—­but his own disorders
  Deserv’d much more advancement.

II.iv.204 (388,1) I pray you, father, being weak, seem so] [W:  deem’t so] The meaning is, since you are weak, be content to think yourself weak.  No change is needed.

II.iv.218 (389,3) base life] i.e.  In a servile state.

II.iv.227 (390,5) embossed carbuncle] Embossed is swelling, protuberant.

II.iv.259 (391,6) Those wicked creatures yet do look well-favour’d:/ When others are more wicked] Dr. Warburton would exchange the repeated epithet wicked into wrinkled in both places.  The commentator’s only objection to the lines as they now stand, is the discrepancy of the metaphor, the want of opposition between wicked and well-favoured.  But he might have remembered what he says in his own preface concerning mixed modes.  Shakespeare, whose mind was more intent upon notions than words, had in his thoughts the pulchritude of virtue, and the deformity of wickedness; and though he had mentioned wickedness, made the correlative answer to deformity.

III.i.7 (394,1) That things might change, or cease:  tears his white hair] The first folio ends the speech at change, or cease, and begins again with Kent’s question, But who is with him? The whole speech is forcible, but too long for the occasion, and properly retrenched.

III.i.18 (395,3) my note] My observation of your character.

III.i.29 (395,6) are but furnishings] Furnishings are what we now call colours, external pretences. (1773)

III.i.19 (395,8)

There is division, Although as yet the face of it is cover’d with mutual cunning, ’twixt Albany and Cornwall; Who have (as who have not, whom their great stars Throne and set high?) servants, who seem no less; Which are to France the spies and speculations Intelligent of our state.  What hath been seen, Either in snuffs and packings of the dukes; Or the hard rein, which both of them have borne Against the old kind king; or something deeper, Whereof, perchance, these are but furnishings. [But, true it is, from France there comes a power Into this scatter’d kingdom; who already, Wise in our negligence, have secret fee In some of our best ports, and are at point To shew their open banner.—­Now to you:]]

The true state of this speech cannot from all these notes be discovered.  As it now stands it is collected from two editions:  the lines which I have distinguished by Italics are found in the folio, not in the quarto; the following lines inclosed in crotchets are in the quarto, not in the folio.  So that if the speech be read with omissions of the Italics, it will stand according to the first edition; and if the Italics are read, and the lines that follow them omitted, it will then stand according to the second.  The speech is now tedious, because it is formed by a coalition