did, and was so ioifullie, honorablie, and louinglie receiued, both by his sonne in law Aganippus, and also by his daughter Cordeilla, that his hart was greatlie comforted: for he was no lesse honored, than if he had beene king of the whole countrie himselfe. Now when he had informed his sonne in law and his daughter in what sort he had beene vsed by his other daughters, Aganippus caused a mightie armie to be put in a readinesse, and likewise a great nauie of ships to be rigged, to passe ouer into Britaine with Leir his father in law, to see him againe restored to his kingdome. It was accorded, that Cordeilla should also go with him to take possession of the land, the which he promised to leaue vnto hir, as the rightfull inheritour after his decesse, notwithstanding any former grant made to hir sisters or to their husbands in anie maner of wise. Herevpon, when this armie and nauie of ships were readie, Leir and his daughter Cordeilla with hir husband tooke the sea, and arriuing in Britaine, fought with their enimies, and discomfited them in battell, in the which Maglanus and Henninus were slaine ; and then was Leir restored to his kingdome, which he ruled after this by the space of two yeeres, and then died, fortie yeeres after he first began to reigne. His bodie was buried at Leicester in a vaut vnder the chanell of the riuer of Sore beneath the towne. The Sixth Chapter. — Cordeilla the yoongest daughter of Leir was admitted Q. and supreme gouernesse of Britaine in the yeere of the world 3155, before the bylding of Rome 54; Uzia was then reigning in Juda, and Jeroboam ouer Israell. This Cordeilla after hir fathers deceasse ruled the land of Britaine right worthilie during the space of fiue yeeres, in which meane time hir husband died, and then about the end of those fiue yeeres, hir two nephewes Margan and Cunedag, sonnes to hir aforesaid sisters, disdaining to be vnder the gouernment of a woman, leuied warre against hir, and destroied a great part of the land, and finallie tooke hir prisoner, and laid hir fast in ward, wherewith she tooke suche griefe, being a woman of a manlie courage, and despairing to recouer libertie, there she slue hirselfe, when she had reigned (as before is mentioned) the tearme of fiue yeeres. II. The Mirror for Magistrates. — From the story of Queene Cordila, written by John Higgins, edited by Haslewood, 1815, vol. I, pp. 124-132. 6. My grandsire Bladud hight, that found the bathes by skill, A fethered King that practis'd high to soare, Was chosen King, by right apparent heyre, An arrow that a cloth-yarde was lang Cf. also The Lay of the Last Minstrel, iv. 15. 92. brown bills, halberds painted brown, used by footsoldiers. clout, the mark shot at in archery. Cf. Love's Labour's Lost, iv. 1. 136, “ Indeed, a' must shoot nearer, or he'll never hit the clout." 98–99. had white hairs, etc., had the wisdom of age while yet a boy. 108. trick, characteristic, peculiarity. 111. What was thy cause? What were you accused of ? 137. piece, equivalent to “ masterpiece.” Cf. The Tempest, i. 2. 56, “ Thy mother was a piece of virtue”; and Antony and Cleopatra, v. 2. 99, to imagine An Antony, were nature's piece 'gainst fancy." 140. squiny, squint, make eyes at. Lear does not yet recognize that Gloucester is blind. He is incapable in his madness of sympathizing with, or even appreciating, Gloucester's fate. 148. are you there with me? is that what you mean? 157-158. handy-dandy. A children's game in which the onlookers are asked to say in which hand an object, that has frequently been changed from one hand to the other, finally remains; hence equivalent here to choose which you will." 169-174. Plate sin . . . lips. Omitted in the Qq. 172. able, warrant, vouch for. 187. The reason in Lear's madness is but fitful. He has no sooner begun to moralize to Gloucester on the folly of this world than his thoughts again wander. this', this is. block, probably the shape of a hat; hence the succeeding thought, the hat being of felt. 199. a man of salt, i.e. a man of tears. Cf. Hamlet, i. 2. 154, “ the salt of most unrighteous tears ”; and Coriolanus, v. 6. 93, “ for certain drops of salt.” 212. speed you, i.e. God speed you. 214. vulgar, commonly known. 217. the main descry, etc., the appearance of the main body is hourly expected. 226. art, acquired faculty, experience. feeling, heartfelt; a quasi-passive sense. 230. To boot, and boot.“ By the repetition Gloucester wishes to convey both meanings of' to boot,' in addition (to my thanks) and (the bounty of heaven) be your help” (Herford). 231. framed, formed. 