The First Edition of the plays contained in this volume of The Cambridge Shakespeare was published in 1866. Second Edition 1892. Reprinted 1895.

CAMBRIDGE: PRINTED BY J. AND C. F. CLAY,

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

1. KING LEAR first appeared in 1608. In this year there were two editions in Quarto. One bears the following title:

M. William Shake-speare, | HIS | True Chronicle History of the life and death of King Lear, and his | three Daughters. | With the unfortunate life of EDGAR, | sonne and heire to the Earle of Glocester, and his sullen and assumed humour of TOM | of Bedlam. As it was plaid before the Kings Maiesty at White-Hall, vp- | pon S. Stephens night, in Christmas Hollidaies. | By his Maiesties Seruants, playing vsually at the Globe on the Banck-side. | Printed for Nathaniel Butter. | 1608. |

The printer's device is that of J. Roberts1.

2

This we have called Q. In the few instances in which there are differences between Capell's copy and that in the Duke of Devonshire's library, we have distinguished the readings as those of Q (Cap.) and Q. (Dev.) respectively. Through the kindness of Sir S. Morton Peto and Mr Lilly, we have been enabled to collate two other copies, but without discovering any variations from that in the Capell collection.

1 It originally belonged to Richard Johnes, Jhones, or Jones, and bears his initials. Afterwards it was used by James Roberts in the quarto of The Merchant of Venice printed by him in 1600, but whether he was still in business in 1608 is doubtful. In the course of that year he was succeeded by W. Jaggard. See Mr Daniel's Preface to the facsimile of the first Quarto of King Lear, p. iv. [W. A. W.]

2 To avoid confusion I have allowed this notation to stand in the Preface as it was originally written. But throughout the notes to the play what was formerly Q, is now Q, and vice versa. [W. A. W.]

In the same year another Quarto edition of this play was issued by the same publisher. Its title is as follows:

M. William Shak-speare: | HIS | True Chronicle Historie of the life and death of King LEAR and his three | Daughters. | With the vnfortunate life of Edgar, sonne | and heire to the Earle of Gloster, and his sullen and assumed humor of | TOM of Bedlam: | As it was played before the Kings Maiestie at Whitehall vpon | S. Stephans night in Christmas Hollidayes. | By his Maiesties seruants playing vsually at the Gloabe | on the Bancke-side. | LONDON, | Printed for Nathaniel Butter, and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls | Churchyard at the signe of the Pide Bull neere | St. Austins Gate. 1608. |

We have called this Q2. In the six copies we have collated there are a large number of very curious and important variations. To distinguish them we have made use of the following notation.

1. Q. (Cap.). The copy in Capell's collection.

2. Q2 (Dev.).

Devonshire.

The copy in the Library of the Duke of

3. Q (Mus. per.). A perfect copy in the British Museum (C. 34. k. 18).

4. Q2 (Mus. imp.). An imperfect copy (wanting title) in the British Museum (C. 34. k. 17); formerly in the possession of Mr Halliwell.

5. Q2 (Bodl. 1). A copy in the Bodleian Library (Malone 35), with the title, but wanting the last leaf.

6. Q2 (Bodl. 2). A copy in the Bodleian Library (Malone 37), wanting title but having the last leaf.

It has been supposed in consequence of statements made by Malone and Boswell that a third edition of King Lear was published in 1608. We shall show that there is no evidence for this. In the Variorum Shakespeare (11. 652), edited by Boswell in 1821, three Quartos are described, which are distinguished in the notes to the play by the letters A, B, C,