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O God, which this blood mad'st, revenge his death! O earth, which this blood drink'st, revenge his death!

[dead, Either, heaven, with lightning strike the murderer Or, earth, gape open wide, and eat him quick; As thou dost swallow up this good king's blood, Which his hell-govern'd arm hath butchered! Glo. Lady, you know no rules of charity, Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses.

5

Anne. Il rest betide the chamber where thou
lyest!

Glo. So will it, madam, 'till I lie with you.
Arme. I hope so.

Glo. I know so.-But, gentle lady Anne,-
To leave this keen encounter of our wits,
And fall somewhat into a slower method;-
Is not the causer of the timeless deaths
Of these Plantagenets, Henry, and Edward,

Anne. Villain, thou know'st no law of God nor 10 As blameful as the executioner?

man;

No beast so fierce, but knows some touch of pity.
Glo. But I know none, and therefore am no
beast.

Anne. O wonderful, when devils tell the truth!
Glo. More wonderful, when angels are so angry.-
Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman,
Of these supposed evils, to give me leave,
By circumstance, but to acquit myself.

[effect. Anne. Thou wast the cause, and most accurs'd Glo. Your beauty was the cause of that effect; Your beauty, which did haunt me in my sleep, To undertake the death of all the world, 15 So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom. Anne. If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, Thesenails shouldrendthatbeauty from mycheeks. Glo. These eyes could not endure that beauty's wreck,

Anne. Vouchsafe, diffus'd' infection of a man, 20
For these known evils, but to give me leave,
By circumstance, to curse thy cursed self. [have
Glo. Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me
Some patient leisure to excuse myself.

Anne. Fouler than heart can think thee, thou 25
canst make

No excuse current, but to hang thyself.

Glo. By such despair, I should accuse myself.
Anne. And, by despairing, shalt thou stand ex-
For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, [cus'd 30
That didst unworthy slaughter upon others.
Glo. Say, that I slew them not?
Anne. Then say, they were not slain :
But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee.
Glo. I did not kill your husband.
Anne. Why, then he is alive.

hand.

35

Glo. Nay, he is dead; and slain by Edward's
[Margaret saw
Anne. In thy foul throat thou ly'st; queen
Thy murderous faulchion smoking in his blood; 40
The which thou once didst bend against her breast,
But that thy brothers beat aside the point.

Glo. I was provoked by her sland'rous tongue,
That laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders.
Anne. Thou wast provoked by thy bloody mind, 45
That never dreamt on aught but butcheries:
Didst thou not kill this king?

Gio. I grant ye.

[grant me too, Anne. Dost grant me, hedge-hog? then God Thou may'st be damned for that wicked deed! Oh, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous.

3

Glo. The fitter for the King of heaven that hath him.

[come.

Anne. He is in heaven, where thou shalt never

50

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.
[thy life!
Anne. Black night o'er-shade thy day, and death
Glo. Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art
both.

Anne. I would I were, to be reveng'd on thee.
Glo. It is a quarrel most unnatural,

To be reveng'd on him that loveth thee.
Anne. It is a quarrel just and reasonable,
To be reveng'd on him that kill'd my husband.
Glo. He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband,
Did it to help thee to a better husband. [earth,
Aune. His better doth not breathe upon the
Glo. He lives, that loves you better than he
Anne. Name him.

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[could.

[nature.

Glo. The self-same name, but one of better
Anne. Where is he?

[spit at me?

Glo. Here: [She spits at him.] Why dost thou
Anne. Would it were mortal poison for thy sake!
Glo. Never came poison from so sweet a place.
Anne. Never hung poison on a fouler toad.
Out of my sight! thou dost infect mine eyes.
Glo.Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine.
Anne.' Would they were basilisks, to strike thee
[once;
Glo. I would they were, that I might die at
For now they kill me with a living death.
Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn salt
tears,

dead!

