Her father 'old' king Lear this while With his two daughters ftaid, Forgetful of their promis'd loves, Full foon the fame decay'd, And living in queen Ragan's court, The eldest of the twain, She took from him his chiefest means, And most of all his train. For whereas twenty men were wont To wait with bended knee: She gave allowance but to ten, 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 For what I lately gave? I'll go unto my Gonorell; My fecond child, I know, Will be more kind and pitiful, And will relieve my woe. P 4 75 80 85 00 95 Full Full faft he hies then to her court; . Where when she heard his moan Return'd him anfwer, That the griev'd, That all his means were gone: But no way could relieve his wants; Yet if that he would stay Within her kitchen, he should have What fcullions gave away. ICO Which made him rend his milk-white locks, And treffes from his head, And all with blood beftain his cheeks, With age and honour spread: 140 To hills and woods and watry founts, He made his hourly moan, Till hills and woods, and fenflefs things, 4 Even And in an England came with speed, To repedete sing Lein, And drive his daughters from their thrones By his Cordelia dear: Was in the battei Lain : 160 Where £e, true-hearted noble queen, 165 Yet he good king, in his old days, Poseft his crown again. But But when he heard Cordelia's death, Who died indeed for love Of her dear father, in whose cause She did this battel move; The lords and nobles when they saw The end of these events, 170 175 Unto the next of kin : Thus have you seen the fall of pride, And difobedient fin. XIV. YOUTH AND AGE, is found in the little collection of Shakespeare's Sonnets, intitled the PASSIONATE PILGRIME I, the greatest part of which feem to relate to the amours of Venus and Adonis, See above, page 199. |