The cause of it is, perhaps, to be found in the fact, that there was another contemporary drama upon the same subject, and with very nearly the same names to the principal characters, which was not by Shakespeare, but which the publisher probably had endeavored to pass off as his work. edition of this play was printed in 1605, under the following title: "The True Chronicle History of King Leir and his three Daughters, Gonorill, Ragan, and Cordella." An We may presume that in 1605 no bookseller was able to obtain from the King's Players a copy of Shakespeare's "King Lear;" for there is perhaps no point in our early stage-history more clear, than that the different companies took every precaution in order to prevent the publication of plays belonging to them. However, in the autumn of 1607, Nathaniel Butter had in some way possessed him of a manuscript of "King Lear," and on the 26th November he procured the following unusally minute memorandum to be made in the Stationers' Registers: "26 Nov. 1607. Na. Butter and Jo. Busby] Entered for their Copie under t' hands of Sir Geo. Bucke, Kt, and the Wardens, a booke called Mr. Willm Shakespeare, his Historye of Kinge Lear, as yt was played before the King's Majestie at Whitehall, upon St. Stephen's night at Christmas last, by his Majesties Servants playing usually at the Globe on the Bank-side." This entry establishes that Shakespeare's "King Lear" had been played at Court on the 26th December, 1606, and not on the 26th December, 1607, as we might infer from the title-pages of the three editions of 1608. It would seem that the folio of 1623 was composed from a manuscript, which had been much, and not very judiciously, abridged for the purposes of the theatre; and although it contains some additions, not in any of the quartos, there are, perhaps, few quartos of any of Shakespeare's plays more valuable for the quantity of matter they contain, of which there is no trace in the folio. As we find a "King Leir" entered on the Stationers' books in 1594, we can have no hesitation in aniving at the conclusion that the old play, printed in 1605, was considerably anterior in point of date. There is little doubt that Shakespeare was acquainted with it, and probably adopted from it at least that part of the conduct of his story which relates to the faithful Kent. There are other general but few particular resemblances; for of both the chief materials were evidently derived from Holinshed, but Shakespeare varied from all authorities in his catastrophe. The story of Lear and his daughters is briefly told by Spenser in B. ii., c. 10, of his "Fairie Queene," and thence it has been thought that Shakespeare obtained the name of Cordelia, till then usually called Cordella. That portion of the plot which relates to the Earl of Gloster, he may have procured from Sir Philip Sidney's "Arcadia," first printed in 1590, 4to. An early ballad on King Lear was also published, but no copy with a date has come down to us. OTHELLO. ["The Tragedy of Othello, The Moore of Venice. As it hath beene diuerse times acted at the Globe, and at the Black-Friers, by his Maiesties Seruants. Written by William Shakespeare. London, Printed by N. O. for Thomas Walkley, and are to be sold at his shop, at the Eagle and Child, in Brittans Bursse. 1622." 4to. 48 leaves, irieg ularly paged. "The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice," occupies thirty pages in the folio of 1623; viz., from p. 310 to p. 339, inclusive, in the division of "Tragedies :" it is there, as in the three later folios, divided into Acts and Scenes, and on the last page is a list of the characters, headed, "The Names of the Actors."] Br the subsequent extract from "The Egerton Papers," printed by the Camden Society, it appears that "Othello" was acted for the entertainment of Queen Elizabeth, at the residence of Lord Ellesmere (then Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal) at Harefield, in the beginning of August, 1602: "6 August 1602. Rewards to the Vaulters, players, and dauncers. Of this xi to Burbidge's players for Othello, lxiiiii xviiiis xd." The part of the memorandum which relates to "Othello" is interlined, as if added afterwards; but thus we find decisively, that this tragedy was in being in the summer of 1602; and the probability is, that it was selected for performance because it was a new play, having been brought out at the Globe theatre in the spring of that year. The incidents, with some variation, are to be found in Cinthio's Hecatommithi. This novel was early translated into French, and in all probability into English, but no such version has descended to Our great dramatist may indeed have read the story in the original language; and it is highly probable that he was sufficiently acquainted with Italian for the purpose. us. We have seen, by the quotation from "The Egerton Papers,' that the company by which "Othello" was performed at Harefield was called "Burbidge's players;" and there can be no doubt that he was the leading actor of the company, and thereby in the account gave his name to the association, though properly denominated the Lord Chamberlain's Servants. Richard Burbage was the original actor of the part of Othello, as we learn from an elegy upon his death, among the late Mr. Heber's manuscripts. There are two quarto editions of "Othello," one bearing date in 1622, the year before the first folio of "Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies," appeared, and