Page 277 - King Lear: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

zoz NOTES z.2.
being the Fool's comment upon Lear's 'my wits begin
to turn', and on jthe fact that he yet has 'a little tiny wit'
left to pity him.
74. S.D. (Cap.) Q, F om. and a A ballad con-
vention, and 'mere expletive' (Schmidt). Cf. Franz,
p. 472. But Abbott (§ 96) explains 'and a little' as =
'a little and that a very little'. Cf. Oth. 2. 3. 88,
'King Stephen was and-a worthy peer', little tiny
(Pope, subs.) Q 'little tine', F 'little-tyne'. Cf. F
Tw.N. 'tine' at 5. 1.388.
76. content noun, fit verb (infin.) He 'must make
his happiness fit his fortunes; must be contented and
happy, even when his fortunes are bad'. (K.).
77. Though (F) Q(+Camb.) 'For'—which misses
the point. N.B. The Tw.N. refrain begins 'For the
rain' throughout.
78. boy (<F) Q (+Camb.) 'my good boy'.
Come...hovel. Addressed to Kent. Cf. 11.61-3. wxMay
include the Fool (cf. 3.4. 26); but attractive to suppose
it the royal plural, the sovereign formally commanding
to be conducted to the straw-carpeted hut. S.D.
(<Cap.), F 'Exit.'.
79-80. Prose in Mai. Two lines in F, div. 'Curti-
zan: j He'. Pope read it as verse thus:
'Tis a brave night to cool a courtesan!
I'll speak a prophecy or ere I go
perhaps rightly, since 'or' may have been om. in F.
79-96. From F. Q om. 'Generally, and I think
rightly, taken as an incongruous theatrical interpolation'
(Chambers, 1, 466). But see note on 11. 81-94.
81-94. When priests...feet (arr. G.I.D. after
Warb.). Q om. F prints as follows:
When Priests are more in word, then matter;
When Brewers marre their Malt with water j
When Nobles are their Taylors Tutors,
No Heretiques burn'd, but wenches Sutorsj