Pr'ythee, nuncle, keep a schoolmaster that can teach thy fool to lie; I would fain learn to lie.

Lear. If you he, sirrah, we'll have you whipp'd. Fool. I marvel, what kin thou and thy daughters are: they'll have me whipp'd for speaking true, thou'lt have me whipp'd for lying; and, sometimes, I am whipp'd for holding my peace. I had rather be any kind of thing, than a fool: and yet I would not be thee, nuncle; thou hast pared thy wit o' both sides, and left nothing in the middle: Here comes one o' the 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 had'st no need to care for her frowning; now thou art an 03 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.4 [Pointing to LEAR.
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,
To have found a safe redress, but now grow fearful,
By what yourself too late have spoke and done,
That you protect this course, and put it on

By

your allowance; which if you should, the fault
Would not 'scape censure, nor the redresses sleep;
Which in the tender of a wholesome weal,
Might in their working do you that offence,
Which else were shame, that then necessity
Will call discreet proceeding.

Fool. For you trow, nuncle,

The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long,
That it had its head bit off by its young.

reason,

Lear. [I would learn that; for by the marks of
false persuaded I had daughters.
sovereignty, knowledge, and
I should be
Fool. Which they will make an obedient father.]
Lear. Your name, fair gentlewoman?
Gon. Come, sir;

This admiration is much o' the favour"
Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you
To understand my purposes aright:
As you are old and reverend, you should be wise:
Here do you keep a hundred knights and squires;
Men so disorder'd, so debauch'd, and bold,
That this our court, infected with their manners,
Shows like a riotous inn: epicurism and lust
Make it more like a tavern or a brothel,
Than a grac'd palace. The shame itself doth speak
For instant remedy: Be then desir'd
By her that else will take the thing she begs,
A little to disquantity your train:

And the remainder, that shall still depend,1o
To be such men as may besort your age,
And know themselves and you.

Lear.
Darkness and devils!-
Saddle my
horses; call my train together.-
Degenerate bastard! I'll not trouble thee;
Yet have I left a daughter.

[rabble

Make servants of their betters.
Gon. You strike my people; and your disorder'd

Enter ALBANY.

Lear. Wo, that too late repents,11-O, sir, are you come?

words with which Shakspeare often finishes this fool's speeches.Sir Joshua Reynolds. In a very old dra

So, out went the candle and we were left darkling.ma, entitled The Longer thou Livest the more Foole

thou art, printed about 1580, we find the following stage

1 So in the Rape of Lucrece, by Heywood, 1608:- direction:- Entreth Moros, counterfaiting a vaine ges When Tarquin first in court began,

And was approved king,

Some men for sodden joy gan weep,
And I for sorrow sing.

2 A frontlet, or forehead cloth, was worn by ladies of old to prevent wrinkles. So in George Chapman's Hero and Leander, ad finem :

'E'en like the forehead cloth that in the night, Or when they sorrow, ladies us'd to wear.' Thus also in Zepheria, a collection of Sonnets, 4to. 1594:

But now, my sunne, it fits thou take thy set And vayle thy face with froines as with a frontlet. And in Lyly's Euphues and his England, 1550:- The next day coming to the gallery where she was solitary walking, with her frowning cloth, as sicke lately of the sullens,' &c.

3 i. e. a cipher.

4 Now a mere husk that contains nothing. The robing of Richard II's effigy in Westminster Abbey is wrought with peascods open and the peas out; perhaps an allusion to his being once in full possession of sovereignty, but soon reduced to an empty title. See Camden's Remaines, 1674, p. 453, edit. 1657, p. 340.

5 Put it on, that is, promote it, push it forward. Allowance is approbation.

6 Shakspeare's fools are certainly copied from the life. The originals whom he copied were no doubt men of quick parts; lively and sarcastic. Though they were licensed to say any thing, it was still necessary, to prevent giving offence, that every thing they said should have a playful air: we may suppose therefore that they had a custom of taking off the edge of too sharp a speech by covering it hastily with the end of an old song, or any glib nonsense that came into their mind. know no other way of accounting for the incoherent

ture and a foolish countenance, singing the foote of many songs, as fools were wont.