the other printed in 1630. An exact copy of the title-page of the quarto of 1622, will be found in the usual place, and that published in 1630 differs only in the imprint, which is "by A. M. for Richard Hawkins," &c. Malone summarily dismissed the impression of 1630, as "an edition of no authority," but it is very clear that he had never sufficiently examined it. It was unquestionably printed from a manuscript different from that used for the quarto of 1622, or for the folio of 1623; and it presents a number of various readings, some of which singu larly illustrate the original text of "Othello." Walkley, the publisher of the quarto of 1622, thus entered that edition on the Stationers' Registers, shortly previous to its appearance:— "6 Oct. 1621. Tho. Walkley] Entered for his, to wit, under the handes of Sir George Buck and of the Wardens: The Tragedia of Othello, the Moore of Venice." It is perhaps not too much to presume, that this impression, though dated 1622, had come out at the close of 1621; and that it preceded the folio of 1623 is very obvious, from the fact, that "Othello" was not included in their list by Blunt and Jaggard, the publishers of the folio of 1623, because they were aware that it had already been printed, and that it had been entered as the property of another bookseller. The quarto of 1622 was preceded by the following address: "The Stationer to the Reader. "To set forth a book without an epistle were like to the old English proverb, A blue coat without a badge;' and the author being dead, I thought good to take that piece of work upon me. To commend it I will not-for that which is good, I hope every man will commend without entreaty; and I am the bolder, because the author's name is sufficient to vent his work. Thus leaving every one to the liberty of judg. ment, I have ventured to print this play, and leave it to the general censure. Yours, THOMAS WALKLEY." The publishers of the folio of 1623, perhaps purchased Walkley's interest in "Othello." Al CYMBELINE. ["The Tragedie of Cymbeline" was first printed in the folio of 1623, where it stands last in the division of "Trage dies," and occupies thirty-one pages; viz., from p. 369 to p. 399, misprinted p. 993. There is another error in the pagination, as p. 379 is numbered p. 389. These errors are corrected in the three later folios.] THE materials in Holinshed for the historical portion of "Cymbeline" are so imperfect and scanty, that a belief may be entertained that Shakespeare resorted to some other more fertile source, which the most diligent inquiries have yet failed to discover. The names of Cymbeline and of his sons, Guiderius and Arviragus, occur in the old Chronicle, and there we hear of the tribute demanded by the Roman emperor, but nothing is said of the stealing of the two young princes, nor of their residence with Bellarius among the mountains, and final restoration to their father. All that relates to Posthumus, Imogen, and Inchimo is merely fabulous, and some of the chief incidents of this part of the plot are to be found in French, Italian, and English. We will speak of them separately. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. ["The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra" occupies twenty-nine pages in the folio of 1623; viz., from p. 340 to p. 368, inclusive, in the division of "Tragedies." They had been employed for a dramatic purpose though at the beginning it has Actus Primus, Scana Prima, it is not divided into acts and scenes, nor is the defect in France at an early date, in a miracle-play, printed cured in any of the subsequent folio impressions of 1632 in 1839 by Messrs. Monmerqué and Michel, in their 1664, and 1685. They are all without any list of characters.] Theatre Francois au Moyenage, from a manuscript We are without any record that "Antony and in the Bibliothèque du Roi. In that piece, mixed Cleopatra" was ever performed; and when in Act up with many romantic circumstances, we find the v., sc. 2, the heroine anticipates that "some squeak-wager on the chastity of the heroine, her flight in ing Cleopatra" will "boy her greatness" on the stage, Shakespeare seems to hint that no young male performer would be able to sustain the part without exciting ridicule. However, the same remark will, more or less, apply to many of his other female characters; and the wonder, of course, is how so much delicacy, tenderness, and beauty could be infused into parts which the poet knew must be represented by beardless and crack-voiced boys. The period of the year at which "Antony and Cleopatra" was entered on the Stationers' Registers might lead to the inference, that, having been written late in 1607, it was brought out at the Globe in the spring of 1608, and that Edward Blunt (one of the publishers of the folio of 1623) thus put in his claim to the publication of the tragedy, if he could procure a manuscript of it. The memorandum bears date on the 20th May, 1608, and the piece is stated to be "a book" called "Anthony and Cleopatra." Perhaps Blunt was unable to obtain a copy of it, and, as far as we now know, it was printed for the first time in the folio of 1623. 