Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

Did it to help thee to a better husband...i
Anne. His better doth not breathe upon the earth.
Glo. He lives, that loves thee better than he could.
Anne. Name him.

Glo. Plantagenet.

Anne. Why, that was he.

Glo. The feif-fame name, but one of better nature Anne. Where is he?

Glo. Here: [She fpits at him.] Why dost thou spit

at me?

Anne. Would it were mortal poison for thy fake! Glo. Never came poifon from fo fweet a place. Anne. Never, hung poifon on a fouler toad... -Out of my fight! thou doft infect mine eyes. Glo. Thine eyes, fweet Lady, have infected mine. Anne. Would they were bafilifks to ftrike thee dead! Glo. I would they were, that I might die at once: For now they kill me with a living death." Thofe eyes of thine from mine have drawn falt tears; Sham'd their afpects with ftore of childish drops, 7 Thefe eyes, which never fhed remorfeful tear, Not when my father York, and Edward wept, To hear the piteous moan that Rutland made; When black-fac'd Clifford fhook his fword at him: Nor when thy warlike father, like a child, Told the fad ftory of my father's death, And twenty times made paufe to fob and weep, That all the standers-by had wet their cheeks, Like trees bedash'd with rain; in that fad time, My manly eyes did fcorn an humble tear; And what thefe forrows could not thence exhale,

[blocks in formation]

Thy beauty hath, and made them blind with weeping. I never fued to friend, nor enemy;

My tongue could never learn fweet smoothing words;
But now thy beauty is propos'd my fee,

My proud heart fues, and prompts my tongue to speak.
[She looks fcornfully at him.
Teach not thy lip fuch fcorn, for it was made
For kiffing, lady, not for fuch contempt.
If thy revengeful heart can not forgive,
Lo! here I lend thee this fharp pointed fword,
Which, if thou please to hide in this true breast,
And let the foul forth that adoreth thee,

I lay it naked to the deadly ftroke,

And humbly beg the death upon my knee.

[He lays his breaft open, she offers at it with his fwords Nay, do not paufe; for I did kill King Henry; But 'twas thy beauty that provoked me.

Nay, now dispatch: 'twas I that stabb'd young Edward;

But 'twas thy heavenly face that fet me on.

[She lets fall the fword.

Take up the fword again, or take up me.

Anne. Arife, diffembler; though I wish thy death,

I will not be thy executioner.

Glo. Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it.
Anne. I have already.

Glo. That was in thy rage:

Speak it again, and even with thy word,

This hand, which for thy love, did kill thy love,

Shall, for thy love, kill a far truer love;

To both their deaths fhalt thou be acceffary.
Anne. I would I knew thy heart.
Glo. 'Tis figur'd in my tongue.
Anne. I fear me, both are falfe.

But 'twas thy beauty Shakespeare countenances the obfervation, that no woman can

VOL. V.

ever be offended with the men tion of her beauty,

• R

Gle.

Glo. Then never man was true.

Anne. Well, well, put up your sword.
Glo. Say then, my peace is made.
Anne. That fhalt thou know hereafter.
Glo. But fhall I live in hope?
Anne. All men, I hope, live fo.

Glo. Vouchfafe to wear this ring. [She puts on the ring.
Look, how my ring encompaffeth thy finger,
Ev'n fo thy breaft enclofeth my poor heart;
Wear both of them, for both of them are thine.
And if thy poor devoted fuppliant may

But beg one favour at thy gracious hand,
Thou doft confirm his happiness for ever.
Anne. What is it?

Glo. That it may please you leave these fad defigns
To him that hath more caufe to be a Mourner;
And prefently repair to Crosby-place: ?
Where, after I have folemnly interr'd
At Chertsey-monast'ry this noble King,
And wet his grave with my repentant tears,
I will with all expedient duty fee you.
For divers unknown reafons, I beseech you,
Grant me this boon.

Anne. With all my heart, and much it joys me too, To fee you are become fo penitent.

Traffel and Barkley, go along with me.

Glo. Bid me farewel.

Anne. 'Tis more than you deserve :

But fince you teach me how to flatter you,
Imagine, I have faid farewel already.

[Exeunt two with Anne.

Glo. Sirs, take up the coarse.

Gent. Towards Chertsey, noble Lord?

Glo. No, to White-Fryars, there attend my coming.

[Exeunt with the Coarie.

9- Crolby-place:] A houfe near Bishopsgate-ftreet belonging to

the Duke of Gloucester.

Was

Was ever woman in this humour woo'd?
Was ever woman in this humour won?
I'll have her but I will not keep her long.
What! I that kill'd her husband, and his father!
To take her in her heart's extreameft hate,
With curfes in her mouth, tears in her eyes,
The bleeding witnefs of her hatred by:

With God, her confcience, and thefe bars against me,
And I no friends to back my fuit withal,

But the plain devil and diffembling looks:
And yet to win her- All the world to nothing!
Ha!

Hath fhe forgot already that brave Prince,

Edward, her Lord, whom I, fome three months fince,
Stab'd in my angry mood at Tewksbury?

A fweeter and a lovelier gentleman,
Fram'd in the prodigality of nature,

Young, wife, and valiant, and, no doubt, right royal,*
The fpacious world cannot again afford :——
And will the yet debafe her eyes on me,

That cropt the golden prime of this fweet Prince,
And made her widow to a woful bed?

On me, whofe All not equals Edward's Moiety
On me, that halt, and am mis-fhapen thus ?
My Dukedom to a beggarly Denier,

I do mistake my perfon all this while:

2

Fram'd in the prodigality of nature,] i. e. when nature was in a prodigal or lavish mood. WARBURTON. and, no doubt, right royal,] Of the degree of royalty belonging to Henry the fixth there could be no doubt, nor could Richard have mentioned it with any fuch hefitation; he could not indeed very properly allow him royalty. I believe we should read,

and, no doubt, right loyal. That is, true to her bed. He enumerates the reasons for which fhe fhould love him. He was young, wife, and valiant; these were apparent and indifputable excellencies. He then mentions another not lefs likely to endear him to his wife, but which he had lefs opportunity of knowing with certainty, and, no doubt, right loyal.

R 2

Upon

Upon my life, he finds, although I cannot,
Myfelf to be a marv'lous 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 fome little coft.
But first I'll turn yon fellow in his grave,
And then return lamenting to my love.
Shine out, fair fun, till I have bought a glass,
That I may fee my fhadow as I pass.

[blocks in formation]

[Exite

Enter the Queen, Lord Rivers, and Lord Gray.

Riv. HAVE patience, Madam, there's no doubt

his Majesty

Will foon recover his accuftom'd health.

Gray. In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse; Therefore, for God's fake, entertain good comfort, And cheer his Grace with quick and merry eyes.

Queen. If he were dead what would betide of me? Gray. No other harm, but lofs of fuch a Lord. Queen. The lofs of fuch a Lord includes all harms. Gray. The heav'ns have bleft you with a goodly fon, To be your comforter when he is gone.

Queen. Ah! he is young, and his minority
Is put into the truft of Richard Glofler,
A man that loves not me, nor none of you.
Riv. Is it concluded, he fhall be protector?
Queen. It is determin'd, not concluded yet :

3 It is determin'd, not concluded yet, Determin'dignifies the final conclufion of the will: concluded, what cannot be

alter'd by reafon of some aft, confequent on the final judgment. WARBURTON.

But

« PoprzedniaDalej »