I do mistake my person all this while:
Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot,
Myself to be a marvellous proper man.
I'll be at charges for a looking-glass;
And entertain a score or two of tailors,
To study fashions to adorn my body:
Since I am crept in favour with myself,
I will maintain it with some little cost.
But, first, I'll turn yon' fellow in his grave;
And then return lamenting to my love. —
Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass,
That I may see my shadow as I pass.
The same. A Room in the Palace.
Enter Queen ELIZABETH, Lord Rivers, and Lord GREY.
Riv. Have patience, madam ; there's no doubt, his
majesty Will soon recover his accustom’d health.
Grey. In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse : Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort, And cheer his grace with quick and merry words.
Q. Eliz. If he were dead, what would betide of me?
Grey. No other harm, but loss of such a lord.
Q. Eliz. The loss of such a lord includes all harms.
Grey. The heavens have bless'd you with a goodly
son,
To be your comforter, when he is gone.
Q. Eliz. Ah, he is young; and his minority
Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloster,
A man that loves not me, nor none of you.
Riv. Is it concluded, he shall be protector ?
Q. Eliz. It is determin’d, not concluded yet : But so it must be, if the king miscarry.
Enter BUCKINGHAM and STANLEY.
Grey. Here come the lords of Buckingham and
Stanley.
Buck. Good time of day unto your royal grace!
Stan. God make your majesty joyful as you have been !
Q. Eliz. The countess Richmond, good my lord of
Stanley,
To your good prayer will scarcely say—amen.
Yet, Stanley, notwithstanding she's your wife,
And loves not me, be you, good lord, assur’d,
I hate not you for her proud arrogance.
Stan. I do beseech you, either not believe
The envious slanders of her false accusers ;
Or, if she be accus'd on true report,
Bear with her weakness, which, I think, proceeds
From wayward sickness, and no grounded malice.
Q. Eliz. Saw you the king to-day, my lord of Stanley ?
Stan. But now, the duke of Buckingham, and I, Are come from visiting his majesty.
Q. Eliz. What likelihood of his amendment, lords? Buck. Madam, good hope ; his grace speaks cheerfully. Q. Eliz. God grant him health ! did you confer with
him? Buck. Ay, madam: he desires to make atonement Between the duke of Gloster and your brothers, And between them and my lord chamberlain ; And sent to warn them’ to his royal presence. Q. Eliz. 'Would all were well !-But that will never
be ;I fear, our happiness is at the height.
Enter GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and DORSET.
Glo. They do me wrong, and I will not endure it:-
Who are they, that complain unto the king,
That I, forsooth, am stern, and love them not?
By holy Paul, they love his grace but lightly,
That fill his ears with such dissentious rumours.
Because I cannot flatter, and speak fair,
Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog,
Duck with French nods and apish courtesyo,
I must be held a rancorous enemy.
Cannot a plain man live, and think no harm,
But thus his simple truth must be abus'd
By silken, sly, insinuating Jacks?
Grey. To whom in all this presence speaks your grace?
Glo. To thee, that hast nor honesty, nor grace.
When have I injur'd thee? when done thee wrong ?-
Or thee ?-or thee ?-or any of your faction ?
A plague upon you all! His royal grace,-
Whom God preserve better than you would wish!
Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing-while,
But you must trouble him with lewd complaints'.
Q. Eliz. Brother of Gloster, you mistake the matter:
The king, of his own royal disposition,
And not provok'd by any suitor else ;
Aiming, belike, at your interior hatred,
That in your outward actions shows itself,
Against my children, brothers, and myself,
Makes him to send ; that thereby he may gather
The ground of your ill-will, and so remove it.
Glo. I cannot tell ;—The world is grown so bad, That wrens may prey where eagles dare not perch :
--- speak fair,
Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog,
Since every Jack became a gentleman',
There's many a gentle person made a Jack.
Q. Eliz. Come, come, we know your meaning, brother
Gloster;
You envy my advancement, and my friends;
God grant, we never may have need of you !
Glo. Meantime, God grants that we have need of you:
Our brother is imprison'd by your means,
Myself disgrac'd, and the nobility
Held in contempt; while great promotionst
Are daily given, to ennoble those
That scarce, some two days since, were worth a noble.
Q. Eliz. By Him, that rais'd me to this careful height From that contented hap which I enjoy’d, I never did incense his majesty Against the duke of Clarence, but have been An earnest advocate to plead for him. My lord, you do me shameful injury, Falsely to draw me in these vile suspects.
Glo. You may deny that you were not the cause Of my lord Hastings' late imprisonment.
Riv. She may, my lord; for-
Glo. She may, lord Rivers ?—why, who knows not so ?
She may do more, sir, than denying that:
She may help you to many fair preferments;
And then deny her aiding hand therein,
And lay those honours on your high desert.
What may she not? She may,-ay, marry, may she,-
Riv. What, marry, may she ?
Glo. What, marry, may she? marry with a king,
A bachelor, a handsome stripling too:
I wis, your grandam had a worser match.
Since every Jack became a gentleman,] This proverbial expression at once demonstrates the origin of the term Jack so often used by Shakspeare. It means one of the very lowest class of people, among whom this name is of the most common and familiar kind.
† "while many fair promotions”-Malone.
Q. Eliz. My lord of Gloster, I have too long borne
Your blunt upbraidings, and your bitter scoffs :
By heaven, I will acquaint his majesty
Of those gross taunts I often have endur'd.
I had rather be a country servant-maid,
Than a great queen, with this condition-
To be so baited, scorn'd, and stormed at t:
Small joy have I in being England's queen.
Enter Queen MARGARET, behind.
Q. Mar. And lessen'd be that small, God, I beseech
thee! Thy honour, state, and seat, is due to me.
Glo. What! threat you me with telling of the king ?
Tell him, and spare not: look, what I have said
I will avouch, in presence of the king :
I dare adventure to be sent to the Tower.
'Tis time to speak, my pains’ are quite forgot.
Q. Mar. Out, devil! I remember them too well :
Thou kill'dst my husband Henry in the Tower,
And Edward, my poor son, at Tewksbury.
Glo. Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband king,
I was a pack-horse in his great affairs;
A weeder-out of his proud adversaries,
A liberal rewarder of his friends;
To royalize ' his blood, I spilt mine own.
Q. Mar. Ay I, and much better blood than his, or
thine. Glo. In all which time, you and your husband Grey, Were factious for the house of Lancaster :And, Rivers, so were you :--Was not your husband In Margaret's battle at Saint Alban's slain ? Let me put in your minds, if you forget,
+ “To be thus taunted, scorn'd, and baited at:"—Malone,
? — my pains - ] My labours, my toils.
8 — royalize – ] i. e. to make royal.
I “ Yea,''-Malone.
4 — Margaret's battle —] 1s–Margaret's army.
|