onnection thus established,
long remained and led to witty observations being often spoken of as
"foolerie." Upon this conceit or confusion Shakespeare founded the
speech of Jaques in "As you like it."

Act II. Scene IV.

_Jaques._ A fool! a fool!--I met a fool i' the forest,
A motley fool:--a miserable fool!--
As I do live by food, I met a fool:
Who laid him down, and basked him in the sun,
And railed on Lady Fortune in good terms.
In good set terms--and yet a motley fool.
"Good morrow, fool," quoth I. "No, Sir," quoth he,
"Call me not fool till heaven hath sent me fortune."
And then he drew a dial from his poke,
And looking on it with lack lustre eye,
Says very wisely, "It is ten o'clock;"
"Thus we may see," quoth he, "how the world wags;
'Tis but an hour ago since it was nine,
And after one hour more t'will be eleven,
And so from hour to hour we ripe and ripe,
And then from hour to hour we rot and rot,
And thereby hangs a tale."

There is nothing very laughable in the above reflections, but they
contain a deep satire, and afford a beautiful example of Shakespearian
complexity. From the mixture of wisdom and folly compounded in the
"fool" of the day--who was then, it must be remembered, the monitor of
the great--it is here implied that in his awkward way he sometimes
arrived at truth better than the sage. As supremely wise men are often
regarded as fools, so what seems folly may be the highest
wisdom--"motley's your only wear."

The fool is generally represented in Shakespeare as saying things which
have a certain wit and shrewdness.

_Clown._ God bless thee, lady.

_Olivia._ Take the fool away.

_Clo._ Do you not hear, fellows? Take away the lady.

* * * * *

Good Madonna, why mournest thou?

_Oli._ Good fool, for my brother's death.

_Clo._ I think his soul is in hell, Madonna.

_Oli._ I know his soul is in heaven, fool.

_Clo._ The more fool, Madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul
being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen.

In King Lear.

_Fool._ Dost thou know the difference, my boy, between a bitter
fool and a sweet one?

_Lear._ No, lad, teach me.

_Fool._ That lord that counselled thee

To give away thy land,
Come place him here by me--
Do thou for him stand:
The sweet and bitter fool
Will presently appear,
The one in motley