Henceforth I banish thee my court, Thou art no child of mine; Nor any part of this my realm By favour shall be thine. 'Thy elder sisters' loves are more Than well I can demand, My pompal state and all my goods, With those thy sisters be maintain'd Thus flattering speeches won renown, The third had causeless banishment, Went wand'ring up and down, Until at last in famous France Though poor and bare, yet she was deem'd And this fair lady seen, With full consent of all his court Her father, [poor] king Lear, this while Forgetful of their promis'd loves, And living in queen Ragan's court, She took from him his chiefest means, And most of all his train. For whereas twenty men were wont Nay, one she thought too much for him ;- In hope that in her court, good king, 'Am I rewarded thus,' quoth he, My second child, I know, Full fast he hies then to her court; Within her kitchen, he should have When he had heard, with bitter tears, 'In what I did let me be made Example to all men. I will return again,' quoth he, 'Unto my Ragan's court; She will not use me thus, I hope, But in a kinder sort.' Where when he came, she gave command To drive him thence away: When he was well within her court, She said, he would not stay. But there of that he was deny'd, Thus 'twixt his daughters, for relief And calling to remembrance then He bore the wounds of woe: Which made him rend his milk-white locks, And tresses from his head, And all with blood bestain his cheeks, With age and honour spread. To hills and woods, and wat'ry founts, Till hills and woods, and senseless things, Even thus possess'd with discontents, He passed o'er to France, 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, And so to England came with speed, To repossess king Lear, And drive his daughters from their thrones By his Cordelia dear. Where she, true-hearted noble queen, Was in the battle slain : Yet he, good king, in his old days, But when he heard Cordelia's death, Of her dear father, in whose cause He swooning fell upon her breast, The lords and nobles when they saw They doomed by consents; And being dead, their crowns they left Thus have you seen the fall of pride, Anonymous. THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. Now ponder well, you parents dear, A doleful story you shall hear, 'Whose wealth and riches did surmount Most men of his estate. Sore sick he was, and like to die, And both possess'd one grave. In love they liv'd, in love they died, |