And, in thy closet pent up, rue my shame, And ban thine enemies, both mine and thine. 4 Glo. Be patient, gentle Nell; forget this grief. Duch. Ah, Gloster, teach me to forget myself: For, whilst I think I am thy married wife, And thou a prince, protector of this land, Methinks, I should not thus be led along. Mail'd up in shame, with papers on my back; * And follow'd with a rabble, that rejoice * To see my tears, and hear my deep-fetR groans. The ruthless flint doth cut my tender feet; And, when I start, the envious people laugh, And bid me be advised7 how I tread. Ah, Humphrey, can I bear this shameful yoke? *Trow'st thou, that e'er I'll look upon the world; * Or count them happy, that enjoy the sun? *No; dark shall be my light, and night my day; * To think upon my pomp shall be my hell. Sometime I'll say, I am Duke Humphrey's wife; And he a prince, and ruler of the land: Yet so he rul'd, and such a prince he was, As he stood by, whilst I, his forlorn duchess, . Was made a wonder, and a pointing-stock, Το every idle rascal follower. But be thou mild, and blush not at my shame; With her, that hateth thee, and hates us all,— And York, and impious Beaufort, that false priest, Have all lim'd bushes to betray thy wings, And, fly thou how thou canst, they'll tangle thee: 4 Curse. 5 Wrapped or bundled up in disgrace; alluding to the sheet of penance. Mailed, from a mail or male, a little budget. 6 Deep-fetched. 7 i. e. careful, circumspect. * But fear not thou, until thy foot be snar'd, * Nor never seek prevention of thy foes. * Glo. Ah, Nell, forbear; thou aimest all *I must offend before I be attainted: awry; * And had I twenty times so many foes, * And each of them had twenty times their power, * All these could not procure me any scathe3, * So long as I am loyal, true, and crimeless. Would'st have me rescue thee from this reproach? Thy greatest help is quiet9, gentle Nell: I pray thee, sort thy heart to patience; • These few days' wonder will be quickly worn. Enter a Herald. Her. I summon your grace to his majesty's parliament, holden at Bury the first of this next month. Glo. And my consent ne'er ask'd herein before! This is close dealing.-Well, I will be there. [Exit Herald. My Nell, I take my leave:-and, master sheriff, Let not her penance exceed the king's commission. Sher. An't please your grace, here my commission stays: And Sir John Stanley is appointed now To take her with him to the Isle of Man. Glo. Must you, Sir John, protect my lady here? your grace. Glo. Entreat her not the worse, in that I pray You use her well: the world may laugh again 10; 8 Scathe is harm, mischief, used by all our ancient writers. The word is still in use in Scotland. 9 The poet has not endeavoured to raise much compassion for the duchess, who indeed suffers but what she had deserved.JOHNSON. 10 i. e. the world may look again favourably on me. And I may live to do you kindness, if You do it her. And so, Sir John, farewell. Duch. What gone, my lord; and bid me not farewell? Glo. Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak. [Exeunt GLOSTER and Servants. Duch. Art thou gone too? * All comfort go with thee! * For none abides with me: my joy is—death: * Death, at whose name I oft have been afear'd, * Because I wish'd this world's eternity.— 6 Stanley, I pr'ythee, go, and take me hence; Only convey me where thou art commanded. * Stan. Why, madam, that is to the Isle of Man; * There to be used according to your state. *Duch. That's bad enough, for I am but reproach: * And shall I then be us'd reproachfully? * Stan. Like to a duchess, and Duke Humphrey's lady, According to that state you shall be used. Duch. Sheriff, farewell, and better than I fare; Although thou hast been conduct 11 of my shame! Sher. It is my office; and, madam, pardon me. Duch. Ay, ay, farewell; thy office is discharg'd.— Come, Stanley, shall we go? Stan. Madam, your penance done, throw off this sheet, And go we to attire you for our journey. 'Duch. My shame will not be shifted with my sheet: * No, it will hang upon my richest robes, 11 For conductor. [Exeunt. 12 This impatience of a high spirit is very natural. It is not so dreadful to be imprisoned as it is desirable in a state of dis ACT III. SCENE I. The Abbey at Bury. Enter to the Parliament, KING HENRY, QUEEN MARGARET, CARDINAL BEAUFORT, SUFFOLK, YORK, BUCKINGHAM, and Others. 'K. Hen. I muse1, my lord of Gloster is not come: "Tis not his wont to be the hindmost man, 'Whate'er occasion keeps him from us now. 'Q. Mar. Can you not see? or will you not observe 'The strangeness of his alter'd countenance? 'With what a majesty he bears himself? How insolent of late he is become, 'How proud, how peremptory, and unlike himself? 'We know the time, since he was mild and affable; And, if we did but glance a far off look, 'Immediately he was upon his knee, 'That all the court admir'd him for submission: Small curs are not regarded, when they grin: grace to be sheltered from the scorn of gazers. This is one of those touches which came from the hand of Shakspeare, it is not in the old play. Rowe, in Tamerlane, has put a similar sentiment into the mouth of Bajazet :— 'Come, lead me to my dungeon; plunge me down 1 Wonder. VOL. VI. R 'First, note, that he is near you in descent; "And should you fall, he is the next will mount. Me seemeth then, it is no policy, Respecting what a rancorous mind he bears, And his advantage following your decease,• That he should come about your royal person, 'Or be admitted to your highness' council. By flattery hath he won the commons' hearts; And, when he please to make commotion, ''Tis to be fear'd, they all will follow him. 'Now 'tis the spring, and weeds are shallow-rooted; Suffer them now, and they'll o'ergrow the garden, And choke the herbs for want of husbandry. The reverent care, I bear unto my lord, • Made me collect3 these dangers in the duke. If it be fond 4, call it a woman's fear; • Which fear if better reasons can supplant, 6 I will subscribe and say-I wrong'd the duke. My lord of Suffolk,-Buckingham,-and York,-— Reprove my allegation, if you can; Or else conclude my words effectual. 'Suf. Well hath your highness seen into this duke; And, had I first been put to speak my mind, I think, I should have told your grace's 5 tale. *The duchess, by his subornation, * Upon my life, began her devilish practices: * Or if he were not privy to those faults, 4 Foolish. 2 i. e. it seemeth to me, a word more grammatical than methinks, which has intruded into its place. JOHNSON. 3 i. e. assemble by observation. 5 Suffolk uses highness and grace promiscuously to the queen. Camden says that majesty came into use in the reign of King Henry the Eighth, as sacred majesty lately, in our memory. Selden says that this must be understood so far as it relates to the title being commonly in use, and properly to the king applied,' because he adduces an instance of the use of majesty so early as the reign of Henry the Second. The reader will see more on the subject in Mr. Douce's Illustrations of Shakspeare, vol. ii. p. 11. |