And may direct his courfe as please himself, Glo. I hope, the King made peace with all of us; And the compact is firm, and true in me. Riv. And fo in me; and fo, I think, in all. Yet fince it is but green, it should be To no apparent likelihood of breach, put Which, haply, by much company might be urg'd; That it is meet fo few fhould fetch the Prince. Glo. Theh be it fo; and go we to determine, To give your cenfures in this weighty business? [Exeunt. As index to the story we late talk'd of, To part the Queen's proud kindred from the Prince. My oracle, my prophet!My dear coufin, (5) Tow'rd Ludlow then, for we'll not stay behind. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to a Street near the Court. 1 3 Enter one Citizen at one door, and another at the other. 1 Cit. Hear G° Ood-morrow, neighbour, whither away fo faft? z Cit. I promise you, I hardly know myfelf; you the news abroad? (5) My other felf, my Counsel's Confiftory, My Oracle, my Prophet, my dear Coufin !] I have altered the Pointirg of this Paffage, by the Direction of my ingenious Friend Mr. Worburton: because, by this new Regulation, a frange and ridiculous Anticlimax is prevented. 1 Cit. Yes, the King is dead. 2 Cit. Ill news, by'r lady; feldom comes a better: I fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world. Enter another Citizen. 3 Cit. Neighbours, God speed! 3 Cit. Doth the news hold of good King Edward's death? 2 Cit. Ay, Sir, it is too true; God help, the while! Cit. Then, maiters, look to see a troublous world. CiteNo, no, by God's good grace his fon fhall reign. 3 Cit. Woe to that land, that's govern'd by a child! 2 Cit. In him there is a hope of government: Which in his non-age, counfel under him, And, in his full and ripen'd years, himself, No doubt, fhall then, and till then, govern well. 1 Cit. So ftood the ftate, when Henry the fixth Was crown'd in Paris, but at nine months old. 3 Cit.Stood the ftate fo? no, no, good friends, God wot; For when this land was famously enrich'd With politick grave counfel; then the King I Cit. Why, fo hath this, both by his father and mother. 3 Cit. Better it were, they all came by his father; Or by his father there were none at all: For emulation, who fhall now be nearest, And the Queen's fons and brothers haughty, proud: This fickly land might folace as before. 1 Cit. Come, come, we fear the worft; all will be well. 3 Cit. When clouds are feen, wife men put on their cloaks; When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand; 2 Cit. Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear: You You cannot reafon almost with a man 3 Cit. Before the days of change, ftill is it fo; 2 Cit. Marry, we were fent for to the juftices. 3 Cit. And fo was I, I'll bear you company. [Exeunt – SCENE changes to the Court Enter Archbishop of York, the young Duke of York, the Queen, and the Dutchess of York. Arch. I Heard, they lay the last night at Northampton, At Stony Stratford they do reft to-night: To-morrow, or next day, they will be here. Dutch. I long with all my heart to fee the Prince; I hope, he is much grown fince laft I faw him. Queen. But I hear, net; they fay, my fon of York Has almoft overta'en him in his growth. York. Ay, mother, but I would not have it fo. Dutch. Why, my young coufin, it is good to grow. York. Grandam, one night as we did lit at fupper, My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow. More than my brother. Ay, quoth my uncle Glofter, He was the wretched'ft thing, when he was young; That, if his rule were true, he should be gracious, York. York. Marry, they fay, my uncle grew fo faft, Dutch. I pr'ythee, pretty York, who told thee this? Dutch. His nurfe! why, fhe was dead ere thou waft born. York. If 'twere not the, I cannot tell who told me. Queen. A parlous boy-go to, you are too fhrewd. Dutch. Good Madam, be not angry with a child. Queen. Pitchers have ears. Enter a Meffenger. Arch. Here comes a meffenger: what news? Mef. Well, Madam, and in health. Dutch. What is thy news? Mef. Lord Rivers and Lord Gray are fent to Pomfret, With them Sir Thomas Vaughan, prifoners. Dutch. Who hath committed them? Mef. The mighty Dukes, Glofter and Buckingham. Arch. For what offence? Mef. The fum of all I can, I have difclos'd: Why, or for what, the Nobles were committed, Is all unknown to me, my gracious lady. Queen. Ah me! I fee the ruin of my houfe; Upon the innocent and awlefs throne; Dutch. Accurfed and unquiet wrangling days! Make Make war upon themfelves, blood against blood, And frantick outrage! end thy damned spleen; Dutch. Stay, I will go with you. And thither bear your treasure and your goods. [Exeunt. SCENE, in London. The Trumpets found. Enter Prince of Wales, the Dukes of Gloucester and Buckingham, Archbishop, with others. BUCKINGHAM. Gl. Welcome, dear coufin,my thought's Sovereign. The weary way hath made you melancholy. (6) Or let me die, to look on Earth no more,] This is the Reading of all the Copies, from the firft Edition, put out by the Players, downwards. But the old Dutchess had no Antipathy to the World, or looking upon the Earth in general: Her complaints are reftrained to the calamitous Days fhe had feen, the Miferics and Slaughters of civil Wars at home: during the Procefs of which he had been witnefs to fo many Murders, fuch Havock and Destruction; that she very reasonably wishes, that fuch Outrage may cease, or that the may not live to behold any more Friends maffacred. I have the refore reftored the Reading of the old Quarto in 1597 (which is copied by all the other authentick Quarto's;) by which the Thought is finely and properly improved. Or let me die, to look on Death no more. Prince. |