Young, valiant, wise, and, no doubt, right royal,—The spacious world cannot again afford:
And will she yet abase her eyes on me,
That cropp’d the golden prime of this sweet prince,
And made her widow to a woeful bed?
On me, whose all not equals Edward’s moiety?
On me, that halt and am misshapen thus?
My dukedom to a beggarly denier,
I do mistake my person all this while:
Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot,
Myself to be a marvellous proper man.
I’ll be at charges for a looking-glass;
And entertain a score or two of tailors,
To study fashions to adorn my body:
Since I am crept in favour with myself,
I will maintain it with some little cost.
But first I’ll turn yon fellow in his grave;
And then return lamenting to my love.—
Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass,
That I may see my shadow as I pass.
[Exit.]
SCENE III. London. A Room in the Palace
[Enter QUEEN ELIZABETH, LORD RIVERS, and LORD GREY.]
RIVERS
Have patience, madam: there’s no doubt his majesty
Will soon recover his accustom’d health.
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.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
If he were dead, what would betide on me?
GREY
No other harm but loss of such a lord.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
The loss of such a lord includes all harms.
GREY
The heavens have bless’d you with a goodly son
To be your comforter when he is gone.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Ah, he is young; and his minority
Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloster,
A man that loves not me, nor none of you.
RIVERS
Is it concluded he shall be protector?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
It is determin’d, not concluded yet:
But so it must be, if the king miscarry.
[Enter BUCKINGHAM and STANLEY.]
GREY
Here come the Lords of Buckingham and Stanley.
BUCKINGHAM
Good time of day unto your royal grace!
STANLEY
God make your majesty joyful as you have been!
QUEEN ELIZABETH
The Countess Richmond, good my Lord of Stanley,
To your good prayer will scarcely say amen.
Yet, Stanley, notwithstanding she’s your wife,
And loves not me, be you, good lord, assur’d
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 accus’d on true report,
Bear with her weakness, which I think proceeds
From wayward sickness, and no grounded malice.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Saw you the king to-day, my Lord of Stanley?
STANLEY
But now the Duke of Buckingham and I
Are come from visiting his majesty.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
What likelihood of his amendment, lords?
BUCKINGHAM
Madam, good hope; his grace speaks cheerfully.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
God grant him health! Did you confer with him?
BUCKINGHAM
Ay, madam; he desires to make atonement
Between the Duke of Gloster and your brothers,
And between them and my lord chamberlain;
And sent to warn them to his royal presence.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Would all were well!—but that will never be:
I fear our happiness is at the height.
[Enter GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and DORSET.]
GLOSTER
They do me wrong, and I will not endure it:—
Who are they 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
