Clarence hath not another day to live: Which done, God take king Edward to his mercy; For then I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter: By marrying her, which I muft reach unto. SCENE II. Another Street. [Exit. Enter the coarfe of Henry the fixth, with halberds to guard it, Lady Anne being the mourner. Anne. Set down, fet down your honourable load,If honour may be shrouded in a hearfe,Whilft I awhile obfequiously lament The untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster. -Poor key-cold figure of a holy king! Pale afhes of the house of Lancaster! Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood! Be it lawful, that I invocate thy ghost, To hear the lamentations of poor Anne, Wife to thy Edward, to thy flaughter'd fon; Stabb'd by the felf-fame hand, that made thefe wounds. Lo, in, thefe windows, that let forth thy life, -obfequiously lament] Obfequious, in this inftance means A& funereal. So in Hamlet, Act I. Sc. 2. To do obfequious forrow. STEEVENS. I pour the helpless balm of my poor eyes :- May fright the hopeful mother at the view; And still, as you are weary of this weight, Glo. Stay you, that bear the coarse, and fet it down. Anne, What black magician conjures up this fiend, To stop devoted charitable deeds? Glo. Villains, fet down the coarse, or, by faint Paul, I'll make a coarse of him that difobeys. 9 Gen. My lord, ftand back, and let the coffin pafs. Advance thy halberd higher than my breast, I'll make a coarse of him that disobeys.] So in Hamlet, Alas, Alas, I blame you not, for you are mortal, For thou haft made the happy earth thy hell, Provoke this deluge moft unnatural. O God! which this blood mad'ft, revenge his death! O earth! which this blood drink'ft, revenge his death! Either heaven, with lightning ftrike the murtherer dead, Or earth, gape open wide, and eat him quick; Glo. Lady, you know no rules of charity, 1-pattern of thy butcheries :] Pattern is inftance, or example. JOHNSON. 2-see, dead Henry's wounds, Open their congeal'd mouths, and bleed afrefp.] It is a tradition very generally received, that the murdered body bleeds on the touch of the murderer. This was fo much believed by fir Kenelm Digby, that he has endeavoured to explain the reafon. JOHNSON. Anne. Anne. Villain, thou know'ft nor law of God nor man; No beast fo fierce, but knows fome touch of pity. Anne. Vouchfafe, diffus'd infection of a man, 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 thyfelf. Glo. By fuch defpair, I fhould accufe myself. But dead they are, and, devilish flave, by thee. Anne. Why, then he is alive. Glo. Nay, he is dead; and flain by Edward's hands. Anne. In thy foul throat thou ly'ft. Queen Margaret faw Thy murderous faulchion fmoaking in his blood; 3 Vouchsafe, diffus'd infection of a man,] I believe, diffus'd in this place fignifies irregular, uncouth; fuch is its meaning in other paffages of Shakespeare. JOHNSON. Diffus'dinfection of a man may mean, thou that art as dangerous as a peftilence, that infects the air by its diffufion. Diffus'd may, however, mean irregular. So in The Merry Wives, &c. -rush at once With fome diffused fong. STEEVENS. The The which thou once didft bend against her breast, Glo. I was provoked by her fland'rous tongue, Glo. I grant ye. Anne. Doft grant me, hedge-hog? then, God grant me too, Thou may'st be damned for that wicked deed! Glo. The fitter for the king of heaven, that hath him. Anne. He is in heaven, where thou fhalt never.come. Glo. Let him thank me, that holp to fend him thither : For he was fitter for that place than earth. Anne. And thou unfit for any place, but hell. Glo. Your bed-chamber. Anne. Ill reft betide the chamber where thou lyeft! Glo. I know fo.-But, gentle lady Anne,- Of these Plantagenets, Henry, and Edward, Anne. Thou waft the cause, and most accurs’d effect. Glo. That laid their guilt- -] The crime of my brothers. He has just charged the murder of lady Anne's husband upon Edward. JOHNSON. Thou waft the cause, and moft accurs'd effect.] Effect, for execu tioner. |