Buck. Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate Upon your grace, [To the QUEEN.] but with all duteous love Doth cherish you, and yours, Heaven punish me [Embracing RIVERS, &c. K. Edw. A pleasing cordial, princely Bucking ham, Enter GLOSTER. quest'st. Stan. The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant's life; Who slew to-day a riotous gentleman, Lately attendant on the duke of Norfolk. K. Edw. Have I a tongue to doom my brother's death, Glo. Good morrow to my sovereign king, and And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave? My brother kill'd no man, his fault was thought, And yet his punishment was bitter death. queen; And, princely peers, a happy time of day! K. Edw. Happy, indeed, as we have spent the Who sued to me for him? who, in my wrath, day: Brother, we have done deeds of charity; Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate, Glo. A blessed labour, my most sovereign liege. Among this princely heap, if any here, By false intelligence, or wrong surmise, If I unwittingly, or in my rage, Have aught committed that is hardly borne To reconcile me to his friendly peace: I hate it, and desire all good men's love. - Q. Eliz. A holy-day shall this be kept hereafter : I would to heaven all strifes were well com pounded. My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness Glo. Why, madam, have I offer'd love for this, he is? Q. Eliz. All-seeing heaven, what a world is this Buck. Look I so pale, lord Dorset as the rest? Dor. Ay, my good lord; and no man in the pre sence, But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks. K. Edw. Is Clarence dead? the order was revers'd. Glo. But he, poor man, by your first order died. And that a winged Mercury did bear; Kneel'd at my feet, and bade me be advis'd? Who spoke of brotherhood? who spoke of love? Who told me, how the poor soul did forsake The mighty Warwick, and did fight for me? Who told me, in the field of Tewksbury, When Oxford had me down, he rescued me, And said, Dear brother, live, and be a king? Who told me, when we both lay in the field, Frozen almost to death, how he did lap me Even in his garments; and did give himself, All thin and naked, to the numb-cold night? All this from my remembrance brutish wrath Sinfully pluck'd, and not a man of you Had so much grace to put it in my mind. But when your carters or your waiting-vassals, Have done a drunken slaughter, and defac'd The precious image of our dear Redeemer, You straight are on your knees for pardon, pardon' And I, unjustly too, must grant it you :— But for my brother, not a man would speak, Nor I (ungracious) speak unto myself For him, poor soul. - The proudest of you all Have been beholden to him in his life; Yet none of you would once plead for his life. O God! I fear thy justice will take hold On me, and you, and mine, and yours, for this. Come, Hastings, help me to my closet. O, Poor Clarence! Son. Why do you look on us, and shake your head, Duch. My pretty cousins, you mistake me both. As loath to lose him, not your father's death; Son. Then, grandam, you conclude that he is dead. Duch. Peace, children, peace! the king doth love you well: Incapable 6 and shallow innocents, You cannot guess who caus'd your father's death. Son. Grandam, we can: for my good uncle Gloster That I, being govern'd by the wat'ry moon, Duch. Alas, for both, both mine, Edward and Q. Eliz. What stay had I, but Edward? and he's Chil. What stay had we, but Clarence? and he's gone. Duch. What stays had I, but they? and they are gone. Q. Eliz. Was never widow, had so dear a loss. Duch. Ah, that deceit should steal such gentle These babes for Clarence weep, and so do I: shapes And with a virtuous visor hide deep vice! He is my son, ay, and therein my shame, Son. Think you, my uncle did dissemble, gran- Duch. Ay, boy. Son. I cannot think it. Hark! what noise is this? Enter QUEEN ELIZABETH, distractedly; RIVERS and DORSET, following her. I for an Edward weep, so do not they : Dor. Comfort, dear mother; God is much dis That you take with unthankfulness his doing; Q. Eliz. Ah! who shall hinder me to wail and For it requires the royal debt it lent you. That our swift-winged souls may catch the king's; Riv. Madam, bethink you, like a careful mother, Enter GLOSTER, BUCKINGHAM, STANLEY, HASTINGS, Glo. Sister, have comfort: all of us have cause I did not see your grace: - Humbly on my knee Duch. Ah, so much interest have I in thy sorrow, I crave your blessing. As I had title in thy noble husband! I have bewept a worthy husband's death, But now two mirrors of his princely semblance How can we aid you with our kindred tears? Q. Eliz. Give me no help in lamentation, Duch. God bless thee; and put meekness in thy breast, Love, charity, obedience, and true duty! Glo. Amen; and make me die a good old man! That is the butt-end of a mother's blessing; [dside. I marvel that her grace did leave it out. Buck. You cloudy princes, and heart-sorrowing That bear this mutual heavy load of moan, Riv. Why with some little train, my lord of Buck ingham? Buck. Marry, my lord, lest by a multitude, Which would be so much the more dangerous, Glo. hope, the king made peace with all of us; Riv. And so in me; and so, I think, in all: Glo. Then be it so; and go we to determine As index 9 to the story we late talk'd of, 1 Cit. Enter another Citizen. Give you good morrow, sir. 3 Cit. Doth the news hold of good king Edward's death? 2 Cit. Ay, sir, it is too true. 3 Cit. Then, masters, look to see a troublous world. 1 Cit. No, no; by God's good grace, his son shall reign. 3 Cit. Woe to that land, that's govern'd by a child! 2 Cit. In him there is a hope of government; That in this nonage 1, council under him, And, in his full and ripen'd years, himself, No doubt, shall then, and till then, govern well. 1 Cit. So stood the state, when Henry the Sixth Was crown'd in Paris but at nine months old. 3 Cit. Stood the state so? no, no, good friends, not so ; For then this land was famously enrich'd And the queen's sons, and brothers, haught and And were they to be rul'd, and not to rule, 1 Cit. Come, come, we fear the worst; all will be 3 Cit. When clouds are seen, wise men put on When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand ; 2 Cit. Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear: You cannot reason almost with a man That looks not heavily, and full of dread. 