KING LEAR.

J, and S. 1785.

Vol. ix.

MALONE.
Vol. VIII.

J. and S. 1793.

Vol. xiv.

P. 382.490.-10.
Lear.

What says our second daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall ? Speak.
Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister,
And prize me at her worth.
And prize me at her worth is, I think, rightly
explained by Henley.

P. 382.-491.-10.

In my true heart
I find, she names my very deed of love;
Only she comes too short,--that I profess
Myself an enemy to all other joys,
Which the most precious square of sense possesses ;
And find, I am alone felicitate

In your dear highness' love.
Monk Mason and Malone are right.

P. 382.-491.-11. Which the most precious square of sense possesses. I agree with Dr. Johnson that Warburton's note on these words is acute; but it strikes me as being extremely ridiculous.

P. 383.-491.-11.
Cor.

Then poor Cordelia !
And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's

More richer than my tongue.
My tongue is certainly right.

(Aside.

P. 385.-_494.-15.

Lear. Peace, Kent !
Come not between the dragon and his wrath :
I lov'd her most, and thought to set my rest
On her kind nursery.—Hence, and avoid my sight!

[To Cordelia.
So be my grave my peace, as here I give
Her father's heart from her !

Mr. Heath is clearly wrong in supposing that these words are spoken to Kent; they are spoken to Cordelia. Mr. Mason's remark is very just.

P. 389.-497.-19. Lear. Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow, (Which we durst never yet,) and, with strain’d pride, To come betwixt our sentence and our power; (Which nor our nature nor our place can bear,)

Our potency made good, take thy reward. I think Mr. Malone is right.

P. 390.-497.-20.
Five days we do allot thee, for provision
To shield thee from diseases of the world,

I incline to prefer the reading of the folio, " Disasters." Mr. Steevens has clearly shown that there is nothing in Mr. Malone's objection to the last-mentioned word.

P. 391.-499.-22.
Lear. Sir,
Will
you,

with those infirmities she owes,
Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,
Dower'd with our curse, and stranger'd with our oath,
Take her, or leave her?
Bur.

Pardon me, royal sir;
Election makes not up on such conditions.
I think Malone is right.

P. 392.--500.-24.
France.

Sure, her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,
That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection
Fall into taint.

P. 395.-502.-27.
France. Bid farewell to your sisters.
Cor. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes

Cordelia leaves you. I think Mr. Steevens has very well justified the reading “ Ye jewels," which I prefer to “The jewels ;” though this last reading certainly affords sense.

P. 398.-505.-31.
Edm. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law
My services are bound; wherefore should I

Stand in the plague of custom ?
Plague is right.

:

P. 404.-510.-39.

Glo. He cannot be such a monster.
Edm. Nor is not, sure.
Glo. To his father, that so tenderly and entirely loves
him.—Heaven and earth!-Edmund, seek him out;
wind me into him, I pray you: frame the business

after your own wisdom, Mr. Steevens is right.

Ibid.

I would unstate myself,

to be in a due resolution.,

The true explanation of these words is that given by Mr. M. Mason, in which Mr. Davies Dramatick Miscell. Vol. II. p. 271.) concurs.

P. 411.-514.-46.
Edm.

and at my entreaty, forbear
his presence, till some little time hath qualified the
heat of his displeasure ; which at this instant so rageth
in him, that with the mischief of your person it would
scarcely allay.
Malone is right.

P. 413.-516,-48.
Gon.

Now, by my life,
Old fools are babes again; and must be used

With checks, as flatteries, when they are seen abus’d. I am not satisfied with any of the explanations of this passage. I do not understand how Flattery (when used, as I suppose it to be here, for false praise) can ever be said to be abused, i. e. perverted from a good to an ill use.—Perhaps we should read “ Flatterers,” with Theobald, and understand the passage thus ; Old men must be used with checks, like flatterers, who when they are seen, when their adulations are so gross and unskilful as to be apparent to the person to whom they are offered, are abused, i. e. rated, reprehended, treated with harsh language. This is a common sense of the word abuse, several instances of which may be seen in Dr. Johnson's Dictionary.

There is

a thought somewhat similar to this in Horace, where he says of Augustus, Cui male si palpere, recalcitrat undique tutus.

Lib. ii. Sat. 1. 20.
P. 427.-528.-65.
Lear.

Who is it that can tell me who I am ?
Lear's shadow ? I would learn that ; for by the marks of
sovereignty, knowledge, and reason, I should be false
persuaded that I had daughters.-
I incline to Mr. Malone's explanation.

P. 429.-528.68.
Gon. This our court, infected with their manners,
Shows like a riotous inn : epicurism and lust
Makes it more like a tavern, or a brothel,

Than a grac'd palace. “More resmbling a house of disorderly entertainment than the residence of a prince, where all things should be managed with order, grace, and decorum."-Davies.

I prefer this explanation to Warburton's.

P. 431.--530.-70.
Lear.

O Lear, Lear, Lear!
Beat at this gate, that let thy folly in, (striking his head.

And thy dear judgement out!-Go, go, my people. Mr. Malone's last explanation is certainly the true one.

P. 431.-531.471.
Lear. Dry up in her the organs of increase;
And from her derogate body never spring

A babe to honour her! Mr. Steevens is right. Dr. Johnson's first explanation of derogate is the true one.

P. 437.-536.-79.
Fool. Yes, indeed; thou would'st make a good fool.

Lear, To take it again perforce ! Monster ingratitude !
I think Mr. Henley is right.

P. 439.-537-81.
Edm. My father hath set guard to take my brother ;
And I have one thing, of a queazy question,

Which I must act:-
Mr. Henley's is the true explanation of queazy.

P. 441.539.-84.
Glo.

The noble duke, my master,
My worthy arch and patron, comes to-night.