self unknown, without seeking find, and be embraced by a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar shall be lopped branches, which being dead many years shall after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow, then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate, and flourish in peace and plenty." Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp; [To CYMBELINE. Which we call mollis aer; and mollis aer Сут. This hath some seeming. Well, Cym. Sooth. The fingers of the powers above do tune 2 My peace we will begin.] Johnson proposed " By peace we will begin ;" to which there seems no other material objection than that the change is not required. Cymbeline may mean by "My peace," the peace which was to begin during his reign therefore he adds that, for the sake of peace, he will submit to Cæsar, and pay "the wonted tribute." 3 Of THIS YET] The folio, 1623, accidentally inverts these words, "Of yet this." The correction was made in the folio, 1664. Is full accomplish'd; for the Roman eagle, His favour with the radiant Cymbeline, Cym. Laud we the gods; And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils Friendly together; so through Lud's town march, Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.- [Exeunt. "The late, and much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole Historie, aduentures, and fortunes of the said Prince: As also, the no lesse strange, and worthy accidents, in the Birth and Life, of his Daughter Mariana. As it hath been diuers and sundry times acted by his Maiesties Seruants, at the Globe on the Banck-side. By William Shakespeare. Imprinted at London for Henry Gosson, and are to be sold at the signe of the Sunne in Pater-noster row, &c. 4to. 35 leaves. 1609." "The late, And much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, aduentures, and fortunes of the saide Prince. Written by W. Shakespeare. Printed for T. P. 1619." 4to. 34 leaves. "The late, And much admired Play, called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, aduentures, and fortunes of the sayd Prince: Written by Will. Shakespeare: London, Printed by I. N. for R. B. and are to be sould at his shop in Cheapside, at the signe of the Bible. 1630." 4to. 34 leaves. In the folio of 1664 (where the play first appeared in that form), the following is the heading of the page on which the piece begins: "The much admired Play, called, Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With the true Relation of the whole History, Adventures, and Fortunes of the said Prince. Written by W. Shakespeare, and published in his life time." It occupies twenty pages; viz. from p. 1 to p. 20, inclusive, a new pagination of the volume commencing with "Pericles." It is there divided into Acts, but irregularly, and the Scenes are not marked. INTRODUCTION. THE first question to be settled, in relation to "Pericles," is its title to a place among the collected works of Shakespeare. There is so marked a character about every thing that proceeded from the pen of our great dramatist,-his mode of thought and his style of expression are so unlike those of any of his contemporaries, that they can hardly be mistaken. They are clearly visible in all the later portion of the play; and so indisputable does this fact appear to us, that, we confidently assert, however strong may be the external evidence to the same point, the internal evidence is infinitely stronger: to those who have studied his works it will seem incontrovertible. As we do not rely merely upon particular expressions, nor upon separate passages, but upon the general complexion of whole scenes and acts, it is obvious, that we cannot here enter into proofs, which would require the re-impression of many of the succeeding pages. An opinion has long prevailed, and we have no doubt it is well founded, that two hands are to be traced in the composition of "Pericles." The larger part of the first three Acts was, in all probability, the work of an inferior dramatist: to these Shakespeare added comparatively little; but he found it necessary, as the story advanced and as the interest increased, to insert more of his own composition. His hand begins to be distinctly seen in the third Act, and afterwards we feel persuaded that we could extract nearly every line that was not dictated by his great intellect. We apprehend that Shakespeare found a drama on the story in the possession of one of the companies performing in London, and that, in accordance with the ordinary practice of the time, he made additions to, and improvements in it, and procured it to be represented at the Globe theatre'. Who might be the author of the original piece, it would be vain to conjecture. Although we have no decisive proof that Shakespeare ever worked in immediate concert with any of his contemporaries (Fletcher excepted, in "The Two Noble Kinsmen "), it was the custom with nearly all the By a list of theatrical apparel, formerly belonging to Alleyn, and preserved at Dulwich College, it appears that he had probably acted in a play called "Pericles." See Memoirs of Edward Alleyn," printed for the Shakespeare Society, p. 21. This might be the play which Shakespeare altered and improved. |