Gent. A sight most pitiful in the meanest wretch, Past speaking of in a king!-Thou hast one daughter, Who redeems nature from the general curse Which twain have brought her to. Edg. Hail, gentle sir! Gent. Edg. Do you hear aught, sir, of a battle toward? Gent. Most sure, and vulgar: every one hears that, Which can distinguish sound'. Sir, speed you: what's your will? Edg. How near's the other army? But, by your favour, Gent. Near, and on speedy foot; the main descry 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. I thank you, sir. [Exit Gent. breath from Edg. me: Let not my worser spirit tempt me again Edg. Well pray you, father. Glo. Now, good sir, what are you? Edg. A most poor man, made tame to fortune's blows; Who, by the art of known and feeling sorrows, Am pregnant to good pity. Give me your hand, Hearty thanks; I'll lead you to some biding. Glo. The bounty and the benison of heaven 9 WHICH can distinguish SOUND.] The quartos, "That can distinguish sense.” They have other corruptions in this part of the scene; for instance, the Gentleman's next speech is thus unintelligibly given :— "Near and on speed fort the main descryes, 1 The bounty and the benison of heaven To boot, and boot!] So the quarto without the stationer's address, and the Osw. Enter OSWALD. A proclaim'd prize! Most happy! That eyeless head of thine was first fram'd flesh To raise my fortunes.-Thou old unhappy traitor, Briefly thyself remember:-the sword is out That must destroy thee. Glo. Put strength enough to it. Osw. Now let thy friendly hand [EDGAR interposes. Wherefore, bold peasant, Dar'st thou support a publish'd traitor? Hence; Like hold on thee. Let go his arm. Edg. Chill not let go, zir, without varther 'casion. Edg. Good gentleman, go your gait, and let poor volk pass. And ch'ud 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, che vor'ye, or Ise try whether your costard or my ballow be the harder2. Ch'ill be plain with you. Osw. Out, dungbill! Edg. Ch'ill pick your teeth, zir. Come; no matter vor your foins. [They fight; and EDGAR knocks him down. Osw. Slave, thou hast slain me.-Villain, take my purse. If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body; And give the letters, which thou find'st about me, To Edmund earl of Gloster: seek him out folio: the other quarto (with the publisher's address) reads thus, nonsensically: "The bornet and beniz of heaven to save thee." Above, the quartos read lame by, for "tame to." 2 che vor'ye, or Ise try whether your COSTARD or my BALLOW be the harder.] Edgar is affecting a rustic dialect, and the meaning of this sentence is, "I warn you, or I'll try whether your head or my cudgel be the harder." Balo means a beam, in Norfolk, and "ballow," a pole, in the North of England. See Holloway's "General Provincial Dictionary," 8vo, 1838. One of the quartos reads bat, and another battero; perhaps a corruption of the true word, as we find it in the folio. VOL. VII. H h Upon the British party3:-O, untimely death! [Dies. Edg. I know thee well: a serviceable villain; As duteous to the vices of thy mistress, As badness would desire. Glo. What is he dead? Edg. Sit you down, father; rest you. Let's see his pockets: these letters, that he speaks of, [Reads.] "Let our reciprocal vows be remembered. You have many opportunities to cut him off: if your will want not, time and place will be fruitfully offered. There is nothing done, if he return the conqueror; then, am I the prisoner, and his bed my gaol, from the loathed warmth whereof deliver me, and supply the place for your labour. "Your (wife, so I would say) "GONERIL." O, undistinguish'd space of woman's will! And the exchange, my brother!-Here, in the sands, 3 Upon the BRITISH party.] So the quartos: the folio, "Upon the English party." At the end of the line, the old copies repeat the word "death." affectionate servant,] After" servant," the quarto with the publisher's address has this strange continuation, "and for you her owne for center." We follow the folio. 11 3 - of woman's wILL!] Thus the folio: the quartos read, "of woman's wit!" which is most likely wrong. 6 Here, in the sands, Thee I'll RAKE up,] i. e. cover up. At the end of this speech, modern editors add, "Exit Edgar, dragging out the body;" but it has no warrant in any of the old folios, and the probability is, that Edgar was supposed to bury Oswald on the spot. After he has done so, he addresses Gloster, “Give me your hand," without any re-entrance being marked in any recent copies of the play. While modern editors insert needless stage-directions, they omit, Of murderous lechers; and in the mature time, Glo. The king is mad: how stiff is my vile sense, Edg. [Drum afar off. Give me your hand : Far off, methinks, I hear the beaten drum. Come, father; I'll bestow you with a friend. [Exeunt. SCENE VII. A Tent in the French Camp. LEAR on a Bed, asleep; Doctor, Gentleman, and Others, attending: Enter CORDELIA and KENT. Cor. O thou good Kent! how shall I live, and work, To match thy goodness? My life will be too short, And every measure fail me. Kent. To be acknowledg'd, madam, is o'er-paid. All my reports go with the modest truth; Nor more, nor clipp'd, but so. Yet to be known shortens my made intent : Till time and I think meet. Cor. Then be 't so, my good lord.-How does the king? [To the Physician. farther on, one that is necessary, and that is found in every old impression, folio and quarto-" Drum afar off." Doct. Madam, sleeps still'. Cor. O, you kind gods, Cure this great breach in his abused nature! Doct. Doct. Ay, madam'; in the heaviness of his sleep, We put fresh garments on him. Kent. Good madam, be by when we do awake him; I doubt not of his temperance. Cor. Very well. [Music. Doct. Please you, draw near.-Louder the music there. Cor. O my dear father! Restoration, hang Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss Repair those violent harms, that my two sisters Have in thy reverence made! Kent. Kind and dear princess! Cor. Had you not been their father, these white flakes Had challeng'd pity of them. Was this a face 7 Madam, sleeps still.] According to the folio, the two parts of the Doctor and the Gentleman seem to have been combined, and played by the same actor. In the quartos, they are distinct, and have separate prefixes. We have followed the latter, because the scene was, in all probability, so originally written, and because merely the economy of performers seems to have led to the union of the two characters in the folio. 8 Th' untun'd and JARRING senses,] The quartos, for "jarring" have hurrying. 9 Ay, madam ;] We follow here the quartos without the publisher's address, in giving these two lines to the Doctor, and the next two lines to Kent. The folio gives all four to the Gentleman; but some modern editors (following Malone) have adopted a course consistent with no authority, by giving the two first lines to the Gentleman, and the two next to the Doctor. The folio, besides other small variations, omits "his" in the first line, and "not" in the last, and transposes "Good madam, be by." Very well.] These words and the next line are only in the quartos. Music, whether soft or loud, is not mentioned in the old stage-directions, but it is to be understood. |