• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

GLOUCESTER.

By heaven, brat, I'll plague ye for that word.

QUEEN MARGARET.

Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men.

GLOUCESTER.

For God's sake, take away this captive scold.

PRINCE OF WALES.

Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather.

KING EDWARD.

Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue.

CLARENCE.

Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert.

PRINCE OF WALES.

I know my duty; you are all undutiful.

Lascivious Edward, and thou perjur'd George,

And thou misshapen Dick, I tell ye all

I am your better, traitors as ye are;

And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine.

KING EDWARD.

Take that, the likeness of this railer here.

[Stabs him]

GLOUCESTER.

Sprawl'st thou? Take that, to end thy agony.

[Stabs him]

CLARENCE.

And there's for twitting me with perjury.

[Stabs him]

QUEEN MARGARET.

O, kill me too!

GLOUCESTER.

Marry, and shall. [Offers to kill her]

KING EDWARD.

Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done to much.

GLOUCESTER.

Why should she live to fill the world with words?

KING EDWARD.

What, doth she swoon? Use means for her recovery.

GLOUCESTER.

Clarence, excuse me to the King my brother.

I'll hence to London on a serious matter;

Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news.

CLARENCE.

What? what?

GLOUCESTER.

The Tower! the Tower! Exit

QUEEN MARGARET. O Ned, sweet Ned, speak to thy mother, boy!

Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers!

They that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all,

Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,

If this foul deed were by to equal it.

He was a man: this, in respect, a child;

And men ne'er spend their fury on a child.

What's worse than murderer, that I may name it?

No, no, my heart will burst, an if I speak-

And I will speak, that so my heart may burst.

Butchers and villains! bloody cannibals!

How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd!

You have no children, butchers, if you had,

The thought of them would have stirr'd up remorse.

But if you ever chance to have a child,

Look in his youth to have him so cut off

As, deathsmen, you have rid this sweet young prince!

KING EDWARD.

Away with her; go, bear her hence perforce.

QUEEN MARGARET.

Nay, never bear me hence; dispatch me here.

Here sheathe thy sword; I'll pardon thee my death.

What, wilt thou not? Then, Clarence, do it thou.

CLARENCE.

By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease.

QUEEN MARGARET.

Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it.

CLARENCE.

Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it?

QUEEN MARGARET.

Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself.

'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity.

What! wilt thou not? Where is that devil's butcher,

Hard-favour'd Richard? Richard, where art thou?

Thou art not here. Murder is thy alms-deed;

Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back.

KING EDWARD.

Away, I say; I charge ye bear her hence.

QUEEN MARGARET.

So come to you and yours as to this prince.

Exit, led out forcibly

KING EDWARD.

Where's Richard gone?

CLARENCE.

To London, all in post; and, as I guess,

To make a bloody supper in the Tower.

KING EDWARD.

He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head.

Now march we hence. Discharge the common sort

With pay and thanks; and let's away to London

And see our gentle queen how well she fares.

By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. Exeunt

SCENE VI. London. The Tower

Enter KING HENRY and GLOUCESTER with the LIEUTENANT, on the walls

GLOUCESTER.

Good day, my lord. What, at your book so hard?

KING HENRY.

Ay, my good lord- my lord, I should say rather.

'Tis sin to flatter; 'good' was little better.

'Good Gloucester' and 'good devil' were alike,

And both preposterous; therefore, not 'good lord.'

GLOUCESTER.

Sirrah, leave us to ourselves; we must confer.

Exit LIEUTENANT

KING HENRY.

So flies the reckless shepherd from the wolf;

So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece,

And next his throat unto the butcher's knife.

What scene of death hath Roscius now to act?

GLOUCESTER.

Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind:

The thief doth fear