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Queen. Give me no help in lamentation,
I am not barren to bring forth laments:
All springs reduce their currents to mine eyes,
That I, being govern'd by the watry moon,
May fend forth plenteous tears to drown the world!
Ah, for my husband, for my dear lord Edward!

Cbil. Ah, for our father, for our dear lord Cla-
rence !
[Clarence!
Dutch. Alas, for both, both mine, Edward and
Queen. What stay had I, but Edward? and he's
[gone.
Chil. What stay had we, but Clarence? and he's
Dutch. What stays had I, but they? and they
are gone.

gone.

Queen. Was never widow, had so dear a loss.
Cbil. Were never orphans, had fo dear a loss.
Dutch. Was never mother, had fo dear a lofs.

Alas! I am the mother of these griefs;
Their woes are parcell'd, mine are general.
She for an Edward weeps, and so do I;
I for a Clarence weep, so doth not the :
These babes for Clarence weep, and so do I;
1 for an Edward weep, fo do not they:-
Alas! you three, on me, threefold distress'd,
Pour all your tears; I am your forrow's nurse,
And I will pamper it with lamentations.

Dor. Comfort, dear mother; God is much dif-
pleas'd,

That you take with unthankfulness his doing:
In common worldly things, 'tis call'd ungrateful,
With dull unwillingness to repay a debt,
Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent;
Much more, to be thus oppofite with heaven,
For it requires the royal debt it lent you.

[ther,

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Glo. Sifter, have comfort: all of us have caufe To wail the dimming of our shining star; But none can cure their harms by wailing them.-Madam, my mother, I do cry you mercy, I did not fee your grace:-Humbly on my knee 1 crave your bleffing. [breaft,

Dutch. God bless thee; and put meekness in thy Love, charity, obedience, and true duty!

The broken rancour of your high-fwoln hearts,
But lately splinted, knit, and join'd together,
Must gently be preserv'd, cherish'd, and kept :
Me feemeth good, that, with fome little train,
Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fetch'd
Hither to London, to be crown'd our king.

Riv. Why with fome little train, my lord of
Buckingham?

Buck. Marry, my lord, lest, by a multitude,
The new-heal'd wound of malice should break out;
Which would be fo much the more dangerous,
By how much the estate is green, and yet ungovern'd:
Where every horfe bears his commanding rein,
And may direct his course as pleate himfelf,
As well the fear of harm, as harm apparent,
In my opinion, ought to be prevented.

Glo. I hope, the king made peace with all of us
And the compact is firm, and true in me.

Riv. And fo in me; and so, I think, in all :
Yet, fince it is but green, it should be put
To no apparent likelihood of breach,
Which, haply, by much company might be urg'd:
Therefore I say, with noble Buckingham,
That it is meet so few should fetch the prince.
Haft. And fo say I.

Glo. Then be it fo; and go we to determine
Who they shall be that straight shall poft to Ludlow,
Madam, and you my mother, will you go
To give your censures 2 in this weighty business ?
[Excunt Queen, &c.

Manent Buckingham, and Glofter.
Buck. My lord, whoever journeys to the prince,
For God's fake, let not us two stay at home:
For, by the way, I'll fort occafion,
As index 3 to the story we late talk'd of,
To part the queen's proud kindred from the prince,

Gio. My other self, my counsel's confiftory,
My oracle, my prophet! -My dear coufin,
I, as a child, will go by thy direction.
Towards Ludlow then, for we'll not stay behind.

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I Cit. Good morrow, neighbour': Whither away so faft ?

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

1 Cit. Yes, that the king is dead.

Glo. Amen; and make me die a good old man!-
That is the butt-end of a mother's blefiing! [Afide. I fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world.

2 Cit. Ill news, by 'r lady: feldom comes a better:

I marvel, that her grace did leave it out. [peers,
Buck. You cloudy princes, and heart-forrowing

That bear this mutual heavy load of moan,
Now chear each other in each other's love:
Though we have fpent our harvest of this king,
We are to reap the harvest of his fon.

Enter another Citissen.

3 Cit. Neighbours, God speed!

[death?

