Drown desperate sorrow in dead Edward's grave, Enter GLOSTER, BUCKINGHAM, STANLEY, HASTINGS, RATCLIFF, and Others. Glo. Sister, have comfort: all of us have cause But none can cure their harms by wailing them.— I did not see your grace:-Humbly on my knee Duch. God bless thee: and put meekness in thy breast, Love, charity, obedience, and true duty! Glo. Amen; and make me die a good old man! That is the butt-end of a mother's blessing; I marvel that her grace did leave it out. [Aside t. Buck. You cloudy princes, and heart-sorrowing peers, That bear this mutual heavy load of moan, Now cheer each other in each other's love: Though we have spent our harvest of this king, The broken rancour of your high swoln hearts, Riv. Why with some little train, my lord of Buckingham? Buck. Marry, my lord, lest by a multitude, The new heal'd wound of malice should break out; By how much the estate is green and yet ungovern'd: + Both Steevens and Malone place Aside at the end of the preceding line, but surely it belongs to the third, if not to the whole speech. And may direct his course as please himself, Glo. I hope, the king made peace with all of us; Riv. And so in me; and so, I think, in all: Which, haply, by much company might be urg'd: Glo. Then be it so; and go we to determine 9 To give your censures in this weighty business? [Exeunt all but BUCKINGHAM and GLOSTER. Buck. My, lord, whoever journeys to the prince, For God's sake, let not us two stay at home: For, by the way, I'll sort occasion, As index to the story' we late talk'd of, To part the queen's proud kindred from the prince. My oracle, my prophet!-My dear cousin, I, as a child, will go by thy direction. Towards Ludlow then, for we'll not stay behind. SCENE III. The same. A Street. Enter Two Citizens, meeting. [Exeunt. 1 Cit. Good morrow, neighbour: Whither away so fast? your censures -] Το censure formerly meant to deliver an opinion. 1 As index to the story] i. e. preparatory-by way of pre lude. 2 Cit. I promise you, I scarcely know myself: you the news abroad? Hear Yes; the king's dead †. 2 Cit. Ill news, by'r lady; seldom comes the 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. Doth the news hold of good king Edward's death? 2 Cit. Ay, sir, it is too true; God help, the while! 3 Cit. Then, masters, look to see a troublous world. 1 Cit. No, no; by God's good grace, his son shall reign. 3 Cit. Woe to that land, that's govern'd by a child! 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 stood the state, when Henry the sixth Was crown'd in Paris but at nine months old. 3 Cit. Stood the state so? 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. 1 Cit. Why, so hath this, both by his father and mother. 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 Gloster; And the queen's sons, and brothers, haught and proud : "Yes, that the king is dead."— MALONE. And were they to be rul'd, and not to rule, 1 Cit. Come, come, we fear the worst; all will be well. 3 Cit. When clouds are seen, wise men put on their cloaks; When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand; 2 Cit. Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear: 3 Cit. Before the days of change, still is it so: By a divine instínct, men's minds mistrust Ensuing danger; as, by proof, we see The water swell before a boist'rous storm. Whither away? 2 Cit. Marry, we were sent for to the justices. 3 Cit. And so was I; I'll bear you company. [Exeunt. Enter the Archbishop of YORK, the young Duke of York, Queen ELIZABETH, and the Duchess of YORK. Arch. Last night, I heard, they lay at Stony-Strat ford; And at Northampton they do rest to-night +: 2 You cannot reason almost -] To reason is to converse. + "Last night, I hear, they lay at Northampton; At Stony-Stratford will they be to-night."-MALONE. In both readings, historical truth is violated. Duch. I long with all my heart to see the prince; I hope, he is much grown since last I saw him. Q. Eliz. But I hear, no; they say, my son of York Hath almost over-ta'en him in his growth. York. Ay, mother, but I would not have it so. More than my brother; Ay, quoth my uncle Gloster, He was the wretched'st thing, when he was young, That, if his rule were true, he should be gracious. Arch. And so, no doubt, he is, my gracious madam. I could have given my uncle's grace a flout, To touch his growth, nearer than he touch'd mine. Duch. How, my young York? I pr'ythee, let me hear it. York. Marry, they say, my uncle grew so fast, That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old; 'Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth. Grandam, this would have been a biting jest. 3 Duch. I pr'ythee, pretty York, who told thee this? York. Grandam, his nurse. Duch. His nurse! why, she was dead ere thou wast born. York. If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me. Q. Eliz. A parlous boy: Go to, you are too shrewd. been remember'd,] To be remember'd is, in Shakspeare, to have one's memory quick, to have one's thoughts about one. A parlous boy:] Parlous is keen, shrewd. |