Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-02-17
The Original Story Of "king Lear y

10 u COl1ttbiOH Vi tdlSo Whieh WeIC Cui-
rent among the people from the
twelfth to the fifteenth century. Pierre
Bercher Frenchman, was the first
compiler of these stories, which, after
collecting, he entitled "Gesta Roma
norum;n but the collection is more
familiar through the modern English
translation of Charles Swan, whose
| edition is entitled "Gesta Romanorum;
| or Entertaining Stories, invented by
the Monks as a Fireside Recreation,
and commonly applied in their Dis
courses from the Pulpit Embodied
in this book is tale from which
Shakespeare evidently obtained the
plot of ''King Lear" slightly changed
| and almost metamorphosed by his
| god-like genius. The tale is short,
and is given entire, as published in
Mr.. Swans edition, and also in the
2lst chapter of the edition of 1913. The
| story seems to be nameless and is as
follows:
"Theodosius reigned a wise EN-
peror, in the city of Rome, and mighty
he was of power; the which Emperor
had three daughters. So it likes this
Emperor to know which of his daugh-
ters loved him best. Then he said to
the eldest daughter, How much lowest
thou me p Forsooth,' quoth she,
more than do myself Therefore,
quoth he, thou shalt be highly adj
vanced,' and married her to rich and
mighty King. Then he came to the
second, and said to her, Daughter,
how much lowest thou meg 'As
much, forsooth,' said she, as do N.Y.
self. So the Emperor married her to
Duke. And then he said to the
third, Daughter, how much lowest
thou me?' Forsooth,' quoth she, las
much as We be worthy, and no more
Then said the Emperor, Daughter,
sith thou lowest me no more, thou
shalt not be married SO richly as thy
sisters be;' and then he married her
to an Earl. After this it happened
that the Emperor held battle against
the King of Egypt And the King
drove the Emperor out of the Empire,
insomuch that the Emperor had no
place to abide in. So he wrote letters
ensealed with his ring, to his first
daughter, that said she loved him
more than herself, for to pray her to
succor him i'm his great need, because
he was put out of his Empire. And
when the daughter had read these
letters, she told it to the King her
husband. sThen,' quoth the King sit
is good that we succor him in this
need. | shall,' quoth he, gather an
army and help him in all that l can
or may, and that will not be done
without great costage.' Yea,' quoth
she, it were sufficient that we would
grant him five knights to be III fellow
ship with him while he is out of his
Empire Aud so it was done indeed.
And the daughter wrote again to her
father that other help he might not
have but five knights of the King to
be in his fellowship, at the cost of the
King, her husband. And when the
Emperor heard this, he was heavy in
his heart, and said, Alas! alas! all
my trust was in her, because she said
she loved me more than herself, and,
therefore, advanced her so high.u
"Then he wrote the second, since
she loved him as much as herself, and
when she had read his letters she
showed his errand to her husband, and
gave him in counsel, that he should
find him meat and clothing honestly,
as for the state of such Lord during
the time of his need. And when this
was granted, she wrote letters again
to her father. The Emperor was
heavy with this answer, and said,
sSith my two daughters have thus
treated me, soothly l shall prove the
third And so he wrote to the third,
that said she loved him as much as he
was worthy, and prayed her of succor
in his need, and told her the answer of
her two sisters. So the third daugh-
chief of her father, she told her hus-
band in this form: My Worshipful
Lord, do succor me now in this great
need; my father is put out of his En-
pire and his heritage Then spake he:
What vert thy will | do thereto?
THAT we gather great host quoth
she, 'and help to fight against his en-
emies.' Il shall fulfill thy will said
the Earl, and gathered great host,
and went with the Emperor at his own
costage to the battle, and had the vic
tory and set the Emperor again in his
heritage And then said the Emperor,
BLESSED be the hour got my youngest
daughter! | loved her less than any
OF the others, and now in my need she
hath succored me, and the others have
failed me and therefore. after my
death she shall have my Empire. And
so it was done indeed; for after the
death of the Emperor the youngest
daughter reigned in his stead, and
ended peaceably.
The Gestd ROnldnOruna also embraces
another story, from which Shakespeare
is supposed to have borrowed his idea
of the three caskets, in the Third Act,
Scene H., of the "Merchant of Ven-
ice.n A familiar tale is contained Ia
Boccacios Decananaeron, and also in
the Grecian Fable.
In closing quote few lines, written
about the thirteenth century, and con-
tanned in the aforementioned collec-
tion:
In my distress, religious aid sought;
But my distress relieved, held 1t nought.
The wolf was sick, a lamb he seemed to be;
But health restored. a wolf again We see;
AS bearing a striking resemblance to
the familiar lines of Francis Rabe-
lai's-
The Devil was sick, the Devil monk would
be;
The Devil was well, the Devil no monk was he.