K. Edw. Now tell me, madam, do you love your children? K. Edw. And would you not do much to do them good? K. Edw. Then get your husband's lands, to do them good. 40 K. Edw. I'll tell you how these lands are to be got. L. Grey. What you command, that rests in me to do. 45 Glou. [Aside to Clar.] He plies her hard: and much rain wears the marble. 50 Clar. [Aside to Glou.] As red as fire! nay, then her wax must melt. L. Grey. Why stops my lord? shall I not hear my task? L. Grey. That's soon perform'd, because I am a subject. K. Edw. Why then, thy husband's lands I freely give thee. 55 L. Grey. I take my leave with many thousand thanks. 36-41. Now tell me. your majesty] omitted Q. do] 29-32. Ile tell thee. give them?... to Euen what your highnesse shall command Q. 46-51. must melt] omitted Q. 52-57. Why stops my lord stops my lord... Know my taske?... cursie Q. is a passage in The Spanish Tragedy very strongly resembling this. It is broken in two by the arrival of Jonson's additions: "By your leave, Sir. Hier. Good leave have you: nay, I pray you goe, For ile leave you if you can leave me so" (III. xi. 1-3). 36-59.] These lines are another example of the method of alternate dialogue in lines (σTixoμveía) already noted upon in 1 Henry VI. IV. v. 35-42, a practice in the classic drama. Kyd's Cornelia is largely framed on this plan, which is frequent in Shakespeare's early work. 46. take exceptions] disapprove. See 1 Henry VI. IV. i. 105 (note); and Two Gentlemen of Verona, 1. iii. 81. 50. He plies her hard] urges her ... 42-45. I'll tell you grant it them? La. But you will . . . wax a curtsey] 39-44. Why hard. See Merchant of Venice, III. ii. 50. much rain wears the marble] See above, II. i. 54, 55 (note). Compare T. Howell, Devises (Grosart, ii. 217), 1581: "The Marble stone in time by waterie drops is pierced deepe." And T. Watson, Passionate Centurie, xlvi. (Arber, p. 83), 1582: "In time the Marble weares with weakest sheures." Kyd, when he appropriated Watson's lines in The Spanish Tragedy (Hazlitt's Dodsley, v. 36) turned marble to flint. The old form is "Constant dropping wears a stone." Gloucester's proverbloving speech is displayed here. See Introduction, and below, 111. ii. 113, IV. vii. 25, etc, Glou. [Aside to Clar.] The match is made; she seals it with a curtsey. K. Edw. But stay thee; 'tis the fruits of love I mean. What love think'st thou I sue so much to get? 60 L. Grey. My love till death, my humble thanks, my prayers: That love which virtue begs and virtue grants. K. Edw. No, by my troth, I did not mean such love. L. Grey. Why, then you mean not as I thought you did. 65 K. Edw. To tell thee plain, I aim to lie with thee. 70 K. Edw. Why, then thou shalt not have thy husband's lands. L. Grey. Why, then mine honesty shall be my dower; K. Edw. Therein thou wrong'st thy children mightily. K. Edw. Ay, if thou wilt say ay to my request ; L. Grey. Then, no, my lord. My suit is at an end. 80 Glou. [Aside to Clar.] The widow likes him not, she knits her brows. 61-63. What love ... virtue get? La. 58-60. But stay... sense] omitted Q. grants] 45-47. Staie widdow staie, what loue dost thou thinke. My humble seruice, such as subiects owes and the lawes commands Q.` 64-69. No.. with thee] 48, 49. K. Ed. No. . . . I meant no such loue, But to tell thee troth, I. . . with thee Q (65 to 68 omitted). 71-78. Why,. ,... shalt not have... Why, then Therein... Accords not Please you or no] 50-58. Why canst not get ... ... Then Please it your highnes to . . . I or no Q. dost say ... brow Q. 58. I mean] See below, IV. vi. 51, and see Part I. v. v. 20. 