Buck. You cloudy princes, and heart-sorrowing

peers,

That bear this mutual heavy load of moan,

Now cheer each other in each other's love:
Though we have spent our harvest of this king,
We are to reap the harvest of his son.

The broken rancour of your high-swoln hearts,
But lately splinted, knit, and join'd together,
Must gently be preserv'd, cherish'd, and kept: 260
Me seemeth good, that, with some little train,
Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fetch'd
Hither to London, to be crown'd our king.

Rio. Why with some little train, my lord of Buck. ingham ?

Buck. Marry, my lord, lest, by a multitude,

The new-heal'd wound of malice should break out;
Which would be so much the more dangerous,
By how much the estate is green, and yet ungovern'd :
Where every horse bears his commanding rein,
And may direct his course as please himself,
As well the fear of harm, as harm apparent,
In my opinion, ought to be prevented.

270

Glo. I hope, the king made peace with all of us; And the compact is firm, and true, in me. Riv. And so in me; and so, I think, in all: Yet, since, it is but green, it should be put To no apparent likelihood of breach,

Which, haply, by much company might be urg'd: Therefore I say with noble Buckingham,

That it is meet so few should fetch the prince.

Fij

280

Hast.

Hast. And so say I.

Glo. Then be it so; and go we to determine

Who they shall be that straight shall post to Ludlow. Madam-and you my mother-will you go

To give your censures in this weighty business? [Exeunt Queen, &c.

Manent BUCKINGHAM, and GLOSTER.

Buck. My lord, whoever journeys to the prince,
For God's sake, let not us two stay at home:
For, by the way, I'll sort occasion,

As index to the story we late talk'd of,

289

To part the queen's proud kindred from the prince.
Glo. My other self, my counsel's consistory,

My oracle, my prophet!-My dear cousin,
I, as a child, will go by thy direction.

Towards Ludlow then, for we'll not stay behind.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

A Street near the Court. Enter two Citizens, meeting.

1 Cit. Good morrow, neighbour: Whither away so fast?

2 Cit. I promise you, I hardly know myself:

Hear you the news abroad?

1 Cit. Yes, that the king is dead.

2 Cit. Ill news, by'r lady; seldom comes a better:

I fear,

I fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world.

Enter another Citizen.

3 Cit. Neighbours, God speed!

1 Cit. Give you good morrow, sír.

300

3 Cit. Doth the news hold of good king Edward's death?

2 Cit. Ay, sir, it is too true; God help, the while! 3 Cit. Then, masters, look to see a troublous world.

1 Cit. No, no; by God's good grace, his son shall reign.

3

Cit. Woe to that land, that's govern'd by a

child!

310

2 Cit. In him there is a hope of government; That, in his nonage, council under him, And, in his full and ripen'd years, himself, No doubt, shall then, and 'till then, govern well. 1 Cit. So stood the state, when Henry the sixth Was crown'd in Paris but at nine months old. 3 Cit. Stood the state so no, no, good friends, God wot;

For then this land was famously enrich'd

With politick grave counsel; then the king
Had virtuous uncles to protect his grace,

1 Cit. Why, so hath this, both by his father and mother.

3 Cit. Better it were, they all came by his father; Or, by his father, there were none at all: For emulation now, who shall be nearest,

Fiij

320

Will

Will touch us all too near if God prevent not.

O, full of danger is the duke of Gloster;

And the queen's sons, and brothers, haught and proud:

And were they to be rul'd and not to rule,

This sickly land might solace as before.

1 Cit. Come, come, we fear the worst; all will be well.

3 Cit. When clouds are seen, wise men put on their

cloaks;

When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand;
When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?
Untimely storms make men expect a dearth :
All may be well; but, if God sort it so,
'Tis more than we deserve, or I expect.

331

2 Cit. Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear : You cannot reason almost with a man

That looks not heavily, and full of dread.

3

Cit. Before the days of change, still is it so:
By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust

Ensuing danger; as, by proof, we see
The water swell before a boist'rous storm.
But leave it all to God. Whither away?

2 Cit. Marry, we were sent for to the justices.
3 Cit. And so was I; I'll bear you company.

340

:

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE IV.

A Room in the Palace. Enter Archbishop of YORK, the young Duke of YORK, the Queen, and the Dutchess of

YORK.

Arch. Last night, I heard, they lay at Northampton;

At Stony-Stratford they do rest to-night:
To-morrow, or next day, they will be here.

Dutch. I long with all my heart to see the prince ;
I hope, he is much grown since last I saw him.
Queen. But I hear, no; they say, my son of York
Has almost overta'en him in his growth.

350

York. Ay, mother, but I would not have it so. Dutch. Why, my young cousin? it is good to grow. York. Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper, My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow

More than my brother; Ay, quoth my uncle Gloster,
Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace:
And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast,
Because sweet flowers are slow, and weeds make haste.
Dutch. Good faith, good faith, the saying did not
hold

In him that did object the same to thee:

He was the wretched'st thing, when he was young,
So long a growing, and so leisurely,

360

That, if his rule were true, he should be gracious. Arch. And so, no doubt, he is, my gracious ma

dam.

Dutch.