The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9] · William Shakespeare
SCENE I. _London. A street_.
_Clar._ By heaven, I think there’s no man is secure [faa071] But the queen’s kindred and night-walking heralds That trudge betwixt the king and Mistress Shore. [faa073] Heard ye not what an humble suppliant [faa074] Lord Hastings was to her for his delivery? [faa075] _Glou._ Humbly complaining to her deity [faa076] Got my lord chamberlain his liberty. I’ll tell you what; I think it is our way, [faa078] If we will keep in favour with the king, To be her men and wear her livery: ·faa080· The jealous o’erworn widow and herself, Since that our brother dubb’d them gentlewomen, Are mighty gossips in this monarchy. [faa083] _Brak._ I beseech your graces both to pardon me; [faa084] His majesty hath straitly given in charge ·faa085· That no man shall have private conference, Of what degree soever, with his brother. [faa087] _Glou._ Even so; an’t please your worship, Brakenbury, [faa088] You may partake of any thing we say: We speak no treason, man: we say the king ·faa090· Is wise and virtuous, and his noble queen [faa091] Well struck in years, fair, and not jealous; [faa092] We say that Shore’s wife hath a pretty foot, A cherry lip, a bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue; [faa094] And that the queen’s kindred are made gentle-folks: [faa095] How say you, sir? can you deny all this?
_Glou._ Go you before, and I will follow you. [_Exit Hastings_ He cannot live, I hope; and must not die ·faa145· Till George be pack’d with post-horse up to heaven. [faa146] I’ll in, to urge his hatred more to Clarence, With lies well steel’d with weighty arguments; [faa148] And, if I fail not in my deep intent, Clarence hath not another day to live: ·faa150· Which done, God take King Edward to his mercy, And leave the world for me to bustle in! For then I’ll marry Warwick’s youngest daughter. What though I kill’d her husband and her father? [faa154] The readiest way to make the wench amends ·faa155· Is to become her husband and her father: The which will I; not all so much for love As for another secret close intent, By marrying her which I must reach unto. [faa159] But yet I run before my horse to market: ·faa160· Clarence still breathes; Edward still lives and reigns; [faa161] When they are gone, then must I count my gains. [_Exit._
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.