K. E.
Why so, now have I ^note done a good day's work;—
You peers, continue this united ^note league:
I every day expect an embassage
From my redeemer to redeem me hence;
And more at peace ^{note note} my soul shall part to heaven ^note,
Since I have made my ^note friends ^note at peace on earth.
Rivers, ^note and Hastings, take each other's hand;
Dissemble not your hatred, swear your love.

Riv.
By heaven, my soul is ^note purg'd from grudging hate;
And with my hand † I seal my true heart's love.

Has.
So thrive I, as I truly ^note swear the like!

K. E.
Take heed, you dally not before your king;
Lest he, that is the supream King of kings,
Confound your hidden falshood, and award
Either of you to be the other's end.

Has.
So prosper I, as I swear perfect love!

Riv.
And I, as I love Hastings with my heart!

K. E.
Madam, yourself are not not exempt in this ^note,—
Nor your son ^note Dorset,—Buckingham, nor you;—
You have been factious one against the other.
Wife, love lord Hastings, let him kiss your hand;
And what you do, do it in unfeignedly.

Que.
There ^note, † Hastings; I will never more remember
Our former hatred, So thrive I, and mine!

K. E.
Dorset, embrace him;—Hastings, love lord marquiss. ^note

Dor.
This ^note enterchange of love, I here protest,
Upon my part, shall be inviolable ^note.

Has.
And so swear I ^note. [they embrace.

K. E.
Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this ^note league
With thy embracements ^note to my wife's allies,
And make me happy in your unity ^note.

Buc.
Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate
Upon your ^note grace, [to the Que.] but with all duteous ^note love
Doth cherish you, and yours, God punish me
With hate in those where I expect most love!
When I have most need to employ a friend,
And most assured that he is a friend,
Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile
Be he unto me! this do I beg of heaven, ^note
When I am cold in love, to ^note you, or yours. [embracing Rivers, &c.

K. E.
A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham,

Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.
There wanteth now our brother Gloster here,
To make the blessed period ^note of this peace.

Buc.
And, in good time, ^note here comes the noble duke. Enter Richard.

Ric.
Good morrow to my sovereign king, and queen;
And, princely peers, a happy time of day!

K. E.
Happy, indeed, as we have spent the day:—
Gloster, we ^note have done deeds of charity;
Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,
Between these swelling wrong-incensed peers.

Ric.
A blessed labour, my ^note most sovereign liege.—
Among ^note this princely heap, if any here,
By false intelligence, or wrong surmise,
Hold me a foe; if I unwittingly ^note14Q0872
Have ought ^note committed that is hardly born
By any ^note in this presence, I desire
To reconcile me to his ^note friendly peace:
'Tis death to me, to be at enmity;
I hate it, and desire all good men's love.—
First, madam, I entreat true ^note peace of you,
Which I will ^note purchase with my duteous service;—
Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,
If ever any grudge were lodg'd between us;—
Of you, lord ^note Rivers,—and, lord Grey, of you,
That all without desert have frown'd on me; ^note—
Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen, indeed of all:
I do not know that Englishman alive,
With whom my soul is any jot at odds,
More than the infant that is born to-night;
I thank my God for my humility.

Que.
A holy-day shall this be kept hereafter:—

I would to God, all strifes ^note were well compounded.—
My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness ^note
To take our brother Clarence to your grace.

Ric.
Why, madam, have I offer'd love for this,
To be ^note so flouted in this royal presence?
Who knows not, that the gentle duke ^note is dead? [they all start.
You do him injury, to scorn his corse.

K. E.
Who knows not, he is dead! who knows, he is? ^note

Que.
All-seeing heaven, what a world is this!

Buc.
Look I so pale, lord Dorset, as the rest?

Dor.
Ay, my good lord; and no man in ^note the presence ^note,
But his red colour hath forsook his cheeks.

K. E.
Is Clarence dead? the order was revers'd.

Ric.
But he, poor man, by ^note your first order dy'd,
And that a winged Mercury did bear;
Some tardy cripple bore ^note the countermand,
That came ^note too lag to see him buried:—
God grant, that some, less noble, and less loyal,
Nearer in bloody thoughts, and not ^note in blood,
Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,
And yet go current from suspicion! Enter Stanley, hastily.

Sta.
A boon, my sovereign, for my service done!

K. E.
I pr'ythee ^note, peace; my soul is full of sorrow.

Sta.
I will not rise, unless your highness hear ^note me.

K. E.
Then say at ^note once, what is it thou request'st ^{note note}.

Sta.
The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant's life;
Who slew to-day a riotous gentleman,
Lately attendant on the duke of Norfolk.

K. E.
Have I a tongue to doom my brother's death,
And shall that tongue give ^note pardon to a slave?

My brother kill'd no ^note man, his fault was thought,
And yet his punishment was bitter death ^note.
Who su'd to me for him? who, in my wrath, ^note
Kneel'd at my feet, and bid ^note me be advis'd?
Who spoke ^note of brotherhood? who spoke of love?
Who told me, how the poor soul did forsake
The mighty Warwick, and did fight for me?
Who told me, in the field at Tewksbury ^note,
When Oxford had me down, he rescu'd me,
And said, Dear brother, live, and be a king?
Who told me, when we both lay in the field,
Frozen almost to death, how he did lap ^note me
Even in his garments ^note; and did give himself,
All thin and naked, to the numb-cold night?
All this from my remembrance brutish wrath
Sinfully pluck'd, and not a man of you
Had so much grace to put it in my mind.
But, when your carters, or your waiting vassals,
Have done a drunken slaughter, and defac'd
The precious image of our dear redeemer,
You straight are on your knees for pardon, pardon;
And I, unjustly too, must grant it you:
But for my brother not a man ^note would speak,—
Nor I (ungracious) speak unto myself
For him, poor soul.—The proudest of you all
Have been beholden ^note to him in his life;
Yet none of you would once beg for ^note his life:—
O God! I fear, thy justice will take hold
On me, and you, and mine, and yours, for this.—
Come, [to Hast.] help ^note me to my closet.—O poor ^note Clarence! [Exeunt King, Queen, Has. Riv. Dor. and Grey.

Ric.
This is the fruit ^note of rashness! ^note—Mark'd you ^note not,

How that the guilty ^note kindred of the queen
Look'd pale, when they did hear of Clarence' death?
O! they did urge it still unto the king:
God will revenge it. Come ^note, lords; will you go,
To comfort Edward with our company?

Buc.
We wait upon your grace. ^note [Exeunt.

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