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That ftill would manage those Authorities,

That he hath giv'n away!· Now, by my Life,
Old Fools are Babes again; and must be used

With Checks, like Flatt'rers when they're feen t'abuse us.

Remember, what I have faid.

Stew. Very well, Madam.

Gon. And let his Knights have colder looks among you: what grows of it, no matter; advise your fellows fo: I'll write ftrait to my fifter to hold my courfe: prepare for dinner. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to an open Place before the Palace.

Kent,

Enter Kent difguis'd.

F but as well I other accents borrow,

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And can my speech diffufe, my good intent May carry thro' it felf to that full iffue,

For which I raz'd my likeness. Now, banish'd Kent,
If thou can'ft ferve where thou doft ftand condemn'd,
So may it come, thy mafter, whom thou lov'ft,
Shall find thee full of labours.

Horns within. Enter Lear, Knights and Attendants.
Lear. Let me not stay a jot for dinner, go, get it ready:
How now, what art thou?
[To Kent.

Kent. A man, Sir.

Lear. What doft thou profefs? what would't thou with us?

Kent. I do profefs to be no lefs than I feem; to ferve him truly, that will put me in truft; to love him that is honeft; to converfe with him that is wife and fays little; to fear judgment; to fight when I cannot chute, and to eat no fifh.

Lear. What art thou?

ftor'd from the Old Quarto. The laft Verfe, which I have ventur'd to amend, is there printed thus:

With Checks, like Flatt'ries when they are feen abus'd.

Kent,

Kent. A very honeft-hearted fellow, and as poor as the King.

Lear. If thou beeft as poor for a fubject, as he is for a King, thou art poor enough. What would't thou? Kent. Service.

Lear. Whom would't thou ferve?

Kent. You.

Lear. Doft thou know me, fellow ?

Kent. No, Sir, but you have that in your countenance, which I would fain call Master.

Lear. What's that?

Kent. Authority.

Lear. What fervices canft thou do?

Kent. I can keep honeft counfels, ride, run, marr a curious tale in telling it, and deliver a plain meffage bluntly that which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualify'd in and the beft of me is diligence.

Lear. How old art thou?

Kent. Not fo young, Sir, to love a woman for finging; nor fo old, to doat on her for any thing. I have years on my back forty eight.

Lear. Follow me, thou fhalt ferve me; if I like thee no worse after dinner, I will not part from thee yet. Dinner, ho, dinner- where's my knave? my fool? go you, and call my fool hither. You, you, firrah, where's my daughter?

Enter Steward.

Stew. So pleafe you

[Exit.

Lear. What fays the fellow there? call the clotpole back where's my fool, ho?

I think, the world's afleep: how now? where's that mungrel ?

Knight. He fays, my lord, your daughter is not well. Lear. Why came not the flave back to me when I call'd him!

Knight, Sir, he answer'd me in the roundest manner, he would not.

Lear. He would not?

Knight. My lord, I know not what the matter is; but, to my Judgment, your Highnefs is not entertain'd with

that

that ceremonious affection as you were wont; there's a great abatement of kindness appears as well in the geheral dependants, as in the Duke himself also, and your daughter.

Lear. Ha! fay'st thou fo?

Knight. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, if I be mistaken; for my duty cannot be filent, when I think your Highness is wrong'd.

Lear. Thou but remember'ft me of my own conception. I have perceiv'd a most faint neglect of late, which I have rather blamed as my own jealous curiofity, than as a very pretence and purpose of unkindness; I will look further into't; but where's my fool? I have not feen him thefe 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 fpeak with her. Go you, call hither my fool. O, you, Sir, come you hither, Sir; who am I, Sir?

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Enter Steward.

Stew. My lady's father.

Lear. My lady's father? my lord's knave! whorfon dog, you flave, you cur.

you

Stew. I am none of these, my lord; I befeech your pardon.

Lear. Do you bandy looks with me, you rascal?

[Striking him.

Stew. I'll not be ftruck, my lord.
Kent. Nór tript neither, you bafe foot-ball player.

[Tripping up his heels. Lear. I thank thee, fellow. Thou ferv'ft me, and I'll love thee.

Kent. Come, Sir, arife, away; I'll teach you differences: away, away; if you will measure your lubber's length again, tarry again; but away, go to: have you wifdom? fo. [Pushes the Steward out. Lear. Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee; there's earneft of thy fervice.

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Fool. Let me hire him too, here's my coxcomb.

[Giving his cap. Lear. How now, my pretty knave? how do'ft thou? Fool. Sirrah, you were beft take my coxcomb.

Kent. Why, my boy?

Fool. Why? for taking one's part, that is out of favour; nay, an thou canst not fmile as the wind fits, thou'lt catch cold fhortly. There, take my coxcomb; why, this fellow has banifh'd two of his daughters, and did the third a bleffing against his will; if thou folfow him, thou muft needs wear my coxcomb. How now, nuncle? would, I had two coxcombs, and two daughters.

Lear. Why, my boy?

Fool. If I give them all my living, I'll keep my coxcomb my felf; there's mine, beg another of thy daugh

ters.

Lear. Take heed, Sirrah, the whip.

Fool. Truth's a dog muft to kennel; he must be whip'd out, when the lady brach may ftand by th' fire and ftink.

Lear. A peftilent gall to me.

Fool. Sirrah, I'll teach thee a fpeech.
Lear. Do.

Fool. Mark it, nuncle;

Have more than thou showest,

Speak lefs than thou knoweft,
Lend lefs than thou oweft,
Ride more than thou goeft,
Learn more than thou troweft,
Set less than thou throwest,
Leave thy drink and thy whore,
And keep within door,
And thou shalt have more
Than two tens to a score.

Kent, This is nothing, fool.

[To Kent.

Fool. Then it is like the breath of an unfee'd lawyer, you gave me nothing for't; can you make no use of nothing, nuncle?

Lear.

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. Doft thou know the difference, my boy, between a bitter fool and a sweet one?

Lear. No, lad, teach me.

Fool. That Lord, that counsel'd thee to give away thy Land,

Come, place him here by me! do Thou for him ftand; The sweet and bitter Fool will presently appear,

The One, in motley here; the Other, found out there. Lear. Doft thou call me fool, boy?

Fool. All thy other titles thou hast given away; that thou waft 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 on't, they would have part on't: nay, the Ladies too, they'll not let me have all fool to my felf, they'll be fnatching.

Give me an egg, nuncle, and I'll give thee two crowns. Lear. What two crowns fhall they be?

Fool. Why, after I have cut the egg i'th' middle and eat up the meat, the two crowns of the egg; when thou cloveft thy Crown i'th' middle and gav'ft away both parts, thou bor'ft thine afs on thy back o'er the dirt; thou hadft little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gav'ft thy golden one away: if I fpeak like my felf in this, let him be whip'd that first finds it so.

Fools ne'er had lefs grace in a year,
For wife men are grown foppish;

And know not how their wits to wear,
Their manners are so apish.

[Singing.

Lear. When were you wont to be so full of songs, firrah?

Fool. I have ufed it, nuncle, e'er fince thou mad'st thy daughters thy mothers; for when thou gav'ft them the rod, and put'it down thy own breeches,

Then

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