late; which I have rather blamed as mine own jealous curiosity, than as a very pretence and purpose of unkindness: I will look farther into't.-But where's my fool? I have not seen him this two days. Knight. Since my young lady's going into France, sir, the fool hath much pined away. Lear. No more of that; I have noted it well.-Go you, and tell my daughter I would speak with her.— Go you, call hither my fool. Re-enter OsWALD. O! you sir, you sir, come you hither. Who am I, sir? Osw. My lady's father. Lear. My lady's father! my lord's knave: you whoreson dog! you slave! you cur! Osw. I am none of these, my lord'; I beseech your pardon. Lear. Do you bandy looks with me, you rascal ? Osw. I'll not be struck, my lord. [Striking him. Kent. Nor tripped neither, you base foot-ball player. [Tripping up his Heels. Lear. I thank thee, fellow; thou servest 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 OSWALD out. Lear. Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee: there's earnest of thy service. [Giving KENT Money. Enter Fool. Fool. Let me hire him too:-here's my coxcomb. [Giving KENT his Cap. 5 I am none of THESE, my lord ;] The quartos, “I am none of this, my lord.” There are other trifling variations in this part of the scene: thus, for "have you wisdom?" of the folio, the quartos read, "you have wisdom." Lear. How now, my pretty knave! how dost thou? 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. Lear. Do. Fool. Mark it, nuncle. Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, And thou shalt have more Than two tens to a score. 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" Come place him here by me; Do thou for him stand: 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 too1: 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. 66 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. 9 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 i̇' 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 year; [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, [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 it in a year." The next line but one seems also corrupt in the oldest editions, "They know not how their wits do wear." 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 Here comes one o' the thee, nuncle: thou hast pared thy wit o' both sides, and left nothing i' the middle. 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 figure. 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, By your allowance; which if you should, the fault 4 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. |