Rivers, and Hastings, take each other's hand; And with my hand I seal my true heart's love. king; Lest he, that is the supreme King of kings, your Hast. So prosper I, as I swear perfect love! Nor your son Dorset, Buckingham, nor you;You have been factious one against the other. Wife, love lord Hastings, let him kiss your hand; And what you do, do it unfeignedly. Q. Eliz. There, Hastings;-I will never more remember Our former hatred; So thrive I, and mine! K.Edw. Dorset, embrace him, Hastings, love lord marquis. Dor. This interchange of love, I here protest, Upon my part shall be inviolable. Hast, And so swear I. [Embraces DORSET. K. Edw. Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this league With thy embracements to my wife's allies, Buck. Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate Upon your grace, [To the Queen.] but with all duteous love Doth cherish you, and yours, God punish me Be he unto me! this do I beg of heaven, [Embracing RIVERS, &c. K.Edw. A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham, Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart. There wanteth now our brother Gloster here, Buck. And, in good time, here comes the noble duke. Enter GLOSter. Glo. Good-morrow to my sovereign king, and queen; And, princely peers, a happy time of day! K. Edw. Happy, indeed, as we have spent the Brother, we have done deeds of charity; 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. - you, If ever any grudge were lodg'd between us; More than the infant that is born to-night; Q. Eliz. A holy-day shall this be kept hereafter: I would to heaven all strifes were well compounded.- 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 sence, But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks. pre 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; Some tardy cripple bore the countermand, That came too lag to see him buried: God grant, that some, less noble, and less loyal, Nearer in bloody thoughts, and not in blood, Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did, And yet go current from suspicion. Enter STANLEY. Stan. A boon my sovereign, for my service done. K. Edw. I pr'ythee, peace; my soul is full of sorrow. Stan. I will not rise, unless your highness hear me. K. Edw. Then say at once, what is it thou request'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 death, brother's And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave? You straight are on your knees for pardon, pardon; you: you But for my brother, not a man would speak, all On me, [Exeunt King, Queen, HASTINGS, RIVERS, VOL. VII. F Glo. This is the fruit of rashness!- Mark'd you not, How that the guilty kindred of the queen Look'd pale, when they did hear of Clarence' death? O! they did urge it still unto the king; Heaven will revenge it. Come, lords; will you go, To comfort Edward with our company? Buck. We wait upon your grace. [Exeunt. SCENE 11. The Same. Enter the Duchess of YORK, with a Son and Daughter of CLarence. Son. Good grandam, tell us, is our father dead? Duch. No, boy. Daugh. Why do you weep so oft? and beat your breast; And cry-O Clarence, my unhappy son! Son. Why do you look on us, and, shake your head, And call us-orphans, wretches, cast-aways, Duch. My pretty cousins, you mistake me both I do lament the sickness of the king, As loath to lose him, not your father's death ; Son. Then, grandam, you conclude that he is dead. The king my uncle is to blame for this. Duch. Peace, children, peace! the king doth love well: you Incapable and shallow innocents, You cannot guess who caus'd your father's death. |