Gon. No more; the text is foolish. Alb. Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile; Whose reverence the head-lugged bear would lick,' If that the Heavens do not their visible spirits Humanity must perforce prey on itself, Like monsters of the deep. Gon. Milk-livered man! That bear'st a cheek for blows, a head for wrongs; Who hast not in thy brows an eye discerning Ere they have done their mischief.3 Where's thy drum? Alb. 4 Alb. Thou changed and self-covered thing, for shame, Be-monster not thy feature. Were it Were it my fitness 5 1 This line is not in the folio. 2 The rest of this speech is also omitted in the folio. 3 "Goneril means to say that none but fools would be excited to commiserate those who are prevented from executing their malicious designs, and punished for their evil intention." Malone doubts whether Goneril alludes to her father; but surely there cannot be a doubt that she does, and to the pity for his sufferings expressed by Albany, whom she means indirectly to call a fool for expressing it. 4 The meaning appears to be, "thou that hast hid the woman under the fiend; thou that hast disguised nature, by wickedness." 5 It has been already observed that feature was often used for form or person in general. To let these hands obey my blood,' They are apt enough to dislocate and tear Thy flesh and bones.--Howe'er thou art a fiend, Gon. Marry, your manhood now! Enter a Messenger. Alb. What news? Mess. O my good lord, the duke of Cornwall's dead; Slain by his servant, going to put out The other eye of Gloster. Alb. Gloster's eyes? Mess. A servant that he bred, thrilled with remorse, Opposed against the act, bending his sword To his great master; who, thereat enraged, Flew on him, and amongst them felled him dead; Alb. This shows you are above, Mess. "Tis from your sister. 2 Gon. [Aside.] One way I like this well;" But being widow, and my Gloster with her, May all the building in my fancy pluck Upon my hateful life. Another way, The news is not so tart.-I'll read and answer. [Exit. Alb. 1 My blood is my passion, my inclination. 2 Goneril's plan was to poison her sister, to marry Edmund, to murder Albany, and to get possession of the whole kingdom. As the death of Cornwall facilitated the last part of her scheme, she was pleased at it; but disliked it, as it put it in the power of her sister to marry Edmund Alb. Knows he the wickedness? Mess. Ay, my good lord; 'twas he informed against him; And quit the house on purpose, that their punishment Might have the freer course. Alb. Gloster, I live To thank thee for the love thou show'dst the king, [Exeunt. SCENE III.1 The French Camp near Dover. Enter KENT and a Gentleman. Kent. Why the king of France is so suddenly gone back, know you the reason? Gent. Something he left imperfect in the state, Kent. Who hath he left behind him general? Gent. Ay, sir; she took them, read them in my presence; And now and then an ample tear trilled down Sought to be king o'er her. Kent. O, then it moved her. Gent. Not to a rage; patience and sorrow strove Who should express her goodliest. You have seen Sunshine and rain at once; her smiles and tears. 1 This scene is left out in the folio copy. 1 Were like a better way. Those happy smiles,2 Could so become it. Kent. Made she no verbal question ?4 Gent. 'Faith, once, or twice, she heaved the name Pantingly forth, as if it pressed her heart; Cried, Sisters! sisters!-Shame of ladies! sisters! And clamor moistened; then away she started Kent. It is the stars, The stars above us, govern our conditions ;7 8 Else one self mate and mate, could not beget Such different issues. You spoke not with her since? Kent. Was this before the king returned? Gent. No; since. Kent. Well, sir; the poor, distressed Lear is i' the town; Who sometime, in his better tune, remembers What we are come about, and by no means Will yield to see his daughter. 1 Both the quartos read, "Were like a better way." Steevens reads, upon the suggestion of Theobald, a better day." Warburton reads, "a wetter May." Malone adopts a part of his emendation, and reads, better May." Mr. Boaden proposes to read, 66 a 2 The quartos read smilets, which may be a diminutive of the Poet's coining. 3 Steevens would read dropping; but as must be understood to signify as if. 4 i. e. discourse, conversation. 5 i. e. let not pity be supposed to exist. 6 That is, "her outcries were accompanied with tears.” 7 Conditions are dispositions. 8 i. e. the self-same husband and wife. Gent. Why, good sir? Kent. A sovereign shame so elbows him; his own unkindness, That stripped her from his benediction, turned her To his dog-hearted daughters,--these things sting Gent. Alack, poor gentleman! Kent. Of Albany's and Cornwall's powers you heard not? Gent. "Tis so; they are afoot. Kent. Well, sir, I'll bring you to our master Lear, And leave you to attend him. Some dear cause Will in concealment wrap me up awhile; When I am known aright, you shall not grieve Lending me this acquaintance. Along with me. I pray you, go [Exeunt. SCENE IV. The same. A Tent. Enter CORDELIA, Physician, and Soldiers. Cor. Alack, 'tis he; why, he was met even now As mad as the vexed sea; singing aloud 1; Crowned with rank fumiter,2 and furrow weeds, With harlocks,3 hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers, Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow In our sustaining corn.-A century send forth; Search every acre in the high-grown field, And bring him to our eye. [Exit an Officer.]—What can man's wisdom do,5 1 Important business. 2 i. e. fumitory, written by the old herbalists fumittery. 3 The quartos' read hardocks, the folio hardokes. Drayton mentions harlocks in one of his Eclogues. Perhaps the charlock (sinapis arvensis), or wild-mustard, may be meant. 4 Darnel, according to Gerard, is the most hurtful of weeds among corn. 5 Steevens says that do should be omitted as needless and injurious to the metre. Do is found in none of the old copies but quarto B. |