The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9] · William Shakespeare
SCENE X.
Then the Curtaines being drawne, Duke _Humphrey_ is discouered in his bed, and two men lying on his brest and smothering him in his bed. And then enter the Duke of _Suffolke_ to them. _Suffolk._ How now sirs, what haue you dispatcht him? _One._ I my Lord, hees dead I warrant you. [daj002] _Suffolke._ Then see the cloathes laid smooth about him still, That when the King comes, he may perceiue No other, but that he dide of his owne accord. ·daj005· _2._ All things is hansome now my Lord. [daj006] _Suffolke._ Then draw the Curtaines againe and get you gone, And you shall haue your firme rewarde anon. [daj008] _Exet_ murtherers. Then enter the King and Queene, the Duke of _Buckingham_, and the Duke of _Somerset_, and the Cardinall. _King._ My Lord of Suffolke go call our vnkle (Gloster, Tell him this day we will that he do cleare himselfe. ·daj010· _Suffolke._ I will my Lord. _Exet Suffolke._ _King._ And good my Lords proceed no further against our vnkle (Gloster, [daj012] Then by iust proofe you can affirme, For as the sucking childe or harmlesse lambe, So is he innocent of treason to our state. ·daj015· Enter _Suffolke_. How now Suffolke, where’s our unkle? _Suffolke._ Dead in his bed, my Lord Gloster is dead. [daj017] The King falles in a sound.
_Queen._ Ay-me, the King is dead: help, help, my Lords. _Suffolke._ Comfort my Lord, gratious Henry comfort. _Kin._ What doth my Lord of Suffolk bid me comfort? Came he euen now to sing a Rauens note, And thinkes he that the cherping of a Wren, By crying comfort through a hollow voice, Can satisfie my griefes, or ease my heart: [daj024] Thou balefull messenger out of my sight, [daj025] For euen in thine eye-bals murther sits, [daj026] Yet do not goe. Come Basaliske [daj027] And kill the silly gazer with thy lookes. [daj028] _Queene._ Why do you rate my Lord of Suffolke thus, As if that he had causde Duke Humphreys death? ·daj030· The Duke and I too, you know were enemies, And you had best say that I did murther him. [daj032] _King._ Ah woe is me, for wretched Glosters death. _Queene._ Be woe for me more wretched then he was, What doest thou turne away and hide thy face? [daj035] I am no loathsome leoper looke on me, [daj036] Was I for this nigh wrackt vpon the sea, [daj037] And thrise by aukward winds driuen back from Englands bounds, [daj038] What might it bode, but that well foretelling Winds, said, seeke not a scorpions neast. ·daj040· Enter the Earles of _Warwicke_ and _Salisbury_. _War._ My Lord, the Commons like an angrie hiue of bees, [daj041] Run vp and downe, caring not whom they sting, For good Duke Humphreys death, whom they report [daj043] To be murthered by Suffolke and the Cardinall here.
_King._ That he is dead good Warwick, is too true, ·daj045· But how he died God knowes, not Henry. _War._ Enter his priuie chamber my Lord and view the bodie. Good father staie you with the rude multitude, till I returne. _Salb._ I will sonne. _Exet Salbury._ _Warwicke_ drawes the curtaines and showes Duke _Humphrey_ in his bed. _King._ Ah vnkle Gloster, heauen receive thy soule. ·daj050· Farewell poore Henries ioy, now thou art gone. _War._ Now by his soule that tooke our shape vpon him, To free vs from his fathers dreadfull curse, I am resolu’d that violent hands were laid, Vpon the life of this thrise famous Duke. [daj055] _Suffolk._ A dreadfull oth sworne with a solemne toong, [daj056] What instance giues Lord Warwicke for these words? _War._ Oft haue I seene a timely parted ghost, Of ashie semblance, pale and bloodlesse, But loe the blood is setled in his face, [daj060] More better coloured then when he liu’d, His well proportioned beard made rough and sterne, [daj062] His fingers spred abroad as one that graspt for life, Yet was by strength surprisde, the least of these are probable, It cannot chuse but he was murthered. [daj065] _Queene._ Suffolke and the Cardinall had him in charge, And they _I_ trust sir, are no murtherers. _War._ I, but twas well knowne they were not his friends, [daj068] And tis well seene he found some enemies.
_Card._ But haue you no greater proofes then these? [daj070] _War._ Who sees a hefer dead and bleeding fresh, [daj071] And sees hard-by a butcher with an axe, [daj072] But will suspect twas he that made the slaughter? Who findes the partridge in the puttocks neast, But will imagine how the bird came there, ·daj075· Although the kyte soare with vnbloodie beake? Euen so suspitious is this Tragidie. _Queene._ Are you the kyte Bewford, where’s your talants? [daj078] Is Suffolke the butcher, where’s his knife? _Suffolke._ I weare no knife to slaughter sleeping men, ·daj080· But heres a vengefull sword rusted with case, [daj081] That shall be scoured in his rankorous heart, [daj082] That slanders me with murthers crimson badge, Say if thou dare, proud Lord of Warwickshire, That I am guiltie in Duke Humphreys death. ·daj085· _Exet Cardinall._ _War._ What dares not Warwicke, if false Suffolke dare him? _Queene_. He dares not calme his contumelious spirit, Nor cease to be an arrogant controwler, Though Suffolk dare him twentie hundreth times. [daj089] _War._ Madame be still, with reuerence may I say it, [daj090] That euery word you speake in his defence, Is slaunder to your royall Maiestie. _Suffolke._ Blunt witted Lord, ignoble in thy words, If euer Lady wrongd her Lord so much, Thy mother tooke vnto her blamefull bed, ·daj095· Some sterne vntutred churle, and noble stocke [daj096] Was graft with crabtree slip, whose frute thou art, And neuer of the Neuels noble race.
_Suffolke._ A plague vpon them, wherefore should _I_ curse them? Could curses kill as do the Mandrakes groanes, I would inuent as many bitter termes Deliuered strongly through my fixed teeth, With twise so many signes of deadly hate, ·daj150· As leaue fast enuy in her loathsome caue, [daj151] My toong should stumble in mine earnest words, Mine eyes should sparkle like the beaten flint, My haire be fixt on end, as one distraught, And euery ioynt should seeme to curse and ban, ·daj155· And now me-thinks my burthened hart would breake, [daj156] Should _I_ not curse them. Poison be their drinke, Gall worse then gall, the daintiest thing they taste. Their sweetest shade a groue of sypris trees, [daj159] Their softest tuch as smart as lyzards stings. ·daj160· Their musicke frightfull, like the serpents hys. And boding scrike-oules make the consort full. [daj162] All the foule terrors in darke seated hell. _Queene._ Inough sweete Suffolke, thou torments thy (selfe. [daj164] _Suffolke._ You bad me ban, and will you bid me sease? [daj165] Now by this ground that I am banisht from, Well could I curse away a winters night, And standing naked on a mountaine top, Where byting cold would neuer let grasse grow, And thinke it but a minute spent in sport. ·daj170· _Queene._ No more. Sweete Suffolke hie thee hence to _France_, Or liue where thou wilt within this worldes globe, Ile haue an Irish that shall finde thee out, [daj173] And long thou shalt not staie, but ile haue thee repelde, Or venture to be banished my selfe. [daj175] Oh let this kisse be printed in thy hand, That when thou seest it, thou maist thinke on me. Away, I say, that I may feele my griefe, For it is nothing whilst thou standest here.
_Queen._ Oh mightst thou staie with safetie of thy life, Then shouldst thou staie, but heauens deny it, And therefore go, but hope ere longe to be repelde. _Suff._ _I_ goe. _Queene._ And take my heart with thee. ·daj215· She kisseth him. _Suff._ A iewell lockt into the wofulst caske, That euer yet containde a thing of woorth, Thus like a splitted barke so sunder we. This way fall I to death. _Exet Suffolke._ ·daj220· _Queene._ This way for me. _Exet Queene._
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