Sham'd their aspects with store of childish drops:
These eyes, which never shed remorseful tear-
Not, when my father York and Edward wept,

Glo. Let him thank me, that holp to send him 55 To hear the piteous moan that Rutland made,

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My manly eyes did scorn an humble tear;
And what these sorrows could not thence exhale,
Thy beauty hath, and made them blind with weep-
I never su'd to friend, nor enemy; [ing.
My tongue could never learn sweet soothing word; 5
But now thy beauty is propos'd my fee, [speak.
My proud heart sues, and prompts my tongue to
[She looks scornfully at him.

Teach not thy lip such scorn; for it was made
For kissing, lady, not for such contempt.
If thy revengeful heart cannot forgive,
Lo! here I lend thee this sharp-pointed sword;
Which if thou please to hide in this true breast,
And let the soul forth that adoreth thee,
I lay it naked to the deadly stroke,
And humbly beg the death upon my knee.

[He lays his breast open, she offers at it with his sword. Nay, do not pause; for I did kill king Henry ;But 'twas thy beauty that provoked me.

10

Grant me this boon.

[too,

Anne. With all my heart; and much it joys me
To see you are become so penitent.-
Tressel, and Berkley, go along with me.
Glo. Bid me farewell.

Anne. 'Tis more than you deserve:
But, since you teach me how to flatter you,
Imagine I have said farewell already.
[Exeunt two, with Lady Anne.
Glo. Take up the corse, sirs.
Gen. Towards Chertsey, noble lord?
Glo. No, to White-Fryars; there attend my
coming. [Exeunt the rest, with the corse.
Was ever woman in this humour woo'd?
15Was ever woman in this humour won?
I'll have her, but I will not keep her long.
What! I that kill'd her husband, and his father,
To take her in her heart's extremest hate;
With curses in her mouth, tears in her eyes,

Nay, now dispatch; 'twas I that stabb'd young 20 The bleeding witness of her hatred by;

Edward;

But 'twas thy heavenly face that set me on.
[She lets full the sword.
Take up the sword again, or take up me.
Anne. Arise, dissembler; though I wish thy 25
I will not be thy executioner.
[death,

Glo. Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it.
Anne. I have already.

Glo. That was in thy rage:
Speak it again, and, even with the word,
This hand, which, for thy love, did kill thy love,
Shall, for thy love, kill a far truer love;

To both their deaths shalt thou be accessary.
Anne. I would, I knew thy heart.
Glo. 'Tis figur'd in my tongue.
Aune. I fear me, both are false.
Glo. Then never man was true.
Anne. Well, well, put up your sword.
Glo. Say then, my peace is made.
Anne. That shall you know hereafter.
Glo. But shall I live in hope?
Anne. All men, I hope, live so.
Glo. Vouchsafe to wear this ring.

[She puts on the ring.

Anne. To take is not to give.
Glo. Look, how this ring encompasseth thy fin-
Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart; [ger,
Wear both of them, for both of them are thine.
And if thy poor devoted servant may
But beg one favour at thy gracious hand,
Thou dost confirm his happiness for ever.
Aune. What is it?

[signs

Glo. That it may please you leave these sad de-
To him that hath more cause to be a mourner,
And presently repair to Crosby-place 1:
Where-after I have solemnly interr'd
At Chertsey monast'ry this noble king,
And wet his grave with my repentant tears,—
I will with all expedient duty see you :—
For divers unknown reasons I beseech you,

1

[me,

With God, her conscience, and these bars against
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,
Edward, her lord, whom I, some three months
Stabb'd in my angry mood at Tewksbury? [since,
A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman,—

30 Fram'd in the prodigality of nature?,
Young, valiant,wise, and, no doubt, right royal,-
The spacious world cannot again afford :
And will she yet abase her eyes on me,
That cropp'd the golden prime of this sweet prince,"
35 And made her widow to a woeful bed?
On me, whose all not equals Edward's moiety?
On me, that halt, and am mishapen thus ?
My dukedom to a beggarly denier,

I do mistake my person all this while:
40 Upon my life, she finds, although I canirot,
Myself to be a marvellous proper man.
I'll be at charges for a looking-glass;
And entertain a score or two of taylors,
To study fashions to adorn my body:
45 since I am crept in favour with myself,
I will maintain it with some little cost.
But, first, I'll turn yon' fellow in his grave;
And then return lamenting to my love.-
Shine out, fair sun, 'till I have bought a glass,
50 That I may see my shadow as I pass.

