Chil. What stay had we but Clarence? and he's

gone.

Duch. What stays had I but they and they are

gone.

Q. Eliz. Was never widow had so dear a loss! Chil. Were never orphans had so dear a loss! Duch. Was never mother had so dear a loss ! Alas, I am the mother of these moans ! Their woes are parcelled, mine are general She for an Edward weeps, and so do I; I for a Clarence weep, so doth not she: These babes for Clarence weep, and so do I; I for an Edward weep, so do not they; Alas, you three, on me, threefold distressed, Pour all your tears? I am your sorrow's nurse, And I will pamper it with lamentations.

Dor. Comfort, dear mother: God is much displeased

That you take with unthankfulness his doing :
In common worldly things, 'tis called ungrateful,
With dull unwillingness to repay a debt
Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent;
Much more to be thus opposite with heaven
For it requires the royal debt it lent

you.
Riv. Madam, bethink you, like a careful mother,
Of the young prince your son: send straight for him;
Let him be crowned; in him your comfort lives:
Drown desperate sorrow in dead Edward's grave,
And plant your joys in living Edward's throne.

Enter GLOSTER, BUCKINGHAM, STANLEY, HASTINGS, RATCLIFF, and others.

Glo. Madam, have comfort: all of us have cause

To wail the dimming of our shining star;

But none can cure their harms by wailing them.-
Madam, my mother, I do cry you mercy;

I did not see your grace :-humbly on my knee
I crave your blessing.

Duch. God bless thee; and put meekness in thy mind,

Love, charity, obedience, and true duty!

Glo. Amen; [Aside.] and make me die a good old man!

That is the butt-end of a mother's blessing:
I marvel that her grace did leave it out.
Buck. You cloudy princes and heart-sorrowing

peers,

That bear this mutual heavy load of moan,
Now cheer each other in each other's love:
Though we have spent our harvest of this king,
We are to reap the harvest of his son.

The broken rancour of your high-swoln hearts,
But lately splintered, knit, and joined together,
Must gently be preserved, cherished, and kept :
Me seemeth good, that, with some little train,
Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fetched
Hither to London, to be crowned our king.

Riv. Why with some little train, my Lord of
Buckingham ?

Buck. Marry, my lord, lest, by a multitude, The new-healed wound of malice should break out; Which would be so much the more dangerous, By how much the state's green and yet ungoverned: Where every horse bears his commanding rein, And may direct his course as please himself, As well the fear of harm as harm apparent, In my opinion, ought to be prevented.

Glo. I hope the king made peace with all of us;

And the compact is firm and true in me.

Riv. And so in me; and so, I think, in all :
Yet, since it is but green, it should be put
To no apparent likelihood of breach,

Which haply by much company might be urged:
Therefore I say with noble Buckingham,

That it is meet so few should fetch the prince.
Hast. And so say I.

Glo. Then be it so; and go we to determine Who they shall be that straight shall post to Lud. low.

Madam, and you, my mother, will you go
To give your censures in this business?

[Exeunt all but Buckingham and Gloster
Buck. My lord, whoever journeys to the prince,
For God's sake, let not us two stay at home;
For, by the way, I'll sort occasion,

As index to the story we late talked of,

To part the queen's proud kindred from the prince.
Glo. My other self, my counsel's consistory,

My oracle, my prophet!-My dear cousin,
I, like a child, will go by thy direction.

Towards Ludlow then, for we'll not stay behind.

SCENE III.-London.

A Street.

[Exeunt.

Enter two Citizens, meeting.

1 Cit. Good morrow, neighbour, well met : whither away so fast?

2 Cit. I promise you, I scarcely know myself: Hear you the news abroad?

1 Cit.

Ay, that the king is dead.

2 Cit. Ill news, by 'r lady; seldom comes the

better:

I fear, I fear 'twill prove a giddy world.

Enter another Citizen.

3 Cit. Neighbours, God speed!

1 Cit.

3 Cit.

Give you good morrow, sir. Doth the news hold of good King Edward's death?

2 Cit. Ay, sir, it is too true; God help, the while! 3 Cit. Then, masters, look to see a troublous

world.

1 Cit. No, no; by God's good grace his son shall

reign.

3 Cit. Woe to that land that's governed by a child!

2 Cit. In him there is a hope of government, That, in his nonage, Council under him,

And in his full and ripened years himself,
No doubt, shall then, and till then, govern well.

1 Cit. So stood the state when Henry the Sixth Was crowned in Paris but at nine months old. 3 Cit. Stood the state so? No, no, good friends, God wot;

For then this land was famously enriched
With politic grave counsel; then the king
Had virtuous uncles to protect his grace.

▲ Cit. Why, so hath this, both by his father and mother.

3 Cit. Better it were they all came by his father, Or by his father there were none at all;

For emulation now, who shall be nearest,
Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not.
O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloster !

And the queen's sons and brothers haught and

proud :

And were they to be ruled, and not to rule,
This sickly land might solace as before.

1 Cit. Come, come, we fear the worst: all w`ll be well.

3 Cit. When clouds are seen, wise men put on their cloaks;

When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand;
When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?
Untimely storms make men expect a dearth.
All may be well; but, if God sort it so,
'Tis more than we deserve, or I expect.

2 Cit. Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear; Ye cannot reason almost with a man

'That looks not heavily and full of dread.

3 Cit. Before the days of change, still is it so: By a divine instinct men's minds mistrust Ensuing danger; as, by proof, we see

The waters swell before a boisterous storm.
But leave it all to God.-Whither away?

2 Cit. Marry, we were sent for to the justices
3 Cit. And so was I: I'll bear you company.
[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-London.

A Room in the Palace.

Enter the Archbishop of YORK, the young Duke of YORK, Queen ELIZABETH, and the Duchess of YORK.

Arch. Last night, I hear, they lay at Nort... ampton;

At Stony-Stratford will they be to-night: