Chapter CXXIX: Act V

SC. 1. "Being so frustrate, tell him he mocks _us by_
The pauses that he makes."

I adopt Malone's excellent addition, which has everything in its favour.

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"His taints and honours
Wag'd equal with him."

We should perhaps read, as has been proposed, _Weigh'd_ for 'Wag'd.'

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"For Cæsar cannot live
To be ungentle."

'Live' is the correction of Southern and Pope of _leave_ in the folio. 'To be' is being. See Introd. p. 70.

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SC. 2. "Which sleeps, and never palates more the dung,
The beggar's nurse and Cæsar's."

With Mr. Dyce I would read _dug_, the correction of Warburton. _Of_ may have been lost in the beginning of the last line. Still 'dung' may be right, denoting earth; so I have retained it in my Edition.

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"He gives me so much of my own, as I
Will kneel to him in thanks _for_."

For 'as' Mason would read _and_.

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"If idle talk will once be necessary."

Hanmer read '_ac_cessary'; but perhaps without need.

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"And he hath sent _me_ for thee."

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"There was no winter in it; an autumn 'twas."

So Theobald; the folio has _Antony_.

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"His delights
Were dolphin-like; they showed his back above
The element they lived in."

For 'his' we should read _their_ or _the_.

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"By the rebound of yours; a grief that suites
My very heart at root."

'Suites' is _shoots_ (see on L. L. L. iv. 3). Some read _smites_.

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"To one so meek, that my own servant should," etc.

The poet may have written _weak_.

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"With one that I have bred. The gods! it smites me."

For 'The' we should read _Ye_, as in Cor. i. 6.

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"Of eyes again so royal! your crown's away;
I'll mend it, and then play...."

Pope most properly read _awry_ for 'away,' which was caused probably by the rime with play.

KING LEAR.