I would not from your love make such a stray 210 France. This is most strange, That she, that even but now was your best object, 215 The argument of your praise, balm of your age, So many folds of favour. Sure, her offence Must be of such unnatural degree 220 That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection Must be a faith that reason without miracle Should never plant in me. 217. 221. your] F, you Q; fore-vouch'd 222. Fall'n] Q, Fall F. 224. 215. she, that] Q, she whom F, she who F 2; best] Q, omitted F. Most best, most]Q, The best, the F. affection] F, for voucht affections Q. Should] F, Could Q. 211. To] as to. III. ii. 27: stray] go so much See Richard III. "I wonder he's so fond 212 To avert... way] to turn your affections from the unworthy object on which they are now placed, and in a worthier, better direction; place them on a better person. 216. argument subject, theme. So Much Ado, II. iii. II. 217. Most best, most dearest] See Hamlet's letter to Ophelia, II. ii. 122: "but that I love thee best, O most best, believe it" (Staunton MS. note). 218. dismantle] strip off. 219-222. Sure. . . taint] Malone explains, "either her offence must be monstrous, or if she has not committed any such offence, the affection you always professed to have for her must be tainted and decayed." This seems tame. May it not mean, "She must surely have committed some unspeakably horrid act, ere the warm affection, you always professed to hold her in, should thus suddenly have changed to hate"? 221. monsters it] So Coriolanus, II. ii. 81: "sit, To hear my nothings monster'd." 221. or] ere. See Cymbeline, II. iv. 14. Cor. Lear. I yet beseech your majesty, (If for I want that glib and oily_art 225 To speak and purpose not, since what I well intend, 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 deprived me of your grace and favour, 230 That I am glad I have not, though not to have it Better thou Hadst not been born than not to have pleased me better. France. Is it but this? a tardiness in nature Which often leaves the history unspoke That it intends to do? My Lord of Burgundy, What say you to the lady? Love's not love 235 228. 226. well] Q, will F. 227. make known] F, may know Q. murder or,]Q, F; nor other Singer (Collier MS.). 229. unchaste] F, uncleane Q. 231. richer] F, rich Q. 232. still-soliciting] hyphened Theobald. 233. That] F, As Q. 234. Better] F, Go to, go to, better Q. 236. but this?]F, no more but this, Q. 237. Which] F, That Q. 239. Love's] F, Love is, Q. 225. If for] if it (my fault) is for, i.e. because; or if (you are enraged at me) because I am without, have none of it. 228. murder or] It is quite unnecessary to follow Collier's "nor other foulness." Cordelia, with a touch of scorn, mentions the most extreme vices she can think of. With the plain speaking so characteristic of her, she says, "I have not been discarded and so upbraided because I am a murderess, or a wanton." 237. history] Schmidt explains as "communication of what is in the heart or inner life of man," comparing Measure for Measure, 1. i. 29; Richard III. III. v. 28; Sonnet xciii. 8. 239. What say you to] how like you; will you take, see line 241. A phrase of invitation, as in Taming of the Shrew, IV. iii. 17, Grumio asks Katharina, "What say you to a neat's foot"; see also lines 20 and 23 of the same scene. Bur. When it is mingled with regards that stand 240 Aloof from the entire point. Will you have her? Royal Lear, Give but that portion which yourself proposed, 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 Bury Cor. That you must lose a husband. 245 Peace be with Burgundy! 250 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 loved, despised! 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 inflamed respect. 255 240. regards that stand] Pope, respects that stands Q (stads Q 1), regards, that stands F, respects that stand Malone. 242. a dowry] F, and dowre Q; Lear] Q, (Leir) King F. 246. I am firm] F, omitted Q. respects of fortune] Q, respects and Fortunes F. 240. regards] considerations. See Othello, I. i. 154. 