55

SCENE III.
The Palace.

[Exit.

Enter the Queen, Lord Rivers her brother, and
Lord Grey her son.

Riv. Have patience, madam; there's no doubt

his majesty

Will soon recover his accustom'd health.

Grey. In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse: 60 Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort,.

Crosby-place is now Crosby-square in Bishopsgate-street. ie. when nature selected all her choicest materials to complete a perfect man.

And,

And chear his grace with quick and merry words.
Queen. If he were dead, what would betide of me?
Grey. No other harm than loss of such a lord.
Queen. The loss of such a lord includes all harms.)
Grey. The heavens have bless'd you with a 5
goodly son,

To be your comforter, when he is gone.

Queen. Ah, he is young; and his minority
Is put into the trust of Richard Gloster,
A man that loves not me, nor none of you.

Riv. Is it concluded, he shall be protector?
Queen. It is determin'd', not concluded yet:
But so it must be, if the king miscarry.

Whom God preserve better than you would wish!
Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing while,
But you must trouble him with lewd complaints.
Queen. Brother of Gloster, you mistake the
The king of his own royal disposition, [matter:
And not provok'd by any suitor else;
Aiming, belike, at your interior hatred,
That in your outward action shews itself,
Against my children, brothers, and myself;
10 Makes him to send; that thereby he may gather
The ground of your ill-will, and so remove it.

Enter Buckingham, and Stanley. Grey. Here come the lords of Buckingham 15 and Stanley!

Buck. Good time of day unto your royal grace! Stanley. God make your majesty joyful as you [of Stanley,

have been!

Queen. The countess Richmond, good my lord 20
To your good prayer will scarcely say-Amen.
Yet, Stanley, notwithstanding she's your wife,
And loves not me, be you, good lord, assur'd,
I hate not you for her proud arrogance.

25

Stanley. I do beseech you, either not believe
The envious slanders of her false accusers;
Or, if she be accus'd on true report,
Bear with her weakness, which, I think, proceeds
From wayward sickness, and no grounded malice.
Queen. Saw you the king to-day, my lord of 30
Stanley?

Stanley. But now the duke of Buckingham, and I,
Are come from visiting his majesty. [lords?
Queen. What likelihood of his amendment,
Buck. Madam, good hope; his grace speaks 35
chearfully.
[with him?

Queen. God grant him health! Did you confer 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. Queen. 'Would all were well!-But that will never be!

2

I fear, our happiness is at the height.

Enter Gloster, Hastings, and Dorset.
Glo. They do me wrong, and I will not endure
Who are they, that complain unto the king? [it:-
That I, forsooth, am stern, and love them not?
By holy Paul, they love his grace but lightly,
That fill his ears with such dissentious rumours.
Because I cannot flatter, and speak fair,
Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog,
Duck with French nods and apish courtesy,
I must be held a rancorous enemy.
Cannot a plain man live, and think no harm,
But thus his simple truth must be abus'd
By silken, sly, insinuating Jacks?

[grace:

40

45

Glo. I cannot tell :-The world is grown so bad,
That wrens may prey where eagles dare not perch:
Since every Jack became a gentleman,
There's many a gentle person made a Jack.
Queen. Come, come, we know your meaning,
brother Gloster;

You envy my advancement, and my friends:
God grant, we never may have need of you!

