ACT SECOND

SCENE I

[London. The palace.]

Flourish. Enter King Edward sick, Queen Elizabeth, Dorset, Rivers, Hastings, Buckingham, Woodville, [Grey, and others].

K. Edw. Why, so: now have I done a good day's

work.

You peers, continue this united league.

I every day expect an embassage

From my Redeemer to redeem me hence;

And more in peace my soul shall part to heaven, 5
Since I have made my friends at peace on earth.
Hastings and Rivers, take each other's hand;
Dissemble not your hatred, swear your love.

Riv. By heaven, my soul is purg'd from grudging

hate;

And with my hand I seal my true heart's love. 10
Hast. So thrive I, as I truly swear the like!
K. Edw. Take heed you dally not before your king,
Lest He that is the supreme King of kings

Confound your hidden falsehood, and award
Either of you to be the other's end.

Hast. So prosper I, as I swear perfect love!

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Riv. And I, as I love Hastings with my heart!
K. Edw. Madam, your self is not exempt from this,

Nor you, son Dorset, Buckingham, nor you;
You have been factious one against the other.

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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

marquess.

Dor. This interchange of love, I here protest,

Upon my part shall be inviolable.

Hast. And so swear I.

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[They embrace.]

K. Edw. Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this

league

With thy embracements to my wife's allies, 30
And make me happy in your unity.

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

With hate in those where I expect most love!
When I have most need to employ a friend,
And most assured that he is a friend,
Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile
Be he unto me! This do I beg of Heaven,
When I am cold in love to you or yours.

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They embrace.

E

K. Edw. A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham,
Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.

There wanteth now our brother Gloucester here,
To make the blessed period of this peace.

Buck. And, in good time,

Here comes Sir Richard Ratcliff and the Duke.

Enter Gloucester and Ratcliff.

45

Glou. 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 day.
Gloucester, we have done deeds of charity;
Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,
Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers.

Glou. A blessed labour, my most sovereign lord.
Among this princely heap, if any here,

By false intelligence, or wrong surmise,
Hold me a foe;

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If I unwittingly, or in my rage,

Have aught committed that is hardly borne

By any in this presence, I desire

To reconcile me to his friendly peace.

'Tis death to me to be at enmity;

I hate it, and desire all good men's love.
First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,

Which I will purchase with my duteous service;
Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,

60

If ever any grudge were lodg'd between us; 65

Of you and you, Lord Rivers and of Dorset ;
That all without desert have frown'd on me;
Of you, Lord Woodville, and, Lord Scales, of you;
Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen; indeed, of all.

I do not know that Englishman alive

With whom my soul is any jot at odds
More than the infant that is born to-night.

I thank my God for my humility.

Q. Eliz. A holy day shall this be kept hereafter.

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I would to God all strifes were well compounded.
My sovereign lord, I do beseech your Highness 75
To take our brother Clarence to your grace.
Glou. Why, madam, have I off'red love for this,
To be so flouted in this royal presence?

Who knows not that the gentle Duke is dead?
They all start.

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You do him injury to scorn his corse. K. Edw. Who knows not he is dead! Who knows

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 presence
But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks.

K. Edw. Is Clarence dead? The order was revers'd.
Glou. But he, poor man, by your first order died,

And that a winged Mercury did bear;

Some tardy cripple bare the countermand,
That came too lag to see him buried.

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God grant that some, less noble and less loyal,
Nearer in bloody thoughts, but not in blood,
Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,
And yet go current from suspicion !

Enter Derby.

Der. A boon, my sovereign, for my service done!

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[Kneels.]

K. Edw. I prithee, peace; my soul is full of sorrow. Der. I will not rise, unless your Highness hear me. K. Edw. Then say at once what is it thou requests. Der. The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant's life,

Who slew to-day a riotous gentleman

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Lately attendant on the Duke of Norfolk. K. Edw. Have I a tongue to doom my brother's death,

105

And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave?
My brother kill'd no man; his fault was thought,
And yet his punishment was bitter death.
Who sued to me for him? Who, in my wrath,
Kneel'd at my feet, and bid me be advis'd?
Who spoke of brotherhood? Who spoke of love?
Who told me how the poor soul did forsake
The mighty Warwick, and did fight for me?
Who told me, in the field at Tewksbury,
When Oxford had me down, he rescued me,
And said, "Dear brother, live, and be a king"?
Who told me, when we both lay in the field

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