Have no delight to pass away my hours, Then, since this earth affords no joy to me, But then 'tis fix'd on such a height ;-oh, I I'll climb betimes, without remorse or drend, SCENE III. A Chamber in the Tower KING HENRY, sleeping on a Couch. Enter LIEUTENANT. Lieut. Asleep so soon! but sorrow minds no sea sons; The morning, noon, and night, with her's the same; She's fond of any hour, that yields repose. K. Hen. Who's there? Lieutenant! is it you? Come hither! Lieut. You shake, my lord, and look affrighted! K. Hen. Oh! I have had the fearfull'st dream! such sights, That, as I live, I would not pass another hour so dreadful, Enter GLOSTER. Glost. Good day, my lord; what, at your book so hard? I disturb you. K. Hen. You do indeed. Glost. Friend, leave us to ourselves; we must confer. K. Hen. What bloody scene has Roscius now to act? [Exit LIEUTENant. Glost. Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind: The thief does fear each bush an officer. K. Hen. Where thieves, without controlment, rob and kill, The traveller does fear each bush a thief: The poor bird, that has been already lim'd, By whom my young one bled, was caught, and kill'd. Glost. Why, what a peevish fool was that of Crete, That taught his son the office of a fowl! And yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd: Thou shouldst have taught thy boy his prayers alone, And then he had not broke his neck with climbing. K. Hen. Ah! kill me with thy weapon, not thy words; My breast can better brook thy dagger's point, Than can my ears that piercing story; But wherefore dost thou come? is't for my life? K. Hen. If murdering innocents be executing, Glost. Thy son I kill'd for his presumption. K. Hen. Hadst thou been kill'd, when first thou didst presume, Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a son of mine: But thou wert born to massacre mankind. Thou cam'st Glost. I'll hear no more-Die, prophet, in thy speech; For this, amongst the rest, I was ordain'd. [ Stabs him. K. Hen. Oh! and for much more slaughter after this; Just Heav'n forgive my sins, and pardon thee! [Dies. Glost. What! will the aspiring blood of Lancaster Sink in the ground?—I thought it would have mounted. See how my sword weeps for the poor king's death! Oh may such purple tears be always shed, From those, who wish the downfall of our house! Down, down to hell, and say I sent thee thither; That I should snarl, and bite, and play the dog. And this word love, which grey-beards call divine, Clarence, beware, thou keep'st me from the light; Thou'st not another day to live; which done, Heav'n take the weak King Edward to his mercy, And leave the world for me to bustle in: But soft-I'm sharing spoil, before the field is won. Clarence still breathes, Edward still lives and reigns; When they are gone, then must I count my gains. [Exit. ACT THE SECOND. SCENE I. St. Paul's. Enter TRESSEL, meeting LORD STANLEY. Tressel. My lord, your servant; pray what brought you to St. Paul's? Stanley. I came among the crowd, to see the corpse Of poor King Henry; 'tis a dismal sight; But yesterday I saw him in the Tower; His talk is still so fresh within my memory, That I could weep, to think how fate has us'd him. I wonder where's Duke Richard's policy, In suffering him to lie expos'd to view; Can he believe that men will love him for't? Tressel. O yes, sir, love him, as he loves his brothers. When was you with King Edward, pray, my lord? Stanley. 'Tis thought he'll scarce recover. King Henry's corpse to be interred at Chertsey, Stanley. Mean you King Henry's daughter in law? Whom Gloster kill'd at Tewksbury. Stanley. Alas! poor lady! She's severely used! |