Between the duke of Gloster and your brothers, Q. Eliz. 'Would all were well!-But that will never be; -I fear, our happiness is at the height. Enter GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and DORSET. Glo. They do me wrong, and I will not endure it :— Cannot a plain man live, and think no harm, Grey.To whom in all this presence speaks your grace? Glo. To thee, that hath nor honesty, nor grace. When have I injur'd thee? when done thee wrong ?Or thee?-or thee?-or any of your faction? A plague upon you all! His royal grace Whom God preserve better than you would wish !— Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing-while, But you must trouble him with lewd complaints.2 Q.Eliz. Brother of Gloster, you mistake the matter; The king, of his own royal disposition, And not provok'd by any suitor else; Makes him to send; that thereby he may gather Glo. I cannot tell :-the world is grown so bad, That wrens may prey where eagles dare not perch : Since every Jack became a gentleman, There's many a gentle person made a Jack. Q.Eliz. Come, come, we know your meaning, brother Gloster; [2] Lewd, rude, ignorant; from the Anglo-Saxon Laerwede, a Laick. STEEV. [3] This proverbial expression at once demonstrates the origin of the term Jack so often used by Shakspeare. It means one of the very lowest class of people, among whom this name is of the most common and familiar kind. DOUCE. You envy my advancement, and my friends; Glo. Meantime, God grants that we have need of you; Our brother is imprison'd by your means, Myself disgrac'd, and the nobility Held in contempt; while great promotions Are daily given, to enoble those That scarce, some two days since, were worth a noble. Q.Eliz. By Him, that rais'd me to this careful height From that contented hap which I enjoy'd, I never did incense his majesty Against the duke of Clarence, but have been An earnest advocate to plead for him. My lord, you do me shameful injury, Falsely to draw me in these vile suspects. Glo. You may deny that you were not the cause Of my lord Hastings' late imprisonment. Riu. She may, my lord; for Glo. She may, lord Rivers?-why, who knows not so She may do more, sir, than denying that: She may help you to many fair preferments; And then deny her aiding hand therein, And lay those honours on your high desert. What may she not ?-She may, ay, marry, may she,Riv. What, marry, may she? Glo. What, marry, may she? marry with a king, A bachelor, a handsome stripling too : I wis, your grandam had a worser match. Q.Eliz. My lord of Gloster, I have loo long borne Q.Mar.And lessen'd be that small, God, I beseech thee! Thy honour, state, and seat, is due to me. Glo. What threat you me with telling of the king? Tell him, and spare not; look, what I have said I will avouch, in presence of the king: I dare adventure to be sent to the Tower, Q.Mar. Out, devil! I remember them too well: 5 Glo. Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband king, To royalize his blood, I spilt mine own. Q.Mar. Ay, and much better blood than his, or thine. Glo. In all which time, you, and your husband Grey, Were factious for the house of Lancaster ; And, Rivers, so were you :-Was not your husband What you have been ere now, and what you are ; Q.Mar. A murd'rous villain, and so still thou art. Glo. To fight on Edward's party for the crown ; I would to God, my heart were flint, like Edward's, I am too childish-foolish for this world. Q.Mar.Hie thee to hell for shame,and leave this world, Thou cacodæmon! there thy kingdom is. Riv. My lord of Gloster, in those busy days, Q.Mar. A little joy enjoys the queen thereof; I can no longer hold me patient. [Advancing. Hear me, you wrangling pirates, that fall out [5] This scene of Margaret's imprecations is fine and artful. She prepares the audience, like another Cassandra, for the following tragic revolu tions. WARB. Which of you trembles not, that looks on me ?6 Glo.Foul wrinkled witch, what mak'st thou in my sight? Q.Mar. But repetition of what thou hast marr'd; That will I make, beforeI et thee go. Glo. Wert thou not banished on pain of death? Q.Mar.. I was; but I do find more pain in banishment, Than death can yield me here by my abode. A husband, and a son, thou ow'st to me,- Glo. The curse my noble father laid on thee,- Denounc'd against thee, are all fallen upon thee; Hast. O, 'twas the foulest deed to slay that babe, Riv. Tyrants themselves wept when it was reported. Dors. No man but prophesy'd revenge for it. Buck. Northumberland, then present, wept to see it. Q.Mar. What! were you snarling all, before I came, Ready to catch each other by the throat, And turn you all your hatred now on me? Did York's dread curse prevail so much with heaven, [6] The merits of this scene are insufficient to excuse its improbability. Margaret, bullying the court of England in the royal palace, is a circumstance as absurd as the courtship of Gloster in a public street. STEEV. [7] To plague, in ancient language, is to punish. Hence the scripturat term-the plagues of Egypt." STEEV. [8] Alluding to his luxurious life. JOHNS. 27* VOL. V. For Edward, my son, that was prince of Wales, Glo. Have done thy charm, thou hateful wither'd hag. Q.Mar. And leave out thee? stay, dog, for thou shalt hear me. If heaven have any grievous plague in store, On thee, the troubler of the poor world's peace! Glo. Margaret. Q.Mar. Richard! Q.Mar. I call thee not. Glo. I cry thee mercy then; for, I did think, That thou had'st call'd me all these bitter names. [9] The common people in Scotland have still an aversion to those who have any natural defect or redundancy, as thinking them mark'd out for mischief. STEEV. She calls him hog, as an appellation more contemptuous than bear, as he is elsewhere termed from his ensigns armorial. JOHNS. |