Drew on me here.] A young soldier is said to flesh his sword, the first time he draws blood with it. Fleshment, therefore, is here metaphorically applied to the first act of service which Kent, in his new capacity, had performed for his master; and, at the same time, in a sarcastick sense, as though he had esteemed it an heroick exploit to trip a man behind, that was actually falling. HENLEY. P. 43, 1. 14. 15. None of these rogues, and cowards, But Ajax is their fool.] Meaning, as we should now express it. Ajax is a fool to them, there are none of these knaves and cowards, that if you believe themselves, are not so brave, that Ajax is a fool compared to them; alluding to the steward's account of their quarrel, where he says of Kent, "This ancient ruffian, whose life I have spared in pity to his gray beard." When a man is compared to one who excels him very much in any art or quality it is a vulgar expression to say, "He is but a fool to him." M. MASON. The foregoing explanation of this passage was suggested also by Mr. Malone, in his Second Appendix to the Supp. to Shakspeare, 8vo. 1783, in apposition to an idea of mine, which I readily allow to have been erroneous. STEEVENS, P. 43, 1. 32. [Stocks brought out.] This is not the first time that stocks had been introduced on the stage. In Hick-scorner, which was printed early in the reign of King Henry VIII. Pity is put into them, and left there till he is freed by Perseveraunce and Contemplacyon. STEEVENS, P. 44, 1. 11. [ KENT is put in the stocks.] It should be remembered, that formerly in great houses as still in some colleges, there were moveable stocks for the correction of the servants. FARMER, P. 44, 1. 16. Will not be rubb'd, nor stopp'd:] Metaphor from bowling. WARBURTON. P. 44, 1. 25-28. Keat. Good King, that must approve the common saw! Thou out of heaven's benediction com'st To the warm sun!] That art now to exemplify the common proverb, That out of, &c. That changest better for worse. Hanmer observes, that it is a proverbial saying, applied to those who are turned out of house and home to the open weather. It was perhaps first used of men dismissed from an hospital, or house of charity, such as was erected formerly in many places for travellers. Those houses had names properly enough alluded to by heaven's benediction. JOHNSON. Kent was not thinking of the King's being turned out of house and home to the open weather, a misery which he has not yet experienced, but of his being likely to receive a worse reception from Regan than that which he had already experienced from his elder daughter Goneril. Hanmer therefore certainly misunderstood the passage. MALONE, P. 44, 1. 29-35. & P. 45, J. 1. Approach, thou beacon to this under globe, That by thy comfortable beams I may But misery I know 'tis from Cordelia; Who hath most fortunately been inform'd Of my obscured course; and shall find time From this enormous state, seeking to give Losses their remedies:] This passage, which some of the editors have degraded as spurious, to the margin, and others have silently altered, I have faithfully printed according to the quarto, from which the folio differs only in punctuation. The passage is very obscure, if not corrupt. Perhaps it may be read thus: Cordelia has been -informed Of my obscured course, and shall find time From this enormous state-seeking, to give Losses their remedies. Cordelia is informed of our affairs, and when the enormous care of seeking her fortune will allow her time, she will employ it in remedying losses. This is harsh; perhaps something better may be found. I have at least supplied the genuine reading of the old copies. Enormous is unwonted, out of rule, out of the ordinary course of things. JOHNSON. I confess I do not understand this passage, anless it may be considered as divided parts of Cordelia's letter, which he is reading to himself by moonlight: it certainly conveys the sense of what she would have said. In reading a letter, it is natural enough to dwell on those circumstances in it that promise the change in our affairs which we most wish for; and Kent having read Cordelia's assurances that she will find a time to free the injured from the enormous misrule of Regan, is willing to go to sleep with that pleasing reflection uppermost in his mind. But this is mere conjecture. STEEVENS. Dr. Johnson's explanation of this passage cannot be right; for although in the old ballad whence this play is supposed to be taken, Cordelia is forced to seek her fortune, in the play itself she is Queen of France, and has no fortune to seek; but it is more difficult to discover the real meaning of this speech, than to refute his conjecture. It seems to me, that the verb, shall find, is not governed by the word Cordelia, but by the pronoun I, in the beginning of the sentence; and that the words from this enormous state, do not refer to Cordelia, but to Kent himself, dressed like a clown, and condemned to the stocks, an enormous state indeed for a man of his high rank. The difficulty of this passage has arisen from a mistake in all the former editors, who have printed these three lines, as if they were a quotation from Cordelia's letter, whereas they are in fact the words of Kent himself; let the reader consider them in that light, as part of Kent's own speech, the obscurity is at an end, and the meaning is clearly this: "I know that the letter is from Cordelia, (who hath been informed of my obscured course) and shall gain time, by this strange disguise and situation, which I shall employ in seeking to remedy our present losses." M. MASON. Notwithstanding the ingenuity and confidence of Mr. M. Mason, (who has not however done justice to his own idea) I cannot but concur with Mr. Steevens, in ascribing these broken expressions to the letter of Cordelia. For, if the words were Kent's, there will be no intimation from the letter that can give the least insight to Cordelia's design; and the only apparent purport of it will be, to tell Kent that she knew his situation. But exclusive of this consideration, what hopes could Kent entertain, in a condition so deplorable as his — unless Cordelia should take an opportunity, from the anarchy of the kingdom, aud the broils subsisting between Albany and Cornwall of finding a time, to give losses their remedies? Guran had before mentioned to Edmund, the rumour of wars toward, between these Dukes. This report had reached Cordelia, who, having also discovered the situation and fidelity of Kent, writes to inform him, that she should avail herself of the first opportunity which the enormities of the times might offer, of restoring him to her father's favour, and her father to his kingdom. [See Act III. sc. i. Act IV. sc. iii.] HENLEY. In the old copies these words are printed in the same character as the rest of the speech. I have adhered to them, not conceiving that they form any part of Cordelia's letter, or that any part of it is or can be read by Kent. He wishes for the rising of the sun, that he may read it. I suspect that two half lines bave been lost between the words state and seeking. This enormous state means, I think, the confusion subsisting in the state, in consequence of the discord which bad arisen between the Dukes of Albany and Cornwall; of which Kent hopes Cordelia will avail herself. MALONE. My reason for concurring with former editors in a supposition that the moon, not the sun, was meant by the beacon, arose from a consideration that the term, beacon, was more applicable to the moon, being, like that planet, only designed for night-service. STEEVENS. P. 45, 1. 18., elf all my hair in knots;] Hair thus knotted, was vulgarly supposed to be the work of elves and fairies in the night. STEEVENS. P. 45, 1. 21-24. The country gives me proof and precedent Of Bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices, Strike in their numb'd and mortified bare arms |