PREFACE SINCE these volumes, containing separate plays, are independent The attempt is here made to present, on the same page with the In the APPENDIX will be found essays on THE TEXT, THE DATE We have two sources for the text of Lear, the Quartos and the lowed, but without, it is to be trusted, an absolute surrender to that the Folio is clearly defective the Quartos have been called in aid. Moreover, since the Quartos, maimed and deformed' though they be by the frauds and stealthes of injurious impostors,' do never- theless contain lines, and even a whole scene, which do not appear in the Folio, but are nevertheless Shakespeare's, it has not been deemed fitting to omit these; they have been retained in the text and their presence indicated by asterisks, a modification of the Italic of the old editors, which is due to Dr SCHMIDT's admirable Happily, the day is fast declining when it is thought necessary to modernise Shakespeare's text. Why should it be modernised? My thanks are gladly given to Mr NORRIS for the BIBLIOGRAPHY H. H. F. Knights of Lear's train, Captains, Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants. SCENE: Britain. 5 10 15 20. * DRAMATIS PERSONE] Substantially by Malone. First given by Rowe. 7. GLOUCESTER.] Thus spelled by Staunton; all before him, GLOSTER, or GLO'STER. 14, 18. OSWALD...Cornwall.] Omitted by Rowe +. 18. Capell reads thus: Servants to Cornwall, three. Officers in the Troop of Albany, four. Messengers, two. 2 |