7 The folio omits these words, and reads the rest of the speech, perhaps rightly, as verse.

8 This passage has been erroneously printed in all the late editions. Who is it can tell me who I am?" says Lear. In the folio the reply, Lear's shadow,' is rightly given to the Fool, but the latter part of the speech of Lear is omitted in that copy. Lear heeds not what the Fool replies to his question, but continues :-'Were I to judge from the marks of sovereignty, of knowledge, or of reason, I should be induced to think I had daugh ters, yet that must be a false persuasion; it cannot be- The Fool seizes the pause in Lear's speech to continue his interrupted reply to Lear's question: he had before said, 'You are Lear's shadow; he now adds, which they (i. e. your daughters,) will make an obedient father. Lear heeds him not in his emotion, but addresses Goneril with Your name, fair gentlewoman.' It is remarkable that the continuation of Lear's speech, and the continuation of the Fool's comment, is omitted in the folio copy,

9 i. e. of the complexion. So in Julius Cæsar :—
"In facour's like the work we have in hand.'
10 i. e. continue in service. So in Measure for Mea-

sure:

'Canst thou believe thy living is a life,
So stinkingly depending?

11 One of the quarto copies reads, We that too late repents us. The others, We that too late repents.' This may have been suggested by the Mirrour for Magistrates:

They call him doting foole, all his requests debarr'd
Demanding if with life he were not well content :
Then he too late his rigour did repent
Gainst me.'
Story of Queen Cordelia

402

From the tix'd place; drew from my heart all love,
And added to the gall. O, Lear, Lear, Lear!
Beat at this gate that let thy folly in,

[Striking his Head.
And thy dear judgment out.-Go, go, my people.
Alb. My lord, I am guiltless, as I am ignorant
Of what hath mov'd

you.

Lear. It may be so, my lord.-Hear, nature, hear;
Dear goddess, hear! Suspend thy purpose, if
Thou didst intend to make this creature fruitful!
Into her womb convey sterility!

Dry up in her the organs of increase;
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honour her! If she must teem,
Create her child of spleen; that it may live,
And be a thwart disnatur'd torment to her!
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks:
Turn all her mother's pains, and benefits,
To laughter and contempt; that she may feel
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is

To have a thankless child!-Away! away! [Exit.
Alb. Now, gods, that we adore, whereof comes
this?

Gon. Never afflict yourself to know the cause;
But let his disposition have that scope
That dotage gives it.

asham'd

That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus:
[To GONERIL.
That these hot tears, which break from me perforce,
Should make thee worth them.-Blasts and fogs
upon thee!

The untented' woundings of a father's curse
Pierce every sense about thee!-Old fond eyes,
Beweep this cause again, I'll pluck you out;
And cast you, with the waters that you lose,
To temper clay.-Ha! is it come to this?

The sea monster is the hippopotamus, the hiero. glyphical symbol of impiety and ingratitude. Sandys, in his Travels, says, that he killeth his sire, and ravisheth his own dam.'

2 By an engine the rack is here intended. So in The Night Walker, by Beaumont and Fletcher :Their souls shot through with adders, torn on engines.' 3 Derogate here means degenerate, degraded. 4 Thwart as a noun adjective is not frequent in our language. It is to be found, however, in Promos and Cassandra, 1579:

Sith fortune thwart doth crosse my joys with care.' Disnatured is wanting natural affection. So Daniel, in Hymen's Triumph, 1623:--- I am not so disnatur'd a

man.'

5 Pains and benefits,' in this place, signify maternai cares and good offices.

6 So in Psalm ex 3:-They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: adder's poison is under their lips. The viper was the emblem of ingratitude.

7 The untented woundings are the rankling or never healing wounds Inflicted by a parental malediction. Tents are well known dressings inserted into wounds as a preparative to healing them. Shakspeare quibbles upon this surgical practice in Troilus and Cressida :Patr. Who keeps the tent now?"

Ther. The surgeon's box, or the patient's wound.'

Let it be so:-Yet have I left a daughter,
Who, I am sure, is kind and comfortable;
When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails
She'll flay thy wolfish visage. Thou shalt find,
That I'll resume the shape which thou dost think
I have cast off for ever; thou shalt, I warrant thee.
[Exeunt LEAR, KENT, and Attendants.
Gon. Do you mark that, my lord?
Alb. I cannot be so partial, Goneril,
To the great love I bear you,

Gon. "Pray you, content.-What Oswald, ho!
You sir, more knave than fool, after your master.
[To the Fool
Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, and take
the fool with thee.

A fox, when one has caught her,
And such a daughter,

Should sure to the slaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter ;

So the fool follows after.

[Erit

Gon. [This man hath had good counsel:-A
hundred knights!

'Tis politic, and safe, to let him keep
At point,

10

a hundred knights! Yes, that on every dream,

Each buzz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike,
He may enguard his dotage with their powers,
And hold our lives in mercy.] Oswald, I say!-
Alb. Well, you may fear too far.

Gon.

