SHAKESPEARE'S AUSGEWÄHLTE DRAMEN. VIERTER BAND: KING LEAR. ERKLÄRT VON DR. ALEX. SCHMIDT. BERLIN. WEIDMANNSCHE BUCHHANDLUNG. 1879. SHAKESPEARE'S KING LEAR. ERKLÄRT VON DR. ALEX. SCHMIDT, DIRECTOR DER STÄDTISCHEN REALSCHULE ZU KÖNIGSBERG IN PR. Einleitung. Den Stoff zum King Lear fand Shakespeare in Holinshed's Chronik, einem Geschichtswerk, welches auch für Macbeth und die historischen Schauspiele seine Hauptquelle war. Dort lautet die Erzählung folgendermassen: Leir the son of Bladud was admitted ruler over the Britons in the year of the world 3105, at what time Joas reigned as yet in Juda. This Leir was a prince of right noble demeanour, governing his land and subjects in great wealth. He made the town of Caerleir now called Leicester, which stands upon the river of Sore. It is written that he had by his wife three daughters without other issue, whose names were Gonorilla, Regan, and Cordeilla, which daughters he greatly loved, but specially the youngest Cordeilla far above the two elder. When this Leir therefore was come to great years and began to wax (= grow) unwieldy through age, he thought to understand the affections of his daughters towards him, and prefer her whom he best loved to the succession over the kingdom: therefore he first asked Gonorilla the eldest how well she loved him, the which calling her Gods to record (= to witness) protested that she loved him more than her own life, which by right and reason should be most dear unto her. With which answer the father being well pleased, turned to the second and demanded of her how well she loved him, which answered (confirming her sayings with great oaths) that she loved him more than tongue could express, and far above all other creatures of the world. Then called he his youngest daughter Cordeilla before him and asked of her what account she made of him: unto whom she made this answer as follows: Knowing the great love and fatherly zeal that towards me you have always borne (for the which I may not answer you otherwise than I think, and as my conscience leads me) I protest unto you that I have loved you ever, and shall continually while I live love you as my natural father, and if you would more understand of the love I bear you, ascertain yourself that so much as you have so much you are worth, and so much I love you, and no more. The father being nothing content with this answer, married his two eldest daughters, the one unto the duke of Cornwall named Henninus, and the other unto the duke of Albania called Maglanus; and betwixt them after his death he willed and ordained that his land should be divided, and the one half thereof immediately should be assigned to them in hand; but for the third daughter Cordeilla` he reserved nothing. Yet it fortuned that one of the princes of Gallia (which now is called France) whose name was Aganippus, hearing of the beauty, womanhood, and good conditions of the said Cordeilla, desired to have her in marriage, and sent over to her father, requiring that he might have her to wife, to whom answer was made that he might have his daughter, but for any dower he could have none, for all was promised and assured to her other sisters already: Aganippus notwithstanding this answer of denial to receive any thing by way of dower with Cordeilla, took her to wife, only moved thereto, I say, for respect of her person and amiable virtues. This Aganippus was one of the twelve kings that ruled Gallia in those days, as in the British history it is recorded. But to proceed, after that Leir was fallen into age, the two dukes that had married his two eldest daughters, thinking long ere the government of the land did come to their hands, arose against him in armour and reft (= took away) from him the governance of the land, upon conditions to be continued for term of life: by the which he was put to his portion, that is to live after a rate assigned to him for the maintenance of his estate, which in process of time was diminished as well by Maglanus as by Henninus. But the greatest grief that Leir took was to see the unkindness of his daughters, which seemed to think that all was too much which their father had, the same being never so little; in so much that going from the one to the other, he was brought to that misery that uneath (= scarcely) would they allow him one servant to wait upon him. In the end such was the unkindness or, as I may say, the unnaturalness which he found in his two daughters, notwithstanding their fair and pleasant words uttered in time past, that being constrained of necessity, he fled the land and sailed into Gallia, there to seek some comfort of his youngest daughter Cordeilla whom before time he hated. The Lady Cordeilla hearing that he was arrived in poor estate, she first sent to him privily a certain sum of money to apparel himself withal, and to retain a certain number of servants that might attend upon |