Tragical HISTORY of King LEAR, and his three DAUGHTE[RS]
First, Shewing how he gave the two Eldest the full and, whole Possession of his Crown. Second, How he banishd the Youngest his Court and
Presence, who fled into France, and married the French King. Third, How his two eldest Daughters, in some Time after, took away his Attendance, and
turnd him out of Court, when being destitute, he travelled into France, where his youngest Daughter relieved him, rai[s]ed an Army to restore him to the Pos-
session of his Crown, in the Attempt of which she was killd in the Field of Battle, and her Father immediately died with Grief for the Loss of his Daughter.
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PART. II
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A Certain great King once did rule over this Land,
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Who had all the Pleasure a King cold commend
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And livd in great Splendor with Honour and Peae,
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He reignd many Years not without great Increase.
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He had three fine Daughters of Beauty most bright,
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In whom this same King he did take much Delight;
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For Virtue and Wisdom none could them come near,
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Which caused their Father to love them most dear.
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The King had a Fancy to try all their Love,
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Which pleased him well then this Question to move,
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To see which of them then did love him the best,
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So calld them before him the Truth to protest.
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For unto my Joy and Comfort I see
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Three beautiful Children do stand before me:
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Now which of you three will do most for my Sake,
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Suppose that my Life now should lie at the Stake?
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To which then the Elder did make this Reply,
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The worst of all Deaths for thy Sake I could die,
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With the greatest of Tortures that Nature can name;
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O this I will bear for your Majestys Fame!
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The second made Answer, My Love is more dear
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Than ever my Sisters, as it shall appear;
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Although she expresses much Fidelity,
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My Love shall be seen unto your Majesty!
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Well spoke, my dear Daughters, the aged King said,
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My Heart is enamourd, and merely betrayd:
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But what says my youngest Girl? Prithee tell me,
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I want to hear thy Love amongst all the Three.
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My Love, said the Youngest, that I to you owe,
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Is the abundant Duty a Child ought to show;
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To honour my Father until that I die,
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And neer in Extremity from you will fly.
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Thy Love is but small, said the King, I do find,
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That youll shew no more than what Nature doth bind;
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I thought you had Reason to be as sincere
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As your eldest Sister, who loves me most dear.
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Henceforth I do banish you quite from my Court,
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And charge you no more in my Presence resort:
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I justly may say, thou art no Child of mine,
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Because you in Love from the Rest do decline.
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So I will make over my Scepter and Crown
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To your eldest Sisters of Fame and Renown;
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And they shall be Heirs to my whole Land,
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For all that I have shall be at their Command.
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My pompous Estate, nay, and my noble Train,
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For those thy two Sisters shall be to maintain;
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That peaceable now I may pass my Time away,
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And live with my Daughters till my dying Day.
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PART II.
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The youngest Daughters Misfortune; of her travelling into France;
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and how the King of France made her his Queen,
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THEIR flattring Speeches at length won his Heart,
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But now mind at length how he had his Desert;
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For his youngest Daughters causeless Banishment,
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The which he had Reason eer long to repent.
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For his poor young Daughter he wanderd up and down,
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Through many a Village and brave English Town;
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Because that her Father held her in Disdain,
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She then did resolve for to cross oer the Main.
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At length to fair France then this fair Lady came,
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The King then perceiving this beautiful Dame,
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He quickly was wounded by young Cupids Dart,
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Which deeply did wound him to the very Heart.
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Likewise the King of her Virtues had heard,
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His Heart was more and more to her endeard:
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Said he, That my Love to her shall be seen,
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Before my whole Court I will make her my Queen.
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Her aged old Father is now all the While
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With his eldest Daughters, who soon did beguile
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Him of his whole Kingdom, nay, Scepter and Crown,
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And quickly their aged old Father pulld down.
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The King for a While in his Court did remain,
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But his eldest Daughter soon lessend his Train:
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Then after so done, she did quickly contrive
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Him of all his Riches and Means to deprive.
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Whereas twenty Men he was wont for to have,
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To wait and attend on his Majesty grave:
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She lessend his Number, and brought him to ten,
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And quickly reducd them to only three Men.
