Or any creeping venomed thing that lives! May fright the hopeful mother at the view; If ever he have wife, let her be made Than I am made by my young lord and thee!— And, still as you are weary of the weight, Enter GLOSTER. and advance. Glo. Stay you, that bear the corse, and set it down. Anne. What black magician conjures up this fiend, To stop devoted, charitable deeds? Glo. Villains, set down the corse; or, by saint Paul, I'll make a corse of him that disobeys. 1 Gent. My lord, stand back, and let the coffin pass. Glo. Unmannered dog! stand thou when I command: Advance thy halberd higher than my breast, [The bearers set down the coffin. us not; For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, Behold this pattern1 of thy butcheries ; O, gentlemen, see, see! dead Henry's wounds Provokes this deluge most unnatural. O, God, which this blood mad'st, revenge his death! Of these supposed evils, to give me leave, By circumstance, but to acquit myself. Anne. Vouchsafe, diffused3 infection of a man, For these known evils, but to give me leave, By circumstance, to curse thy cursed self. Glo. Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have Some patient leisure to excuse myself. Anne. Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make No excuse current, but to hang thyself. Glo. By such despair, I should accuse myself. Anne. And, by despairing, shalt thou stand excused; For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, That didst unworthy slaughter upon others. 1 Example. 2 This is from Holinshed. It was a tradition, very generally received, that the murdered body bleeds on the touch of the murderer. 3 Diffused anciently signified dark, obscure, strange, uncouth, or confused. Glo. Say, that I slew them not? Anne. Why, then they are not dead; Glo. I did not kill your husband. Anne. saw Thy murderous falchion smoking in his blood; Glo. I was provoked by her slanderous tongue, Glo. I grant ye. Anne. Dost grant me, hedge-hog? then, God grant me too, Thou mayst be damned for that wicked deed! Glo. The fitter for the King of heaven, that hath him. come. Glo. Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither; For he was fitter for that place than earth. Anne. And thou unfit for any place but hell. Glo. Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it. Anne. Some dungeon. Glo. Your bed-chamber. Anne. Il rest betide the chamber where thou liest' Glo. Anne. Thou wast the cause, and most accursed effect. Glo. Your beauty was the cause of that effect; Your beauty, which did haunt me in my sleep, To undertake the death of all the world, So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom. Anne. If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, These nails should rend that beauty from my cheeks. Glo. These eyes could not endure that beauty's wreck. You should not blemish it, if I stood by ; Anne. Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life! Glo. Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both. To be revenged on him that loveth thee. Anne. His better doth not breathe upon the earth. Why, that was he. Glo. The self-same name, but one of better nature. Anne. Where is he? Glo. Here. [She spits at him.] Anne. 'Would it were mortal poison, for thy sake! Glo. Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine. Anne. 'Would they were basilisks, to strike thee dead! Glo. I would they were, that I might die at once; For now they kill me with a living death. Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn salt tears, And what these sorrows could not thence exhale, My tongue could never learn sweet soothing word; My proud heart sues, and prompts my tongue to speak. [She looks scornfully at him. Teach not thy lip such scorn; for it was made For kissing, lady, not for such contempt. If thy revengeful heart cannot forgive, I lay it naked to the deadly stroke, And humbly beg the death upon my knee. [He lays his breast open; she offers at it with Nay, do not pause; for I did kill king Henry ;— Nay, now despatch; 'twas I that stabbed young Edward; [She again offers at his breast. [She lets fall the sword But 'twas thy heavenly face that set me on. Take up the sword again, or take up me. |