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 rancor of your high-swoln hearts,
But lately splinted, knit, and join'd together,
Must gently be preserved, cherish'd, and kept.
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.

Ri. Why with some little train, my lord of
Buckingham?

Buck. Marry, my lord, leşt, 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 un-
govern'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.

Glos. I hope, the king made peace with all of us; And the compact is firm and true in me.

Ri. 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 urged: Therefore I say, with noble Buckingham,

That it is meet so few should fetch the prince.

Has, And so say I.

Glos. 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 1 in this weighty business?
[Exeunt all but 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 2 to the story we late talk'd of,

To part the queen's proud kindred from the prince. Glos. 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.

The same. A street.

Enter TWO CITIZENS, meeting.

1 Cit. Good morrow, neighbor.

so fast?

Whither away

2 Cit. I promise you, I scarcely know myself. Hear you the news abroad?

1 Cit.

Yes; that the king is dead.

2 Cit. Ill news, by 'r lady; seldom comes the

better.

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

Enter another CITIZEN.

3 Cit. Neighbors, God speed!

1 Cit.

Give you good morrow, sir. 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!

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;1

For then this land was famously enrich'd

With politic 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,

I Knows.

Or by his father there were none at all:
For emulation now, who shall be nearest,

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 haught1 and proud;

And were they to be ruled, 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.

2 Cit. Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear : You cannot reason 2 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 boisterous 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. [Exeunt.

1 Haughty.

2 Converse.

SHAK.

IX.

SCENE IV.

London. A room in the palace.

Enter ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, young DUKE OF YORK, QUEEN ELIZABETH, and DUCHESS OF YORK.

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

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

Duch. I long with all my heart to see the prince :

I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.

Q. Eli. But I hear, no: they say, my son of

York

Hath almost overta'en him in his growth.

York. Ay, mother, but I would not have it so. Duch. 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.

Duch. Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold

In him that did object the same to thee: