Page:Richard III (1927) Yale.djvu/40

26

Q. Eliz. Thus have you breath'd your curse against yourself.

Q. Mar. Poor painted queen, vain flourish of my fortune!

Why strew'st thou sugar on that bottled spider,

Whose deadly web ensnareth thee about?

Fool, fool! thou whet'st a knife to kill thyself.

The day will come that thou shalt wish for me

To help thee curse this poisonous bunch-back'd toad.

Hast. False-boding woman, end thy frantic curse. Lest to thy harm thou move our patience.

Q. Mar. Foul shame upon you! you have all mov'd mine.

Riv. Were you well serv'd, you would be taught your duty.

Q. Mar. To serve me well, you all should do me duty,

Teach me to be your queen, and you my subjects:

O, serve me well, and teach yourselves that duty!

Dor. Dispute not with her, she is lunatic.

Q. Mar. Peace, Master Marquess! you are malapert:

Your fire-new stamp of honour is scarce current.

O that your young nobility could judge

What 'twere to lose it, and be miserable!

They that stand high have many blasts to shake them,

And if they fall, they dash themselves to pieces.

Rich. Good counsel, marry: learn it, learn it, marquess.

Dor. It touches you, my lord, as much as me.

Rich. Ay, and much more; but I was born so high:

Our aery buildeth in the cedar's top,

 241 painted: feigned, counterfeit

vain flourish: empty embellishment

242 bottled: i.e. resembling a bottle, swollen

255 malapert: impudent

256 fire-new current; cf. n.

264 aery: brood

