ROB. For that I come To your impartial censure for a doom. KING. We hear; speak on: we know the parties; Each one relate his grief, and if it lie in us, We'll yield relief: it is first requisite That we know of you, sir, the cause Of this your son his disinheritance. O. FOS. Before I understood his virtuous mind, Or weighed his disposition to be kind, I did that froward work; this now great man Was an unthrifty wretch, a prodigal then, And I disdain'd to know his brotherhood, Denied relief to him; this child, kind and good, Against my contradiction, did him relieve, As his distressed uncle; at this I chid, forbad. Still he holds on his course, He grows more kind, and he in wasting worse; My rage continued, as it had begun, And in that rage I threw away my son. STEPH. The like plead I, my lord: for when my state Had rais'd itself by an uncertain fate, I took this outcast child, made him my own, As full and free as I myself had sown The seed that brought him forth; for this my love His oblig'd duty presently did prove A traitor to my trust, against my will Succouring that foe which I did love so ill Only for hating him. My charity being thus Abus'd, and quit with injury, what could I then But, as his father erst, so I again Might throw him from my love? for worse is love abus'd Than new-born hate, and should be so refus'd: I did a father's part, if it were bad, Blame him for both, there I my pattern had. KING. You fall betwixt two pillars, sir; is't not so? ROB. Unhappy fate, my lord; yet thus I plead: For this my father's hate I might deserve, I broke his precepts, and did unchildly swerve From his commission; I to my uncle gave What was my father's, striving thereby to save His fall'n repute; he rag'd; I did it still, Yet must confess, as it was well, 'twas ill; Well in my love, methought, ill to my fate, For I thereby ruin'd my own estate: But that mine uncle throws me forth of door, For the same cause he took me in before, Beats sorest 'gainst my bosom. If 'twere good To take from a father for an uncle's food In laws of love and nature, how much rather Might I abridge an uncle for a father? Charity's a virtue generally stands, And should dispersed be through all men's hands. Then would you keep't alone? For when your heir I first adopted was, charity was there: How errs your judgment then? seeing, you see, What was good in you, makes sin in me. You'll say my father did it: O, throw away That foul excuse; let not discretion stray So far aside; if custom lawful make, Then sin were lawful for example sake; Nor were those wasted goods only your own, Since part was mine having adoption; Then do me right, my lord, yet do no wrong, For where my duty fail'd, my love was strong.