531481Ken. If but as well I other accents borrow, that can my speech

532482defuse, my good intent may carry through it selfe to that ful is-

534483sue for which I raizd my likenesse; now banisht Kent, if thou

535484canst serue where thou dost stand condemn'd, thy master whom

536485thou louest, shall finde the full of labour.

539487Lear. Let me not stay a iot for dinner, goe get it ready: how

540488now, what art thou?

541489Kent. A man sir.

542490Lear. What dost thou professe? what wouldst thou with vs?

544491Kent. I doe professe to bee no lesse then I seeme to serue him

545492truely that wil put me in trust, to loue him that is honest, to con-

546493uerse with him that is wise and saies little, to feare iudgement,

547494to fight when I cannot chuse, and to eate no fish.

549495Lear. What art thou?

550496Kent. A very honest hearted fellow, and as poore as the King.

552497Lear. If thou be as poore for a subiect, as he is for a king, thou

553498art poore enough, what wouldst thou?

554499Kent. Seruice.Lear. Who wouldst thou serue?

556500Kent. You.Lear. Dost thou know me fellow?

557501Kent. No sir, but you haue that in your countenance, which

559502I would faine call Master.

560503Lear. What's that? Kent. Authority.

562504Lear. What seruices canst thou do?

563505Kent. I can keepe honest counsaile, ride, run, marre a curious

564506tale in telling it, and deliuer a plaine message bluntly, that which

565507ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified, and the best of me, is

566508diligence.

567509Lear. How old art thou?

568510Kent. Not so young to loue a woman for singing, nor so old to

569511dote on her for any thing, I haue yeares on my backe forty eight.

571512Lear. Follow me, thou shalt serue me, if I like thee no worse

572513after dinner, I will not part from thee yet; dinner ho, dinner,

573514where's my knaue my foole, goe you and call my foole hether,

574515you sirra, where's my daughter?

576517Steward. So please you -----

577518Lear. What saies the fellow there? call the clat-pole backe,

578519where's my foole? ho, I thinke the world's asleepe, how now,

579520where's that mungrell?

580521Kent. He saies my Lord, your daughter is not well.

581522Lear. Why came not the slaue backe to me when I call'd him?

583523Seruant. Sir, he answered me in the roundest mannner, hee

585524would not.

525Lear. He would not?

586526Seruant. My Lord, I know not what the matter is, but to my

587527iudgement, your Highnesse is not entertain'd with that ceremo-

588528nious affection as you were wont, there's a great abatement ap-

589529peares as well in the generall dependants, as in the Duke himselfe

590530also, and your daughter.

592531Lear. Ha, saist thou so?

593532Seruant. I beseech you pardon me my Lord, if I be mistaken,

594533for my duty cannot be silent, when I thinke your Highnesse is

595534wrong'd.

596535Lear. Thou but remembrest me of mine owne conception, I

597536haue perceiued a most faint neglect of late, which I haue rather

598537blamed as mine owne iealous curiosity, then as a very pretence

599538and purport of vnkindnes; I will look further into it, but wher's

600539this foole? I haue not seene him this two daies.

602540Seruant. Since my young Ladies going into France sir, the

603541foole hath much pined away.

604542Lear. No more of that, I haue noted it, goe you and tell my

605543daughter, I would speake with her, go you call hither my foole;

606544O you sir, you sir, come you hither, who am I sir?

609545Stew. My Ladies Father.

610546Lear. My Ladies Father, my Lords knaue, you whoreson dog,

611547 you slaue, you curre.

612548Stew. I am none of this my Lord, I beseech you pardon me.

614549Lear. Do you bandy lookes with me you rascall?

615550Stew. Ile not be strucke my Lord.

616551Kent. Nor tript neither, you base football plaier.

617552Lear. I thanke thee fellow, thou seru'st me, and ile loue thee.

619553Kent. Come sir, ile teach you differences, away, away, if you

620554will measure your lubbers length againe, tarry, but away, you

621555haue wisedome.

622556Lear. Now friendly knaue I thanke thee, there's earnest of

623557thy seruice.

625559Foole. Let me hire him too, here's my coxcombe.

626560Lear. How now my pretty knaue, how dost thou?

627561Foole. Sirra, you were best take my coxcombe.

