Do hourly carp and quarrel; breaking forth
In rank and not-to-be-endured riots. Sir,

22

I had thought, by making this well known unto you,
To have found a safe redress, but now grow fearful,
By what yourself too late have spoke and done,
That you protect this course, and put it on
By your allowance; which if you should, the fault
Would not 'scape censure, nor the redresses sleep;
Which in the tender of a wholesome weal,
Might in their working do you that offence,
Which else were shame, that then necessity
Will call discreet proceeding.

Fool. For you trow, nuncle,

The hedge sparrow fed the cuckoo so long,
That it had its head bit off by its young.

So, out went the candle, and we were left darkling23.
Lear. Are you our daughter?

Gon. Come, sir 24, I would, you would make use of that good wisdom whereof I know you are fraught; and put away these dispositions, which of late transform you from what you rightly are.

22 Put it on,

approbation.

that is promote it, push it forward. Allowance is

23 Shakspeare's fools are certainly copied from the life. The originals whom he copied were no doubt men of quick parts; lively and sarcastick. Though they were licensed to say any thing, it was still necessary to prevent giving offence, that every thing they said should have a playful air: we may suppose therefore that they had a custom of taking off the edge of too sharp a speech by covering it hastily with the end of an old song, or any glib nonsense that came into their mind. I know no other way of accounting for the incoherent words with which Shakspeare often finishes this fool's speeches.'

Sir Joshua Reynolds.

In a very old drama, entitled The Longer thou Livest the more Foole thou art, printed about 1580, we find the following stage direction: Entreth Moros, counterfaiting a vaine gesture and a foolish countenance, singing the foote of many songs, as fools were wont.'

24 The folio omits these words, and reads the rest of the speech, perhaps rightly, as verse.

Fool. May not an ass know when the cart draws the horse? Whoop, Jug! I love thee.

Lear. Does any here know me?-Why this is not Lear: does Lear walk thus? speak thus? Where are his eyes? Either his notion weakens, or his discernings are lethargied.-Sleeping or waking?— Ha! sure 'tis not so.-Who is it that can tell me who I am 25 ?

Fool. Lear's shadow,

Lear. [I would learn that; for by the marks of sovereignty, knowledge, and reason, I should be false persuaded I had daughters.

Fool. Which they will make an obedient father.] Lear. Your name, fair gentlewoman?

Gon. Come, sir;

This admiration is much o'the favour 26

Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you
To understand my purposes aright:

As you are old and reverend, you should be wise:
Here do you keep a hundred knights and squires;
Men so disorder'd, so debauch'd, and bold,

That this our court, infected with their manners,

25 This passage has been erroneously printed in all the late editions. Who is it can tell me who I am?' says Lear. In the folio the reply, Lear's shadow,' is rightly given to the Fool, but the latter part of the speech of Lear is omitted in that copy. Lear heeds not what the Fool replies to his question, but continues:- Were I to judge from the marks of sovereignty, of knowledge, or of reason, I should be induced to think I had daughters, yet that must be a false persuasion;-it cannot be—.' The Fool seizes the pause in Lear's speech to continue his interrupted reply to Lear's question: he had before said, 'You are Lear's shadow;' he now adds, which they (i. e. your daughters) will make an obedient father.' Lear heeds him not in his emotion, but addresses Goneril with ' 'Your name, fair gentlewoman.' It is remarkable that the continuation of Lear's speech, and the continuation of the Fool's comment, is omitted in the folio copy. 26 i. e. of the complexion. So in Julius Cæsar:

In favour's like the work we have in hand.'

Shows like a riotous inn: epicurism and lust

Make it more like a tavern or a brothel,

Than a grac'd palace. The shame itself doth speak
For instant remedy: Be then desir'd

By her, that else will take the thing she begs,
A little to disquantity your train :

And the remainder, that shall still depend
To be such men as may besort your age,
And know themselves and you.

Lear.

