Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

ADVERTISEMENT.

"T brated among

HE Tragedy of Lear is deservedly celethe dramas of Shakespeare. "There is, perhaps, no play which keeps the at"tention fo ftrongly fixed; which so much agitates

our paffions, and interefts our curiofity. The "artful involutions of diftinct interefts, the ftrik

ing oppofition of contrary characters, the sudden "changes of fortune, and the quick fucceffion of " events, fill the mind with a perpetual tumult of. "indignation, pity, and hope. There is no scene "which does not contribute to the aggravation of "the distress, 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 irresistibly along."

Such is the decifion of Dr. Johnson on the Lear of Shakespeare. Yet Tate, with all this treasure before him, confidered it as "a heap of jewels "unftrung, and unpolished ;" and refolved, " out "of zeal for all the remains of Shakespeare," to new-model the story. Having formed this refolution," it was my good fortune (fays he) to light

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

on one expedient to rectify what was wanting "in the regularity and probability of the tale; "which was to run through the whole, a love "betwixt Edgar and Cordelia, that never changed "word with each other in the original. This ren"ders Cordelia's indifference, and her father's

paffion, in the first scene, probable. It likewife gives countenance to Edgar's disguise, making "that a generous defign, that was before a poor "fhift to fave his life The diftrefs of the story is (c evidently heightened by it; and it particularly "C gave occafion to a new scene or two, of more "fuccess perhaps than merit."

Now this very expedient of a love betwixt Edgar and Cordelia, on which Tate felicitates himself, feemed to me to be one of the capital objections to his alteration: For even fuppofing that it rendered Cordelia's indifference to her father more probable (an indifference which Shakespeare has no where implied), it affigns a very poor motive for it; fo that what Edgar gains on the fide of romantick generofity, Cordelia lofes on that of real virtue. The distress of the story is so far from being heightened by it, that it has diffused a languor and infipidity over all the fcenes of the play from which Lear is abfent; for which I appeal

to

[ocr errors]

to the fenfations of the numerous audiences, with which the play has been honoured; and had the fcenes been affectingly written, they would at least have divided our feelings, which Shakespeare has attached almost entirely to Lear and Cordelia, in their parental and filial capacities; thereby producing paffages infinitely more tragick than the embraces of Cordelia and the ragged Edgar, which would have appeared too ridiculous for reprefentation, had they not been mixed and incorporated with fome of the fineft fcenes of Shakespeare.

[ocr errors]

Tate, in whofe days love was the foul of Tragedy as well as Comedy, was, however, fo devoted to intrigue, that he has not only given Edmund a paffion for Cordelia, but has injudiciously amplified on his criminal commerce with Gonerill and Regan, which is the most difgufting part of the original. The Rev. Dr. Warton has doubted, "whether the "cruelty of the daughters is not painted with cir "cumftances too favage and unnatural *,” even by Shakespeare. Still, however, in Shakespeare, fome motives for their conduct are affigned; but as Tate has conducted that part of the fable, they are equally cruel and unnatural, without the poet's affigning any motive at all.

* Adventurer, No. 122.

H 4

In

In all these circumstances, it is generally agreed, that Tate's alteration is for the worfe; and his King Lear would probably have quitted the stage long ago, had not he made "the tale conclude "in a fuccefs to the innocent diftreffed perfons." Even in the catastrophe he has incurred the cenfure of Addison: but "in the present case, says "Dr. Johnson, the publick has decided, and Cor"delia, from the time of Tate, has always retired "with victory and felicity."

To reconcile the catastrophe of Tate to the ftory of Shakespeare, was the first grand object which I propofed to myself in this alteration; thinking it one of the principal duties of my fituation, to render every drama fubmitted to the publick, as confiftent and rational an entertainment as poffible. In this kind of employment, one person cannot do a great deal; yet if every director of the theatre will endeavour to do a little, the stage will every day be improved, and become more worthy attention and encouragement. Romeo, Cymbeline, Every Man in his Humour, have long been refined from the drofs that hindered them from being current with the publick; and I have now endeavoured to purge the tragedy of Lear of the alloy of Tate, which has fo long been fuffered to debafe it.

"The

« ZurückWeiter »