P. 7, 1. 12. his generation ➡i.e. his children. MALONE. P. 7, l. 21. [To Cordelia.] As Mr. Heath supposes, to Kent. For in the next words Lear sends for France and Burgundy to offer Cordelia without a dowryo STEEVENS. Mr. M. Mason observes, that Kent did not yet deserve such treatment from the King, as the only words he had uttered were "Good my Liege." REED Surely such quick transitions or inconsistencies, which ever they are called, are perfectly suited to Lear's character. I have no doubt that the direction now given is right. Kent has hitherto said nothing that could extort even from the choJerick King so harsh a sentence, having only in terposed in the mildest manner. Afterwards indeed, when he remonstrates with more freedom, and calls Lear a madman, the King exclaims"Out of my sight!" MALONE. 7, སྙ P. last but one 1. all the additions to a King All the titles belonging to a King. MALONE. P. 8, first 1. The execution of the rest is, I suppose, all the other business. JOHNSON. P. 8, 1.7. As my great patron thought on in my prayers, An allusion to the custom of clergymen praying for their patrons, in what is commonly called the bidding prayer. HENLEY. P. 8, 1. 23. Reverbs is perhaps a word of the poet's own making, ancaning the same as reverberates. STEEVENS. P. 8, 1. 25. 26. My life. I never held but as a pawn To wage against thine enemies;] I never regarded my life, as my own, but merely as a thing of which I had the possession not the property; and which was entrusted to me as a pawn or pledge, to be employed in waging war against your enemies. STEEVENS, I never considered my life as of more value than that of the commonest of your subjects. A pawn in chess is a common man, in contradistinction to the knight; and Shakspeare has several allusions to this game. HENLEY. P. 8, L, 29. 30. See better, Lear; and let me still remain 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. JoHNSON, P. 8, 1.31. Lear. Now, by Apollo,-] Bla dud, Lear's father, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth, attempting to fly, fell on the temple of Apollo, and was killed. MALONE. Are we to understand from this circumstance, that the son swears by Apollo, because the father broke his neck on the temple of that deity? STEEVENS. and, with strain'd pride, To come betwixt our sentence and our P. 9, 1. 9-13. power; (Which nor our nature nor our place can bear,). Our potency made good, take thy reward.] "Strain'd pride. The oldest copy reads strayed pride; that is, pride exorbitant; pried passing due bounds. JOHNSON. Power, for execution of the sentence. WARBURTON. Rather, as Mr. Edwards observes, our power to execute that sentence. STEEVENS, 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. 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. JOHNSON. In Othello we have again nearly the same language: "My spirit and my place have in them power "To make this bitter to thee." MALONE. P. 9, l. 14. 15. Five days we do allot thee, for provision To shield thee from diseases of the world;] Thus the quartos. The folio has disasters. The alteration, I believe, was made by the editor, in consequence of his not knowing the meaning of the original word. Diseases, in old language, meant the slighter inconveniencies, troubles, or distresses of the world. The provision that Kent could make in five days, might in some measure guard him against the diseases of the world, but could not shield him from its disasters, MALONE. Which word be retained is, in my opinion, quite immaterial. Such recollection "as an interval of five days will afford to a considerate person, may surely enable him in some degree to provide against the disasters, (i. e. calamities,) of the world. STEEVENS. P. 9, 1. 19. By Jupiter,] Shakspeare ma kes his Lear too much a mythologist Hecate and Apollo before. JOHNSON. he had P. 9, 1. 31. He'll shape his old course] He will follow his old maxims; he will continue to act upon the same principles. JOHNSON. P. 10, I. 5. Quest of love is amorous expedition. The term originated from Romance. A quest was the expedition in which a knight was engaged. This phrase is often to be met with in The Faery Queen. STEEVENS, P10, 1. 10. When she was dear to us, we did hold her so;] We esteemed her worthy of that dowry, which, as you say, we promised to give her. MALONE. P. 10, 1. 12. seeming —] is beautiful. JOHNSON. Seeming rather means specious. STEEVENS. P. 10, 1, 18. — with those infirmities she owes,] i. e. is possessed of. STEEVENS. P. 10, 1. 4. 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. JOHNSON. I should read the line thus: Election makes not, upon such conditions. M. MASON. Election makes not up, I conceîve, means, Election comes not to a decision; in the same seuse as when we say, "I have made up my mind on that subject." MALONE. P. 11, 1. 5. 6. or your fore-vouch'd affec -- tion Fall into taint:] Taint is a term belonging to falconry. STEEVENS. 'P. 11, 1. 26—28. Love is not love, When it is mingled with respects, that stand Aloof from the entire point.] With respects, 1. e. with cautious and prudential considerations. JOHNSON. Aloof from the entire point. i. e. Single, unmixed with other considerations. JOHNSON, Dr. Johnson is right. The meaning of the passage is, that his love wants something to mark its sincerity; "Who seeks for aught in love but love alone. STEEVENS. P. 12, 1. 17. Thou losest here, a better where to find.] Here and where have the power of nouns. Thou losest this residence to find a better residence in another place. JOHNSON. P. 13, 1..6, plaited cunning-] i. c. complicated, involved cunning. JOHNSON. P. 13, 1. 8. Who cover faults, at last shame them derides.] In this passage Cordelia is made to allude to a passage "He that coverin Scripture: Prov. xxvIII. 13. eth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso coufesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy P. 13, 12627 of long-engrafted condi |