1 Git. Give you good morrow, fir.
3 Cit. Doth the news hold of good king Edward's
2 Cit. Ay, fir, it is too true; God help, the while!
3 Git. Then, masters, look to fee a troublous world.

I Edward the young prince, in his father's life-time, and at his demise, kept his houshold at LudJow, as prince of Wales, under the governance of Anthony Woodville, earl of Rivers, his uncle by the mother's fide. The intention of his being fent thither was to fee justice done in the Marches'; and, by the authority of his prefence, to restrain the Welchmen, who were wild, dissolute, and illdisposed, from their accustomed murders and outrages. 2 i. c. your opinions. 3 i. c. preparatory-by way of prelude.

1

Cit. No, no; by God's good grace, his fon, Because sweet flowers are flow, and weeds mak

[child! shall reign. 3 Cit. Woe to that land, that's govern'd by a 2 Cit. In him there is a hope of government; 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. 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 counsel; then the king
Had virtuous uncles to protect his grace. (mother.
1 Cit. Why, fo hath this, both by his father and
3 Cit. 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 Glofter; [proud:
And the queen's fons, and brothers, haught and
And were they to be rul'd and not to rule,
This fickly land might folace as before.

1 Cit. Come, come, we fear the worst; all will
[cloaks;
be well.
3 Cit. When clouds are seen, wife men put on their
When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand;
When the fun 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 deserve, or I expect.

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

3 Cit. Before the days of change, still is it so:
By a divine inftinct, men's minds miftruft
Enfuing danger; as, by proof, we fee
The water swell before a boift'rous storm.
But leave it all to God. Whither away?

2 Cit. Marry, we were fent for to the juftices.
3 Cit. And fo was I; I'll bear you company.
[Excunt.

SCENE IV.
A Room in the Palace.

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

Arch. Last night, I heard, they lay at NorthampAt Stony-Stratford they do rest to-night : [ton; 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 last I faw him. Queen. But I hear, no; they say, my fon of York Has almost overta'en him in his growth.

hafte.

[not hold
Dutch. Good faith, good faith, the faying did
In him that did object the fame to thee: [young,
He was the wretched'st thing, when he was
So long a growing, and so leifurely,
That, if his rule were true, he should be gracious.
Arch. And fo, no doubt, he is, my gracious ma-

dam.

Dutch. I hope, he is; but yet let mothers doubt.
York. Now, by my troth, if I had been remem-
ber'd 2,

I could have given my uncle's grace a flout,
To touch his growth, nearer than he touch'd mine.
Dutch. How, my young York? I prythee, let
me hear it.

York. Marry, they fay, my uncle grew so fast,
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 the
[this?
York. Grandam, his nurfe.
Dutch. His nurse! why, she was dead ere thou
waft born.
[me.
York. If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told
Queen. A parlous 3 boy :-Go to, you are too
shrewd.
[child.
Dutch. Good madam, be not angry with the
Queen. Pitchers have ears.

Enter a Messenger.

Arch. Here comes a messenger: What news?
Mef. Such news, my lord, as grieves me to un
Queen. How doth the prince?

Mef. Well, madam, and in health.

Dutch. What is thy news?

Mef. Lord Rivers, and lord Grey,

[fold,

Are fent to Pomfret, prifoners; and, with them,
Sir Thomas Vaughan.

[ham.

Dutch. Who hath committed them ?
Mef. The mighty dukes, Glofter and Bucking-
Queen. For what offence ?

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

Queen. Ah me, I see the ruin of my house!
The tyger now hath seiz'd the gentle hind;
Infulting tyranny begins to jut
Upon the innocent and awless 4 throne :-
Welcome destruction, blood, and massacre !
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: York. Ay, mother, but I would not have it fo. Dutch. Why, my young coufin? it is good to grow. And being feated, and domestick broils York. Grandam, one night as we did fit at fupper, Clean over-blown, themselves, the conquerors, [ter, Make war upon themselves; brother to brother, My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow More than my brother; Ay, quoth my uncle Glof- Blood to blood, felf againft self: -O, prepofterous Small berbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace: And frantick outrage, end thy damned spleen; Or let me die, to look on death no more! And fince, methinks, I would not grow so fast, 2 To be remembered is used by 3 Parious Quzon

■ Wretched here means paltry, pitiful, being below expectation. Shakspeare to imply, to have one's memory quick, to have one's thoughts about one. is keen, shrewd. 4 i. e. not producing awe, not reverenced. To jut upon is to encroach.

