Enter Earle of Derby.

Der. A boone my Soveraigne for my service done. King. I prethee peace, my soule is full of sorrow. Der. I will not rise, unlesse your Highnes heare me. King. Then say at once, what is it thou requests. Der. The forfeit (Soveraigne) of my servants life, Who slew to day a Riotous Gentleman, Lately attendant on the Duke of Norfolke.

120

King. Have I a tongue to doome my Brothers death? And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave? My Brother kill'd no man, his fault was Thought, And yet his punishment was bitter death. Who sued to me for him? Who (in my wrath) Kneel'd and my feet, and bid me be advis❜d? Who spoke of Brother-hood? who spoke of love? Who told me how the poore soule did forsake The mighty Warwicke, and did fight for me? Who told me in the field at Tewkesbury, When Oxford had me downe, he rescued me: And said deare Brother live, and be a King? Who told me, when we both lay in the Field, Frozen (almost) to death, how he did lap me Even in his Garments, and did give himselfe (All thin and naked) to the numbe cold night? All this from my Remembrance, brutish wrath Sinfully pluckt, and not a man of you

Had so much

grace to put it in my minde. But when your Carters, or your wayting Vassalls

107. beare me: grant-Q0.

108. say.. requests: speak

114. kill'd: slew-QQ.

130

115. bitter: cruel-Qo.

116. wrath: rage-Q0. 117. and: at-QQ.2-4F. bid: bade-Qo. 118. spoke.. spoke: spake .. spake-Q0. 121. at: by-1-6Q. 126. bis Garments, did give: his own garments,

..

gave-Q0.

Have done a drunken Slaugher, and defac'd
The precious Image of our deere Redeemer,
You straight are on your knees for Pardon, pardon,
And I (unjustly too) must grant it you.
But for my Brother, not a man would speake,
Nor I (ungracious) speake unto my selfe
For him poore Soule. The proudest of you all,
Have bin beholding to him in his life:

Yet none of you, would onee begge for his life.
O God! I feare thy justice will take hold

On me,
and you; and mine, and yours for this.
Come Hastings helpe me to my Closset.

140

Ah poore Clarence. Exeunt some with K. & Qneen. Rich. This is the fruits of rashnes: Markt you not, How that the guilty Kindred of the Queene

Look'd pale, when they did heare of Clarence death.
O! they did urge it still unto the King,

God will revenge it. Come Lords will you go,
To comfort Edward with our company.
Buc. We wait upon your Grace.

Scena Secunda.

[The palace.]

150 exeunt.

Enter the old Dutchesse of Yorke, with the two
children of Clarence.

Edw. Good Grandam tell us, is our Father dead?
Dutch. No Boy.

132. Slaughter: misprint 1F. only.

140. onee: once-Q0.2-4F. begge: plead-Qo.

143-4. I 1.-Qe.

145. fruits: fruit-Q0.

144. Ab: Oh-Qo. Qneen: misprint 1F.

149. Come Lords will you go: But come, let us in-QQ. 4. Good.. tell us: Tell me good grandam (granam)-Q9.

Daugh. [Boy] Why do weede so oft? And beate your Brest? |

And cry, O Clarence, my unhappy Sonne.

Boy. [Girl] Why do you looke on us, and shake your head,

And call us Orphans, Wretches, Castawayes,

If that our Noble Father were alive?

Dut. My pretty Cosins, you mistake me both,

I do lament the sicknesse of the King,

As loath to lose him, not your Fathers death:

It were lost sorrow to waile one that's lost.

10

Boy. Then you conclude, (my Grandam) he is dead: The King mine Unckle is too blame for it. God will revenge it, whom I will importune With earnest prayers, all to that effect. Daugh. And so will I.

Dut. Peace children peace, the King doth love you wel.

Incapeable, and shallow Innocents,

You cannot guesse who caus'd your Fathers death.

20

Boy. Grandam we can: for my good Unkle Gloster Told me, the King provok'd to it by the Queene, Devis'd impeachments to imprison him; And when my Unckle told me so, he wept, And pittied me, and kindly kist my cheeke: Bad me rely on him, as on my Father,

And he would love me deerely as a childe.

