Page 237 - King Lear: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

i6z NOTES 1.4.
90-1. arise, away! (<F) Q om. differences sc. in
rank between you and the king.
92-3. have you wisdom? (Theob.+Camb. Al.,
Muir) i.e. are you mad? see G. 'wisdom'. F (G.I.D.
1949) 'haue you wisedome,'. 'Sh. may intend an
imperative' (Schmidt). J.D.W. accepts Theob.
S.D. (<Muir) Theob. ( + most edd.) 'Pushes the
Steward out.' Q, F om. <SV.='that's right!' (Muir)*
95. earnest see G. S.D. i (J.), ii (F, Q).
96. S.D. (Cap. <Rowe,'Giving his cap.') Q,Fom.
The traditional fool's cap had asses' ears and a cock's
comb.
99. <£>. F (+Camb.) 'Lear. Why my Boy?'—
prob. ocular anticipation of 1. 107.
101. an (Pope+)=if. Q 'and', F '&'. smile...
«7.r='take sides with the party that's in power' (K.).
102. catch cold=become cold; see G. 'cold'—•
prophetic; cf. 3. 2. 68-9.
105. How now—'Hullo, how d'ye do?' (K.).- He
has so far impudently ignored Lear, nuncle see G.
108-9. If I gave...myself Cf. Tilley, A 187,
'He that gives all before he dies is a fool'. See G.
'living'.
109. beg another, etc. Mai. explains'it is by begging
only' he 'can obtain anything from two daughters; even
a badge of folly in having reduced himself to such a
situation'.
113. the Lady's Brach (J.D.W. <Letherland conj.
found by Steev. in a copy of Warb.'s edition) F 'the
Lady Brach', Q 'Ladie oth'e brach'. 'The Lady's
brach', i.e. Gon.'s 'favourite animal' as Letherland
explained it, refers to the effeminate puppy Oswald who,
the Fool implies, had thrust him from his accustomed
place by the fire. The abusive 'brach' is well suited to
one who is 'of her bosom' (4. 5. 26) and would 'be a
bawd in way of good service' (2.2.18), while it forms a