I do mistake my person all this while: [Exit. Enter Queen ELIZABETH, Lord RIVERS, and Lord GREY. Riv. Have patience, madam; there's no doubt, his majesty. Will soon recover his accustom'd health. Grey. In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse: Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort, And cheer his grace with quick and merry words. Q. Eliz. If he were dead, what would betide of me? Grey. No other harm, but loss of such a lord. Q. Eliz. The loss of such a lord includes all harms. Grey. The heavens have bless'd you with a goodly son, To be your comforter, when he is gone. Q. Eliz. Ah, he is young; and his minority Enter BUCKINGHAM and STANLEY. Grey. Here come the lords of Buckingham and Buck. Good time of day unto your royal grace! To your good prayer will scarcely say — amen. Stan. I do beseech you, either not believe Bear with her weakness, which, I think, proceeds Q. Eliz. Saw you the king to-day, my lord of Stanley? Q. Eliz. What likelihood of his amendment, lords? Buck. Ay, madam: he desires to make atonement 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 : Who are they, that complain unto the king, Cannot a plain man live, and think no harm, 8 Grey. To whom in all this presence speaks your grace? Glo. To thee, that hast 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.9 Q. Eliz. Brother of Gloster, you mistake the matter: The king, of his own royal disposition, And not provok'd by any suitor else; Glo. I cannot tell; The world is grown so bad, That wrens may prey where eagles dare not perch: Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog, Duck with French nods and apish courtesy,] An importation of artificial manners seems to have afforded our ancient poets a neverfailing topick of invective. 9 with lewd complaints.] Lewd, in the present instance, signifies rude, ignorant; from the Anglo-Saxon, laewede, a laick. Chaucer often uses the word lewd, both for a laick and an ignorant person. 1 Since every Jack became a gentleman, 1 Q. Eliz. Come, come, we know your meaning, brother Gloster; You envy my advancement and my friends; God grant, we never may have need of you! 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 ennoble those That scarce, some two days since, were worth a noble. Q. Eliz. By Him, that raised 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. Riv. 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; What may she not? She may,-ay, 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 too long borne 1 Since every Jack became a gentleman,] 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. + “while many fair promotions" — Malone. Your blunt upbraidings, and your bitter scoffs: Enter Queen MARGARET, behind. 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. 'Tis time to speak, my pains 2 are quite forgot. Q. Mar. Out, devil! I remember them too well: Glo. Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband king, I was a pack-horse in his great affairs; A weeder-out of his proud adversaries, A liberal rewarder of his friends; 3 To royalize his blood, I spilt mine own. Q. Mar. Ayt, 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 In Margaret's battle at Saint Albans' slain? husband "To be thus taunted, scorn'd, and baited at.” - MALONE. 2 my pains-] My labours, my toils. 3 — royalize ] i. e. to make royal. "Yea," MALONE. Margaret's battle-] is- Margaret's army. |