To make the blessed period of this peace. Buck. And, in good time, here comes the noble duke". Enter GLOSTER. Glo. Good-morrow to my sovereign king, and queen; And, princely peers, a happy time of day! K. Edw. Happy, indeed, as we have spent the day.— Gloster, we have done deeds of charity; Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate, Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers. Glo. A blessed labour, my most sovereign lord.— Among this princely heap, if any here, By false intelligence, or wrong surmise, If I unwittingly, or in my rage, Have aught committed that is hardly borne To any in this presence', I desire To reconcile me to his friendly peace: I hate it, and desire all good men's love.— That all without desert have frown'd on me; 4 the BLESSED period-] “Perfect period,” quartos. 5 And, in good time, here comes the noble duke.] So the quartos, correctly; but the folio reads, "And in good time Here comes Sir Richard Ratcliffe and the duke." The stage-direction which follows in the folio is consistently, "Enter Ratcliffe and Gloster," but Gloster only appears to have entered. It is not easy to account for this discordance between the quartos and folio. 6 If I UNWITTINGLY, or in my rage,] The folio, by an easy misprint, has unwillingly, but all the quarto copies are right. To any in this presence,] Prepositions, in the time of Shakespeare, were used with great licence; as in this instance, the quartos read "By any," &c. and the folios, " To any," &c. Of you, lord Woodville, and lord Scales, of you; I do not know that Englishman alive, With whom my soul is any jot at odds, Q. Eliz. A holy day shall this be kept hereafter:- Glo. Why, madam, have I offer'd love for this, You do him injury to scorn his corse. [They all start. K. Edw. Who knows not, he is dead! who knows he is? Q. Eliz. All-seeing heaven, what a world is this! sence, But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks. K. Edw. Is Clarence dead? the order was revers'd. Glo. But he, poor man', by your first order died, And that a winged Mercury did bear; Some tardy cripple bare the countermand, God grant, that some, less noble, and less loyal, Of you, lord Woodville, and lord Scales, of you ;] This line is only found in the folio. To be so FLOUTED—] 1 But he, poor MAN,] "To be so scorned," quartos. "Poor soul," is the reading of the quartos. Enter STANLEY. Stan. A boon, my sovereign, for my service done! K. Edw. I pr'ythee, peace: my soul is full of sorrow. Stan. I will not rise, unless your highness hear me. K. Edw. Then say at once, what is it thou request'st'. Stan. The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant's life3; Who slew to-day a riotous gentleman, Lately attendant on the duke of Norfolk. K. Edw. Have I a tongue to doom my brother's death, And shall that tongue1 give pardon to a slave? 2 what is it thou REQUEST'ST.] The reading of the quartos is, "Then speak what is it thou demand'st." 3 The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant's life ;] i. e. Grant me my servant's life, which has become forfeit. 4 And shall THAT TONGUE-] "And shall the same," in the quartos. 5 - was BITTER death.] "Cruel death," quartos. In the next line, the folio has, "in my wrath," and the quartos, “in my rage." Have done a drunken slaughter, and defac'd You straight are on your knees for pardon, pardon ; But for my brother not a man would speak, On me, and you, and mine, and yours, for this.- [Exeunt King, Queen, HASTINGS, Rivers, Dorset, Glo. This is the fruit of rashness.-Mark'd you not, How that the guilty kindred of the queen Look'd pale, when they did hear of Clarence' death? God will revenge it. Come, lords; will you go', Buck. We wait upon your grace. [Exeunt. SCENE II. London. Enter the Duchess of YORK, with a Son and Daughter of CLARENCE. 6 Son. Good grandam, tell us, is our father dead? once BEG for his life.] So the folio: the quartos have plead for " beg.” 7 Come, lords; will you go,]"But come, let's in," is the reading of the quartos, which leaves the measure incomplete. Buckingham's reply, "We wait upon your grace," is wanting in the quartos. Daugh. Why do you weep so oft? and beat your breast; And cry-" O Clarence, my unhappy son!" Son. Why do you look on us, and shake your head, And call us-orphans, wretches, cast-aways, If that our noble father were alive? Duch. My pretty cousins, you mistake me both", As loath to lose him, not your father's death. Son. Then you conclude, my grandam, he is dead? The king mine uncle is to blame for it: God will revenge it; whom I will importune With earnest prayers all to that effect. Daugh. And so will I. Duch. Peace, children, peace! the king doth love you well. Incapable and shallow innocents, You cannot guess who caus'd your father's death. Son. Grandam, we can; for my good uncle Gloster And pitied me, and kindly kiss'd my cheek2; And he would love me dearly as a child. Duch. Ah! that deceit should steal such gentle shape, And with a virtuous visor hide deep vice3! 8 Why do you weep so oft?] The quartos have, "Why do you wring your hands?" 9 - you mistake me BOTH,] "You mistake me much," quartos. It were lost sorrow to wail one that's lost.] The quartos give this line, "It were lost labour to weep for one that's lost." 2 And when my uncle told me so, he wept, And pitied me, and kindly kiss'd my cheek ;] The quartos thus imperfectly represent these two lines :: 3 "And when he told me so, he wept, And hugg'd me in his arm, and kindly kiss'd my cheek." hide deep VICE !] "Deep guile" is the reading of the quartos. |