Where biting cold would never let grass grow, Queen. O, Let me entreat thee, cease! Give me thy hand, That I may dew it with my mournful tears; Nor let the rain of heaven wet this place, To wash away my woeful monuments. O, could this kiss be printed in thy hand, [Kisses his hand. That thou mightst think upon these by the seal, Through whom a thousand sighs are breathed for thee !21 So, get thee gone, that I may know my grief; I will repeal thee, or, be well assured, Go; speak not to me; even now be gone. O, go not yet! Even thus two friends condemn'd Yet now farewell; and farewell life with thee! Suf. Thus is poor Suffolk ten times banished, So Suffolk had thy heavenly company: For, where thou art, there is the world itself, I can no more: live thou to joy thy life; Myself to joy in nought but that thou livest. 21"That, by the impression of my kiss for ever remaining on thy hand, thou mightest think on those lips through which a thousand sighs will be breathed for thee." Enter VAUX. Queen. Whither goes Vaux so fast? what news, I pr'ythee? Vaux. To signify unto his Majesty That Cardinal Beaufort is at point of death; For suddenly a grievous sickness took him, That makes him gasp, and stare, and catch the air, That even now he cries aloud for him. Queen. Go tell this heavy message to the King. — Ah me! what is this world! what news are these! And with the southern clouds contend in tears, Theirs for the earth's increase, mine for my sorrows? Suf. If I depart from thee, I cannot live; 22" Why do I grieve for a loss that will quickly be forgotten, and not rather spend all my grief upon the loss of Suffolk, which will never cease to weigh upon me?" 23 Where is here equivalent to whereas. A frequent usage. And cry out for thee to close up mine eyes, To die by thee were but to die in jest ; From thee to die were torture more than death: Queen. Away! Though parting be a fretful córrosive, It is applied to a deathful wound. To France, sweet Suffolk: let me hear from thee; For, wheresoe'er thou art in this world's globe, I'll have an Iris 24 that shall find thee out. Suf. I go. Queen. And take my heart along with thee. Suf. A jewel, lock'd into the woefull'st casket That ever did contain a thing of worth. Even as a splitted bark, so sunder we: This way fall I to death. Queen. This way for me. [Exeunt severally. SCENE III.· London. Cardinal BEAUFORT'S Bedchamber. Enter King HENRY, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and others. The Cardinal in bed; Attendants with him. King. How fares my lord? speak, Beaufort, to thy sover eign. Car. If thou be'st Death, I'll give thee England's treasure, Enough to purchase such another island, So thou wilt let me live, and feel no pain. 24 Iris was the messenger of Juno. King. Ah, what a sign it is of evil life, Where death's approach is seen so terrible! War. Beaufort, it is thy sovereign speaks to thee. I'll give a thousand pound to look upon him. King. O thou eternal Mover of the heavens, And from his bosom purge this black despair! War. See how the pangs of death do make him grin ! Sal. Disturb him not, let him pass peaceably. King. Peace to his soul, ift God's good pleasure be !Lord Cardinal, if thou think'st on Heaven's bliss, Hold up thy hand, make signal of thy hope. He dies, and makes no sign: - O God, forgive him! [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I. Kent. The Seashore near Dover. Firing heard at sea. Then enter, from a boat, a Captain, a Master, a Master's-Mate, WALTER WHITMORE, and others; with them SUFFOLK disguised, and other Gentlemen, Pris oners. Cap. The gaudy, blabbing, and remorseful1 day Is crept into the bosom of the sea; And now loud-howling wolves arouse the jades That drag the tragic melancholy night; 2 Who, with their drowsy, slow, and flagging wings, And thou that art his mate, make boot of this; The other, [Pointing to SUFFOLK.] Walter Whitmore, is thy share. I Gent. What is my ransom, master? let me know. 1 Remorseful is pitiful.—“The epithet blabbing, applied to the day by a man about to commit murder, is exquisitely beautiful. Guilt, if afraid of light, considers darkness as a natural shelter, and makes night the confidant of those actions which cannot be trusted to the tell-tale day." -JOHNSON. 2 The chariot of the night was supposed to be drawn by dragons. See vol. iii. page 61, note 36. 8 To clip is to embrace. See vol. vii. page 81, note 16. 4 Pinnace formerly meant a ship of small burden, built for speed. See vol. vi. page 23, note 14. |