Page:The Psychology of Shakespeare.pdf/191

176 Lear, incoherence, although the characteristic feature of his

madness at this phase, has not attained this advanced degree. The force of the perceptions is uncertain, but they are not

always weak: the memory still gives light, although it flickers: and the power of comparison is vigorous, although its exercise is vagrant. The incoherence arises more from the irregu larity and strangeness of idea suggestion than from its want of power. The links of the chain of thought lie tumbled and confused, but are not broken.

And what links they are :

Some of gold, some of iron, some of earth ! The finest poetry, the noblest sentiment, the strongest sense, held to gether by absurdity and grossness The ruins of this mind are grand and beauteous, even in their fragments. Breadth of imagination and loftiness of diction have never attained fuller development than in his burning words. Wide as the scope of human nature in his passions, in his love and in his hate, in his sympathy and in his censure ; he is a man to be dreaded, even in his fallen state,

by such creatures as Goneril and Regan ; a man to be loved unto death by all good natures, however diverse from each other, by the blunt Kent, the rash Gloster, the witty fool, the firm, self-contained, yet devoted and gentle Cordelia. We see all his greatness reflected in the feelings he inspires. The scene of Lear's restoration, touching and beautiful as it is, does not quite follow the probable course of mental change, with the same exact and wondrous knowledge of insanity as that hitherto displayed. A long and profound sleep has been induced by the physician; this it is thought needful to inter rupt, and, in order that the sensations on awaking may form a striking contrast to those which had preceded sleep, the pa tient must be awoke by music, and the first object on recovering consciousness must be that of his dear child: “Phys. So please your majesty, That we may wake the king 7 he hath slept long.