Dut. Ah! that Deceit should steale such gentle shape,

6. do weepe so oft? And: do you wring your hands, and-QQ. 9. Orphans, Wretches: Wretches, Orphans-1-6Q.

10. were: be-Qo.

II. both: much-QQ.

15. you conclude, (my Grandam) be: grandam (granam) you conclude that-QQ. 16. too: to-2-4F. it: this-QQ. 18. earnest: daily-QQ. 24. to it: out-Q2. 29. as a: as his-Q2. 30. Ab!.. shape: Oh.. shapes-Q.

31

And with a vertuous Vizor hide deepe vice.
He is my sonne, I, and therein my shame,
Yet from my dugges, he drew not this deceit.
Boy. Thinke
you my Unkle did dissemble Grandam?
Dut. I Boy.

Boy. I cannot thinke it. Hearke, what noise is this?

Enter the Queene with her haire about her ears, Rivers & Dorset after her.

40

Qu. Ah! who shall hinder me to waile and weepe? To chide my Fortune, and torment my Selfe. Ile joyne with blacke dispaire against my Soule, And to my selfe, become an enemie.

Dut. What meanes this Scene of rude impatience?
Qu. To make an act of Tragicke violence.
Edward my Lord, thy Sonne, our King is dead.
Why grow the Branches, when the Roote is gone?
Why wither not the leaves that want their sap?
If you will live, Lament: if dye, be breefe,
That our swift-winged Soules may catch the Kings,
Or like obedient Subjects follow him,

To his new Kingdome of nere-changing night.
Dut. Ah so much interest have in thy sorrow,

As I had Title in thy Noble Husband:

I have bewept a worthy Husbands death,
And liv'd with looking on his Images:

But now two Mirrors of his Princely semblance,
Are crack'd in pieces, by malignant death,

31. Vizor.. deepe vice: vizard

32. I: yea-1-3,5Q.

45. thy: your-QQ.

.

46. when

foul guile-QQ.

50

gone: now..

39. Ab: Oh-Qe. wither'd-QQ.

55. with: by-Q.

47. that want their sap: the sap being gone-Qo.
51. nere-changing night: perpetual rest-Q.
52. bave in: have I in-Q0.2-4F.

60

And I for comfort, have but one false Glasse,
That greeves me, when I see my shame in him.
Thou art a Widdow: yet thou art a Mother,
And hast the comfort of thy Children left,
But death hath snatch'd my Husband from mine Armes,
And pluckt two Crutches from my feeble hands,
Clarence, and Edward. O, what cause have I,
(Thine being but a moity of my moane)
To over-go thy woes, and drowne thy cries.

Boy. Ah Aunt! you wept not for our Fathers death: How can we ayde you with our Kindred teares? Daugh. Our fatherlesse distresse was left unmoan'd, Your widdow-dolour, likewise be unwept.

Qu. Give me no helpe in Lamentation,

70

I am not barren to bring forth complaints:
All Springs reduce their currents to mine eyes,
That I being govern'd by the waterie Moone,
May send forth plenteous teares to drowne the World.
Ah, for my Husband, for my deere Lord Edward.
Chil. Ah for our Father, for our deere Lord Clarence.
Dut. Alas for both, both mine Edward and Clarence.
Qu. What stay had I but Edward, and hee's gone?
Chil. What stay had we but Clarence? and he's gone.
Dut. What stayes had I, but they? and they are gone.
Qu. Was never widdow had so deere a losse.
Chil. Were never Orphans had so deere a losse.
Dut. Was never Mother had so deere a losse.
Alas! I am the Mother of these Greefes,
Their woes are parcell'd,1 mine is generall."
1 divided in common

59. That: Which-Qo.

61. left: left thee-Q.

82

2 total

63. bands: limbs-QQ.

64. Clarence, and Edward: Edward and Clarence-Qo. 65. moane: grief-QQ. 66. woes: plaints-QQ. 67. Ab: Good-QQ. 76-7. Ab: Oh-Q2. 85. Greefes: moans-Q2. 86. is: are-Q2.