The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9] · William Shakespeare
SCENE I. _London. A street_.
_The trumpets sound. Enter the young_ PRINCE, _the Dukes of_ GLOUCESTER _and_ BUCKINGHAM, CARDINAL BOURCHIER, CATESBY, _and others_. _Buck._ Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your chamber. [fca001] _Glou._ Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts’ sovereign: The weary way hath made you melancholy. _Prince._ No, uncle; but our crosses on the way Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy: [fca005] I want more uncles here to welcome me. _Glou._ Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of your years Hath not yet dived into the world’s deceit: [fca008] Nor more can you distinguish of a man [fca009] Than of his outward show; which, God he knows, ·fca010· Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart. Those uncles which you want were dangerous; Your grace attended to their sugar’d words, But look’d not on the poison of their hearts: God keep you from them, and from such false friends! ·fca015· _Prince._ God keep me from false friends! but they were none. [fca016] _Glou._ My lord, the mayor of London comes to greet you. [fca017] _Enter the_ Lord Mayor, _and his train_. _May._ God bless your grace with health and happy days! _Prince._ I thank you, good my lord; and thank you all. [fca019] I thought my mother and my brother York ·fca020· Would long ere this have met us on the way: Fie, what a slug is Hastings, that he comes not To tell us whether they will come or no!
_Prince._ That Julius Cæsar was a famous man; With what his valour did enrich his wit, ·fca085· His wit set down to make his valour live: Death makes no conquest of this conqueror; [fca087] For now he lives in fame, though not in life. [fca088] I’ll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham,-- _Buck._ What, my gracious lord? [fca090] _Prince._ An if I live until I be a man, [fca091] I’ll win our ancient right in France again, Or die a soldier, as I lived a king. _Glou._ [_Aside_] Short summers lightly have a forward spring. [fca094] _Enter young_ YORK, HASTINGS, _and the_ CARDINAL. _Buck._ Now, in good time, here comes the Duke of York. ·fca095· _Prince._ Richard of York! how fares our loving brother? [fca096] _York._ Well, my dread lord; so must I call you now. [fca097] _Prince._ Ay, brother, to our grief, as it is yours: Too late he died that might have kept that title, [fca099] Which by his death hath lost much majesty. ·fca100· _Glou._ How fares our cousin, noble Lord of York? _York._ I thank you, gentle uncle. O, my lord, You said that idle weeds are fast in growth: The prince my brother hath outgrown me far. [fca104] _Glou._ He hath, my lord. _York._ And therefore is he idle? ·fca105· _Glou._ O, my fair cousin, I must not say so.
_York._ Then is he more beholding to you than I. [fca107] _Glou._ He may command me as my sovereign; But you have power in me as in a kinsman. [fca109] _York._ I pray you, uncle, give me this dagger. [fca110] _Glou._ My dagger, little cousin? with all my heart. _Prince._ A beggar, brother? _York._ Of my kind uncle, that I know will give; [fca113] And being but a toy, which is no grief to give. [fca114] _Glou._ A greater gift than that I’ll give my cousin. ·fca115· _York._ A greater gift! O, that’s the sword to it. [fca116] _Glou._ Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough. _York._ O, then, I see, you will part but with light gifts; [fca118] In weightier things you’ll say a beggar nay. _Glou._ It is too heavy for your grace to wear. [fca120] _York._ I weigh it lightly, were it heavier. [fca121] _Glou._ What, would you have my weapon, little lord? _York._ I would, that I might thank you as you call me. [fca123] _Glou._ How? _York._ Little. ·fca125· _Prince._ My Lord of York will still be cross in talk: Uncle, your grace knows how to bear with him. _York._ You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me: Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me; Because that I am little, like an ape, ·fca130· He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders.
_Buck._ With what a sharp-provided wit he reasons! [fca132] To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle, [fca133] He prettily and aptly taunts himself: So cunning and so young is wonderful. ·fca135· _Glou._ My lord, will’t please you pass along? [fca136] Myself and my good cousin Buckingham Will to your mother, to entreat of her To meet you at the Tower and welcome you. _York._ What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord? ·fca140· _Prince._ My lord protector needs will have it so. [fca141] _York._ I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower. _Glou._ Why, what should you fear? [fca143] _York._ Marry, my uncle Clarence’ angry ghost: [fca144] My grandam told me he was murder’d there. [fca145] _Prince._ I fear no uncles dead. _Glou._ Nor none that live, I hope. _Prince._ An if they live, I hope I need not fear. [fca148] But come, my lord; and with a heavy heart, [fca149] Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower. [fca150] [_A Sennet. Exeunt all but Gloucester, Buckingham and Catesby._ _Buck._ Think you, my lord, this little prating York [fca151] Was not incensed by his subtle mother To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously? _Glou._ No doubt, no doubt: O, ’tis a parlous boy; [fca154] Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable: ·fca155· He is all the mother’s, from the top to toe.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.