Glo. Meantime, God grants that we have need
of you:

Our brother is imprison'd by your means,
Myself disgrac'd, and the nobility

Held in contempt; while great promotions
Are daily given, to ennoble those

[noble.
That scarce, some two days since, were worth a
Queen. By Him, that rais'd me to this careful
From that contented hap which I enjoy'd, [height
I never did incense his majesty

Against the duke of Clarence, but have been
An earnest advocate to plead for him.
My lord, you do me shameful injury,
Falsely to draw me in these vile suspects.
Glo. You may deny that you were not the cause
Of my lord Hastings' late imprisonment.
Riv. She may, my lord; for- [not so?
Glo. She may, lord Rivers?-why, who knows
She may
do
more, sir, than denying that :
She may help you to many fair preferments;
And then deny her aiding hand therein,
And laythose honours on your high desert. [she-
What may she not? She may,-ay, marry, may
Riv. What, marry, may she?

Glo. What, marry, may she? marry with a king.
A batchelor, a handsome stripling too:

I wis, your grandam had a worser match.
Queen. My lord of Gloster, I have too long borne
Your blunt upbraidings, and your bitter scoffs :
By heaven, I will acquaint his majesty
50 Of those gross taunts I often have endur'd.
I'd rather be a country servant-maid,
Than a great queen, with this condition-
To be so baited, scorn'd, and stormed at:
Small joy have I in being England's queen.
Enter Queen Margaret, behind.
2. Mar. And lessen'd be that small, God,

55

Grey. To whom in all this presence speaks your
Glo. To thee, that hast nor honesty, nor grace.
When have I injur'd thee? when done thee wrong? 60
Or thee?or thee?-or any of your faction?
A plague upon you all! His royal grace,-

'Determin'd signifies the final conclusion of the of some act consequent on the final judgement.

beseech thee!

Thy honour, state, and seat, is due to me. [king?
Glo. What! threat you me with telling of the
Tell him, and spare not; look, what I have said
I will avouch in presence of the king:

dare adventure to be sent to the Tower.

will: concluded, what cannot be altered by reason i. e. to summon them.

1

'Tis time to speak, my pains are quite forgot.
2. Mar. Out', devil! I remember them too
well:

Thou kill'dst my husband Henry in the Tower,
And Edward, my poor son, at Tewksbury. [king, 5
Glo. Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband
I was a pack-horse in his great affairs;
A weeder-out of his proud adversaries,
A liberal rewarder of his friends;
To royalize his blood, I spilt mine own.

And all the pleasures you usurp, are mine.

Glo. The curse my noble father laid on thee,~ When thou didst crown his warlike brows with paper,

And with thy scorns drew'st rivers from his eyes; And then, to dry them, gav'st the duke a clout, Steep'd in the faultless blood of pretty Rutland;His curses, then from bitterness of soul Denounc'd against thee, are all fallen upon thee; 10 And God, not we, hath plagu'd thy bloody deed. Queen. So just is God, to right the innocent. Hast. O, 'twas the foulest deed, to slay that babe, And the most merciless, that e'er was heard of. Riv. Tyrants themselves wept when it was reported.

2. Mar. Ay, and much better blood than his or thine. [Grey, Glo. In all which time, you, and your husband Were factious for the house of Lancaster;And, Rivers, so were you:-Was not your husband 15 In Margaret's battle at Saint Alban's slain? Let me put in your minds, if you forget, What you have been ere now, and what you are; Withal, what I have been, and what I am. [art. 2. Mar. A murd'rous villain, and so still thou 20 Glo. Poor Clarence did forsake his father Warwick, [don!

Ay, and forswore himself,-Which Jesu par-
2. Mar. Which God revenge!

Glo. To fight on Edward's party, for the crown;
And, for his meed, poor lord, he is mew'd up:
Iwould to God, my heart were flint, like Edward's,
Or Edward's soft and pitiful, like mine;
I am too childish-foolish for this world. [world,

25

Dors. No man but prophesy'd revenge for it. Buck. Northumberland, then present, wept to [came,

see it.

2. Mar. What! were you snarling all, before I
Ready to catch each other by the throat,
And turn you all your hatred now on me? [ven,
Did York's dread curse prevail so much with hea-
That Henry's death, my lovely Edward's death,
Their kingdom's loss, my woeful banishment,
Could all but answer for that peevish brat?
Can curses pierce the clouds, and enter heaven?--
Why, then give way, dull clouds, to my quick

curses!

