And so inflict our province.-Yet once more Per. Pr'ythee speak; Falseness cannot come from thee, for thou look'st Sit, sir, I will recount it;- For the crown'd truth to dwell in: I'll believe thee, A gallant lady. Lys. She's such, that were 1 well assur'd she came Can draw him but to answer thee in aught Sir, I will use Mar. No, nor look'd on us. See, she will speak to him. My lord, that ne'er before invited eyes, But have been gaz'd on, comet-like she speaks, I do think so. Mar. Per. I am great with woe, and shall deliver weeping. My dearest wife was like this maid, and such a one My daughter might have been my queen's square Her stature to an inch; as wand-like straight; [brows; As silver-voic'd; her eyes as jewel-like, And cas'd as richly: in pace another Juno; [gry, And make my senses credit thy relation, To points that seem impossible; for thou look'st Mar. So indeed I did. Tell thy story; If thine consider'd prove the thousandth part Or here I'll cease. Per. Patience, good sir, Nay, I'll be patient; Thou little know'st how thou dost startle me, To call thyself Marina. Mar. The name Marina, Was given me by one that had some power; And call'd Marina? Mar. How! a king's daughter? You said you would believe me; But, not to be a troubler of your peace, Per. But are you flesh and blood? Have you a working pulse? and are no fairy? No motion? Well; speak on. Where were you born? And wherefore call'd Marina? Mar. For I was born at sea. Per Call'd Marina, At sea? thy mother? Per. I'll hear you more, to the bottom of your story, Mar. You'll scarce believe me; 'twere best I did give o'er. Per. I will believe you by the syllable Of what you shall deliver. Yet, give me leave:How came you in these parts? where were you bred? Mar. The king, my father, did in Tharsus leave me; Till cruel Cleon, with his wicked wife, Did seek to murder me: and having woo'd A villain to attempt it, who having drawn, A crew of pirates came and rescued me; Brought me to Mitylene. But, now good sir, Here is the regent, sir, of Mitylene, Lys. She would never tell Per. O Helicanus, strike me, honour'd sir; And drown me with their sweetness. O, come hither, Mar. What is your title? First, sir, I pray, Per. I am Pericles of Tyre: but tell me now [doms, Mar. Is it no more to be your daughter, than Per. Now, blessing on thee, rise; thou art my child. Hel. Sir, 'tis the governor of Mitylene Per. I embrace you, sir. O'er, point by point, for yet he seems to doubt, Per. None? The music of the spheres: list, my Marina. Lys. It is not good to cross him; give him way. Do ye not hear? Lys. Music? My lord, I hear Per. Most heavenly music : It nips me unto list'ning, and thick slumber Lys. A pillow for his head; [He sleeps. [The curtain before the pavilion of PERICLES is closed. I'll well remember you. SCENE II-The same PERICLES on the deck asleep; DIANA appearing to Dia. My temple stands in Ephesus; hie thee thither, Reveal how thou at sea didst lose thy wife: [DIANA disappears. Per. Celestial Dian, goddess argentine, I will obey thee !-Helicanus ! Enter LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, and MARINA. Hel. Enter GOWER, before the temple of DIANA at Ephesus More a little, and then done. This, as my last boon, give me, (For such kindness must relieve me,) What pageantry, what feats, what shows, To greet the king. So he has thriv'd [Exit. SCENE III.-The Temple of Diana at Ephesus; At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth [Exeunt LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, MARINA, He sought to murder: but her better stars and attendant Lady. Brought her to Mitylene; against whose shore Cer. Look to the lady ;-O, she's but o'erjoy'd. Early, one blust'ring morn, this lady was Thrown on this shore. 1 op'd the coffin, and Cer. I will, my lord. Found there rich jewels; recover'd her, and plac'd her How she came placed here within the temple; May we see them? Per. Recover'd. Thai. O, let me look! [house, Makes my past miseries sport: You shall do well, Meit, and no more be seen. O come, be buried Mar. My heart [Kneels to THAISA. Bless'd, and mine own! [Tyre, I bless thee for thy vision, and will offer Thai. Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, Per. Heavens make a star of him! Yet there, my Enter GoWER. Grow. In Antioch, and his daughter, you have heard To a former edition of this play were subjoined two Disser-cribed to him by several dramatic writers. I wish not to rely tations: one written by Mr. Steevens, the other by me. In the latter i urged such arguments as then appeared to me to have weight, to prove that it was the entire work of Shakspeare, aud one of his earliest compositions. Mr. Steevens on the otherings, must in the present case be decisive. The congenial senhand maintained, that it was originally the production of some elder playwright, and afterwards improved by our poet, whose hand was acknowledged to be visible in many scenes throughout the play. On a review of the various arguments which each of us produced in favour of his own hypothesis, I am now convinced that the theory of Mr. Steevens was right, and have no difficulty in acknowledging my own to be erroneous. This play was entered on the Stationers' books, together with Antony and Cleopatra, in the year 1603, by Edward Blount, a bookseller of eminence, and one of the publishers of the first folio edition of Shakspeare's works. It was printed with his name in the title-page, in his life-time: but this circunstance proves nothing; because, by the kaavery of booksellers, other pieces were also ascribed to him in his life-time, of which he indubitably wrote not a line. Nor is it necessary to urge, in support of its genuineness, that at a subsequent period it was as on any circumstance of that kind; because, in all questions of this nature, internal evidence is the best that can be produced, and, to every person intimately acquainted with our poet's writtiments, the numerous expressions bearing a striking similitude to passages in his undisputed plays, some of the incidents, the situation of many of the persons, and in various places the colour of the style, all these combine to set the seal of Shakspeare on the play before us, and furnish as with internal and irresistible proofs, that a considerable portion of this piece, as it now ap pears, was written by him. The greater part of the last three acts may, I think, on this ground be safely ascribed to him; and his hand may be traced occasionally in the other two divistons. To alter, new-model, and improve the unsuccessful dramas of preceding writers, was, I believe, much more common in the time of Shakspeare thon is generally supposed. This piece hav ing been thus new-modelled by our poet, and enriched with many happy strokes from his pen, is unquestionably entitled to that place among his works, which it has now obtained.