As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found.
A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable;
Beyond all manner of fo much I love you3.

Cor. What fhall Cordelia do? Love, and be filent.

[Afide.
Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this,
With fhadowy forefts and with champains rich'd',
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,
We make thee lady: To thine and Albany's iffue
Be this perpetual.-What fays our fecond daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak.

Reg. I am made of that felf metal as my fifter 3,
And prize me at her worth 4. In my true heart
I find, the names my very deed of love;

anfwer as followeth: Knowing the great love and fatherlie zeale that you have alwaies born towards me, (for the which I maie not anfwere you otherwife than I thinke and as my confcience leadeth me,) I proteft unto you that I have loved you ever, and will continnuallie (while I live) love you as my natural father. And if you would more underftand of the love I bear you, afcertain your felfe, that fo much as you have fo much you are worth, and fo much I love you, and no more,” MALONE.

8 Beyond all manner of fo much-] Beyond all affignable quantity. I love you beyond limits, and cannot fay it is fo much, for how much foever I fhould name, it would yet be more, JOHNSON.

9-do?] So the quarto; the folio has speak. JOHNSON.
1- and with champains rich'd,

With plenteous rivers-] Thefe words are omitted in the quartos. To rich is an obfolete verb. It is ufed by Tho. Drant in his tranflation of Horace's Epiftles, 1567:

"To ritch his country, let his words lyke flowing water fall." STEEVENS.

2-Speak.] Thus the quartos. This word is not in the folio. MALONE.

3 I am made, &c.] Thus the folio. The quarto reads, Sir, I am made of the felf-fame metal that my fifter is. STEEVENS.

4 And prize me at her worth.] I believe this paffage should rather be pointed thus:

And prize me at her worth, in my true heart

I find, be names, &c.

That is, And fo may you prize me at her worth, as in my true heart I find, that fhe names, &c. TYRWHITT.

Only

Only fhe comes too fhort, that I profefs s

Myfelf an enemy to all other joys,

Which the most precious fquare of sense possesses;
And find, I am alone felicitate

In your dear highness' love.

Cor. Then poor Cordelia!

And yet not fo; fince, I am fure, my love's
More richer than my tongue.

Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever,
Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom;
No less in space, validity, and pleasure,

[Afide.

Than that confirm'd on Goneril.-Now, our joy',

5 Only he comes too fhort, that I profefs, &c.] Only she falls short of my affection to you, in that, i. e. inasmuch as, I profefs myself, &c. Thus the folio. The quartos read:

Only the came fort, that I profefs, &c.

Dr. Johnfon is of opinion that the construction is, "I find that she names my deed of love; I find that I profefs," &c.

Since I wrote the above, I have found that the passage ftruck Mr. Mafon in the fame light as it did me. MALONE.

6 Which the most precious square of fense possesses ;] Perhaps square means only compass, comprehenfion. JOHNSON.

So, in a Parænefis to the Prince, by lord Sterline, 1604:

"The fquare of reason, and the mind's clear eye." STEEVENS. I believe that Shakspeare uses square for the full complement of all the fenfes. EDWARDS.

7 More richer-] Thus the quartos. The folio has-More ponderous. MALONE.

No lefs in space, validity,-] Validity, for worth, value; not for integrity, or good title. WARBURTON.

So, in the Devil's Charter, 1607: "The countenance of your friend is of lefs value than his councel, yet both of very small validity.” STEEVENS.

9

confirm'd] The folio reads, conferr'd. STEEVENS. 1-Now, our joy,] Here the true reading is picked out of two copies. Butter's quarto reads:

--

But now our joy,

Although the laft, not leaft in our dear love,

What can you fay to win a third, &c.

The folio:

Now our joy,

Although our last, and leaft; to whose young love

The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,

Strive to be int'refs'd. What can you say, &c. JOHNSON.

Although

Although the laft, not leaft; to whofe young love
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,

Strive to be interefs'd3; what can you fay, to draw
A third more opulent than your fifters? Speak.
Cor. Nothing, my lord.

Lear. Nothing?

Cor. Nothing".

Lear. Nothing can come of nothing: fpeak again.
Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave

My heart into my mouth: I love your majefty
According to my bond; nor more, nor less.

Lear, How, how, Cordelia? mend your fpeech a little,

Left it may mar your fortunes.

Cor. Good my lord,

You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I
Return thofe duties back as are right fit,
Obey you, love you, and most honour you.
Why have my fifters husbands, if they fay,

They love you, all? Haply, when I shall wed",

That

2 Although the laft, not least, &c.] So, in the old anonymous play, King Leir fpeaking to Mumford:

❝to thee laft of all;

"Not greeted laft, 'cause thy defert was fmall. STEEVENS. Again, in The Spanish Tragedy, written before 1593:

"The third and laft, not leaft, in our account." MALONE. 3 Strive to be interess'd;] So, in the Preface to Drayton's Polyelbion: "there is scarce any of the nobilitie, or gentry of this land, but he is fome way or other by blood interessed therein."

