HENRY THE SIXTH PART 3

Act 5 Scene 5

Flourish. Enter King Edward, Richard Duke of Gloucester, and George Duke of Clarence with Queen Margaret, the Earl of Oxford, and the Duke of Somerset, guarded
l1l	King Edward	 Now here a period of tumultuous broils.
l2l		Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight#
l3l		For Somerset, off with his guilty head.
l4l		Go bear them hence—I will not hear them speak.
l5l	Oxford	For my part, I’ll not trouble thee with words.
		(Exit, guarded)
l6l	Somerset	 Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune.
		(Exit, guarded)
l7l	Queen Margaret	 So part we sadly in this troublous world
l8l		To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.
l9l	King Edward	Is proclamation made that who finds Edward
l10l		Shall have a high reward and he his life?
l11l	Richard Of Gloucester	It is, and lo where youthful Edward comes.
		(Enter Prince Edward, guarded)
l12l	King Edward	 Bring forth the gallant—let us hear him speak.
l13l		What, can so young a thorn begin to prick?
l14l		Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make
l15l		For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects,
l16l		And all the trouble thou hast turned me to?
l17l	Prince Edward	Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York.
l18l		Suppose that I am now my father’s mouth—
l19l		Resign thy chair, and where I stand, kneel thou,
l20l		Whilst I propose the self-same words to thee,
l21l		Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
l22l	Queen Margaret	Ah, that thy father had been so resolved.
l23l	Richard Of Gloucester	That you might still have worn the petticoat
l24l		And ne’er have stolen the breech from Lancaster.
l25l	Prince Edward	Let Aesop fable in a winter’s night—
l26l		His currish riddles sorts not with this place.
l27l	Richard Of Gloucester	By heaven, brat, I’ll plague ye for that word.
l28l	Queen Margaret	Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men.
l29l	Richard Of Gloucester	For God’s sake take away this captive scold.
l30l	Prince Edward	Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather.
l31l	King Edward	Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue.
l32l	George Of Clarence	(to Prince Edward)
		 Untutored lad, thou art too malapert.
l33l	Prince Edward	I know my duty—you are all undutiful.
l34l		Lascivious Edward, and thou, perjured George,
l35l		And thou, misshapen Dick—I tell ye all
l36l		I am your better, traitors as ye are,
l37l		And thou usurp’st my father’s right and mine.
l38l	King Edward	Take that, the likeness of this railer here.
		( 38 King Edward stabs Prince Edward)
l39l	Richard Of Gloucester	 Sprawl’st thou? Take that, to end thy agony.
		(Richard stabs Prince Edward)
l40l	George Of Clarence	 And there’s for twitting me with perjury.
		(George stabs Prince Edward, who dies)
l41l	Queen Margaret	 O, kill me too!
	Richard Of Gloucester	Marry, and shall.
		(He offers to kill her)
l42l	King Edward	 Hold, Richard, hold—for we have done too much.
l43l	Richard Of Gloucester	Why should she live to fill the world with words?
		(Queen Margaret faints)
l44l	King Edward	 What—doth she swoon? Use means for her recovery.
l45l	Richard Of Gloucester	(aside to George)
		 Clarence, excuse me to the King my brother.
l46l		I’ll hence to London on a serious matter.
l47l		Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news.
l48l	George Of Clarence	(aside to Richard)
		 What? What?
l49l	Richard Of Gloucester	(aside to George)
		 The Tower, the Tower.
		(Exit)
l50l	Queen Margaret	 O Ned, sweet Ned—speak to thy mother, boy.
l51l		Canst thou not speak? O traitors, murderers!
l52l		They that stabbed Caesar shed no blood at all,
l53l		Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,
l54l		If this foul deed were by to equal it.
l55l		He was a man—this, in respect, a child#
l56l		And men ne’er spend their fury on a child.
l57l		What’s worse than murderer that I may name it?
l58l		No, no, my heart will burst an if I speak#
l59l		And I will speak that so my heart may burst.
l60l		Butchers and villains! Bloody cannibals!
l61l		How sweet a plant have you untimely cropped!
l62l		You have no children, butchers# if you had,
l63l		The thought of them would have stirred up remorse.
l64l		But if you ever chance to have a child,
l65l		Look in his youth to have him so cut off
l66l		As, deathsmen, you have rid this sweet young Prince!
l67l	King Edward	Away with her—go, bear her hence perforce.
l68l	Queen Margaret	Nay, never bear me hence—dispatch me here.
l69l		Here sheathe thy sword—I’ll pardon thee my death.
l70l		What? Wilt thou not? Then, Clarence, do it thou.
l71l	George Of Clarence	By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease.
l72l	Queen Margaret	Good Clarence, do# sweet Clarence, do thou do it.
l73l	George Of Clarence	Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it?
l74l	Queen Margaret	Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself.
l75l		’Twas sin before, but now ’tis charity.
l76l		What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil’s butcher,
l77l		Hard-favoured Richard? Richard, where art thou?
l78l		Thou art not here. Murder is thy alms-deed—
l79l		Petitioners for blood thou ne’er putt’st back.
l80l	King Edward	Away, I say—I charge ye, bear her hence.
l81l	Queen Margaret	So come to you and yours as to this Prince!
		( 81 Exit, guarded)
l82l	King Edward	 Where’s Richard gone?
l83l	George Of Clarence	To London all in post—
		(aside)
		 and as I guess,
l84l		To make a bloody supper in the Tower.
l85l	King Edward	He’s sudden if a thing comes in his head.
l86l		Now march we hence. Discharge the common sort
l87l		With pay and thanks, and let’s away to London,
l88l		And see our gentle Queen how well she fares.
l89l		By this I hope she hath a son for me.
		(Exeunt)