Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

LEAR. Then leave her, sir; for, by the power that made me,

I tell you all her wealth.-For you, great king,

[TO FRANCE. I would not from your love make such a stray, To match you where I hate; therefore beseech you To avert your liking a more worthier way, Than on a wretch whom nature is asham'd Almost to acknowledge hers.

FRANCE.

This is most strange!

That she, thát even but now was your best object,
The argument of your praise, balm of your age,
Most best, most dearest, should in this trice of time
Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle
So many folds of favour! Sure, her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,

That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection
Fall 'n into taint: which to believe of her,

The passages just cited show that the text is right, and that our poet did not write, as some have proposed to read:

"Election makes not, upon such conditions." MALONE. 5 MOST best, MOST dearest;] Thus the quartos. The folios

read

"The best, the dearest;" STEEVENS.

We have just had more worthier, and in a preceding passage more richer. The same phraseology is found often in these plays and in the contemporary writings. MALONE.

6

SUCH unnatural degree,

THAT monsters it,] This was the phraseology of Shakspeare's age. So, in Coriolanus:

"But with such words that are but rooted in

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

No, not with such friends,

"That thought them sure of you."

Three of the modern editors, however, in the passage before us, have substituted as for that.

MALONE.

"That monsters it." This uncommon verb occurs again in Coriolanus, Act II. Sc. II. :

"To hear my nothings monster'd." STEEVENS.

7 -- or your fore-VOUCH'D AFFECTION

Fall INTO TAINT:] The common books read:

Must be a faith, that reason without miracle
Could never plant in me.

[ocr errors][merged small]

This line has no clear or strong sense, nor is this reading authorized by any copy, though it has crept into all the late editions. The early quarto reads:

The folio:

[ocr errors]

or you, for vouch'd affections

"Fall'n into taint."

"or your fore-vouch'd affection
"Fall into taint."

Taint is used for corruption and for disgrace. If therefore we take the oldest reading it may be reformed thus:

66

sure her offence

"Must be of such unnatural degree,

"That monsters it, or you for vouch'd affection
"Fall into taint."

Her offence must be prodigious, or you must fall into reproach for having vouched affection which you did not feel. If the reading of the folio be preferred, we may, with a very slight change, produce the same sense :

66

sure her offence

"Must be of such unnatural degree,

"That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection
"Falls into taint."

That is, falls into reproach or censure.

6

But there is another

possible sense. Or signifies before, and or ever is before ever; the meaning in the folio may therefore be, Sure her crime must be monstrous before your affection can be affected with hatred.' Let the reader determine.-As I am not much a friend to conjectural emendation, I should prefer the latter sense, which requires no change of reading. JOHNSON.

The meaning of the passage as I have printed it [fall'n into taint] is, I think, Either her offence must be monstrous, or, if she has not committed any such offence, the affection which you always professed to have for her must be tainted and decayed, and is now without reason alienated from her.

I once thought the reading of the quartos right-or you, for vouch'd affections, &c. i. e. on account of the extravagant professions made by her sisters: but I did not recollect that France had not heard these. However, Shakspeare might himself have forgot this circumstance. The plural affections favours this interpretation.

The interpretation already given, appears to me to be supported by our author's words in another place:

COR.

8

I yet beseech your majesty,

(If for I want that glib and oily art,

To speak and purpose not; since what I well * in

tend,

I'll do't before I speak,) that you make known † It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,

No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step,

That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour:
But even for want of that, for which I am richer;
A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue
That I am glad I have not, though not to have it,
Hath lost me in your liking.

LEAR.

Better thou

Hadst not been born, than not to have pleas'd me

better.

FRANCE. Is it no more but this? a tardiness in

nature,

Which often leaves the history unspoke,

That it intends to do ?-My lord of Burgundy,

+ Quartos, that

you may know.

