Where every horse bears his commanding rein, And may direct his course as please himself, As well the fear of harm, as harm apparent, 130 In my opinion, ought to be prevented.

Glou. I hope the king made peace with all of us;

And the compact is firm and true in me.

Riv. And so in me; and so, I think, in all :
Yet, since it is but green, it should be put
To no apparent likelihood of breach,
Which haply by much company might be
urged:

Therefore I say with noble Buckingham,
That it is meet so few should fetch the prince.
Hast. And so say I.
140

Glou. Then be it so and go we to determine

Who they shall be that straight shall post to
Ludlow.

Madam, and you, my mother, will you go
To give your censures in this weighty business?
Eliz. With all our hearts.

Duch.

Sec. Cit. In him there is a hope of govern ment,

That in his nonage council under him,
And in his full and ripen'd years himself,
No doubt, shall then and till then govern
well.
[the Sixth
First Cit. So stood the state when Henry
Was crown'd in Paris but at nine months old.
Third Cit. Stood the state so? No, no,

good friends, God wot;

For then this land was famously enrich'd With politic grave counsel; then the king 20 Had virtuous uncles to protect his grace.

First Cit. Why, so hath this, both by the father and mother. [the father, Third Cit. Better it were they all came by Or by the father there were none at all; Fo: emulation now, who shall be nearest, Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not. O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloucester ! And the queen's sons and brothers haught and proud:

30

And were they to be ruled, and not to rule,
This sickly land might solace as before.
First Cit. Come, come, we fear the worst;
all shall be well.

Third Cit. When clouds appear, wise men put on their cloaks;

When great leaves fall, the winter is at hand; When the sun sets, who doth not look for

night?

Untimely storms make men expect a dearth All may be well; but, if God sort it so, 'Tis more than we deserve, or I expect.

Sec. Cit. Truly, the souls of men are full of dread :

40

Ye cannot reason almost with a man
That looks not heavily and full of fear.
Third Cit. Before the times of change, still
is it so :

By a divine instinct men's minds mistrust
Ensuing dangers; as, by proof, we see
The waters swell before a boisterous storm.
But leave it all to God. Whither away?
Sec. Cit. Marry, we were sent for to the
justices.

Third Cit. And so was I: I'll bear you
company.
[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. London. The palace. Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, the young DUKE OF YORK, QUEEN ELIZABETH, and the DUCHESS OF YORK.

Arch. Last night, I hear, they lay at Northampton;

At Stony-Stratford will they be to-night:
To-morrow, or next day, they will be here.
Duch. I long with all my heart to see the
prince :

I hope he is much grown since last I saw him. Q Eliz. But I hear, no; they say my son of York

Hath almost overta'en him in his growth. York. Ay, mother; but I would not have

it so.

And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast, Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste.

Duch. Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold

In him that did object the same to thee; He was the wretched'st thing when he was young,

So long a-growing and so leisurely, That, if this rule were true, he should be gracious.

20

Arch. Why, madam, so, no doubt, he is. Duch. I hope he is; but yet let mothers doubt.

York. Now, by my troth, if I had been remember'd,

I could have given my uncle's grace a flout, To touch his growth nearer than he touch'd mine.

Duch. How, my pretty York? I pray thee, let me hear it.

York. Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast

That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old : Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth. Grandam, this would have been a biting jest. Duch. I pray thee, pretty York, who told thee this?

31

Mess. Such news, my lord, as grieves me to unfold.

Q. Eliz. How fares the prince ?
Mess.

Well, madam, and in health. 40
Duch. What is thy news then?
Mess. Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are sent
to Pomfret,

With them Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.
Duch. Who hath committed them?
Mess.
The mighty dukes

Gloucester and Buckingham.

Q. Eliz.
For what offence?
Mess. The sum of all I can, I have dis-
closed;

Why or for what these nobles were committed

Is all unknown to me, my gracious lady. Q. Eliz. Ay me, I see the downfall of our house!

The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind; 50 Insulting tyranny begins to jet

Upon the innocent and aweless throne: Welcome, destruction, death, and massacre ! I see, as in a map, the end of all.

