The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9] · William Shakespeare
SCENE II. _London. The palace_.
_Enter_ KING EDWARD, GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE, _and_ LADY GREY. _K. Edw._ Brother of Gloucester, at Saint Alban’s field [ccb001] This lady’s husband, Sir Richard Grey, was slain, [ccb002] His lands then seized on by the conqueror: [ccb003] Her suit is now to repossess those lands; Which we in justice cannot well deny, ·ccb005· Because in quarrel of the house of York The worthy gentleman did lose his life. _Glou._ Your highness shall do well to grant her suit; It were dishonour to deny it her. _K. Edw._ It were no less; but yet I’ll make a pause. ·ccb010· _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] Yea, is it so? [ccb011] I see the lady hath a thing to grant, Before the king will grant her humble suit. _Clar._ [_Aside to Glou._] He knows the game: how true he keeps the wind! [ccb014] _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] Silence! ·ccb015· _K. Edw._ Widow, we will consider of your suit; And come some other time to know our mind. _L. Grey._ Right gracious lord, I cannot brook delay: May it please your highness to resolve me now; And what your pleasure is, shall satisfy me. ·ccb020· _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] Ay, widow? then I’ll warrant you all your lands, [ccb021] An if what pleases him shall pleasure you. [ccb022] Fight closer, or, good faith, you’ll catch a blow.
_Clar._ [_Aside to Glou._] I fear her not, unless she chance to fall. _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] God forbid that! for he’ll take vantages. ·ccb025· _K. Edw._ How many children hast thou, widow? tell me. _Clar._ [_Aside to Glou._] I think he means to beg a child of her. _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] Nay, whip me then: he’ll rather give her two. [ccb028] _L. Grey._ Three, my most gracious lord. _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] You shall have four, if you’ll be ruled by him. ·ccb030· _K. Edw._ ’Twere pity they should lose their father’s lands. [ccb031] _L. Grey._ Be pitiful, dread lord, and grant it then. [ccb032] _K. Edw._ Lords, give us leave: I’ll try this widow’s wit. _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] Ay, good leave have you; for you will have leave, Till youth take leave and leave you to the crutch. [ccb035] [_Glou. and Clar. retire._ _K. Edw._ Now tell me, madam, do you love your children? _L. Grey._ Ay, full as dearly as I love myself. _K. Edw._ And would you not do much to do them good? _L. Grey._ To do them good, I would sustain some harm. _K. Edw._ Then get your husband’s lands, to do them good. ·ccb040· _L. Grey._ Therefore I came unto your majesty. _K. Edw._ I’ll tell you how these lands are to be got.
_L. Grey._ So shall you bind me to your highness’ service. _K. Edw._ What service wilt thou do me, if I give them? _L. Grey._ What you command, that rests in me to do. ·ccb045· _K. Edw._ But you will take exceptions to my boon. [ccb046] _L. Grey._ No, gracious lord, except I cannot do it. _K. Edw._ Ay, but thou canst do what I mean to ask. _L. Grey._ Why, then I will do what your grace commands. _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] He plies her hard; and much rain wears the marble. [ccb050] _Clar._ [_Aside to Glou._] As red as fire! nay, then her wax must melt. [ccb051] _L. Grey._ Why stops my lord? shall I not hear my task? _K. Edw._ An easy task; ’tis but to love a king. _L. Grey._ That’s soon perform’d, because I am a subject. _K. Edw._ Why, then, thy husband’s lands I freely give thee. ·ccb055· _L. Grey._ I take my leave with many thousand thanks. [ccb056] _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] The match is made; she seals it with a curt’sy. [ccb057] _K. Edw._ But stay thee, ’tis the fruits of love I mean. _L. Grey._ The fruits of love I mean, my loving liege. _K. Edw._ Ay, but, I fear me, in another sense. ·ccb060· What love, think’st thou, I sue so much to get?