64 It does not appear that there was any preceding drama on the story, with the exception of the 'Cleopatra" of Samuel Daniel, originally published in 1594, to which Shakespeare was clearly under no obligation. Any slight resemblance between the two is to be accounted for by the fact, that both poets resorted to the same authority for their materials Plutarch-whose "Lives" had been translated by Sir T. North in 1579. "Of all Shakespeare's historical plays (says Coleridge) 'Antony and Cleopatra' is by far the most wonderful. There is not one in which he has followed history so minutely, and yet there are few in which he impresses the notion of angelic strength so much-perhaps none in which he impresses it more strongly. This is greatly owing to the manner in which the fiery force is sustained throughout, and to the numerous momentary flashes of nature, counteracting the historic abstraction." the disguise of a page, the proof of her innocence, and her final restoration to her husband. The novel by Boccaccio has many corresponding features: it is the ninth of Giornata II., and bears the following title: "Bernabo da Genova, da Ambrogiuolo ingannato, perde il suo, e comanda che la moglie innocente sia uccisa. Ella scampa, et in habito di huomo serve il Soldano; ritrova l'ingannatore, e Bernabo conduce in Alessandria, dove l'ingannatore punito, ripreso habito feminile col marito ricchi si tornano a Genova." A modification of this production seems to have found its way into our language at the commencement of the seventeenth century. Steevens states that it was printed in 1603, and again in 1620, in a tract called "Westward for Smelts." The incidents in "Westward for Smelts" are completly anglicised, and the scene is laid in this country in the reigns of Henry VI. and Edward IV. Malone thought that "Cymbeline" was written in 1609; and although we do not adopt his reasoning upon the point, we are strongly inclined to believe that this drama was not, at all events, written at an earlier period. Forman, the astrologer, was present when "Cymbeline" was acted-most likely, in 1610 or 1611-but he does not in his Diary insert the date when, nor the theatre where, he saw it. His brief account of the plot is contained in his "Booke of Plaies and Notes thereof." We have certainly no right to conclude that "Cymbeline" was a new piece when Forman witnessed the performance of it; but various critics have concurred in the opinion (which we ourselves entertain) that in style and versification it resembles "The Winter's Tale," and that the two dramas belong to about the same period of the poet's life. Forman saw "The Winter's Tale" on 17th May, 1611, and, perhaps, he saw "Cymbeline" at the Globe in the spring of the preceding year. That it was acted at court at an early date is more than probable, but we are without any record of such an event until 1st January, 1633; under which date of his contemporaries, it was the custom with nearSir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels, regis-ly all the dramatists of his day, and it is not impossi ters that it was performed by the King's Players, ble that such was the case with "Pericles." and that it was "well liked by the King." Having thus spoken of the internal evidence of It is the last of the "Tragedies" in the folio of authorship, we will now advert briefly to the exter1623, and we have reason to suppose that it had nal evidence, that it was the work of our great dranot been printed at any earlier date. The divisions matist. In the first place it was printed in 1609, of acts and scenes are throughout regularly marked. with his name at full length, and rendered unusually obvious, on the title-page. It may next be mentioned, that previously to the insertion of "Pericles" in the folio of 1664, it had been imputed to Shakespeare by S. Shepherd, in his "Times displayed in Six Sestiads," 1646; and in lines by J. Tatham, Dryprefixed to R. Brome's "Jovial Crew," 1652. den gave it to Shakespeare in 1675, in the Prologue to C. Davenant's "Circe." Thus, as far as stage tradition is of value, it is uniformly in favor of our position; and it is moreover to be observed, that until comparatively modern times it has never been contradicted. PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE. ["The late, And much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole Historic, aduentures, and fortunes of the said Prince: As also, The no lesse strange, and worthy accidents, in the Birth and Life, of his Daughter Mariana. As it hath been diuers and sundry times acted by his Maiesties Seruants, at the Globe on the Banck-side. By William Shakespeare. Imprinted at London for Henry Gosson, and are to be sold at the signe of the Sunne in Pater noster row, &c. 1609." 4to. 35 leaves. "The late, And much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, aduentures, and fortunes of the saide Prince. Written by W. Shakespeare. Printed for T. P. 1619." 4to. 34 leaves. "The late, And much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, aduentures, and fortunes of the sayd Prince: Written by Will, Shakespeare: London, Printed by I. N. for R. B. and are to be sould at his shop in Cheapside, at the sigue of the Bible. 1630." 