Complete Works of Samuel Johnson, page 565
Thou weep’st, and speak’st.
The service that you three have done is more
Unlike than this thou tell’st]
“Thy tears give testimony to the sincerity of thy relation; and I have the less reason to be incredulous, because the actions which you have done within my knowledge are more incredible than the story which you relate.” The king reasons very justly.
V.v.378 (303,7) When ye were so, indeed] The folio gives,
When we were so, indeed.
If this be right, we must read,
Imo. I, you brothers.
Arv. When we were so, indeed.
V.v.382 (303,8) fierce abridgment] Fierce, is vehement, rapid.
V.v.459 (306,1) My peace we will begin] I think it better to read,
By peace we will begin. —
(307) General Observation. This play has many just sentiments, some natural dialogues, and some pleasing scenes, but they are obtained at the expence of much incongruity. To remark the folly of the fiction, the absurdity of the conduct, the confusion of the names, and manners of different times, and the impossibility of the events in any system of life, were to waste criticism upon unresisting imbecility, upon faults too evident for detection, and too gross for aggravation.
KING LEAR
I.i.4 (311,2) in the division of the kingdom] There is something of obscurity or inaccuracy in this preparatory scene. The king has already divided his kingdom, and yet when he enters he examines his daughters, to discover in what proportions he should divide it. Perhaps Kent and Gloucester only were privy to his design, which he still kept in his own hands, to be changed or performed as subsequent reasons should determine him.
I.i.37 (313,7) express our darker purpose] [Darker, for more secret; not for indirect, oblique. WARBURTON.] This word may admit a further explication. We shall express our darker purpose: that is, we have already made known in some measure our design of parting the kingdom; we will now discover what has not been told before, the reasons by which we shall regulate the partition. This interpretation will justify or palliate the exordial dialogue.
I.i.39 (313,8) and ’tis our fast intent] [This is an interpolation of Mr. Lewis Theobald, for want of knowing the meaning of the old reading in the quarto of 1608, and first folio of 1623; where we find it,
— and ’tis our first intent.
WARBURTON.]
Fast is the reading of the first folio, and, I think, the true reading.
I.i.44 (314,9) We have this hour a constant will] constant will seems a confirmation of fast intent.
I.i.62 (314,2) Beyond all manner of so much I love you] Beyond all assignable quantity. I love you beyond limits, and cannot say it is so much, for how much soever I should name, it would yet be more.
I.i.73 (315,4)
I find, she names my very deed of love,
Only she comes too short; that I profess]
That seems to stand without relation, but is referred to find, the first conjunction being inaccurately suppressed. I find that she names my deed, I find that I profess, &c.
I.i.76 (315,5) Which the most precious square of sense possesses] [Warburton explained “square” as the “four nobler senses”] This is acute; but perhaps square means only compass, comprehension.
I.i.80 (315,6) More pond’rous than my tongue] [W: their tongue] I think the present reading right.
I.i.84 (316,8) Now our joy] Here the true reading is picked out of two copies. Butter’s quarto reads,
— But now our joy,
Although the last, not least in our dear love,
What can you say to win a third, &c.
The folio,
— Now our joy,
Although our last, and least; to whose young love
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,
Strive to be int’ress’d. What can you say?
I.i.138 (318,5) The sway, revenue, execution of the rest] [W: of th’ hest] I do not see any great difficulty in the words, execution of the rest, which are in both the old copies. The execution of the rest is, I suppose, all the other business. Dr. Warburton’s own explanation of his amendment confutes it; if hest be a regal comnand, they were, by the grant of Lear, to have rather the hest than the execution.