_K. Edw._ [_Aside_] Her looks do argue her replete with modesty; [ccb084] Her words do show her wit incomparable; ·ccb085· All her perfections challenge sovereignty: One way or other, she is for a king; And she shall be my love, or else my queen.-- Say that King Edward take thee for his queen? _L. Grey._ ’Tis better said than done, my gracious lord: ·ccb090· I am a subject fit to jest withal, But far unfit to be a sovereign. _K. Edw._ Sweet widow, 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. ·ccb095· _L. 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 concubine. _K. Edw._ You cavil, widow: I did mean, my queen. _L. Grey._ ’Twill grieve your grace my sons should call you father. [ccb100] _K. Edw._ No more than when my daughters call thee mother. [ccb101] Thou art a widow, and thou hast some children; And, by God’s mother, I, being but a bachelor, Have other some: why, ’tis a happy thing To be the father unto many sons. ·ccb105· Answer no more, for thou shalt be my queen. _Glou._ [_Aside to Clar._] The ghostly father now hath done his shrift.
_Clar._ [_Aside to Glou._] When he was made a shriver, ’twas for shift. [ccb108] _K. Edw._ Brothers, you muse what chat we two have had. _Glou._ The widow likes it not, for she looks very sad. [ccb110] _K. Edw._ You’ld think it strange if I should marry her. _Clar._ To whom, my lord? _K. Edw._ Why, Clarence, to myself. [ccb112] _Glou._ That would be ten days’ wonder at the least. _Clar._ That’s a day longer than a wonder lasts. _Glou._ By so much is the wonder in extremes. ·ccb115· _K. Edw._ Well, jest on, brothers: I can tell you both Her suit is granted for her husband’s lands. _Enter a_ Nobleman. _Nob._ My gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken, And brought your prisoner to your palace gate. [ccb119] _K. Edw._ See that he be convey’d unto the Tower: ·ccb120· And go we, brothers, to the man that took him, To question of his apprehension. Widow, go you along. Lords, use her honourably. [ccb123] [_Exeunt all but Gloucester._
_Glou._ Ay, Edward will use women honourably. [ccb124] Would he were wasted, marrow, bones and all, ·ccb125· That from his loins no hopeful branch may spring, To cross me from the golden time I look for! And yet, between my soul’s desire and me-- The lustful Edward’s title buried-- Is Clarence, Henry, and his son young Edward, ·ccb130· And all the unlook’d for issue of their bodies, To take their rooms, ere I can place myself: A cold premeditation for my purpose! Why, then, I do but dream on sovereignty; Like one that stands upon a promontory, ·ccb135· And spies a far-off shore where he would tread, Wishing his foot were equal with his eye, And chides the sea that sunders him from thence, Saying, he’ll lade it dry to have his way: [ccb139] So do I wish the crown, being so far off; ·ccb140· And so I chide the means that keeps me from it; [ccb141] And so I say, I’ll cut the causes off, Flattering me with impossibilities. [ccb143] My eye’s too quick, my heart o’erweens too much, [ccb144] Unless my hand and strength could equal them. ·ccb145· Well, say there is no kingdom then for Richard; What other pleasure can the world afford?
I’ll make my heaven in a lady’s lap, And deck my body in gay ornaments, And witch sweet ladies with my words and looks. [ccb150] O miserable thought! and more unlikely Than to accomplish twenty golden crowns! Why, love forswore me in my mother’s womb: And, for I should not deal in her soft laws, She did corrupt frail nature with some bribe, ·ccb155· To shrink mine arm up like a wither’d shrub; [ccb156] To make an envious mountain on my back, Where sits deformity to mock my body; To shape my legs of an unequal size; To disproportion me in every part, ·ccb160· Like to a chaos, or an unlick’d bear-whelp [ccb161] That carries no impression like the dam. And am I then a man to be beloved? [ccb163] O monstrous fault, to harbour such a thought! Then, since this earth affords no joy to me, ·ccb165· But to command, to check, to o’erbear such As are of better person than myself, I’ll make my heaven to dream upon the crown, [ccb168] And, whiles I live, to account this world but hell, [ccb169] Until my mis-shaped trunk that bears this head [ccb170] Be round impaled with a glorious crown.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.