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OBSERVATIONS.

THE ftory of this tragedy had found its way into many ballads and other metrical pieces; yet Shakspeare feems to have been more indebted to The True Chronicle Hiftory of King Leir and his Three Daughters, Gonorill, Ragan, and Cordella, 1605, than to all the other performances together. It appears from the books at Stationers' Hall, that fome play on this fubject was entered by Edward White, May 14, 1594. A booke entituled, The mofte famous Chronicle Hiftorie of Leire King of England, and his Three Daughters." A piece with the fame title is entered again, May 8, 1605; and again Nov. 26, 1607. From The Mirror for Magiftrates, 1587, Shakfpeare has, however, taken the hint for the behaviour of the Steward, and the reply of Cordelia to her father concerning her future marriage. The episode of Glofter and his fons must have been borrowed from Sidney's Arcadia. For the firft King Lear, fee likewise Six old Plays on which Shakespeare founded, &c. published for S. Leacroft, Charing-Crofs.

The reader will also find the ftory of K. Lear, in the second book and Icth canto of Spenfer's Faery Queen, and in the 15th chapter of the third book of Warner's Albion's England, 1602.

The whole of this play, however, could not have been written till after 1603. Harfnet's pamphlet, to which it contains fo many references, was not published till that year. STEEVENS.

Camden, in his Remains, (p. 306. ed. 1674,) tells a similar story to this of Leir or Lear, of Ina king of the Weft Saxons; which, if the thing ever happened, probably was the real origin of the fable. See under the head of Wife Speeches. PERCY.

The story told by Camden in his Remaines, 4to. 1605, is this: "Ina, king of Weft Saxons, had three daughters, of whom upon a time he demanded whether they did love him, and so would do during their lives, above all others: the two elder fware deeply they would; the youngest, but the wifeft, told her father flatly, without Hattery, that albeit the did love, honour, and reverence him, and fo would whilst the lived, as much as nature and daughterly dutie at the uttermoft could expect, yet she did think that one day it would come to passe that

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She should affect another more fervently, meaning her husband, when she were married; who being made one fleth with her, as God by commandment had told, and nature had taught her, fhe was to cleave faft to, forfaking father and mother, kiffe and kinne. [Anonymous.] One referreth this to the daughters of king Leir.”

It is, I think, more probable that Shakspeare had this passage in his thoughts, when he wrote Cordelia's reply concerning her future marriage, than The Mirrour for Magiftrates, as Camden's book was publifhed recently before he appears to have compofed this play, and that portion of it which is entitled Wife Speeches, where the foregoing paffage is found, furnished him with a hint in Coriolanus.

The ftory of King Leir and his three daughters was originally told by Geoffrey of Monmouth, from whom Holinfhed transcribed it; and in his Chronicle Shakspeare had certainly read it, as it occurs not far from that of Cymbeline; though the old play on the same subject probably first fuggefted to him the idea of making it the groundwork of a tragedy.

Geoffrey of Monmouth fays, that Leir, who was the eldest son of Bladud, "nobly governed his country for fixty years." According to that hiftorian, he died about 800 years before the birth of Christ.

The name of Leir's youngest daughter, which in Geoffrey's hif tory, in Holinfhed, The Mirrour for Magiftrates, and the old anonymous play, is Cordeilla, Cordila, or Cordella, Shakspeare found foftened into Cordelia by Spenfer in his Second Book, Canto X. The names of Edgar and Edmund were probably fuggefted by Holinfhed. See his Chronicle, Vol. I. p. 122: “Edgar, the son of Edmund, brother of Athelftane," &c.

This tragedy, 1 believe, was written in 1605.

MALONE.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

LEAR, King of Britain.

King of FRANCE.

Duke of BURGUNDY.

Duke of CORNWALL.

Duke of ALBANY.

Earl of KENT.

Earl of GLOSTER.

EDGAR, Son to GLOSTER.

EDMUND, Baftard Son to GLOSTER.

CURAN, a Courtier.

Old Man, Tenant to GLOSTER.
Phyfician.
Fool.

OSWALD, Steward to GONERIL.
An Officer, employed by EDMUND.
Gentleman, attendant on CORDELIA.
A Herald.

Servants to CORNWALL.

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Knights attending on the King, Officers, Meffengers, Soldiers,

and Attendants.

SCENE. Britain.

KING LEAR.

ACT I. SCENE I.

A Room of State in King LEAR's Palace.

Enter KENT, GLOSTER, and EDMUND.

Kent.

THOUGHT, the king had more affected the duke of Albany, than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always feem fo to us: but now, in the divifion of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values moft; for equalities are fo weigh'd, that curiofity in neither can make choice of either's moiety.

Kent. Is not this your fon, my lord?

Glo. His breeding, fir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blush'd to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it.

fhe

Kent. I cannot conceive you.

Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon grew round-wombed; and had, indeed, fir, a fon for her cradle, ere fhe had a husband for her bed. Do you fmell a fault?

Kent. I cannot with the fault undone, the iffue of it being fo proper.

Glo. But I have, fir, a fon by order of law, fome year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came fomewhat faucily into the world before he was fent for, yet was his mother fair; there was

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good

good sport at his making, and the whorefon must be acknowledged.-Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund ?

Edm. No, my lord.

Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend.

Edm. My fervices to your lordship.

Kent. I must love you, and fue to know you better. Edm. Sir, I fhall study deferving.

Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again :-The king is coming.

[Trumpets found within.

Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants.

Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Glofter.

Gle. I fhall, my liege.

[Exeunt GLOSTER and EDMUND. Lear. Mean-time we shall exprefs our darker purpose. Give me the map there.-Know, that we have divided, In three, our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent To fhake all cares and business from our age; Conferring them on younger ftrengths, while we Unburden'd crawl toward death.-Our son of Cornwall, And you, our no less loving fon of Albany, We have this hour a constant will to publish

Our daughters' feveral dowers, that future ftrife

May be prevented now. The princes, France and Burgundy, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love,

Long in our court have made their amorous fojourn, And here are to be anfwer'd.-Tell me, my daughters, (Since now we will deveft us, both of rule,

Intereft of territory, cares of state,)

Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most?

That

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