25. out, abroad, in foreign lands. Cf. Two Gentlemen of Verona, i. 3. 7, "Put forth their sons to seek preferment out". 29. our darker purpose, our more secret design. Lear makes a full statement of what is already known by Kent and Gloucester.

31. fast intent, fixed intention: synonymous with 'constant will' in 1. 36.

33-38. while we . now. Omitted in the Quartos.

46. challenge, claim as due: "where there are both the claims of nature (i.e. of birth) and merit". Cf. iv. 7. 31.

48. wield the matter, express.

57. shadowy, shady.

62. self, i.e. same. This adjectival use of 'self', which is a survival from O. E., was still common in Shakespeare's time. Cf. iv. 3. 34.

64. names my very deed of love, states exactly my love, expresses my love in very deed.

67. the most precious square of sense, the most exquisitely sensitive part of our nature.

68. felicitate, made happy.

Regan's protestations are as forced as Goneril's. Her stilted phraseology betokens her insincerity. It is in ominous contrast to the simplicity of all that Cordelia can bring herself to say.

71. more ponderous. So the Folios. The Quartos read more richer. The double comparative and superlative (e.g. 1. 210) were commonly used in E. E. to give emphasis.

74. validity, value, worth; not in the modern sense of 'good `title'.

76. Although the last, not least. This phrase occurs also in Julius Cæsar, iii. 1. 189, "Though last, not least in love"; and there are several other instances of it in Elizabethan literature.

The Folios read “Our last and least", which is preferred by some editors; while the Quartos have "Although the last, not least in our dear love", but omit from to whose young love to interess'd. The usual reading of this passage is therefore founded on both texts.

77. milk; referring to the rich pasture land of Burgundy. 78. interess'd. See Glossary.

83. Nothing will come of nothing. Cf. i. 4. 125, and the proverb, Ex nihilo nihil fit.

86. bond, bounden duty, obligation.

88. Good my lord, a common form of transposition when the possessive is unemphatic. Cf. 1. 113 and iii. 2. 56. The transposition occurs most commonly when the address begins a sentence: contrast ii. 1. 109, iv. 2. 70 and 90.

93. all, exclusively, only. So also 1. 97.

100. All that Cordelia says has the sincerity and abrupt simplicity inevitable on being goaded to give expression to feelings too heart-felt for words. It has been remarked by some critics that Cordelia's conduct bears traces in its tactless obstinacy of her father's headstrong nature. Coleridge, for instance, says: "There is something of disgust at the ruthless hypocrisy of her sisters, and some little faulty admixture of pride and sullenness in Cordelia's 'Nothing'; and her tone is well contrived, indeed, to lessen the glaring absurdity of Lear's conduct ". But the prevailing note of her character is simplicity and truth. She felt so deeply that she was unable to frame a formal statement of her love for her father, and she was the less able to do so from her abhorrence of her sisters' rank insincerity.

101. Wounded vanity is the cause of Lear's anger. He had already determined on a division of his kingdom among his three daughters. He says definitely, on his very entrance, "we have divided in three our kingdom", and Kent and Gloucester have already discussed two of the shares. But that his vanity may be ministered unto he wishes to hear the professions of his daughters' love. "The trial is but a trick," says Coleridge; "the grossness of the old king's rage is in part the natural result of a silly trick suddenly and most unexpectedly baffled and disappointed."

103. Hecate, the goddess in classical mythology of enchantments and sorcery. In the Middle Ages she was regarded as the queen of witches. Cf. Macbeth, ii. 1. 52 and iii. 5. The word is pronounced as a dissyllable in Shakespeare.

107. property, equivalent to 'identity'. Cf. proper, iv. 2. 60.

110. generation, generally said to mean 'offspring', as in the phrase "generation of vipers' ", S. Matthew, iii. 7, &c. It is plausibly suggested by Mr. W. J. Craig, however, that generation may here mean 'parents', as progeny does in Coriolanus, i. 8. 12. "Though Purchas in his Pilgrimes has a curious passage mentioning different kinds of cannibalism, he does not mention eating of children by their parents, nor do I know any reference to it. On the other hand, Herodotus tells us that the Scythians ate their aged and impotent relations, and Chapman in Byron's Tragedy, iv. 1, has the following

116, 117. to set my rest On her kind nursery. This appears to have a double meaning. 'To set one's rest' is a phrase used in the game of primero, meaning 'to stake all upon the cards in one's hand', and hence it came to mean generally to stake one's all. To set my rest on her kind nursery would therefore mean to rely absolutely on her care'. But it is probable that Shakespeare had the simpler interpretation also in view, viz. 'to find rest for my old age with her'. There is a similar usage in Romeo and Juliet, v. 3. 110, "O here Will I set up my everlasting rest"; and in this the phrase cannot well have the first meaning exclusively.

117. nursery, nursing.

Hence, and avoid my sight! Addressed to Cordelia. 121. digest. See Glossary.

122. I.e. Let her pride find her a husband, as she won't have a dowry to do so.

124. effects, signs, manifestations. Cf. ii. 4. 176.

129. additions, titles, as commonly in Shakespeare. Cf. ii. 2. 21 and v. 3. 68.

