ACT II. | |
SCENE IV. London. A Room in the Palace. | |
| [Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, the young DUKE OF YORK, QUEEN |
| ELIZABETH, and the DUCHESS OF YORK.] |
ARCHBISHOP. | |
| Last night, I hear, they at Northampton lay; |
| And at Stony-Stratford they do rest to-night: |
| To-morrow or next day they will be here. |
DUCHESS. | |
| I long with all my heart to see the prince: |
| I hope he is much grown since last I saw him. |
QUEEN ELIZABETH. | |
| But I hear no; they say my son of York |
| Has almost overta'en him in his growth. |
YORK. | |
| Ay, mother; but I would not have it so. |
DUCHESS. | |
| Why, my good cousin? it is good to grow. |
YORK. | |
| Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper, |
| My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow |
| More than my brother. "Ay," quoth my uncle Gloster |
| Small herbs have grace: great weeds do grow apace. |
| And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast, |
| Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste. |
DUCHESS. | |
| Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold |
| In him that did object the same to thee: |
| He was the wretched'st thing when he was young, |
| So long a growing and so leisurely, |
| That, if his rule were true, he should be gracious. |
ARCHBISHOP. | |
| And so no doubt he is, my gracious madam. |
DUCHESS. | |
| I hope he is; but yet let mothers doubt. |
YORK. | |
| Now, by my troth, if I had been remember'd, |
| I could have given my uncle's grace a flout |
| To touch his growth nearer than he touch'd mine. |
DUCHESS. | |
| How, my young York? I pr'ythee let me hear it. |
YORK. | |
| Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast |
| That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old: |
| 'Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth. |
| Grandam, this would have been a biting jest. |
DUCHESS. | |
| I pr'ythee, pretty York, who told thee this? |
YORK. | |
| Grandam, his nurse. |
DUCHESS. | |
| His nurse! why she was dead ere thou wast born. |
YORK. | |
| If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me. |
QUEEN ELIZABETH. | |
| A parlous boy!--go to, you are too shrewd. |
ARCHBISHOP. | |
| Good madam, be not angry with the child. |
QUEEN ELIZABETH. | |
| Pitchers have ears. |
ARCHBISHOP. | |
| Here comes a messenger. |
| [Enter a MESSENGER.] |
| What news? |
MESSENGER. | |
| Such news, my lord, as grieves me to report. |
QUEEN ELIZABETH. | |
| How doth the prince? |
MESSENGER. | |
| Well, madam, and in health. |
DUCHESS. | |
| What is thy news? |
MESSENGER. | |
| Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are sent to Pomfret, |
| With them Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners. |
DUCHESS. | |
| Who hath committed them? |
MESSENGER. | |
| The mighty dukes, Gloster and Buckingham. |
ARCHBISHOP. | |
| For what offence? |
MESSENGER. | |
| The sum of all I can, I have disclos'd; |
| Why or for what the nobles were committed |
| Is all unknown to me, my gracious lady. |
QUEEN ELIZABETH. | |
| Ah me, I see the ruin of my house! |
| The tiger now hath seiz'd the gentle hind; |
| Insulting tyranny begins to jet |
| Upon the innocent and aweless throne:-- |
| Welcome, destruction, blood, and massacre! |
| I see, as in a map, the end of all. |
DUCHESS. | |
| Accursed and unquiet wrangling days |
| How many of you have mine eyes beheld? |
| My husband lost his life to get the crown; |
| And often up and down my sons were toss'd |
| For me to joy and weep their gain and loss: |
| And being seated, and domestic broils |
| Clean over-blown, themselves, the conquerors |
| Make war upon themselves; brother to brother, |
| Blood to blood, self against self: O, preposterous |
| And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen; |
| Or let me die, to look on death no more! |
QUEEN ELIZABETH. | |
| Come, come, my boy; we will to sanctuary.-- |
| Madam, farewell. |
DUCHESS. | |
| Stay, I will go with you. |
QUEEN ELIZABETH. | |
| You have no cause. |
ARCHBISHOP. | |
| [To the queen.] |
| My gracious lady, go. |
| And thither bear your treasure and your goods. |
| For my part, I'll resign unto your grace |
| The seal I keep; and so betide to me |
| As well I tender you and all of yours! |
| Go, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary. |
| [Exeunt.] |