59. The fruits of love] See Kyd's Spanish Tragedy: "Lorenzo. I thus, and thus: these are the fruits of love. (They stab him)" (11. iv. 55). And in Part II. of Whetstone's Promos and Cassandra (11. ii.) :— 79-82. Ay. saie I.. Clar. [Aside to Glou.] He is the bluntest wooer in Christen dom. K. Edw. [Aside.] Her looks do argue her replete with modesty ; Her words do show her wit incomparable; All her perfections challenge sovereignty : One way or other, she is for a king; And she shall be my love, or else my queen. Say that King Edward take thee for his queen? L. Grey. 'Tis better said than done, my gracious lord: K. Edw. Sweet widow, by my state I swear to thee L. Grey. And that is more than I will yield unto. 85 90 95 83, 84. He is . . . modesty] 63, 64. Why he is . . . lookes are all repleat with maiestie Q. 85, 86. Her words sovereignty] omitted Q. One way ... take thee. swear 87-99. I speak ... soul... mean. my queen] 65-77. One waie tooke thee... sweare I speake . . bad my Queene Q. . Q has here" she bends the brow" with the same meaning, frowns. See below, v. ii. 22: "when Warwick bent his brow." And 1 Henry VI. v. iii. 34. Also in Lucrece, 709, and King John. 83. the bluntest wooer in Christendom] A standard expression. See note at "the lyingest knave in Christendom " in 2 Henry VI. 11. i. 126. A very old set phrase. Kyd (?) has "the braginst knave in Christendom" in Soliman and Perseda. And in Hall's Chronicle (p. 267), "the metest matrimony in Christendome " occurs. And Holinshed's England, iii. 292 (rept.): "The greatest prince in Christendom." Shakespeare drew it from the chroniclers. again below at Iv. vi. 71 (Q). Hence the alteration here. 90. better said than done] where we say "easier said than done." Oliphant (New English) gives a reference to Religious and Love Poems (Early English Text Soc.), circa 1450: "better saide thanne doon." I have not verified it. ... 98. too good to be your concubine] Hall continues (see above at "Sir Richard Gray," 1. 2): "This wydow. founde such grace in the Kynges eyes, that he not only fauoured her suyte, but muche more phantasied her person, for she was a woman more of formal countenaunce then of excellent beautie, but yet of such beautie and fauor, that with her sober demeanure, louely lokyng, and femynyne smylyng (neither to wanton nor to humble) besyde her tongue so eloquent, and her wit so pregnant, she was able to rauish the mynde of a meane person, when she allured and made subiect to her, ye hart of so great a Kyng. After that Kyng Eduard had well considered all the lineamentes . . . he determined . . . K. Edw. You cavil, widow: I did mean, my queen. L. Grey. 'Twill grieve your grace my sons should call you father. 100 K. Edw. No more than when my daughters call thee mother. To be the father unto many sons. Answer no more, for thou shalt be my queen. 105 Glou. [Aside to Clar.] The ghostly father now hath done his shrift. Clar. [Aside to Glou.] When he was made a shriver, 'twas for shift. K. Edw. Brothers, you muse what chat we two have had. K. Edw. Queene Q. Why, Clarence, to myself. 107-109. The ghostly ΠΙΟ 100-106. 'Twill.. my sons .. .. father unto . . . Answer queen] 7884. Your grace would be loath my sonnes . . father of manie children. Argue what chat . . . had] 85-88. The ghostly what talke the Widdow And I have had Q. 110. The... very sad] omitted Q. 111-114. You'd .. marry her. Clar. To whom ... That's a... lasts] 884-93. you would marrie her. Cla. Marrie her my Lord, to whom?... Why that's lastes Q. ... 104. other some] another lot or set. See again Measure for Measure, III. ii. 94, and Midsummer Night's Dream, I. i. 226. It occurs twice at least in Golding's Ovid (books iv. and viii.). Not uncommon in early poetry. that yf she would therunto condiscend, her husband had geuen her in ioynture. she might so fortune of his peramour... And finally after many a metyng and concubyne to be chaunged to his and much avowyng. the Kyng wyfe and lawful bedfellow; whiche so muche esteemed her constancy and demaunde she so wisely, and with so chastitye, that . . . he determined in couert speache answered and repugned, haste to marry her." For the historical affirmynge that as she was for his honor falseness, see note above at 1. 