1.1.149 (319,6)
Think’st thou, that duty shall have dread to speak,
When power to flattery bows? To plainness honour’s bound,
When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom,
And in thy best consideration check
This hideous rashness: answer my life my judgment,
Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least]
I have given this passage according to the old folio, from which the modern editions have silently departed, for the sake of better numbers, with a degree of insincerity, which, if not sometimes detected and censured, must impair the credit of ancient books. One of the editors, and perhaps only one, knew how much mischief may be done by such clandestine alterations. The quarto agrees with the folio, except that for reserve thy state, it gives, reverse thy doom, and has stoops instead of falls to folly. The meaning of answer my life my judgment, is, Let my life be answerable for my judgment, or, I will stake my life on my opinion. — The reading which, without any right, has possessed all the modern copies is this;
— to plainness honour
Is bound, when majesty to folly falls.
Reserve thy state; with better judgment check
This hideous rashness; with my life I answer,
Thy youngest daughter, &c.
I am inclined to think that reverse thy doom was Shakespeare’s first reading, as more apposite to the present occasion, and that he changed it afterwards to reserve thy state, which conduces more to the progress of the action.
I.i.161 (320,9) The true blank of thine eye] The blank is the white or exact mark at which the arrow is shot. See better, says Kent, and keep me always in your view.
I.i.172 (320,1) strain’d pride] The oldest copy reads strayed pride; that is, pride exorbitant; pride passing due bounds.
I.i.174 (320,3) Which nor our nature, nor our place, can bear;/ Our potency made good] [T: (Which ... bear) ... made good] [Warburton defended “make”] Theobald only inserted the parenthesis; he found made good in the best copy of 1623. Dr. Warburton has very acutely explained and defended the reading that he has chosen, but I am not certain that he has chosen right. If we take the reading of the folio, our potency made good, the sense will be less profound indeed, but less intricate, and equally commodious. As thou hast come with unreasonable pride between the sentence which I had passed, and the power by which I shall execute it, take thy reward in another sentence which shall make good, shall establish, shall maintain, that power. If Dr. Warburton’s explanation be chosen, and every reader will wish to choose it, we may better read,
Which nor our nature, nor our state can bear,
Or potency make good. —
Mr. Davies thinks, that our potency made good relates only to our place. — Which our nature cannot bear, nor our place, without departure from the potency of that place. This is easy and clear. — Lear, who is characterized as hot, heady, and violent, is, with very just observation of life, made to entangle himself with vows, upon any sudden provocation to vow revenge, and then to plead the obligation of a vow in defence of implacability.
I.i.181 (322,4) By Jupiter] Shakespeare makes his Lear too much a mythologist: he had Hecate and Apollo before.
I.i.190 (322,6) He’ll shape his old course] He will follow his old maxims; he will continue to act upon the same principles.
I.i.201 (323,7) If aught within that little, seeming, substance] Seeming is beautiful.
I.i.209 (323,9) Election makes not up on such conditions] To make up signifies to complete, to conclude; as, they made up the bargain; but in this sense it has, I think, always the subject noun after it. To make up, in familiar language, is, neutrally, to come forward, to make advances, which, I think, is meant here.
I.i.221 (324,2)
Sure her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,
That monsters it: or your fore-vouch’d affection
Fall into taint]
The common books read,
— or your fore-vouch’d affection
Fall’n into taint: —
This line has no clear or strong sense, nor is this reading authorized by any copy, though it has crept into all the late editions. The early quarto reads,
— or you for vouch’d affections
Fall’n into taint. —
The folio,
— or your fore-vouch’d affection
Fall into taint. —
Taint is used for corruption and for disgrace. If therefore we take the oldest reading it may be reformed thus:
— sure her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,
That monsters it; or you for vouch’d affection
Fall into taint.
Her offence must be prodigious, or you must fal1 into reproach for having vouched affection which you did not feel. If the reading of the folio be preferred, we may with a very slight change produce the same sense:
— sure her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,
That monsters it, or your fore-vouch’d affection
Falls into taint. —
That is, falls into reproach or censure. But there is another possible sense. Or signifies before, and or ever is before ever; the meaning in the folio may therefore be, Sure her crime must be monstrous before your affection can be affected with hatred. Let the reader determine. — As I am not much a friend to conjectural emendation, I should prefer the latter sense, which requires no change of reading.
