has made his daughters his mothers’.  The character is dropped in the third act to make room for the entrance of Edgar as Mad Tom, which well accords with the increasing bustle and wildness of the incidents; and nothing can be more complete than the distinction between Lear’s real and Edgar’s assumed madness, while the resemblance in the cause of their distresses, from the severing of the nearest ties of natural affection, keeps up a unity of interest.  Shakespeare’s mastery over his subject, if it was not art, was owing to a knowledge of the connecting links of the passions, and their effect upon the mind, still more wonderful than any systematic adherence to rules, and that anticipated and outdid all the efforts of the most refined art, not inspired and rendered instinctive by genius.

One of the most perfect displays of dramatic power is the first interview between Lear and his daughter, after the designed affronts upon him, which till one of his knights reminds him of them, his sanguine temperament had led him to overlook.  He returns with his train from hunting, and his usual impatience breaks out in his first words, ‘Let me not stay a jot for dinner; go, get it ready.’  He then encounters the faithful Kent in disguise, and retains him in his service; and the first trial of his honest duty is to trip up the heels of the officious Steward who makes so prominent and despicable a figure through the piece.  On the entrance of Gonerill the following dialogue takes place: 

   Lear.  How now, daughter? what makes that frontlet on? 
     Methinks, you are too much of late i’ the frown.

   Fool.  Thou wast a pretty fellow, when thou had’st no
     need to care for her frowning; now thou art an O without
     a figure:  I am better than thou art now; I am a fool, thou
     art nothing.—­Yes, forsooth, I will hold my tongue; [To
     Gonerill.] so your face bids me, though you say nothing. 
     Mum, mum.

     He that keeps nor crust nor crum,
     Weary of all, shall want some—­
     That’s a sheal’d peascod! [Pointing to Lear.]

   Gonerill.  Not only, sir, this your all-licens’d fool,
     But other of your insolent retinue
     Do hourly carp and quarrel; breaking forth
     In rank and not-to-be-endured riots. 
     I had thought, by making this well known unto you,
     To have found a safe redress; but now grow fearful,
     By what yourself too late have spoke and done,
     That you protect this course, and put it on
     By your allowance; which if you should, the fault
     Would not ’scape censure, nor the redresses sleep,
     Which in the tender of a wholesome weal,
     Might in their working do you that offence,
     (Which else were shame) that then necessity
     Would call discreet proceeding.

   Fool.  For you trow, nuncle,
     The hedge sparrow fed the cuckoo so long,
     That it had its head bit off by its young. 
     So out went the candle, and we were left darkling.