ROMAN CHARITY.
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IN Rome I read a nobleman,
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The emperor did offend,
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For that fault he was adjudg'd,
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Unto a cruel end.
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That he should be in prison cast,
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With irons many a one,
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And there be famished to death,
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And brought to skin and bone.
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Besides if anyone was known,
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By night or eke by day,
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To bring him any kind of food,
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His hunger to allay.
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Th' emperor swore a mighty oath
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Without remorse, quoth he,
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Shall sustain the cruelest death,
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That can devised be.
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Cruel sentence thus pronounc'd
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The nobleman was cast,
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Into a dungeon dark and deep,
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With irons fetter'd fast.
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When he had with hunger great
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Remained ten days space,
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And tasted neither meat or drink
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In a most woeful case.
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The tears along his aged face,
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Most piteously did fall,
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And grievously he did begin,
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Complaining thus to call.
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O Lord, said he, what shall I do?
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So hungry am I,
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For want of bread, a bit of bread
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I perish, starve and die.
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Had I th' dungeon full of gold,
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I now would give it all,
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To buy & purchase a small loaf,
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Yea, were it e'er so small.
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O that I had but every day,
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The bit of bread to eat,
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Ono't be mouldy, black or brown
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My comfort would be great.
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Yet, tho' I was to take it up,
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Trod down in dirt and mire
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It would be pleasant to my taste,
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And sweet to my desire.
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O that some pretty small mouse,
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So much my friend would be,
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To bring some old forsaken crust
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Into this place to me.
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But O my heart it is in vain,
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No succour can I have,
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No meat, nor drink, nor water,
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My loathed life to save.
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Bring some bread for Christ's sake
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Some bread, some bread to me,
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I die, I die for want of food,
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None but stone walls I see.
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So ev'ry night & day he cry'd,
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In such outrageous sort,
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That all the people far and near,
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Were griev'd at his report.
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Tho' many great friends he had,
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And daughters in the town,
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None durst come to succour him
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Fearing the emperor's frown.
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Yet now behold a daughter dear
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He had as we do find,
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Who liv'd in his displeasure great
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For not wedding to his mind.
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Altho' she liv'd in mean estate,
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She was a virtuous wife,
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And for to help her father dear,
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She ventured her life.
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She then to her sisters went,
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And of them did entreat,
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That by some means they would,
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Convey their father meat.
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Our father doth starve said she,
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The emperor's wrath is such,
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He dies, alas! for want of food,
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Whereof we have too much.
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Pray sisters use some means,
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His life for to preserve,
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And suffer not our father dear,
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In prison for to starve.
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Alas said they what shall we do,
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His hunger to sustain,
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You know 'tis death for anyone
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That would his life maintain.
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Tho' we wish him well said they
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We never will agree,
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To spoil ourselves, we had as live
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That he should die as we.
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And sister if you love yourself,
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Let this attempt alone,
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Tho' you do ne'er so secret work
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In time it will be known.
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O has our father brought us up
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And nourish'd us quoth she,
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And shall we forsake him quite,
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In his extremity,
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No, I will venture life and limb,
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To do my father good,
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The worst that is, I can but die,
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To save him I'll shed my blood.
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With that in haste away she flies
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And to the prison goes,
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But with her dismal father dear,
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She might not speak, God knows
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Except the emperor would grant,
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Her father in that case,
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The keeper would admit of none
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To enter in that place,
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That she unto the emperor hies
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And falling on her knees,
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With wringing hands & bitter cries
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These words pronounced she:
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My helpless father, sov'reign liege
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Offending of your grace,
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Is judg'd unto a pining death,
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Which I confess he has deserv'd
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Yet mighty prince said she,
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Vouchsafe graciously to grant,
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One simple boon to me.
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It chanced so I match'd myself,
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Against my father's mind,
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Whereby I did procure his wrath
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As fortune had assign'd.
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And seeing now the time is come
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He must resign his breath,
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Vouchsafe that I speak to him,
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Before the hour of death.
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And reconcile myself to him,
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His favour to obtain,
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As when he dies I may not then
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Under his curse remain.
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The emperor grants her request
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Conditionally that she,
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Each day she to her father went,
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Should thoroughly searched be.
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No meat or drink she brought,
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To help him there distress'd,
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But every day she nourish'd him
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With milk from her own breast.
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By her milk he was preserv'd,
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A twelvemonth and a day,
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And was so fair and fat to see,
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Yet none could tell which way,
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The emperor musing thereat,
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At length did understand,
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How he was fed, and not his law
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Was broke at any hand.
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Much admired at the same,
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And her great virtues shewn,
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He pardon'd him, & honour'd her
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With great preferments known.
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Her father ever after that,
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Loved her as his life,
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Blest the day that she was made,
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A virtuous loving wife.
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