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But thus his simple truth must be abus'd

With silken, sly, insinuating Jacks?

GREY.

To who in all this presence speaks your Grace?

GLOUCESTER.

To thee, that hast nor honesty nor grace.

When have I injur'd thee? when done thee wrong,

Or thee, or thee, or any of your faction?

A plague upon you all! His royal Grace-

Whom God preserve better than you would wish!-

Cannot be quiet searce a breathing while

But you must trouble him with lewd complaints.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Brother of Gloucester, you mistake the matter.

The King, on his own royal disposition

And not provok'd by any suitor else-

Aiming, belike, at your interior hatred

That in your outward action shows itself

Against my children, brothers, and myself-

Makes him to send that he may learn the ground.

GLOUCESTER.

I cannot tell; the world is grown so bad

That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch.

Since every Jack became a gentleman,

There's many a gentle person made a Jack.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Come, come, we know your meaning,

brother Gloucester:

You envy my advancement and my friends';

God grant we never may have need of you!

GLOUCESTER.

Meantime, God grants that I have need of you.

Our brother is imprison'd by your means,

Myself disgrac'd, and the nobility

Held in contempt; while great promotions

Are daily given to ennoble those

That scarce some two days since were worth a noble.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

By Him that rais'd me to this careful height

From that contented hap which I enjoy'd,

I never did incense his Majesty

Against the Duke of Clarence, but have been

An earnest advocate to plead for him.

My lord, you do me shameful injury

Falsely to draw me in these vile suspects.

GLOUCESTER.

You may deny that you were not the mean

Of my Lord Hastings' late imprisonment.

RIVERS.

She may, my lord; for-

GLOUCESTER.

She may, Lord Rivers? Why, who knows not so?

She may do more, sir, than denying that:

She may help you to many fair preferments

And then deny her aiding hand therein,

And lay those honours on your high desert.

What may she not? She may-ay, marry, may she-

RIVERS.

What, marry, may she?

GLOUCESTER.

What, marry, may she? Marry with a king,

A bachelor, and a handsome stripling too.

Iwis your grandam had a worser match.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

My Lord of Gloucester, I have too long borne

Your blunt upbraidings and your bitter scoffs.

By heaven, I will acquaint his Majesty

Of those gross taunts that oft I have endur'd.

I had rather be a country servant-maid

Than a great queen with this condition-

To be so baited, scorn'd, and stormed at.

Enter old QUEEN MARGARET, behind

Small joy have I in being England's Queen.

QUEEN MARGARET.

And less'ned be that small, God, I

beseech Him!

Thy honour, state, and seat, is due to me.

GLOUCESTER.

What! Threat you me with telling of the King?

Tell him and spare not. Look what I have said

I will avouch't in presence of the King.

I dare adventure to be sent to th' Tow'r.

'Tis time to speak-my pains are quite forgot.

QUEEN MARGARET.

Out, devil! I do remember them to well:

Thou kill'dst my husband Henry in the Tower,

And Edward, my poor son, at Tewksbury.

GLOUCESTER.

Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband King,

I was a pack-horse in his great affairs,

A weeder-out of his proud adversaries,

A liberal rewarder of his friends;

To royalize his blood I spent mine own.

QUEEN MARGARET.

Ay, and much better blood than his or thine.

GLOUCESTER.

In all which time you and your husband Grey

Were factious for the house of Lancaster;

And, Rivers, so were you. Was not your husband

In Margaret's battle at Saint Albans slain?

Let me put in your minds, if you forget,

What you have been ere this, and what you are;

Withal, what I have been, and what I am.

QUEEN MARGARET.

A murd'rous villain, and so still thou art.

GLOUCESTER.

Poor Clarence did forsake his father, Warwick,

Ay, and forswore himself-which Jesu pardon!-

QUEEN MARGARET.

Which God revenge!

GLOUCESTER.

To fight on Edward's party for the