3 Cit. Before the days of change, still is it so: By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust Ensuing danger; as, by proof, we see The water swell before a boist'rous storm. But leave it all to heaven. Whither away? 2 Cit. Marry, we were sent for to the justices. 3 Cit. And so was I; I'll bear you company. [Exeunt. Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, the young DUKE OF Arch. Last night, I heard, they lay at Stony- And at Northampton they do rest to-night: York. Ay, mother, but I would not have it so. Duch. 'Good faith, 'good faith, the saying did not hold In him that did object the same to thee: hear it. York. Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast, That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old; 1 Cit. Why, so hath this, both by his father and "Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth. mother. 3 Cit. Better it were they all came by his father; Or, by his father, there were none at all : For emulation now, who shall be nearest, Will touch us all too near, if heaven prevent not. O, full of danger is the duke of Gloster; 9 i c. Preparatory. 8 Opinions. 1 Minority. Grandam, this would have been a biting jest. Duch. His nurse? why, she was dead ere thou York. If'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me 2 Converse. Welcome destruction, blood, 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 tost, For me to joy and weep, their gain and loss: And being seated, and domestic broils Clean over-blown, themselves, the conquerors, Make war upon themselves; brother to brother, Blood to blood, self 'gainst self: - O, preposterous And frantick courage, end thy wicked spleen! Or let me die, to look on death no more ! Q. Eliz. Come, come, my boy, we will to sanctuary. Madam, farewell. Duch. Stay, I will go with you. Q. Eliz. You have no cause. Arch. My gracious lady, go, [ To the QUEEN. And thither bear your treasure and your goods. As well I tender you, and all of yours! Come, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary. [Exeunt. Hath not yet div'd into the world's deceit : Prince. Heaven keep me from false friends! but they were none. Glo. My lord, the mayor of London comes to Enter HASTINGS. Buck. And in good time, here comes the sweating lord. Prince. Welcome, my lord; What, will our mother come? Hast. On what occasion, heaven 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. Buck. Fye! what an indirect and peevish course If she deny, lord Hastings, go with him, oratory Can from his mother win the duke of York, Buck. You are too senseless-obstinate, my lord, To those whose dealings have deserv'd the place, Prince. Good lords, make all the speedy haste you may. [Exeunt Cardinal and HASTINGS. Say, uncle Gloster, if our brother come, Where shall we sojourn till our coronation? Glo. 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? Glo. He did, my gracious lord, begin that place: 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 register'd; Methinks, the truth should live from age to age, As 'twere retail'd to all posterity, Even to the general all-ending day. Glo. So wise so young, they say, do ne'er live long. Prince. What say you, uncle? [Aside. Glo. I say, without charácters, fame lives long. Glo. A greater gift than that I ll give my cousin. York. A greater gift! O, that's the sword to it? Glo. Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough. York. O then, I see, you'll part but with light gifts; In weightier things you'll say a beggar nay. Glo. It is too weighty for your grace to wear. York. I weigh it lightly, were it heavier. Glo. What, would you have my weapon, little lord? York. I would, that I might thank you as you call me. Glo. How? York. Little. Prince. My lord of York will still be cross in talk ; Uncle, your grace knows how to bear with him. York. You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me: Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me; He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders. Glo. My gracious lord, will't please you pass along? Myself, and my good cousin Buckingham, Thus like the formal vice, Iniquity,} [Aside. To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you. I moralize two meanings in one word. Prince. That Julius Cæsar was a famous man; With what his valour did enrich his wit, His wit set down to make his valour live: Death makes no conquest of this conqueror; For now he lives in fame, though not in life. I'll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham. Buck. What, my gracious lord? Prince. An if I live until I be a man, I'll win our ancient right in France again, Or die a soldier, as I liv'd a king. Glo. Short summers lightly have a forward spring. [Aside. Enter YORK, HASTINGS, and the Cardinal. Buck. Now, in good time, here comes the duke of York. Prince. Richard of York! how fares our loving brother? York. Well, my dread lord; so must I call you now. Prince. Ay, brother; to our grief, as it is yours; Too late 6 he died, that might have kept that title, Which by his death hath lost much majesty. Glo. How fares our cousin, noble lord of York? 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. Glo. He hath, my lord. York. And therefore is he idle? Glo. O, my fair cousin, I must not say so. York. Then is he more beholden to you, than I. Glo. He may command me, as my sovereign; But you have power in me as in a kinsman. York. I pray you, uncle, then, give me this dagger. Glo. My dagger, little cousin? with all my heart. Prince. A beggar, brother? York. Of my kind uncle, that I know will give; And being but a toy, which is no grief to give. 4 Sensible Vice, the buffoon in the old plays. York. What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord? Prince. My lord protector needs will have it so. York. I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower. Glo. Why, sir, what should you fear? York. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghost; My grandam told me, he was murder'd there. Prince. I fear no uncles dead. Glo. Nor none that live, I hope. Prince. An if they live, I hope, I need not fear. But come, my lord, and, with a heavy heart, Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower, [Exeunt PRINCE, YORK, HASTINGS, Cardinal, and Attendants. Buck. Think you, my lord, this little prating York Was not incensed 7 by his subtle mother, To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously? Glo. No doubt, do doubt; O, 'tis a parlous boy; Buck. Well, let them rest.— Cate. He for his father's sake so loves the priną Cate. He will do all in all as Hastings doth. Buck. Well then, no more but this: Go, gentle Catesby. |