Shakspeare's Measure for Measure, act iv. sc. 1. Both the stanzas are preserved in Beaum. and Fletcher's Bloody Brother, act v. sc. 2. Sewel and Gildon have printed it among Shakspeare's smaller poems, but they have done the same by twenty other pieces that were never writ by him; their book being a wretched heap of inaccuracies and mistakes. It is not found in Jaggard's old edition of Shakspeare's Passionate Pilgrime 2, &c.

2 Mr. Malone, in his improved edit. of Shakspeare's Sonnets, &c. hath substituted this instead of Marlow's Madrigal, printed above; for which he hath assigned reasons, which the reader may see in his vol. x. p. 340.

XV.

King Leir and his three Daughters.

THE reader has here an ancient ballad on the subject of King Lear, which (as a sensible female critic has well observed1) bears so exact an analogy to the argument of Shakspeare's play, that his having copied it could not be doubted, if it were certain that it was written before the tragedy. Here is found the hint of Lear's madness, which the old

1 Mrs. Lennox, Shakspeare Illustrated, vol. iii. p. 302.

chronicles? do not mention, as also the extravagant cruelty exercised on him by his daughters: in the death of Lear they likewise very exactly coincide. The misfortune is, that there is nothing to assist us in ascertaining the date of the ballad but what little evidence arises from within; this the reader must weigh, and judge for himself.

It may be proper to observe, that Shakspeare was not the first of our dramatic poets who fitted the story of LEIR to the stage. His first 4to. edition is dated 1608; but three years before that, had been printed a play entitled The true Chronicle History of Leir and his three Daughters, Gonorill, Ragan, and Cordella, as it hath been divers and sundry times lately acted, 1605, 4to. This is a very poor and dull performance, but happily excited Shakspeare to undertake the subject, which he has given with very different incidents. It is remarkable, that neither the circumstances of Leir's madness, nor his retinue of a select number of knights, nor the affecting deaths of Cordelia and Leir, are found in that first dramatic piece: in all which Shakspeare concurs with this ballad.

But to form a true judgment of Shakspeare's merit, the curious reader should cast his eye over that previous sketch: which he will find printed at the end of the Twenty Plays of Shakspeare, republished from the quarto impressions by George Steevens, with such elegance and exactness, as led us to expect that fine edition of all the works of our great dramatic poet, which he hath since published.

The following ballad is given from an ancient copy in the Golden Garland, bl. let. entitled, A lamentable Song of the Death of King Leir and his three Daughters. To the tune of When flying Fame.

2 See Jeffery of Monmouth, Holingshed, &c., who relate Leir's history in many respects the same as the ballad.

KING Leir once ruled in this land,
With princely power and peace;
And had all things with hearts content,
That might his joys increase.

Amongst those things that nature gave,
Three daughters fair had he,

So princely seeming beautiful,

As fairer could not be.

5

And serve your highness night and day

With diligence and love;

That sweet content and quietness

Discomforts may remove.

In doing so, you glad my soul,

The aged king reply'd;

30

But what sayst thou, my youngest girl,
How is thy love ally'd?

My love (quoth young Cordelia then)
Which to your grace 1 owe,

Shall be the duty of a child,

And that is all I'll show.

And wilt thou shew no more, quoth he,

Than doth thy duty bind?

35

40

I well perceive thy love is small,

When as no more I find:

Henceforth I banish thee my court,

45

She gentler fortunes found;

Though poor and bare, yet she was deem'd
The fairest on the ground:

Where when the king her virtues heard,

And this fair lady seen,

With full consent of all his court

He made his wife and queen.

Her father king Leir this while
With his two daughters staid;
Forgetful of their promis'd loves,
Full soon the same 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.

Nay, one she thought too much for him,
So took she all away,

85

In hope that in her court, good king,
He would no longer stay.

Am I rewarded thus, quoth he,

In giving all I have

Unto my children, and to beg
For what I lately gave?
I'll go unto my Gonorell;
My second child, I know,
Will be more kind and pitiful,
And will relieve my woe.

Full fast he hies then to her court;
Where when she heard his moan
Return'd him answer, That she griev'd
That all his means were gone:

But no way could relieve his wants;
Yet if that he would stay RS2