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Nay, one she thought much for her Father to have,
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So took him away, that her Father m[i]ght leave
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The Court and be gone, and there no longer stay,
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Which grieved the King, and made him thus say,
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Am I thus rewarded, the King then replyd,
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To be of my own at this Rate so denyd?
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It grieveth my Heart to think what Ive done,
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But now to my second Child Ill make my Moan.
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PART III.
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How the King was dethrond by his two eldest Daughters; and
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how his youngest Daughter restored him again.
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MY second dear Daughter with Pity I know,
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Will quickly consider my Sorrow and Woe;
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Ill go now unto her, and tell her my Grief,
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I make no Doubt but shell afford me Relief.
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The King he full fast to the Court then did go,
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Desiring his Sorrows for to let her know:
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She made him this Answer, That she was much grievd
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For all these Repulses that he had receivd,
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But no Ways could help him in this his Distress,
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Nor yet in the least could afford him Redress;
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But if he a While in the Kitchen would stay,
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Shed order him such as the Scullions give away.
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The King made this Answer to his Daughter then,
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Surely I am served the worst of all Men;
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For doing as I did by my Daughter dear,
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Which makes me lament, and shed many a Tear.
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To my eldest Daughter again Ill return,
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Perhaps shell give Ear to my pitiful Moan.
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Then straitway he went again to the Court,
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In Hopes to find her in a better Sort.
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And when he came there she straitway gave Command,
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For to have him sent away out of Hand;
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And orderd them quickly to drive him away,
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Saying, That in her Court he no longe should stay.
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Then he to his second Child again did hie,
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To eat of her Scraps that her Scullion set by,
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For such as for Charity askd at the Door
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Which grieved the King to the Heart more and more.
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But there of her Promise he then was denyd,
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Which caused the King to be dissatisfyd
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For on his refusing her Offer most kind,
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She said, At her Gate he small Comfor;t should find.
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Calling to Remembrance his young Daughters Word.
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It did to his Grief new Sorrow afford;
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To think how he had this poor Creature beguild
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Of all her whole Fortune, and ruind the Child.
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Which made him be troubled, nay, to rave a[n]d tear,
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And rending the Locks of his Silver Hair;
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Which was such an Ornament to his old Age,
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Yet nothing at all could his Trouble asswage.
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To Rocks, and to Rivers, and watry Founts,
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To Hills, and to Woods, and [t]he highest of Mounts
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He made his Complaint, and his hourly Moan,
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Until at length all those Things seemd to
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Then being thus possest with Discontent,
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Being fully resolvd, he over Sea[?] went,
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And soon found his Daughter, being Queen of Frnce,
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Which made him amazed at her noble Chance.
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Most virtuous Lady! when this she did hear,
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She sent for her Father in Duty most dear:
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Most welcome are you, my reverend Lord,
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To what my whole Kingdom and Court doth afford.
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Then her noble King, for to grace his Queen,
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Shewd him all the Honour and Love could be seen:
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He for his whole Court then of Noblemen sent,
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For great Acclamations of Joy they were bent.
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But as they in Banqueting merrily were,
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She said, My dear Father how goes your Affairs?
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Indeed, my dear Daughter, I quite am disownd
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By your eldest Sisters, who have me dethrond.
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Then she started up from the Table, and said,
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Of my cruel Sisters, who have the betrayd,
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I will be revenged, and that instantly,
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If that I am sure in the Battle to die.
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The King and his Nobles did soon Answer make,
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My honoured Queen, for your dear Fathers Sake,
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Well venture our Lives to see him on the Throne
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In Spight of all those that do him disown.
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Then straight unto England they came in great Haste,
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But now comes the Tragedy here at the last;
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The Fight was no sooner begun, to be plain,
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But this noble Queen in the Battle was slain.
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The Queen being dead, then her Father espyd,
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He laid himself by her, and instantly dyd:
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Then straightway seeing this sudden Event,
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They put the two Daughters to Death by Consent.
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The Crown was left vacant, for Want of an Heir,
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There being none equal the Crown for to wear:
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The Crown was left useless, being without King,
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So sad Disobedience is the wost of all Sin.
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