Peer Reviewed
The History of King Leir (Quarto, 1605)
and his three daughters.
2047And makes me faynt, or euer I come there.
2049Or loue be reapt, where hatred hath bin sowne?
2050Can Henbane ioyne in league with Methridate?
2051Or Sugar grow in Wormwoods bitter stalke?
2052It cannot be, they are too opposi}te
2054I haue throwne Wormwood on the sugred youth,
2055And like to Henbane poysoned the Fount,
2056Whence flowed the Methridate of a childs goodwil:
2057I, like an enuious thorne, haue prickt the heart,
2061My bitter words haue gauld her hony thoughts,
2062And weeds of rancour chokt the flower of grace.
2063Then what remainder is of any hope,
2064But all our fortunes will go quite aslope?
2066Can neuer be corrupted by the bad:
2069And therfore, though you name yourselfe the thorn,
2070The weed, the gall, the henbane & the wormewood;
2072The hony, milke, Grape, Sugar, Methridate.
2075O ioyne with me, and thinke of nought but crosses,
2076And then weele one lament anothers losses.
2078And death is better then for to despaire:
2079Then hazzard death, which may conuert to life;
2082To be directed by thee, as thou wilt;
2083As thou yeeldst comfort to my crazed thoughts,
2084Would I could yeeld the like vnto thy body,
2085Which is full weake, I know, and ill apayd,
H For