The Tragedy of King Lear

by William Shakespeare

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,
Lend less than thou owest,
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou trowest,
Set less than thou throwest;
Leave thy drink and thy whore,
And keep in-a-door,
And thou shalt have more
Than two tens to a score.

KENT.
This is nothing, fool.

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.
[to Kent.] Prythee 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?