GONE to be married, gone to swear a peace, I have a king's oath to the contrary; Thou shalt be punish'd for thus frighting me, Oppress'd with wrongs, and therefore full of fears; A woman, naturally born to fears; And though thou now confess, thou didst but jest, TOKENS OF GRIEF. What dost thou mean by shaking of thy head? Why dost thou look so sadly on my son? What means that hand upon that breast of thine? Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum, Like a proud river peering ‡ o'er his bounds? Be these sad signs confirmers of thy words? Then speak again; not all thy former tale, A MOTHER'S FONDNESS FOR A BEAUTIFUL CHILD. If thou, that bid'st me be content, wert grim, Ugly, and sland'rous to thy mother's womb, Full of unpleasing blots, and sightless* stains, Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious †, Patch'd with foul moles, and eye-offending marks, I would not care, I then would be content; For then I should not love thee; no, nor thou Become thy great birth, nor deserve a crown. But thou art fair; and at thy birth, dear boy! Nature and fortune join'd to make thee great: Of nature's gifts thou may'st with lilies boast, And with the half-blown rose. GRIEF. I will instruct my sorrows to be proud; COWARDICE AND PERJURY. O Lymoges! O Austria! thou dost shame That bloody spoil: Thou slave, thou wretch, thou Thou little valiant, great in villany! [coward; Thou ever strong upon the stronger side! To teach thee safety! thou art perjur'd too, * Unsightly. ↑ Portentous. THE HORRORS OF A CONSPIRACY. I had a thing to say,-But let it go: Had bak'd thy blood, and made it heavy, thick; Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes, APOSTROPHE TO DEATH. O amiable, lovely death! Thou odoriferous stench! sound rottenness! And I will kiss thy detestable bones; Come, grin on me; and I will think thou smil'st, *Showy ornaments. + Conception. A MOTHER'S RAVINGS. I am not mad: this hair I tear is mine; A MOTHER'S GRIEF FOR THE LOSS OF A SON. Father cardinal, I have heard you say, 'That we shall see and know our friends in heaven: If that be true, I shall see my boy again; For, since the birth of Cain, the first male child, There was not such a gracious† creature born. Pand. You hold too heinous a respect of grief. * Breathe. Const. Grief fills the room up of my absent child, Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me; Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts, Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form; Then, have I reason to be fond of grief. DESPONDENCY. There's nothing in this world can make me joy: Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale, Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man. STRENGTH OF DEPARTING DISEASES. Before the curing of a strong disease, Even in the instant of repair and health, The fit is strongest; evils that take leave, On their departure most of all show evil. DANGER TAKES HOLD OF ANY SUPPORT. He that stands upon a slippery place, Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up. ACT IV. THE COUNTENANCE OF A MURDERER. THIS is the man should do the bloody deed; A STRUGGLING CONSCIENCE. The colour of the king doth come and go, Between his purpose and his conscience, Like heralds 'twixt two dreadful battles set: His passion is so ripe, it needs must break. |