Q. Mar. Thanks, gentle Somerset;-sweet Oxford, thanks. Prince. And take his thanks, that yet hath nothing else. Enter a Messenger. Mess. Prepare you, lords, for Edward is at hand. Ready to fight; therefore be resolute. Oxf. I thought no less: it is his policy, To haste thus fast, to find us unprovided. Som. But he's deceiv'd, we are in readiness. Q. Mar. This cheers my heart to see your forwardness. Oxf. Here pitch our battle, hence we will not budge. March. Enter at a distance, KING EDWARD, CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and Forces. K Edw. Brave followers, yonder stands the thorny wood, Which, by the heaven's assistance, and your strength, Must by the roots be hewn up yet ere night. For, well I wot,9 ye blaze to burn them out: Canst thou not speak?-O traitors! murderers! Q. Mur. Lords, knights, and gentlemen, what I They that stabb'd Cæsar, shed no blood at all, should say, My tears gainsay; for every word I speak, Is prisoner to the foe; his state usurp'd, His realm a slaughter-house, his subjects slain, His statutes cancelled, and his treasure spent; And yonder is the wolf that makes this spoil. You fight in justice: then, in God's name, lords, Be valiant, and give signal to the fight. [Exeunt both Armies. SCENE V. Another Part of the same. Alarums: Excursions; and afterwards a Retreat. Then enter KING EDWARD, CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and Forces; with QUEEN MARGARET, OXFORD, and SOMERSET, Prisoners. K. Edw. Now, here a period of tumultuous broils. Away with Oxford to Hammes' castle' straight: For Somerset, off with his guilty head. Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak. Orf. For my part, I'll not trouble thee with words. Som.Nor 1; but stoop with patience to my fortune. [Exeunt OXFORD and SOMERSET, guarded. Shall have a high reward, and he his life? K. Edw. Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak: What! can so young a thorn begin to prick? coat, And ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster. Prince. Let Esop2 fable in a winter's night; His currish riddles sort not with this place. Glo. By heaven, brat, I'll plague you for that word. Q. Mar. Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men. Glo. For God's sake take away this captive scold. Prince. Nay, take away this scolding crook-back rather. K. Edw. Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue. Clar. Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert. Prince. I know my duty; you are all undutiful; Lascivious Edward,-and thou perjur'd George,• Know. A castle in Picardy. The prince calls Richard, for his crookedness, Æsop. Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame, K. Edw. Away with her; go bear her hence pet force. Q. Mar. Nay, never bear me hence, despatch m here; Here sheath thy sword, I'll pardon thee my death What! wilt thou not?-then, Clarence, do it thou Clar. By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease Q. Mar. Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, di thou do it. Clar. Didst thou not hear me swear, I would no do it! Q. Mar. Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyselft 'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity. What! wilt thou not? where is that devil's butcher Hard-favor'd Richard? Richard, where art thou! Thou art not here: Murder is thy atms-deed; Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back. K. Elw. Away, I say; I charge ye bear her heros Q. Mar. So come to you, and yours, as to la prince! [Exit, led out furcity K. Edw. Where's Richard gone? Clar. To London all in post; and, as I guess, To make a bloody supper in the Tower. K. Edw. He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head Now march we hence: discharge the common, sor With pay and thanks, and let's away to London, And see our gentle queen how well she fares; By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. Exeunt SCENE VI.-London. A Room in the Tower. KING HENRY is discovered sitting with a Book in hả Hand, the Lieutenant affending. Enter Gusta Glo. Good day, my lord! What, at your booN S hard? K. Hen. Ay, my good lord: My lord, I shoul say rather; 'Tis sin to flatter, good was little better; Good Gloster, and good devil, were alike, And both preposterous; therefore, not good leret, Glo. