Oh for my husband, for my dear lord Edward! Children Oh for our father, for our dear lord Clarence! DUCHESS OF YORK Alas for both, both mine, Edward and Clarence! QUEEN ELIZABETH What stay had I but Edward? and he's gone. Children What stay had we but Clarence? and he's gone. DUCHESS OF YORK What stays had I but they? and they are gone. QUEEN ELIZABETH Was never widow had so dear a loss! Children Were never orphans had so dear a loss! DUCHESS OF YORK Was never mother had so dear a loss!
Alas, I am the mother of these moans!
Their woes are parcell'd, 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 distress'd, Pour all your tears! I am your sorrow's nurse, And I will pamper it with lamentations. DORSET Comfort, dear mother: God is much displeased That you take with unthankfulness, his doing:
In common worldly things, 'tis call'd ungrateful, With dull unwilligness 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. RIVERS Madam, bethink you, like a careful mother, Of the young prince your son: send straight for him Let him be crown'd; in him your comfort lives:
Drown desperate sorrow in dead Edward's grave, And plant your joys in living Edward's throne.
Enter GLOUCESTER, BUCKINGHAM, DERBY, HASTINGS, and RATCLIFF GLOUCESTER 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. DUCHESS OF YORK God bless thee; and put meekness in thy mind, Love, charity, obedience, and true duty! GLOUCESTER [Aside] Amen; and make me die a good old man!
That is the butt-end of a mother's blessing:
I marvel why her grace did leave it out. BUCKINGHAM 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 splinter'd, knit, and join'd together, Must gently be preserved, cherish'd, and kept:
Me seemeth good, that, with some little train, Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fetch'd Hither to London, to be crown'd our king. RIVERS Why with some little train, my Lord of Buckingham? BUCKINGHAM Marry, my lord, lest, by a multitude, The new-heal'd wound of malice should break out, Which would be so much the more dangerous By how much the estate is green and yet ungovern'd:
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. GLOUCESTER I hope the king made peace with all of us And the compact is firm and true in me. RIVERS 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. HASTINGS And so say I. GLOUCESTER Then be it so; and go we to determine Who they shall be that straight shall post to Ludlow.
Madam, and you, my mother, will you go To give your censures in this weighty business? QUEEN ELIZABETH DUCHESS OF YORK With all our harts.
Exeunt all but BUCKINGHAM and GLOUCESTER BUCKINGHAM My lord, whoever journeys to the Prince, For God's sake, let not us two be behind;
For, by the way, I'll sort occasion, As index to the story we late talk'd of, To part the queen's proud kindred from the king. GLOUCESTER 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.