* First folio, will. "When love begins to sicken and decay," &c. MALONE. The present reading, which is that of the folio, is right; and the sense will be clear, without even the slight amendment proposed by Johnson, to every reader who shall consider the word must, as referring to fall as well as to be. Her offence must be monstrous, or the former affection which you professed for her, must fall into taint; that is, become the subject of reproach. M. MASON.

Taint is a term belonging to falconry. So, in The Booke of Haukyng, &c. bl. 1. no date: "A taint is a thing that goeth overthwart the fethers, &c. like as it were eaten with wormes.” STEEVENS.

8 If FOR I want, &c.] If this be my offence, that I want the glib and oily art, &c. MALONE.

For has the power of-because. Thus, in p. 32:

"For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines
"Lag of a brother." STEEVENS.

9 NO UNCHASTE action,] The quartos read-no unclean action. Unclean, in the sense of unchaste, is the constant language of Scripture. BOSWELL.

Is it but this? &c.] Thus the folio. The quartos, disregarding metre

"Is it no more but this?" &c. STEEVENS.

What say you to the lady? Love is not love,
When it is mingled with respects', that stand
Aloof from the entire point. Will you have her?
She is herself a dowry

BUR.

3

Royal Lear1,

Give but that portion which you yourself propos'd, And here I take Cordelia by the hand,

Duchess of Burgundy.

LEAR. Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm.

BUR. I am sorry then, you have so lost a father, That you must lose a husband.

COR.

Peace be with Burgundy!

Since that respects of fortune are his love,

I shall not be his wife.

FRANCE. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor;

Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd! Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon :

Be it lawful, I take up what's cast away.

Gods, gods! 'tis strange, that from their cold'st neglect

My love should kindle to inflam'd respect.-
Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance,
Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France:
Not all the dukes of wat'rish Burgundy

* Quartos, in.

' — with RESPECTS,] i. e. with cautious and prudential considerations. See vol. viii. p. 291, n. 4.

Thus the quartos. The folio has-regards. MALONE.

2- from the entire point.] Single, unmixed with other considerations. JOHNSON.

Dr. Johnson is right. The meaning of the passage is, that his love wants something to mark its sincerity:

"Who seeks for aught in love but love alone."

3 She is herself A DOWRY.] The quartos read:

STEEVENS.

66 She is herself and dower." STEEVENS.

4 Royal LEAR,] So the quarto; the folio has-Royal king.

STEEVENS.

Shall buy this unpriz'd precious maid of me.-
Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind:
Thou losest here', a better where to find.

LEAR. Thou hast her, France: let her be thine;
for we

Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see
That face of hers again :-Therefore be gone,
Without our grace, our love, our benizon.-
Come, noble Burgundy.

[Flourish. Exeunt LEAR, BURGUNDY, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GLOSTER, and Attendants. FRANCE. Bid farewell to your sisters.

6

COR. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are; And, like a sister, am most loath to call

Your faults, as they are nam'd. Use well our father :

8

Το your professed bosoms I commit him :

But yet, alas! stood I within his grace,
I would prefer him to a better place.
So farewell to you both.

5 Thou losest here,] Here and where have the power of nouns. Thou losest this residence to find a better residence in another place. JOHNSON.

So, in Churchyard's Farewell to the World, 1592:

"That growes not here, takes roote in other where." See note on The Comedy of Errors, Act II. Sc. I. vol. iv. p. 169. STEEVENS.

6 THE jewels-] As this reading affords sense, though an aukward one, it may stand and yet Ye instead of The, a change adopted by former editors, may be justified; it being frequently impossible, in ancient MSS. to distinguish the one word from the customary abbreviation of the other. STEEVENS.

7 — USE well our father:] So the quartos. The folio reads -Love well. MALONE.

8 — PROFESSED bosoms-] All the ancient editions readprofessed. Mr. Pope-professing; but, perhaps, unnecessarily, as Shakspeare often uses one participle for the other;-longing for longed in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and all-obeying for allobeyed in Antony and Cleopatra. STEEVENS.

« ZurückWeiter »