197.1[Scene 3] [Video Sc.3] Perillus, go seek my daughters. Will them immediately
Come and speak with me. I will, my gracious lord.
Oh, what a combat feels my panting heart
3.4203'Twixt children's love and care of common weal!
3.5204How dear my daughters are unto my soul
3.6205None knows but He that knows my thoughts and secret deeds.
3.7206Ah, little do they know the dear regard
3.8207Wherein I hold their future state to come.
3.9208When they securely sleep on beds of down,
3.10209These agèd eyes do watch for their behalf.
3.11210While they, like wantons, sport in youthful toys,
3.12211This throbbing heart is pierced with dire annoys.
3.13212As doth the sun exceed the smallest star,
3.14213So much the father's love exceeds the child's.
3.15214Yet my complaints are causeless, for the world
3.16215Affords not children more conformable,
3.17216And yet methinks my mind presageth still
3.18217I know not what, and yet I fear some ill.
3.18.1218Enter Perillus, with the three daughters[, Gonorill, Ragan and Cordella] 3.19219Well, here my daughters come. I have found out
3.20220A present means to rid me of this doubt.
Our royal lord and father, in all duty
3.22222We come to know the tenor of your will,
3.23223Why you so hastily have sent for us.
Dear Gonorill, kind Ragan, sweet Cordella,
3.25225Ye flourishing branches of a kingly stock,
3.26226Sprung from a tree that once did flourish green,
3.27227Whose blossoms now are nipped with winter's frost,
3.28228And pale, grim Death doth wait upon my steps,
3.29229And summons me unto his next assizes.
3.30230Therefore, dear daughters, as ye tender the safety
3.31231Of him that was the cause of your first being,
3.32232Resolve a doubt which much molests my mind:
3.33233Which of you three to me would prove most kind,
3.34234Which loves me most, and which, at my request,
3.35235Will soonest yield unto their father's hest?
I hope my gracious father makes no doubt
3.37237Of any of his daughters' love to him;
3.38238Yet, for my part, to show my zeal to you,
3.39239Which cannot be in windy words rehearsed,
3.40240I prize my love to you at such a rate,
3.41241I think my life inferior to my love.
3.42242Should you enjoin me for to tie a millstone
3.43243About my neck and leap into the sea,
3.44244At your command I willingly would do it.
3.45245Yea, for to do you good, I would ascend
3.46246The highest turret in all Brittany,
3.47247And from the top leap headlong to the ground.
3.48248Nay, more, should you appoint me for to marry
3.49249The meanest vassal in the spacious world,
3.50250Without reply I would accomplish it.
3.51251In brief, command whatever you desire,
3.52252And if I fail, no favor I require.
Oh, how thy words revive my dying soul!
[Aside] Oh, how I do abhor this flattery!
But what saith Ragan to her father's will?
Oh, that my simple utterance could suffice
3.57257To tell the true intention of my heart,
3.58258Which burns in zeal of duty to your grace
3.59259And never can be quenched but by desire
3.60260To show the same in outward forwardness.
3.61261Oh, that there were some other maid that durst
3.62262But make a challenge of her love with me:
3.63263I'd make her soon confess she never loved
3.64264Her father half so well as I do you.
3.65265Ay, then my deeds should prove in plainer case
3.66266How much my zeal aboundeth to your grace.
3.67267But, for them all, let this one mean suffice
3.68268To ratify my love before your eyes:
3.69269I have right noble suitors to my love,
3.70270No worse than kings, and happily I love one;
3.71271Yet, would you have me make my choice anew,
3.72272I'd bridle fancy, and be ruled by you.
Did never Philomel sing so sweet a note?
[Aside]Did never flatterer tell so false a tale?
Speak now, Cordella, make my joys at full,
3.76276And drop down nectar from thy honey lips.
I cannot paint my duty forth in words;
3.78278I hope my deeds shall make report for me.
3.79279But look what love the child doth owe the father:
3.80280The same to you I bear, my gracious lord.
Here is an answer answerless indeed!
3.82282Were you my daughter, I should scarcely brook it.
Dost thou not blush, proud peacock as thou art,
3.84284To make our father such a slight reply?
Why, how now, minion, are you grown so proud?
3.86286Doth our dear love make you thus peremptory?
3.87287What, is your love become so small to us
3.88288As that you scorn to tell us what it is?
3.89289Do you love us as every child doth love
3.90290Their father? True indeed, as some
3.91291Who by disobedience short their fathers' days,
3.92292And so would you; some are so father-sick
3.93293That they make means to rid them from the world,
3.94294And so would you; some are indifferent
3.95295Whether their agèd parents live or die,
3.96296And so are you. But didst thou know, proud girl,
3.97297What care I had to foster thee to this,
3.98298Ah, then thou wouldst say as thy sisters do:
3.99299"Our life is less than love we owe to you."
Dear father, do not so mistake my words,
3.101301Nor my plain meaning be misconstrued;
3.102302My tongue was never used to flattery.
You were not best say I flatter: if you do,
3.104304My deeds shall show I flatter not with you.
3.105305I love my father better than thou canst.
The praise were great, spoke from another's mouth,
3.107307But it should seem your neighbors dwell far off.
Nay, here is one that will confirm as much
3.109309As she hath said, both for myself and her.
3.110310I say thou dost not wish my father's good.
Dear father --
Peace, bastard imp, no issue of King Leir!
3.113313I will not hear thee speak one tittle more.
3.114314Call not me father if thou love thy life,
3.115315Nor these thy sisters once presume to name;
3.116316Look for no help henceforth from me nor mine;
3.117317Shift as thou wilt and trust unto thyself.
3.118318My kingdom will I equally divide
3.119319'Twixt thy two sisters to their royal dower,
3.120320And will bestow them worthy their deserts.
3.121321This done, because thou shalt not have the hope
3.122322To have a child's part in the time to come,
3.123323I presently will dispossess myself
3.124324And set up these upon my princely throne[H3].
I ever thought that pride would have a fall.
Plain-dealing sister, your beauty is so sheen,
3.127327You need no dowry to make you be a queen.
Now whither -- poor, forsaken -- shall I go,
3.129330When mine own sisters triumph in my woe,
3.130331But unto Him which doth protect the just?
3.131332In Him will poor Cordella put her trust.
3.132333These hands shall labor for to get my spending,
3.133334And so I'll live until my days have ending.
Oh, how I grieve to see my lord thus fond
3.135336To dote so much upon vain flattering words.
3.136337Ah, if he but with good advice had weighed
3.137338The hidden tenor of her humble speech,
3.138339Reason to rage should not have given place,
3.139340Nor poor Cordella suffer such disgrace.
King Leir