Take that of me, my friend, who have the power To feal the accufer's lips. Get thee glass eyes; And, like a fcurvy politician, feem To fee the things thou doft not. Now, now, now, now. harder.-So. Pull off my boots :-harder, Edg. O matter and impertinency mixt: Reafon in madness! Lear. If thou wilt weep my fortunes, take my eyes. I know thee well enough; thy name is Glo'fter: Thou must be patient; we came crying hither: 7 Thou know'ft, the first time that we smell the air, We wawle and cry.-I will preach to thee;-markGlo. Alack, alack the day! Lear. When we are born, we cry, that we are come To this great stage of fools. This a good block !- It were a delicate ftratagem to fhoe I'll put it in proof; 1 Thou know'ft, the first time that we smell the air, We wawle and cry. And Vagitûq; locum lugubri complet, ut æquum eft This a good block!] I do not fee how this block correfponds either with his foregoing or following train of thoughts. Madmen think not wholly at random. I would read thus, a good flock. Flocks are wool moulded together. The fentence then follows properly: It were a delicate ftratagem to fhoe A troop of horfe with felt ; i. e. with flocks kneaded to a mafs, a practice I believe fometimes ufed in former ages, for it is mentioned in Ariefto: Fece nel cader ftrepito quanto 66 "Aveffe avuto fotto i piedi il feltro." It is very common for madmen to catch an accidental hint, and ftrain it to the purpose predominant in their minds. Lear picks up a flock, and immediately thinks to furprize his enemies by a troop of horse fhod with flocks or felt. Yet block may ftand, if we fuppofe that the fight of a block put him in mind of mounting his horfe. JOHNSON. This a good block?-] Dr. Johnfon's explanation of this paffage is very ingenious; but, I believe, there is no Ff4. occafion And when I have ftolen upon thefe fons-in-law, Enter a Gentleman, with attendants. Gent. O, here he is; lay hand upon him.-Sir, Your most dear daughter Lear. No refcue? What, a prisoner? I am even The natural fool of fortune.Ufe me well, You fhall have ranfom. Let me have a furgeon, occafion to adopt it, as the fpeech itself, or at least the action which fl.ould accompany it, will furnish all the connection which he has fought from an extraneous circumftance. Upon the king's faying, I will preach to thee, the poet feems to have meant him to pull off his hat, and keep turning it and feeling it, in the attitude of one of the preachers of thofe times (whom I have feen fo reprefented in old prints) till the idea of felt, which the good bat or block was made of, raifes the ftratagem in his brain of fhoeing a troop of horse with a substance soft as 'that which he held and moulded between his hands. This makes him fart from his preachment.-Block anciently fignified the head part of the hat, or the thing on which a hat is formed, and fometimes the hat itfelf.-See Much ado, &c. "He weares his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it changes with the next block." young hatband." See Beaumont and Fletcher's Wit at feveral Weapons; "I am so haunted with this broad-brim'd hat "Of the last progrefs block, with the Greene, in his Defence of Conny-catching, 1592, defcribing a meat componion, says, "he weareth a hat of a high blocke, and a broad brimme.' So in The Revenger's Tragedy, 1609. His head will be made ferve a bigger block." So in Decker's Honeft Where, 1635. we have blocks for all heads." Again, in Green's Tu Queque, 1599. Where did you buy your felt? Nay, never laugh, for you're in the fame block." Again, in Law Tricks, &c. 1608, "I cannot keep a black private, but every citizen's fon thrufts his head into it.” Again, in Hiftricmaftix, 1610. "Your hat is of a better block than mine." Again, in The Martial Maid of Beaumont and Fletcher, "Tho' now your block-head be cover'd with a Spanish "block." STEEVENS. Gent Gent. You fhall have any thing. I Why, this would make a man, a man of salt, And laying autumn's duft.