I tell you all her wealth.-For you, great king,

[To France. I would not from your love make fuch a stray, To match you where I hate; therefore befeech you To avert your liking a more worthier way, Than on a wretch whom nature is afham'd Almoft to acknowledge hers.

France. This is most strange!

That fhe, who even but now was your beft object,
The argument of your praise, balm of your age,
The beft, the deareft; fhould in this trice of time
Commit a thing fo monftrous, to dismantle.
So many folds of favour! Sure, her offence
Must be of fuch unnatural degree,

That monster's it, 3 or your fore-vouch'd affection

The best, the deareft;] The quartos read

Moft beft, most deareft.

STEEVENS.

Fall

That monsters it.] This uncommon verb occurs again in Co, riolanus, A& II. fc. ii:

"To hear my nothings monsterid." STEEVENS.

The common books read:

-or your fore-vouch'd affection

Fall'n into taint:

This line has no clear or ftrong fenfe, nor is this reading autho rized 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 ufed for corruption and for disgrace. If therefore we take the oldeft reading it may be reformed thus:

-fure her offence

Must be of fuch unnatural degree,

That monsters it; or you for vouch'd affection
Fall into taint.

Her offence must be prodigious, or you must fall into reproach for having vouched affection which you did not feel. If the reading of the folio be preferred, we may with a very flight change produce the fame fenfe;

-fure

Fall into taint: which to believe of her,

Must be a faith, that reafon without miracle
Should never plant in me.

Cor. I yet befeech your majefty,

(If for I want that glib and oily art,

-fure her offence

Must be of fuch unnatural degree,

That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection
Falls into taint.

That is, falls into reproach or cenfure. But there is another pof fible fenfe. Or fignifies 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 fenfe, which require no change of reading. JOHNSON.

-or your fore-vouch'd affection

Fall into taint :- -] I believe the reading of the first quarto

-or you, for vouch'd affection,

Fall'n into taint

to be the true one; but understand the latter words in a differ ent sense from Dr. Johnfon. Surely, either the offence of Cordelia must be prodigious, or you must be fall'n into an unjustifiable and faulty way of thinking with respect to her, feduced by the vouched affection, i. e. by the extravagant profeffions of love made to you by her fifters. Fall'n may therefore clearly ftand.

In fupport of the reading of the quarto, in preference to that of the folio, it should be obferved, that Lear had not vouch'd, had not made any particular declaration of his affection for Cordelia; while on the other hand Goneril and Regan have made in this scene an oftentatious profeffion of their love for their father. MALONE.

The prefent reading, which is that of the folio, is right; and the fenfe will be clear, without even the flight amendment propofed by Dr. Johnfon, to every reader who fhall confider the word muft, as referring to fall as well as to be. Her offence must be monstrous, or the former affection which you profeffed for her, muft fall into taint; that is, become the fubject of reproach. MONCK MASON.

Taint is a term belonging to falconry. So, in the Booke of Haukyng, &c. bl. 1. no date: "A taint is a thing that goeth overthwart the fethers, &c. like as it were eaten with wormes.'

STEEVENS.

Το

To speak and purpofe not; fince what I well intend,
I'll do't before I fpeak) that you make known.
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
No unchafte action, or dishonour'd step,
That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour:
But even for want of that, for which I am richer;
A ftill-foliciting eye, and fuch a tongue

That I am glad I have not, though, not to have it,
Hath loft me in your liking.

Lear. Better thou

Hadit not been born, than not to have pleas'd me better.

France. Is it but this? a tardiness in nature,
Which often leaves the history unspoke,

That it intends to do?-My lord of Burgundy,
What say you to the lady? Love is not love,
When it is mingled with regards, that stand +
Aloof from the entire point, Will you have her?
She is herself a dowry".

7

Bur. Royal Lear,

Give but that portion which yourself propos'd,
And here I take Cordelia by the hand,
Dutchefs of Burgundy.

Lear. Nothing: I have fworn; I am firm. Bur. I am forry then, you have fo loft a father, That you must lofe a husband.

