KING RICHARD THE THIRD

Act 2 Scene 4

(Enter Lord Cardinal, young Duke of York, Queen Elizabeth, and the old Duchess of York)
l1l	[Cardinal]	 Last night, I hear, they lay them at Northampton.
l2l		At Stony Stratford they do rest tonight.
l3l		Tomorrow, or next day, they will be here.
l4l	Duchess Of York	I long with all my heart to see the Prince.
l5l		I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.
l6l	Queen Elizabeth	But I hear, no. They say my son of York
l7l		Has almost overta’en him in his growth.
l8l	York	Ay, mother, but I would not have it so.
l9l	Duchess Of York	Why, my young cousin, it is good to grow.
l10l	York	Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper,
l11l		My uncle Rivers talked how I did grow
l12l		More than my brother. “Ay”, quoth my nuncle Gloucester,
l13l		“Small herbs have grace# gross weeds do grow apace”.
l14l		And since, methinks I would not grow so fast,
l15l		Because sweet flow’rs are slow, and weeds make haste.
l16l	Duchess Of York	Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold
l17l		In him that did object the same to thee.
l18l		He was the wretched’st thing when he was young,
l19l		So long a-growing, and so leisurely,
l20l		That if his rule were true he should be gracious.
l21l	[Cardinal]	Why, so no doubt he is, my gracious madam.
l22l	Duchess Of York	I hope he is, but yet let mothers doubt.
l23l	York	Now, by my troth, if I had been remembered,
l24l		I could have given my uncle’s grace a flout
l25l		To touch his growth, nearer than he touched mine.
l26l	Duchess Of York	How, my young York? I pray thee, let me hear it.
l27l	York	Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast
l28l		That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old.
l29l		’Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
l30l		Grannam, this would have been a biting jest.
l31l	Duchess Of York	I pray thee, pretty York, who told thee this?
l32l	York	Grannam, his nurse.
l33l	Duchess Of York	His nurse? Why, she was dead ere thou wast born.
l34l	York	If ’twere not she, I cannot tell who told me.
l35l	Queen Elizabeth	A parlous boy! Go to, you are too shrewd.
l36l	[Cardinal]	Good madam, be not angry with the child.
l37l	Queen Elizabeth	Pitchers have ears.
		(Enter Marquis Dorset)
		
	[Cardinal]	 Here comes your son, Lord Dorset.
l38l		What news, Lord Marquis?
	[Dorset]	Such news, my lord,
l39l		As grieves me to report.
	Queen Elizabeth	How doth the Prince?
l40l	[Dorset]	Well, madam, and in health.
	Duchess Of York	What is thy news then?
l41l	[Dorset]	Lord Rivers and Lord Gray are sent to Pomfret,
l42l		And with them Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.
l43l	Duchess Of York	Who hath committed them?
	[Dorset]	The mighty dukes,
l44l		Gloucester and Buckingham.
	[Cardinal]	For what offence?
l45l	[Dorset]	The sum of all I can, I have disclosed.
l46l		Why or for what the nobles were committed
l47l		Is all unknown to me, my gracious lord.
l48l	Queen Elizabeth	Ay me! I see the ruin of our house.
l49l		The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind.
l50l		Insulting tyranny begins to jet
l51l		Upon the innocent and aweless throne.
l52l		Welcome destruction, blood, and massacre!
l53l		I see, as in a map, the end of all.
l54l	Duchess Of York	Accursèd and unquiet wrangling days,
l55l		How many of you have mine eyes beheld?
l56l		My husband lost his life to get the crown,
l57l		And often up and down my sons were tossed,
l58l		For me to joy and weep their gain and loss.
l59l		And being seated, and domestic broils
l60l		Clean overblown, themselves the conquerors
l61l		Make war upon themselves, brother to brother,
l62l		Blood to blood, self against self. O preposterous
l63l		And frantic outrage, end thy damnèd spleen,
l64l		Or let me die, to look on death no more.
l65l	Queen Elizabeth	(to York)
		 Come, come, my boy, we will to sanctuary.—
l66l		Madam, farewell.
	Duchess Of York	Stay, I will go with you.
l67l	Queen Elizabeth	You have no cause.
	[Cardinal]	
		(to Elizabeth)
		 My gracious lady, go,
l68l		And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
l69l		For my part, I’ll resign unto your grace
l70l		The seal I keep, and so betide to me
l71l		As well I tender you and all of yours.
l72l		Go, I’ll conduct you to the sanctuary.
		(Exeunt)