Though not by war, by surfeit die your king",

2.Mar. Hie thee to hell for shame, and leave this 30 As ours by murder, to make him a king!

Thou cacodæmon! there thy kingdom is.

Riv. My lord of Gloster, in those busy days,
Which here you urge, to prove us enemies,
We follow'd then our lord, our sovereign king;
So should we you, if you should be our king.

Glo. If I should be?--I had rather be a pedlar:
Far be it from my heart, the thought thereof!

Queen. As little joy, my lord, as you suppose
You should enjoy, were you this country's king
As little joy you may suppose in me,
That I enjoy, being the queen thereof.

4

35

Edward, thy son, that now is prince of Wales,
For Edward, my son, that was prince of Wales,
Die in his youth, by like untimely violence!
Thyself a queen, for me that was a queen,
Out-live thy glory, like my wretched self!
Long may'st thou live, to wail thy children's loss;
And see another, as I see thee now,

Deck'd in thy rights, as thou art stall'd in mine!
Long die thy happy days before thy death;
40 And, after many lengthen'd hours of grief,

Die neither mother, wife, nor England's queen!-
Rivers, and Dorset,-you were standers-by,-
And so wast thou, lord Hastings,---when my son
Was stabb'd with bloody daggers; God, I prayhim,
45 That none of you may live your natural age,
But by some unlook'd accident cut off!

2. Mar. A little joy enjoys the queen thereof;
For I am she, and altogether joyless.
I can no longer hold me patient.-[She advances.
Hear me, you wrangling pirates, that fall out
In sharing that which you have pill'd from me:
Which of you trembles not, that looks on me?
If not, that I, being queen, you bow like subjects;
Yet that, by you depos'd, you quake like rebels?--
Ah, gentle villain, do not turn away! [my sight? 50
Glo. Foul wrinkled witch, what mak'st thou in
2.Mar. But repetition of what thou hast marr'd;
That will I make, before I let thee go.

Glo. Wert thou not banished, on pain of death?
2. Mar. I was; but I do find more pain in
banishment,

Than death can yield me here by my abode.
A husband, and a son, thou ow'st to me,-
And thou, a kingdom;-all of you, allegiance:
This sorrow that I have, by right is yours;

55

Glo. Have done thy charm, thou hateful wi-
ther'd hag.
[shalt hear me.
2.Mar. And leave out thee? stay, dog, for thou
If heaven have any grievous plague in store,
Exceeding those that I can wish upon thee,
O, let them keep it, 'till thy sins be ripe,
And then hurl down their indignation

On thee, the troubler of the poor world's peace!
The worm of conscience still be-gnaw thy soul!
Thy friends suspect for traitors while thou liv'st,
And take deep traitors for thy dearest friends!
No sleep close up that deadly eye of thine,
Unless it be while some tormenting dream
60 Affrights thee with a hell of ugly devils!

1i.e. my labours. 2 Out is an interjection of abhorrence or contempt, frequent in the mouths of the common people of the North. 3i. e. to make royal. * i. e. pillaged. 'Gentle in this place implies high-born. An opposition is meant between that and villain, which means at once a wicked and a low-born wretch. Alluding to his luxurious life.

Thou

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5

[rity.

(Hath in eternal darkness folded up. Your aiery buildeth in our aiery's nest:O God, that see'st it, do not suffer it; As it was won with blood, lost be it so! Buck. Peace, peace, for shame, if not for cha2. Mar. Urge neither charity nor shame to me; Uncharitably with me have you dealt, And shamefully by you my hopes are butcher'd. My charity is outrage, life my shame,— 10 And in my shame still live my sorrow's rage! Buck. Have done, have done. [hand, 2. Mar. O princely Buckingham, I'll kiss thy In sign of league and amity with thee: Now fair befal thee, and thy noble house! 15 Thy garments are not spotted with our blood, Nor thou within the compass of my curse.

