Glo. Enter GLOSTER. 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. Brother, we have done deeds of charity; Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate, Between these swelling wrong-incenséd peers. Glo. A blessed labour, my most sovereign liege.— Among this princely heap, if any here, By false intelligence or wrong surmise, 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.— If ever any grudge were lodg'd between us ;— 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 holiday shall this be kept hereafter :I would to God all strifes were well compounded.— My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness To take our brother Clarence to your grace. Glo. Why, madam, have I offer'd love for this, To be so flouted in this royal presence? Who knows not that the gentle duke is dead? [They all start. You do him injury to scorn his corse. Riv. 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 one in this presence But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks. K. Edw. Is Clarence dead? the order was revers'd. Glo. But he, poor man, by your first order died, And that a wingéd 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, Enter STANLEY. Stan. A boon, my sovereign, for my service done! K. Edw. I prithee, 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 requestest. 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 brother's death, 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 su'd to me for him? who, in my rage, The precious image of our dear Redeemer, You straight are on your knees for pardon, pardon; But for my brother not a man would speak, Nor I, ungracious, speak unto myself O God, I fear thy justice will take hold On me, and you, and mine, and yours for this! Glo. [He swoons, and is carried out, followed by QUEEN, How that the guilty kindred of the queen Look'd pale when they did hear of Clarence' death? God will revenge it.-But, come, let us in, To comfort Edward with our company. Buck. We wait upon your grace. Enter in haste Two Attendants, meeting. [Exeunt. Sec. Att. Ill news, by'r lady; seldom comes the better : I fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world. Third Att. death? Sec. Att. Enter another Attendant. Doth the news hold of good King Edward's Ay, ay, it is too true: God help, the while! Then, masters, look to see a troublous world. First Att. No, no; by God's good grace, his son shall reign. Woe to that land that's govern'd by a child! In him there is a hope of government; Third Att. Sec. Att. That, in his nonage, council under him, And, in his full and ripen'd years, himself, No doubt, shall then, and till then, govern well. First Att. So stood the state when Henry the Sixth God wot; No, no, good friends, For then this land was famously enrich'd First Att. Why, so hath this, both by his father and Third Att. Better it were they all came by his father, Or by his father there were none at all; For emulation now, who shall be nearest, Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not. O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloster! And the queen's sons and brothers haught and proud: And were they to be rul'd, and not to rule, This sickly land might solace as before. First Att. Come, come, we fear the worst; all will be well. Third Att. When clouds are seen, wise men put on their cloaks; When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand; All may be well; but, if God sort it so, 'Tis more than we deserve, or I expect. Sec. Att. Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear. Third Att. Before the days of change, still is it so ; By a divine instinct men's minds mistrust Ensuing danger; as, by proof, we see The waters swell before a boisterous storm. But leave it all to God. First Att. Let us away. [Exeunt. Enter QUEEN ELIZABETH, distractedly; RIVERS and DORSET following her. 2. Eliz. O, who shall hinder me to wail and weep, To chide my fortune, and torment myself? I'll join with black despair against my soul, And to myself become an enemy. Enter DUCHESS OF YORK. Duch. What means this scene of rude impatience? That our swift-wingéd souls may catch the king's ; To his new kingdom of perpetual rest. Duch. Ah, so much interest have I in thy sorrow As I had title in thy noble husband! I have bewept a worthy husband's death, And liv'd by looking on his images: But now two mirrors of his princely semblance But death hath snatch'd my husband from mine arms, Duch. Alas for both, both mine, Edward and Clarence! What stay had I but Edward? and he's gone. What stays had I but they? and they are gone. Was never widow had so dear a loss ! Duch. Was never mother had so dear a loss! Alas, I am the mother of these griefs! She for an Edward weeps, and so do I; I for a Clarence weep, so doth not she. On me pour tears! I am your sorrow's nurse, |