3 Alb. The Weight of this fad Time, &c.] This Speech from the Authority of the Old Quarto is rightly placed to A bany in the Edition by the Players it is given to Edgar, by whom, I doubt not, it was of

HE Tragedy of Lear is defervedly celebrated among the dramas of Shakespeare. There is perhaps no play which keeps the attention fo ftrongly fixed; which fo much agitates our paffions and interefts our curiofity. The artful involutions of diftinct interefts, the ftriking oppofition of contrary characters, the fudden changes of fortune, and the quick fuccef fion of events, fill the mind with a perpetual tumult of indignation, pity, and hope. There is no fcene which does not contribute to the aggravation of the diftrefs or conduct of the action, and scarce a line which does not conduce to the progrefs of the fcene. So powerful is the current of the poet's imagination, that the mind, which once ventures within it, is hurried irrefiftibly along.

On the feeming improbability of Lear's conduct it may be obferved, that he is reprefented according to hiftories at that time vulgarly received as true. And perhaps if we turn our thoughts upon the barbarity and ignorance of

[Exeunt with a dead march.

Cuffom fpoken. And the Cafe was this: He who played Edgar, being a more favourite Actor, than he who perfonated Albany; in spite of Decorum, it was thought proper he should have the laft Word. THEOBALD.

the age to which this ftory is referred, it will appear not fo unlikely as while we eftimate Lear's manners by our own. Such preference of one daughter to another, or refignation of dominion on fuch conditions, would be yet credible, if told of a petty prince of Guinea or Madaga car. Shakespeare, indeed, by the mention of his Earls and Dukes, has given us the idea of times more civilifed, and of life regulated by fofter manners; and the truth is, that though he fo nicely difcriminates, and fo minutely defcribes the characters of men, he commonly neglects and confounds the characters of ages, by mingling customs ancient and modern, English and foreign.

My learned friend Mr. Warton, who has in the Adventurer very minutely criticifed this play, remarks, that the inftances of cruelty are too favage and fhocking, and that the intervention of Edmund deftroys the fimplicity of the ftory. Thefe objections may, I think, be answered, by repeating, that the cruelty of the

daugh

daughters is an historical fact, to which the poet has added little, having only drawn it into a feries by dialogue and action. But I am not able to apologise with equal plaufibility for the extrufion of Gloucefter's eyes, which feems an act too horrid to be endured in dramatick exhibition, and fuch as muft always compel the mind to relieve its diftrefs by incredulity. Yet let it be remembered that our authour well knew what would pleafe the audience for which he wrote.

The injury done by Edmund to the fimplicity of the action is abundantly recompenfed by the addition of variety, by the art with which he is made to cooperate with the chief defign, and the opportunity which he gives the poet of combining perfidy with perfidy, and connecting the wicked fon with the wicked daughters, to imprefs this important moral, that villany is never at a ftop, that crimes lead to crimes, and at laft terminate in ruin.

But though this moral be incidentally enforced, Shakespeare has fuffered the virtue of Cordelia to perish in a juft caufe, contrary to the natural ideas of juftice, to the hope of the reader, and, what is yet more ftrange, to the faith of chronicles. Yet this conduct is justified by the Spectator, who blames Tate for giving Cordelia fuccefs and happinefs in his alteration, and declares, that, in his opinion, the tragedy has loft half its beauty. Dennis has remarked, whether justly or not, that, to fecure the favourable reception of Ca10, the town was poisoned with

much falfe and abominable criticim, and that endeavours had been used to difcredit and decry poetical justice. A play in which the wicked profper, and the virtuous mifcarry, may doubtlefs be good, because it is a juft reprefentation of the common events of human life: but fince all reasonable beings naturally love juftice, I cannot easily be perfuaded, that the obfervation of juftice makes a play worfe; or, that if other excellencies are equal, the audience will not always rife better pleased from the final triumph of perfecuted virtue.

In the prefent cafe the publick has decided. Cordelia, from the time of Tate, has always retired with victory and felicity. And, if my fenfations could add any thing to the general fuffrage, I might relate, that I was many years ago fo fhocked by Cordelia's death, that I know not whether I ever endured to read again the laft fcenes of the play till I undertook to revife them as an editor.

There is another controverfy among the criticks concerning this play. It is difputed whether the predominant image in Lear's difordered mind be the lofs of his kingdom or the cruelty of his daughters. Mr. Murphy, a very judicious critick, has evinced by induction of particular paffages, that the cruelty of his daughters is the primary fource of his diftrefs, and that the lofs of royalty affects him only as a fecondary and fubordinate evil; He obferves with great juftnefs, that Lear would move our compaflion but little, did we not

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