Q. Mar. Thou had'st a Clarence too, and Richard kill'd him. From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept And makes her pue-fellow with others' moan! 340 Dutch. O, Harry's wife, triumph not in my woes; God witness with me, I have wept for thine. 351 Q. Mar. Bear with me; I am hungry for revenge, And now I cloy me with beholding it. Thy Edward he is dead, that kill'd my Edward; Thy Clarence he is dead, that stabb'd my Edward; The adulterate Hastings, Rivers, Vaughan, Grey, 361 Earth Earth gapes, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray, That I may live to say, The dog is dead! Queen. O, thou didst prophesy, the time would come, That I should wish for thee to help me curse That bottled spider, that foul bunch-back'd toad. 370 Q. Mar. I call'd thee then, vain flourish of my fortune; I call'd thee then, poor shadow, painted queen; The flattering index of a direful pageant, 380 Where is thy husband now? where be thy brothers ? ̧ Where be thy two sons? wherein dost thou joy? Who sues, and kneels, and says God save the queen? Where be the bending peers that flatter'd thee? Where be the thronging troops that follow'd thee? 390 For For one that scorn'd at me, now scorn'd of me; Now thy proud neck bears half my burden'd yoke; Farewel, York's wife-and queen of sad mischance- Q. Mar. Forbear to sleep the night, and fast the day; Compare dead happiness with living woe; 410 Queen. My words are dull, O, quicken them with thine! Q. Mar. Thy woes will make them sharp, and pierce like mine. [Exit MARGARET. Dutch. Why should calamity be full of words? Queen. Windy attornies to their client woes, Airy succeeders of intestate joys, Poor breathing orators of miseries! 420 Let them have scope: though what they do impart Help nothing else, yet they do ease the heart. Dutch. If so, then be not tongue-ty'd go with me, And in the breath of bitter words let's smother My damned son, that thy two sweet sons smother'd. [Drum, within. I hear his drum-be copious in exclaims. Enter King RICHARD, and his Train, marching. K. Rich. Who intercepts me in my expedition? Dutch. O, she, that might have intercepted thee, By strangling thee in her accursed womb, 429 From all the slaughters, wretch, that thou hast done. Queen. Hid'st thou that forehead with a golden crown, Where should be branded, if that right were right, The slaughter of the prince that ow'd that crown, And the dire death of my poor sons, and brothers? Tell me, thou villain-slave, where are my children? Dutch. Thou toad, thou toad, where is thy brother Clarence? And little Ned Plantagenet, his son? Queen. Where is the gentle Rivers, Vaughan, Grey? Dutch. Where is kind Hastings? K. Rich. A flourish, trumpets !-strike alarum, drums! Let not the heavens hear these tell-tale women 440 Either be patient, and entreat me fair, K. Rich. Ay; I thank God, my father, and yourself. Dutch. Then patiently hear my impatience. K. Rich. Madam, I have a touch of your condition, That cannot brook the accent of reproof. Dutch. O, let me speak. K. Rich. Do, then; but I'll not hear. Dutch. I will be mild and gentle in my words. 450 K. Rich. And brief, good mother; for I am in haste. Dutch. Art thou so hasty? I have staid for thee, God knows, in torment and in agony. K. Rich. And came I not at last to comfort you? Dutch. No, by the holy rood, thou know'st it well, Thou cam'st on earth to make the earth my hell. A grievous burden was thy birth to me; Tetchy and wayward was thy infancy; Thy school-days, frightful, desperate, wild, and fu rious, 460 Thy prime of manhood, daring, bold, and venturous; Thy age confirm'd, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody, More mild, but yet more harmful, kind in hatred: What comfortable hour canst thou name, That ever grac'd me in thy company? K. Rich. Faith, none but Humphry Houre, that call'd your grace To breakfast once, forth of my company. Lij If |