"Reverse thy doom; in best consideration "This rashness check: answer my life, my judgment, &c."

"To wage against thine enemies; nor fear "To lose it now, thy safety being the motive."

Lear. "

Out of my sight!" Kent. See better, Lear; and let

"Me still remain the true blank of thine eye."

Lear. "Now, by Apollo,-"

Kent.

By Apollo, king,

"Thou swear'st in vain.'

Lear. "O, vassal! recreant!" (Quarto.)
Alb. "Dear sir."

Corn. "Forbear."

The interposition by Cornwall and Albany seems to be impertinent, and is not in the quarto.

318. "Reverbs no hollowness."

Kent, on thy life, no more.”

"Kent" should be omitted.

319. Kent. "

Do kill thy physician," &c.

There is no occasion for "do," to spoil the

metre.

"On thine allegiance hear, and bide thy doom.” Strain'd pride."

The quarto reads "straied pride," which may be right; pride deviating from its proper course: but the present reading seems preferable :pride inordinately stretched, or unnaturally exerted.

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320. "Our potency make good.".

4

This, the reading of the quarto, I believe, is right:

"Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow," &c.

"Our potency make good.".

i. e. Since you have dared thus to offend us, now prove or evince our power to punish you.

321.

Upon our kingdom: if, on the tenth day following."

"On" should be ejected.

"The moment," &c.

I would propose this regulation:

"That moment is thy death: Away-begone! "By Jupiter, this shall not be revok'd".

322. My lord of Burgundy.”

Something has been lost here. Perhaps,

"They are welcome both, my lord of Burgundy." "We first, &c.

"Or cease your quest of love?"

Burg. "

-Most royal Lear."

324. "

Should in this trice of time

"Commit a thing so monstrous, to dis

mantle

"So many folds of favour!".

"So monstrous, to dismantle."

The omission

of the comparative conjunction " as," here, though not singular, is unwarrantable.

“That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affec

tion

"Fall into taint: which to believe of her, "Must be a faith," &c.

Which," here, very loosely refers to its antecedent, "her offence." Perhaps, we might, with better connexion, read—" and to believ't of her,' &c. What succeeds wants regulation, both for the metre and the meaning. I would propose:

"Must be a faith, that, without miracle,
"Reason could never plant in me.”

Cord." -I yet

"Beseech your majesty, if, for I want
The glib and oily art to speak, and not
"To purpose, (since what I do well intend,
"I'll do't before I speak,) you will make
known."

326. "

What I well intend,

"I'll do't before I speak.

"

What I conceive to be right, I will do, without speaking of it. B. STRUTT.

This may be the true interpretation, but I am rather inclined to explain it thus :-What I well intend-what I purpose to do, that is laudable or good, I always fully determine in my mind, before I talk about it.

327. "That it intends to do?-My lord of Burgundy."

"To do," should be ejected."

"Duchess of Burgundy."

Lear. "Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm.*

1

"I have sworn," could be spared.

"That you must lose a husband," &c. We might repair the metre here:

"That you must lose a husband too." Cord." Well, peace

Fr.

"Be to my lord of Burgundy! for since "That cold respects of fortune are his love, "Certain I shall not be his wife.”

O, fairest

Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor,' &c.

328. "Come, noble Burgundy," &c.

"Noble" may well be spared.

"The jewels of our father,
"Cordelia leaves you.”

It appears strange that Mr. Steevens should not have adopted (especially after his fair defence of it) the change from "the" to "ye."

329. (So) farewell (to you both.)"
Gon. "Prescribe not us (our duties.)"
Reg.
"But let your study."

The words enclosed might be omitted.

"Time shall unfold what plaited cunning

hides;

"Who cover faults, at last shame them

derides.

This passage, notwithstanding the endeavours of the ingenious commentators, remains in perplexity, both with regard to sense and construction. Perhaps it is incorrigible. The best I can do with it is this:

"Time shall unfold that (which) plaited cunning (i. e. specious outsides) hides;

"Which covers faults, (but) at last with shame derides."

"Who," indeed, might remain, as in the text, for "which." "Derides," in this case, is neuter. Derides, for deride, as it stands in the text, is a sacrifice of grammar, in these works not uncommon, to obtain a rhyme.

330. Exeunt France, Cord. &c. &c.

What follows between Regan and Goneril is abrupt, unnatural, and unnecessary. I am persuaded it is interpolated.

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331. Slenderly known himself."

Not been in the full possession of his faculties, -had a weak understanding.

Exeunt Goneril and Regan.

In a very judicious endeavour to regulate the scenes of this play, published by Mr. Eccles, in 1792, with another Essay, by that gentleman, upon Cymbeline, the following scene of the Bastard is postponed to the opening of the second act, and its place here supplied by the scene between Goneril and the steward.

SCENE II.

334. "Got 'tween asleep and wake?-Well then."

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Perhaps, better,

Begot between asleep and wake?-What then." Or

"Got 'tween asleep and wake?-Well then ?What then?"