Duch. So many miseries have craz'd my voice, That my woe-wearied tongue is still and mute,— Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead? Q. Mar. Plantagenet doth quit Plantagenet, Edward for Edward pays a dying debt. Q. Eliz. Wilt thou, O God, fly from such gentle And throw them in the entrails of the wolf? son. Q. Mar. I call'd thee then, vain flourish of my fortune; I call'd thee then, poor shadow, painted queen ; The flattering index of a direful pageant, Where is thy husband now? where be thy brothers? 'When, before the present occasion, didst thou ever sleep during the commission of such an action? 2 Run through all this from first to last. For one that scorn'd at me, now scorn'd of me; Farewell, York's wife, and queen of sad mischance,- Q. Mar. Forbear to sleep the night, and fast the Compare dead happiness with living woe; [day; Think that thy babes were fairer than they were, And he, that slew them, fouler than he is: Bettering thy loss makes the bad-causer worse; Revolving this will teach thee how to curse. Q. Eliz. My words are dull, O, quicken them with thine! Q. Mar. Thy woes will make them sharp, and pierce like mine. [Exit Queen MARGARET. Duch. Why should calamity be full of words? Q. Eliz. 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-ty'd: go with me, Enter King RICHARD, and his train, marching. By strangling thee in her accursed womb, crown, Where should be branded, if that right were right, The slaughter of the prince that ow'd' that crown, And the dire death of my poor sons, and brothers? Tell me, thou villain-slave, where are my children? Duch. Thou toad, thou toad, where is thy brother And little Ned Plantagenet, his son? [Clarence? Q. Eliz. Where is the gentle Rivers, Vaughan, Duch. Where is kind Hastings? [Grey? K. Rich. A flourish, trumpets!-strike alarum, drums! Let not the heavens hear these tell-tale women [Flourish. Alarums Either be patient, and entreat me fair, K. Rich. Madam, I have a touch of your condition," That cannot brook the accent of reproof. Duch. O, let me speak. K. Rich. Do, then; but I'll not hear. Duch. I will be mild and gentle in my words. K. Rich. And brief, good mother; for I am in haste. Duch. Art thou so hasty? I have staid for thee, God knows, in torment and in agony. K. Rich. And came I not at last to comfort you? Duch. No, by the holy rood, thou know'st it well, Thou cam'st on earth to make the earth my hell. A grievous burden was thy birth to me; Tetchy and wayward was thy infancy; [ous; Thy school-days, frightful, desperate, wild, and furiThy prime of manhood, daring, bold, and venturous; 'i. e. owned. 2 A spice of your temper. 3 i. e. peevish. Thy age confirm'd, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody, That ever grac'd me in thy company? K. Rich. If I be so disgracious in your sight, Let me march on, and not offend you, madam.Strike up the drum. Duch. I pr'ythee, hear me speak. K. Rich. You speak too bitterly. Hear me a word; For I shall never speak to thee again. K. Rich. So. Duch. Either thou wilt die, by God's just ordinance, Ere from this war thou turn a conqueror; Or I with grief and extreme age shall perish, Therefore, take with thee my most heavy curse; And promise them success and victory. Shame serves' thy life, and doth thy death attend. [Exit. Q. Eliz. Though far more cause, yet much less spirit to curse Abides in me; I say amen to her. [Going. K. Rich. Stay, madam, I must speak a word with you. Q. Eliz. I have no more sons of the royal blood, For thee to murder: for my daughters, Richard,They shall be praying nuns, not weeping queens; And therefore level not to hit their lives. K. Rich. You have a daughter call'd-Elizabeth, Virtuous and fair, royal and gracious. 1i. e. accompanies. Q. Eliz. And must she die for this? O, let her live, K. Rich. Wrong not her birth she is of royal blood. Q. Eliz. And only in that safety died her brothers. cousins.' Q. Eliz. Cousins, indeed; and by their uncle cozen'd No doubt the murderous knife was dull and blunt K. Rich. Madam, so thrive I in my enterprise, As I intend more good to you and yours, Q. Eliz. What good is cover'd with the face of To be discovered, that can do me good? [heaven, K. Rich. Th' advancement of your children, gentle lady. Q. Eliz. Up to some scaffold, there to lose their heads? K. Rich. No, to the dignity and height of fortune, The high imperial type of this earth's glory. Q. Eliz. Flatter my sorrows with report of it; Tell me, what state, what dignity, what honour, Canst thou demise2 to any child of mine? K. Rich. Even all I have; ay, and myself and all, Will I withal endow a child of thine: So in the Lethe of thy angry soul Thou drown the sad remembrance of those wrongs, Which, thou supposest, I have done to thee. cousins, again, for nephews. • i. e. grant. |