III.iv.122 (410,3) web and the pin] Diseases of the eye.

III.iv.125 (411,4)

  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.

III.vi.43 (417,6)

Sleepest, or wakest thou, jolly shepherd?  Thy sheep be in the corn; And for one blast of thy minikin mouth, Thy sheep shall take no harm.]

This seems to be a stanza of some pastoral song.  A shepherd is desired to pipe, and the request is enforced by a promise, that though his sheep be in the corn, i.e. committing a trespass by his negligence, implied in the question, Sleepest thou or wakest?_ Yet a single tune upon his pipe shall secure them from the pound. (1773)

III.vi.77 (419,8) Sessy, come] Here is sessey again, which I take to be the French word cessez pronounced cessey, which was, I suppose, like some others in common use among us.  It is an interjection enforcing cessation of any action, like, be quiet, have done.  It seems to have been gradually corrupted into, so, so.

III.vi.78 (419,9) thy horn is dry] Men that begged under pretence of lunacy used formerly to carry a horn, and blow it through the streets.