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves; we must exa fer. Erif Lieutenanİ K. Hen. So flies the reckless shepherd from th wolf: So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece, And next his throat unto the butcher's knite.What scene of death hath Roscius now to act" Glo. Suspicion always haun's the guilty mind. The thief doth fear each bush an officer. She alludes to the desertion of Clarence K. Hen. The bird, that hath been limed in a bush, With trembling wings misdoubteth every bush: And I, the hapless male to one sweet bird, Have now the fatal object in my eye, Where my pool young was limed, was caught, and kul'd. Gl. Why, what a peevish fool was that of Crete, But wherefore dost thou come? is't for my life! G. Thy son I kill'd, for his presumption. K. Hen. Had'st thou been kill'd, when first thou didst presume, Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a son of mine. The raven rook'd her on the chimney's top, Gio. I'll hear no more;-Die, prophet, in thy For this, amongst the rest, was I ordain'd. See, how my sword weeps for the poor king's death! And this word-love, which graybeards call divine And triumph, Henry, in thy day of doom. [Exit. SCENE VII-A Room in the Palace. KING EDWARD is discovered sitting on his Throme; Re-purchas'd with the blood of enemies. That in their chains fetter'd the kingly lion, Glo. I'll blast his harvest, if your head were laid; [Aside. K. Edw. Clarence and Gloster, love my lovely Reignier, her father, to the king of France And now what rests, but that we spend the time SCENE I.-London. A Street. Enter GLOSTER. ACT I Glo. Now is the winter of our discontent And now, instead of mounting barbed2 steeds, , that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty, To strut before a wanton ambling nymph; Dances. 2 Armed. That dogs bark at me as I halt by them;- GA Upon what cause? Clar Because my name is-George 6. Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours; He should, for that, commit your godfathers:tehke his majesty hath some intent, That you shall be new christen'd in the Tower And, for my name of George begins with G, Why, this it is, when men are rul'd by Women: Te not the king that sends you to the Tower; ky lady Grey, his wife, Clarence, 'tis she, I tempers him to this extremity. Was it not she, and that good man of worship, That made him send lord Hastings to the Tower; Cur. By heaven, I think, there is no man secure, the queen's kindred, and night-walking heralds Tat fridge betwixt the king and mistress Shore. Heard you not what an humble suppliant Lid Hastings was to her for his delivery! 60% Humbly complaining to her deity, fot my lord chamberlam his liberty. tell you what,-I think it is our way, we will keep in favor with the king, To be her men, and wear her livery: The pealous o'er-worn widow, and herself,4 More that our brother dubb'd them gentlewomen, A mighty gossips in this monarchy. Bruk. I beseech your graces both to pardon me; Fjesty hath straitly given in charge, That no man shall have private conference, at degree soever, with his brother. . Even so? an please your worship, Braken bury, You may partake of any thing we say: We speak no treason, man;-We say, the king Amy eye, a passing pleasing tongue; the queen's kindred are made gentlefolks: say you, sir! can you deny all this! Bruk. With this, my lord, myself have naught to do. Go. Naught to do with mistress Shore? I tell thee, fellow, Be that doth naught with her, excepting one, Bruk. What one, my lord? 6. Her husband, knave:-Wouldst thou betray me? Brak. I beseech your grace to pardon me; and, withal, Fortear your conference with the noble duke. Car. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey. 6. We are the queen's abjects, and must obey. ther, farewell: I will unto the king; And whatsoever you will employ me in,Here it to call king Edward's widow-sister,l perform it to entranchise you. Kean time, this deep disgrace in brotherhood, Tches me deeper than you can imagine. I know it pleaseth neither of us well. Well, your imprisonment shall not be Jong; Fad deliver you, or else lie for you: return, ple, plain Clarence!-I do love thee so, Tail will shortly send thy soul to heaven, aven will take the present at our hands. who comes here? the new-deliver'd Hastings? The queen and Shore. Enter HASTINGS. Hast. Good time of day unto my gracious lord! Glo. As much unto my good lord chamberlain! Well are you welcome to this open air. How hath your lordship brook'd imprisonment? Hast. With patience, noble lord, as prisoners must: But I shall live, my lord, to give them thanks, Glo. No doubt, no doubt; and so shall Clarence too; For they, that were your enemies, are his, Glo. What news abroad? Hast. No news so bad abroad, as this at home;The king is sickly, weak, and melancholy And his physicians fear him mightily. Glo. Now, by saint Paul, this news is bad indeed. O, he hath kept an evil diet long, And over-much consumed his royal person; 'Tis very grievous to be thought upon. What, is he in his bed? Hast. He is. Glo. Go you before, and I will follow you. He cannot live, I hope; and must not die, For then I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter. By marrying her, which I must reach unto. reigns; When they are gone, then must I count my gains. [Exit SCENE II.