The First Web Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Works
Another part of the field. |
[Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE, | ||
and soldiers; with QUEEN MARGARET, OXFORD, and | ||
SOMERSET, prisoners] |
KING EDWARD IV | Now here a period of tumultuous broils. | ||
Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight: | |||
For Somerset, off with his guilty head. | |||
Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak. |
OXFORD | For my part, I'll not trouble thee with words. | 5 |
SOMERSET | Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune. | ||
[Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded] |
QUEEN MARGARET | So part we sadly in this troublous world, | ||
To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem. |
KING EDWARD IV | Is proclamation made, that who finds Edward | ||
Shall have a high reward, and he his life? | 10 |
GLOUCESTER | It is: and lo, where youthful Edward comes! | ||
[Enter soldiers, with PRINCE EDWARD] |
KING EDWARD IV | Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak. | ||
What! can so young a thorn begin to prick? | |||
Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make | |||
For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects, | 15 | ||
And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to? |
PRINCE EDWARD | Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York! | ||
Suppose that I am now my father's mouth; | |||
Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou, | |||
Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee, | 20 | ||
Which traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to. |
QUEEN MARGARET | Ah, that thy father had been so resolved! |
GLOUCESTER | That you might still have worn the petticoat, | ||
And ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster. |
PRINCE EDWARD | Let AEsop fable in a winter's night; | 25 | |
His currish riddles sort not with this place. |
GLOUCESTER | By heaven, brat, I'll plague ye for that word. |
QUEEN MARGARET | Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men. |
GLOUCESTER | For God's sake, take away this captive scold. |
PRINCE EDWARD | Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather. | 30 |
KING EDWARD IV | Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue. |
CLARENCE | Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert. |
PRINCE EDWARD | I know my duty; you are all undutiful: | ||
Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George, | |||
And thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all | 35 | ||
I am your better, traitors as ye are: | |||
And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine. |
KING EDWARD IV | Take that, thou likeness of this railer here. | ||
[Stabs him] |
GLOUCESTER | Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy agony. | ||
[Stabs him] |
CLARENCE | And there's for twitting me with perjury. | 40 | |
[Stabs him] |
QUEEN MARGARET | O, kill me too! |
GLOUCESTER | Marry, and shall. | ||
[Offers to kill her] |
KING EDWARD IV | Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done too much. |
GLOUCESTER | Why should she live, to fill the world with words? |
KING EDWARD IV | What, doth she swoon? use means for her recovery. | 45 |
GLOUCESTER | 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. |
CLARENCE | What? what? |
GLOUCESTER | The Tower, the Tower. | 50 | |
[Exit] |
QUEEN MARGARET | O Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy! | ||
Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers! | |||
They that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all, | |||
Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame, | |||
If this foul deed were by to equal it: | 55 | ||
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? | |||
No, no, my heart will burst, and if I speak: | |||
And I will speak, that so my heart may burst. | 60 | ||
Butchers and villains! bloody cannibals! | |||
How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd! | |||
You have no children, butchers! if you had, | |||
The thought of them would have stirr'd up remorse: | |||
But if you ever chance to have a child, | 65 | ||
Look in his youth to have him so cut off | |||
As, deathmen, you have rid this sweet young prince! |
KING EDWARD IV | Away with her; go, bear her hence perforce. |
QUEEN MARGARET | Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch me here, | ||
Here sheathe thy sword, I'll pardon thee my death: | 70 | ||
What, wilt thou not? then, Clarence, do it thou. |
CLARENCE | By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease. |
QUEEN MARGARET | Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it. |
CLARENCE | Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it? |
QUEEN MARGARET | Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself: | 75 | |
'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity. | |||
What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil's butcher, | |||
Hard-favour'd Richard? Richard, where art thou? | |||
Thou art not here: murder is thy alms-deed; | |||
Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back. | 80 |
KING EDWARD IV | Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her hence. |
QUEEN MARGARET | So come to you and yours, as to this Prince! | ||
[Exit, led out forcibly] |
KING EDWARD IV | Where's Richard gone? |
CLARENCE | To London, all in post; and, as I guess, | ||
To make a bloody supper in the Tower. | 85 |
KING EDWARD IV | 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 | |||
And see our gentle queen how well she fares: | |||
By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. | 90 | ||
[Exeunt] |
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