628562Kent. Why Foole?

629563Foole. Why for taking ones part that's out of fauour, nay and

630564thou canst not smile as the winde sits, thou't catch colde shortly,

631565there take my coxcombe; why this fellow hath banisht two of

632566his daughters, and done the third a blessing against his will, if

633567thou follow him, thou must needs weare my coxcombe, how

634568now nunckle, would I had two coxcombes, and two daughters.

636569Lear. Why my boy?

637570Foole. If I gaue them any liuing, ide keepe my coxcombe my

638571selfe, theres mine, beg another of thy daughters.

640572Lear. Take heed sirra, the whip.

641573Foole. Truth is, a dog that must to kennell, he must bee whipt

642574out, when Lady oth'e brach may stand by the fire and stinke.

644575Lear. A pestilent g[u]ll to me.

645576Foole. Sirra, ile teach thee a speech.Lear. Do.

647577Foole. Marke it Vnckle; haue more then thou shewest, speake

649578lesse then thou knowest, lend lesse then thou owest, ride more

651579thou goest, learne more then thou trowest, set lesse then thou

653580throwest, leaue thy drinke and thy whore, and keepe in a doore,

656581and thou shalt haue more, then two tens to a score.

658582Lear. This is nothing foole.

659583Foole. Then like the breath of an vnfeed Lawyer, you gaue me

660584nothing for it; can you make no vse of nothing Vncle?

662585Lear. Why no boy, nothing can be made out of nothing.

664586Foole. Prethee tell him, so much the rent of his land comes to,

665587he will not beleeue a foole.

666588Lear. A bitter foole.

667589Foole. Dost thou know the difference my boy, betweene a bit-

668590ter foole, and a sweete foole.

669591Lear. No lad, teach me.

669.1592Foole. That Lord that counsaild thee to giue away thy Land,

669.2593Come place him heere by me, do thou for him stand,

669.3594The sweete and bitter foole will presently appeare,

669.4595The one in motley here, the other found out there.

669.5596Lear. Dost thou call me foole boy?

669.6597Foole. Al thy other Titles thou hast giuen away, that thou wast

669.7598borne with.

669.8599Kent. This is not altogether foole my Lord.

669.9600Foole. No faith, Lords and great men will not let me, if I had

669.10601a monopolie out, they would haue part on't, and lodes too, they

669.11602will not let me haue all foole to my selfe, thei'l be snatching; giue

670603me an egge Nunckle, and ile giue thee two crownes.

672604Lear. What two crownes shall they be?

673605Foole. Why after I haue cut the egge in the middle and eate vp

674606the meate, the two crownes of the egge: when thou clouest thy

675607crowne in the middle, and gauest away both parts, thou borest

676608thy asse on thy back ore the dirt, thou hadst little wit in thy bald

677609crowne, when thou gauest thy golden one away; if I speak like

678610my selfe in this, let him be whipt that first findes it so.

680611Fooles had nere lesse wit in a yeare,

681612For wise men are growne foppish,

682613They know not how their wits do weare,

683614Their manners are so apish.

684615Lear. When were you wont to be so full of songs sirra?

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?

731653Gonorill. Come sir, I would you would make vse of that good

654wisedome whereof I know you are fraught, and put away these

733655dispositions, that of late transforme you from what you rightly

734656are.

735657Foole. May not an Asse know when the Cart drawes the horse,

737658whoop Iug I loue thee.

738659Lear. Doth any here know me? why this is not Lear; doth

740660Lear walke thus? speake thus? where are his eies, either his no-

741661tion, weaknesse, or his discernings are lethergy, sleeping or wa-

742662king; ha! sure tis not so, who is it that can tell me who I am?

744663Lears shadow? I would learne that, for by the markes of soue-

744.1664raignty, knowledge, & reason, I should be false perswaded I had

744.2665daughters.

744.3666Foole. Which they, will make an obedient Father.

745667Le. Your name faire gentlewoman?

