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London. The palace.
[Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE, and LADY GREY]
KING EDWARD IV
, 2 ,
, , ,
Brother of | Gloucester,| at Saint | Alban's |
field
<- ,
, ,
, ,
This || lady's | husband,| Sir Rich|ard Grey,|
was slain,
,
, ,
, ,
His lands | then seized | on by | the con|queror,
,
, ,
, ,
Her suit | is now,| to re|possess | those^lands,
, ,
, , ,
Which^we | in just|ice can|not well | deny,
,
, ,
, ,
Because | in quar|rel of | the house | of York,
, , , ,
,
The worth|y gent|leman | did lose | his life.
GLOUCESTER
,
, ,
, ,
Your high|ness shall | do well | to grant | her
suit:
, ,
, , ,
It were | dishon|or to | deny | it her.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, , ,
It were | no less,| but yet | I'll make | a
pause.
GLOUCESTER
___ T T T
Yea,| is it so: \\
,
, ,
, ,
I see | the la|dy hath | a thing | to grant,
, ,
, ,
,
Before | the king | will grant | her hum|ble
suit.
CLARENCE
, , ,
, ,
He knows | the game,| how true | he keeps | the
wind?
GLOUCESTER
,
Silence. \\
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, ,
,
Widow,| we will | consid|er of | your suit,
, , , ,
,
And come | some oth|er time | to know | our mind.
LADY GREY
, ,
, ,
,
Right^gra|cious lord,| I can|not brook | delay:
2 ,
, , ,
,
May it please | your high|ness to | resolve | me
now,
2 , , ,
T . T T
And what your | pleasure | is, shall | satisfy me.
GLOUCESTER
, ,
x ,
,
Aye wid/ow? Then | I'll warrant | you all | your
lands,
, ,
, , ,
And if | what pleas|es him,| shall pleas|ure you:
, ,
, ,
,
Fight clos/er, or | good* faith,| you'll catch |
a blow.
CLARENCE
, ,
, ,
,
I fear | her not,| unless | she chance | to fall.
GLOUCESTER
, ,
,
, ,
God for|bid that,/ for he'll | take vant/ages.
KING EDWARD IV
, 2 ,
, ,
,
How many | children | hast thou,| widow?| Tell
me.
CLARENCE
, ,
, , ,
I think | he means | to beg | a child | of her.
GLOUCESTER
,
, ,
, ,
Nay then | whip me:| he'll rath|er give | her
two.
LADY GREY
,
, ,
Three, my | most gra|cious lord. \\
GLOUCESTER
, ,
, ,
,
You shall | have four,| if you'll | be ruled | by
him.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, ,
,
'Twere pi|ty they | should lose | their fath|er's
lands.
LADY GREY
, , , ,
,
Be pit|iful,/ dread lord,| and grant | it then.
KING EDWARD IV
T T . T
, ,
,
Lords give us leave,| I'll try | this wid|ow's
wit.
GLOUCESTER
,
, ,
,
,
Aye, good^|leave have / you, for | you will | have^leave,
, T T
. T ,
,
Till youth | take leave, and leave | you to |
the crutch.
[GLOUCESTER and CLARENCE retire]
KING EDWARD IV
T T T
x 2 ,
,
Now tell me,| madam, do you | love your
| children?
LADY GREY
T T . T
, , ,
Aye, full as dear|ly as | I love | myself.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, ,
,
And would | you not | do much | to do | them
good?
LADY GREY
, , ,
, ,
To do | them good,| I would | sustain | some
harm.
KING EDWARD IV
, , ,
, ,
Then get | your hus|band's lands,| to do | them
good.
LADY GREY
, ,
, , ,
Therefore | I came | unto | your maj|esty.
KING EDWARD IV
,
, , ,
,
I'll tell | you how | these lands | are to | be
got.
LADY GREY
, 2 ,
, ,
,
So shall you | bind me | to your | highness'|
service.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, ,
, ->
What serv|ice wilt | thou do | me, if | I give ||
them?
LADY GREY
,
2 , ,
, ,
What | you command,| that rests | in me | to do.
KING EDWARD IV
, 2 ,
, ,
But you will | take ex|ceptions | to my / boon.
LADY GREY
<- , ,
, , ,
,
No,|| gracious | lord, ex|cept I | cannot | do
it.
