Page:The Psychology of Shakespeare.pdf/186

Rh dear cause must also wrap Kent in concealment until the catastrophe arrives ; he leaves an un-named gentleman to

attend his master, and the poor madman escapes from the stranger's watch and guard, and roams in the fields alone, as Cordelia so touchingly describes : “Cor. Alack, 'tis he ; why he was met even now

As mad as the vex'd sea : singing aloud; Crown'd with rank fumiter, and furrow weeds, With harlocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,

Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow In our sustaining corn.—A century send forth ; Search every acre in the high-grown field, And bring him to our eye. [Eacit an Officer. What can man's wisdom do

In the restoring his bereaved sense ? He that helps him, take all my outward worth. Phys. There is means, madam :

Our foster-nurse of nature is repose, The which he lacks; that to provoke in him, Are many simples operative, whose power

Will close the eye of anguish. All bless'd secrets,

Cor.

All you unpublish’d virtues of the earth,

Spring with my tears be aidant, and remediate, In the good man's distress —Seek, seek for him ;

Lest his ungovern'd rage dissolve the life That wants the means to lead it.”

The word rage seems here used not to designate passion, but the frenzy of maniacal excitement; at this time it is not passionate, but tending rather to gaiety.

The first

phase of mania was emphasized by the memory of recent

injury; and although even then the passionate indigna tion was subdued from the intense bitterness which the

first sense of his daughters' conduct occasioned, the emotional state was that of anger and sorrow. After the interval which has elapsed between the sudden flight from the neighbour hood of these daughters who were plotting against his life, and his re-appearance at Dover with Cordelia's blessed