Q. Mar. Lords, knights, and gentlemen, what I should say, My tears gainsay; for every word I speak, Ye see, I drink the water of my eye. Therefore, no more but this: - Henry, your sovereign, Is prisoner to the foe; his state usurp'd, His realm a slaughterhouse, his subjects slain, SCENE V. lords, [Exeunt both Armies. Another Part of the Same. Alarums: Excursions: and afterwards a Retreat. Then enter King EDWARD, Clarence, GlostER, and Forces; with Queen K. Edw. Now, here a period of tumultuous broils. Go, bear them hence: I will not hear them speak. K. Edw. Is proclamation made, that who finds Edward Glo. It is: and, lo! where youthful Edward comes. K. Edw. Bring forth the gallant: let us hear him speak. For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects, Prince. Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York. Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou, Q. Mar. Ah, that thy father had been so resolv'd! Prince. Let Æsop fable in a winter's night; Glo. By heaven, brat, I'll plague you for that word. Prince. I know my duty: you are all undutiful. Lascivious Edward, and thou perjur'd George, I am your better, traitors as ye are ; · And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine. K. Edw. Take that, the likeness of this railer here. Glo. Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy agony. [Stabs him. [GLO. stabs him. Clar. And there's for twitting me with perjury. Q. Mar. O, kill me too! [CLAR. stabs him. [Offers to kill her. K. Edw. Hold, Richard, hold! for we have done too much. Glo. Why should she live, to fill the world with words? K. Edw. What! doth she swoon? use means for her recovery. Glo. Clarence, excuse me to the king, my brother. I'll hence to London on a serious matter: Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news. [Exit. Q. Mar. O, Ned! sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy: Canst thou not speak? - O traitors! murderers! They, that stabb'd Cæsar shed no blood at all, He was a man: this, in respect, a child; And men ne'er spend their fury on a child. What's worse than murderer, that I may name it? Look in his youth to have him so cut off, As, deathsmen, you have rid this sweet young prince! K. Edw. Away with her! go, bear her hence perforce. Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it. Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it. Q. Mar. Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself: 'Twas sin before, but now 't is charity. What! wilt thou not? where is that devil's butcher, Richard, Thou art not here: murder is thy alms-deed; Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back. K. Edw. Away, I say! I charge ye, bear her hence. K. Edw. Where's Richard gone? Clar. To London, all in post; and, as I guess, To make a bloody supper in the Tower. K. Edw. He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head. Now march we hence: discharge the common sort With pay and thanks, and let's away to London, [Exit. And see our gentle queen how well she fares: SCENE VI. London. A Room in the Tower. [Exeunt. King HENRY is discovered sitting with a Book in his Hand, the Lieutenant attending. Enter GLOSTER. Glo. Good day, my lord. What! at your book so hard? K. Hen. Ay, my good lord: my lord, I should say rather: 'Tis sin to flatter; good was little better: Good Gloster, and good devil, were alike, And both preposterous; therefore, not good lord. Glo. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves: we must confer. [Exit Lieutenant. K. Hen. So flies the reckless shepherd from the wolf: So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece, And next his throat unto the butcher's knife. What scene of death hath Roscius now to act? Glo. Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind: The thief doth fear each bush an officer. K. Hen. The bird, that hath been limed in a bush, With trembling wings misdoubteth every bush; And I, the hapless male to one sweet bird, Have now the fatal object in my eye, Where my poor young was lim'd, was caught, and kill'd. That taught his son the office of a fowl? And yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd. Thy father, Minos, that denied our course; Than can my ears that tragic history. But wherefore dost thou come? is 't for my life? K. Hen. A persecutor, I am sure, thou art: Why, then thou art an executioner. Glo. Thy son I kill'd for his presumption. K. Hen. Hadst thou been kill'd, when first thou didst pre sume, Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a son of mine. And thus I prophesy, — that many a thousand, And many an old man's sigh, and many a widow's, To wit, Not like the fruit of such a goodly tree. Teeth hadst thou in thy head, when thou wast born, To signify, thou cam'st to bite the world: And, if the rest be true which I have heard, Thou cam'st Glo. I'll hear no more; - Die, prophet, in thy specch: [Stabs him. For this, amongst the rest, was I ordain'd. K. Hen. Ay, and for much more slaughter after this. O! God forgive my sins, and pardon thee. Glo. What! will the aspiring blood of Lancaster Sink in the ground? I thought it would have mounted. [Dies. |