Tt4

Queen. Come, come, my boy, we will to fauc-, And thither bear your treasure and your goods. Madam, farewel.

Dutch. Stay, I will go with you.

Queen. You have no cause.
Arch. My gracious lady, go.

[tuary.

For my part, I'll refign unto your grace
The feal I keep: And fo betide to me,
As well I tender you, and all of yours!
Come, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary. [Exeum.

ACT

III.

SCENE I.

In London.

The trumpets found. Enter the Prince of Wales, the Dukes of Glofter nnd Buckingham, Cardinal Bourchier, and others.

Buck.

Perfuade the queen to fend the duke of York
Unto his princely brother presently?
If the deny, -lord Hastings, you go with him,
And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce.
Card. My lord of Buckingham, if my weak

oratory

WELCOME, fweet prince, to London, Can from his mother win the duke of York,
your chamber 1. [reign: Anon expect him here: But if the be obdurate

Glo. Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts' fove-
The weary way hath made you melancholy.
Prince. No, uncle; but our crosses on the way
Have made it tedious, wearifome, and heavy:
I want more uncles here to welcome me.

[years

Glo. Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of your Hath not yet div'd into the world's deceit : No more can you diftinguish of a man, Than of his outward shew; which, God he knows, Seldom, or never, jumpeth with the heart. Those uncles, which you want, were dangerous; Your grace attended to their sugar'd words, But look'd not on the poifon of their hearts:

friends!

God keep you from them, and from fuch falfe Prince. God keep me from false friends! but they were none. [greet you. Glo. My lord, the mayor of London comes to Enter the Lord Mayor, and bis Train. Mayor. God bless your grace with health and happy days!

Prince. I thank you, good my lord: and thank you all.

I thought, my mother, and my brother York, Would long ere this ha e met us on the way:Fie, what a flug is Hattings! that he comes not To tell us, whether they will come, or no.

Enter Hastings.

Buck. And, in good time, here comes the fweating lord. [ther come? Prince. Welcome, my lord: What, will our moHaft. On what occafion, God he knows, not I, The queen your mother, and your brother York, Have taken fanctuary: The tender prince Would fain have come with me to meet your grace, But by his mother was perforce withheld.

Buck. Fio! what an indirect and peevish course Is this of hers-Lord cardinal, will your grace

I London was anciently called Camera regia. herent to old customs.

To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid
We should infringe the holy privilege
Of bletsed sanctuary ! not for all this land,
Would I be guilty of fo deep a fin.

Buck. You are too fenfeless-obstinate, my lord,
Too ceremonious, and traditional 2:
Weigh it but with the grossness of this age,
You break not fanctuary in seizing him.
The benefit thereof is always granted

To those whose dealings have deferv'd the place,
And those who have the wit to claim the place:
This prince hath neither claim'd it, nor deserv'd it;
Therefore, in mine opinion, cannot have it:
Then, taking him from thence, that is not there,
You break no privilege nor charter there.
Oft have I heard of fanctuary men;
But fanctuary children, ne'er 'till now.

Card. My lord, you shall o'er-rule my mind for once,

Come on, lord Hastings, will you go with me? Hafl. I go, my lord.

Prince. Good lords, make all the speedy hafte
you may.
[Exeunt Cardinal, and Haftings.

Say, uncle Glofter, if our brother come,
Where shall we fojourn 'till our coronation?

Gle. Where it feems best unto your royal felf.
If I may counfel you, fome day, or two,
Your highness shall repose you at the Tower:
Then where you pleasfe, and shall be thought

moft fit

For your best health and recreation.

