King LEAR and his Three Daughters.
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KING Lear once ruled in this L[a]nd,
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With Princely Power and Peace.
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A[nd] had all Things with Heart's Content,
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T[h]at might his Joys inc[r]e[a]se;
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Amongst those Things that N[a]ture gave,
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Three Daughters [f]air had he;
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So Princely seeming beautiful,
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As fairer could not be.
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So on a Time it pleas[']d the King
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A Q[u]estion thus to move;
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Which of his Daughters to his Grace,
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Could shew the dearest Love.
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For to my Age you bring Content,
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Quoth he, then let me hear,
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Which of you three in plighted Troth,
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The kindest will appear.
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To him the eldest thus began,
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Dear Father mild, quoth she,
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Before your Face to do you Good,
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My Blood shall render'd be:
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And for your sake, my bleeding Heart
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Shall here be cut in twain;
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Ere that I see your Reverend Age,
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The smallest Grief sustain;
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And so will I, the second said;
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Dear Father for your sake;
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The worst of all Extremities,
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I'll gently undertake.
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And serve your Highness Night and Day,
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With Diligence and Love;
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That sweet Content and Quietness
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Discomforts may remove.
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In doing so, you glad my Soul,
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The aged Father reply'd;
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But what say'st thou my youngest Girl,
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How is thy Love ally'd?
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My Love (quoth young Cordelia then)
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Which to your Grace I owe;
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Shall be the Duty of a Child,
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And that is all I shall bestow.
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And wilt thou shew no more, said he,
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Than doth thy Duty bind?
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I well perceive thy Love is small,
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When as no more we find:
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Henceforth I banish thee my Court;
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Thou art no Child of mine:
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Nor any Part of this my Realm
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By Favour shall be thine.
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Thy eldest Sisters Loves are more
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Than well I can demand;
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To whom I equally bestow
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My Kingdom and my Land:
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My pompous State, and all my Goods;
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That lovingly I may
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With those thy Sisters be maintain'd
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Unto my dying Day.
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Thus flattering Speeches won Renown.
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By these two Sisters here;
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The third had causeless Banishment;
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Yet was her Love more dear:
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For p[o]or Cordelia patiently
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Went wandring up-and-down;
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Unhelp'd, unpity'd, gentle Maid.
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Thro' many an English Town.
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Until at last, in famous France
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She gentler Fortune found;
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Tho' poor and bare, yet she was deem'd,
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The fairest on the Ground.
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Where when the King, her Virtues heard:
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And this fair Lady seen?
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With full Consent of all the Court.
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He made his wife and Queen.
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Her Father, Old King Lear, this while
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With his two Daughters staid;
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Forgetful of their promis'd Loves,
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Full soon the same deny'd.
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And living in Queen Regan's Court.
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The eldest of the twain;
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She took from him his chiefest Means,
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And most of all his Train;
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For whereas twenty Men were wont
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To wait with bended Knee;
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She gave Allowance but to ten.
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And after scarce to three.
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Nay, one she thought too much for him;
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So took she all away;
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In hopes that in her Court, good King,
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He would no longer stay:
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Am I rewarded thus, said he,
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In giving all I have?
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Unto my Children, and to beg,
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For what I lately gave;
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I'll go unto my Goneril:
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My second Child, I know
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Will be more kind and pitiful,
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And will relieve my Woe:
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Full fast he hies unto her Court;
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Where when she hears his Moan:
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Return'd him Answer, that she griev'd,
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That all his Means were gone.
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But no Way could relieve his Wants.
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Yet if that he would stay.
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Within her Kitchen, he should have
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What Scullions gave away.
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When he had heard, with bitter Tears,
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He made this Answer then;
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In what I did, let me be made
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Example to all Men.
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I will return again, said he,
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Unto my Regan's Court;
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She will not use me thus I hope,
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But in a kinder Sort.
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Where when he came, she gave Command
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To drive him thence away;
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When he was well within her Court,
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She said, he could not stay:
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Then back again to Goneril,
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The woeful King did hie;
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That in her Kitchen he might have,
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What Scullion Boys set by.
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But there of that he was deny'd,
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Which she had promis'd late;
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For once refusing, he should not
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Come after to her Gate.
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Thus 'twixt his Daughters, for Relief,
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He wander'd up and down:
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Being glad to feed on Beggars Food,
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That lately wore a Crown.
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And calling to Remembrance then
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His youngest Daughter's Words;
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Who said the Duty of a Child
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Was all that Love affords:
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But doubting to repair to her,
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Whom he had banish'd so;
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Grew frantic Mad; for in his Mind
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He bore the Wounds of Woe.
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Which made him rend his Milk-white Locks
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And Tresses from his Head;
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And all with Blood bestain'd his Cheeks,
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With Age and Honour spread,
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To Hills and Woods, and watery Founts,
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He made his hourly Moan:
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Till Hills and Woods, and senseless Things,
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Did seem to sigh and groan:
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Even thus press'd with Discontent,
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He passed o'er to France:
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In hopes from fair Cordelia there,
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To find some gentler Chance.
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Most virtuous Dame! Which when she heard
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Of this her Father's Grief;
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As in Duty bound, she quickly sent
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Him Comfort and Relief.
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And by a Train of noble Peers,
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In brave and gallant Sort;
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She gave in Charge, he should be brought,
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To Agannipus' Court:
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Whose Royal King, whose Noble Mind,
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So freely gave Consent;
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To muster up his Knights at Arms,
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To Fame and Courage bent.
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And so to England came with speed,
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To repossess King Lear:
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And drive his Daughters from their Thrones:
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By his Cordelia dear.
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Where she, true hearted noble Queen.
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Was in the Battle slain;
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Yet he, good King, in his old Days.
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Possess'd his Crown again.
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But when he heard of Cordelia's Death.
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Who dy'd indeed for Love
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Of her dear Father, in whose Cause,
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She did this Battle move;
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He swooning fell upon her Breast,
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From whence he never parted;
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But on her Bosom left his Life,
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That was so truly-hearted.
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The Lords and Nobles when they saw
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The End of these Events;
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The other Sisters unto Death,
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They doomed by Consents:
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And being dead, their Crowns they left
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Unto the next of Kin:
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Thus have you seen the Fall of Pride,
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And disobedient Sin.
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