Th' untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster.— If ever he have child, abortive be it, Prodigious, and untimely brought to light, May fright the hopeful mother at the view; If ever he have wife, let her be made. Than I am made by my young lord, and thee!— 1 that made these WOUNDS!] The folio alone has "wounds," and all the quartos holes, a word to be avoided, if on no other ground, because it occurs just below. 2 that had the heart to do it!] All the quartos give the two last lines thus: "Curst be the hand that made these fatal holes, Curst be the heart, that had the heart to do it." The next line is omitted in every quarto edition. 3 Than I can wish to ADDERS, spiders, toads,] The folio has wolres for “adders," but the next line shows that the reading of every quarto is right, for wolres cannot be said to be "creeping venom'd things.” 4 And that be heir to his unhappiness!] This line is wanting in every quarto. 5 MORE miserable-] The quartos have As for " More," in this line, and for "Than" at the commencement of the next. The reading of the folio is certainly preferable. VOL. V. A a Come, now toward Chertsey with your holy load, And still, as you are weary of this weight, [The Bearers take up the Corpse and advance. Enter GLOSTER. Glo. Stay you, that bear the corse, and set it down. Anne. What black magician conjures up this fiend, To stop devoted charitable deeds? Glo. Villains! set down the corse; or, by Saint Paul, I'll make a corse of him that disobeys. 1 Gent. My lord, stand back, and let the coffin pass. Glo. Unmanner'd dog! stand thou when I command": Advance thy halberd higher than my breast, [The Bearers set down the Coffin. For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, O, gentlemen! see, see! dead Henry's wounds. 6 STAND thou when I command:] So the quarto editions, with the exception of that of 1634, which has stand'st, with the folio, 1623; although the quarto, 1634, was evidently not printed from the folio, 1623: the folio, 1632, corrects the obvious error. Open their congeal'd mouths, and bleed afresh"!- For 'tis thy presence that exhales this blood From cold and empty veins, where no blood dwells: Provokes this deluge most unnatural.— O God, which this blood mad'st, revenge his death! Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses. Of these supposed evils to give me leave By circumstance but to acquit myself. Anne. Vouchsafe, diffus'd infection of a man, For these known evils but to give me leave By circumstance to curse thy cursed self. Glo. Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have Some patient leisure to excuse myself. Anne. Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make No excuse current, but to hang thyself. Glo. By such despair, I should accuse myself. Anne. And, by despairing, shalt thou stand excus'd; For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, 7 and bleed afresh !] Innumerable proofs might be quoted from our old writers to show the prevalence of the superstition, that the wounds of a person murdered bled afresh at the appearance of the murderer. Of these supposed EVILS-] So the quartos: the folio, crimes; but Lady Anne, reiterating Gloster's words, repeats "evils." That didst unworthy slaughter upon others. Anne. Then say they were not slain": But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee. Glo. I did not kill your husband. Anne. Why, then he is alive. Glo. Nay, he is dead; and slain by Edward's hand. Anne. In thy foul throat thou liest: queen Margaret saw Thy murderous falchion' smoking in his blood; Glo. I was provoked by her sland'rous tongue, Glo. I grant ye. Anne. Dost grant me, hedge-hog? then, God grant me too, Thou may'st be damned for that wicked deed! O! he was gentle, mild, and virtuous. Glo. The fitter' for the King of heaven that hath him. Anne. He is in heaven, where thou shalt never come. Glo. Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither; For he was fitter for that place than earth. Anne. And thou unfit for any place but hell. Glo. Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it. Anne. Some dungeon. Glo. Your bed-chamber. Then say they were not slain.] We give the reading of the folio, which better preserves the antithesis than "Why, then, they are not dead" of the quarto impressions. Thy MURDEROUS falchion-] Thus the folio: every quarto has "bloody falchion." Steevens read the preceding line, "In thy soul's throat," against every authority. 2 The FITTER-] The folio reads, "the better;" but Gloster, just afterwards, uses "fitter" exactly in the same manner. Anne. Il rest betide the chamber where thou liest. Glo. I know so. But, gentle lady Anne, To leave this keen encounter of our wits, And fall something into a slower method;- Anne. Thou wast the cause', and most accurs'd effect. So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom. You should not blemish it, if I stood by: As all the world is cheered by the sun, So I by that; it is my day, my life. Anne. Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life! Glo. Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both. 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'. 2 And fall SOMETHING- -] The quarto editions read somewhat. 3 Thou WAST the cause,] The question of Gloster is in the present tense, and the quartos make Lady Anne answer in the present tense also, "Thou art the cause." Gloster's reply shows that of the folio to be the right reading. So I might LIVE-] The quartos have rest for "live." In Gloster's next speech the quartos have, "These eyes could never endure sweet beauty's wreck," for the line in our text, which is from the folio. 5 That KILL'D my husband.] The quartos read, slew. |