Prince. I do not like the Tower, of any place:Did Julius Cæfar build that place, my lord? Glo. He did, my gracious lord, begin that place; Which, fince, fucceeding ages have re-edify'd. Prince. Is it upon record or else reported Successively from age to age, he built it? Buck. Upon record, my gracious lord,

Ceremonious for fuperftitious; traditional for ad

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Prince. But say, my lord, it were not register'd; Methinks, the truth should live from age to age, As 'twere retail'd to all pofterity,

Even to the general all-ending day.

Glo. How?
York. Little.

Prince. My lord of York will still be cross in
talk ;-

Glo. So wise so young, they say, do ne'er live Uncle, your grace knows how to bear with him.

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Prince. That Julius Cæfar was a famous man;
With what his valour did enrich his wit,
His wit fet down to make his valour live:
Death makes no conquest of this conqueror;
For now he lives in fame, though not in life.-
I'll tell you what, my coufin Buckingham.

Buck. What, my gracious lord ?
Prince. An if I live until I be a man,
I'll win our ancient right in France again,

Or die a foldier, as I liv'd a king.

Glo. Short fummers lightly 4 have a forward [Afide.

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fpring.

Enter York, Haftings, and the Cardinal. Buck. Now, in good time, here comes the duke of York. [brother? Prince. Richard of York! how fares our loving *York. Well, my dread lord; fo must I call you

now.

Prince. Ay, brother; to our grief, as it is yours: Too late s he died, that might have kept that title,

Which by his death hath loft much majesty.

Glo. How fares our coufin, noble lord of York?
York. I thank you, gentle uncle. O my lord,
You faid, that idle weeds are fast in growth:
The prince my brother hath outgrown me far.
Glo. He hath, my lord.

York. And therefore is he idle?

Glo. O my fair coufin, I must not fay fo.
York. Then is he more beholden to you, than I.
Glo. He may command me, as my fovereign;

But you have power in me, as in a kinsman.

York. I pray you, uncle, give me this dagger.
Glo. My dagger, little coufin? with all my heart.
Prince. A beggar, brother ?

York. Of my kind uncle, that I know will give:
And, being but a toy, which is no gift to give.
Glo. A greater gift than that I'll give my coufin.
York. A greater gift! O, that's the sword to it?
Glo. Ay, gentle coufin, were it light enough.
York. O then, I fee, you'll part but with light
gifts;

York. You mean to bear me, not to bear with

me:

Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me;
Because that I am little like an ape,
He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders.
Buck. With what a sharp-provided wit he rea-

fons!

To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,
He prettily and aptly taunts himself:
So cunning, and so young, is wonderful.

Glo. My lord, will 't please you pafs along ?
Myfelf, and my good coufin Buckingham,
Will to your mother; to entreat of her,
To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you.
York. What, will you go unto the Tower, my

lord?

Prince. My lord protector needs will have it fo.
York. I shall not fleep in quiet at the Tower.
Glo. Why, what should you fear ?
York. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghoft;
My grandam told me, he was murther'd there.

Prince. I fear no uncles dead.

Glo. Nor none that live, I hope.
Prince. An if they live, I hope, I need not fear.
But come, my lord, and, with a heavy heart,
Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.
[Exeunt Prince, York, Haftings, Cardinal, and

Attendants.

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In weightier things you'll fay a beggar, nay.
Gates. He will do all in all as Haftings doth.
Glo. It is too weighty for your grace to wear.
Buck. Well then, no more but this: Go, gentle
Fork. I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.
Caterby,
Glo. What, would you have my weapon, little And, as it were far off, found thou lord Haftings,
[me. How he doth stand affected to our purpose;
York. I would, that I might thank you as you call And fummon him to-morrow to the Tower,

lord?

i. e. diffused, dispersed. but a perfon. See note 3, p. 492. too fresh in our memory.

2 A proverbial line. 3 By vice the author means not a quality,
4 i. e. commonly, in ordinary course. 5 i. e. too lately, the lofs is
i. e. I should till esteem it but a trifling gift, were it heavier.

To

To fit about the coronation.

If thou doft find him tractable to us,

Encourage him, and tell him all our reafons:
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
Be thou so too; and fo break off the talk,
And give us notice of his inclination:
For we to-morrow hold divided councils,.