KING EDWARD IV
,
T T T
2 , ,
Aye, but | thou canst do | what I mean | to ask.
LADY GREY
, , , ,
,
Why* then | I will | do what | your grace |
commands.
GLOUCESTER
, , . T
T
T x
He plies | her hard,| and much rain wears | the
marble.
CLARENCE
,
, ,
, ,
As red | as fire?| Nay then,| her wax | must^melt.
LADY GREY
, , , ,
,
Why stops | my lord?| shall^I | not hear | my
task?
KING EDWARD IV
, , ,
, ,
An ea|sy task,| 'tis but | to love | a king.
LADY GREY
, ,
, , 2 ,
That's soon | performed,| because | I am a |
subject*.
KING EDWARD IV
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Why then, thy | husband's | lands I | freely |
give thee. ??
LADY GREY
, ,
, ,
,
I take | my leave | with ma|ny thous|and thanks.
GLOUCESTER
, , x
, ,
The match | is made,| she seals it | with a |
curtsy.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, ,
,
But stay | thee, 'tis | the fruits | of love | I
mean.
LADY GREY
, . T
T T ,
,
The fruits | of love, I mean,| my lov|ing liege.
KING EDWARD IV
,
, , ,
,
Aye, but | I fear | me in | anoth|er sense.
, ,
, ,
,
What love,| thinkst^thou,| I sue | so much | to
get?
LADY GREY
, ,
, ,
x
My love | till death,| my hum|ble thanks,| my
prayers,
, ,
, ,
,
That love | which vir|tue begs,| and vir|tue
grants.
KING EDWARD IV
,
, 2 ,
T T T
No, by | my troth,| I did not | mean such love.
LADY GREY
, ,
, ,
,
Why then | you mean | not, as | I thought | you
did.
KING EDWARD IV
, , ,
, ,
But now | you part|ly may | perceive | my mind.
LADY GREY
, ,
, , ,
My mind | will nev|er grant | what I | perceive
,
, , ,
,
Your high|ness aims | at, if | I aim | aright.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, , ,
To tell | thee plain,| I aim | to lie | with
thee.
LADY GREY
. T T T
2 , ,
x
To tell you plain,| I had rath|er lie | in
prison.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, , ,
Why then | thou shalt | not have | thy
hus|band's^lands.
LADY GREY
, ,
, , x
Why then | mine hon|esty | shall be | my dower,
, ,
, , ,
For by | that loss,| I will / not purch|ase them.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, , ,
Therein | thou wrongst | thy child|ren might|ily.
LADY GREY
, , ,
, ,
Herein | your high|ness wrongs | both them | and
me:
, ,
, , ,
->
But migh|ty lord,| this mer|ry in|clina||tion
, ,
2 , ,
,
Ac/cords not | with the sad|ness of | my suit:
,
, ,
2 , ,
Please you | dismiss | me, eith|er with aye,| or
no.
KING EDWARD IV
,
, ,
, ,
Aye, if | thou wilt | say aye | to my | request:
,
, ,
, ,
No, if | thou dost | say no | to my | demand.
LADY GREY
,
, ,
, ,
Then no,| my lord:| my suit | is at | an end.
GLOUCESTER
, ,
, , ,
The wid|ow likes | him not,| she knits | her
brows.
CLARENCE
, 2
, ,
, ,
He is the | bluntest | wooer | in Christ|endom.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
3 3 , ,
,
Her looks | do arg|ue her^replete | with
mod|esty,
, ,
, , 2 ,
Her words | do show | her wit | incomp|arable;
,
, , , ,
All her | perfec|tions chal|lenge sove|reignty,
, ,
, ,
,
One way,| or oth|er, she | is for | a king,
, ,
, ,
,
And she | shall be | my love,| or else | my
queen.
,
, ,
, ,
Say, that | King^Ed|ward take | thee for | his
queen?
LADY GREY
, ,
, ,
,
'Tis bet|ter said | than done,| my gra|cious
lord:
, ,
, ,
,
I am | a sub|ject* fit | to jest | withal,
,
, ,
, ,
But far | unfit | to be | a sov|ereign.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, ,
,
Sweet* wid|ow, by | my state | I swear | to thee,
, , ,
, ,
I speak | no more | than what | my soul |
intends,
, ,
, ,
,
And that | is, to | enjoy | thee for | my love.