Duch. Accursed and unquiet wrangling days,

How many of you have mine eyes beheld! My husband lost his life to get the crown; And often up and down my sons were toss'd, For me to joy and weep their gain and loss: And being seated, and domestic broils 60 Clean over-blown, themselves, the conquerors, Make war upon themselves; blood against blood,

Self against self: O, preposterous

And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen;
Or let me die, to look on death no more!
Q. Eliz. Come, come, my boy; we will to
sanctuary.
Madam, farewell.
Duch.

I'll go along with you.
Q. Eliz. You have no cause.
Arch.

My gracious lady, go;

And thither bear your treasure and your

goods.

For my part, I'll resign unto your grace
The seal I keep: and so betide to me
As well I tender you and all of yours!
Come, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary.

ACT III.

SCENE I. London. A street.

70

[Exeunt.

The trumpets sound. Enter the young PRINCE, the Dukes of GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM, CARDINAL BOURCHIER, CATESBY, and others.

Buck. Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your chamber.

Glou. Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts' sovereign:

The weary way hath made you melancholy. Prince. No, uncle; but our crosses on the

way

Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy :
I want more uncles here to welcome me.
Glou. Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of

your years

Hath not yet dived into the world's deceit : Nor more can you distinguish of a man Than of his outward show; which, God he knows, 10

Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart. Those uncles which you want were dangerous; Your grace attended to their sugar'd words, But look'd not on the poison of their hearts: God keep you from them, and from such false friends!

Prince. God keep me from false friends! but they were none.

Glou. My lord, the mayor of London comes to greet you.

Enter the Lord Mayor and his train. May. God bless your grace with health and happy days!

Prince. I thank you, good my lord; and thank you all.

I thought my mother, and my brother York, Would long ere this have met us on the way : Fie, what a slug is Hastings, that he comes not To tell us whether they will come or no !

Enter LORD HASTINGS.

Buck. And, in good time, here comes the sweating lord.

Prince. Welcome, my lord: what, will our mother come?

Hast. On what occasion, God he knows, not I,

The queen your mother, and your brother

York,

Have taken sanctuary: the tender prince Would fain have come with me to meet your

grace,

But by his mother was perforce withheld. 30 Buck. Fie, what an indirect and peevish

course

Is this of hers! Lord cardinal, will your grace
Persuade the queen to send the Duke of York
Unto his princely brother presently?
If she deny, Lord Hastings, go with him,
And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce.
Card. My Lord of Buckingham, if my weak
oratory

40

Can from his mother win the Duke of York,
Anon expect him here; but if she be obdurate
To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid
We should infringe the holy privilege
Of blessed sanctuary! not for all this land
Would I be guilty of so deep a sin.

Buck. You are too senseless-obstinate, my lord,

Too ceremonious and traditional :

Weigh it but with the grossness of this age,
You break not sanctuary in seizing him.
The benefit thereof is always granted
To those whose dealings have deserved the
place.

50

And those who have the wit to claim the

Glou. Where it seems best unto your royal self.

If I may counsel you, some day or two
Your highness shall repose you at the Tower
Then where you please, and shall be thought
most fit

For your best health and recreation.

Prince. I do not like the Tower, of any place.

Did Julius Cæsar build that place, my lord? Buck. He did, my gracious lord, begin that place; 70

Which, since, succeeding ages have re-edified
Prince. Is it upon record, or else reported
Successively from age to age, he built it?
Buck. Upon record, my gracious lord.
Prince. But say, my lord, it were not re-
gister'd,

Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
As 'twere retail'd to all posterity,
Even to the general all-ending day.

Glou. [Aside] So wise so young, they say, do never live long.

Prince. What say you, uncle?

80

Glou. I say, without characters, fame lives long.

[Aside] Thus, like the formal vice, Iniquity, I moralize two meanings in one word.

Prince. That Julius Cæsar was a famous

Too late he died that might have kept that title. Which by his death hath lost much majesty. Glou. How fares our cousin, noble Lord of

York?

101

York. I thank you, gentle uncle. O, my lord,

You said that idle weeds are fast in growth:
The prince my brother hath outgrown me far.
Glou. He hath, my lord.
York.
And therefore is he idle?
Glou. O, my fair cousin, I must not say so.
York. Then is he more beholding to you
[reign;

than I.

Glou. He may command me as my sove