diff --git "a/res/richardiii.txt" "b/res/richardiii.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/res/richardiii.txt" @@ -0,0 +1,6282 @@ +Richard III +by William Shakespeare + + +Characters in the Play +====================== +RICHARD, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III +LADY ANNE, widow of Edward, son to the late King Henry VI; later wife to Richard +KING EDWARD IV, brother to Richard +QUEEN ELIZABETH, Edward's wife, formerly the Lady Grey +Their sons: + PRINCE EDWARD + RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK +GEORGE, DUKE OF CLARENCE, brother to Edward and Richard +Clarence's BOY +Clarence's DAUGHTER +DUCHESS OF YORK, mother of Richard, Edward, and Clarence +QUEEN MARGARET, widow of King Henry VI +DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM +WILLIAM, LORD HASTINGS, Lord Chamberlain +LORD STANLEY, Earl of Derby +EARL RIVERS, brother to Queen Elizabeth +Sons of Queen Elizabeth by her former marriage: + LORD GREY + MARQUESS OF DORSET +SIR THOMAS VAUGHAN +Richard's supporters: + SIR WILLIAM CATESBY + SIR RICHARD RATCLIFFE + LORD LOVELL + DUKE OF NORFOLK + EARL OF SURREY +EARL OF RICHMOND, Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII +Richmond's supporters: + EARL OF OXFORD + SIR JAMES BLUNT + SIR WALTER HERBERT + SIR WILLIAM BRANDON + SIR CHRISTOPHER, a priest +ARCHBISHOP +CARDINAL +JOHN MORTON, BISHOP OF ELY +SIR ROBERT BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower in London +JAMES TYRREL, gentleman +GENTLEMAN, attending Lady Anne +Two MURDERERS +KEEPER in the Tower +Three CITIZENS +LORD MAYOR of London +PURSUIVANT +SIR JOHN, a priest +SCRIVENER +PAGE +SHERIFF +Seven MESSENGERS +GHOSTS of King Henry VI, his son Prince Edward, Clarence, Rivers, Grey, Vaughan, the two Princes, Hastings, Lady Anne, and Buckingham +Guards, Tressel, Berkeley, Halberds, Gentlemen, Anthony Woodeville and Lord Scales (brothers to Queen Elizabeth), Two Bishops, Sir William Brandon, Lords, Attendants, Citizens, Aldermen, Councillors, Soldiers + + +ACT 1 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, alone.] + + +RICHARD +Now is the winter of our discontent +Made glorious summer by this son of York, +And all the clouds that loured upon our house +In the deep bosom of the ocean buried. +Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths, +Our bruised arms hung up for monuments, +Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings, +Our dreadful marches to delightful measures. +Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front; +And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds +To fright the souls of fearful adversaries, +He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber +To the lascivious pleasing of a lute. +But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks, +Nor made to court an amorous looking glass; +I, that am rudely stamped and want love's majesty +To strut before a wanton ambling nymph; +I, that am curtailed of this fair proportion, +Cheated of feature by dissembling nature, +Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time +Into this breathing world scarce half made up, +And that so lamely and unfashionable +That dogs bark at me as I halt by them-- +Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace, +Have no delight to pass away the time, +Unless to see my shadow in the sun +And descant on mine own deformity. +And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover +To entertain these fair well-spoken days, +I am determined to prove a villain +And hate the idle pleasures of these days. +Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous, +By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams, +To set my brother Clarence and the King +In deadly hate, the one against the other; +And if King Edward be as true and just +As I am subtle, false, and treacherous, +This day should Clarence closely be mewed up +About a prophecy which says that "G" +Of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be. +Dive, thoughts, down to my soul. Here Clarence +comes. + +[Enter Clarence, guarded, and Brakenbury.] + +Brother, good day. What means this armed guard +That waits upon your Grace? + +CLARENCE His Majesty, +Tend'ring my person's safety, hath appointed +This conduct to convey me to the Tower. + +RICHARD +Upon what cause? + +CLARENCE Because my name is +George. + +RICHARD +Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours. +He should, for that, commit your godfathers. +O, belike his Majesty hath some intent +That you should be new christened in the Tower. +But what's the matter, Clarence? May I know? + +CLARENCE +Yea, Richard, when I know, for I protest +As yet I do not. But, as I can learn, +He hearkens after prophecies and dreams, +And from the crossrow plucks the letter G, +And says a wizard told him that by "G" +His issue disinherited should be. +And for my name of George begins with G, +It follows in his thought that I am he. +These, as I learn, and such like