Anne. What is it? Rich. That it may please you leave these sad designs 13 14 To him that hath most cause to be a mourner, Anne. With all my heart; and much it joys me too, To see you are become so penitent. — Tressel, and Berkley, go along with me. Rich. Bid me farewell. Anne. "Tis more than you deserve; But, since you teach me how to flatter you, Imagine I have said farewell already. [Exeunt Lady ANNE, TRESSEL, and BERKLEY. Rich. Sirs, take up the corse. 16 Gent. Towards Chertsey, noble lord? Rich. No, to White-Friars; there attend my com[Exeunt the Rest, with the Corpse. ing. Was ever woman in this humour woo'd? Was ever woman in this humour won? I'll have her, but I will not keep her long. 13 So the folio; the quartos more. H. 14 In the folio this is here called Crosby-house, but in the next scene, near the close, Crosby-place. The quartos have Crosbyplace in both instances. Crosby-place is situate in Crosby-square, Bishopsgate-street. This magnificent house was built in 1466, by Sir John Crosby, grocer and woolman. The hall, after having been put to divers ignoble uses, has been lately restored, and is said to be among the most interesting specimens of old domestic architecture now to be seen in England. 15 That is, expeditious. 16 This line is not in the folio. H. H. What! I, that kill'd her husband, and his father, The bleeding witness of my hatred by; 17 Having God, her conscience, and these bars against me, And I no friends to back my suit withal, But the plain devil, and dissembling looks And yet to win her,—all the world to nothing! Ha! 18 Young, valiant, wise, and, no doubt, right royal, — The spacious world cannot again afford: And will she yet abase her eyes on me, That cropp'd the golden prime of this sweet prince, On me, whose all not equals Edward's moiety? My dukedom to a beggarly denier, 19 I do mistake my person all this while : 20 17 So in the folio; in the quartos, "her hatred." Doubtless the folio is right, for the corpse of Henry could not well be "the bleeding witness of her hatred," but was emphatically so of his. H. 18 This fixes the time of the scene to August, 1471. King Edward, however, is introduced in the second act dying. That king died in April, 1483; consequently there is an interval between this and the next act of almost twelve years. Clarence, who is represented in the preceding scene as committed to the Tower before the burial of King Henry VI., was in fact not confined till February, 1478, nearly seven years afterwards. 19 A small coin, the twelfth part of a French sous. 20 Marvellous is here used adverbially. A proper man, in old language, was a well-proportioned one. I'll be at charges for a looking-glass; [Exit. SCENE III. The same. A Room in the Palace. Enter Queen ELIZABETH, RIVERS, and GREY. Riv. Have patience, madam: there's no doubt, his majesty Will soon recover his accustom'd health. Grey. In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse: Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort, And cheer his grace with quick and merry words. Eliz. If he were dead, what would betide on me? Grey. No other harm, but loss of such a lord. Eliz. The loss of such a lord includes all harms. Grey. The heavens have bless'd you with a goodly son, To be your comforter when he is gone. Eliz. Ah! he is young; and his minority 1 A thing was said to be determined, when it was resolved upon; concluded, when it was formally passed, so as to be a ground of action. H. Enter BUCKINGHAM and STANLEY.2 Grey. Here come the lords of Buckingham and Stanley. ! Buck. Good time of day unto your royal grace Stan. God make your majesty joyful as you have been! Eliz. The countess Richmond,3 good my lord of To your good prayer will scarcely say amen. Stan. I do beseech you, either not believe 2 Henry Stafford, the present duke of Buckingham, was grandson to the Buckingham who figures in The Second Part of Henry VI. On his father's side he was descended from Thomas of Woodstock, the sixth son of Edward III. His mother was Margaret, daughter to Edmund Beaufort, the duke of Somerset who fell in the first battle of St. Albans. See 2 Henry VI., Act v. sc. 2, note 6. So that on his mother's side Buckingham was descended from John of Ghent, fourth son of the same great Edward. He was as accomplished and as unprincipled, as he was nobly descended. -Thomas Lord Stanley was lord steward of the king's household to Edward IV. In the old copies he is here erroneously called Derby; but as in the fourth and fifth acts he is everywhere called Stanley, and as he was not created earl of Derby till the reign of Henry VII., most editors concur in calling him Stanley here. H. 3 The countess of Richmond was Margaret, the only child of John Beaufort, the first duke of Somerset. See 1 Henry VI., Act ii. sc. 4, note 3. Margaret's first husband was Edmund, earl of Richmond, son of Owen Tudor and Katharine, widow of Henry V.; by whom she became the mother of Henry VII. Afterwards she was married successively to Sir Henry Stafford, uncle of Buckingham, and to the Lord Stanley of this play, but had no more children. She lived to a great age, and was so highly reputed for prudence and virtue, that her grandson, Henry VIII., was mainly guided by her advice in forming his first council. H. Bear with her weakness, which, I think, proceeds From wayward sickness, and no grounded malice. Eliz. Saw you the king to-day, my lord of Stanley? Stan. But now, the duke of Buckingham and I Are come from visiting his majesty. Eliz. What likelihood of his amendment, lords? Buck. Madam, good hope: his grace speaks cheerfully. Eliz. God grant him health! Did you confer with him? Buck. Ay, madam : he desires to make atonement1 Between the duke of Gloster and your brothers, Eliz. 'Would all were well! But that will never be: I fear, our happiness is at the height. Enter RICHARd, Hastings, and Dorset. Rich. They do me wrong, and I will not endure it.. Who are they, that complain unto the king, That is, at-one-ment. See As You Like It, Act v. sc. 4, note 10; and King Richard II., Act i. sc. 1, note 29. H. |