It follows in his thought, that I am he: These, as I learn, and such like toys as these, & 8 Glo. Why, this it is, when men are rul'd by women :'Tis not the king, that sends you to the Tower; My lady Grey, his wife, Clarence, 'tis she, That tempers him to this extremity. 9 Was it not she, and that good man of worship, That made him send lord Hastings to the Tower; Clar. By heaven, I think, there is no man secure, Brak. I beseech your graces both to pardon me; His majesty hath straitly given in charge, That no man shall have private conference, Of what degree so ever, with his brother. Glo. Even so? an please your worship, Brakenbury, You may partake of any thing we say : We speak no treason, man:-We say, the king Well struck in years; fair, and not jealous :- A bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue; And the queen's kindred are made gentlefolks : How say you, sir? can you deny all this? Brak. With this, my lord, myself have nought to do. Glo. Naught to do with mistress Shore? I tell thee, fellow, [8] Fancies, freaks of imagination. JOHNS. [9] To temper is to mould to fashion. MALONE, [] That is, the Queen and Shore. JOHNS. He that doth naught with her, excepting one, Brak. What one, my lord? Glo. Her husband, knave :-Would'st thou betray me? Brak. I beseech your grace to pardon me, and, withal, Forbear your conference with the noble duke. Clar. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey. Glo. We are the queen's abjects, 2 and must obey. Brother, farewell: I will unto the king; And whatsoever you will employ me in,- Mean time, this deep disgrace in brotherhood, Clar. I know it pleaseth neither of us well. Mean time, have patience. Clar. I must perforce; farewell. [Exeunt CLARENCE, BRAKENBURY, and Guard. Glo. Go, tread the path that thou shalt ne'er return, Simple, plain Clarence -I do love thee so, That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven, Hast. Good time of day unto my gracious lord! How hath your lordship brook'd imprisonment ? Glo. No doubt, no doubt; and so shall Clarence too; For they, that were your enemies, are his, And have prevail'd as much on him, as you. Hast. More pity, that the eagle should be mew'd,4 [2] That is, not the Queen's subjects, whom she might protect, but her abjects. JOHNS. [3] This is a very covert and subtle manner of insinuating treason. The natural expression would have been, were it to call king Edward's wife, sister. I will solicit for you, though it should be at the expence of so much degradation and constraint, as to own the low-born wife of King Edward for a sister. But by slipping, as it were casually, widow into the place of wife, he tempts Clarence in an oblique proposal to kill the King. JOHNS. [4] A menu was the place of confinement where a hawk was kept till he had moulted. JOHNS. While kites and buzzards prey at liberty. Glo. What news abroad? Hast. No news, so bad abroad, as this at home ;The king is sickly, weak, and melancholy, And his physicians fear him mightily. Glo. Now, by Saint Paul, this news is bad indeed. O, he hath kept an evil diet long, And over-much consum'd his royal person; 'Tis very grievous to be thought upon. What, is he in his bed? Hast. He is. Glo. Go you before, and I will follow you. [Exit HAS. -He cannot live, I hope; and must not die, Till George be pack'd with post-horse up to heaven. Which done, God take king Edward to his mercy, For then I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter: By marrying her, which I must reach unto. Clarence still breathes; Edward still lives, and reigns; SCENE II. The same. Another Street. Enter the Corpse of King HENRY the Sixth, borne in an open Coffin, Gentlemen bearing Halberds to guard it; and Lady ANNE as Mourner. Anne. Set down, set down your honourable load,- [5] Obsequious, in this instance, means funereal. STEEV. [6] A key, on account of the coldness of the metal of which it is composed was anciently employed to stop any slight bleeding. The epithet is com mon to many old writers. STEEV. 'Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood! May fright the hopeful mother at the view; Than I am made by my young lord, and thee !- And, still as you are weary of the weight, [The Bearers take up the Corpse, and advance. Glo. Stay you, that bear the corse, and set it down. Anne. What black magician conjures up this fiend, To stop devoted charitable deeds? Glo. Villains, set down the corse; or, by saint Paul, I'll make a corse of him that disobeys. 1 Gent. My lord, stand back, and let the coffin pass. Glo. Unmanner'd dog! stand thou when I command: Advance thy halberd higher than my breast, Or, by saint Paul, I'll strike thee to my foot, [The Bearers set down the Coffin. Anne. What, do you tremble? are you all afraid? Alas, I blame you not, for you are mortal, And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil.— Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell! [7] That is, disposition to mischief. STEEV. Thou hadst but power over his mortal body, Anne. Foul devil, for God's sake, hence, and trouble us not; For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, From cold and empty veins, where no blood dwells: Provokes this deluge most unnatural. O God, which this blood mad'st, revenge his death! Anne. Vouchsafe, diffus'd infection of a man,1 For these known evils, but to give me leave, By circumstance, to curse thy cursed self. Glo. Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have Some patient leisure to excuse myself. Anne Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make No excuse current, but to hang thyself. [8] Pattern is instance or example. JOHNS. [9] It is a tradition very generally received, that the murdered body bleeds on the touch of the murderer. This was so much believed by sir Kenelm Digby, that he has endeavoured to explain the reason. JOHNS. [1] I believe, diffused, in this place, signifies irregular, uncouth: such is its meaning in other passages of Shakspeare. JOHNS.Diffus'd infection of a man may mean, thou that art as dangerous as a pestilence, that infects the air by its diffusion. STEEV. |