toys as these +Hath moved his Highness to commit me now. + +RICHARD +Why, this it is when men are ruled by women. +'Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower. +My Lady Grey his wife, Clarence, 'tis she +That tempers him to this extremity. +Was it not she and that good man of worship, +Anthony Woodeville, her brother there, +That made him send Lord Hastings to the Tower, +From whence this present day he is delivered? +We are not safe, Clarence; we are not safe. + +CLARENCE +By heaven, I think there is no man secure +But the Queen's kindred and night-walking heralds +That trudge betwixt the King and Mistress Shore. +Heard you not what an humble suppliant +Lord Hastings was to her for his delivery? + +RICHARD +Humbly complaining to her Deity +Got my Lord Chamberlain his liberty. +I'll tell you what: I think it is our way, +If we will keep in favor with the King, +To be her men and wear her livery. +The jealous o'erworn widow and herself, +Since that our brother dubbed them gentlewomen, +Are mighty gossips in our monarchy. + +BRAKENBURY +I beseech your Graces both to pardon me. +His Majesty hath straitly given in charge +That no man shall have private conference, +Of what degree soever, with your brother. + +RICHARD +Even so. An please your Worship, Brakenbury, +You may partake of anything we say. +We speak no treason, man. We say the King +Is wise and virtuous, and his noble queen +Well struck in years, fair, and not jealous. +We say that Shore's wife hath a pretty foot, +A cherry lip, a bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue, +And that the Queen's kindred are made gentlefolks. +How say you, sir? Can you deny all this? + +BRAKENBURY +With this, my lord, myself have naught to do. + +RICHARD +Naught to do with Mistress Shore? I tell thee, +fellow, +He that doth naught with her, excepting one, +Were best to do it secretly, alone. + +BRAKENBURY +I do beseech your Grace to pardon me, and withal +Forbear your conference with the noble duke. + +CLARENCE +We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey. + +RICHARD +We are the Queen's abjects and must obey.-- +Brother, farewell. I will unto the King, +And whatsoe'er you will employ me in, +Were it to call King Edward's widow "sister," +I will perform it to enfranchise you. +Meantime, this deep disgrace in brotherhood +Touches me deeper than you can imagine. + +CLARENCE +I know it pleaseth neither of us well. + +RICHARD +Well, your imprisonment shall not be long. +I will deliver you or else lie for you. +Meantime, have patience. + +CLARENCE I must, perforce. Farewell. +[Exit Clarence, Brakenbury, and guard.] + +RICHARD +Go tread the path that thou shalt ne'er return. +Simple, plain Clarence, I do love thee so +That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven, +If heaven will take the present at our hands. +But who comes here? The new-delivered Hastings? + +[Enter Lord Hastings.] + + +HASTINGS +Good time of day unto my gracious lord. + +RICHARD +As much unto my good Lord Chamberlain. +Well are you welcome to the open air. +How hath your Lordship brooked imprisonment? + +HASTINGS +With patience, noble lord, as prisoners must. +But I shall live, my lord, to give them thanks +That were the cause of my imprisonment. + +RICHARD +No doubt, no doubt; and so shall Clarence too, +For they that were your enemies are his +And have prevailed as much on him as you. + +HASTINGS +More pity that the eagles should be mewed, +Whiles kites and buzzards prey at liberty. + +RICHARD What news abroad? + +HASTINGS +No news so bad abroad as this at home: +The King is sickly, weak, and melancholy, +And his physicians fear him mightily. + +RICHARD +Now, by Saint John, that news is bad indeed. +O, he hath kept an evil diet long, +And overmuch consumed his royal person. +'Tis very grievous to be thought upon. +Where is he, in his bed? + +HASTINGS He is. + +RICHARD +Go you before, and I will follow you. +[Exit Hastings.] +He cannot live, I hope, and must not die +Till George be packed with post-horse up to heaven. +I'll in to urge his hatred more to Clarence +With lies well steeled with weighty arguments, +And, if I fail not in my deep intent, +Clarence hath not another day to live; +Which done, God take King Edward to His mercy, +And leave the world for me to bustle in. +For then I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter. +What though I killed her husband and her father? +The readiest way to make the wench amends +Is to become her husband and her father; +The which will I, not all so much for love +As for another secret close intent +By marrying her which I must reach unto. +But yet I run before my horse to market. +Clarence still breathes; Edward still lives and reigns. +When they are gone, then must I count my gains. +[He exits.