Duke of Clarence

Okay? This comes from, uh, where is it from? This is Richard III, and the quote is this: "And from the cross row plucks the letter G." It's from William Shakespeare's play, Richard III.

It is spoken by the Duke of Clarence, who has been imprisoned by his brother and stuff like that.

The full passage is, "He hearkens after prophecies and dreams, and from the cross row plucks the letter G." So, um, uh, uh, and then, and so then it's, in the context of the play, a cross row refers to the alphabet.

Okay? So it's a, it's a, it's a reference to the fact that, hey, G in the alphabet.

Richard, Duke of York, read by Tricia G.

George, Duke of Clarence, read by Bob Sherman.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, read by David Nicol.

Son of Clarence, read by Nathalie Cartbray.

God grant we never may have need of you.

meantime god grants that we have need of you our brother is imprisoned by your means myself disgraced and the nobility held in contempt while great promotions are daily given to ennoble those that scarce some two days since were worth ennoble

By him that raised me to this careful height, from that contented hap which I enjoyed, I never did incense his majesty against the Duke of Clarence, but have been an earnest advocate to plead for him.

My lord, you do me shameful injury falsely to draw me in these vile suspects.

George, who had been excluded from the line of succession during Richard III’s reign, challenged Edward by aligning himself with powerful nobles who opposed the king.

A series of mutinies in 1487 forced Edward to accept a settlement that elevated George to Duke of Clarence and restored his standing.

Even after the settlement, tension remained until Edward’s assassination by one of his own men, a reminder that brother-to-brother conflict could turn lethal when titles were at stake.

The most infamous fraternal feud, perhaps, is Edward IV’s dispute with his younger half-brother Richard III, who became king after a series of power plays.

Edward soon acted in many ways which displeased the Earl, and they quarreled, and plots were formed to drive Edward from the throne.

Among the people who plotted against him was the Duke of Clarence, King Edward's own brother.

At last the Earl of Warwick became so angry with Edward that he took him prisoner and shut him up in a castle called Middleham.

So there were two kings in England, both of them prisoners.

The Kingmaker, having made and unmade the king, now ruled the country himself for a year.

He really had intended to make the Duke of Clarence king, but he found that even he was not powerful enough to do that.

In about a year's time, Warwick set Edward free again, and strange to say, they made up their quarrels and were friends once more.

But in a very short time they again quarreled, so badly this time that the Earl of Warwick, who had fought so hard for the White Rose of York, forsook it and joined the Red Rose of Lancaster.

Our brother is imprisoned by your means, myself disgraced, and the nobility held in contempt, while great promotions are daily given to ennoble those that scarce some two days since were worth a noble

[sighs] By him that raised me to this careful height from that contented hap which I enjoyed, I never did incense his majesty against the Duke of Clarence, but have been an earnest advocate to plead for him.

My lord, you do me shameful injury falsely to draw me in these vile suspects

You may deny that you were not the mean of my Lord Hastings' late imprisonment

Let him see our commission and talk no more.

A paper is delivered to Brackenbury, who reads it.

I am in this commanded to deliver the noble Duke of Clarence to your hands.

I will not reason what is meant hereby, because I will be guiltless of the meaning.

Edward soon acted in many ways which displeased the earl, and they quarreled, and plots were formed to drive Edward from the throne.

Among the people who plotted against him was the Duke of Clarence, King Edward's own brother.

At last, the Earl of Warwick became so angry with Edward that he took him prisoner and shut him up in a castle called Middleham.

So there were two kings in England, both of them prisoners.

The Kingmaker, having made and unmade the king, now ruled the country himself for a year.

He really had intended to make the Duke of Clarence king, but he found that even he was not powerful enough to do that.

In about a year's time, Warwick set Edward free again, and strange to say, they made up their quarrels and were friends once more.

But in a very short time, they again quarreled, so badly this time that the Earl of Warwick, who had fought so hard for the White Rose of York, forsook it and joined the Red Rose of Lancaster.

He had not expected to be king.

He inherited the, the role when his older brother, Eddie, the Duke of Clarence, who was a bit of a roué, and frankly was no great loss to humanity, suddenly died.

And George up until that point, the future George V, had been merely a naval officer and quite happy in that role and had no intention and no, no, no...

He was the spare to the heir who was suddenly expected to come forward and take center stage, which he did with aplomb and great dedication to the extent of actually marrying his dead older brother's fiancée, Princess May of Teck, who promptly changed her name to Mary of Teck because it sounded a lot more royal, regal.

But I am ready to start for the fray no later than tomorrow morn, to seek the man in green, as God will guide me.

Then the best of the castle gathered together, Ivan and Eric and others full many, Sir Dondonel de Sauvage, the Duke of Clarence, Lancelot and Lionel, and Lucan the Good, Sir Bors and Sir Bedivere, big men both, and many other proud ones, with Medor de la Porte.

All this company of the court came nearer to the king to counsel the knight with care at their hearts.

There was much deep grief felt in the halls that so worthy a one as Gowan should go on that errand, to endure a sorry dint and deal, no one himself with his brand.

Ye know the cost of this case.

I do not care to tell you even a trifle of its dangers, but I am ready to start for the fray no later than tomorrow morn, to seek the man in green as God will guide me." Then the best of the castle gathered together, Yvain and Erec and others full many, Sir Dondinau de Savage, the Duke of Clarence, Lancelot and Lionel, and Lucan the Good, Sir Bors and Sir Bedivere, big men both, and many other proud ones, with Mador de la Porte.

All this company of the court came near to the king to counsel the knight with care at th- at their hearts.

There was much deep grief felt in the hall that so worthy a one as Gawain should go on that errand, to endure a sorry dint and deal, no one himself with his brand.