The same. SCENE III. A Room in the Palace. Enter Queen ELIZABETH, Lord RIVERS, and Lord GREY. 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: Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort, And cheer his grace with quick and merry words. Q. Eliz. If he were dead, what would betide of me Grey. No other harm, but loss of such a lord. Q. Eliz. The loss of such a lord includes all harms. Grey. The heavens have bless'd you with a goodly son, To be your comforter, when he is gone. 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! Stan. God make your majesty joyful as you have been! Q. Eliz. The countess Richmond, good my lord of Stanley, To your good prayer will scarcely say-amen. And loves not me, be you, good lord, assur'd, Stan. I do beseech you, either not believe Bear with her weakness, which, I think, proceeds Stan. But now, the duke of Buckingham, and 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. Glo. They do me wrong, and I will not endure it: Who are they, that complain unto the king, 8 I must be held a rancorous enemy. . Cannot a plain man live, and think no harm, Grey. To whom in all this presence speaks your grace? Glo. To thee, that hast nor honesty, nor grace. When have I injur'd thee? when done thee wrong?Or thee?-or thee?-or any of your faction? A plague upon you all! His royal grace,— Whom God preserve better than you would wish!- But you must trouble him with lewd complaints." matter: The king, of his own royal disposition, 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,1 There's many a gentle person made a Jack. speak fair, Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog, Duck with French nods and apish courtesy,] An importation of artificial manners seems to have afforded our ancient poets a never failing topick of invective. 9with lewd complaints.] Lewd, in the present instance, signifies rude, ignorant; from the Anglo-Saxon Laewede, a Laick. Chaucer often uses the word lewd, both for a laick and an ignorant person. Since every Jack became a gentleman,] This proverbial expression at once demonstrates the origin of the term Jack so often used by Shakspeare. It means one of the very lowest class of people, among whom this name is of the most common and familiar kind. Q. Eliz. Come, come, we know your meaning, brother Gloster;. You envy my advancement, and my friends; Our brother is imprison'd by your means, Held in contempt; while great promotions Are daily given, to ennoble those That scarce, some two days since, were worth a noble. Q. Eliz. By Him, that rais'd me to this careful height From that contented hap which I enjoy'd, Against the duke of Clarence, but have been 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. Glo. She may, lord Rivers?-why, who knows not so? She may do more, sir, than denying that: What may she not? She may,-ay, marry, may she,-- Glo. What, marry, may she? marry with a king, A bachelor, a handsome stripling too: I wis, your grandam had a worser match. Q. Eliz. My lord of Gloster, I have too long borne Your blunt upbraidings, and your bitter scoffs: By heaven, I will acquaint his majesty, Of those gross taunts I often have endur'd. I had rather be a country servant-maid, Enter Queen MARGARET, behind. Q. Mar. And lessen'd be that small, God, I beseech thee! Thy honour, state, and seat, is due to me. Glo. What? threat you me with telling of the king? I dare adventure to be sent to the Tower. Q. Mar. Out, devil! I remember them too well: Glo. Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband king, I was a pack-horse in his great affairs; To royalize3 his blood, I spilt mine own. Q. Mar. Ay, and much better blood than his, or thine. Glo. In all which time, you, and your husband Grey, Were factious for the house of Lancaster; And, Rivers, so were you:-Was not your husband Let me put in your minds, if you forget, 2 my pains-] My labours; my toils. S 4 royalize i. e. to make royal. * Margaret's battle] Is-Margaret's army. |