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made the faultines the lesse, how artificially he could set out the torments of his owne conscience, with the burdensome comber he had found of his ambitious desires, how finely seeming to desire nothing but death, as ashamed to liue, he begd life, in the refusing it, I am not cunning inough to be able to expresse: but so fell out of it, that though at first sight Leonatus saw him with no other eie, then as the murderer of his father; & anger already began to paint reuenge in many colours, ere long he had not only gotten pitie, but pardon, and if not an excuse of the fault past, yet an opinion of future amendment: while the poore villaines (chiefe ministers of his wickedness, now betraied by the author thereof,) were deliuered to many cruell sorts of death; he so handling it, that it rather seemed, he had rather come into the defence of an vnremediable mischiefe already committed, then that they had done it at first by his consent.

EDMUND SPENSER

An extract from Spenser’s famous poem The Faery Queene, 1590, Second Booke.

27. Next him King Leyr in happy peace long raind,

But had no issue male him to succeed,

But three faire daughters, which were well uptraind

In all that seemed fit for kingly seed;

Mongst whom his realme he equally decreed

To have divided. Tho when feeble age

Nigh to his utmost date he saw proceed,

He cald his daughters, and with speeches sage

Inquyrd, which of them most did love her parentage.

28. The eldest Gonorill gan to protest,

That she much more than her owne life him lov'd;

And Regan greater love to him profest

Then all the world, when ever it were proov'd;

But Cordeill said she loved him, as behoov'd:

Whose simple answere, wanting colours faire

To paint it forth, him to displeasance moov'd,

That in his crowne he counted her no haire,

But 'twixt the other twaine his kingdom whole did shaire.

29. So wedded th' one to Maglan King of Scots.

And th' other to the King of Cambria,

And 'twixt them shayrd his realme by equall lots;

But without dowre, the wise Cordelia

Was sent to Aganip of Celtia.

Their aged syre, thus eased of his crowne,

A private life led in Albania

With Gonorill, long had in great renowne,

That nought him griev'd to beene from rule deposed downe.

30. But true it is that, when the oyle is spent,

The light goes out, and weeke is throwne away;

So when he had resignd his regiment,

His daughter gan despise his drouping day,

And wearie waxe of his coutinuall stay;

Tho to his daughter Regan he repayrd,

Who him at first well used every way;

But when of his departure she despayrd,

Her bountie she abated, and his cheare empayrd.

31. The wretched man gan then avise too late,

That love is not, where most it is profest;

Too truely tryde in his extremest state;

At last resolv'd likewise to prove the rest,

He to Cordelia him selfe addrest,

Who with entyre affection him receav'd,

As for her syre and king her seemed best;

And after all an army strong she leav'd,

To war on those, which him had of his realme bereav'd,

32. So to his crowne she him restor'd againe,

In which he dyde, made ripe for death by eld,

And after wild it should to her remaine:

Who peacefully the same long time did weld,

And all men's harts in dew obedience held;

Till that her sisters' children, woxen strong

Through proud ambition, against her rebeld,

And overcommen kept in prison long,

Till wearie of that wretched life her selfe she hong.

MACBETH – Holinshed’s Chronicles

This extract from Holinshed’s historical work was the primary source for this famous tragedy.

Furthermore, they murmured closelie amongest themselues, how the king was onlie become friend to the commons & cleargie of his realme, hauing no respect to the nobilitie, but rather declared himselfe to be an vtter enimie thereof, so that he was vnwoorthie to haue the rule of the nobles and gentlemen, vnles he knew better what belonged to their degrée. This murmuring did spread not onelie among them in the Iles, but also through all the other parts of his realme, so that they ceased