where he was. For feare hauing beene the onely knot that had fastned his people vnto him, that once vntied by a greater force, they all scattered from him; like so many birdes, whose cage had beene broken. "In which season the blinde king, hauing in the chiefe cittie of his realme set the crown vppon his son Leonatus head, with many teares (both of ioy and sorrow) setting forth to the whole people his owne fault and his sonnes vertue, after he had kist him, and forst his sonne to accept honour of him, as of his new-become subject, euen in a momen died: as it should seeme, his heart broken with vnkindenes and affliction, stretched so farre beyond his limits with this excesse of comfort, as it was able no longe to keepe safe his vitall spirites But the new king, hauing no lesse louingly performed all duties to him dead, then aliue pursued on the siege of his vnnaturall brother, asmuch for the reuenge of his father, as for the establishing of his owne quiet. In which siege truely I cannot but acknowledge the prowesse of those two brothers, then whome the princes neuer found in all their trauaile two of greater hability to performe, nor of habler skil for conduct. "But Plexirtus finding, that if nothing else, famine would at last bring him to destruction, thought better by humblenes to creepe, where by pride he could not marche. For certainely so had nature formed him, and the exercise of craft conformed him, to all turningnes of sleights, that though no man had lesse goodnes in his soule than he, no man could better find the places whence arguments might grow of goodnesse to another: though no man felt lesse pitie, no man could tel better how to stir pitie: no man more impudent to deny, where proofes were not manifest; no man more ready to confesse with a repenting manner of aggrauating his owne euill, where denial would but make the fault fowler. Now he tooke this way, that hauing gotten a pasport for one (that pretended he would put Plexirtus aliue into his hands) to speake with the king his brother, he himselfe (though much against the minds of the valiant brothers, who rather wished to die in braue defence,) with a rope about his necke, barefooted, came to offer himselfe to the discretion of Leonatus. Where, what submission he vsed, how cunningly in making greater the faulte he made the faultines the lesse, how artificially he could set out the torments of his owne conscience, with the burdensome comber he had found of his ambitious desires, how finely seeming to desire nothing but death, as ashamed to liue, he begd life in the refusing it, I am not cunning inough to be able to expresse: but so fell out of it, that though at first sight Leonatus saw him with i other eie than as the murderer of his father, and anger already began to paint reuenge in many colours, ere long he had not onely gotten pitie, but pardon; and if not an excuse of the faulte past, yet an opinion of a future amendment: while the poor villaines chiefe ministers of his wickednes, now betraied by the author thereof, were delivered to many cruell sorts of death; he so handling it, that it rather seemed, hee had more come into the defence of an vnremediable mischiefe already committed, then that they had done it at first by his consent. Malone. A LAMENTABLE SONG OF THE DEATH OF KING LEIR AND HIS THREE DAUGHTERS. KING LEIR* once ruled in this land, So on a time it pleas'd the king Could show the dearest love: To whom the eldest thus began; And so will I, the second said; Dear father, for your sake, The worst of all extremities I'll gently undertake: And serve your highness night and day With diligence and love; That sweet content and quietness Discomforts may remove. *King Leir &c.] This ballad is given from an ancient copy in The Golden Garland, black letter, to the tune of-When flying fame. It is here reprinted from Dr. Percy's Reliques of ancient English Poetry, Vol. I, third edit. Steevens. And living in queen Ragan's court, The eldest of the twain, She took from him his chiefest means, For whereas twenty men were wont And after scarce to three. Nay, one she thought too much for him : In hope that in her court, good king, Am I rewarded thus, quoth he, Unto my children, and to beg But there of that he was deny'd, Thus 'twixt his daughters, for relief And calling to remembrance then Which made him rend his milk-white locks, And tresses from his head, And all with blood bestain his cheeks, To hills and woods, and watry founts, Till hills and woods, and senseless things, Even thus possest with discontents, In hopes from fair Cordelia there To find some gentler chance : Most virtuous dame! which when she heard Of this her father's grief, As duty bound, she quickly sent Him comfort and relief: And by a train of noble peers, In brave and gallant sort, She gave in charge he should be brought To Aganippus' court; Whose royal king, with noble mind, So freely gave consent, To muster up his knights at arms, To fame and courage bent. And so to England came with speed, To repossess king Leir, And drive his daughters from their thrones By his Cordelia dear: |