Page:King Lear (1917) Yale.djvu/39

King Lear, I. iv You, you, sirrah, where's my daughter?

Osw. So please you,—

Lear. What says the fellow there? Call the

clotpoll back. [Exit a Knight.] Where's my

fool, ho? I think the world's asleep. How now!

where's that mongrel?

Knight. He says, my lord, your daughter is

not well.

Lear. Why came not the slave back to me

when I called him?

Knight. Sir, he answered me in the roundest

manner, he would not.

Lear. He would not!

Knight. My lord, I know not what the matter

is; but, to my judgment, your highness is not

entertained with that ceremonious affection as

you were wont; there's a great abatement of

kindness appears as well in the general de-

pendants as in the duke himself also and your

daughter.

Lear. Ha! sayest thou so?

Knight. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord,

if I be mistaken; for my duty cannot be silent

when I think your highness wronged.

Lear. Thou but rememberest me of mine

own conception: I have perceived a most faint

neglect of late; which I have rather blamed as

mine own jealous curiosity than as a very pre-

tence and purpose of unkindness: I will look

further into 't. But where's my fool? I have

not seen him this two days.

 51 clotpoll: blockhead

75 jealous curiosity: suspicious punctiliousness