2. Mar. Poor painted queen, vain flourish of my
Why strew'st thou sugar on that bottled' spider, 20
Whose deadly web ensnareth thee about?
Fool, fool! thou whett'st a knife to kill thyself.
The day will come, that thou shalt wish for me
To help thee curse this pois'nous hunch-back'd

toad.

[curse; 25

Hast. False-boding woman, end thy frantick Lest, to thy harm, thou move our patience. 2. Mar. Foul shame upon you! you have all

mov'd mine.

Riv. Were you well serv'd, you would be 30
taught your duty.
[me duty,

2. Mar. To serve me well, you all should do
Teach me to be your queen, and you my subjects:
O, serve me well, and teach yourselves that duty.
Dors. Dispute not with her, she is lunatic.
2. Mar. Peace, master marquis, you are mal-
apert;

35

Your fire-new stamp of honour is scarce current:
O, that your young nobility could judge,
What 'twere to lose it, and be miserable! [them; 40
They that stand high, have many blasts to shake
And, if they fall, they dash themselves to pieces.
Glo. Good counsel, marry ;-learn it, learn it,
marquis.

Dors. It touches you, my lord, as much as me. 45
Glo. Ay, and much more: But I was born so
Our aiery bulldeth in the cedar's top, [high,
And dallies with the wind, and scorns the sun.

2. Mar. And turns the sun to shade;-alas!
alas!-

Witness my sun, now in the shade of death;
Whose bright out-shining beams thy cloudy wrath

4

Buck. Nor no one here; for curses never pass
The lips of those that breathe them in the air.
2.Mar. I'll not believe but they ascend the sky,
And there awake God's gentle-sleeping peace.
O Buckingham, beware of yonder dog;
Look, when he fawns, he bites; and when he bites,
His venom tooth will rankle to the death:
Have not to do with him, beware of him; [him;
Sin, death, and hell, have set their marks upon
And all their ministers attend on him. [ham?.
Glo. What doth she say, my lord of Bucking-
Buck. Nothing that I respect, my gracious lord.
2. Mar. What, dost thou scorn me for my gen-
tle counsel?

And soothe the devil that I warn thee from?
O, but remember this another day,
When he shall split thy very heart with sorrow;
And say, poor Margaret was a prophetess.-
Live each of you the subjects to his hate,
And he to yours, and all of you to God's! [Exit.
Buck. My hair doth stand on end to hear her curses."
Riv. And so doth mine; I wonder, she's at liberty.
Glo. I cannot blame her, by God's holy mother;
She hath had too much wrong, and I repent
My part thereof, that I have done to her.

I

Queen. I never did her any, to my knowledge. Glo. Yet you have all the vantage of her wrong. was too hot to do some body good,

7

That is too cold in thinking of it now.
Marry, as for Clarence, he is well repay'd;
He is frank'd up to fatting for his pains;
God pardon them that are the cause thereof!
Ric. A virtuous and a christian-like conclusion,
50 To pray for them that have done scathe to us.
Glo. So do I ever, being well advis'd;
For had I curs'd now, I had curs'd myself. [Aside.

2

3

8

The common people in Scotland have still an aversion to those who have any natural defect or redundancy, as thinking them mark'd out for mischief. She calls him hog, as an appellation more contemptuous than boar, as he is elsewhere termed from his ensigns armorial. The expression is strong and noble, and alludes to the ancient custom of masters branding their profligate slaves: by which it is insinuated, that his mishapen person was the mark that nature had set upon him to stigmatize his ill conditions. Intimating that much of his honour was torn away. A spider is called bottled, because, unlike other insects, he has a middle slender, and a belly protuberant. Rich. ard's form and venom make her liken him to a spider. An aiery is a hawk's or an eagle's nest Mr. Pope says, that a frank is an old English word for a hog-stye, and that 'tis possible he uses this metaphor to Clarence, in allusion to the crest of the family of York, which was a boar. Mr. Steevens, however, asserts, that a frank was not a common hog-stye, but the pen in which those hogs were confined of whom brawn was to be made. i. e. harm, mischief.

Enter

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