Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
|
Enter Archbishop, the young Duke of York,
Queen Elizabeth, and the Duchess of York. ARCHBISHOP
Last night, I hear, they lay at Stony Stratford,
And at Northampton they do rest tonight.
Tomorrow or next day they will be here. DUCHESS
I long with all my heart to see the Prince.
I hope he is much grown since last I saw him. 5 QUEEN ELIZABETH
But I hear no; they say my son of York
Has almost overta’en him in his growth. YORK
Ay, mother, but I would not have it so. DUCHESS
Why, my good cousin? It is good to grow. YORK
Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper, 10
My uncle Rivers talked how I did grow
More than my brother. “Ay,” quoth my uncle
Gloucester,
“Small herbs have grace; great weeds do grow
apace.” 15
And since, methinks I would not grow so fast
Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make
haste. | At the palace in London, Queen Elizabeth chills out with the Duchess of York, the cardinal, and her young son, the Duke of York. Everyone's excited and a little worried about little Prince Edward making it to the castle OK – who knows what could happen to him before he can be crowned King? Prince Edward's little brother, the Duke of York, jokes around with the adults and shows that he's a pretty sharp little kid. He tells his mom and grandmother that his Uncle Richard used to bag on him and tease him about growing like a weed. |
DUCHESS
Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold
In him that did object the same to thee! 20
He was the wretched’st thing when he was young,
So long a-growing and so leisurely,
That if his rule were true, he should be gracious. YORK
And so no doubt he is, my gracious madam. DUCHESS
I hope he is, but yet let mothers doubt. 25 YORK
Now, by my troth, if I had been remembered,
I could have given my uncle’s Grace a flout
To touch his growth nearer than he touched mine. DUCHESS
How, my young York? I prithee let me hear it. YORK
Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast 30
That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old.
’Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
Grandam, this would have been a biting jest. DUCHESS
I prithee, pretty York, who told thee this? YORK Grandam, his nurse. 35 DUCHESS
His nurse? Why, she was dead ere thou wast born. YORK
If ’twere not she, I cannot tell who told me. QUEEN ELIZABETH
A parlous boy! Go to, you are too shrewd. DUCHESS
Good madam, be not angry with the child. QUEEN ELIZABETH Pitchers have ears. 40 | The Duchess of York points out that Richard wasn't exactly a healthy child – he grew pretty slowly when he was young. The little Duke of York says he heard that his Uncle Richard was born with teeth and Queen Elizabeth tells him to quit being a little brat – it's not nice to gossip about adults. |
Enter a Messenger. ARCHBISHOP Here comes a messenger.—What news? MESSENGER
Such news, my lord, as grieves me to report. QUEEN ELIZABETH How doth the Prince? MESSENGER Well, madam, and in health. DUCHESS What is thy news? 45 MESSENGER
Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are sent to Pomfret,
And, with them, Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners. DUCHESS Who hath committed them? MESSENGER
The mighty dukes, Gloucester and Buckingham. ARCHBISHOP For what offense? 50 MESSENGER
The sum of all I can, I have disclosed.
Why, or for what, the nobles were committed
Is all unknown to me, my gracious lord. | A messenger arrives with bad news: Lord Rivers, Lord Gray, and Sir Thomas Vaughn have been thrown in the slammer at Pomfret Castle. (Pomfret is the castle where King Richard II died.) Everyone knows this is bad news. Imprisonment there is usually just one step away from execution. Guess who gave the orders for the arrests? Richard (Duke of Gloucester) and Buckingham. |
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Ay me! I see the ruin of my house.
The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind. 55
Insulting tyranny begins to jut
Upon the innocent and aweless throne.
Welcome, destruction, blood, and massacre.
I see, as in a map, the end of all. DUCHESS
Accursèd and unquiet wrangling days, 60
How many of you have mine eyes beheld?
My husband lost his life to get the crown,
And often up and down my sons were tossed
For me to joy, and weep, their gain and loss.
And being seated, and domestic broils 65
Clean overblown, themselves the conquerors
Make war upon themselves, brother to brother,
Blood to blood, self against self. O, preposterous
And frantic outrage, end thy damnèd spleen,
Or let me die, to look on Earth no more. 70 | Elizabeth freaks out and predicts that her entire family is going down. The Duchess of York points out how terrible civil war is, especially when family members are willing to kill each other. |
QUEEN ELIZABETH, to York
Come, come, my boy. We will to sanctuary.—
Madam, farewell. DUCHESS Stay, I will go with you. QUEEN ELIZABETH
You have no cause. ARCHBISHOP, to Queen Elizabeth My gracious lady, go, 75
And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
For my part, I’ll resign unto your Grace
The seal I keep; and so betide to me
As well I tender you and all of yours.
Go. I’ll conduct you to the sanctuary. 80 They exit. | Elizabeth decides to take her youngest son, the Duke of York, and escape
to sanctuary with him. She is given blessings and a seal from the
Cardinal, who will lead her to safety. |