What you have been ere now, and what your are; Q. Mar. A murd'rous villain, and so still thou art. Glo. Poor Clarence did forsake his father Warwick, Ay, and forswore himself,- Which Jesu pardon! Q. Mar. Which God revenge! Glo. To fight on Edward's party, for the crown; I am too childish-foolish for this world. Q. Mar. Hie thee to hell for shame, and leave this world, Thou cacodæmon! there thy kingdom is. Riv. My lord of Gloster, in those busy days, Q. Eliz. As little joy, my lord as you suppose 5 which you have pill'd from me ;] To pill is to pillage. 6 Ah, gentle villain,] Gentle appears to be taken in its common acceptation, but to be used ironically. Glo. Foul wrinkled witch, what mak'st thou in my sight?? Q. Mar. But repetition of what thou hast marr'd; That will I make, before I let thee go. Glo. Wert thou not banished, on pain of death? Q. Mar. I was; but I do find more pain in banishment, Than death can yield me here by my abode. A husband and a son, thou ow'st to me, And thou, a kingdom; — all of you, allegiance: Glo. The curse my noble father laid on thee, - 8 Denounc'd against thee, are all fallen upon thee; Riv. Tyrants themselves wept when it was reported. And turn you all your hatred now on me? Did York's dread curse prevail so much with heaven, what mak'st thou in my sight?] An obsolete expression for - what dost thou in my sight. 8 hath plagu'd thy bloody deed.] To plague, in ancient language, is to punish. Can curses pierce the clouds and enter heaven? - Long may'st thou live, to wail thy children's loss; Deck'd in thy rights, as thou art stall'd in mine! But by some unlook'd accident cut off! Glo. Have done thy charm, thou hateful wither'd hag. Q. Mar. And leave out thee? stay, dog, for thou shalt hear me. If heaven have any grievous plague in store, 9 by surfeit die your king,] Alluding to his luxurious life. Thou elvish-mark'd', abortive, rooting hog!? Glo. Margaret. Q. Mar. Glo. Q. Mar. Richard! Ha? I call thee not. Glo. I cry thee mercy then; for I did think, That thou had'st call'd me all these bitter names. Q. Mar. Why, so I did; but look'd for no reply. O, let me make the period to my curse. Glo. 'Tis done by me; and ends in Margaret. Q. Eliz. Thus have you breath'd your curse against yourself. Q. Mar. Poor painted queen, vain flourish of my for tune! 4 Why strew'st thou sugar on that bottled spider, * 1 elvish-mark'd,] The common people in Scotland, (as we learn from Kelly's Proverbs,) have still an aversion to those who have any natural defect or redundancy, as thinking them mark'd out for mischief. 2 rooting hog!] The expression is fine, alluding (in memory of her young son) to the ravage which hogs make, with the finest flowers, in gardens; and intimating that Elizabeth was to expect no other treatment for her sons. WARBURTON. 3 The slave of nature,] The expression is strong and noble, and alludes to the ancient custom of masters branding their profligate slaves; by which it is insinuated that his misshapen person was the mark that nature had set upon him to stigmatize his ill conditions. bottled spider,] A spider is called bottled, because, like other insects, he has a middle slender, and a belly protuberant. Richard's form and venom made her liken him to a spider. 4 Hast. False-boding woman, end thy frantick curse; Lest, to thy harm, thou move our patience. Q. Mar. Foul shame upon you! you have all mov'd mine. Riv. Were you well serv'd, you would be taught your duty. Q. Mar. To serve me well, you all should do me duty, Teach me to be your queen, and you my subjects: O, serve me well, and teach yourselves that duty. Dor. Dispute not with her, she is lunatick. Q. Mar. Peace, master marquis, you are malapert: Your fire-new stamp of honour is scarce current; O, that your young nobility could judge, What 'twere to lose it, and be miserable! They that stand high, have many blasts to shake them; And, if they fall, they dash themselves to pieces. Glo. Good counsel, marry; learn it, learn it, marquis, Dor. It touches you, my lord, as much as me. Glo. Ay, and much more: But I was born so high, Our aiery buildeth in the cedar's top, And dallies with the wind, and scorns the sun. Q. Mar. And turns the sun to shade; alas! alas! Witness my son, now in the shade of death:5 6 Your aiery buildeth in our aiery's nest: "— O God, that see'st it, do not suffer it; As it was won with blood, lost be it so! Buck. Peace, peace, for shame, if not for charity. 5 Witness my son, &c.] Her distress cannot prevent her quibbling. It may be here remarked, that the introduction of Margaret in this place is against all historical evidence. She was ransomed and sent to France soon after Tewksbury fight, and there passed the remainder of her wretched life. 6 Your aiery buildeth in our aiery's nest :] An aiery is a hawk's or an eagle's nest. |