SCENE V.-Another Part of the same. Alarums: Excursions: and afterwards a Retreat. Then enter KING EDWARD, CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and forces; with QUEEN MARGARET, OXFORD, and SoMERSET, prisoners. K. Edw. Now, here a period of tumultuous broils. Away with Oxford to Hammes' castle straight: For Somerset, off with his guilty head. Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak. Oxf. For my part, I will not trouble thee with words. Som. Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune. [Exeunt OXFORD and SOMERSET, guarded. Q. Mar. So part we sadly in this troublous world, To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem. K. Edw. Is proclamation made, that who finds Shall have a high reward, and he his life? [Edward Glo. It is: and lo, where youthful Edward comes. Enter Soldiers with PRINCE EDWARD. K. Edw. Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him What! can so young a thorn begin to prick? [speak. Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make, For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects, And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to? Prince. Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York: Suppose that I am now my father's mouth; Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou, Whilst I propose the self-same words to thee, Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to. Q. Mar. Ah, that thy father had been so resolved! Glo. That you might still have worn the petticoat, And ne'er have stolen the breech from Lancaster. Prince. Let Æsop fable in a winter's night; His currish riddles sort not with this place. Glo. By heaven, brat, I'll plague you for that word. Q. Mar. Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men. Glo. For God's sake, take away this captive scold. Prince. Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather. K. Edw. Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue. Clar. Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert. Prince. I know my duty; you are all undutiful: Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George, And thou misshapen Dick, -I tell ye all, I am your better, traitors as ye are; And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine. K. Edw. Take that, the likeness of this railer here. [Stabs him. Glo. Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy agony. [Stabs him. Clar. And there's for twitting me with perjury. Q. Mar. O, kill me too! Glo. Marry, and shall. [Stabs him. [Offers to kill her. K. Edw. Hold, Richard, hold! for we have done too much. Glo. Why should she live, to fill the world with words? K. Edw. What! doth she swoon? use means for her recovery. Glo. Clarence, excuse me to the king, my brother; I'll hence to London on a serious matter: Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news. Clar. What? what? Exit. Glo. The Tower, the Tower! Q. Mar. O, Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy! Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers!They that stabb'd Cæsar shed no blood at all, Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame, If this foul deed were by to equal it. He was a man; this, in respect, a child; Look in his youth to have him so cut off, Clar. Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it! Q. Mar. Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself: 'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity. What! wilt thou not? Where is that devil's butcher, Hard-favour'd Richard? Richard, where art thou? Thou art not here: murder is thy alms-deed; Petitioners for blood thou ne'er putt'st back. K. Edw. Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her hence. Q. Mar. So come to you and yours, as to this princel [Exit, led out forcibly. K. Edw. Where's Richard gone? K. Edw. He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head. [Ezeunt. SCENE VI.-LONDON. A Room in the Tower. KING HENRY is discovered sitting with a book in hie hand, the Lieutenant attending. Enter GLOSTER. Glo. Good day, my lord. What, at your book so hard! K. Hen. Ay, my good lord:-my lord, I should say 'Tis sin to flatter, good was little better: [rather; Good Gloster and good devil were alike, And both preposterous; therefore, not good lord. Glo. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves: we must confer. [Exit Lieutenant. K. Hen. So flies the reckless shepherd from the wolf: So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece, And next his throat unto the butcher's knife.What scene of death hath Roscius now to act? Glo. Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind; The thief doth fear each bush an officer. K. Hen. The bird that hath been limèd in a bush, K. Hen. I, Dædalus; my poor boy, Icarus; But wherefore dost thou come? is't for my life? K. Hen. A persecutor, I am sure, thou art; Glo. Thy son I kill'd for his presumption. K. Hen. Hadst thou been kill'd, when first thou dids! [presume, Thou hadst not lived to kill a son of mine. Dogs howl'd, and hideous tempests shook down trees; Thy mother felt more than a mother's pain, And yet brought forth less than a mother's hope; Not like the fruit of such a goodly tree. Teeth hadst thou in thy head when thou wast born, And, if the rest be true which I have heard, Glo. I'll hear no more :-Die, prophet, in thy speech [Staor kath For this, amongst the rest, wes I ordain'd. 1 1 [Stabs him again. I, that have neither pity, love, nor fear.