Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead? Q. Mar. Plantagenet doth quit Plantagenet ; Edward for Edward pays a dying debt. Q. Eli. Wilt thou, O God, fly from such gentle lambs, And throw them in the entrails of the wolf? When didst thou sleep when such a deed was done ? Q. Mar. When holy Harry died, and my sweet son. Duch. Dead life, blind sight, poor mortal-living ghost, Woe's scene, world's shame, grave's due by life usurp'd, Brief abstract and record of tedious days, [sitting down. Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood! Q. Eli. Ah, that thou wouldst as soon afford a grave, As thou canst yield a melancholy seat! Then would I hide my bones, not rest them here. Ah, who hath any cause to mourn but we? [sitting down by her Q. Mar. If ancient sorrow be most reverent, Give mine the benefit of seniory,1 And let my griefs frown on the upper hand. [sitting down with them. 1 Seniority. Tell o'er your woes again by viewing mine.' Duch. I had a Richard too, and thou didst kill him; I had a Rutland too, thou holp'st to kill him. Q. Mar. Thou hadst a Clarence too, and Richard kill'd him. From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept And makes her pew-fellow 1 with others' moan! Q. Mar. Bear with me; I am hungry for re venge, And now I cloy me with beholding it. Thy Edward he is dead, that kill'd my Edward; 1 Companion. Edward; Thy other Edward dead, to quit my Edward: Earth gapes, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray, That I may live to say, The dog is dead! Q. Eli. O, thou didst prophesy, the time would come, That I should wish for thee to help me curse I call'd thee then, poor shadow, painted queen; The flattering index of a direful pageant, 1 Thrown into the bargain. 3 2 Indexes were formerly placed at the beginning of books. 3 Gaudy. To be the aim of every dangerous shot; Where is thy husband now? where be thy brothers ? Where be the bending peers that flatter'd thee? Now thy proud neck bears half my burden'à yoke; From which even here I slip my wearied head, Q. Eli. O thou well skill'd in curses, stay awhile, And teach me how to curse mine enemies. Q. Mar. Forbear to sleep the night, and fast the day; Compare dead happiness with living woe; Q. Eli. My words are dull; O, quicken them with thine! Q. Mar. Thy woes will make them sharp, and pierce like mine. [Exit Q. Margaret. Duch. Why should calamity be full of words? Q. Eli. Windy attorneys to their client woes, Airy succeeders of intestate joys, Poor breathing orators of miseries! Let them have scope: though what they do impart Help nothing else, yet do they ease the heart. Duch. If so, then be not tongue-tied: go with me, And in the breath of bitter words let's smother My damned son, that thy two sweet sons smother'd. [drum within. I hear his drum: be copious in exclaims. Enter KING RICHARD and his train, marching. K. Rich. Who intercepts me in my expedition? Duch. O, she, that might have intercepted thee, By strangling thee in her accursed womb, From all the slaughters, wretch, that thou hast done. |