136. make from, get out of the way of.

137. the fork, the barbed arrow-head.

138. "Almost the first burst of that noble tide of passion which runs through the play is in the remonstrance of Kent to his royal master on the injustice of his sentence against his youngest daughter: 'Be Kent unmannerly, when Lear is mad!' This manly plainness, which draws down on him the displeasure of the unadvised king, is worthy of the fidelity with which he adheres to his fallen fortunes" (Hazlitt).

142. Reverse thy doom is the reading of the Quartos; the Folios have 'Reserve thy state'.

144. answer my life my judgement, let my life answer for my judgment.

152. blank, literally the white centre of a target.

154. swear'st, adjurest, swearest by. For the omission of the preposition cf. ii. 2. 76, and see Abbott, § 200.

166. our potency made good, our royal authority being maintained.

"Kent's opposition . . . displays Lear's moral incapability of resigning the sovereign power in the very act of disposing of it" (Coleridge).

168. diseases, discomforts, absence of ease.

178. approve, justify, confirm, as commonly in E. E. Cf. ii. 2. 154, and ii. 4. 180.

182. Here's France and Burgundy. For the common Shakespearian use of a singular verb preceding a plural subject, see Abbott, § 335.

184, 185. you who ... Hath. A singular verb often follows a relative whose antecedent is plural. Cf. stirs, ii. 4. 271, and see Abbott, § 247.

190. so, i.e. 'dear', with the meaning of high price'.

192. that little seeming substance. A difficult phrase. Johnson takes 'seeming' in the sense of 'beautiful', 'little seeming' being thus equivalent to 'ugly'; Steevens and Schmidt give it the sense of 'specious'; while Wright understands it to mean 'in appearance'. The second interpretation is the best. There appears to be little point in "that substance which is but little in appearance", and Johnson's explanation is forced.

194. like, please, as commonly in E. E. Cf. ii. 2. 84.

196. owes, possesses. See Glossary.

200. makes not up, does not decide. 'There is no choice on such conditions.'

203. make such a stray, stray so far.

204. To match. For the omission of as, see Abbott, § 281, and cf. 1. 211.

beseech, i.e. I beseech. "The Elizabethan authors objected to scarcely any ellipsis, provided the deficiency could be easily supplied from the context. See Abbott, §§ 399-401. Cf. ii. 4. 41 and v. 1. 68.

209. argument, theme, subject; as commonly in E. E.

214. monsters it, makes it monstrous. A similar use occurs in Coriolanus, ii. 2. 81, "idly sit To hear my nothings monster'd".

225. still-soliciting, ever-begging. Cf. i. 4. 322, ii. 4. 102, and Tempest, i. 2. 229, "the still-vex'd Bermoothes".

233. regards, considerations. Cf. 1. 242.

234. the entire point, the sole consideration, the object of pure love.

244, &c. France's tender declaration appears the more beautiful by contrast with the prosaic selfish remarks of his rival, who has amply merited Cordelia's "Peace be with Burgundy!" 252. waterish, well-watered: used in contempt.

(M 906)

I

253. unprized, beyond price. “The suffix -ed in past participles had in E. E. gone far to acquire the sense of what may be done' in addition to that of 'what has been done'. For the most part this heightened meaning occurs in combination with a negative prefix” (Herford). Cf. untented, i. 4. 291; unnumbered, iv. 6. 21; and undistinguish'd, iv. 6. 251. Unprized may, however, be used here in the simple sense of 'not prized'.

255. here . . . where, used as nouns.

262. Cordelia from the first has seen through her sisters' deceit; but pity for her father, despite the wrong he has done her, at last forces her to speak plainly. Note how she has gradually worked herself up to this declaration.

The jewels of our father, in apposition with 'you'.

with wash'd eyes, i.e. with tears.

266. professed, full of professions. For this active sense of the past participle, cf. better spoken, iv. 6. 10, and see Kellner, § 408.

268. prefer, recommend, direct: as commonly in Shakespeare.

270. As Hazlitt remarks, the true character of the two eldest daughters, who have not spoken since the very beginning of the love test, breaks out in Regan's answer to Cordelia, "their hatred of advice being in proportion to their determination to do wrong, and to their hypocritical pretensions to do right". But most striking of all is Goneril's odious self-righteousness in telling her sister "You have obedience scanted".

272. At, used in statements of price or value: hence 'as an alms of fortune'.

273. This line presents some difficulty. It is best rendered thus, And well deserve that absence of affection from your father which you have shown towards him'. It is possible, however, to take want as referring specifically to the dowry, and in this case, as Wright says, the want that you have wanted would be an instance of a verb and its cognate accusative.

274. plaited. See Glossary.

277, &c. The closing dialogue of this scene shows Goneril to be the stronger and more assertive of the two sisters. It is she who broaches the discussion of their position, and declares, when Regan purposes merely to "think on their policy, that they must strike while the iron is hot. But the dialogue is also of considerable importance in the structure of the play, as it serves to prepare us for Lear's fate. The very waywardness to which they owe their fortunes they make a reason for their treacherous design to deprive him of authority. Lear's faults, it appears, are not due to senility, though it has