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play. Pray, sir, consider our cases with humanitie, and now give us cause to acknowledge you our true friend in time of neede. We have entreated Mr. Davison to deliver this note, as well to witness your love as our promises, and alwayes acknowledgment to be ever

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The money shall be abated out of the money remayns for the play of Mr. Fletcher and ours."

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"ROB. DABORNE."+

I have ever found you a true loving friend to mee, and in so small a suite, it beinge honest, I hope you will not fail us." "PHILIP MASSINGER."

(Indorsed)

"Received by mee, Robert Davison, of Mr. Hinchlow, for the use of Mr. Daborne, Mr. Feeld, Mr. Messenger, the sum of vl." "ROB. DAVISON."

This authentic letter was discovered by the assiduity of Mr. Malone, among other relics, at Dulwich College. He conjectures that it was written between the years 1612 and 1613, that is, when Massinger was in his 29th or 30th year, and when his fortunes were far from prosperous.

ORIGINAL STORY OF KING LEAR.

THE Commentators on Shakespeare have generally agreed in ascribing the story of Lear to Geoffrey of Monmouth as its original author; from whom, or from some old legends borrowed from his book, they conclude that our great poet derived the story. In this latter point they are no doubt correct; but they have all erred in assigning the parentage of this history to Geoffrey of Monmouth. The work that goes

Nathaniel Field assisted Massinger in writing a tragedy, called "The Fatal Dowry," which formed the ground-work of Rowe's "Fair Penitent;" he was also the author of two comedies, "A Woman's a Weathercock," and "Amends for Ladies."

+ Daborne was a clergyman, and the author of two plays, the "Christian turned Turk," and "Poor Man's Comfort."

under his name is merely a Latin translation, and an extremely corrupt one, of an ancient Welsh history, entitled "Brut y Brenhinoedd," or Chronicle of the Kings, written by Tysilio, a Welsh bishop, at the close of the seventh century; and so called, because it gives a history of all the kings of Britain, from Brutus down to Cadwaladr, the last nominal sovereign, who abdicated the throne in the year 686. There are several MS. copies of this Chronicle, and some of them of great antiquity, from which it may be proved, that Geoffrey's version abounds in unwarrantable interpolations and other

errors.

The following is a literal translation of that part of the Chronicle which contains the story of Lear; that genuine and original account, to which all others must be ultimately traced: and yet, strange to say, not one of the English commentators seems to have been aware even of the existence of such a document. The translation is made from a very old MS. (though the most ancient extract) preserved in the Cottonian collection in the British Museum. The names, as they occur in the original, are preserved in the translation; but such notes are added as are necessary for their explanation, or for elucidating other parts that require it. It will be seen, that Shakespeare's tragedy varies in several particulars from the Chronicle of Tysilio. Llyr, or Lear, was, according to Tysilio's account, the eleventh king of Britain.

"After Bleiddud came Llyr,* his son, to be king, and he governed in peace and tranquillity for five and twenty years; and he built a city upon the river Soram, which he called Caer Llyr, and in another language, Leir Cestyr.† And he had no son, but three daughters, whose names were Goronilla, Regan, and Cordeilla; and their father had excessive fondness for them, yet he loved the youngest daughter more than the other two. Thereupon, he considered how he might leave his dominions amongst his daughters after him. Wherefore, he designed to prove which of his daughters loved him the most in particular, so that he might bestow upon that one the best part of the island. And he called to him Goronilla, his eldest daughter, and asked her how much she loved her father? Whereupon, she swore to heaven, and to the earth, that she loved her father dearer than she loved her own soul; and he believed then that this was true, and bequeathed to her the

Lear.

+ Most probably Leicester, which Nennius, in his "Historia Brittonum," calls Caer Lleirou, a name not unlike the one here used.

Shakespeare has softened these names into Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia.

third part of the island, and the man she should most prefer in the isle of Britain to be her husband. After that, he called to him Regan, his second daughter, and asked her how much she loved her father? and she too swore by the powers of heaven and earth, that she could not, by her tongue, declare how much she loved her father. He then believed this to be the truth, and left to her the third part of the isle of Britain, together with the man she should choose in the island for her husband. And then he called to him Cordeilla, his youngest daughter, and whom he loved the most of all, and he asked her how much she loved her father? to which she answered: 'I do not think there is a daughter who loves a father more than she ought; and I have loved thee through life as a father, and will love thee still. And, sir, if thou must know how much thou art loved, it is according to the extent of thy power, and thy prosperity, and thy courage.' And thereat he was moved with anger, and said, 'Since it is thus that thou hast despised my old age, so as not to love me equally with thy sisters, I will adjudge thee to have no share of the isle of Britain.' Thereupon, without delay, he gave to his two eldest daughters the two princes; namely, the prince of Cornwall and that of Scotland,* and half the kingdom with them, whilst the king lived; and, after his death, the island in two parts between them. And, when the rumour of this was spread over the face of the countries, Aganippus, king of France, heard of the wisdom of Cordeilla, and of her form and beauty; he, therefore, sent ambassadors to the isle of Britain, to demand of the king, Cordeilla, his daughter, to be his wife. And he promised her, and declared to the ambassadors, that he should not have any territory or other wealth with her from the isle of Britain. And Aganippus said, that he was not in want of his territory or his riches, but of his noble and illustrious daughter, to beget of her honourable heirs; but there was no delay before Aganippus took the maid in marriage; and no one in that age beheld a maid so fair and so

wise as she.