Wherein thyfelf fhalt highly be employ'd.

Haft. Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord;

Bid him not fear the teparated councils :
His honour, and myself, are at the one;
And, at the other, is my good friend Catesby;
Where nothing can proceed, that toucheth us,
Whereof I shall not have intelligence.
Tell him, his fears are shallow, wanting inftance 3:
And for his dreams, I wonder, he's fo fond

Glo. Commend me to lord William: tell him, To truft the mockery of unquiet slumbers:
Catesby,

His ancient knot of dangerous adverfaries
To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret-castle;
And bid my friend, for joy of this good news,
Give mistress Shore one gentle kifs the more.
Buck. Good Catesby, go, effect this business
foundly.
[can.
Catef. My good lords both, with all the heed I
Glo. Shall we hear front you, Catesby, ere we
Catef. You shall, my lord.
[fleep?
Glo. At Crofby-place, there you shall find us both.
[Exit Catesby.
Buck. Now, my lord, what shall we do, if we
perceive

To fly the boar, before the boar purfues,
Were to incenfe the boar to follow us,

And make purfuit, where he did mean no chase.
Go, bid thy maiter rife and come to me;
And we will both together to the Tower,
Where, he shall fee, the boar will use us kindly.
Mes. I'll go, my lord, and tell him what you
fay.
[Exit.

Enter Catesby.
Cate Many good morrow's to my noble lord!
Haft. Good morrow, Catesby; you are early
ftirring;

What news, what news, in this our tottering state?
Cates. It is a reeling world, indeed, my lord;
And, I believe, will never stand upright,

Lord Haftings will not yield to our complots ?
Glo. Chop off his head, man;-fomewhat we 'Till Richard wear the garland of the realm.

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Haft. Cannot thy master fleep these tedious nights?

Mes. So it should feem by that I have to fay.
First, he commends him to your noble lordship.
Hafl. And then, -

Mes. Then certifies your lordship, that this night
He dreamt, the boar had rased 2 off his helm:
Befides, he fays, there are two councils held;
And that may be determin'd at the one,

Haft. How? wear the garland? dost thou mean
Cates. Ay, my good lord.
[the crown?
Haft. I'll have this crown of mine cut from my
shoulders,

Before I'll fee the crown fo foul misplac'd.
But canft thou guess that he doth aim at it? [ward
Catef. Ay, on my life; and hopes to find you for-
Upon his party, for the gain thereof:
And, thereupon, he fends you this good news,-
That, this fame very day, your enemies,
The kindred of the queen, must die at Pomfret.

Haft. Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,
Because they have been still my adverfaries:
But, that I'll give my voice on Richard's fide,
To bar my master's heirs in true defcent,
God knows, I will not do it, to the death. (mind!
Cates. God keep your lordship in that gracious
Haft. But I shall laugh at this a twelve-month

hence,

That they, who brought me in my master's hate,
I live to look upon their tragedy.
Well, Catesby, ere a fortnight make me older,
I'll fend fome packing, that yet think not on't.
Cates. 'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord,
When men are unprepar'd, and look not for it.

Haft. O monstrous, monftrous! and fo falls it out
With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey: and fo 'twill do
With fome men elfe, who think themselves as fafe
As thou, and I; who, as thou know'st, are dear
To princely Richard, and to Buckingham.

Which may make you and him to rue at the other.
Therefore he sends to know your lordship's plea- Cat s. The princes both make high account of
If presently you will take horfe with him, [fure,—
And with all speed post with him toward the north, For they account his head upon the bridge. [Afde:
To fhun the danger that his foul divines.
Haft. I know they do; and I have well deserv'd it.

you,

1 i. e. a private confultation, feparate from the known and publick council. or roshed is always given to defcribe the violence inflicted by a boar. By a boar, is meant Glofter, who was called the boar, or the hog, as has been before baving a boar for his cognizance, and one of the supporters of his coat of arms. fone example or aft of malevolence, by which they may be juftified.

2 This term rafed throughout this feene, observed, from his 3 i. c. wanting

Enter

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