To intereft and to intereffe, are not, perhaps, different fpellings of the fame verb, but are two diftin&t words though of the fame import; the one being derived from the Latin, the other from the French intereffer. STEEVENS.

to draw] The quarto reads-what can you fay, to win. STEEVENS.

3 Thefe two fpeeches are wanting in the quartos. STEEVENS. How, bow, Cordelia?] Thus the folio. The quarto reads-G● to, go to.

7

STEEVENS.

-Hapy, when I fall wed, &c.] So, in The Mirror for Magiftrates, 1587, Cordila fays:

་

-Nature fo doth bind and me compell
"To love you as I ought, my father, well;

"Yet

That lord, whofe hand muft take my plight, fhall carry
Half my love with him, half my care, and duty:
Sure, I shall never marry like my fifters,

To love my father alls.

Lear. But goes this with thy heart??

Cor. Ay, good my lord.

Lear. So young, and fo untender'?

Cor. So young, my lord, and true.

Lear. Let it be fo,-Thy truth then be thy dower &

For, by the facred radiance of the fun;

The mysteries of Hecate, and the night;

By all the operations of the orbs,

From whom we do exift, and cease to be;
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity and property of blood,

"Yet fhortly I may chance, if fortune will,

"To find in heart to bear another more good will:

"Thus much I faid of nuptial loves that meant." STEEVENS. See alfo the quotation from Camden's Remaines, near the end of the first note on this play. MALONE.

To love my father all.] Thefe words are reftored from the first edition, without which the fenfe was not complete. POPE.

9 But goes this with thy beart?] Thus the quartos, and thus I have no doubt Shakspeare wrote, this kind of inversion occurring often in his plays, and in the contemporary writers. So, in K. Henry VIII. "and make your house our Tower."

Again, in the Merchant of Venice:

"That many may be meant

"By the fool multitude."

See the note on the latter paffage in the APPENDIX.

The editor of the folio, not understanding this kind of phrafeology, fubftituted the more common form-But goes thy beart with this ? as in the next line he reads, Ay, my good lord, instead of—Ay, good my lord, the reading of the quartos, and the conftant language of Shakfpeare. MALONE.

So young, and fo untender?] So, in Shakspeare's Venus and Adonis :

"Ah me, quoth Venus, young, and fo unkind? MALONE. The myfteries of Hecate,] The quartos have miftrefs, the folio miferies. The emendation was made by the editor of the fecond folio, who likewife fubftituted operations in the next line for operation, the reading of the original copies. MALONE.

And

494

And as a stranger to my heart and me

Hold thee, from this, for ever 3. The barbarous Scythian,
Or he that makes his generation* messes

To gorge his appetite, fhall to my bofom
Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and reliev'd,
As thou my fometime daughter.

Kent. Good my liege,

Lear. Peace, Kent!

Come not between the dragon and his wrath :
I lov'd her moft, and thought to set my rest
On her kind nurfery.-Hence, and avoid my fight!--

So be my grave my peace, as here I give

[To Cordelia.

Her father's heart from her!-Call France ;-Who stirs? Call Burgundy.-Cornwall, and Albany,

With my two daughters' dowers digest this third:

Let pride, which the calls plainnefs, marry her,
I do inveft you jointly with my power,
Pre-eminence, and all the large effects

That troop with majefty. Ourself, by monthly course,
With refervation of an hundred knights,

By you to be fuftain'd, fhall our abode

Make with you by due turns. Only we ftill retain ?
The name, and all the additions to a king;

3 Hold thee, from this,-] i. e. from this time. STEEVENS.
bis generation] i. e. his children. MALONE.

4

5 I lov'd ber moft,] So Holinfhed:" which daughters he greatly loved, but especially Cordeilla, the youngest, farre above the two elder." MALONE.

6 To Cordelia.] Rather, as the author of the Revifal obferves, to Kent. For in the next words Lear fends for France and Burgundy to offer Cordelia without a dowry. STEEVENS.

Surely fuch quick tranfitions or inconfiftencies, which ever they are called, are perfectly fuited to Lear's character. I have no doubt that the direction now given is right. Kent has hitherto faid nothing that could extort even from the cholerick king so harsh a sentence, having only interpofed in the mildest manner; "Good my liege,"-. Afterwards indeed, when he remonftrates with more freedom, and calls Lear a madman, the king exclaims-" Out of my fight !" MALONE. we shall re7 Only we still retain] Thus the quarto. Folio: tain. MALONE.

8 - all the additions to a king ;] All the titles belonging to a king. See p. 208, n. 8. MALONE.

The