240. Edgar adopts the Somersetshire dialect. It is commonly put into the mouths of rustics in the Elizabethan drama. Chill is a contraction of “ ich will,” chud of“ ich would ”; while the o in vurther, volk, etc. represents the southwestern pronunciation of f. Che vor ye stands for “ I warn you," and ise for “ I shall.” 247. costard, a humorous term for the head, literally a large kind of apple. Cf. the modern“ nut." ballow, cudgel; a dialectal word. 261. foins, thrusts in fencing. 256. British. So the Qq. The Ff read English.” Cf. iii. 4. 189. 264. Leave, by your leave. A similar expression occurs in Cymbeline, iii. 2. 35, Good wax, thy leave," and in Twelfth Night, ii. 5. 103, “ By your leave, wax.' 275. servant, a regular term for a lover. 278. undistinguish'd space, undefinable scope. See note on i. 1. 262. will, desire. 284. death-practised, whose death was plotted. See note on i. 2. 198. 286. ingenious, sensitive, lively. SCENE 7 This is another of the great scenes of the play. In point of bearing on the action of the drama, it is less important than i. 4 or ii. 4, the scenes with which it ranks in dramatic power. But the play contains no more affecting picture than that of Cordelia's care for Lear, his restoration to reason in her presence, and his recognition of her. 6. suited, clothed. . 9. Yet to be known shortens ... to be known as yet would impair the plan I have made. 17. child-changed, changed by the conduct of his children. 24. temperance, calmness. 38. Against, at, before, over against; as com mmonly in E. E. 42. all, altogether; used adverbially. Cf. i. 1. 102. 47. that, so that. 53. abused, deceived. Cf. 1. 77 and iv. 1. 24. 65. mainly, perfectly. See Glossary. 67. NOT not, one of the commonest forms in E. E. of the double negative. Cf. v. 3. 290. 70. “ The ‘so I am' of Cordelia gushes from her heart like a torrent of tears, relieving it of a weight of love and of supposed ingratitude which had pressed upon it for years (Hazlitt). 80. even o'er, account for, fill in fully, remember clearly, The metaphor is apparently from the language of accountants. Craig compares Macbeth, v. 8. 60-62: “ We shall not spend a large expense of time Before we reckon with your several loves, And make us even with you.” 85-97. Holds it true . . . fought. Omitted in the Ff, like the concluding lines of iïi. 7. 91. It will be remembered that Kent had declared his intention to “ shape his old course in a country new” (i. 1. 190). 96. period, end aimed at. Cf. Henry VIII, i. 2. 209, “ There's his period, To sheathe his knife in us.” ACT V - SCENE 1 This scene is a preparation for the catastrophe. It shows how the evildoers are hastening to their destruction. Whatever Albany's sympathy for Lear, he has to oppose the French invasion; but his life is plotted against by Edmund, whose patriotism is subordinate to his ambition to assume the supreme power; and Goneril and Regan are now so bitterly divided by jealousy of Edmund that the issue of the battle is to them of secondary interest. 4. constant pleasure, fixed, final resolve. Cf. i. 1. 44. 13. bosom'd, in her confidence. Cf. iv. 5. 26. as far as we call hers, as far as anything is hers; to the utmost. 16. Fear, doubt. Cf. iii. 1. 47, and contrast iii. 5. 4 and iv. 2. 31. 23–27. Where I could not be honest, etc. In these words Albany gives the explanation of his weakness at the beginning of the play. But he is not the weak character that Goneril thought him, or that he is so often said to be. 26. bolds, emboldens: “not in so far as France emboldens (i.e. supports) the king." 32. ancient of war, experienced soldiers, veterans. 61. carry out my side, succeed in my plan, win my object. The metaphor is taken from games. Mason quotes from Massinger's Great Duke of Florence (iv. 2): “ If I hold your cards, I shall pull down the side; I am not good at the game.” 68. Shall, i.e. they shall. Cf. i. 1. 213. 69. Stands on me, requires me. See note, iii. 6. 102. SCENE 2 Mr. Spedding suggested (New Shakspere Society's Transactions, 1877-1879, pt. i) that the acts of King Lear have been wrongly divided, and that the fourth act ends at the fourth line of this scene. According to his arrangement, the battle would take place between the fourth and fifth acts. He was prompted to this suggestion by the unsatisfactory description of the battle compared with other similar descriptions in Shakespeare. “In other cases a few skilful touches bring the whole battle before us - a few rapid shiftings from one part of the field to another, a few hurried greetings of friend or foe, a few short passages of struggle, pursuit, or escape, give us token of the conflict which is raging on all sides; and, when the hero falls, we feel that his army is defeated. A page or two does it; but it is done.” But in this scene the army so long looked for, and on which everything depends, passes over the stage, and all |