Saint Withold footed thrice the void;
He met the night-mare, and her nine-fold;
Bid her alight, and her troth plight,
And aroynt thee, witch, aroynt thee!]
In the old quarto the corruption is such as may deserve to be noted.
"Swithold footed thrice the old another night moore and her nine fold
bid her, O light, and her troth plight, and arint thee, with arint
thee."
III.iv.144 (412,6) _small deer_] Sir Thomas Hanmer reads _geer_, and is
followed by Dr. Warburton. But _deer_ in old language is a general word
for wild animals.
III.iv.187 (414,8) _Child Rowland_] This word is in some of our ballads.
There is a song of _Child Walter, and a Lady_.
III.v.21 (415,2) If I find him comforting the king] He uses the word in
the juridical sense for _supporting, helping_, according to its
derivation; _salvia_ comfortat _ne vos_.--_Schol. Sal._ (rev. 1778, IX,
477, 3)
III.vi.20 (416,2) a horse's health] [W: heels] Shakespeare is here
speaking not of things maliciously treacherous, but of things uncertain
and not durable, A horse is above all other animals subject to diseases.
III.vi.26 (416,3) Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam?] It may be observed
that Edgar, being supposed to be found by chance, and therefore to have
no knowledge of the rest, connects not his ideas with those of Lear, but
pursues his own train of delirious or fantastic thought. To these words,
_At trial, madam?_ I think therefore that the name of Lear should be
put. The process of the dialogue will support this conjecture. (1773)
III.vi.27 (417,4) _Come oe'er the broom, Bessy, to me_] As there is no
relation between _broom_ and a _boat_, we may better read,
Come o'er the _brook_, Bessy, to me.