LADY GREY
, ,
, , ,
And that | is more | than I | will yield | unto:
,
, , ,
,
I know,| I am / too mean | to be | your queen,
, ,
, ,
,
And yet | too* good | to be | your con|cubine.
KING EDWARD IV
,
, , ,
,
You cav|il, wid|ow, I / did mean | my queen.
LADY GREY
,
, , ,
, o
'Twill grieve | your grace,| my sons | should
call | you fath|er.
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, , ,
o
No more,| than when | my daught|ers call | thee
moth|er. (hex with prev)
, 2 ,
, , ,
Thou art a | widow,| and thou | hast some |
children,
2 ,
, , 2 , ,
2
And by God's | mother,| I being | but a
| bachelor,
, ,
, ,
,
Have oth|er some.| Why, 'tis | a hap|py thing
,
, , ,
,
To be | the fath|er un|to ma|ny sons:
,
, , ,
,
Answer | no more,| for thou | shalt be | my
queen.
GLOUCESTER
, ,
, , ,
The ghost|ly fath|er now | hath done | his
shrift.
CLARENCE
, ,
, ,
,
When he | was made | a shriv|er, 'twas | for
shift.
KING EDWARD IV
,
, ,
, ,
Brothers,| you muse | what chat | we two | have
had.
GLOUCESTER
, ,
, 2 , 2
,
The wid|ow likes | it not,| for she looks | very
sad. ??
KING EDWARD IV
, ,
, , ,
You'll think | it strange,| if I | should mar|ry
her.
CLARENCE
, ,
To who,| my lord?
KING EDWARD IV
,
, ,
Why Clar|ence, to | myself.
GLOUCESTER
,
2 T T T ,
,
That would be | ten days' wond|er at | the least.
CLARENCE
T . T
T ,
, ,
That's a day long|er than | a wond|er lasts.
GLOUCESTER
, , , , ,
By so | much^is | the wond|er in | extremes.
KING EDWARD IV
T T
T , 2
, ,
Well, jest on | brothers:| I can tell | you both,
,
, ,
, ,
Her suit | is grant|ed for | her hus|band's
lands.
[Enter a Nobleman]
NOBLEMAN
, , , 2
, ,
My gra|cious lord,| Henry your | foe is | taken,
, ,
2 , ,
,
And brought | your pris|oner to | your pal|ace
gate.
KING EDWARD IV
,
, , ,
x
See that | he be | conveyed | unto | the Tower:
,
, , 2
, ,
And go | we broth/ers to the | man that | took
him,
,
, , ,
,
To ques|tion of | his ap|prehen|sion.
x
2 , , , 2 ,
Widow go^|you along:| Lords^use | her hon|orable.
??
[Exeunt all but GLOUCESTER]
GLOUCESTER
, , T
Tx T
2 ,
Aye, Ed/ward will | use women hon|orably:
,
, ,
, ,
Would he | were wast|ed, mar|row, bones,| and
all,
,
, , ,
,
That from | his loins | no hope|ful branch | may
spring,
, ,
2 , ,
,
To cross | me from the | golden | time I | look
for:
, ,
, ,
,
And yet,| between | my soul's | desire,| and me,
,
, , ,
,
The lust|ful Ed|ward's tit|le bur|ied,
,
, 2 , ,
,
Is Clar|ence, Hen|ry, and his / son young |
Edward,
, 2
, , , 2 ,
And all | the unlooked | for is/sue of their | bodies,
, ,
, ,
,
To take | their rooms,| ere I | can place |
myself:
,
, , ,
, ->
A cold | premed|ita|tion for | my pur||pose.
,
2 , , , ,
Why | then I do | but dream | on sove|reignty,
, ,
, , x
Like^one | that stands | upon | a prom|ontory,
,
. T T T
, ,
And spies | a far-off shore,| where he | would
tread,
,
, ,
, ,
Wishing | his foot | were e|qual with | his eye,
, ,
, , ,
And chides | the sea,| that sund|ers him | from
thence,
, ,
, ,
,
Saying,| he'll lade | it dry,| to have | his way:
, ,
, 2 ,
,
So do | I wish | the crown,| being so | far^off,
, ,
, , x
And so | I chide | the means | that keeps | me
from it,
, , , , ,
And so |(I say)| I'll cut | the caus|es off,
, ,
2 , , ,
Flatter|ing me | with impos|sibil|ities:
, , ,
, ,
My eye's | too* quick,| my heart | oreweens | too*
much,
,
, , ,
,
Unless | my hand | and strength | could e|qual
them.