Safer than trust too far:
Let me still take away the harms I fear,
Not fear still to be taken. I know his heart:
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my sister;
If she sustain him and his hundred knights,
When I have show'd the unfitness,-How now,
Oswald ?

Enter Steward.

What, have you writ that letter to my sister?
Stew. Ay, mnadam.

Gon. Take you some company, and away to horse:
Inform her full of my particular fear;

And thereto add such reasons of your own,
As may compact it more. Get you gone ;
And hasten your return. [Exit Stew.] No, no, my
lord,

This milky gentleness, and course of yours,
Though I condemn it not, yet, under pardon,
You are much more attask'd for want of wisdom,
Than prais'd for harmful mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot tell;
Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.'
Gon. Nay, then,-

Alb. Well, well; the event.
SCENE V.

[Exeunt.

Court before the same. Enter LEAR,
KENT, and Fool.

Lear. Go you before to Gloster with these letters: acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know, than comes from her demand out of the letter: If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there before

you. 13

Fool. Shalt see, thy other daughter will use thee kindly; for though she's as like this as a crab is like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.

Lear. Why, what canst thou tell, my boy? Fool. She will taste as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Thou canst tell, why one's nose stands i' the middle of his face?

Fool. Why, to keep his eyes on either side his nose; that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into.

Lear. I did her wrong: 2

Fool. Can'st tell how an oyster makes his shell?
Lear. No.

F. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail

Fool. Why, to put his head in: not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without

Lear. I will forget my nature.--So kind a father! -Be my horses ready?

Fool. Thy asses are gone about 'em. The reason why the seven stars are no more than seven, is a pretty reason.

Lear. Because they are not eight? Fool. Yes, indeed: Thou wouldest make a good fool.

Lear. To take it again perforce !3-Monster ingratitude!

Fool. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Fool. Thou should'st not have been old, before

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet

3 The subject of Lear's meditation is the resumption of that moiety of the kingdom he had bestowed on Goneril. This was what Albany apprehended, when he replied to the upbraidings of his wife :- Well, well:quarto B. the event.' What Lear himself projected when he left Goneril to go to Regan:

Stew. Why dost thou use me thus ? I know thee

not

Kent. Fellow, I know thee.

Stew. What dost thou know me for?

Kent. A knave; a rascal, an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, threesuted, hundred-pound, filthy worsted-stocking krave; a lily-liver'd, action-taking knave; a whorson, glass-gazing, supe:serviceable, finical rogue; ore-trunk-inheriting slave; one that would'st be a bawd, in way of good-service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pander, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch: one whom I will beat into clamorous whining, if thou deny'st he least syllable of thy addition.2

Stew. Why, what a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to rail on one, that is neither known of thee, nor knows thee?

Kent. What a brazen-faced varlet art thou, to leny thou know'st me? Is it two days ago, since I tripp'd up thy heels, and beat thee, before the king? Draw, you rogue: for, though it be night, the moon shines; I'll make a sop o' the moonshine of you: Draw, you whorson cullionly barber-monger, draw. [Drawing his Sword.

Stew. Away; I have nothing to do with thee. Kent. Draw, you rascal! you come with letters against the king; and take vanity the puppet's part, against the royalty of her father: Draw, you rogue, or I'll so carbonado your shanks :-draw, you rascal: come your ways.

Stew. Help, ho! murder! help! Kent. Strike, you slave; stand, rogue, stand; you neat slave, strike. [Beating him. Stew. Help, ho! murder! murder! Enter EDMUND, CORNWALL, REGAN, GLOSTER,

and Servants.

Edm. How now? What's the matter? Part.

Kent. With you goodman boy, if you please; come, I'll flesh you; come on, young master. Glo. Weapons! arms! What's the matter here? pinfold within the lips. The phrase would then mean, If I had you in my teeth. It remains for some more fortunate inquirer to discover what is really meant.

Corn. Keep peace, upon your lives;

He dies, that strikes again: What is the matter? Reg. The messengers from our sister and the king.

Corn. What is your difference? speak. Stew. I am scarce in breath, my lord. Kent. No marvel, you have so bestirr'd your valour. You cowardly rascal, nature disclaims in thee; a tailor made thee.

Corn. Thou art a strange fellow: a tailor make a man?

Kent. Ay, a tailor, sir; a stone-cutter, or a painter, could not have made him so ill, though they had been but two hours at the trade.

Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel?
Stew. This ancient ruffian, sir, whose life I have
spar'd,

At suit of his gray beard,―

Kent. Thou whorson zed! thou unnecessary letter!-My lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and daub the wall of a jakes with him.-Spare my gray beard, you wagtail?