3. farre vnable to be hys spouse and bedfellow so for her awne poore honestie, she was too good to be either hys concubyne, or soueraigne lady: that where he was a littell before heated with the darte of Cupido, he was nowe set all on a hote burnyng fire . . . & without any further deliberacion, he determyned with him selfe clerely to marye with her, after that askyng counsaill of them, which he knewe neither woulde nor once durst impugne his concluded purpose. But the duches of Yorke hys mother letted it as much as in her lay. . . . And so, priuilye in a mornyng he maried her at Grafton, where he first phantasied her visage " (p. 264). Later in Hall (365) the story of this courtship is again told, and how "she made suyte to be restored to suche smal landes as 106. my queen] Johnson says of this dialogue, closing here, that it is " very lively and spritely; the reciprocation is quicker than is common in Shakespeare." 107. ghostly father] Occurs again in Measure for Measure and Romeo and Juliet. "I'll have no ghostly fathers out of France” (Peele, Edward I. (410, a)). 107, 108. shrift . . . shriver] Compare this passage with 1 Henry VI. 1. ii. 119. Glou. That would be ten days' wonder at the least. Enter a Nobleman. 115 I 20 Nob. My gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken, Glou. Ay, Edward will use women honourably. Would he were wasted, marrow, bones, and all, gates Q. 125 ... . as 115. By... extremes] 94. And so much more are the wonderes in extreames Q. 116, 117. Well . . . you both... lands] 95, 96. Well... you.. lands Q. 118, 119. Enter a Nobleman. Nob. My... Henry. your prisoner gate] 97, 98. Enter a Messenger. Mes. And it please your grace, Henry prisoner 120-123. See that . . . honourably] 99-102. Awaie with him and send him to the Tower, And let us go question with the man about His apprehension. Lords along, and use this Ladie honourablie. Exeunt Omnes. Manet Gloster and speakes Q. 124-127. Ay, Edward... no hopeful. cross me... look for] 103-106. I, Edward hinder me looke for Q. ... 113, 114. ten days' wonder] A wonder lasts nine days. Occurs again in As You Like It, III. ii. 185, and 2 Henry VI. II. iv. 69 (see note). See note at line 60 above. 118-120. Henry . . . taken... Tower] See above, III. i. 13 (note). ... 122. apprehension] seizure, arrest. Again in King Lear, III. v. 20. 124-195. Ay, Edward I'll pluck it down] Compare with II. v. 1-72. Here we have another great soliloquy, but it is full of import with regard to the subsequent history, and of character display in him that speaks it. When Henry VI. made his oration we knew all about him amply already, but not so here. They are meant to be set in contrast, these two speeches. It is very important to compare this with Q. The version here is more than double of that in Q, but every line in the latter is used up in the present composition. no issue might succeed To Amplification, addition and improvement take place, but only in such a way as an author would deal with his own work—which he approved of and improved. The two kings' characters, Henry VI. and Richard III., as Shakespeare conceived them, are sketched and contrasted in these two speeches. 126. loins. . . branch] "issue" of Qis preferable, and occurs in Richard III. I. iii. 232 and in Cymbeline, v. v. 330. 127. golden time] Again in Twelfth Night, v. i. 391. "Golden day" occurs in 1 Henry VI. 1. vi. 31, and below, III. iii. 7. Peele has "My golden days, my younger careless years " (Battle of Alcazar, Act v. (439, a)); and he has "that golden time. . The blooming time, the spring of England's peace (Polyhymnia, 572, b). |