Act IIScene I
London. A Room in the palace
Enter King Edward, sick, Queen Elizabeth, Dorset, Rivers, Hastings, Buckingham, Grey and others.
King Edward
Why, so. Now have I done a good day’s work.You peers, continue this united league.I every day expect an embassageFrom my Redeemer, to redeem me hence;And more at peace my soul shall part to heavenSince I have made my friends at peace on earth.Rivers and Hastings, take each other’s hand;Dissemble not your hatred. Swear your love.
Rivers
By heaven, my soul is purged from grudging hate,And with my hand I seal my true heart’s love.
Hastings
So thrive I, as I truly swear the like.
King Edward
Take heed you dally not before your King,Lest He that is the supreme King of kingsConfound your hidden falsehood, and awardEither of you to be the other’s end.
Hastings
So prosper I, as I swear perfect love.
Rivers
And I, as I love Hastings with my heart.
King Edward
Madam, yourself is not exempt from this;Nor you, son Dorset; Buckingham, nor you.You have been factious one against the other.Wife, love Lord Hastings, let him kiss your hand,And what you do, do it unfeignedly.
Queen Elizabeth
There, Hastings, I will never more rememberOur former hatred, so thrive I and mine.
King Edward
Dorset, embrace him; Hastings, love lord Marquess.
Dorset
This interchange of love, I here protest,Upon my part shall be inviolable.
Hastings
And so swear I.
They embrace.
King Edward
Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this leagueWith thy embracements to my wife’s allies,And make me happy in your unity.
Buckingham
Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hateUpon your Grace, but with all duteous loveDoth cherish you and yours, God punish meWith hate in those where I expect most love.When I have most need to employ a friend,And most assured that he is a friend,Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guileBe he unto me: this do I beg of God,When I am cold in love to you or yours.
Embrace.
King Edward
A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham,Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.There wanteth now our brother Gloucester here,To make the blessed period of this peace.
Buckingham
And in good time,Here comes Sir Ratcliffe and the Duke.
Enter Ratcliffe and Richard.
Richard
Good morrow to my sovereign King and Queen;And, princely peers, a happy time of day.
King Edward
Happy indeed, as we have spent the day.Gloucester, we have done deeds of charity,Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers.
Richard
A blessed labour, my most sovereign lord,Among this princely heap, if any hereBy false intelligence or wrong surmiseHold me a foe,If I unwittingly, or in my rage,Have aught committed that is hardly borneBy any in this presence, I desireTo reconcile me to his friendly peace.’Tis death to me to be at enmity;I hate it, and desire all good men’s love.First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,Which I will purchase with my duteous service;Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,If ever any grudge were lodged between us;Of you and you, Lord Rivers and of Dorset,That all without desert have frowned on me;Of you, Lord Woodville and Lord Scales;—of you,Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen; indeed, of all.I do not know that Englishman aliveWith whom my soul is any jot at oddsMore than the infant that is born tonight.I thank my God for my humility.
Queen Elizabeth
A holy day shall this be kept hereafter.I would to God all strifes were well compounded.My sovereign lord, I do beseech your HighnessTo take our brother Clarence to your grace.
Richard
Why, madam, have I offered love for this,To be so flouted in this royal presence?Who knows not that the gentle Duke is dead?
They all start.
You do him injury to scorn his corse.
King Edward
Who knows not he is dead! Who knows he is?
Queen Elizabeth
All-seeing heaven, what a world is this!
Buckingham
Look I so pale, Lord Dorset, as the rest?
Dorset
Ay, my good lord, and no man in the presenceBut his red colour hath forsook his cheeks.
King Edward
Is Clarence dead? The order was reversed.
Richard
But he, poor man, by your first order died,And that a winged Mercury did bear;Some tardy cripple bore the countermand,That came too lag to see him buried.God grant that some, less noble and less loyal,Nearer in bloody thoughts, and not in blood,Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,And yet go current from suspicion!
Enter Stanley Earl of Derby.
Stanley
A boon, my sovereign, for my service done!
King Edward
I prithee, peace. My soul is full of sorrow.
Stanley
I will not rise unless your Highness hear me.
King Edward
Then say at once what is it thou requests.
Stanley
The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant’s lifeWho slew today a riotous gentlemanLately attendant on the Duke of Norfolk.
King Edward
Have I a tongue to doom my brother’s death,And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave?My brother killed no man; his fault was thought,And yet his punishment was bitter death.Who sued to me for him? Who, in my wrath,Kneeled at my feet, and bid me be advised?Who spoke of brotherhood? Who spoke of love?Who told me how the poor soul did forsakeThe mighty Warwick, and did fight for me?Who told me, in the field at Tewksbury,When Oxford had me down, he rescued me,And said, “Dear brother, live, and be a king”?Who told me, when we both lay in the fieldFrozen almost to death, how he did lap meEven in his garments, and did give himself,All thin and naked, to the numb-cold night?All this from my remembrance brutish wrathSinfully plucked, and not a man of youHad so much grace to put it in my mind.But when your carters or your waiting vassalsHave done a drunken slaughter, and defacedThe precious image of our dear Redeemer,You straight are on your knees for pardon, pardon,And I, unjustly too, must grant it you.But for my brother not a man would speak,Nor I, ungracious, speak unto myselfFor him, poor soul. The proudest of you allHave been beholding to him in his life,Yet none of you would once beg for his life.O God, I fear Thy justice will take holdOn me, and you, and mine and yours for this!Come, Hastings, help me to my closet.Ah, poor Clarence!
Exeunt some with King and Queen.
Richard
This is the fruit of rashness. Marked you notHow that the guilty kindred of the QueenLooked pale when they did hear of Clarence’ death?O, they did urge it still unto the King.God will revenge it. Come, lords, will you goTo comfort Edward with our company?
Buckingham
We wait upon your Grace.
Exeunt.