Page 240 - King Lear: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

i. 4 . NOTES 16$
141-56. That...snatching from Q. Fom. (.'cen-
sored); the ref. to 'monopoly' might be thought un-
desirable, 'James I constantly granted them to his
needy courtiers, and there was a great popular outcry in
consequence' (Muir). Cf. Greg, F.F. p. 387.
141-42. That lord...thy land In Leir the king is so
counselled by a lord. Sh. rejects this in 1. 1, but here
puts it to a new purpose; the 'lord' being of course
Lear himself. Cf. Greg, Lib. p. 387.
144. for him stand=impersonate him.
145. bitter seel. 137, n.
147. S.D. (G.I.D.) Qom.
148. out—there! (G.I.D.) Q 'out there.'. S.D.
(Coll.) Qom.
153. The Fool catches up 'altogether', substituting
the sense 'the only' for 'entirely', let me sc. be the only
fool.
154. out i.e. officially granted to me. on't (Q2)=of
it. Q 1 'an't'.
156. Nuncle...egg (<F) Q (+Camb.) 'giue me
an egge Nuncle'. 161. crown (Q) F'Crownes'.
162. bor'st...back i.e. acted as preposterously as
the old man in Aesop who carried his ass over the dirt
instead of letting it carry him.
164. like myself i.e. foolishly.
165. whipped sc. as a lying fool. Cf. 11. 181-4.
166. 175. S.D. (Rowe) F, Q om.
166-7. Fools...foppish 'There never was a time
when fools were less in favour, and the reason is that they
were never so little wanted, for wise men now supply
their places' (J.).
166. grace (F) Q(+Camb.)'wit'. J. read'grace',
but when Cap. discovered in Lyly's Mother Bombie
(Bond's Lyly, in, 191) I think a Gentleman had neuer
'
lesse wit in a yeere', Mai. suspected 'the original [Q] to
be the true reading' and thus led W.A.W. astray. But