-I will die bravely, Gent. You are a royal one, and we obey you. 2 Lear. Then there's life in't. Nay, come, an' you get it, You fhall get it by running. Sa, fa, fa, fa. [Exit. Gent. A fight moft pitiful in the meaneft wretch; Paft fpeaking of in a king! Thou haft one daughter, Who redeems nature from the general curfe Which twain have brought her to, Edg. Hail, gentle Sir. Gent. Sir, fpeed you. What's your will? Edg. Do you hear aught, Sir, of a battle toward? Gent. Moft fure, and vulgar: every one hears that, Which can diftinguish found. Edg. But by your favour, How near's the other army? Gent. Near, and on fpeedy foot: 3 the main defcry Stands on the hourly thought. Edg. I thank you, Sir: that's all. Gent. Though that the queen on special cause is here, Her army is mov'd on. Edg. I thank you, Sir. [Exit Gent. Glo. You ever gentle gods, take my breath from me; a man of falt,] Would make a man melt away like falt in wet weather. JOHNSON. 2 Then there's life in't. the main defcry The cafe is not yet desperate. JOHNSON. Stands on the hourly thought.] The main body is expected to be defery'd every hour. The expreffion is harfh. JOHNSON. Let Let not my worfer spirit tempt me again Edg. Well pray you, father. Glo. Now, good Sir, what are you? Edg. A moft poor man, made tame to fortune's blows; 4 Who, by the art of known and feeling forrows, Am pregnant to good pity. Give me your hand, I'll lead you to fome biding. Glo. Hearty thanks: The bounty and the benizon of heaven Enter Steward. Stew. A proclaim'd prize! Moft happy! -That eyelefs head of thine was first fram'd flesh, To raise my fortunes.-Thou old unhappy traitor, 5 Briefly thyself remember.-The fword is out That must destroy thee. Glo. Now let thy friendly hand Put strength enough to it. Stew. Wherefore, bold peafant, [Edgar oppofes. Dar'ft thou fupport a publifh'd traitor? Hence, Like hold on thee. Let go his arm. Edg. Chill not let go, Zir, without vurthur 'casion. 6 Edg. Good gentleman, go your gait, and let poor Who, by the art of known and feeling forrows,] i. e. Sorrows paft and prefent; but the Oxford Editor lofes all this fenfe by altering it to, 6 -- knowing and feeling. WARBURTON. Briefly thyfelf remember.] i. e. Quickly recollect the pat offences of thy life, and recommend thyfelf to heaven. WARB, go your gait,- -] Gang your gate is a common expreffion in the North. In the laft rebellion, when the Scotch foldiers had finished their exercife, inftead of our word of difmiffion, their term was, gang your gaits. STEEVENS, volk pafs. And 'chud ha' been zwagger'd out of my life, 'twould not ha' been zo long as 'tis by a vortnight. Nay, come not near the old man; keep out, 7 che vor'ye, or ife try whether your coftard or my bat be the harder: chill be plain with you. Stew. Out, dunghill! 8 Edg. Chill pick your teeth, Zir. Come, 9 no matter vor your foyns, [Edgar knocks him down. Stew. Slave, thou haft flain me:-villain, take my purse, If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body; Upon the English party:-Oh, untimely death, death! Edg. I know thee well: a ferviceable villain; As duteous to the vices of thy mistress, As badness would defire. Glo. What, is he dead? Edg. Sit you down, father; reft you, [Dies. Let's fee these pockets: the letters, that he speaks of, 7 che vor'ye, I warn you. Edgar counterfeits the western dialect. JOHNSON. 8 your coftard-] Coftard, i. e. Head. STEEVENS. 9 -no matter vor your foins.] To foyn, is to make what we call a feint in fencing. Shakespeare often ufes the word. To know our enemies minds, we rip their hearts; STEEVENS. Their papers are more lawful,] This is darkly expressed: the meaning is, Our enemies are put upon the rack, and torn in pieces to extort confeffion of their fecrets; to tear open their letters is more lawful. WARBURTON. The quarto reads, we'd rip their hearts, and fo I have printed it, STEEVENS, Reads |