Беспокойное бессмертие: 450 лет со дня рождения Уильяма Шекспира (Честертон, Грин) - страница 109

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Elizabeth

Brother of Gloucester, you mistake the matter.
The king, of his own royal disposition,
And not provoked by any suitor else,
Aiming, belike, at your interior hatred,
That in your outward actions shows itself
Against my children, brothers, and myself,
Makes him to send, that he may learn the ground.

Richard

I cannot tell. The world is grown so bad
That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch.
Since every jack became a gentleman,
There’s many a gentle person made a jack.

Elizabeth

Come, come, we know your meaning, brother Gloucester.
You envy my advancement and my friends’.
God grant we never may have need of you.

Richard

Meantime, God grants that I have need of you.
Your brother is imprisoned by your means,
My self disgraced, and the nobility
Held in contempt, while great promotions
Are daily given to ennoble those
That scarce some two days since were worth a noble.

Elizabeth

By Him that raised me to this careful height
From that contented hap which I enjoyed,
I never did incense his majesty
Against the Duke of Clarence, but have been
An earnest advocate to plead for him.
My lord, you do me shameful injury
Falsely to draw me in these vile suspècts.

Richard

You may deny that you were not the mean
Of my Lord Hastings’ late imprisonment.

Rivers

She may, my lord, for —

Richard

She may, Lord Rivers, why, who knows not so?
She may do more, sir, than denying that.
She may help you to many fair preferments,
And then deny her aiding hand therein,
And lay those honours on your high desert.
What may she not? She may, ay, marry, may she.

Rivers

What, marry, may she?


Richard

What, marry, may she? Marry with a king,
A bachelor, a handsome stripling too.
I wis your grandam had a worser match.

Elizabeth

My lord of Gloucester, I have too long borne
Your blunt upbraidings and your bitter scoffs.
By heaven, I will acquaint his majesty
Of those gross taunts that oft I have endured.
I had rather be a country servant maid
Than a great queen, with this condition,
To be so baited, scorned, and stormèd at.
Small joy have I in being England’s queen.

>Enter old queen Margaret.


Margaret (aside)

And lessened be that small, God I beseech him.
Thy honour, state and seat is due to me.

Richard

What? Threat you me with telling of the king?
I will avouch’t in presence of the king.
I dare adventure to be sent to th’Tower.
ʼTis time to speak. My pains are quite forgot.

Margaret (aside)

Out, devil. I do remember them too well.
Thou kill’dst my husband, Henry, in the Tower,
And Edward, my poor son, at Tewksbury.

Richard

Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband king,
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