Lear. No, lad; teach me.[2868]
Fool. That lord that counsell'd thee[2871][2872][2873] 135
To give away thy land,[2872][2873]
Come place him here by me;[2872][2873]
Do thou for him stand:[2872][2873][2874]
The sweet and bitter fool[2872][2873]
Will presently appear;[2872][2873]
The one in motley here,[2872][2873] 140
The other found out there.[2872][2873]
Lear. Dost thou call me fool, boy?[2872][2875]
Fool. All thy other titles thou hast given away; that[2872]
thou wast born with.[2872] 145
Kent. This is not altogether fool, my lord.[2872]
Fool. No, faith, lords and great men will not let me; if[2872]
I had a monopoly out, they would have part on't: and[2872][2876][2877]
ladies too, they will not let me have all the fool to myself;[2872][2877][2878]
they'll be snatching. Give me an egg, nuncle, and I'll give[2872][2879] 150
thee two crowns.
Lear. What two crowns shall they be?
Fool. Why, after I have cut the egg in the middle and[2880]
eat up the meat, the two crowns of the egg. When thou
clovest thy crown i' the middle and gavest away both parts,[2881] 155
thou borest thine ass on thy back o'er the dirt: thou hadst[2882]
little wit in thy bald crown when thou gavest thy golden
one away. If I speak like myself in this, let him be whipped[2883]
that first finds it so.[2884]
[Singing] Fools had ne'er less wit in a year;[2885][2886] 160
For wise men are grown foppish,
And know not how their wits to wear,[2887]
Their manners are so apish.
Lear. When were you wont to be so full of songs, sirrah?[2888]
Fool. I have used it, nuncle, ever since thou madest thy[2889] 165
daughters thy mother: for when thou gavest them the rod[2890]
and puttest down thine own breeches,
[Singing] Then they for sudden joy did weep,[2885][2891][2892]
And I for sorrow sung,[2892]
That such a king should play bo-peep,[2892] 170
And go the fools among.[2892][2893]