I.i.243 (325,3) from the intire point] Intire, for right, true. WARB.] Rather, single, unmixed with other considerations.
I.i.264 (326,5) Thou losest here, better where to find] Here and where have the power of nouns. Thou losest this residence to find a better residence in another place.
I.i.282 (326,6) And well are worth the want that you have wanted] [This I take to be the poet’s meaning, stript of the jingle which makes it dark: “You well deserve to meet with that want of love from your husband, which you have professed to want for our father.” THEOBALD.] [W: have vaunted] I think the common reading very suitable to the manner of our author, and well enough explained by Theobald.
I.i.283 (327,7) plaited cunning] i.e. complicated, involved cunning. (1773)
I.ii.3 (328,2) Stand in the plague of custom] The word plague is in all the copies; I can scarcely think it right, nor can I yet reconcile myself to the emendation proposed, though I have nothing better to offer [Warburton had proposed plage].
I.ii.21 (330,7) Shall be the legitimate] [Hanmer: toe th’] Hanmer’s emendation will appear very plausible to him that shall consult the original reading. Butter’s quarto reads,
— Edmund the base
Shall tooth’ legitimate. —
The folio,
— Edmund the base
Shall to th’ legitimate. —
Hanmer, therefore, could hardly be charged with coining a word, though his explanation may be doubted. To toe him, is perhaps to kick him out, a phrase yet in vulgar use; or, to toe, may be literally to supplant. The word be has no authority.
I.ii.24 (331,1) subscrib’d his power!] To subscribe, is, to transfer by signing or subscribing a writing of testimony. We now use the term, He subscribed forty pounds to the new building.
I.ii.25 (331,2) Confin’d to exhibition!] Is allowance. The term is yet used in the universities.
I.ii.25 (331,3) All this done/Upon the gad!] So the old copies; the later editions read,
— All is gone
Upon the gad! —
which, besides that it is unauthorized, is less proper. To do upon the gad, is, to act by the sudden stimulation of caprice, as cattle run madding when they are stung by the gad fly.
I.ii.47 (332,4) taste of my virtue] Though taste may stand in this place, yet I believe we should read, assay or test of my virtue: they are both metallurgical terms, and properly joined. So in Hamlet,
Bring me to the test.
I.ii.51 (323,6) idle and fond] Weak and foolish.
I.ii.95 (333,7) pretence] Pretence is design, purpose. So afterwards in this play,
Pretence and purpose of unkindness.
I.ii.106 (333,8) wind me into him] I once thought it should be read, you into him; but, perhaps, it is a familiar phrase, like do me this.
I.ii.107 (333,9) I would unstate myself to be in a due resolution] [i.e. I will throw aside all consideration of my relation to him, that I may act as justice requires. WARBURTON.] Such is this learned man’s explanation. I take the meaning to be rather this, Do you frame the business, who can act with less emotion; I would unstate myself; it would in me be a departure from the paternal character, to be in a due resolution, to be settled and composed on such an occasion. The words would and should are in old language often confounded.
I.ii.l09 (334,1) convey the business] [Convey, for introduce. WARB.] To convey is rather to carry through than to introduce; in this place it is to manage artfully: we say of a juggler, that he has a clean conveyance.
I.ii.112 (334,2) These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us: tho’ the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself scourg’d by the frequent effects] That is, though natural philosophy can give account of eclipses, yet we feel their consequences.
I.ii.156 (338,8) I promise you, the effects he writes of, succeed unhappily] The folio edition commonly differs from the first quarto, by augmentations or insertions, but in this place it varies by omission, and by the omission of something which naturally introduces the following dialogue. It is easy to remark, that in this speech, which ought, I think, to be inserted as it now is in the text, Edmund, with the common craft of fortune-tellers, mingles the past and future, and tells of the future only what he already foreknows by confederacy, or can attain by probable conjecture. (see 1765, VI, 27, 6)
I.ii.178 (339,1) that with the mischief of your person it would scarcely allay] This reading is in both copies; yet I believe the author gave it, that but with the mischief of your person it would scarce allay.