-MALONE. KING LEAR. THIS tragedy was entered in the books of the Stationers' Company, Nov. 26, 1607, and is there mentioned as having been played the preceding Christmas before his majesty, at Whitehall. It must have been written after 1603, as Shakspeare has borrowed several fanstastic names of spirits, mentioned in this play, from Harsnett's Declaration of Popish Impostors, which was published that year. King Lear was not printed till 1608. There was an old play on the same subject, which had been in possession of the stage for many years before the production of Shakspeare's tragedy; but from which our author has co 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, bastard son to Gloster. CURAN, a courtier. Old Man, tenant to Gloster. OSWALD, steward to Goneril. ACT I. SCENE I.-A Room of State in King Lear's Palace. Enter KENT, GLOSTER, and EDMUND. Kent. I thought, the king had more affected the duke of Albany, than Cornwall. Glo. It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weigh'd, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety. Kent. Is not this your son, my lord? Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blush'd to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it. Kent. I cannot conceive you. Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round-wombed; and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper. Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged.-Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund? Edm. No, my lord. pied one passage only. The story of King Lear and his three Daughters, is found in Holinshed's Chronicle; and was ori ginally told by Geoffry of Monmouth, who says that Lear was the eldest son of Bladud, and "nobly governed his country for sixty years." According to that historian, he died about 800 years before Christ. Shakspeare has taken the hint for the behaviour of the steward, and the reply of Cordelia to her father concerning her future marriage, from the Mirror of Magistrates,1587. According to Steevens, the episode of Glos ter and his sons is borrowed from Sidney's Arcadia. [vided, pose. Give me the map there.-Know, that we have diIn three, our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age; Conferring them on younger strengths, while we Unburden'd crawl toward death. Our son of CornAnd you, our no less loving son of Albany, [wall We have this hour a constant will to publish Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife May be prevented now. The princes, France and BurGreat rivals in our youngest daughter's love, [gundy, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answer'd.-Tell me, my daughters, (Since now we will divest us, both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state,) Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend Where merit doth most challenge it.-Goneril, Our eldest-born, speak first. Gon. Sir, I Do love you more than words can wield the matter, Cor. What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent. [Aside. Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd, Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister, Which the most precious square of sense possesses; And find, I am alone felicitate In your dear highness' love. Cor. Then poor Cordelia ! [Aside. And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's More richer than my tongue. Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever, Remains this ample third of our fair kingdom; No less in space, validity, and pleasure, Than that confirm'd on Goneril.-Now, our joy, Although the last, not least; to whose young love The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy, Strive to be interess'd; what can you say, to draw A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak. Cor. Nothing, my lord. Lear. Nothing? Cor. Nothing. Lear. Nothing can come of nothing: speak again. Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; nor more, nor less, Lear. How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech a Lest it may mar your fortunes. flittle, Cor. Good my lord, You have begot nie, bred me, lov'd me: I Return those duties back as are right fit, Obey you, love you, and most honour you. Why have my sisters husbands, if they say They love you, all? Haply, when I shall wed, That lord, whose hand must take my plight, shall carry Half my love with him, half my care, and duty! Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters, To love my father all. Lear. But goes this with thy heart? Cor. Alb. Corn. Dear sir, forbear. Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow Ay, good my lord. I'll tell thee thou dost evil. Lear. So young, and so untender? Cor. So young, my lord, and true. Lear. Let it be so,-Thy truth then be thy dower: Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow, For, by the sacred radiance of the sun; From whom we do exist, and cease to be; [thian, Hold thee, from this, for ever. The barbarous Scy- Good my liege, Lear. Peace, Kent! Come not between the dragon and his wrath : I lov'd her most, and thought to set my rest On her kind nursery.-Hence, and avoid my sight! So be my grave my peace, as here I give [To CORDELIA. Her father's heart from her!-Call France ;-Who Call Burgundy.-Cornwall, and Albany, [stirs? With my two daughters' dowers digest this third : Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her. I do invest you jointly with my power, Pre-eminence, and all the large effects That troop with majesty.-Ourself, by monthlycourse, With reservation of an hundred knights, By you to be sustain'd, shall our abode (Which we durst never yet,) and, with strain'd pride, [appear, That justly think'st, and hast most rightly said!- Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord. We first address towards you, who with this king Make with you by due turns. Only we still retain Hath rivall'd for our daughter; What, in the least, The name, and all the additions to a king; Will you require in present dower with her, Or cease your quest of love? Bur. Most royal majesty, I crave no more than hath your highness offer'd, Nor will you tender less. Lear. Right noble Burgundy, When she was dear to us, we did hold her so; |