ACT V SCENE V | Another part of the field. | |
[
Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE,
and soldiers; with QUEEN MARGARET, OXFORD, and
SOMERSET, prisoners
] |
KING EDWARD IV | Now here a period of tumultuous broils. |
| Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight: |
| For Somerset, off with his guilty head. |
| Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak. |
OXFORD | For my part, I'll not trouble thee with words. | 5 |
SOMERSET | Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune. |
[Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded] |
QUEEN MARGARET | So part we sadly in this troublous world, |
| To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem. |
KING EDWARD IV | Is proclamation made, that who finds Edward |
| Shall have a high reward, and he his life? | 10 |
GLOUCESTER | It is: and lo, where youthful Edward comes! |
[Enter soldiers, with PRINCE EDWARD] |
KING EDWARD IV | Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak. |
| What! can so young a thorn begin to prick? |
| Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make |
| For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects, | 15 |
| And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to? |
PRINCE EDWARD | Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York! |
| Suppose that I am now my father's mouth; |
| Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou, |
| Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee, | 20 |
| Which traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to. |
QUEEN MARGARET | Ah, that thy father had been so resolved! |
GLOUCESTER | That you might still have worn the petticoat, |
| And ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster. |
PRINCE EDWARD | Let AEsop fable in a winter's night; | 25 |
| His currish riddles sort not with this place. |
GLOUCESTER | By heaven, brat, I'll plague ye for that word. |
QUEEN MARGARET | Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men. |
GLOUCESTER | For God's sake, take away this captive scold. |
PRINCE EDWARD | Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather. | 30 |
KING EDWARD IV | Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue. |
CLARENCE | Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert. |
PRINCE EDWARD | I know my duty; you are all undutiful: |
| Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George, |
| And thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all | 35 |
| I am your better, traitors as ye are: |
| And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine. |
KING EDWARD IV | Take that, thou likeness of this railer here. |
[Stabs him] |
GLOUCESTER | Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy agony. |
[Stabs him] |
CLARENCE | And there's for twitting me with perjury. | 40 |
[Stabs him] |
QUEEN MARGARET | O, kill me too! |
GLOUCESTER | Marry, and shall. |
[Offers to kill her] |
KING EDWARD IV | Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done too much. |
GLOUCESTER | Why should she live, to fill the world with words? |
KING EDWARD IV | What, doth she swoon? use means for her recovery. | 45 |
GLOUCESTER | Clarence, excuse me to the king my brother; |
| I'll hence to London on a serious matter: |
| Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news. |
CLARENCE | What? what? |
GLOUCESTER | The Tower, the Tower. | 50 |
[Exit] |
QUEEN MARGARET | O Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy! |
| Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers! |
| They that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all, |
| Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame, |
| If this foul deed were by to equal it: | 55 |
| He was a man; this, in respect, a child: |
| And men ne'er spend their fury on a child. |
| What's worse than murderer, that I may name it? |
| No, no, my heart will burst, and if I speak: |
| And I will speak, that so my heart may burst. | 60 |
| Butchers and villains! bloody cannibals!
|
| How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd! |
| You have no children, butchers! if you had, |
| The thought of them would have stirr'd up remorse: |
| But if you ever chance to have a child, | 65 |
| Look in his youth to have him so cut off |
| As, deathmen, you have rid this sweet young prince! |
KING EDWARD IV | Away with her; go, bear her hence perforce. |
QUEEN MARGARET | Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch me here, |
| Here sheathe thy sword, I'll pardon thee my death: | 70 |
| What, wilt thou not? then, Clarence, do it thou. |
CLARENCE | By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease. |
QUEEN MARGARET | Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it. |
CLARENCE | Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it? |
QUEEN MARGARET | Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself: | 75 |
| 'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity. |
| What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil's butcher, |
| Hard-favour'd Richard? Richard, where art thou? |
| Thou art not here: murder is thy alms-deed; |
| Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back. | 80 |
KING EDWARD IV | Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her hence. |
QUEEN MARGARET | So come to you and yours, as to this Prince! |
[Exit, led out forcibly] |
KING EDWARD IV | Where's Richard gone? |
CLARENCE | To London, all in post; and, as I guess, |
| To make a bloody supper in the Tower. | 85 |
KING EDWARD IV | He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head. |
| Now march we hence: discharge the common sort |
| With pay and thanks, and let's away to London |
| And see our gentle queen how well she fares: |
| By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. | 90 |
[Exeunt] |