Scene Two
[The Same. A Room in the Palace]
Enter the old Duchess of York, with the two children of Clarence [Edward and a daughter].
Edw. Good grandam, tell us, is our father dead?
Duch. No, boy.
Daugh. Why do you weep so oft, and beat your breast,
And cry—'O Clarence, my unhappy son'? 4
Edw. Why do you look on us, and shake your head,
And call us orphans, wretches, castaways,
If that our noble father were alive
Duch. My pretty cousins, you mistake me both; 8
I do lament the sickness of the king,
As loath to lose him, not your father's death;
It were lost sorrow to wail one that's lost.
Edw. Then you conclude, my grandam, he is dead. 12
The king, mine uncle, is to blame for it:
God will revenge it; whom I will importune
With earnest prayers all to that effect.
Daugh. And so will I. 16
Duch. Peace, children, peace! the king doth love you well.
Incapable and shallow innocents,
You cannot guess who caus'd your father's death.
Edw. Grandam, we can; for my good uncle Gloucester 20
Told me, the king, provok'd to 't by the queen,
Devis'd impeachments to imprison him:
And when my uncle told me so, he wept,
6 castaways; cf. n.
8 cousins: relatives, here grandchildren
18 Incapable: without power of understanding
22 impeachments: accusations