"After a length of time had elapsed, and Llyr was beginning to be feeble from age, his sons-in-law came with his two daughters, and subdued the island from one sea to the other, and they divided the island and the government between them two. This was after the deluge, 1460 years. Thereupon, Maglon, prince of Scotland, took the king to him, with forty knights in his train, to be maintained at his own charge. But

The Welsh name for Scotland, used in the original, is Alban, from whence came the Albany of Shakespeare. The name of the prince, however, as appears from the sequel, was Maglon, and the prince of Cornwall was named Henwyn.

two years were scarcely concluded, before Goronilla grew displeased on account of her father's retinue; and she came to him, and desired that he would dismiss the whole of such retinue except twenty knights, observing, that that number was sufficient for a person who was not concerned in wars, or any weighty affairs. Thereupon, Llyr became enraged with his daughter for slighting him to such a degree, and he quitted the court of Maglon, and repaired to that of Henwyn, prince of Cornwall, expecting to have his dignity and rank better supported there than in the court of Maglon. And Henwyn received him joyfully, and treated him honourably, as he ought. But a year and a month had not quite elapsed before Regan, his daughter, grew angry with him on account of the greatness of his train, and desired him to send away the whole thereof, except five knights, and declared, that she would maintain only so many in his retinue, and which she deemed sufficient. After he had been obliged to dismiss his knights, he became grieved for the loss of his former dignity, and he returned a second time to his eldest daughter, expecting that she would have compassion on him, and would preserve him his dignity. And, thereupon, she swore by the powers of heaven and earth, that she would maintain only one knight with him, and that was enough for her to do, as the knights of her lord were at his command. And, since he could obtain nothing by his entreaties, he sent away all his knights excepting one, who continued with him. Then, after meditating upon his former rank, which he had lost, he became oppressed with cares, and sorrowful almost unto death. The words of his daughters and their professions came upon his mind; and thereupon he knew, that what was said to him by Cordeilla, his daughter, was true, and, according to his prosperity, his power, and his courage, would he be beloved.

"On this, he bethought himself, that he would visit Cordeilla, his daughter, to implore her mercy, and to see if he could obtain any kind of assistance from her, towards recovering his dominion. And, after he had gone off to sea with three attendants, bewailing his affliction and wretchedness, he exclaimed, with weeping and groaning, after this manner :- Oh, heavens! why did ye exalt me to the summit of honour, since it is more painful to remember honour, after it is lost, than to suffer want without the experience of prosperity! Gods of heaven and earth! let the time yet arrive, when I may be able to retaliate upon the persons who have reduced me to this distress. Ah! Cordeilla! my beloved daughter, how truly didst thou say to me-as my power, and my possessions, and my wealth, might be, so should I be respected; and, for what thou didst speak, I became offended

with thee. Oh! my beloved daughter! in what way shall I be able, for shame, to approach thee now, after having suffered thee to go away from the isle of Britain so destitute as I have done?' Continuing to lament his pain and wretchedness in this manner, he came near to Paris, the city wherein his daughter was; and he sent a messenger to her to announce that he was coming,-a poor, weak, afflicted man, to implore her mercy to see her. When she heard this, she wept, and enquired how many knights there were with him. The messenger declared, there was but one squire: she then wept more bitterly than before, and sent him gold and silver, desiring that he should go privately as far as Amiad,* or to some other city that he might think proper, to take perfumes, and baths, and precious ornaments, and to change his condition, his ornaments and garments, and to take with him forty knights, in the same dress as himself. And, when they should be completed and ready, he was to send a messenger to Aganippus, king of France to announce to him his coming, after having been disgracefully expelled by his two sons-in-law from the isle of Britain, and to implore his aid to regain pos

session of his dominions.

"All that did Llyr do, as Cordeilla his daughter had desired him. And, when the messenger came to announce to the king, that Llyr was coming to have an interview with him, he was rejoiced; and he came to meet him with a fair and splendid retinue, to a great distance from the city, proceeding till Llyr met him; and, thereupon, they alighted, and embraced affectionately, and proceeded to Paris. And there they dwelt together for a long time, happily and joyfully. When the disgrace of Llyr, in the isle of Britain, was told to Aganippus, he was greatly affected; and thereupon, it was agreed in council to assemble the armies of France, and to subdue the island again. And then, Aganippus gave the government of France to Llyr, whilst he should be assembling the remote parts. When their forces and necessaries were ready, it was agreed in council to send Cordeilla with Llyr, lest the French should not be obedient to Llyr. And Aganippus commended the French, as they valued their souls, and at their peril, to be as obedient to Llyr and to his daughter as they would be to himself.

"When they had taken leave, they set off towards the isle of Britain. And against them came Maglon, prince of Scotland, and Henwyn, prince of Cornwall, with all their power, and fought gallantly and severely with them; but, owing to the French being so numerous, it did not avail them, for they were put to flight and pursued, and a multitude of them slain.

* It seems doubtful what town is here meant, unless it be Amiens.

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