Darkness and devils !Saddle my horses; call my train together.Degenerate bastard! I'll not trouble thee; Yet have I left a daughter.

Gon. You strike my people; and your disorder'd rabble

Make servants of their betters.

Enter ALBANY.

Lear. Woe, that too late repents 28,-O, sir, are you come?

Is it your will? [To ALB.] Speak, sir.-Prepare my horses.

Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend,

More hideous, when thou show'st thee in a child, Than the sea-monster 29!

27 i, e. continue in service. So in Measure for Measure :Canst thou believe thy living is a life,

So stinkingly depending.'

28 One of the quarto copies reads, ' We that too late repents us.' The others, We that too late repents.' This may have been suggested by The Mirrour for Magistrates::

'They call him doting foole, all his requests debarr'd,
Demanding if with life he were not well content:
Then he too late his rigour did repent

Gainst me.'

Story of Queen Cordelia.

29 The sea monster is the hippopotamus, the hieroglyphical symbol of impiety and ingratitude. Sandys, in his Travels, says, that he killeth his sire and ravisheth his own dam.'

6

Alb.

'Pray, sir, be patient.

Lear. Detested kite! thou liest: [To GONERIL. My train are men of choice and rarest parts, That all particulars of duty know:

And in the most exact regard support

The worships of their name.-O most small fault,
How ugly didst thou in Cordelia show!

Which, like an engine 30, wrench'd my frame of nature
From the fix'd place; drew from my heart all love,
And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear!
Beat at this gate that let thy folly in.

[Striking his Head. And thy dear judgment out.-Go, go, my people. Alb. My lord, I am guiltless, as I am ignorant Of what hath mov'd you.

Lear. It may be so, my lord.-Hear, nature, hear; Dear goddess, hear! Suspend thy purpose, if Thou didst intend to make this creature fruitful! Into her womb convey sterility!

Dry up in her the organs of increase;

And from her derogate 31 body never spring
A babe to honour her! If she must teem,
Create her child of spleen; that it may live,
And be a thwart 32 disnatur'd torment to her!
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks:
Turn all her mother's pains, and benefits 33,

30 By an engine the rack is here intended. So in The Night Walker, by Beaumont and Fletcher :

Their souls shot through with adders, torn on engines.'

31 Derogate here means degenerate, degraded.

32 Thwart as a noun adjective is not frequent in our language. It is to be found, however, in Promos and Cassandra, 1578:'Sith fortune thwart doth crosse my joys with care.' Disnatured is wanting natural affection. So Daniel, in Hymen's Triumph, 1623 :- I am not so disnatur'd a man.'

33 Pains and benefits,' in this place, signify maternal cares and good offices.

To laughter and contempt; that she may feel
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is 34

To have a thankless child!--Away, away! [Exit. Alb. Now, gods, that we adore, whereof comes this?

Gon. Never afflict yourself to know the cause; But let his disposition have that scope

That dotage gives it.

Re-enter LEAR.

Lear. What, fifty of my followers, at a clap! Within a fortnight?

Alb.

What's the matter, sir?

Lear. I'll tell thee;-Life and death! I am

asham'd

That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus: [To GONERIL.

That these hot tears, which break from me perforce, Should make thee worth them.-Blasts and fogs upon thee!

The untented 35 woundings of a father's curse
Pierce every sense about thee !-Old fond eyes,
Beweep this cause again, I'll pluck you out;
And cast you, with the waters that you lose,
To temper clay.-Ha! is it come to this?
Let it be so:-Yet have I left a daughter,
Who, I am sure, is kind and comfortable;
When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails

34 So in Psalm cxl. 3: They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adder's poison is under their lips.' The viper was the emblem of ingratitude.

35 The untented woundings are the rankling or never healing wounds inflicted by a parental malediction. Tents are well known dressings inserted into wounds as a preparative to healing them. Shakspeare quibbles upon this surgical practice in Troilus and Cressida:

Patr. Who keeps the tent now?

Ther. The surgeon's box, or the patient's wound.'