Page:Richard III (1927) Yale.djvu/66

52

Hear you the news abroad?

1. Cit. Ay; that the king is dead.

2. Cit. Ill news, by'r lady; seldom comes the better:

I fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world.

3. Cit. Neighbours, God speed!

1. Cit. Give you good morrow, sir.

3. Cit. Doth the news hold of good King Edward's death?

2. Cit. Ay, sir, it is too true; God help the while!

3. Cit. Then, masters, look to see a troublous world.

1. Cit. No, no; by God's good grace, his son shall reign.

3. Cit. Woe to that land that's govern'd by a child!

2. Cit. In him there is a hope of government,

Which in his nonage council under him,

And in his full and ripen'd years himself,

No doubt, shall then and till then govern well.

1. Cit. So stood the state when Henry the Sixth

Was crown'd at Paris but at nine months old.

3. Cit. Stood the state so? no, no, good friends, God wot;

For then this land was famously enrich'd

With politic grave counsel; then the king

Had virtuous uncles to protect his Grace.

1. Cit. Why, so hath this, both by his father and mother.

3. Cit. Better it were they all came by his father,

Or by his father there were none at all;

For emulation, who shall now be nearest,

 4 by'r: by our (corruption of oath)

seldom better; cf. n.

5 giddy: confused

7 hold: hold good

9 troublous: troubled

11 Woe child; cf. n.

13 nonage: minority

17 nine months; cf. n.

25 emulation: jealous rivalry