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter the corse of Henry the Sixth on a bier, with +Halberds to guard it, Lady Anne being the mourner, +accompanied by Gentlemen.] + + +ANNE +Set down, set down your honorable load, +If honor may be shrouded in a hearse, +Whilst I awhile obsequiously lament +Th' untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster. +[They set down the bier.] +Poor key-cold figure of a holy king, +Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster, +Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood, +Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost +To hear the lamentations of poor Anne, +Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughtered son, +Stabbed by the selfsame hand that made these +wounds. +Lo, in these windows that let forth thy life +I pour the helpless balm of my poor eyes. +O, cursed be the hand that made these holes; +Cursed the heart that had the heart to do it; +Cursed the blood that let this blood from hence. +More direful hap betide that hated wretch +That makes us wretched by the death of thee +Than I can wish to wolves, to spiders, toads, +Or any creeping venomed thing that lives. +If ever he have child, abortive be it, +Prodigious, and untimely brought to light, +Whose ugly and unnatural aspect +May fright the hopeful mother at the view, +And that be heir to his unhappiness. +If ever he have wife, let her be made +More miserable by the death of him +Than I am made by my young lord and thee.-- +Come now towards Chertsey with your holy load, +Taken from Paul's to be interred there. +[They take up the bier.] +And still, as you are weary of this weight, +Rest you, whiles I lament King Henry's corse. + +[Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester.] + + +RICHARD +Stay, you that bear the corse, and set it down. + +ANNE +What black magician conjures up this fiend +To stop devoted charitable deeds? + +RICHARD +Villains, set down the corse or, by Saint Paul, +I'll make a corse of him that disobeys. + +GENTLEMAN +My lord, stand back and let the coffin pass. + +RICHARD +Unmannered dog, stand thou when I command!-- +Advance thy halberd higher than my breast, +Or by Saint Paul I'll strike thee to my foot +And spurn upon thee, beggar, for thy boldness. +[They set down the bier.] + +ANNE, [to the Gentlemen and Halberds] +What, do you tremble? Are you all afraid? +Alas, I blame you not, for you are mortal, +And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil.-- +Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell. +Thou hadst but power over his mortal body; +His soul thou canst not have. Therefore begone. + +RICHARD +Sweet saint, for charity, be not so curst. + +ANNE +Foul devil, for God's sake, hence, and trouble us +not, +For thou hast made the happy Earth thy hell, +Filled it with cursing cries and deep exclaims. +If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, +Behold this pattern of thy butcheries. +[She points to the corpse.] +O, gentlemen, see, see dead Henry's wounds +Open their congealed mouths and bleed afresh!-- +Blush, blush, thou lump of foul deformity, +For 'tis thy presence that exhales this blood +From cold and empty veins where no blood dwells. +Thy deeds, inhuman and unnatural, +Provokes this deluge most unnatural.-- +O God, which this blood mad'st, revenge his death! +O Earth, which this blood drink'st, revenge his +death! +Either heaven with lightning strike the murderer +dead, +Or Earth gape open wide and eat him quick, +As thou dost swallow up this good king's blood, +Which his hell-governed arm hath butchered. + +RICHARD +Lady, you know no rules of charity, +Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses. + +ANNE +Villain, thou know'st nor law of God nor man. +No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. + +RICHARD +But I know none, and therefore am no beast. + +ANNE +O, wonderful, when devils tell the truth! + +RICHARD +More wonderful, when angels are so angry. +Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman, +Of these supposed crimes to give me leave +By circumstance but to acquit myself. + +ANNE +Vouchsafe, defused infection of a man, +Of these known evils but to give me leave +By circumstance to curse thy cursed self. + +RICHARD +Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have +Some patient leisure to excuse myself. + +ANNE +Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make +No excuse current but to hang thyself. + +RICHARD +By such despair I should accuse myself. + +ANNE +And by despairing shalt thou stand excused +For doing worthy vengeance on thyself +That didst unworthy slaughter upon others. + +RICHARD Say that I slew them not. + +ANNE Then say they were not slain. +But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee. + +RICHARD I did not kill your husband. + +ANNE Why then, he is alive. + +RICHARD +Nay, he is dead, and slain by Edward's hands. + +ANNE +In thy foul throat thou liest. Queen Margaret saw +Thy murd'rous falchion smoking in his blood, +The which thou once didst bend against her breast, +But that thy brothers beat aside the point. + +RICHARD +I was provoked by her sland'rous tongue, +That laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders. + +ANNE +Thou wast provoked by thy bloody mind, +That never dream'st on aught but butcheries. +Didst thou not kill this king? + +RICHARD I grant you. + +ANNE +Dost grant me, hedgehog? Then, God grant me too +Thou mayst be damned for that wicked deed. +O, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous. + +RICHARD +The better for the King of heaven that hath him. + +ANNE +He is in heaven, where thou shalt never come. + +RICHARD +Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither, +For he was fitter for that place than Earth. + +ANNE +And thou unfit for any place but hell. + +RICHARD +Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it. + +ANNE Some dungeon. + +RICHARD Your bedchamber. + +ANNE +Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest! + +RICHARD +So will it, madam, till I lie with you. + +ANNE +I hope so. + +RICHARD I know so. But, gentle Lady Anne, +To leave this keen encounter of our wits +And fall something into a slower method: +Is not the causer of the timeless deaths +Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward, +As blameful as the executioner? + +ANNE +Thou wast the cause and most accursed effect. + +RICHARD +Your beauty was the cause of that effect-- +Your beauty, that did haunt me in my sleep +To undertake the death of all the world, +So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom. + +ANNE +If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, +These nails should rend that beauty from my +cheeks. + +RICHARD +These eyes could not endure that beauty's wrack. +You should not blemish it, if I stood by. +As all the world is cheered by the sun, +So I by that. It is my day, my life. + +ANNE +Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life. + +RICHARD +Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both. + +ANNE +I would I were, to be revenged on thee. + +RICHARD +It is a quarrel most unnatural +To be revenged on him that loveth thee. + +ANNE +It is a quarrel just and reasonable +To be revenged on him that killed my husband. + +RICHARD +He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband +Did it to help thee to a better husband. + +ANNE +His better doth not breathe upon the earth. + +RICHARD +He lives that loves thee better than he could. + +ANNE +Name him. + +RICHARD Plantagenet. + +ANNE Why, that was he. + +RICHARD +The selfsame name, but one of better nature. + +ANNE +Where is he? + +RICHARD Here. [(She spits at him.)] Why dost +thou spit at me? + +ANNE +Would it were mortal poison for thy sake. + +RICHARD +Never came poison from so sweet a place. + +ANNE +Never hung poison on a fouler toad. +Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes. + +RICHARD +Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine. + +ANNE +Would they were basilisks' to strike thee dead. + +RICHARD +I would they were, that I might die at once, +For now they kill me with a living death. +Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn salt +tears, +Shamed their aspects with store of childish drops. +These eyes, which never shed remorseful tear-- +No, when my father York and Edward wept +To hear the piteous moan that Rutland made +When black-faced Clifford shook his sword at him; +Nor when thy warlike father, like a child, +Told the sad story of my father's death +And twenty times made pause to sob and weep, +That all the standers-by had wet their cheeks +Like trees bedashed with rain--in that sad time, +My manly eyes did scorn an humble tear; +And what these sorrows could not thence exhale +Thy beauty hath, and made them blind with +weeping. +I never sued to friend nor enemy; +My tongue could never learn sweet smoothing word. +But now thy beauty is proposed my fee, +My proud heart sues and prompts my tongue to +speak. [She looks scornfully at him.] +Teach not thy lip such scorn, for it was made +For kissing, lady, not for such contempt. +If thy revengeful heart cannot forgive, +Lo, here I lend thee this sharp-pointed sword, +Which if thou please to hide in this true breast +And let the soul forth that adoreth thee, +I lay it naked to the deadly stroke +And humbly beg the death upon my knee. +[He kneels and lays his breast open; +she offers at it with his sword.] +Nay, do not pause, for I did kill King Henry-- +But 'twas thy beauty that provoked me. +Nay, now dispatch; 'twas I that stabbed young +Edward-- +But 'twas thy heavenly face that set me on. +[She falls the sword.] +Take up the sword again, or take up me. + +ANNE +Arise, dissembler. Though I wish thy death, +I will not be thy executioner. + +RICHARD, [rising] +Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it. + +ANNE +I have already. + +RICHARD That was in thy rage. +Speak it again and, even with the word, +This hand, which for thy love did kill thy love, +Shall for thy love kill a far truer love. +To both their deaths shalt thou be accessory. + +ANNE I would I knew thy heart. + +RICHARD 'Tis figured in my