But yet I run before my horse to market: Clarence still breathes; Edward still lives and reigns; When they are gone, then must I count my gains. [Exit. SCENE II.-The Same. Another Street. Enter the corpse of King HENRY the Sixth, borne in an open coffin, Gentlemen with halberds, to guard it; and Lady ANNE following as chief mourner. Anne. Set down, set down your honourable load,— [They set it down. Th' untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster.- Stabb'd by the self-same hand that made these wounds! That makes us wretched by the death of thee, 3 -OBSEQUIOUSLY lament] i.e., Lament as at the obsequies for the dead—funereally. See Henry VI, Pt. III, act ii, sc. v, p. 47. Than I can wish to adders, spiders, toads, May fright the hopeful mother at the view; If ever he have wife, let her be made More miserable by the death of him, Than I am made by my young lord, and thee!— And still, as you are weary of this weight, Rest you, whiles I lament king Henry's corse. [The bearers take up the coffin. Enter GLOSTER. Glo. Stay, you that bear the corse, and set it down. Anne. What black magician conjures up this fiend, To stop devoted charitable deeds? Glo. Villains! set down the corse; or, by Saint Paul, I'll make a corse of him that disobeys. First Gent. My lord, stand back, and let the coffin pass. Glo. Unmanner'd dog! stand thou when I command: Advance thy halberd higher than my breast, Or, by Saint Paul, I'll strike thee to my foot, And spurn upon thee, beggar, for thy boldness. [The bearers set down the coffin. Anne. What! do you tremble? are you all afraid? Alas! I blame you not; for you are mortal, And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil.— Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell! Thou hadst but power over his mortal body, His soul thou canst not have: therefore, be gone. Anne. Foul devil, for God's sake hence, and trouble us not; For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, Fill'd it with cursing cries and deep exclaims. If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, O, gentlemen! see, see! dead Henry's wounds Provokes this deluge most unnatural.— O God, which this blood mad'st, revenge his death! Glo. Lady, you know no rules of charity, Of these supposed evils to give me leave By circumstance but to acquit myself. Anne. Vouchsafe, diffus'd infection of a man, For these known evils but to give me leave By circumstance to curse thy cursed self. Glo. Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have Some patient leisure to excuse myself. Anne. Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make No excuse current, but to hang thyself. Glo. By such despair I should accuse myself. Anne. And, by despairing, shalt thou stand excus'd For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, That didst unworthy slaughter upon others. Glo. Say, that I slew them not? Then say they were not slain: Why, then he is alive. But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee. Anne. Anne. In thy foul throat thou liest: queen Margaret saw Thy murderous falchion smoking in his blood; The which thou once didst bend against her breast, But that thy brothers beat aside the point. Glo. I was provoked by her sland'rous tongue, That laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders. Anne. Thou wast provoked by thy bloody mind, That never dreamt on aught but butcheries. Didst thou not kill this king? Glo. I grant ye. Anne. Dost grant me, hedge-hog? then, God grant me too, Thou mayst be damned for that wicked deed!- Glo. The fitter for the King of heaven, that hath him. Anne. He is in heaven, where thou shalt never come. Glo. Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither; For he was fitter for that place than earth. Anne. And thou unfit for any place but hell. Glo. Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it. Anne. Some dungeon. Glo. Your bed-chamber. Anne. Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest. Glo. So will it, madam, till I lie with you. Glo. I know so. But, gentle lady Anne, To leave this keen encounter of our wits, And fall something into a slower method ; Is not the causer of the timeless deaths Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward, As blameful as the executioner? Anne. Thou wast the cause, and most accurs'd effect. Glo. Your beauty was the cause of that effect; Your beauty, that did haunt me in my sleep, To undertake the death of all the world, So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom. Anne. If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, These nails should rend that beauty from my cheeks. As all the world is cheered by the sun, So I by that; it is my day, my life. Anne. Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life! |