London. A Room in the Palace.
 Enter ARCHBISHOP, young DUKE OF YORK, the QUEEN, and the DUCHESS.

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.

Elizabeth	But I hear no. They say my son of York
	Has almost overta'en him in his growth.

Duke of York	Ay, mother, but I would not have it so.

Duchess	Why, my good cousin? It is good to grow.

Duke of York	Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper,
	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."
	And since, methinks I would not grow so fast,
	Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste.

Duchess	Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold
	In him that did object the same to thee.
	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.

Archbishop	And so no doubt he is, my gracious madam.

Duchess	I hope he is; but yet let mothers doubt.

Duke of 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.

Duke of York	Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast
	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?

Duke of York	Grandam, his nurse.

Duchess	His nurse? Why she was dead ere thou wast born.

Duke of York	If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me.

Elizabeth	A parlous boy! Go to, you are too shrewd.

Duchess	Good madam, be not angry with the child.

Elizabeth	Pitchers have ears.

                            Enter a MESSENGER.

Archbishop	Here comes a messenger. What news?

Messenger	Such news, my lord, as grieves me to report.

Elizabeth	How doth the prince?

Messenger								Well, madam, and in health.

Duchess	What is thy news?

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 offence?

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.

Elizabeth	Ay me! I see the ruin of my house:
	The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind;
	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	Accursd and unquiet wrangling days,
	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
	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 damnd spleen,
	Or let me die, to look on earth no more.

Elizabeth	Come, come, my boy; we will to sanctuary.
	Madam, farewell.

Duchess							Stay, I will go with you.

Elizabeth	You have no cause.

Archbishop								My gracious lady, go,
	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.
	Come, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary.
														[Exeunt.
