1 Or, by saint Paul, I'll strike thee to my foot, Alas, I blame you not; for you are mortal, Thou had'st but power over his mortal body, For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, O, Gentlemen, see, see! dead Henry's wounds Thy deed, inhuman, and unnatural, death! O earth, which this blood drink'st, death! revenge his revenge his Either, heaven, with lightning strike the murderer dead, Or, earth, gape open wide, and eat him quick; As thou dost swallow up this good King's blood, Which his hell govern'd arm hath butchered! Glo. Lady, you know no rules of charity, Which renders good for bad, blessings for curs ings. Anne. Villain, thou know'st no law of God nor man; No beast so fierce, but knows some touch of pity. Glo. But I know none, and therefore am no beast. 'Anne. O wonderful, when devils tell the truth! Glo. More wonderful, when angels are so Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman, Anne, Vouchsafe, diffus'd infection of a man, For these known evils, but to give me leave, By circumstance, to curse thy cursed self. Glo. Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have Some patient leisure to excuse myself. Anne. Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make No excuse current, but to hang thyself. Glo. By such despair, I should accuse myself. Anne. And, by despairing, shalt thou stand excus'd; For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, Anne. Why, then he is alive. Glo. Nay, he is dead; and slain by Edward's hand. Anne. In thy soul's throat thou liest; Queen Margaret saw Thy murderous faulchion smoking in his blood; The which thou once didst bend against her breast, But that thy brothers beat aside the point. Glo. I was provoked by her sland'rous tongue, That laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders. Anne. Thou wast provoked by thy bloody mind, That never dreamt on aught but butcheries : Glo. I grant ye. Anne. Dost grant me, hedge-hog? then, God grant me too, Thou may'st be damned for that wicked deed! O, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous. Glo. The fitter for the King of heaven that hath Anne. He is in heaven, where thou shalt never come. Glo. Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither; For he was fitter for that place than earth. Anne. And thou unfit for any place, but hell. Glo. Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it. Anne. Some dungeon. Glo. Your bedchamber. Anne. Il rest betide the chamber where thou liest! Glo. So will it, Madam, 'till I lie with you. Anne. I hope so. Glo. I know so. But gentle Lady Anne, To leave this keen encounter of our wits, Anne. Thou wast the cause, and most accurs'd effect. Glo. Your beauty was the cause of that effect; Your beauty, which did haunt me in my sleep, To undertake the death of all the world, So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom. Anne. If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, These nails should rend that beauty from my cheeks. Glo. These eyes could not endure that beauty's wreck, You should not blemish it, if I stood by: Anne. Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life! Glo. Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both. Anne. I would I were, to be reveng'd on thee. Glo. It is a quarrel most unnatural, To be revenged on him that loveth thee. Anne. It is a quarrel just and reasonable, To be reveng'd on him that kill'd my husband. Glo. He that bereft thee, Lady, of thy husband, Did it to help thee to a better husband. Bune. His better doth not breathe upon the earth. Glo. He lives, that loves you better than he could. Anne. Name him. Glo. Plantagenet. Anne. Why, that was he. Glo. The self-same name, but one of better nature. Anne. Where is he? Glo. Glo. Here: [She spits at him.] Why dost thou spit at me? Anne. 'Would it were mortal poison,, for thy sake! Glo. Never came poison from so sweet a place. Anne. Never hung poison on a fouler toad. Out of my sight! thou dost infect mine eyes. Glo. Thine eyes, sweet Lady,` have infected mine. Anne. 'Would they were basilisks, to strike thee dead! Glo. I would they were, that I might die at once : For now they kill me with a living death. Sham'd their aspects with store of childish drops: And what these sorrows could not thence exhale, Thy beauty hath, and made them blind with weeping. I never su'd to friend, uor enemy; My tongue could never learn sweet soothing word; But now thy beauty is propos'd my fee, My proud heart sues, and prompts my tongue to VOL. XII. speak, [She looks scornfully at him. 2 |