-Another Street. Enter the Corpse of KING HENRY the Sixth, borne in an open Cofin; Gentlemen bearing Halberds, to guard it; and LADY ANNE as Mourner. Anne. Set down, set down your honorable load,If honor may be shrouded in a hearse,Whilst I a while obsequiously lament The untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster.Poor key-cold figure of a holy king! Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster! Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood! Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost, To hear the lamentations of poor Anne, Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughter'd son, Stabb'd by the self-same hand that made thes wounds! Lo, in these windows, that let forth thy life, May fright the hopeiul mother at the view; [The Bearers take up the Corpse, and advance. Glo. Stay you that bear the corse, and set it down With becoming reverence for the dead. Anne.What black magician conjures up this fiend, To stop devoted charitable deeds? Glo Villains, set down the corse; or, by saint Paul, I'll inake a corse of him that disobeys. 1 Gent. My lord, stand back, and let the coffin pass. Glo. Unmanner'd dog: stand thou when I command: Advance thy halberd higher than my breast, For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, O God, which this blood mad'st, revenge his death! dead, Or, earth, gape open wide, and eat him quick; As thou dost swallow up this good king's blood, Which his hell-govern'd arm hath butchered! Glo. Lady, you know no rules of charity, No beast so fierce, but knows some touch of pity. Anne. Vouchsafe, diffus'd infection of a man, Glo. Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have Some patient leisure to excuse myself. Anne. Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make No excuse current but to hang thyself. Glo. By such despair. I should accuse myself. Anne. And, by despairing, shalt thou stand excus'd; others. For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, Anne. upon Why, then, they are not dead: But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee. Glo. I did not kill your husband. Anne. Why, then, he is alive. Glo. Nay, he is dead; and slain by Edward's hand. Anne. In thy soul's throat thou liest: queen Margaret saw Thy murd'rous falchion smoking in his blood; The which thou once didst bend against her breast, But that thy brothers beat aside the point. Glo. I was provoked by her sland'rous tongue, That laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders. Anne. Thou wast provoked by thy bloody mind, That never dreamt on aught but butcheries: Didst thou not kill this king! Glo. I grant ye. Anne. Dost grant me, hedge-hog? then God grant me too, Thou may'st be damned for that wicked deed! come. Glo. Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither; For he was fitter for that place, than earth. Anne. And thou unfit for any place but hell. Glo. Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it. Anne. Some dungeon. Glo. Glo. I know so.-But, gentle lady Anne,To leave this keen encounter of our wits, And fall somewhat into a slower method,— Is not the causer of the timeless deaths Of these Plantagenets. Henry and Edward, As blameful as the executioner? Anne. Thou wast the cause and most accurs'd effect. Glo. Your beauty was the cause of that effect; Your beauty which did haunt me in my sleep, To undertake the death of all the world, So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom. Anne. If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, These nails should rend that beauty from my checks. Glo. These eyes could not endure that beauty's wreck; You should not blemish it if I stood by: Anne. Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life! Glo. Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both Anne. I would I were, to be revenged on thee. Glo. It is a quarrel most unnatural, To be revenged on him that loveth thee. Anne. It is a quarrel just and reasonable, To be revenged on him that kill'd my husband. Glo. He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband, Did it to help thee to a better husband. Anne. His better doth not breathe upon the Glo. Never came poison from so sweet a place. Anne. Never hung poison on a fouler toad. Out of my sight! thou dost infect mine eyes Glo. Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mira Anne. 'Would they were basilisks, to strike the dead! Glo. I would they were, that I might die at once For now they kill me with a living death. Those eyes of thine from mine hath drawn sa tears, Shamed their aspects with store of childish arg ing. I never sued to friend, nor enemy; [He lays his Breasi opoffer i ulv |