Grey In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse. Therefore, for God’s sake, entertain good comfort, And cheer his grace with quick and merry eyes. Elizabeth If he were dead, what would betide on me? Rivers No other harm but loss of such a lord. Elizabeth The loss of such a lord includes all harms. Grey The heavens have blessed you with a goodly son To be your comforter when he is gone. Elizabeth Ah, he is young, and his minority Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloucester, A man that loves not me nor none of you. Rivers Is it concluded that he shall be Protector? Elizabeth It is determined, not concluded yet, But so it must be if the king miscarry. Enter Buckingham and Stanley Earl of Derby. Grey Here come the lords of Buckingham and Derby. Buckingham Good time of day unto your royal grace. Stanley God make your majesty joyful, as you have been. Elizabeth The Countess Richmond, good my Lord of Derby, To your good prayer will scarcely say amen. Yet Derby, notwithstanding she’s your wife And loves not me, be you, good lord, assured I hate not you for her proud arrogance. Stanley I do beseech you, either not believe The envious slanders of her false accusers, Or if she be accused on true report, Bear with her weakness, which I think proceeds From wayward sickness and no grounded malice. Rivers Saw you the king today, my lord of Derby? Elizabeth But now the Duke of Buckingham and I Are come from visiting his majesty. Elizabeth What likelihood of his amendment, lords? Buckingham Madam, good hope. His grace speaks cheerfully. Elizabeth God grant him health. Did you confer with him? Buckingham Ay, madam. He desires to make atonement Between the Duke of Gloucester and your brothers, And between them and my Lord Chamberlain, And sent to warn them to his royal presence. Elizabeth Would all were well, but that will never be. I fear our happiness is at the hight. Enter Richard and Hastings. Richard They do me wrong, and I will not endure it. Who is it that complain unto the king That I, forsooth, am stern and love them not? By holy Paul, they love his grace but lightly That fill his ears with such dissentious rumours. Because I cannot flatter and look fair, Smile in men’s faces, smooth, deceive, and cog, Duck with French nods and apish courtesy, I must be held a rancorous enemy. Cannot a plain man live and think no harm, But thus his simple truth must be abused By silken, sly, insinuating jacks? Grey
To who in all this presence speaks your grace? Richard To thee, that hast nor honesty nor grace. When have I injured thee? When done thee wrong? Or thee? Or thee? Or any of your faction? A plague upon you all. His royal grace, Whom God preserve better than you would wish, Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing while But you must trouble him with lewd complaints. Elizabeth Brother of Gloucester, you mistake the matter. The king, of his own royal disposition, And not provoked by any suitor else, Aiming, belike, at your interior hatred, That in your outward actions shows itself Against my children, brothers, and myself, Makes him to send, that he may learn the ground. Richard I cannot tell. The world is grown so bad That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch. Since every jack became a gentleman, There’s many a gentle person made a jack. Elizabeth Come, come, we know your meaning, brother Gloucester. You envy my advancement and my friends’. God grant we never may have need of you. Richard Meantime, God grants that I have need of you. Your brother is imprisoned by your means, My self disgraced, and the nobility Held in contempt, while great promotions Are daily given to ennoble those That scarce some two days since were worth a noble. Elizabeth By Him that raised me to this careful height From that contented hap which I enjoyed, I never did incense his majesty Against the Duke of Clarence, but have been An earnest advocate to plead for him. My lord, you do me shameful injury Falsely to draw me in these vile suspècts. Richard You may deny that you were not the mean Of my Lord Hastings’ late imprisonment. Rivers |