4to. 34 leaves, In the folio of 1664, the following is the heading of the page on which the play begins: The much admired Play, called, Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, Adventures, and Fortunes of the The incidents of "Pericles" are found in Lawrence Twine's translation from the Gesta Romanorum, first published in 1576, under the title of "The Patterne of Painfull Adventures," in which the three chief characters are not named as in Shakespeare, but are called Apollonius, Lucina, and Thursia. This novel was several times reprinted, and an edition of it came out in 1607, which perhaps was the year in which "Pericles" was first represented "at the Globe on the Bank-side," as is stated on the title-page of the earliest edition in 1609. The drama seems to have been extremely popular, but the usual difficulty being experienced by booksellers in obtain said Prince. Written by W. Shakespeare, and published in his life time." It occupies twenty-pages; viz., from p. 1 to p. 20, inclusive, a new pagination of the volume coming a copy of it, Nathaniel Butter probably employed mencing with "Pericles." It is there divided into Acts, but irregularly, and the Scenes are not marked.] THE first question to be settled in relation to "Pericles," is its title to a place among the collected works of Shakespeare. some person to attend the performance at the theatre, and with the aid of notes there taken, and of Twine's version of the story, (which, as we remarked, had just before been reprinted) to compose a novel out of the incidents of the play under the following title: "The Painfull Adventures of Pericles Prince of Tyre. Being the true History of the Play of Pericles, as it was lately presented by the worthy and ancient Poet John Gower. At London. Printed by T. P. for Nat. Butter. 1608." It has also a woodcut of Gower, no doubt, in the costume he wore at the Globe. This publication is valuable, not merely because it the only known specimen of the kind of that date in our language, but because though in prose, (with the exception of a song,) it gives some of the speeches more at length, than in the play as it has come down to us, and explains several obscure and disputed passages. It also affords strong presumptive evidence that the drama has not reached us by any means in the shape in which it was originally represented. There is so marked a character about every thing that proceeded from the pen of our great dramatist, -his mode of thought, and his style of expression, are so unlike those of any of his contemporaries, that they can never be mistaken. They are clearly visible in all the later portion of the play; and so indisputable does this fact appear to us, that, we confidently assert, however strong may be the exter-is nal evidence to the same point, the internal evidence is infinitely stronger: to those who have studied his works it will seem incontrovertible. An opinion has long prevailed, and we have no doubt it is well founded, that two hands are to be traced in the composition of "Pericles." The larger part of the first three Acts were in all probability the work of an inferior dramatist: to these Shakespeare added comparatively little; but he found it necessary, as the story advanced and as the interest increased, to insert more of his own composition. His hand begins to be distinctly seen in the third Act, and afterwards we feel persuaded that we could extract nearly every line that was not dictated by his great intellect. We apprehend that Shakespeare found a drama on the story in the possession of one of the companies performing in London, and that, in accordance with the ordinary practice of the time, he made additions to and improvements in it, and procured it to be represented at the Globe theatre. Who might be the author of the original piece, it would be in vain to conjecture. Although we have no decisive proof that Shakespeare ever worked in immediate concert with any "Pericles" was five times printed before it was inserted in the folio of 1664, viz., in 1609, 1611, 1619, 1630, and 1635. The folio seems to have been copied from the last of these, with a multiplication of errors, but with some corrections. The first edition of 1609 was obviously brought out in haste, and there are many corruptions in it; but more pains were taken with it than Malone, Steevens, and others imagined; they never compared different copies of the same edition, or they would have seen that the impressions vary importantly, and that several mistakes, discov ered as the play went through the press, were carefully set right. The commentators dwelt upon the blunders of the old copies, in order to warrant their own extraordinary innovations; but wherever we could do so, with due regard to the sense of the author, we have restored the text to that of the earliest impression. THE DEDICATION. [INSERTED IN THE FOLIO OF 1632.] To the most Noble and Incomparable Pair of Brethren. William Earl of Pembroke, &c. Lord Chamberlain to the King's most Excellent Majesty. And Philip Earl of Montgomery, &c. Gentleman of his Majesty's Bedchamber. Both Knights of the most Noble Order of the Garter, and our singular good Lords. Right Honorable, Whilst we study to be thankful in our particular for the many favors we have received from your Lordships, we are fallen upon the ill fortune, to mingle two the most diverse things that can be, fear, and rashness; rashness in the enterprise, and fear of the success. For, when we value the places your Highnesses sustain, we cannot but know their dignity greater, than to descend to the reading of these trifles: and, while we name them trifles, we have deprived ourselves of the defence of our Dedication. But since your Lordships have been pleased to think these trifles something, heretofore; and have prosecuted both them, and their Author living, with so much favor, we hope, (that they outliving him, and he not having the fate, common with some, to be executor to his own writings) you will use the like indulgence