ACT THE SECOND. SCENE I. St. Paul's. Enter TRESSEL, meeting LORD STANLEY. Tressel. My lord, your servant; pray what brought you to St. Paul's? Stanley. I came among the crowd, to see the corpse Of poor King Henry; 'tis a dismal sight; But yesterday I saw him the Tower; His talk is still so fresh within my memory, That I could weep, to think how fate has us'd him. I wonder where's Duke Richard's policy, In suffering him to lie expos'd to view; Can he believe that men will love him for't? Tressel. O yes, sir, love him, as he loves his brothers. When was you with King Edward, pray, my lord? Stanley. Tis thought he'll scarce recover. King Henry's corpse to be interred at Chertsey, Stanley. Mean you King Henry's daughter in law? Whom Gloster kill'd at Tewksbury. Stanley. Alas! poor lady! She's severely used! And yet, I hear, Richard attempts her love : Methinks the wrongs he's done her might discourage him. Tressel. Neither those wrongs, nor his own shape, can fright him: He sent for leave to visit her, this morning, And she was forc'd to keep her bed, to avoid him : Will you along To see this doleful ceremony? Stanley. I'll wait upon you. [Exeunt. Enter GLOSTER. e.-Alas! Glost. 'Twas her excuse, to avoid me. She keeps no bed She has health enough to progress far as Chertsey, I cannot blame her- Why, love forswore me in my mother's womb, Enter LIEUTENANT, hastily. Lieut. My lord, I beg your grace my Glost. Begone, fellow! I'm not at leisure. ambi Lieut. My lord, the King, your brother,'s taken ill. Glost. I'll wait on him: leave me friend. Ha! Edward taken ill! 'Would he were wasted, marrow, bones, and all, That from his loins no more young brats may rise, To cross me in the golden time I look for. Enter LADY ANNE, in Mourning, LORD STANLEY, But see, my love appears-look where she shines, So mourn'd the dame of Ephesus her love; And suit my face to all occasions. Yet hold, she mourns the man, that I have kill'd; This storm of grief to gentle drops of pity [He retires. Lady A. Hung be the heav'ns with black; yield day to night; Comets, importing change of times and states, And with them scourge the bad revolting stars, Than I am now by Edward's death, and thine. self. [Aside. Lady A. If ever he have child, abortive be it, Prodigious and untimely brought to light; Now on to Chertsey, with your sacred load. Glost. Stay, you that bear the corse, and set it down. Lady A. What black magician conjures up this fiend, To stop devo ted charitable deeds? Glost. Villains, set down the corse, or by St. Paul, I'll make a corse of him that disobeys. Guard. My lord, stand back, and let the coffin pass. Glost. Unmanner'd slave! stand thou, when I command, Advance thy halbert higher than my breast, Or, by St. Paul, I'll strike thee to my foot, fiend? Thou hast but power over his mortal body; Glost. Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman, Lady A. Then take that sword, whose bloody point still reeks With Henry's life, with my lov'd lord's, young Ed ward's, And here let out thy own, to appease their ghosts. Glost. By such despair I should accuse myself. Lady A. Why by despairing only canst thou stand excus'd? Didst thou not kill the king? Glost. I grant ye. Lady A. Oh! he was gentle, loving, mild, and virtuous; But he's in heaven, where thou canst never come. Glost. Was I not kind, to send him thither, then? He was much fitter for that place than earth. Lady A. And thou unfit for any place, but hell. Glost. Yes, one place else—If you will hear me name it. Lady A. Some dungeon. Glost. Your bedchamber. Lady A. Ill rest betide the chamber, where thou liest. Glost. So it will, madam, till I lie in yours. Lady A. I hope so. Glost. I know so. But, gentle Lady Anne, Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward, Lady A. Thou wert the cause, and most accurs'd effect. Glost. Your beauty was the cause of that effect, So I might live one hour in that soft bosom? Lady A. If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, These hands should rend that beauty from my cheeks. |