tongue. + +ANNE I fear me both are false. + +RICHARD Then never was man true. + +ANNE Well, well, put up your sword. + +RICHARD Say then my peace is made. + +ANNE That shalt thou know hereafter. + +RICHARD But shall I live in hope? + +ANNE All men I hope live so. + +RICHARD Vouchsafe to wear this ring. + +ANNE To take is not to give. +[He places the ring on her hand.] + +RICHARD +Look how my ring encompasseth thy finger; +Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart. +Wear both of them, for both of them are thine. +And if thy poor devoted servant may +But beg one favor at thy gracious hand, +Thou dost confirm his happiness forever. + +ANNE What is it? + +RICHARD +That it may please you leave these sad designs +To him that hath most cause to be a mourner, +And presently repair to Crosby House, +Where, after I have solemnly interred +At Chertsey monast'ry this noble king +And wet his grave with my repentant tears, +I will with all expedient duty see you. +For divers unknown reasons, I beseech you, +Grant me this boon. + +ANNE +With all my heart, and much it joys me too +To see you are become so penitent.-- +Tressel and Berkeley, go along with me. + +RICHARD +Bid me farewell. + +ANNE 'Tis more than you deserve; +But since you teach me how to flatter you, +Imagine I have said "farewell" already. +[Two exit with Anne. The bier is taken up.] + +GENTLEMAN Towards Chertsey, noble lord? + +RICHARD +No, to Whitefriars. There attend my coming. +[Halberds and gentlemen exit with corse.] +Was ever woman in this humor wooed? +Was ever woman in this humor won? +I'll have her, but I will not keep her long. +What, I that killed her husband and his father, +To take her in her heart's extremest hate, +With curses in her mouth, tears in her eyes, +The bleeding witness of my hatred by, +Having God, her conscience, and these bars against +me, +And I no friends to back my suit at all +But the plain devil and dissembling looks? +And yet to win her, all the world to nothing! +Ha! +Hath she forgot already that brave prince, +Edward, her lord, whom I some three months since +Stabbed in my angry mood at Tewkesbury? +A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman, +Framed in the prodigality of nature, +Young, valiant, wise, and, no doubt, right royal, +The spacious world cannot again afford. +And will she yet abase her eyes on me, +That cropped the golden prime of this sweet prince +And made her widow to a woeful bed? +On me, whose all not equals Edward's moiety? +On me, that halts and am misshapen thus? +My dukedom to a beggarly denier, +I do mistake my person all this while! +Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot, +Myself to be a marv'lous proper man. +I'll be at charges for a looking glass +And entertain a score or two of tailors +To study fashions to adorn my body. +Since I am crept in favor with myself, +I will maintain it with some little cost. +But first I'll turn yon fellow in his grave +And then return lamenting to my love. +Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass, +That I may see my shadow as I pass. +[He exits.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Queen Elizabeth, the Lord Marquess of Dorset, +Lord Rivers, and Lord Grey.] + + +RIVERS +Have patience, madam. There's no doubt his +Majesty +Will soon recover his accustomed health. + +GREY +In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse. +Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort +And cheer his Grace with quick and merry eyes. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +If he were dead, what would betide on me? + +GREY +No other harm but loss of such a lord. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +The loss of such a lord includes all harms. + +GREY +The heavens have blessed you with a goodly son +To be your comforter when he is gone. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Ah, he is young, and his minority +Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloucester, +A man that loves not me nor none of you. + +RIVERS +Is it concluded he shall be Protector? + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +It is determined, not concluded yet; +But so it must be if the King miscarry. + +[Enter Buckingham and Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby.] + + +GREY +Here comes the lord of Buckingham, and Derby. + +BUCKINGHAM, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Good time of day unto your royal Grace. + +STANLEY +God make your Majesty joyful, as you have been. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +The Countess Richmond, good my lord of Derby, +To your good prayer will scarcely say amen. +Yet, Derby, notwithstanding she's your wife +And loves not me, be you, good lord, assured +I hate not you for her proud arrogance. + +STANLEY +I do beseech you either not believe +The envious slanders of her false accusers, +Or if she be accused on true report, +Bear with her weakness, which I think proceeds +From wayward sickness and no grounded malice. