You have been factious one against the other. your hand; Q. Eliz. There, Hastings;-I will never more re member Our former hatred, So thrive I, and mine! K. Edw. Dorset, embrace him,-Hastings, love lord marquis. Dor. This interchange of love, I here protest, Upon my part shall be inviolable. Hast. And so swear I. [Embraces DORSET. K. Edw. Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this league With thy embracements to my wife's allies, And make me happy in your unity. Buck. Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate Upon your grace, [To the Queen.] but with all duteous love Doth cherish you, and yours, God punish me [Embraces RIVERS, &c. K. Edw. A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham, Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart. There wanteth now our brother Gloster here, 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: Brother, 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 liege.-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 By any in this presence, I desire To reconcile me to his friendly peace: Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham, If ever any grudge were lodg'd between us;--- I thank my God for my humility. Q. Eliz. A holy-day shall this be kept hereafter :I would to God, all strifes were well compounded.My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness To take our brother Clarence to your grace. 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 bore the countermand, : God grant, that some, less noble, and less loyal, 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 life; 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 tongue give pardon to a slave? Come, Hastings, help me to my closet. O, Poor Clarence! [Exeunt King, Queen, HASTINGS, RIVERS, DORSET, and GREY. 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.-The same. Enter the Duchess of YORK, with a Son and Daughter of Son. Good grandam, tell us, is our father dead? 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 be alive? Duch. My pretty cousins, you mistake me both; I do lament the sickness of the king, As loath to lose him, not your father's death; It were lost sorrow, to wail one that's lost. Son. Then, grandam, you conclude that he is dead. The king my uncle is to blame for this: God will revenge it; whom I will impórtune |