As I entered the special collections section of the library, I saw some small, relatively old books. I was wondering which of these obviously old, but relatively unimpressive books was the one I was looking for. In learning about the Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, I was delighted to find that they were so large and grandiose. I wasn't sure whether I should start with the first or second volume of this massive book in order to find the passage about King Lear more easily, but I figured the beginning was probably a very good place to start. As I opened the book, I was struck by the smell of 400-year-old pages. I was expecting the "typical smell of old books", but the smell I expected usually accompanies books a century or less old, rather than four centuries old. The smell I encountered was much stronger. Maybe 300 years ago it smelled like I thought it would and it had just become exponentially more pungent. I was very surprised by the solidity of the pages. Not only were they much thicker than I expected, but they were also in extraordinary condition. I am sure that a large bound book like this would have been a relatively expensive luxury in 1587, despite the use of the printing press. It's in such good condition that I can imagine it being purchased as a status symbol. I can see it being part of a huge library collection, intended to fill the shelves and impress rather than be read, which would explain the book's remarkable condition. The two large books appeared to be divided into volumes within each physical book. I couldn't find a table of contents and each volume started with the first page. I spent most of my time going through the second volume titled "History of England" which came after the cal volume...... middle of paper ... no children in Shakespeare's version of the piece. Rather than later commit suicide following his imprisonment by the new Dukes of Albania and Cornwall, Shakespeare omits several years and his two nephews, and Cordelia still meets the same end, but at the hands of her own generation. Shakespeare's King Lear takes the story Holinshed tells and adapts it to his needs to create a more deeply tragic story. My visit to Special Collections was a valuable insight into the immense size and importance of a book such as Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Ireland and Ireland. Scotland and how it may have affected Shakespeare's play. The old book was extremely interesting and the story it tells serves as inspiration for further investigation into the legend of the story of King Lear and the changes in the story over time that I have read. I intend to examine in my research paper..