Page [unnumbered]
The second part,
To the same tune▪
YEt now behold one daughter deare,
he had as I doe find.
Which liu'd in his displeasure great,
for matching 'gainst his mind:
Although she liu'd in meane estate,
she was a vertuous wife,
And for to helpe her father deare,
shée ventured thus her life.
She quickly to her sisters ran,
and did of them intreat,
That by some secret meanes they would
conuay their Father meat.
Our father deare doth starue, she said,
the Emperours wrath is such,
He dies alas for want of food,
whereof we haue too much.
Swéet sisters therefore vse some meanes,
his life for to preserue,
And suffer not our father deare,
in prison for to starue:
Alas quoth they, what shall we doe,
his hunger to sustaine?
You know tis death to any one,
that would his life maintaine.
And though we wish him well, quoth they
we neuer will agrée,
To spoile our selues, we had as léefe
that he should die, as wée.
And sister, if you loue your selfe,
let this attempt alone,
Though you doe nere so secret worke,
at length it will be knowne.
O hath our Father brought vs vp,
and nourisht vs, quoth she,
And shall we now forsake him quite,
in his extremity?
No, I will venture life and limb,
to doe my father good,
The worst that is I can but die,
to fit a tyrants mood.
With that away she hies in haste,
and to the Iayle she goes,
But with her wofull father deare,
she might not speake God knowes,
Except the Emperor would grant
his fauour in that case:
The Kéeper would admit no wight
to enter in that place.
Then she vnto the Emperour hyes,
and falling on her knée,
With wringing hands and bitter teares,
these words pronounced she:
My hopelesse Father, gratious Lord,
offending of your Grace,
Is iudg'd vnto a pining death,
within a wofull place:
Which I confesse he hath deserud,
yet mighty Prince, quoth she,
Uouchsafe in gracious sort, to grant
one simple boone to me:
It chanced so, I matcht my selfe,
against my fathers mind,
Whereby I did procure his wrath,
as fortune false assignd.
And séeing now the time is come,
he must resigne his breath,
Uouchsafe that I may speake with him
before his houre of death:
And reconcile my selfe to him,
his fauour to attaine,
That when he dies I may not then
vnder his curse remaine.
The Emperor granted her request,
conditionally that she,
Each time she to her father came,
should throughly searched be.
No bread no meat with her she brought
to helpe him there distrest,
But euery day she nourisht him,
with her most tender brest.
Thus by her milke he was preseru'd,
a twelue month and a day,
And was most faire and fat to sée,
yet no man knew which way.
The Emperor musing much thereat,
at length did vnderstand,
How he was fed, and yet his law
not broke at any hand.
And much admiring at the same,
and her great vertue showne,
Hee pardon'd him, and honor'd her,
with great preferments knowne.
Her Father euer after that,
did loue her as his life,
And blest the time that shee was made,
a louing wedded wife.
FINIS.