By Heaven, we come to him in perfect love; And so once more return and tell his grace. [Exit CATESBY. When holy and devout religious men Are at their beads, 't is much to draw them thence; So sweet is zealous contemplation. Enter GLOSTER, in a gallery above, between Two Bishops. CATESBY returns. MAY. See, where his grace stands 'tween two clergymen! BUCK. Two props of virtue for a Christian prince, To stay him from the fall of vanity; And, see, a book of prayer in his hand; True ornaments to know a holy man. Of thy devotion and right Christian zeal. GLO. My lord, there needs no such apology; But, leaving this, what is your grace's pleasure? BUCK. Even that, I hope, which pleaseth God above, And all good men of this ungovern'd isle. GLO. I do suspect I have done some offence, That seems disgracious in the city's eye; And that you come to reprehend my ignorance. BUCK. You have, my lord: Would it might please your grace, On our entreaties, to amend your fault! GLO. Else wherefore breathe I in a Christian land? The supreme seat, the throne majestical, The sceptred office of your ancestors, Your state of fortune, and your due of birth, To the corruption of a blemish'd stock: Whiles, in the mildness of your sleepy thoughts, Her royal stock graft with ignoble plants, Your gracious self to take on you the charge In this just cause come I to move your grace. Your love deserves my thanks; but my desert First, if all obstacles were cut away, And that my path were even to the crown, As the ripe revenue and due of birth; Yet so much is my poverty of spirit, So mighty, and so many, my defects, That I would rather hide me from my greatness, Being a bark to brook no mighty sea, Than in my greatness covet to be hid, And in the vapour of my glory smother'd. But, God be thank'd, there is no need of me; (And much I need to help you, were there need ;) The royal tree hath left us royal fruit, Which, mellow'd by the stealing hours of time, And make, no doubt, us happy by his reign. BUCK. My lord, this argues conscience in your grace; But the respects thereof are nice and trivial, You say that Edward is your brother's son; This Edward, whom our manners call the prince. Save that, for reverence to some alive, I give a sparing limit to my tongue. Then, good my lord, take to your royal self If not to bless us and the land withal, MAY. Do, good my lord; your citizens entreat you. BUCK. If you refuse it,—as in love and zeal, Yet know, whe'r you accept our suit or no, [Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and Citizens. CATE. Call them again, sweet prince, accept their suit; If you deny them, all the land will rue it. GLO. Will you enforce me to a world of cares? [Exit CATESBY. Re-enter BUCKINGHAM, and the rest. MAY. God bless your grace! we see it, and will say BUCK. To-morrow may it please you to be crown'd? GLO. Even when you please, for you will have it so. BUCK. To-morrow, then, we will attend your grace; And so most joyfully we take our leave. it. GLO. Come, let us to our holy work again: [To the Bishops. [Exeunt. Farewell, my cousin ;-farewell, gentle friends. ACT IV. SCENE I.-Before the Tower. Enter on one side, QUEEN ELIZABETH, DUCHESS OF YORK, and MARQUIS OF DORSET; on the other, ANNE DUCHESS OF GLOSTER, leading LADY MARGARET PLANTAGENET, CLARENCE's young daughter. DUCH. Who meets us here?-my niece Plantagenet, Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloster? ANNE. God give your graces both A happy and a joyful time of day! Q. ELIZ. As much to you, good sister! Whither away? ANNE. No further than the Tower; and, as I guess, Upon the like devotion as yourselves, To gratulate the gentle princes there. Q. ELIZ. Kind sister, thanks; we 'll enter all together: Enter BRAKENBURY. And, in good time, here the lieutenant comes. I may not suffer you to visit them; The king hath strictly charg'd the contrary. Q. ELIZ. The king! who's that? BRAK. I mean the lord protector. Q. ELIZ. The Lord protect him from that kingly title! Hath he set bounds between their love and me? |