,
2 , , ,
,
Well*, say | there is no | kingdom | then for |
Richard:
, ,
, , ,
What oth|er pleas|ure can | the world | afford?
, ,
, , ,
I'll make | my heav|en in | a la|dy's lap,
, ,
, , ,
And deck | my bo|dy in / gay orn|aments,
,
, ,
, ,
And witch | sweet lad/ies with | my words | and
looks.
, 2
, , ,
,
O mis|erable / thought! And | more un|likely,
,
, ,
, ,
Than to | accomp|lish twen|ty gold|en crowns.
,
, , ,
,
Why love | forswore | me in | my moth|er's womb:
, , , ,
,
And for | I should / not deal | in her / soft
laws,
, 2
T T T
, ,
She did cor|rupt frail na|ture with / some bribe,
,
, ,
,
,
To shrink | mine^arm | up^like | a with|ered
shrub,
, , 2
, ,
,
To make | an env|ious mount|ain on | my back,
, , 3 3 ,
, o
Where sits | deform|ity to mock | my bo|dy;
, ,
,, ,
To shape | my legs | of an / une|qual size,
, , ,
, ,
To dis|propor|tion me | in ev|ery part:
, 2 ,
2 , T T T
Like to a | chaos,| or an un|licked bear-whelp,
, ,
, ,
,
That car|ries no | impres|sion like | the dam.
,
, ,
, ,
And am | I then | a man | to be | beloved?
, ,
, ,
,
O monst|rous fault,| to har|bor such | a thought.
,
, , T
T . T
Then since | this earth | affords | no joy to
me,
, 2 ,
, T T
T
But to com|mand, to | check, to | orebear such,
, ,
, ,
,
As are | of bet|ter pers|on than | myself:
,
x , ,
,
I'll make | my heaven,| to dream | upon | the
crown,
,
, 2 , ,
,
And whiles | I live,| to account | this world |
but hell,
, ,
, , ,
Until | my mis|shaped^trunk,| that bears | this
head,
,
, , ,
2 ,
Be round | impal|ed with | a glor|ious crown.
,
, , ,
,
And yet | I know | not^how | to get | the crown,
, ,
T . T T
,
For ma|ny lives | stand between me | and home:
,
, , ,
,
And I,| like^one | lost in | a thor|ny wood,
,
, ,
, ,
That rends | the thorns,| and is / rent with |
the thorns,
,
, , ,
,
Seeking | a way,| and stray|ing from | the way,
, ,
, ,
,
Not know|ing how | to find | the op|en air,
,
, 2 ,
, ,
But toil|ing des|perately | to find | it out,
, ,
, ,
,
Torment | myself,| to catch | the Eng|lish crown:
, ,
, , ,
And from | that tor|ment I | will free | myself,
, ,
, ,
,
Or hew | my way | out with | a bloo|dy axe.
,
, , ,
,
Why I | can smile,| and murd|er whiles | I smile,
,
, , ,
,
And cry,| content,| to that | which grieves | my
heart,
, , ,
, ,
And wet | my cheeks | with art|ifi|cial tears,
, ,
, , ,
And frame | my face | to all | occas|ions.
,
, ,
, ,
I'll drown | more sail/ors than | the
mer|maid* shall,
, ,
, ,
,
I'll slay | more gaz|ers than | the bas|ilisk,
, , 2 , ,
,
I'll play | the or|ator as | well as | Nestor,
, ,
, ,
,
Deceive | more* sly|ly than | Ulys|ses could,
,
, ,
, ,
And like | a Sin|on, take | anoth|er Troy.
,
, , 2 ,
,
I can / add col|ors to | the chame|leon,
, , 2 , , ,
Change^shapes | with Prot|eus, for | advant|ages,
, , 2 , 2 ,
,
And set | the murd|erous Mach|iavel | to school.
,
, ,
, ,
Can I | do this,| and can|not get | a crown?
,
, , ,
,
Tut, were | it farth|er off,| I'll pluck | it
down.
[Exit]