Page 1224 - Shakespeare - Vol. 1

Either thou wilt die by God’s just ordinance Exit.
Ere from this war thou turn a conqueror, [185]
Or I with grief and extreme age shall perish,
And nevermore behold thy face again.
Therefore, take with thee my most grievous curse,
Which in the day of battle tire thee more
Than all the complete armour that thou wear’st. [190]
My prayers on the adverse party fight;
And there the little souls of Edward’s children
Whisper the spirits of thine enemies
And promise them success and victory.
Bloody thou art; bloody will be thy end. [195]
Shame serves thy life and doth thy death attend.

ELIZABET H

Though far more cause, yet much less spirit to curse
Abides in me, I say Amen to her.

KING RICHARD

Stay, madam: I must talk a word with you.

ELIZABET H

I have no more sons of the royal blood [200]
For thee to slaughter. For my daughters, Richard,
They shall be praying nuns, not weeping queens,
And therefore level not to hit their lives.

KING RICHARD

You have a daughter call’d Elizabeth,
Virtuous and fair, royal and gracious. [205]

ELIZABET H

And must she die for this? O let her live,
And I’ll corrupt her manners, stain her beauty,
Slander myself as false to Edward’s bed,
Throw over her the veil of infamy;
So she may live unscarr’d of bleeding slaughter [210]
I will confess she was not Edward’s daughter.