746668Gon. Come sir, this admiration is much of the fauour of other

747669your new prankes; I do beseech you vnderstand my purposes a-

748670right, as you are old and reuerend, you should be wise, heere doe

750671you keepe one hundred Knights and Squires, men so disordered,

751672so deboyst and bold, that this our Court infected with their

752673manners, shewes like a riotous Inne, epicurisme and lust make

754674more like a Tauerne or Brothell, then a great Pallace, the shame

755675it selfe doth speake for instant remedy, bee thou desired by her,

757676that else will take the thing she begs, a little to disquantity your

758677traine, and the remainder that shall still depend, to be such men

760678as may besort your age, and know themselues and you.

762679Lear. Darknesse and Diuels! saddle my horses, call my traine

763680together, degenerate bastard, ile not trouble thee; yet haue I left

765681a daughter.

766682Gon. You strike my people, and your disordered rabble, make

767683seruants of their betters.

769685Lear. We that too late repent's vs; O sir, are you come? Is it

770686your will that we prepare any horses, ingratitude! thou marble-

771687hearted fiend, more hideous when thou shewest thee in a childe,

773688then the Sea-monster, detested kite, thou lessen my traine and

776689men of choise and rarest parts, that all particulars of duty know,

778690and in the most exact regard, support the worshippes of their

779691name, O most small fault, how vgly didst thou in Cordelia shew,

781692that like an engine wrencht my frame of nature from the fixt

782693place, drew from my heart all loue, & added to the gall; ô Lear,

783694Lear beate at this gate that let thy folly in, and thy deare iudg-

785695ment out, goe, goe, my people?

786696Duke. My Lord, I am guiltlesse as I am ignorant.

788697Lear. It may be so my Lord, harke Nature, heare deere God-

789698desse, suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend to make this cre-

791699ture fruitefull, into her wombe conuey sterility, dry vp in her the

793700Organs of encrease, and from her derogate body neuer spring a

795701babe to honor her; if she must teem, create her childe of spleen,

796702that it may liue and be a thourt disuetur'd torment to her, let it

798703stampe wrinckles in her brow of youth, with accent teares, fret

799704channels in her cheek[e]s, turne all her mothers paines and bene-

800705fits to laughter and contempt, that shee may feele, how sharper

802706then a serpents tooth it is, to haue a thanklesse childe, goe, goe,

802.1707my people?

804708Duke. Now Gods that we adore, whereof comes this!

806709Gon. Neuer afflict your selfe to know the cause, but let his dis-

807710position haue that scope that dotage giues it.

810711Lear. What, fifty of my followers at a clap, within a fortnight?

812712Duke. What is the matter sir?

813713Lear. Ile tell thee, life and death! I am sham'd that thou hast

815714power to shake my man-hood thus, that these hot teares that

816715breake from me perforce, should make the worst blasts and fogs

818716vpon the vntender woundings of a fathers curse, peruse euery

820717sence about the olde fond eies, be-weepe this cause againe, ile

821718plucke you out, and you can cast with the waters that you make to

823719temper clay, yea, is it come to this? yet haue I left a daughter,

825720whom I am sure is kinde and comfortable, when she shall heare

826721this of thee, with her nailes shee'l fley thy woluish visage, thou

827722shalt finde that ile resume the shape, which thou doest thinke I

829723haue cast off for euer, thou shalt I warrant thee. Exit.

830724Gon. Do you marke that my Lord?

831725Duke. I cannot be so partiall Gonorill to the great loue I beare

832726you.

833727Gon. Come sir, no more ; you, more knaue then foole, after your

834728master.

835729Foole. Nuncle Lear, Nuncle Lear, tarry and take the foole with

837730a fox when one has caught her, and such a daughter, should sure

839731to the slaughter, if my cap would buy a halter, so the foole fol-

841732lowes after.

848733Gon. What Oswald, ho.

848.1734Oswald. Heere Madam.

858735Gon. What, haue you writ this letter to my sister?

859736Osw. Yes Madam.

860737Gon. Take you some company, and away to horse, informe her

861738full of my particular feares, and thereto adde such reasons of your

862739owne, as may compact it more, get you gone, and after your re-

864740turne -------- now my Lord, this mildie gentlenesse and course of

865741yours though I dislike not, yet vnder pardon y'are much more a-

867742lapt want of wisedome, then praise for harmfull mildnesse.

869743Duke. How farre your eies may pierce I cannot tell,

870744Striuing to better ought, we marre what's well.

871745Gon. Nay then -------

872746Duke. Well, well, the euent. Exit.