Glo. As much unto my good lord chamberlain! Well are you welcome to the open air. How hath your lordship brook'd imprisonment? Hast. With patience, noble lord, as prisoners must: But I shall live, my lord, to give them thanks That were the cause of my imprisonment. Glo. No doubt, no doubt; and so shall Clarence too; For they that were your enemies are his, 130 And have prevail'd as much on1 him as you. Hast. More pity that the eagle should be mew'd,2 While kites and buzzards prey at liberty.3 Glo. What news abroad? Hast. No news so bad abroad as this at home, The king is sickly, weak, and melancholy, Glo. Now, by Saint Paul, this news is bad indeed. O, he hath kept an evil diet long, The corpse of KING HENRY THE SIXTH is brought in, borne in an open coffin, attended by TRESSEL, BERKELEY, and other Gentlemen with halberds guarding it; and LADY ANNE as mourner. Anne. Set down, set down your honourable load, If honour may be shrouded in a hearse,— 11 Advance thy halberd higher than my breast, Or, by Saint Paul, I'll strike thee to my foot, And spurn upon thee, beggar, for thy bold ness. [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! Thou hadst but power over his mortal body,— His soul thou canst not have; therefore, be gone. Glo. Sweet saint, for charity, be not so curst. Anne. Foul devil, for God's sake, hence, and trouble us not; 50 60 Thy deed, inhuman and unnatural, O earth, which this blood drink'st, revenge his death! Either, heaven, with lightning strike the murderer dead; Or, earth, gape open wide, and eat him quick,8 As thou dost swallow up this good king's blood, Which his hell-govern'd arm hath butchered! ]{ Glo. Lady, you know no rules of charity, Which renders good for bad, blessings for For these known evils, but to give me leave, Some patient leisure to excuse myself. No excuse current, but to hang thyself. Glo. Your beauty was the cause of that effect; Your beauty, that did haunt me in my sleep These nails should rent that beauty from my cheeks. Glo. These eyes could not endure that beauty's wreck; You should not blemish it, if I stood by: 130 Anne. Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life! Glo. Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both. Anne. I would I were, to be reveng'd on thee. Glo. It is a quarrel most unnatural, To be reveng'd on him that loveth thee. Anne. It is a quarrel just and reasonable, To be reveng'd on him that kill'd my husband. Glo. He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband, Did it to help thee to a better husband. Anne. His better doth not breathe upon the earth. 140 Glo. He lives that loves thee better than hé could. Anne. Name him. Glo. 110 Anne. Anne. Il rest betide the chamber where thou liest! Glo. So will it, madam, till I lie with you. Anne. I hope so. Plantagenet. Why, that was he. 1 Worthy, deserved. 2 Bend against, present at. Effect=doing, agency. 4 Timeless, untimely. Rent-rend. 180 [She offers at his breast with his sword. But it was thy beauty that provoked me. Nay, now dispatch; 't was I that stabb'd young Edward,— [She again offers at his breast. But 't was thy heavenly face that set me on. [She lets fall the sword. Take up the sword again, or take up me. Anne. Arise, dissembler: though I wish thy death, I will not be thy executioner. Glo. Then bid me kill myself, and 1 will Glo. Tis figur'd in my tongue. Glo. Then never man was true. 190 200 [She puts on the ring. Glo. Look, how this ring encompasseth thy finger, Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart; |