Page 212 - King Lear: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

KING LEAR, 1608 AND 1623 137

and perhaps there was insufficient emendation. But
now, if Miss Walker's theory of the provenance of the
Q 1 text is (substantially) conceded, the status of that
text is improved. Miss Walker seeks to improve its
status, and to increase the number of Q; I readings that
editors should accept. At the same time she seeks to
lower the status of the F text. She thLiks of F Lear as
having been set up entirely by compositor B, and she
thinks of him as in certain respects distinctly unreliable.
I am not convinced that she does not overrate the
amount of compositorial corruption in the F text of this
play; and I feel that she has too much faith in Q 1. For
1
instance, at 1. 4. 228 ff. she proposes this —
Either his Notion weakens, or's Discernings
Are Lethargied. Sleeping or Waking? Hal
Sure 'tis not so. Who is it that can tell me
Who I am?
Foole. Lears shadow.
Lear. I would learne that, for by the markes
Of soueraigntie [of] knowledge and [of] reason
I should be false perswaded I had daughters.
Foole. Which they will make an obedient father.
Lear. Your name, faire Gentlewoman?
This is a conflation, with emendation, of—
Q i either his notion, weaknes, or his discernings are
lethergie, sleeping, or wakeing; ha! sure tis not so,
who is it that can tell me who I am? Lears shadow?
I would learne that, for by the markes of soueraintie,
knowledge, and reason, I should bee false perswaded
I had daughters.
Foole. Which they, will make an obedient father.
Lear. Your name faire gentlewoman?

too many readings from Q/: and Kirschbaum: R.E.S. new
ser. II (1951), 169, 'I believe that Professor Duthie depends
altogether too much on Q for his readings'.
1
Op. cit. pp. 64-6.