Page:The Psychology of Shakespeare.pdf/180

Rh absolutely wild and incoherent. The singular and undoubted fact was probably unknown to Ulrici, that few things tran quillize the insane more than the companionship of the insane. It is a fact not easily explicable, but it is one of which, either by the intuition of genius, or by the informa tion of experience, Shakespeare appears to be aware. He not only represents the fact of Lear's tranquillity in the companionship of Edgar, of his sudden and close adherence to him," though drawn thereto, perhaps, by delusions; but

he puts the very opinion in the mouth of Edgar, although applying it to his own griefs, and not to those of the king. “Who alone suffers, suffers most i' the mind; Leaving free things and happy shows, behind :

But then the mind much sufferance doth o'er-skip, When grief hath mates, and bearing fellowship.” ( Edgar's assumed madness presents a fine contrast to the

reality of Lear's. It is devoid of reason, and full of pur pose. It has the fault, which to this day feigning maniacs

almost invariably commit, of extreme exaggeration.) It imposes upon the unskillful observation of Gloster, Kent, and the others; but could scarcely impose upon any experi

enced judgment. Had Edgar himself found any future need to repeat his deception, he might have taken lessons as to the truer phenomena of diseased mind from the poor old king, whom he observed from the covert of his dis guise, and have represented that characteristic of true madness—“matter and impertinency mixed”—which he en

tirely fails to exhibit. Edgar's account of his motives for assuming this disguise to escape the hunt after his life, is a curious illustration of the manner in which the insane

were permitted to roam the country, in the good old days: “Whiles I may 'scape,

I will preserve myself; and am bethought To take the basest and most poorest shape,