Page 334 - King Lear: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

4.7. N O T E S 259
And they go on kneeling and counter-kneeling for
another 30 lines!—a ridiculous stage-trick out of which
3
Sh. makes the lovely game Lear proposes at 5. .9-11:
We two alone will sing like birds i'th'cage;
When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down
And ask of thee forgiveness.

58. i W ( F ) Q 'hands'.
59. No, sir, you, (Q+Camb.) 'You'. S.D. (J.D.W.)
me (F) Q om. Her words explain his intention (to the
audience).
59-63. Pray...perfect mind see Introd. p. xxviii.
61. Fourscore and upward Prob.=over eighty but
not yet eighty-one (cf. T.L.S. 26 April 1957, letter by
D. S. Bland, on the date of Chaucer's birth).
69, 74. F's brackets.
71. Yes, faith He touches her cheek.
78. sp.-hdg. (Q) F 'Gent.', great rage=violent
delirium (K.). 79-80. and...lost. FromQ. Fom.
80. even o'er (Q 'euen ore') Usu. explained
'smooth over', hence 'fill up the gap', hence 'render
unbroken in his recollection' (W.A.W.). This is
strained; and seems to lack proper lexicographical
warrant. G.I.D. suggests a misreading of 'reliue ore'
(relive over again) butadmitsits tautology. J.D.W. conj.
*earn ore' (=grieve over); another poss. misreading.
81. go in i.e. in theatrical terms, go off-stage.
82. settling see G. Will't (Rowe) Q, F 'Wilt'.
walk see G.
84-5. forget and forgive Cf. Tilley, F 597, S.D. Q
*Exeunt. Manet Kent and Gent.'; F 'Exeunt'.
85-98. From Q. F om. Though the matter is nee.
to the plot, the cut is prob. theatrical, as the talk is
between minor characters at the end of a full and intense
sc. [G.I.D. 1949 ed. p. 8].
86. Holds it true—Has it been confirmed.