Page 274 - King Lear: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

3.2. NOTES 199

5. Vaunt-couriers of F 'Vaunt-curriors of, Q
'vaunt-currers to'. A.W. (p. 63) favours Q's 'to', but
cf. the parallel 'Jove's lightning, the precursors O' th'
dreadful thunder-claps' (Temp. 1. 2. 201-2). 'vaunt-
courier' occurs in Harsnett, p. 12; not elsewh. in Sh.
7. Strike (F) Q(+Camb.) 'Smite'.
8. germens (Cap.) cf. Macb. 4. i. 59. Q, F 'Ger-
maines'. spill destroy. Cf. Ham. 4. 5. 20.
9. make (Q+most edd.) F 'makes'.
10. court holy water see G. 'flattering speeches'
(Cotgrave 'Eau beniste de Cour'); e.g. 'thy daughters'
blessing'. Cf. Tilley, H 532.
12. in; ask (F 'in, ask') Q (+Camb.) 'in, and
aske'. daughters (F) = from your daughters. Camb.+
most edd. 'daughters".
13. wise men nor fools (<?*) Q(+Camb.) 'wise man
nor foole'.
14. bellyful (Md.) Q, F'belly full'.
22. will...join (<F) Q (+Camb.) 'haue...ioin'd'.
23. battles see G.
24. 0,ho!(F) Q'O\ Camb. 'O!O!\
2 5-36. He that...glass. As usual the Fool comments
upon Lear's last words ('a head', etc.). Your head, he
says in effect, deserves to go houseless ('unbonneted'),
since it was foolish to prefer Gon. and Reg. who despise
you to Cord, who loves you.
25-6. a good head-piece=(a) a good helmet (or
'bonnet') to protect his head, (b) a good head, i.e.
wisdom or prudence.
27-30. The codpiece...many Cf. Tilley, H 749,
'Before thou marry be sure of a house wherein to tarry'.
'Head-piece' suggests 'codpiece', and 'codpiece' (see
G.) stands for (a) penis, (b) 'a Fool like me' (cf. 1. 40).
The bauble of Sh.'s Fools prob. suggested a penis. Cf.
'
jllPs, 4. 5. 29—30, I would give his wife my bauble,
sir, to do her service'; Rom. 2.4.89-90, 'This drivelling