-with regards that ftand.] The quarto reads:

-with respects that stands. STEEVENS.

-from the entire point.] Entire, for right, true.

WARBURTON,

Rather, fingle, unmixed with other confiderations.

JOHNSON.

Dr. Johnfon is right. The meaning of the paffage is, that his love wants fomething to mark its fincerity;

"Who feeks for aught in love but love alone."

She is herself a dowry.] The quartos read :
She is herfelf and dower. STEEVENS.

STEEVENS,

Royal Lear,] So, the quarto; the folio has-Royal king.

Cor. Peace be with Burgundy!

Since that refpects of fortune are his love,

I fhall not be his wife.

France. Faireft Cordelia, that art moft rich, being
poor;

Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd!
Thee and thy virtues here I feize upon:

Be it lawful, I take up what's caft away.

Gods, gods! 'tis ftrange, that from their cold'st neglect

My love should kindle to inflam'd respect.

Thy dowerlefs daughter, king, thrown to my chance,
Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France:
Not all the dukes of watʼrifh Burgundy

Shall buy this unpriz'd precious maid of me.-
Bid them farewel, Cordelia, though unkind:
Thou lofeft here, a better where to find.

Lear. Thou haft her, France: let her be thine;
for we

Have no fuch daughter, nor fhall ever fee
That face of hers again :-Therefore be gone,
Without our grace, our love, our benizon.-
Come, noble Burgundy.

[Flourish. Exeunt Lear, Burgundy, &c.

France. Bid farewel to your sisters.

Cor. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes
Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are;
And, like a fifter, am most loth to call

Your faults, as they are nam'd. Use well our father:
To your profeffing bofoms I commit him:

Thou lofeft here,

-] Here and where have the power of Thou lofeft this refidence to find a better refidence in another place. JOHNSON.

nouns.

profeffing bofoms.] All the ancient editions read-profeffed. The alteration is Mr. Pope's, but, perhaps, is unneceffary, as Shakspeare often ufes one participle for the other; -longing for longed in the Two Gentlemen of Verona, and all obeying for all-obeyed in Antony and Cleopatra. STEEVENS.

6

But

But yet, alas! ftood I within his grace
I would prefer him to a better place.
So farewel to you both.

Reg. Prefcribe not us our duties.
Gon. Let your study

Be, to content your lord; who hath receiv'd you
At fortune's alms: You have obedience fcanted,

1

' And well are worth the want that you have wanted. Cor. Time fhall unfold what' plaited cunning hides, Who cover faults, at laft fhame them derides.

Well

And well are worth the want that you have wanted.] This is a very obfcure expreffion, and must be pieced out with an implied fenfe to be understood. This I take to be the poet's meaning, ftript of the jingles which makes it dark: You well deferve to meet with that want of love from your husband, which you have profeffed to want for our father." THEOBALD. And avell are worth the want that you have wanted.] This nonfenfe must be corrected thus:

And well are worth the want that you have vaunted. i. e. that difherifon, which you so much glory in, you deserve. WARBURTON.

I think the common reading very fuitable to the manner of our author, and well enough explained by Theobald. JOHNSON. I explain the paffage thus:You are well deferving of the want of dower that you are without. So, in the third part of K. Henry VI. Act IV. fc. i: "Though I want a kingdom," i. e. though I am without a kingdom. Again, in Stowe's Chronicle, "Anfelm was expelled the realm, and wanted the whole profits of his bishoprick," i. e. he did not receive the profits,

P. 137:

&c.

2

A&

TOLLET.

-plaited cunning-i. e. complicated, involved cunning.

JOHNSON.

I once thought that the author wrote plated:-cunning Superinduced, thinly fpread over. So, in this play:

-Plate fin with gold,

"And the frong lance of juftice hurtlefs breaks."

But the word unfold, and the following lines in our author's Venus and Adonis, fhew that plaited, or (as the quarto has it) pleated, is the true reading:

"For that he colour'd with his high estate,
"Hiding bafe fin in pleats of majesty. MALONE.

3 Who cover faults, &c.] The quartos read,

Who covers faults, at laft hame them derides.

This