603Sir, the Foole hath much pined away.

604Lear. No more of that, I haue noted it well, goe you

605and tell my Daughter, I would speake with her. Goe you

606call hither my Foole; Oh you Sir, you, come you hither

607Sir, who am I Sir?

609Ste. My Ladies Father.

610Lear. My Ladies Father? my Lords knaue, you whor-

611son dog, you slaue, you curre.

612Ste. I am none of these my Lord,

613I beseech your pardon.

614Lear. Do you bandy lookes with me, you Rascall?

615Ste. Ile not be strucken my Lord.

616Kent. Nor tript neither, you base Foot-ball plaier.

617Lear. I thanke thee fellow.

618Thou seru'st me, and Ile loue thee.

619Kent. Come sir, arise, away, Ile teach you differences:

620away, away, if you will measure your lubbers length a-

621gaine, tarry, but away, goe too, haue you wisedome, so.

622Lear. Now my friendly knaue I thanke thee, there's

623earnest of thy seruice.

625Foole. Let me hire him too, here's my Coxcombe.

626Lear. How now my pretty knaue, how dost thou?

627Foole. Sirrah, you were best take my Coxcombe.

628Lear. Why my Boy?

629Foole. Why? for taking ones part that's out of fauour,

630nay, & thou canst not smile as the wind sits, thou'lt catch

631colde shortly, there take my Coxcombe; why this fellow

632ha's banish'd two on's Daughters, and did the third a

633blessing against his will, if thou follow him, thou must

634needs weare my Coxcombe. How now Nunckle? would

635I had two Coxcombes and two Daughters.

636Lear. Why my Boy?

637Fool. If I gaue them all my liuing, I'ld keepe my Cox-

638combes my selfe, there's mine, beg another of thy

639Daughters.

640Lear. Take heed Sirrah, the whip.

641Foole. Truth's a dog must to kennell, hee must bee

642whipt out, when the Lady Brach may stand by'th'fire

643and stinke.

644Lear. A pestilent gall to me.

645Foole. Sirha, Ile teach thee a speech.

646Lear. Do.

647Foole. Marke it Nuncle;

648Haue more then thou showest,

649Speake lesse then thou knowest,

650Lend lesse then thou owest,

651Ride more then thou goest,

652Learne more then thou trowest,

653Set lesse then thou throwest;

654Leaue thy drinke and thy whore,

655And keepe in a dore,

656And thou shalt haue more,

657Then two tens to a score.

658Kent. This is nothing Foole.

659Foole. Then 'tis like the breath of an vnfeed Lawyer,

660you gaue me nothing for't, can you make no vse of no-

661thing Nuncle ?

662Lear. Why no Boy,

663Nothing can be made out of nothing.

664Foole. Prythee tell him, so much the rent of his land

665comes to, he will not beleeue a Foole.

666Lear. A bitter Foole.

667Foole. Do'st thou know the difference my Boy, be-

668tweene a bitter Foole, and a sweet one.

669Lear. No Lad, reach me.

670Foole. Nunckle, giue me an egge, and Ile giue thee

671two Crownes.

672Lear. What two Crownes shall they be?

673Foole. Why after I haue cut the egge i'th'middle and

674eate vp the meate, the two Crownes of the egge : when

675thou clouest thy Crownes i'th'middle, and gau'st away

676both parts, thou boar'st thine Asse on thy backe o're the

677durt, thou had'st little wit in thy bald crowne, when thou

678gau'st thy golden one away ; if I speake like my selfe in

679this, let him be whipt that first findes it so.

680Fooles had nere lesse grace in a yeere,

681For wisemen are growne foppish,

682And know not how their wits to weare,

683Their manners are so apish.

684Le. When were you wont to be so full of Songs sirrah?

685Foole. I haue vsed it Nunckle, ere since thou mad'st

686thy Daughters thy Mothers, for when thou gau'st them

687the rod, and put'st downe thine owne breeches, then they

688For sodaine ioy did weepe,

689And I for sorrow sung,

690That such a King should play bo-peepe,

691And goe the Foole among.

692Pry'thy Nunckle keepe a Schoolemaster that can teach

693thy Foole to lie, I would faine learne to lie.

694Lear. And you lie sirrah, wee'l haue you whipt.

695Foole. I maruell what kin thou and thy daughters are,

696they'l haue me whipt for speaking true: thou'lt haue me

697whipt for lying, and sometimes I am whipt for holding

698my peace. I had rather be any kind o'thing then a foole,

699and yet I would not be thee Nunckle, thou hast pared thy

700wit o'both sides, and left nothing i'th'middle; heere

701comes one o'the parings.

703Lear. How now Daughter? what makes that Frontlet

704on? You are too much of late i'th'frowne.

705Foole. Thou wast a pretty fellow when thou hadst no

706need to care for her frowning, now thou art an O with-

707out a figure, I am better then thou art now, I am a Foole,

708thou art nothing. Yes forsooth I will hold my tongue, so

709your face bids me, though you say nothing.

710Mum, mum, he that keepes nor crust, not crum,

711Weary of all, shall want some. That's a sheal'd Pescod.

712Gon. Not only Sir this, your all-lycenc'd Foole,

713But other of your insolent retinue

714Do hourely Carpe and is Quarrell, breaking forth

715In ranke, and (not to be endur'd) riots Sir.

716I had thought by making this well knowne vnto you,

717To haue found a safe redresse, but now grow fearefull

718By what your selfe too late haue spoke and done,

719That you protect this course, and put it on

720By your allowance, which if you should, the fault

721Would not scape censure, nor the redresses sleepe,

722Which in the tender of a wholesome weale,

723Might in their working do you that offence,

724Which else were shame, that then necessitie

725Will call discreet proceeding.

726Foole. For you know Nunckle, the Hedge-Sparrow

727fed the Cuckoo so long, that it's had it head bit off by it

728young, so out went the Candle, and we were left dark-

729ling.

730Lear. Are you our Daughter?

731Gon. I would you would make vse of your good wise- (dome

732(Whereof I know you are fraught), and put away

733These dispositions, which of late transport you

734From what you rightly are.