highest works of the highest masters of poetry, not by the pedantic principle of considering a modern great only to the extent in which he is an imitator of an ancient, but by endeavouring to comprehend the idea in which the modern and the ancient each worked. The Cordelia of Shakspere and the Antigone of Sophocles have many points of similarity; but they each belong to a different system of art. It is for the highest minds only to carry their several systems to an approach to the perfection to which Shakspere and Sophocles have carried them. It was for the feeblest of imitators, in a feeble age, to produce such parodies as those of Tate, under the pretence of substituting order for irregularity, but in utter ignorance of the principle of order which was too skilfully framed to be visible to the grossness of their taste.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

LEAR, King of Britain.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 4; sc. 5. Act II. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 2; Act V. sc. 2; sc. 3.

sc. 4; sc. 6. Act IV. sc. 6.

KING OF FRANCE.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1.

DUKE OF BURGUNDY.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1.

DUKE OF CORNWALL.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4. Act III. sc. 5; sc. 7.

DUKE OF ALBANY.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3.

EARL OF KENT.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 4; sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 6:

sc. 5. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act III. Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 7. Act V. sc. 3.

EARL OF GLOSTER.

Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4.

Act III. sc. 3;

sc. 4; sc. 6; sc. 7. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 6. Act V. sc. 2.

EDGAR, Son to Gloster.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 4; sc. 6. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 6. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3.

EDMUND, bastard son to Gloster.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1;

sc. 5; sc. 7.

sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act III. sc. 3; Act IV. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3.

CURAN, a courtier.

Appears, Act II. sc. 1.

Old Man, tenant to Gloster.

Appears, Act IV. sc. 1.

Physician.

Appears, Act IV. sc. 4

Fool.

Appears, Act I. sc. 4; sc. 5. Act II. sc. 4.

sc. 4; sc. 6.

Act III. sc. 2;

OSWALD, steward to Goneril.

Appears, Act I. sc. 3; sc. 4. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act III.
se. 7. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 5; sc. 6.
An Officer, employed by Edmund.
Appears, Act V. sc. 3.

Gentleman, attendant on Cordelia.
Appears, Act IV. sc. 7.

A Herald.

Appears, Act V. sc. 3.

Servants to Cornwall.

Appear, Act III. sc. 7.

GONERIL, daughter to Lear.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3; sc. 4. Act II. sc. 4.

sc. 7. Act IV. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3.

REGAN, daughter to Lear.

Act III.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4. Act III, sc. 7. Act IV. sc. 5. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3.

CORDELIA, daughter to Lear.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 4; sc. 7. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 3.

Knights attending on the King, Officers, Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants.

SCENE, BRITAIN.

KING LEAR.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-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 qualities are so weigh'd, that curiosity a in neither can make choice of either's moiety.b

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 braz'd to 't.

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 a son, sir, by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my ac

a Curiosity-exact scrutiny.

b Moiety. In the same way Hotspur calls his third share a moiety. In both these cases it is used for an assigned propor

tion.

count: though this knave came somewhat saucily to 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.

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

Edm. My services to your lordship.

Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better. Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving.

Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again :-The king is coming. [Trumpets sound within. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants.

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

Glo. I shall, my liege. [Exeunt Gro. and EDM.
Lear. Meantime we shall express our darker purpose.
Give me the map there.-Know, that we have divided,
In three, our kingdom: and 't is our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age;
Conferring them on younger strengths, while we
Unburthen'd crawl toward death.-Our son of Corn-
wall,

And you, our no less loving son of Albany,
We have this hour a constant will to publish

Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife

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 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?