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Updated: May 28, 2025
The silly notion that every man has one ruling passion, and that this clue, once known, unravels all the mysteries of his conduct, finds no countenance in the plays of Shakespeare. There man appears as he is, made up of a crowd of passions, which contend for the mastery over him, and govern him in turn. What is Hamlet's ruling passion? Or Othello's? Or Harry the Fifth's? Or Wolsey's? Or Lear's?
For our philosophers are still determined to reason it 'thus and thus, without taking into account the circumstance, that 'the sequent effect' with which 'nature finds itself scourged, is not touched by their reasons. King Lear's own inquiries seem also to include with great distinctness, the two great branches of the new philosophical inquiry.
We took leave of Lear's, after a protracted visit, not without a pressing invitation from Mr. C. to call again. The following week, on Saturday afternoon, we received a note from Mr. C., inviting us to spend the Sabbath at Lear's, where we might attend service at a neighboring chapel, and see a congregation composed chiefly of apprentices.
One might occasionally introduce one of Edward Lear's "Nonsense Rhymes." For instance: There was an Old Man of Cape Horn Who wished he had never been born. So he sat in a chair Till he died of despair, That dolorous Old Man of Cape Horn. Now, except in case of very young children, this could not possibly be taken seriously.
Whately to the fact that "all men are more gratified at catching the resemblance for themselves, than in having it pointed out to them." But after what has been said, the great economy it achieves will seem the more probable cause. Lear's exclamation "Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend," would lose part of its effect were it changed into "Ingratitude! thou fiend with heart like marble;"
Lamb got exceedingly merry, and exquisitely witty, and his fun, in the midst of Wordsworth's solemn intonations of oratory, was like the sarcasm and wit of the fool in the intervals of Lear's passion. Although the specimens of wit recorded no longer seem inspired, we can well believe Haydon's statement that it was an immortal evening, and that in all his life he never passed a more delightful time.
"You are old, and will not enjoy freedom long; why do you wish for freedom, then?" "Me want to die free, massa good ting to die free, and me want to see children free too." We continued at Lear's during Monday, to be in readiness for a tour to the windward of the island, which Mr. C. had projected for us, and on which we were to set out early the next morning.
'Believe me, Meg, I may sit on such an eminence in the august presence of my mother and my regent aunt, but if my small cousin, the Most Christian King, should enter, I must be dethroned, and a succession of bows must ensue before we can either of us be seated. I always fear that I shall some day break out with the speech of King Lear's fool: 'Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint stool.
These pages may perhaps see the light when many have in fresh recollection such onsets as we allude to. But the venerable corps, with whom the contention was held, may now be considered as totally extinct. Of late the gradual diminution of these civic soldiers reminds one of the abatement of King Lear's hundred knights.
He had been ever loyal to Lear, whom he had honoured as a king, loved as a father, followed as a master: and had never esteemed his life further than as a pawn to wage against his royal master's enemies, nor feared to lose it when Lear's safety was the motive: nor now that Lear was most his own enemy did this faithful servant of the king forget his old principles, but manfully opposed Lear, to do Lear good; and was unmannerly only because Lear was mad.
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