- That I should snarl and bite, and play the dog. I have no brother, I am like no brother; And this word "love," which greybeards call divine, And not in me; I am myself alone. Clarence, beware; thou keep'st me from the light: But I will sort a pitchy day for thee; For I will buz abroad such prophecies, That Edward shall be fearful of his life; And then, to purge his fear, I'll be thy death. What valiant foemen, like to autumn's corn, Ne'er spurr'd their coursers at the trumpet's sound; That thou mightst repossess the crown in peace; Glo. [Aside.] I'll blast his harvest, if your head were For yet I am not look'd on in the world. [laid; This shoulder was ordain'd so thick, to heave; K. Edw. Clarence and Gloster, love my lovely queen; And kiss your princely nephew, brothers both. I seal upon the lips of this sweet babe. K. Edw. Now am I seated as my soul delights, Clar. What will your grace have done with Margaret? [Exit. Reignier, her father, to the king of France SCENE VII. The same. A Room in the Palace. K. Edw. Away with her, and wast her hence so [Exeunt. I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion, Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY. Clar. His majesty, Tendering my person's safety, hath appointed Glo. Upon what cause? Clar. Because my name is George. Glo. Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours; That you should be new christen'd in the Tower. Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know; for I protest And, for my name of George begins with G, Glo. Why, this it is, when men are ruled by women: Clar. By heaven, I think there is no man secure, Brak. I beseech your graces both to pardon me; Glo. Even so? an please your worship, Brakenbury, You may partake of anything we say: We speak no treason, man;-we say the king A cherry lip, A bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue; Brak. With this, my lord, myself have naught to do. Glo. Naught to do with mistress Shore? I tell thee, He that doth naught with her, excepting one, [fellow, Were best to do it secretly, alone. Brak. What one, my lord? Glo. Her husband, knave:-wouldst thou betray me? Brak. I beseech your grace to pardon me; and withal, Lobey. Forbear your conference with the noble duke. Brother, farewell: I will unto the king; I will deliver you, or else lie for you: Clar. I must perforce; farewell. [Kxeunt CLARENCE, BRAKENBURY, and Guard. Glo. Go. tread the path that thou shalt ne'er return, Simple, plain Clarence!-I do love thee so, That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven, If heaven will take the present at our hands.But who comes here? the new-deliver'd Hastings? Enter HASTINGS. Hast. Good time of day unto my gracious lord! Hast. With patience, noble lord, as prisoners must: Glo. No doubt, no doubt; and so shall Clarence to: For they that were your enemies are his, And have prevail'd as much on him as you. Hast. More pity that the eagle should be mew'd, While kites and buzzards prey at liberty. Glo. What news abroad? Hast. No news so bad abroad as this at home; The king is sickly, weak, and melancholy, Glo. Now, by Saint Paul, this news is bad indeed. O, he hath kept an evil diet long, And over-much consumed his royal person; 'Tis very grievous to be thought upon. What, is he in his bed? Hast. He is. Glo. Go you before, and I will follow you. [Exit HASTINGS. He cannot live, I hope; and must not die For then I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter: SCENE II. The same. Another Street. [Exit. Enter the corpse of King Henry the Sixth, borne in an open coffin, Gentlemen bearing halberts, to guard it; and LADY ANNE as mourner. Anne. Set down, set down your honourable load, If honour may be shrouded in a hearse, Whilst I a while obsequiously lament The untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster.Poor key-cold figure of a holy king! Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster! Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood! Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost To hear the lamentations of poor Anne, Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughter'd son, Stabb'd by the self-same hand that made these wounds! Lo, in these windows that let forth thy life, I pour the helpless balm of my poor eyes:O, cursèd be the hand that made these holes! Cursed the heart that had the heart to do it! Cursed the blood that let this blood from hence I More direful hap betide that hated wretch, That makes us wretched by the death of thee, Than I can wish to adders, spiders, toads, Or any creeping venom'd thing that lives! If ever he have child, abortive be it, Prodigious, and untimely brought to light, Enter GLOSTER. Glo. Stay, you that bear the corse, and set it down. Anne. What black magician conjures up this fiend To stop devoted charitable deeds? Glo. Villains, set down the corse; or, by Saint Paul, 1 Gent. My lord, stand back, and let the coffin pass. And spurn upon thee, beggar, for thy boldness. [The bearers set down the cofin. Anne. What, do you tremble? are you all afraid? Thou hadst but power over his mortal body, - Anne. Foul devil, for God's sake, hence, and trouble If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, From cold and empty veins, where no blood dwells; Provokes this deluge most unnatural.- Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses. No beast so fierce, but knows some touch of pity. Anne. Vouchsafe, diffused infection of a man, Glo. Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have Some patient leisure to myself. Anne. I hope so. Glo. I know so. -But, gentle lady Anne, - Anne. Thou wast the cause, and most accursed effect. You should not blemish it, if I stood by: As all the world is cheered by the sun, So I by that; it is my day, my life. life! Anne. Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy To be revenged on him that loveth thee. Anne. It is a quarrel just and reasonable, Did it to help thee to a better husband. Anne. His better doth not breathe upon the earth. Glo. Plantagenet. Anne. Why, that was he. Glo. The self-same name, but one of better nature. [at me! Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn salt tears, For now they kill me with a living death. Shamed their aspécts with store of childish drops: And twenty times made pause to sob and weep, And what these sorrows could not thence exhale, Anne. Fouler than heartuse think thee, thou canst Thy beauty hath, and made them blind with weeping. No excuse current, but to hang thyself. Glo. By such despair, I should accuse myself. [make I never sued to friend nor enemy; Anne. And, by despairing, shalt thou stand excused; For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, That didst unworthy slaughter upon others. Glo. Say that I slew them not? Anne. Why then, they are not dead: But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by taee. The The which thou once didst bend against her breast, Glo. I grant ye. Thou mayst be damned for that wicked deed! [too, Glo. The fitter for the King of heaven, that hath him. My tongue could never learn sweet soothing word; My proud heart sues, and prompts my tongue to speak. [She looks scornfully at him. Teach not thy lip such scorn; for it was made Lo! here I lend thee this sharp-pointed sword; I lay it naked to the deadly stroke [He lays his breast open; she offers at in with Nay, do not pause; for I did kill king Henry, - Nay, now despatch; 'twas I that stabb'd young Edward, [She again offers at his breast. But 'twas thy heavenly face that set me on. [She lets fall the sword. Take up the sword again, or take up me. Anne. Arise, dissembler: though I wish thy death, I will not be thy executioner. Glo. Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it. Glo. That was in thy rage: Anne. To take is not to give. [She puts on the ring. Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart; But beg one favour at thy gracious hand, Anne. What is it? Glo. That it may please you leave these sad designs For divers unknown reasons, I beseech you, Anne. With all my heart; and much it joys me too, Anne. 'Tis more than you deserve; [Exeunt LADY ANNE. TRESSEL, and BERKLEY. Glo. Take up the corse, Sirs. Glo. No, to White-Friars; there attend my coming. [Exeunt the rest, with the corpse. Was ever woman in this humour woo'd? Was ever woman in this hamour won? I'll have her, but I will not keep her long. What! I, that kill'd her husband and his father, The bleeding witness of her hatred by; With God, her conscience, and these bars against me, And I no friends to back my suit withal, But the plain devil and dissembling looks, And yet to win her, -all the world to nothing! Ha! Hath she forgot already that brave prince, Framed in the prodigality of nature, Young, valiant, wise, and, no doubt, right royal, - That cropp'd the golden prime of this sweet prince, On me, whose all not equals Edward's moiety? I do mistake my person all this while: [Exit. SCENE III.--The same. A Room in th Palace. Enter QUEEN ELIZABETH, LORD RIVERS, and LORD GRAY. Riv. Have patience, Madam; there's no doubt his Will soon recover his accustom'd health. [majesty Grey. In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse: Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort, And cheer his grace with quick and merry words. Q. Elis. If he were dead, what would betide of me? Grey. No other harm, but loss of such a lord. Q. Eliz. Ah, he is young; and his minority Enter BUCKINGHAM and STANLEY. Grey. Here come the lords of Buckingham and Stanley. Buck. Good time of day unto your royal grace! [been! Stan. God make your majesty joyful as you have Q. Eliz. The countess Richmond, good my lord of To your good prayer will scarcely say amen. [Stanley, Yet, Stanley, notwithstanding she's your wife, And loves not me, be you, good lord, assured I hate not you for her proud arrogance. Stan. I do beseech you, either not believe The envious slanders of her false accusers; Or, if she be accused on true report, Bear with her weakness, which I think proceeds From wayward sickness, and no grounded malice. Q. Eliz. Saw you the king to-day, my lord of Stanley? Stan. But now the duke of Buckingham and I Are come from visiting his majesty. Q. Eliz. What likelihood of his amendment, lords? Buck. Madam, good hope; his grace speaks cheerfully. Q. Eliz. God grant him health! Did you confer with him? Buck. Ay, Madam: he desires to make atonement Between the duke of Gloster and your brothers, And between them and my lord chamberlain; And sent to warn them to his royal presence. Q. Eliz. Would all were well!-But that will never be; I fear our happiness is at the height. Enter GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and DORSET. Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog, Cannot a plain man live and think no harm, By silken, sly, insinuating Jacks? [grace? Grey. To whom in all this presence speaks your When have I injured thee? when done thee wrong?- (Whom God preserve better than you would wish 1) But you must trouble him with lewd complaints. Q. Eliz. Brother of Gloster, you mistake the matter. The king, of his own royal disposition, Glo. I cannot tell:-the world is grown so bad, That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch: Since every Jack became a gentleman, There's many a gentle person made a Jack. Q. Eliz. Come, come, we know your meaning, brother Gloster; |