Page 266 - King Lear: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

a.4. N O T E S 191
100. that— (F) Q 'that Lear*.
106. more headier will 'too impetuous inclination'
CVer.).
108. S.D. (after J.) Q, F om. Death...state/ Sh.
irony. Lear's kingly power is already dead.
112. them (Q) F'them:'.
113. presently at once.
115. Till...death i.e. till it makes sleep impossible
for them. 116. S.D. F 'Exit.', Q om.
117. my heart! My rising heart! seel. 54, n.
118—22. Cry to it...hay. Hitherto unexplained,
because the point of the speech, the folly of Lear's heart,
has been missed. The cockney (see G.) and her brother
are examples of a like foolish tender-heartedness; he
goes so far as to butter his horse's hay: she cannot bring
herself to kill the eels before putting them into the
pastry, and when they wriggle only raps them on the
head crying 'Down, naughty, skittish creatures!' Lear's
heart has been as foolishly tender towards his daughters,
but it is too late now to cry 'down' to it and play the
stern father. The mischief is done.
122. S.D. (Cap.) F 'Enter Cornewall, Regan,
Gloster, Seruants.'
123. SJ). (F). 125. jw«(Q) F'your'.
127. mother's (<Q) F 'Mother'.
128. S.D. (Rowe) Q, F om.
131. like a vulture Alluding to the torture of
Prometheus. Cf. Harsnett, p. 73, 'Prometheus with his
vulture'. S.D. (Pope) Q, F om.
133. quality—(Rowe) Q 'qualitie,', F 'quality.'.
135-6. You...duty. 'The construction is, "You less
know how to value her desert than she {little knows
how) to scant her duty".' (Sisson.)
136-41. Say...blame. From F. Q om.
144. his(F)=hs. Q(+Camb.)'her'.
145. state sc. of mind.