SCENE V. Court before the same. King Lear  Shakespeare homepage  |  King Lear  | Act 1, Scene 5 

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 Enter KING LEAR, KENT, and Fool  KING LEAR  Go you before to Gloucester 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 afore you. 

 KENT  I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered 

 your letter. 



 Exit  Fool  If a man's brains were in's heels, were't not in 

 danger of kibes? 

 KING LEAR  Ay, boy. 

 Fool  Then, I prithee, be merry; thy wit shall ne'er go 

 slip-shod. 

 KING LEAR  Ha, ha, ha! 

 Fool  Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly; 

 for though she's as like this as a crab's like an 

 apple, yet I can tell what I can tell. 

 KING 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 on's face? 

 KING LEAR  No. 

 Fool  Why, to keep one's eyes of either side's nose; that 

 what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into. 

 KING LEAR  I did her wrong-- 

 Fool  Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell? 

 KING LEAR  No. 

 Fool  Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail has a house. 

 KING LEAR  Why? 

 Fool  Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his 

 daughters, and leave his horns without a case. 

 KING 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. 

 KING LEAR  Because they are not eight? 

 Fool  Yes, indeed: thou wouldst make a good fool. 

 KING LEAR  To take 't again perforce! Monster ingratitude! 

 Fool  If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'ld have thee beaten 

 for being old before thy time. 

 KING LEAR  How's that? 

 Fool  Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst 

 been wise. 

 KING LEAR  O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven 

 Keep me in temper: I would not be mad! 



 Enter Gentleman  How now! are the horses ready? 

 Gentleman  Ready, my lord. 

 KING LEAR  Come, boy. 

 Fool  She that's a maid now, and laughs at my departure, 

 Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  King Lear  | Act 1, Scene 5 

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