New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-23

Jest with the merry fore.ters. 1t his wont too,
to saunter along the streets Of the then little town,
| gossiping with en- old friend, chatting round the
bar Of rome old sign, everywhere delightng won ,n
and beloved by child. In one Of these r,mbles.
turning into store where according 10 the good old
fashion Of ihose days, grocery poetofhce, millinery
and book selling were, by precocious passion far
cent alzston o.mbiDed. in turning some quN At,
dipgy volumes, bis eye fell Oh TIE Chronicles pro-
life in L4icester aud Stafford, in which uondro1s
tales and surInises set forth concerning a mys
teiious vault under the channel Of the River Dore,
where the king, who had founded aud given his name
70 the town OF Leicester King Leir buried Esd
ing in the Chronicles story told Of the king and his
three dsue hters the image of the old beggar at Lon
don Bridge-to whose history it bore strange re-
emblance-at once rose up before him. wild ro-
nance clustered around this Brittsnic myth King
Lear as the defendant Of that brute dynasty, which
for while usurped the throne of Albion the soa Of
Neptune-Albion himsef having uaurped the throne
of the original sovereign Of Britain, Gel, of the
name Of s4mothes, nes descendant OF one OF the
sons of Japhet Thus it stands, at less',
corded in Raphael Holnscheds Chronicles"
which, Of course, were consulted BY Suakspere.
In addition to the Chronicles the history
of the old Prince in Ssdney's ARCADIA,
the eloquent canto in Spencers " Fairy Queen tell
ing with such beauteous fancy the story of King Lear
and bis daughters, and a self old ballad singing the
same sad tale furnished him with many suggestions.
Those only who do not perceive the rich fountain
from which Shakspere ever drew bis inspirations,
cavi a, this mode in which be usually constructed his
creations His soft heart carrying about the sad story
OF the old beega, of London Bridge, his imaginative
brain was at once fired by lbs simmde TO the legend
of King Lear, and mis- industry became mex 1austbe
in procuring materials, and his ingenuity mex austi-
bic in usipg them 70 render the production perfect.
When from tie connect N Of brain with heart, con-
ception took place and the beautiful infant came 20
life he spared exeriion to surround it with all the
| drapery which industry ard art could lend.
In Lear we see An OLD man with soft brain yet
softer heart, old good-heared dotard. And this
conhcton OF the head and heart produce notbldity
and eocenricity which make men laugh at him and
women hate him. This soft folly is uDaccompanied
with discerDment, Judgment, reason, or common
serse; thus he requisites the love Of the daughter
who deserves it, and lavshes il upon those who 90
not lie had not the saga,ity TO read his d,ugh-
ter Cordelias gentle noble nature, and when, ques-
tiopne her as to her affection for him. the deep truth
fitness Of the heart cent s serious reflection 20 the
face the shor-sighted old man mistakes the express
sion for ingrsdtnde. lie expected wom.ns smile,
and for the moment would have basked in il
warmth. Goneril and Regain give him smiles, aod
while be basks in them, betrsy him. 1t is thi' oombi-
nation Of morbidty Of sentiment with weakness of
intellect, which give the cue to the old mans end.
But if reason, from bis want Of common intellect and
! iudgmt mt and feeling from his want OF appreciation
Of his true daughters love- forbid US 10 extend to
bin one thought Of pity, there ia at the bottom of his
foolish heart, a great soft love OF kindred, which,
when all forsake him, still clngs around it and in
clines some toward that feeling. This pity, 10 those
who feel it, advances with every scene, and is
brought TO a climax when he floats about ia the
stormy night without fixed purpose not knowing
whittier, bewildered, frantic, stuDg mady with the
bitter thought that III 1se who send him thus adrift
were bone BY the wife he loved, yet not even all the
agony which the huge wrong infics can quench in
his old dotiDg heart the love he treasures as
father.
If the greatest tragedians have failed to grasp the
strange gefs Of this Old man, or to represent his weak
pessts under those circumstances which alone clothe
the character with grandeur, we can scarcely blame
Mr. Forrest if he has shared their fate While to our
fancy, the Lear whom we have skeched was the Lear
of Sbaksperes ideal, we frankly own we have never
felt the smallest sympathy with the character. Nor
| with US can Dis tcit iooteIy is '"iS"tu'h o'i
fows ever get over the feeling of hatred which his in
suits 10 the one truthful noble girl who loved him and
sacrificed for him. inspires. 1t may be this feeling,
rendering us lees sensitive to the wounds OF Shaks-
peres ideal, or it may be a more improved aud
cbastened tone on Mr. Forests part, taught by our
admonition and i,s yet more telling commentary OF
malicious silence with which his hits Of coarse fury
and pbysical defamation have been the last few
nights received; but we certainly conceived that Mr..
Forests Lear was far less repulsive failure th IN
his Hamlet Richeleu and Othello We still, how.
ever. believe him to be wholly incapable Of rightly
conceivipg Shakespeare beautiful creations, putting
the conception into fitting life and FORM The real
actor must not only be made the orator, but born
as the poet.