toward them, you have done unto their parent. There is a great difference, whether any book choose his patrons, or find them: this hath done both. For, so much were your Lordships' likings of the several parts, when they were acted, as before they were published, the volume asked to be yours. We have but collected them, and done an office to the dead, to procure his orphans, guardians; without ambition either of self-profit, or fame: only to keep the memory of so worthy a friend, and fellow alive, as was our SHAKESPEARE, by humble offer of his plays, to your most noble patronage. Wherein, as we have justly observed, no man to come near your Lordships but with a kind of religious address, it hath been the height of our care, who are the presenters, to make the present worthy of your Highnesses by the perfection. But, there we must also crave our abilities to be considered, my lords. We cannot go beyond our own powers. Country hands reach forth milk, cream, fruits, or what they have; and many nations, (we have heard) that had not gums and incense, obtained their requests with a leavened cake. It was no fault to approach their gods, by what means they could; and the most, though meanest, of things are made more precious, when they are dedicated to temples. In that name, therefore, we most humbly consecrate to your Highnesses these remains of your servant SHAKESPEARE; that what delight is in them, may be ever your Lordships', the reputation his, and the faults ours, if any be committed, by a pair so careful to show their gratitude both to the living, and the dead, as is Your Lordships' most bounden, JOHN HEMINGE. HENRY CONDELL. TO THE GREAT VARIETY OF READERS. FROM the most able, to him that can but spell; there you are numbered. We had rather you were weighed. Especially, when the fate of all books depends upon your capacities: and not of your heads alone, but of your purses. Well, it is now public, and you will stand for your privileges, we know: to read, and censure. Do so, but buy it first. That doth best commend a book, the stationer says. Then, how odd soever your brains be, or your wisdoms, make your licence the same, and spare not. Judge your sixpen'orth, your shilling's worth, your five shillings' worth at a time, or higher, so you rise to the just rates, and welcome. But, whatever you do, buy. Censure will not drive a trade, or make the jack go. And though you be a magistrate of wit, and sit on the stage at Blackfriars, or the Cockpit, to arraign plays daily, know, these plays have had their trial already, and stood out all appeals; and do now come forth quitted rather by a decree of court, than any purchased letters of commendation. It had been a thing, we confess, worthy to have been wished, that the Author himself had lived to have set forth, and overseen his own writings; but since it hath been ordained otherwise, and he by death departed from that right, we pray you do not envy his friends the office of their care, and pain, to have collected and published them; and so to have published them, as where (before) you were abused with divers stolen, and surreptitious copies, maimed, and deformed by the frauds and stealths of injurious impostors, that exposed them; even those, are now offered to your view cured, and perfect of their limbs, and all the rest, absolute in their numbers, as he conceived them. Who, as he was a happy imitator of Nature, was a most gentle expresser of it. His mind and hand went together; and what he thought, he uttered with that easiness, that we have scarce received from him a blot in his papers. But it is not our province, who only gather his works, and give them you, to praise him. It is yours that read him. And there we hope, to your divers capacities, you will find enough, both to draw, and hold you; for his wit can no more lie hid, than it could be lost. Read him, therefore; and again, and again: and if then you do not like him, surely you are in some manifest danger, not to understand him. And so we leave you to other of his friends, who, if you need, can be your guides: if you need them not, you can lead yourselves, and others. And such readers we wish him. JOHN HEMINGE. HENRY CONDELL. COMMENDATORY VERSES. Upon the Effigies of my worthy Friend, the Author, Master William Shakespeare, and his Works. SPECTATOR, this life's shadow is :-to see The truer image, and a livelier he, Turn reader. But observe his comic vein, Laugh; and proceed next to a tragic strain, Then weep: 80,-when thou find'st two contraries, Two different passions from thy rapt soul rise,— Say, (who alone effect such wonders could) Rare Shake-speare to the life thou dost behold. An Epitaph on the admirable Dramatic Poet, W. Shakespeare. To the Memory of my beloved, the Author, Mr. William Shakespeare, and what he hath left us. To draw no envy (Shakespeare) on thy name, As neither man, nor muse, can praise too much; WHAT need my Shakespeare for his honor'd bones, The truth, but gropes, and urgeth all by chance; The labor of an age in piled stones; Or that his hallow'd reliques should be hid Dear son of memory, great heir of fame, What need'st thou such dull witness of thy name? To the Memory of the deceased Author, Master SHAKE-SPEARE, at length thy pious fellows give Shall loathe what's new, think all is prodigy To the Memory of M. W. Shake-speare. Or crafty malice might pretend this praise, Pacuvius, Accius, him of Cordova dead, Of all that insolent Greece, or haughty Rome, |