New Orleans Republican., 1873-05-25
SRaKESPEAKE'S FOOLS.

OF all Silakesreare's foo.s. the fines. :s
the foo. IN Lear. /. Is conceived
with a grace and even refinement that Won
terfulv harmonze with the sublime pathOs
of the story. while at the same time 1t Is
drawn with a truth OF humorous tantas'
tcai.ty in dIct;6u suitable to the character
Of a kings Jester. Lear's fool is youth.
not q grown man: petted lad. to whom
his royal master looks Tor quaint sayings
and whimsical sentences when vexed or Ir.
ritable; u favored fellow. whose wayWarI
speeches are tolerated and even liked when
graver cares press hard upon the old mon.
arch. and to whose playful: sallles he turns
when desiring to I'll! vacant 0eli
hour or beguiie leisure interval On
his return from hunting. impatient tor din-
ner, ard issuing hasty order to nave u
served Immediately. Lear inquiries for his
favor:te follower to cone and entertain him
the while. Dinner. no. dinner. Where's
nv kuave! my fool! Go you, and cali my
fool llitherr' The personal and affection
ate interest taken by Lear in the lad Is de-
noted at the very Ottset. he not only ASKS
eagerly and repeatedI: for hIm, ouI ~hen
told that since Cordeiia 8 going into France
1.-The fool hath much pined away Leah an
swers hurriedly: NO more OF that; have
noted it we'll" and when the fool himself
appears on the scene. lis Old master ac
costs aim with: How now. my pret.
tv knaye. how dost thou ,. The very
expires son. Ny pretty knave, serves
to paint the FOOLS boyish years, and to
depic. the fondllng regard OF Lear for
him, On other occasions. too. his
old master generally addresses him
as M; boy and during che inclemency OF
the Il ght iu the storm. Lear says: Come
on. my boys: how dost thou. my boy! Ar:
cold am cold myself. Poor
too! and knave. l have one part in my
heart that 8 sorry yet for thee. A!terward,
too. when persuaded to take shelter IN the
howell. Lear takes thought mrs: tor his fooi:
ain. my boy; 60 first. Nay, get
thee in" THIS kind and gentle feeling ;s
shown by others as we'll as the King toward
the stripping foO-jester: for kent-who.
disguised as Caius, affects much bluntness
of speech-on more than one occasion
speaks faveringly Of and to the lad. When
the fool is sportively bu: keenly rebuking
Lear for having SO unwlsely cast all power
into his unworthy daughters hands, Kent
observes: "This IS no. altogether focl. my
lord" Afterward, also IN The storm. when
the boy. scared at 1nding the Bedam beg.
gar III the bOyel. runs out again. exciaim.
ina. "Come not in here. nupcle: here's a
spirit Help me. help me!' Kent encour.
aglngly says: "Give me thy hanl Who's
there !" And still. farther Oh, at the close
of that wild night scene, when the poor Old
KING. worn OUT uaS IdilttI lutO
slTinber. Kent. preparing 20 bear him away
to safe: quarters. says to the faithful! tool:
Come. help to bear thy mastel: thou must
not STAY behind" This tenderness with
which Che lad i. treated partly arises from
his deicacy Of frame, which is indicated 0y
some slight but significant touches IN the
conrs: of the play. First. there is his
''piniug away ON his young mistress de.
partuf,. from England. above alluded to.
Thea there is his sersitiveness TO churlish
weather aud sharp light air. hatOkened by his
words during the storm: ~ nuncle, court
holy water in dry house is better than this
rain water out o. door. Good nuncie, IN. and
ask thy daughters blessing: here's a night
that pities neither wise men nor tOO!s."
Again: "Ths cold night will turn Us all 10
fools and madmeG.' Lastly there Is his
withdrawal from the play. II is silently
effected. the dramat!s. giving no express
mention of the fool after his assisting 20
bear his Old master away to the litter pre-.
pared for conveying the King to Dover: bat
to my mind. Shakespeare evidently meant
to infer that the fragile !ad-weakiy IN
frame. susceptible in temperament. and
rendered donb!y SO by the delicacy of his
nurture in the court household as the petted
boy Jester OF his royal emplOyer-never re.
covered from the rigouvs and terrors OF that
temrestuOus night: that he sickened and
died soon after. fulfilling actually. as wei!
as poetically. his own last uttered words:
And III 90 20 bed 1T noon" In the noon
tide o.: his youth and fidelity. Lear's fool
goes to ;;s death bed when his old master
no longer needs hin by his side.-Ge"''e.
"U.s N"gc-h'c.