William Shakespeare: The Tragedy of King Lear

ACT I. 4. Scene IV. A Hall in Albany's Palace. (continued)

Lear.
An you lie, sirrah, we'll have you whipped.

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 thee,
nuncle: thou hast pared thy wit o' both sides, and left nothing
i' 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 hadst no need to care for
her frowning. Now thou art an O without a figure: I am better
than thou art; I am a fool, thou art nothing.--Yes, forsooth, I
will hold my tongue. So your face [To Goneril.] bids me, though
you say nothing. Mum, mum,
     He that keeps nor crust nor crum,
     Weary of all, shall want some.--
[Pointing to Lear.] 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,
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 know, nuncle,
   The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long
   That it had it head bit off by it young.
So out went the candle, and we were left darkling.

Lear.
Are you our daughter?

Gon.
Come, sir,
I would you would make use of that good wisdom,
Whereof I know you are fraught; and put away
These dispositions, that of late transform you
From what you rightly are.