241. entire] essential, chief (Schmidt); single, unmixed by other considerations (Johnson). The best commentary on these words is Sonnet cxvi. 2-6: "Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: 249. O no! it is an ever-fixèd mark, That looks on tempests, and is never shaken." 249. respects] prudential considerations. So Hamlet, III. ii. 192, 193: "The instances that second mar riage move Are base respects of thrift, but none of love." 256. respect] liking. Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance, Shall buy this unprized precious maid of me. 260 Lear. Thou hast her, France; let her be thine, for we Come, noble Burgundy. 265 [Flourish. Exeunt Lear, Burgundy, Cornwall, Albany, Gloucester, and Attendants. France. Bid farewell to your sisters. Cor. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes 257. my] F, thy Q. 259. of] F, in Q. 260. Shall Q, Can F. 267. Flourish] F, omitted Q; Exeunt Attendants] Capell, Exit Lear and Burgundy Q, Exeunt F. 269. The] Q, F; Ye Rowe, ed. 2. to me. 257. thrown to my chance] allotted For chance, in the sense of "lot," see Twelfth Night, III. iv. 177 : "If it be thy chance to kill me." 259. waterish] abounding in streams, well watered; such was the boast of Burgundy. France plays on the other sense of the word, weak, thin, poor. See Othello, III. iii. 15: "Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet." 260. unprized precious] unappreciated by others, but precious in my eyes. Wright thinks it may mean "priceless," comparing "unvalued" in the sense of invaluable, Richard III. 1. iv. 27. 261. though unkind] though they have treated you with unnatural cruelty. Staunton writes: "Unkind here sig. nifies unnatural, unless France is intended to mean though unkinn'd,' i.e. though forsaken by thy kindred"; and adds in a MS. note: "cf. Venus and Adonis, line 203, 'She had not brought thee forth, but died unkind.”” 262. where] place. So Romeo and Juliet, 1. i. 204: "This is not Romeo, he's some other where"; also Brome, A Jovial Crew or The Merry Beggars. See Pearson, Works, 1873, iii. 360: "Do not the birds sing here as sweet and lively As any other where." 266. benison] blessing. So Macbeth, II. iv. 40: "God's benison go with you." And see Isac (Townley Mysteries), Surtees Society edition, p. 43: "Isac. Where art thou, Esau, my son? Esau. Here, father, and asks thy benyson.' 269. The... of] You, the jewels'of. Rowe reads "ye" in his second edition (1714), and he has been followed by Capell and several modern editors. It Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are; 270 Your faults as they are named. Use well our father : But yet, alas! stood I within his grace, I would prefer him to a better place. Reg. Prescribe not us our duties. Gon. Let your study 275 Be to content your lord, who hath receiv'd you 269. wash'd] tear-washed, tearful. So Midsummer Night's Dream, II. ii. 93: "How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears: If so, my eyes are oftener wash'd than hers." Much Ado, 1. i. 27, also Cyril Tourneur, The Atheist's Tragedy, I. ii. 34: "What, ha' you wash'd your eyes with tears this morning?" 271, 272. to call . . . named] to name them without mincing matters, to call them by their true ugly names. We may compare the common expression "to call a spade a spade" found in Ben Jonson, Poetaster, v. 1; see also The Four Elements, 1519, (Dodsley's Old Plays, Hazlitt, i. 49). 273. professed] professing. Steevens compares longing for longed for, Two Gentlemen of Verona [11. vii. 85], and all-obeying for all obeyed; Antony and Cleopatra [111. xiii. 77]. 273. bosoms] loves; see "the common bosom," v. iii. 50. 275. prefer] advance, as in Richard III. IV. ii. 82; recommend (Schmidt). 279. At... alms] by the charity, good offices of fortune. Steevens quotes Othello, 111. iv. 120-122: "So shall I clothe me in a forced content, And shut myself up in some other course, To fortune's alms" (subject to the kindness of fortune). See Pepys' Diary, Minors' Bright ed., 1879, iv. 189, "to be buried at the alms of the parish,” i.e. at the expense of the parish. 279. scanted] begrudged, stinted, come short of. So Henry V. II. iv. 47: "Doth like a miser, spoil his coat with scanting A little cloth." 280. And well. wanted] and well deserve-(a) to be treated unkindly, or (b) to lose your share of the kingdom, in return for your fla |