New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-23
MR.. EDWIN FORREST As KING LEAR

The brisk man of business, crossing, every morn
ing and evening, London Bridge in the merre' days
of good Queen Bees, grew familiar with and
began to love- as some kind old thing, an aged beg
gar, of shrunk hands and whered face, who, in the
sunny months of summer, wont to make his nest
in one of its snug, shady nOeks. AS the shadow OF
winter fell he disappeared, and men often wondered,
over their pleasant port at Dollys and at Toms
what used to become of the old beggsr His heart
rending story was, however known to all. lie had
been once man Of wealth-of big, rich, genial
beart-followipg bndly the impulse OF his weak,
seft nature. On the hand, this weakness madefor
him many designing friend; on the other, his sensi
tive disposition lost for him many well-inen'ioned
one However the world moved for him oil smoothly
on until one morning, he took it into his soft heart to
make over to bis two daughters ali his wealth, pro.
vided they would give him enough whorewith to live.
The two daughters closed the bargain with eager Joy
but scarcely had they become possessed Of the
old mans fortune, when they moved into the Fifth
avenues of those times When their poor old father
called they blushed to introduce him TO the upper
tens and the sight of the tottering withered old man
coming to their doors grew, at last, 20 hateful that
they withdrew from him the ptance they had agreed
to pay him. and one night of storm and rain and dark
ness, when crouching and gathering round him
his taered robe the father asked from the children,
TO whom he had given all crust Of bread to still h's
hunger he was driven from the door, TO wander help
essly through the lonely and wnd-riven street. And
when the citizen Fastening to his warm home, seeing
an old man, thin, crazy with hunger and with grief,
burredly asked him why he did net seek the law, his
answer WAS, " be loved his children, and could not
"do it," Forbidden all interference with him,
many a good, kind heart in which his story woke
a sympathy and which, feeling for the wronged and
sorrow struck old man, would have helped him soon
forgot in other cares and Joys his wild, wretched
figure; and as years rolled on that night was no more
thought or talked OF. How little the pssser-by on
London Bridge, who often carelessly dropped coin
into that old mans hand thought of the romance OF
his story Of the heart so full of love and sefdsnal,
which his tattered garment concealed At G srrck's
Head his history was well known, and among the
PLAYERS who were went, on their way to Z" The Globe
or supper often 10 stop and kindly question the old
man. was one VIII Shakspere, the cunning creatures
If whose brain have since msde the world laugh, and
weep, and sorrow, and joy, and reason ut their wild
Measure Shakspere was personally familiar with
MANY of the leading characters of his plays, and con-
versant with the stories from which he wove them
Hence that oInnipresent nature which touches anse
h b;ches, intellect and the rudes heart. He mingled
with his men; he knew every pussiion of their be-
ing he laughed at their folly scorned their preJu-
c;ces goyed with their noble emotions was chilled
with their selfish ones; but whether fools or bgots,
generous or mean his full bright eye searched and
them ALL Ii Shaks pore had written plain story oil inc
models no eat for his characters many "ouid oe aP
nailed When travelling down to Stratiord on-AVon'
which in those days was journey ofsome dangers
snd some eek. lie al ways contrived to get into taV
ding company with srme besgar or pedheri ana
shont the cracking fire OF the way-sde Inn al
,sbt those bright, merry ests which play so fantasia
ally around his soft humanity used to gather Az tue
,rsnce characters Of the neighborhood, whether
tho iourpey was from London to S'rat'ord' OF
through the wooded avenues which wooinsly leu
thence 10 one of Shakspere's avorite resorts Tue
neasant town of Leicester, he was IN cons'ah, CON
tact with rich AID poor, the gay and morose' the re.
6ped and vulgar, and no shade of character ever
f,lng 10 leave its mark upon bis genius, his genus
never failed to leave its shadow on his page. lnu'
he pleasantly passed along, gathering every houf
nerepce. from the genera ton around him, aud wi,n
bouptiful gratitude bequeahing them for the dengu
and instruction of those which followed The spoN
are still, pointed out with holy reverence IN the gas!
0lades of the woods around the town, where IN ths
sunny day Of summer he used to rest under the snaae
and dream, and fsscy, and at night sit on some
bank Qp which Tho moonlight softly slept sao