Lear. Say? How is that? Reg. I cannot think, my fifter in the leaft Lear. My curses on her! Reg. O Sir, you are old, Nature in you ftands on the very verge Lear. Afk her forgiveness? Do you but mark, how this becomes the Ufe? Dear daughter, I confefs, that I am old; Age is unneceffary: on my knees I beg, (18) That you'll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food. Lear. Never, Regan: She hath abated me of half my train; (18) Do you but mark borv this becomes the house?] This phrafe is to me unintelligible, and feems to fay nothing to the purpose: Neither can it mean, as I conceive, how this becomes the order of famifies. Lear would certainly intend to reply, how does afking my daughter's forgiveness become me as a father, and agree with common fashion, the eftablish'd rule and custom of nature? And therefore it seems no doubt to me, but the poet wrote, as I have alter'd the text. Let us examine, how he has expreffed elsewhere upon this fentiment. Alonfo fays, in the Tempeft; But, oh, how oddly will it found, that I Muft afk my child forgiveness? And Volumnia, in Coriolanus, fays to her fon; Between the child and parent. Now what is odd, and improper, and miftaken, must be concluded to be against rule and cuftom: And that Shakespeare employs Use in this fignification, is too obvious to want a proof. Look'd Look'd blank upon me; ftruck me with her tongue, (19) Moft ferpent-like, upon the very heart. All the ftor❜d vengeances of heaven fall On her ungrateful Top! ftrike her young bones, Corn. Fie, Sir! fie! Lear. You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames Into her fcornful eyes! infect her beauty, You fen-fuck'd fogs, drawn by the pow'rful fun Reg. O the bleft gods! So will you wish on me, when the rafh mood is on. Thee (19) Look'd black upon me,] This is a phrase which I do not underftand; neither have I any where else met with it. But to look blank is a known expreffion, fignifying, either to give difcouraging looks to another, or to ftand dismayed and difappointed one's-felf. The poet means here, that Regan gave him cold looks, as he before phrafes it in this play. In Hamlet, he has changed the adjective into a verb; Each oppofite, that blanks the face of joy. Milton (a ftudious imitator not only of our poet's words, but phrafes ;) often ufes blank in our author's fenfe here; There without fign of boaft, or fign of joy, Solicitous and blank, he thus began. And with confufion blank his worshippers. And noble grace that dafh'd brute violence; With fudden adoration and blank awe. Par. Reg. B. 2. Mafque at Ludlow-Caftle --Adam, foon as he heard And in another paffage, with an equivalent expreffion; Par. Loft, B. 9. Thus while he fpake, each paffion dimm'd his face. Ibid. B. 4. (20) Thy tender-hearted nature] This, as I prefume, was Mr. Pope's fophiftication; I have reftored from the old copies, tenderkefted: (which, I am fatisfied, was the poet's word) i. c. whofe bofom is heav'd with tender paffions. So in Winter's Tale. -But if one present Th' abhorr'd ingredient to his eye make known How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his fides, VOL. VI, Thee o'er to harfhnefs; her eyes are fierce, but thine Thy half o' th' kingdom thou haft not forgot, Reg. Good Sir, to th' purpose. Lear. Who put my man i' th' stocks? Enter Steward. Corn. What trumpet's that? [Trumpet within. Reg. I know't, my fifter's: this approves her letter, That the would foon be here. Is your lady come? Lear. This is a flave, whofe easy-borrow'd pride Dwells in the fickle grace of her he follows. Out, varlet, from my fight. Corn. What means your Grace ? Enter Gonerill. Lear. Who ftock't my fervant? Regan, I've good hope, Thou did't not know on't.. Who comes here? O Heav'ns, If you do love old men, if your fweet fway (21) Hallow obedience, if yourselves are old, And again afterwards in the fame play; 'Tis fuch as you, That creep like fhadows by him, and do figh So, fpeaking of Cordelia's grief, in our prefent play, Make ---if your feet fway She bear'd the name of father Pantingly forth. And fo the Dauphin, in King John. Lift up thy brow, renowned Salisbury; And with a great heart beave away this storm. (21) Allow obedience,] Could any man in his fenfes, and Lear has 'em yet, make it a question whether heaven allow'd obedience? undoubtedly, the Make it your caufe; fend down and take my part. O Regan, will you take her by the hand? Gon. Why not by th' hand, Sir? how have I offended? All's not offence, that indifcretion finds, And dotage terms fo. Lear. Ŏ fides, you are too tough! Will you yet hold?-how came my man i' th' Stocks? Corn. I fet him there, Sir: but his own disorders Deferv'd much less advancement. Lear. You? did you? Reg. I pray you, father, being weak, feem fo. Gon. At your choice, Sir. the poet wrote-hallow obedience,-i. e. if by your ordinances you hold and pronounce it fanctified; and punish the violators of it as facrilegious perfons. Mr. Warburton. (22). ---------and chufe To wage against the enmity o' th' air, To be a comrade with the wolf and owl, Neceffity's fharp pinch.] The breach of the fenfe here is a manifeft proof, that these lines were tranfpofed by the first editors: Neither can there be any fyntax or grammatical coherence, unless we fuppofe Neceffity's fharp pinch to be the accufative to quage. As I've placed the verses, the fense is fine and easy; and the sentence compleat and finished. Lear. I pr'ythee, daughter, do not make me mad, Which I muft needs call mine; thou art a bile, In my corrupted blood; but I'll not chide thee. Reg. Not altogether io ; I look'd not for you yet, nor am provided Lear. Is this well-fpoken? Reg. I dare avouch it, Sir; what, fifty followers? Is it not well? what should you need of more? Yea, or fo many? fince both charge and danger Speak 'gainft fo great a number: how in one house Should many people under two commands Hold amity? 'tis hard, almoft impoffible. Gon. Why might not you, my Lord, receive attendance From those that he calls fervants, or from mine? Reg. Why not, my Lord? if then they chanc'd to flack ye, We could controul them; if you'll come to me, (For now I fpy a danger) I intreat you To bring but five and twenty; to no more Will I give place or notice. Lear. I gave you all Reg. And in good time you gave it. Lear. Made you my Guardians, my depofitaries; But kept a refervation to be follow'd |