And these gray locks, the pursuivants of death, Argue the end of Edmund Mortimer: These eyes-like lamps whose wasting oil is spent- Weak shoulders, overborne with burdening grief; And pithless arms, like to a wither'd vine First Keep. Richard Plantagenet, my lord, will come: Mor. Enough: my soul shall then be satisfied.- But now, the arbitrator of despairs, (68) Just death, kind umpire of men's miseries, With sweet enlargement doth dismiss me hence: That so he might recover what was lost. Enter RICHARD PLANTAGENET. First Keep. My lord, your loving nephew now is come. Mor. Richard Plantagenet, friend,(69) is he come? (66) Nestor-like agèd, in an age of care,] length, being overburdened with care, has of Nestor's three centuries." Walker's Crit. "i.e. an old age of ordinary wrought upon me the effect Exam., &c., vol. iii. p. 151. (Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector substitutes ". in a cage of care.") (67) the Temple, to his chamber;] The folio has "the Temple, vnto his Chamber." (The second folio, "the Temple, his Chamber.”) (68) despairs,] Qy. "despair"? (69) friend,] The folio has "my friend." Plan. Ay, noble uncle, thus ignobly us'd, Your nephew, late-despisèd Richard, comes. Mor. Direct mine arms I may embrace his neck, O, tell me when my lips do touch his cheeks, And now declare, sweet stem from York's great stock, Plan. First, lean thine agèd back against mine arm; This day, in argument upon a case, And for alliance' sake, declare the cause Mor. That cause, fair nephew, that imprison'd me, Plan. Discover more at large what cause that was; For I am ignorant, and cannot guess. Mor. I will, if that my fading(70) breath permit, And death approach not ere my tale be done. Henry the Fourth, grandfather to this king, Depos'd his nephew Richard,(7)-Edward's son, (70) fading] "Failing,' surely." Walker's Crit. Exam., &c., vol. iii. P. 151. (71) his nephew Richard,] "Thus the old copy. Modern editors read 'his cousin,' but without necessity. Nephew has sometimes the power of the Latin nepos, and is used with great laxity among our ancient English writers. Thus in Othello, Iago tells Brabantio he shall have his nephews (ie. the children of his own daughter) neigh to him.'" STEEVENS. "It would be surely better to read cousin,' the meaning which 'nephew' ought to have in this place. Mr. Steevens only proves that the word nephews is sometimes used for grandchildren, which is very certain. Both uncle and nephew might, however, formerly signify The first-begotten and the lawful heir Of Edward king, the third of that descent: Endeavour'd my advancement to the throne: I was the next by birth and parentage; From Lionel Duke of Clarence, the third son Plan. Of which, my lord, your honour is the last. cousin. See the Menagiana, vol. ii. p. 193. In The Second Part of the Troublesome Raigne of King John, Prince Henry calls his cousin the Bastard 'uncle."" RITSON. "I believe the mistake here arose from the [unknown] author's ignorance; and that he conceived Richard to be Henry's nephew." MALONE. (72) Was, for that-young King Richard thus remov'd, Here "King" in the first line, and "the" in the second line, were inserted by the editor of the second folio; the third line is corrupted. Mor. True; and thou seest that I no issue have, Plan. Thy grave admonishments prevail with me: Mor. With silence, nephew, be thou politic: As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd With long continuance in a settled place. Plan. O, uncle, would some part of my young years Might but redeem the passage of your age! Mor. Thou dost, then, wrong me,-as that slaughterer doth Which giveth many wounds when one will kill. Mourn not, except thou sorrow for my good; Only, give order for my funeral: And so, farewell; and fair be all thy hopes, And prosperous be thy life in peace and war! Plan. And peace, no war, befall thy parting soul! In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage, And like a hermit overpass'd thy days. Well, I will lock his counsel in my breast; Will see his burial better than his life. [Dies. [Exeunt Keepers, bearing out the body of Mortimer. Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer, Chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort :- (73) And, like a mountain, not to be remov'd. "I suspect error here, merely on account of the repetition, for the words themselves are perfectly in place." Walker's Crit. Exam., &c., vol. i. p. 311. And therefore haste I to the parliament, Either to be restored to my blood, Or make my ill (74) th' advantage of my good. [Exit. ACT III. SCENE I. London. The Parliament-house. Flourish. Enter King HENRY, EXETER, GLOSTER, WARWICK, SOMER- Win. Com'st thou with deep-premeditated lines, As I with sudden and extemporal speech Purpose to answer what thou canst object. Glo. Presumptuous priest! this place commands my patience, Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonour'd me. And for thy treachery, what's more manifest,— As well at London-bridge as at the Tower? (74) ill] Theobald's amendment.-The folio has "will." |