| [Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE, and soldiers; with QUEEN MARGARET, OXFORD, and SOMERSET, prisoners] |
|
| KING EDWARD IV | Now here a period of tumultuous broils. Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight: For Somerset, off with his guilty head. Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak. |
| OXFORD | For my part, I'll not trouble thee with words. |
| SOMERSET | Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune. |
| [Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded] | |
| QUEEN MARGARET | So part we sadly in this troublous world, To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem. |
| KING EDWARD IV | Is proclamation made, that who finds Edward Shall have a high reward, and he his life? |
| GLOUCESTER | It is: and lo, where youthful Edward comes! |
| [Enter soldiers, with PRINCE EDWARD] | |
| KING EDWARD IV | Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak. What! can so young a thorn begin to prick? Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects, And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to? |
| PRINCE EDWARD | Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York! Suppose that I am now my father's mouth; Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou, Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee, Which traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Ah, that thy father had been so resolved! |
| GLOUCESTER | That you might still have worn the petticoat, And ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster. |
| PRINCE EDWARD | Let AEsop fable in a winter's night; His currish riddles sort not with this place. |
| GLOUCESTER | By heaven, brat, I'll plague ye for that word. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men. |
| GLOUCESTER | For God's sake, take away this captive scold. |
| PRINCE EDWARD | Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather. |
| KING EDWARD IV | Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue. |
| CLARENCE | Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert. |
| PRINCE EDWARD | I know my duty; you are all undutiful: Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George, And thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all I am your better, traitors as ye are: And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine. |
| KING EDWARD IV | Take that, thou likeness of this railer here. |
| [Stabs him] | |
| GLOUCESTER | Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy agony. |
| [Stabs him] | |
| CLARENCE | And there's for twitting me with perjury. |
| [Stabs him] | |
| QUEEN MARGARET | O, kill me too! |
| GLOUCESTER | Marry, and shall. |
| [Offers to kill her] | |
| KING EDWARD IV | Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done too much. |
| GLOUCESTER | Why should she live, to fill the world with words? |
| KING EDWARD IV | What, doth she swoon? use means for her recovery. |
| GLOUCESTER | Clarence, excuse me to the king my brother; I'll hence to London on a serious matter: Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news. |
| CLARENCE | What? what? |
| GLOUCESTER | The Tower, the Tower. |
| [Exit] | |
| QUEEN MARGARET | O Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy! Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers! They that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all, Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame, If this foul deed were by to equal it: He was a man; this, in respect, a child: And men ne'er spend their fury on a child. What's worse than murderer, that I may name it? No, no, my heart will burst, and if I speak: And I will speak, that so my heart may burst. Butchers and villains! bloody cannibals! How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd! You have no children, butchers! if you had, The thought of them would have stirr'd up remorse: But if you ever chance to have a child, Look in his youth to have him so cut off As, deathmen, you have rid this sweet young prince! |
| KING EDWARD IV | Away with her; go, bear her hence perforce. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch me here, Here sheathe thy sword, I'll pardon thee my death: What, wilt thou not? then, Clarence, do it thou. |
| CLARENCE | By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it. |
| CLARENCE | Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it? |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself: 'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity. What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil's butcher, Hard-favour'd Richard? Richard, where art thou? Thou art not here: murder is thy alms-deed; Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back. |
| KING EDWARD IV | Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her hence. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | So come to you and yours, as to this Prince! |
| [Exit, led out forcibly] | |
| KING EDWARD IV | Where's Richard gone? |
| CLARENCE | To London, all in post; and, as I guess, To make a bloody supper in the Tower. |
| KING EDWARD IV | He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head. Now march we hence: discharge the common sort With pay and thanks, and let's away to London And see our gentle queen how well she fares: By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. |
| [Exeunt] |