Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

Who they shall be that ftrait shall post to Ludlow.
-Madam, and you my fifter, will you go,
To give your cenfures in this weighty business?

[Exeunt:

[Manent Buckingham and Gloucester. Buck. My Lord, whoever journies to the Prince, For God's fake, let not us Two ftay at home; For by the way, I'll fort occafion,

As index to the story we late talk'd of,

To part the Queen's proud kindred from the Prince.
Glo. My other felf, my council's confiftory,
My oracle, my prophet;My dear coufin,
I, as a child, will go by thy direction.

Tow'rd Ludlow then, for we'll not stay behind.

SCENE IV.

[Exeunt..

Changes to a Street near the Court.

Enter one Citizen at one Door, and another at the other.

1 Cit. Good morrow, neighbour, whither away fo faft?

2 Cit. I promise you, I hardly know myself: Hear you the news abroad?

1 Cit. Yes, the King's dead.

1 Cit. Ill News, by'r lady; feldom comes a better: I fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world.

Enter another Citizen.

3 Cit. Neighbours, God speed!

1 Cit. Give you good morrow, Sir.

3

Cit. Does the news hold of good King Edward's death?

2 Cit. Ay, Sir, 'tis too true; God help, the while! 3 Cit. Then, mafters, look to fee a troublous world. 1 Cit. No, no, by God's good grace his fon fhall reign.

3

Cit. Wo to that land that's govern'd by a child! 2 Cit. In him there is a hope of government,

* Which in his nonage, council under him,
And, in his full and ripen'd years himself,
No doubt fhall then, and till then, govern well.
1 Cit. So ftood the State, when Henry the fixth
Was crown'd in Paris, but at nine months old.
3 Cit. Stood the State fo? no, no, good friends,
God wot;

For then this Land was famously enrich'd
With politick grave counfel; then the King
Had virtuous Uncles to protect his Grace.

I Cit. Why fo hath this, both by his father and mo-
ther.

3 Cit. Better it were they all came by his father,
Or by his father there were none at all:
.For emulation, who shall now be nearest,
Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not.
O, full of danger is the Duke of Glofter;

And the Queen's fons and brothers haughty, proud;
And were they to be rul'd, and not to rule,
This fickly land might folace as before.

Cit. Come, come, we fear the worft; all will be
well.

3 Cit. When clouds are seen, wife men put on their

cloaks;

;

When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand
When the Sun fets, who doth not look for night?
Untimely storms make men expect a dearth.
All may be well; but if God fort it fo,
'Tis more than we deferve, or I expect.

2 Cit. Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear,
You cannot reafon almoft with a man
That looks not heavily, and full of dread.

3 Cit. Before the day of change, ftill is it fo;
By a divine inftinct men's minds mistrust
Enfuing danger; as by proof we fee.
The waters fwell before a boift'rous ftorm.
But leave it all to God. Whither away?

2 Cit. Marry, we were fent for to the juftices.

* Which in his nonage,] The word which has no antecedent, nor can the sense or connection be easily restored by any change. I believe a line to be loft in which fome mention was made of the Land, or the People.

And

3 Cit. And fo was I, I'll bear you company.

SCENE V.

Changes to the Court.

[Exeunt.

Enter Archbishop of York, the young Duke of York, the Queen, and the Dutchess of York.

Arch. I heard they lay the laft night at Northampton, At Stony Stratford they do reft to night; To morrow, or next day, they will be here.

Dutch. I long with all my heart to fee the Prince; I hope, he is much grown fince laft I saw him.

Queen. But I hear, not; they fay, my fon of York Has almoft over-ta'en him in his growth.

York. Ay, mother, but I would not have it fo. Dutch. Why, my young coufin, it is good to grow. York. Grandam, one night as we did fit at fupper, My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow More than brother. Ay, quoth my

my

uncle Glofter, Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace. And fince, methinks, I would not grow fo faft,

Because sweet flow'rs are flow, and weeds make hafte. Dutch. Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold

In him, that did object the fame to thee.

He was the wretched'ft thing, when he was young; (2) So long a growing, and fo leifurely,

That, if his Rule were true, he should be gracious. York. And fo, no doubt, he is, my gracious Madam. Dutch. I hope, he is; but yet let mothers doubt. York. Now, by my troth, if I had been remember'd (3)

I could have giv'n my Uncle's Grace a flout

[graphic]

2 the wretched'ft thing,] Wretched is here ufed in a fenfe yet retained in familiar language, for paltry, pitiful, being below expectation.

(3) Been remembered.] To be remembered is in Shakespeare, tohave one's memory quick, to have one's thoughts about one. Vol. VII.

To touch his growth, nearer than he touch'd mine. Dutch. How, my young York? I pr'ythee, let me

hear it.

York. Marry, they fay, my uncle grew fo faft,
That he could gnaw a cruft at two hours old;
"Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
Grandam, this would have been a biting jeft.

Dutch. I pr'ythee, pretty York, who told thee this?
York. Grandam, his nurse.

Dutch. His nurfe! why, she was dead ere thou waft born.

York. If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me. Queen. A per'lous boy-go to, you are too fhrewd. Dutch. Good Madam, be not angry with a child. Queen. Pitchers have ears.

Enter a Messenger.

Arch. Here comes a Meffenger: what news?
Mef. Such news, my Lord, as grieves me to report.
Queen. How doth the Prince?

Mef. Well, Madam, and in health.

Dutch. Lord Rivers and Lord Gray are fent to Pomfret,

With them, Sir Thomas Vaughan, prifoners.

Dutch. Who hath committed them?

Mef. The mighty Dukes,

Glofter and Buckingham.
Queen. For what offence?

Mef. The fum of all I can, I have difclos'd:
Why, or for what, the Nobles were committed,
Is all unknown to me, my gracious lady.

Queen Ah me! I fee the ruin of my house; The tyger now hath feiz'd the gentle hind. Infulting tyranny begins to jut

Upon the innocent and awless throne? (4)

*For what offence P] This question is given to the Archbishop in former copies, but the meffenger plainly speaks to the Queen or Dutchefs.

(4) Awless] Not producing awe, not reverenced. To jut upon, is 10 encroach.

Welcome,

Welcome, deftruction, blood and maffacre!
I fee, as in a map, the end of all.

Dutch. Accurfed and unquiet wrangling days!
How many of you have mine eyes beheld;
My husband loft his life to get the Crown,
And often up and down my fons were toft,
For me to joy, and weep, their gain, and lofs.
And being feated, and domeftic broils
Clean over-blown, themfelves the Conquerors
Make war upon themselves, blood against blood,
Self against felf; O most prepofterous

And frantic outrage; end thy damned fpleen;
Or let me die, to look on death no more. (5)

Queen, Come, come, my boy, we will to Sanctuary. -Madam, farewel.

-Dutch. Stay, I will go with you.

Queen. You have no caufe.

Arch. My gracious lady, go,

And thither bear your treafure and your goods.
For my part, I'll refign unto your Grace
The Seal I keep; and fo betide it me,
As well I tender you and all of yours !
-Go, I'll conduct you to the Sanctuary.

[Exeunt.

(5) Or let me die, to look on Earth no more.] This is the reading of all the Copies, from the firft Edition put out by the Players downwards. But I have restored the reading of the old Quarto in 1597, which is copied by all the other authentic Quarto's, by which the Thought is finely and properly improved. Or let me die, to look on Death no more.

THEOBALD.

[graphic][merged small][subsumed]
« ПредишнаНапред »