either side one's nose; that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into. Lear. I did her wrong * : Fool. Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell? Lear. No. Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail has a house. Lear. Why? Fool. Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns with out a case. Lear. I will forget my nature. So kind a father!- -Be my horses ready? Fool. Thy asses are gone about 'em. The reason why the seven stars are no more than seven, is a pretty reason. Lear. Because they are not eight. Fool. Yes, indeed: "Thou would'st make a good fool. Lear. To take it again perforce'!-Monster! ingratitude! Fool. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time. Lear. How's that? Fool. Thou should'st not have been old before thou hadst been wise. Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet Keep me in temper; I would not be heaven! Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot 50 mad!Striving to better, oft' we mar what's well. Gon. Nay, then- Alb. Well, well; the event. SCENE A Court-yard before the Duke of Albany's Palace. 55 Enter Lear, Kent, and Fool. Lear. Go you before to Gloster with these let 3 Enter a Gentleman. How now? are the horses ready? At point, probably means completely armed, and consequently ready at appointment or command on the slightest notice. That is, Unite one circumstance with another, so as to make a consistent account. To be at task, is to be liable to reprehension and correction. He is He is meditating on his daughter's having in so violent a manner deprived him of those privileges which before she had agreed to grant him. musing on Cordelia. ACT SCENE I. ACT II. Cur. Nay, I know not: You have heard of the news abroad; I mean the whisper'd ones, for they are yet but ear-kissing arguments 1? Edm. Not 1; Pray you, what are they? 5 Glo. But where is he? Edm. Look, sir, I bleed. Glo. Where is the villain, Edmund? To his unnatural purpose, in fell motion, Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars toward, 15 My unprovided body, lanc'd mine arm: 'twixt the dukes of Cornwall and Albany? Edm. Not a word. Edm. The duke be here to-night? The better!20 This weaves itself perforce into my business! My father watches:-O, sir, fly this place; Edg. I am sure on 't, not a word. well. But when he saw my best alarum'd spirits, Glo. Let him fly far: Not in this land shall he remain uncaught; [ter, That he, which finds him, shall deserve our thanks, Edm. When I dissuaded him from his intent, If I would stand against thee, would the reposal "Of any trust, virtue, or worth, in thee [deny, "Make thy words faith'd? No: what I should 35" (As this I would; ay, though thou didst proMy very character) I'd turn it all [duce Edm. I hear my father coming,-Pardon me :- Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion Enter Gloster, and Servants with torches. sword out, Mumbling of wicked charms, conjuring the moon 1 "To thy suggestion, plot, and damned practice: comes: All ports I'll bar; the villain shall not 'scape; Enter Cornwall, Regan, and Attendants. i. e. frighted. i. e. chief; a word now 1 Ear-kissing arguments means, that they are yet in reality only whisper'd ones. means delicate; what requires to be handled nicely. used only in composition, as arch-angel, arch-duke. is severe, harsh, vehemently angry, legal bar of thy illegitimacy. 5 Pight is pitch'd, fixed, settled. • Curst ?i. e. capable of succeeding to my land, notwithstanding the |