Page 226 - King Lear: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

I.I. NOTE S 151

167, 169. vow (Q+Camb.) F 'vowes'. sentence
(Q+Camb.) F 'sentences'. It is poss. to defend F by
claiming the 'fast intent' (11. 37ff.) as a kind of 'vow',
and a kind of 'sentence'. But this is far-fetched and an
audience will only be conscious of one vow, the terrible
oath in 11. 107-19, and of one sentence, that at 11. 126—
38, wh. decides the future of the kingdom. Q is also
preferable on grounds of metre and style. F's plurals
must be credited to comp. or scribe [see 1949 ed. p. 16j].
171. Our potency made good=' Our royal authority
maintained' (D.N.S.) 'Kent's opposition... displays
Lear's incapability of resigning the sovereign power in
the very act of disposing of it' (Coleridge 1, 61).
173. disasters (F)= misfortunes. Q (+Camb.)
'diseases'—prob. a memorial echo of 1. 163.
178. This...revoked A retort to Kent's 1. 163.
179-86. 'After the storm comes the equanimity of
Kent's rhymed couplets' (Craig).
179. thus i.e. 'so self-willed and despotic' (Ver.).
wi/t—art determined to.
180. Freedom...here. See Introd. p. xxviii.
181. 183. S.D.'s (Han.).
186. He'II...course i.e. he will continue true and
plain-spoken. S.D. (i) F 'Exit'; (ii) Camb. (<F).
187. sp.-hdg. Q(+Camb.)'Glost.', F'Cor.'.
189. this (F+Camb.) Q 'a', accepted in 1949 ed.,
now withdrawn. See Greg., in M.L.R. XLIV, 399.
193. hath (F) Q ( + Camb.) 'what', offered—
(G.I.D.) Comma in Q, F.
194. less? (<Q, F). F 4 (+Camb.) 'less.'. The
query may indicate an exclamation. Burg, is taken aback
by 11. 190-2—he does not know Cord, is out of favour.
195. so i.e. dear (quibble).
196. fall'n (F 3 + Camb.) Q, F 'fallen'.
196-7. there...substance i.e. that little creature has
nothing but herself to offer and even that is false.