Am I not witch'd like her? or thou not false like him? Ah me, I can no more! Die, Margaret ! For Henry weeps, that thou dost live so long. Noise within. Enter WARWICK and SALISBURY. The Commons press to the door. War. It is reported, mighty sovereign, That good duke Humphrey traitorously is murder'd K.Hen. That he is dead, good Warwick, 'tis too true; But how he died, God knows, not Henry : Enter his chamber, view his breathless corpse, And comment then upon his sudden death. War. That I shall do, my liege :-Stay, Salisbury, With the rude multitude, till I return. [WARWICK goes into an inner Room, and SALISBURY retires. K. Hen. O thou that judgest all things, stay my thoughts; My thoughts, that labour to persuade my soul, For judgment only doth belong to thee! The folding Doors of an inner Chamber are thrown open, and GLOSTER is discovered dead in his Bed: WARWICK and others standing by it. War. Come hither, gracious sovereign, view this body. K.Hen. That is to see how deep my grave is made : For, with his soul, fled all my worldly solace ; For seeing him, I see my life in death. War. As surely as my soul intends to live With that dread King that took our state upon him I do believe that violent hands were laid Upon the life of this thrice-famed duke. Suf. A dreadful oath, sworn with a solemn tongue! Of ashy semblance, meager, pale, and bloodless, His hair uprear'd, his nostrils stretch'd with struggling; It cannot be, but he was murder'd here; Suf. Why, Warwick, who should do the duke to death? War. But both of you were vow'd duke Humphrey's foes; And you, forsooth, had the good duke to keep : Q.Mar. Then you, belike, suspect these noblemen As guilty of duke Humphrey's timeless death. War. Who finds the heifer dead, and bleeding fresh, And sees fast by a butcher with an axe, [9] All that is true of the body of a dead man, is here said by Warwick of the Soul. I would read: Oft have I seen a timely parted corse. I cannot but stop a moment to observe that this horrible scarcely the work of any pen but Shakspeare's. description is JOHNS. Our author is not chargeable here with any impropriety, or confusion. He has only used the phraseology of his time. MAL. [1] That is, the fingers being widely distended. So a down, for down ; aweary, for weary, &c. MAL. 13* VOL. V. But will suspect, 'twas he that made the slaughter? Q.Mar. Are you the butcher, Suffolk; where's your knife? Is Beaufort term'd a kite? where are his talons? [Exeunt Cardinal, Soм. and others. War.What dares not Warwick,iffalse Suffolk dare him? Q.Mar. He dares not calm his contumelious spirit, Nor cease to be an arrogant controller, Though Suffolk dare him twenty thousand times. War. Madam, be still; with reverence may I say; For every word, you speak in his behalf, Is slander to your royal dignity. Suf. Blunt-witted lord, ignoble in demeanour ! If ever lady wrong'd her lord so much, Thy mother took into her blameful bed Some stern untutor❜d churl, and noble stock Was graft with crab-tree slip; whose fruit thou art, War. But that the guilt of murder bucklers thee, Suf. Thou shalt be waking, while I shed thy blood, If from this presence thou dar'st go with me. War. Away even now, or I will drag thee hence : Unworthy though thou art, I'll cope with thee, And do some service to duke Humphrey's ghost. [Exeunt SUFFOLK and WARWICK. K.Hen. What stronger breast-plate than a heart un tainted? Thrice is he arm'd, that hath his quarrel just ; Q.Mar. What noise is this? [A Noise within. Re-enter SUFFOLK and WARWICK, with their Weapons drawn. K.Hen. Why, how now, lords? your wrathful weapons drawn Here in our presence? dare you be so bold ?- Noise of a Crowd within. Re-enter SALISBURY. Sal. Sirs, stand apart; the king shall know your mind.[Speaking to those within. Dread lord, the commons send you word by me, Unless false Suffolk straight be done to death, Or banished fair England's territories, They will by violence tear him from your palace, It were but necessary, you were wak'd; Lest, being suffer'd in that harmful slumber, The mortal worm2 might make the sleep eternal : [2] Serpents in general, were anciently called worms. STEEV. With whose envenomed and fatal sting, Your loving uncle, twenty times his worth, They say, is shamefully bereft of life. Commons. [Within.] An answer from the king, my lord of Salisbury. Suf. 'Tis like, the commons, rude unpolish'd hinds, Could send such message to their sovereign: But you, my lord, were glad to be employ'd, Commons. [Within.] An answer from the king, or we'll all break in. K.Hen. Go, Salisbury, and tell them all from me, He shall not breathe infection in this air5 But three days longer, on the pain of death. [Exit SAL. No more, I say; if thou dost plead for him, If, after three days' space, thou here be'st found On any ground that I am ruler of, The world shall not be ransome for thy life. Come, Warwick, come good Warwick, go with me; I have great matters to impart to thee. [Exeunt K. HENRY, WARWICK, Lords, &c. Q. Mar. Mischance, and sorrow, go along with you! Heart's discontent, and sour affliction, Be playfellows to keep you company! There's two of you; the devil make a third! [3] Quaint for dextrous, artificial. MAL. [4] A sort-is a company. JOHNS. [5] That is, he shall not contaminate this air with his infected breath. MAL |