Hast. False-boding woman, end thy frantick curse; Lest, to thy harm, thou move our patience. Q. Mar. Foul shame upon you! you have all mov'd mine. Riv. Were you well serv'd, you would be taught your duty. Q. Mar. To serve me well, you all should do me duty, Teach me to be your queen, and you my subjects: O, serve me well, and teach yourselves that duty. Dor. Dispute not with her, she is lunatick. Q. Mar. Peace, master marquis, you are malapert: Your fire-new stamp of honour is scarce current: O, that your young nobility could judge, What 'twere to lose it, and be miserable! They that stand high, have many blasts to shake them; And, if they fall, they dash themselves to pieces. Glo. Good counsel, marry; learn it, learn it, marquis. Dor. It touches you, my lord, as much as me. Glo. Ay, and much more: But I was born so high, Our aiery buildeth in the cedar's top, And dallies with the wind, and scorns the sun. Q. Mar. And turns the sun to shade; alas! alas! Witness my son, now in the shade of death:5 Your aiery buildeth in our aiery's nest :- As it was won with blood, lost be it so! Buck. Peace, peace, for shame, if not for charity. 5 Witness my son, &c.] Her distress cannot prevent her quibbling. It may be here remarked, that the introduction of Margaret in this place is against all historical evidence. She was ransomed and sent to France soon after Tewksbury fight, and there passed the remainder of her wretched life. 6 Your aiery buildeth in our aiery's nest :] An aiery is a hawk's or an eagle's nest. Uncharitably with me have you dealt, And shamefully by you my hopes are butcher'd. And in my shame still live my sorrow's rage! Q. Mar. O princely Buckingham, I kiss thy hand, In sign of league and amity with thee: Now fair befal thee, and thy noble house! Buck. Nor no one here; for curses never pass Look, when he fawns, he bites; and, when he bites, Have not to do with him, beware of him; Sin, death, and hell, have set their marks on him; Glo. What doth she say, my lord of Buckingham ? And sooth the devil that I warn thee from? O, but remember this another day, When he shall split thy very heart with sorrow; And say, poor Margaret was a prophetess. Live each of you the subjects to his hate, And he to yours, and all of you to God's! [Exit. Hast. My hair doth stand on end to hear her curses. Riv. And so doth mine; I muse, why she's at liberty. Glo. I cannot blame her, by God's holy mother; She hath had too much wrong, and I repent My part thereof, that I have done to her. Q Eliz. I never did her any, to my knowledge. Glo. Yet you have all the vantage of her wrong. I was too hot to do some body good, That is too cold in thinking of it now. Enter CATESBY. Cates. Madam, his majesty doth call for you, And for your grace, and you, my noble lords. [Aside. Q. Eliz. Catesby, I come: - Lords, will you go with me? Riv. Madam, we will attend upon† your grace. [Exeunt all but GLOSTER. Glo. I do the wrong, and first begin to brawl. The secret mischiefs that I set abroach, I lay unto the grievous charge of others. Clarence, whom I, indeed, have laid in darkness, — Namely, to Stanley, Hastings, Buckingham; With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ; 7 He is frank'd up to fatting for his pains:] A frank is an old English word for a hog-sty or pen. 'Tis possible he uses this metaphor to Clarence, in allusion to the crest of the family of York, which was a boar. 8 done scath to us.] Scath is harm, mischief. + Mr. Malone omits upon. Enter Two Murderers. But soft, here come my executioners. 1 Murd. We are, my lord; and come to have the warrant, That we may be admitted where he is. Glo. Well thought upon, I have it here about me: [Gives the Warrant. When you have done, repair to Crosby-place. May move your hearts to pity, if you mark him. 1 Murd. Tut, tut, my lord, we will not stand to prate, Talkers are no good doers; be assur'd, We go to use our hands, and not our tongues. Glo. Your eyes drop mill-stones, when fools' eyes drop tears: 9 I like you, lads; —about your business straight; Enter CLARENCE and BRAKENBURY. Brak. Why looks your grace so heavily to-day? Clar. O, I have pass'd a miserable night, So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights, 1 9 Your eyes drop mill-stones, when fools' eyes drop tears:] This, I believe, is a proverbial expression. STEEVENS. 1 -faithful man,] Not an infidel. I would not spend another such a night, Brak. What was your dream, my lord? I pray you, tell me. Clar. Methought, that I had broken from the Tower, And was embark'd to cross to Burgundy; And, in my company, my brother Gloster: Upon the hatches; thence we look'd toward England, Methought, that Gloster stumbled; and, in falling, O Lord! methought, what pain it was to drown! 2 All scatter'd in the bottom of the sea. Some lay in dead men's skulls; and, in those holes Clar. Methought, I had; and often did I strive 2 unvalued jewels,] Unvalued is here used for invaluable. |