I.iii.19 (341,2) Old fools are babes again; and must be us’d/ With checks, as flatteries when they are seen abus’d] These lines hardly deserve a note, though Mr. Theobald thinks them very fine. Whether fools or folks should be read is not worth enquiry. The controverted line is yet in the old quarto, not as the editors represent it, but thus:
With checks as flatteries when they are seen abus’d.
I am in doubt whether there is any error of transcription. The sense seems to be this: Old men must be treated with checks, when as they are seen to be deceived with flatteries: or, when they are weak enough to be seen abused by flatteries, they are then weak enough to be used with checks. There is a play of the words used and abused. To abuse is, in our author, very frequently the same as to deceive. This construction is harsh and ungrammatical; Shakespeare perhaps thought it vicious, and chose to throw away the lines rather than correct them, nor would now thank the officiousness of his editors, who restore what they do not understand.
I.iv.118 (347,5) Would I had two coxcombs, and two daughters] Two fools caps, intended, as it seems, to mark double folly in the man that gives all to his daughters.
I.iv.133 (347,7) Lend less than thou owest] That is, do not lend all that thou hast. To owe, in old English, is to possess. If owe be taken for to be in debt, the more prudent precept would be, Lend more than thou owest.
I.iv.153-170 (348,9) This dialogue, from No, lad; teach me, down to, Give me an egg, was restored from the first edition by Mr. Theobald. It is omitted in the folio, perhaps for political reasons, as it seemed to censure monopolies.
I.iv.181 (349,2) Fools ne’er had less grace in a year] There never was a time when fools were less in favour; and the reason is, that they were never so little wanted, for wise men now supply their place. Such I think is the meaning. The old edition has wit for grace.
I.iv.219 (350,5) That’s a sheal’d peascod] i.e. Now a mere husk, which contains nothing. The outside of a king remains, but all the intrinsic parts of royalty are gone: he has nothing to give. (1773)
I.iv.245 (351,3) Whoop, Jug] There are in the fool’s speeches several passages which seem to be proverbial allusions, perhaps not now to be understood.
I.iv.256 (352,1) Fool. Which they will make an obedient father] [This line I have restored from the quarto. STEEVENS] This note [Tyrwhitt’s, quoted by Steevens] is written with confidence disproportionate to the conviction which it can bring. Lear might as well know by the marks and tokens arising from sovereignty, knowledge, and reason, that he had or had not daughters, as he could know by any thing else. But, says he, if I judge by these tokens, I find the persuasion false by which I long thought myself the father of daughters. (1773)
I.iv.302 (355,7) from her derogate body] [Derogate for unnatural. WARB.] Rather, I think, degraded; blasted.
I.iv.320 (356,9)
That these hot tears, which break from me perforce,
Should make thee worth them. — Blasts and fogs upon thee!
The untented woundings of a father’s curse
Pierce every sense about thee! — Old fond eyes,
Beweep this cause again]
I will transcribe this passage from the first edition, that it may appear to those who are unacquainted with old books, what is the difficulty of revision, and what indulgence is due to those that endeavour to restore corrupted passages. — That these hot tears, that breake from me perforce, should make the worst blasts and fogs upon the untender woundings of a father’s curse, peruse every sense about the old fond eyes, beweep this cause again, &c.
I.iv.362 (358,3) compact it more] Unite one circumstance with another, so as to make a consistent account.
I.iv.366 (358,4) You are much more at task for want of wisdom] It is a common phrase now with parents and governesses. I’ll take you to task, i.e. I will reprehend and correct you. To be at task, therefore, is to be liable to reprehension and correction. (1773)
I.v.5 (358,1) I shall be there afore you] He seems to intend to go to his daughter, but it appears afterwards that he is going to the house of Glo’ster.
