685616Foole. I haue vsed it Nuncle, euer since thou mad'st thy daugh-

686617ters thy mother, for when thou gauest them the rod, and putst

687618downe thine owne breeches, then they for sudden ioy did weep,

689619and I for sorrow sung, that such a King should play bo-peepe,

690620and goe the fooles among: prethee Nunckle keepe a schoole-

692621master that can teach thy foole to lie, I would faine learne to lie.

694622Lear. If you lie, wee'l haue you whipt.

695623Foole. I maruell what kin thou and thy daughters are, they'l

696624haue me whipt for speaking true, thou wilt haue mee whipt for

697625lying, and sometime I am whipt for holding my peace, I had ra-

698626ther be any kinde of thing then a foole, and yet I would not bee

699627thee Nunckle, thou hast pared thy wit a both sides, and left no-

700628thing in the middle; heere comes one of the parings.

703630Lear. How now daughter, what makes that Frontlet on,

704631Me-thinkes you are too much alate it'h frowne.

705632Foole. Thou wast a pretty fellow when thou hadst no neede to

706633care for her frowne, thou, thou art an O without a figure, I am

707634better then thou art now, I am a foole, thou art nothing, yes for-

708635sooth I will hold my tongue, so your face bids me, though you

709636say nothing.

710637Mum, mum, he that keepes neither crust nor crum,

711638Weary of all, shall want some, That's a sheald pescod.

712639Gon. Not onely sir this, your all-licenc'd foole, but other of

713640your insolent retinue do hourely carpe and quarrell, breaking

714641foorth in ranke and (not to be endured riots) Sir, I had thought

716642by making this well knowne vnto you, to haue found a safe re-

717643dresse, but now grow fearefull by what your selfe too late haue

718644spoke and done, that you protect this course, and put on by your

720645allowance, which if you should, the fault would not scape cen-

721646sure, nor the redresse sleepe, which in the tender of a wholesome

722647weal, might in their working do you that offence, that else were

724648shame, that then necessity must call discreete proceedings.

726649Foole. For you trow Nunckle, the hedge-sparrow fed the Coo-

727650kow so long, that it had it head bit off beit young, so out went

728651the Candle, and we were left darkling.

730652Lear. Are you our Daughter?