Page:Richard III (1927) Yale.djvu/62

48

And I for comfort have but one false glass,

That grieves me when I see my shame in him.

Thou art a widow; yet thou art a mother,

And hast the comfort of thy children left [thee]:

But death hath snatch'd my husband from mine arms,

And pluck'd two crutches from my feeble hands,

Clarence and Edward. O! what cause have I—

Thine being but a moiety of my moan—

To overgo thy woes, and drown thy cries!

Edw. Ah, aunt, you wept not for our father's death;

How can we aid you with our kindred tears?

Daugh. Our fatherless distress was left unmoan'd;

Your widow-dolour likewise be unwept.

Q. Eliz. Give me no help in lamentation;

I am not barren to bring forth complaints:

All springs reduce their currents to mine eyes,

That I, being govern'd by the watery moon,

May send forth plenteous tears to drown the world!

Ah, for my husband! for my dear Lord Edward!

Chil. Ah, for our father! for our dear Lord Clarence!

Duch. Alas, for both! both mine, Edward and Clarence!

Q. Eliz. What stay had I but Edward? and he's gone.

Chil. What stay had we but Clarence? and he's gone.

Duch. What stays had I but they? and they are gone.

Q. Eliz. Was never widow had so dear a loss.

Chil. Were never orphans had so dear a loss.

 53 false glass: i.e. Richard

60 moiety: fractional part, half

61 overgo: exceed

63 kindred tears: i.e. tears of kinsmen

65 widow-dolour: widow's grief

67 to: in capacity to

68 reduce: bring back

70 Cf. n.

74 stay: support

