Page 298 - King Lear: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

3.6. N O T E S 223
a promise that though his sheep be in the corn, i.e. com-
mitting trespass by his negligence, yet a single tune upon his
pipe shall secure them from the pound.
43. minikin see G. Doubtful whether this refers to
the pipe or to the shepherd's (? shepherdess's) voice.
45. Purr the (Qsubs.) Most edd. read'Purr! the'.
But 'Purre' is the name of a 'fat devil' in Harsnett
(p. 50). Sh. may be identifying it with' Graymalkin' in
Macb. 1. 1. 8. 47. she (Q 2) Q 1 om.
51. /.. .joined-stool A contemptuous form of apology
for not observing another person's presence (cf. Tilley,
M 897). But, as usual, the Fool is aware of the true facts
when Lear is not. It is a stool, joined-stool Q 'ioyne
stoole' Q 2 (+Camb.) 'ioynt stoole'.
53. stone (J.D.W. <Coll. <Theob. conj.) Q
(+most) 'store' (=treasure, valuable material or
stock)—which goes ill with 'made on' (=composed of),
even supposing an allusion to Matt. vi. 21, as Muir
suggests. Some sort of substance seems required. The
graphical difference between 'stone' and 'store' is v.
slight, and 'stony hearts' is almost a Sh. cliche" (e.g.
Tw.N. 3. 4. 204; R. Ill, 4. 4. 228; M.V. 4. 1. 4;
2 H. IF, 4. 5. 107). Both Schmidt and On. suspect
corruption.
54. Corruption...place! Bribery in the court of
justice itself!
57-8. Sir, where'...retain? See Introd. pp. xxxiii-
xxxiv.
57. patience see G. 59-60. Rowe's 'aside*.
60. They (F) Q (+Camb.) 'Theile'.
61-2. The little dogs...bark at me. i.e. he is utterly
outcast—and they are his dogs! Cf. 4. 6. 154 and the
old nursery rhyme: 'Hark, hark, hark! | The dogs do
bark | The beggars are coming to town.'
63. throw his head Unexplained. Cf.l. 71. Prob.=
'turn and face'—the approved method with wild
N.S.K.L.-I6