crab. Thou can't tell, why one's nofe ftands i' the middle of one's face? Lear. No. Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes on either fide one's nofe; that what a man cannot finell out, he may fpy into. 8 Lear. I did her wrong: Fool. Can't tell how an oyfter makes his fhell? Lear. No. Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a fnail has a house. Lear. Why? Fool. Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a cafe. Lear. I will forget my nature.-So kind a father!Be my horfes ready? Fool. Thy affes are gone about 'em. The reafon why the seven stars are no more than feven, is a pretty reason. Lear. Because they are not eight? Fool. Yes, indeed: Thou would'ft make a good fool. Lear. To take it again perforce !-Monster ingratitude! Fool. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time. Lear. How's that? Fool. Thou fhould'st not have been old, before thou hadst been wife. 8 I did her wrong- -] He is mufing on Cordelia. JOHNSON. To take it again perforce !] He is meditating on the refumption of his royalty. JOHNSON. He his rather meditating on his daughter's having in fo violent a manner deprived him of thofe privileges which before fhe had agreed to grant him, STEEVENS. Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad! Enter Gentleman. How now! Are the horses ready? Gent. Ready, my lord. Lear. Come, boy. Fool. She that's a maid now, and laughs at my departure, Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut fhorter. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I A caftle belonging to the earl of Glofter. Enter Edmund, and Curan, meeting. Edm. Save thee, Curan. Cur. And you, fir. I have been with your father; and given him notice, that the duke of Cornwall, and Regan his dutchefs, will be here with him to-night. Edm. How comes that? Cur. Nay, I know not: You have heard of the news abroad; I mean, the whifper'd ones, for they are yet but ear-kiffing arguments? Edm. Not I; Pray you, what are they? -ear -ear-kiffing arguments.] Subje&s of difcourfe; topics. Ear-king arguments means that they are yet in reality only ubifper'd ones. STEEVENS. Cur 1 * Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars toward, 'twixt the dukes of Cornwall and Albany? Edm. Not a word. Cur. You may then, in time. Fare you well, fir. [Exit. Edm. The duke be here to-night? The better! Beft! This weaves itself perforce into my business! My father hath fet guard to take my brother; And I have one thing, of a 3 queazy question, Which I must act :-Briefness, and fortune, work!~ Brother, a word ;-defcend :-Brother, I fay; Enter Edgar. 3 My father watches:-O fir, fly this place; 2 Cur. This and the following speech, are omitted in one of the quartos. STEEVENS. 3queazy queftion,] Something of a fufpicious, questionable, and uncertain nature. This is, I think the meaning. JOHNSON. Queazy, I believe, rather means delicate, what requires to be handled nicely. So, Ben Jonfon, in Sejanus: "Those times are fomewhat queafy to be touch'd.— So, in Ben Jonfon's New Inn: "Notes of a queafy and fick ftomach, labouring Again, in Much Ado about Nothing: 66 Defpight of his quick wit and queazy ftomach." STEEVENS. +- the bafe,] I fhould fuppofe we ought to read only in bafte; i'the being repeated accidentally by the compositor. STEEVENS. $ -bave you nothing faid Upon his party 'gainst the duke of Albany ?] The meaning is, have you faid nothing upon the party formed by I cannot but think the line corrupted, and would read: Ff Upon Upon his party 'gainst the duke of Albany? Edg. I am fure on't, not a word. Edm. I hear my father coming,-Pardon me :In cunning, I muft draw my fword upon you: Draw: Seem to defend yourself: Now quit you well. Yield: come before my father;-Light, ho, here!Fly, brother;-Torches! torches !-So, farewel.— [Exit Edgar. Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion [Wounds bis arm. Of my more fierce endeavour: I have feen drunkards Do more than this in fport.-Father! father! Stop, ftop! No help? 6 Enter Glofter, and Servants with torches. Glo. Now, Edmund, where's the villain? Mumbling of wicked charms, conjuring the moon To ftand his aufpicious miftrefs: Glo. But where is he? Edm. Look, fir, I bleed. Glo. Where is the villain, Edmund ? Edm. Fled this way, fir. When by no means he could Glo. Purfue him, ho!-Go after. means,-what? By no Edm. Perfuade me to the murder of your lordship; But that I told him, the revenging gods 'Gainft parricides did all 7 their thunders bend; 6 • Mumbling of wicked charms, conjuring the moon] This was a proper circumftance to urge to Gloiler; who appears, by what paffed between him and his baftard fon in a foregoing fcene, to be very fuperftitious with regard to this matter. WARBURTON. their thunders- -] First quarto: the rest have it, 7 the thunder. JOHNSON. Spoke, Spoke, with how manifold and strong a bond To his unnatural purpofe, in fell motion, Glo. Let him fly far; 'Not in this land fhall he remain uncaught; And found-Dispatch. master, 2 -The noble duke my My worthy arch and patron, comes to-night: That he, which finds him, fhall deferve our thanks, Edm. When I diffwaded him from his intent, gafted] Frighted. JOHNSON. So, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Wit at feveral Weapons: 66 -either the fight of the lady has gafted him, or else he's drunk." STEEVENS. Not in this land shall he remain uncaught ; And found difpatch-the noble duke, &c.] This nonfenfe fhould be read and pointed thus: Not in this land shall he remain uncaught; And found, difpatch'd WARBURTON. I do not fee how this change mends the fenfe: I think it may be better regulated as in the page above. The fenfe is interrupted. He fhall be caught-and found, he shall be punish'd. Difpatch. JOHNSON. 2 arch] i. e. Chief; a word now used only in compofition, as arch-angel, arch-duke. So, in Heywood's If you know not me, you know Nobody, 1613; 3 caitif. JOHNSON, And |