Corn. Peace, sirrah!

You beastly knave, know you no reverence?
Kent. Yes, sir; but anger has a privilege.
Corn. Why art thou angry?

Kent. That such a slave as this should wear a

sword,

Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues as
these,

Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain
Which are too intrinse10 t' unloose: smooth every
passion11

That in the natures of their lords rebels;
Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods;
Renege,12 affirm, and turn their halcyon1 beaks
With every gale and vary of their masters,
A plague upon your epileptic visage!
As knowing nought, like dogs, but following.-
Goose, if I had you upon Sarum plain,.
Smile you my speeches, as I were a fool?
I'd drive ye cackling home to Camelot.14

phraseology of the poet's age. See Gifford's Ben Jonson, vol. iii. p. 264.

1 Three-suited knave' might mean, in an age of ostentatious finery like that of Shakspeare, one who 8 Zed is here used as a term of contempt, because it had no greater change of raiment than three suits is the last letter in the English alphabet: it is said to be would furnish him with. So in Ben Jonson's Silent an unnecessary letter, because its place may be supWoman:- Wert a pitiful fellow, and hadst nothing plied by S. Baret omits it in his Alvearie, affirming it but three suits of apparel. A one-trunk-inheriting to be rather a syllable than a letter. And Mulcaster slave may be a term used to describe a fellow, the whole says Z is much harder amongst us, and seldom seen. of whose possessions were confined to one coffer, and S is become its lieutenant-general. It is lightlie (i. e. that too inherited from his father, who was no better hardly) expressed in English, saven in foren enfranprovided, or had nothing more to bequeath to his suc-chisements.'

-I will help your memory, And tread thee into mortur. Unbolted mortar is mortar made of unsifted lime; and therefore to break the lumps it is necessary to tread it by men in wooden shoes.

cessor in poverty; a poor rogue hereditary, as Timon 9 Unbolted is unsifted; and therefore signifies this calls Apemantus. A worsted-stocking knave is another coarse villain. Massinger, in his New Way to Pay reproach of the same kind. The stockings in England Old Debts, Act i. Sc. 1, says:in the reign of Elizabeth were remarkably expensive, and scarce any other kind than silk were worn, even by those who had not above forty shillings a year wages. This we learn from Stubbes in his Anatomie of Abuses, 1595. In an old comedy, called The Hog hath Lost its Pearl, by R. Tailor, 1614, it is said :- Good parts are no more set by, than a good leg in a woollen stocking. This term of reproach, as well as that of a hundred pound gentleman, occurs in The Phoenix, by Middleton. Action-taking knare is a fellow who, if you beat him, would bring an action for the assault instead of resenting it like a man of courage.

2 i. e. thy titles.

3 An equivoque is here intended, by an allusion to the old dish of eggs in moonshine, which was eggs broken and boiled in sallad oil till the yolks became hard. It is equivalent to the phrases of modern times, I'll baste you,' or beat you to a mummy.

4 Barber-monger may mean dealer with the lower tradesmen; a slur upon the Steward, as taking fees for a recommendation to the business of the family.

5 Alluding to the moralities or allegorical shows, in which Vanity, Iniquity, and other vices were personified.

6 Neat slave may mean you base cowherd, or it may mean, as Steevens suggests, you finical rascal, you assemblage of foppery and poverty. See Cotgrave, in Mirloret, Mistoudin, Mondinet; by which Sherwood renders a neate fellow.

7 To disclaim in, for to disclaim simply, was the

10 The quartos read, to intrench; the folio, t' intrince Perhaps intrinse, for so it should be written, was put by Shakspeare for intrinsicate, which he has used in Antony and Cleopatra.

Come, mortal wretch,

With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate

Of life at once untie.'

I suspect that the poet meant to write too intrinse; that is, too intricate, or too much intrammelled. See Florio in v. intreciaire; or intrique for intricated, as we find it in Phillips's World of Words.

11 See Pericles, Act i. Sc. 2.

12 To renege is to deny. See Antony and Cleopatra, Sc. 1, note 1.

13 The bird called the kingfisher, which when dried and hung up by a thread, is supposed to turn his bill to the point from whence the wind blows. So in Marlowe's Jew of Malta, 1633 :

But how now stands the wind?

Into what corner peers my halcyon's bill' A lytle byrde called the Kings Fisher, being hanged up in the ayre by the neck, his nebbe or byll wyll be always direct or straight against ye winde.-Book of Notable Things.

14 In Somersetshire, near Camelot, are many large