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Saw you the King today, my lord of Derby? + +STANLEY +But now the Duke of Buckingham and I +Are come from visiting his Majesty. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +What likelihood of his amendment, lords? + +BUCKINGHAM +Madam, good hope. His Grace speaks cheerfully. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +God grant him health. Did you confer with him? + +BUCKINGHAM +Ay, madam. He desires to make atonement +Between the Duke of Gloucester and your brothers, +And between them and my Lord Chamberlain, +And sent to warn them to his royal presence. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Would all were well--but that will never be. +I fear our happiness is at the height. + +[Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Hastings.] + + +RICHARD +They do me wrong, and I will not endure it! +Who is it that complains unto the King +That I, forsooth, am stern and love them not? +By holy Paul, they love his Grace but lightly +That fill his ears with such dissentious rumors. +Because I cannot flatter and look fair, +Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog, +Duck with French nods and apish courtesy, +I must be held a rancorous enemy. +Cannot a plain man live and think no harm, +But thus his simple truth must be abused +With silken, sly, insinuating Jacks? + +GREY +To who in all this presence speaks your Grace? + +RICHARD +To thee, that hast nor honesty nor grace. +When have I injured thee? When done thee +wrong?-- +Or thee?--Or thee? Or any of your faction? +A plague upon you all! His royal Grace, +Whom God preserve better than you would wish, +Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing while +But you must trouble him with lewd complaints. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Brother of Gloucester, you mistake the matter. +The King, on his own royal disposition, +And not provoked by any suitor else, +Aiming belike at your interior hatred +That in your outward action shows itself +Against my children, brothers, and myself, +Makes him to send, that he may learn the ground. + +RICHARD +I cannot tell. The world is grown so bad +That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch. +Since every Jack became a gentleman, +There's many a gentle person made a Jack. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Come, come, we know your meaning, brother +Gloucester. +You envy my advancement, and my friends'. +God grant we never may have need of you. + +RICHARD +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 a +noble. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +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. + +RICHARD +You may deny that you were not the mean +Of my Lord Hastings' late imprisonment. + +RIVERS She may, my lord, for-- + +RICHARD +She may, Lord Rivers. Why, who knows not so? +She may do more, sir, than denying that. +She may help you to many fair preferments +And then deny her aiding hand therein, +And lay those honors on your high desert. +What may she not? She may, ay, marry, may she-- + +RIVERS What, marry, may she? + +RICHARD +What, marry, may she? Marry with a king, +A bachelor, and a handsome stripling too. +Iwis, your grandam had a worser match. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +My lord of Gloucester, I have too long borne +Your blunt upbraidings and your bitter scoffs. +By heaven, I will acquaint his Majesty +Of those gross taunts that oft I have endured. +I had rather be a country servant-maid +Than a great queen with this condition, +To be so baited, scorned, and stormed at. + +[Enter old Queen Margaret, apart from the others.] + +Small joy have I in being England's queen. + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] +And lessened be that small, God I beseech Him! +Thy honor, state, and seat is due to me. + +RICHARD, [to Queen Elizabeth] +What, threat you me with telling of the King? +Tell him and spare not. Look, what I have said, +I will avouch 't in presence of the King; +I dare adventure to be sent to th' Tower. +'Tis time to speak. My pains are quite forgot. + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] +Out, devil! I do remember them too well: +Thou killed'st my husband Henry in the Tower, +And Edward, my poor son, at Tewkesbury. + +RICHARD, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband king, +I was a packhorse in his great affairs, +A weeder-out of his proud adversaries, +A liberal rewarder of his friends. +To royalize his blood, I spent mine own. + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] +Ay, and much better blood than his or thine. + +RICHARD, [to Queen Elizabeth] +In all which time, you and your husband Grey +Were factious for the House of Lancaster.-- +And, Rivers, so were you.--Was not your husband +In Margaret's battle at Saint Albans slain? +Let me put in your minds, if you forget, +What you have been ere this, and what you are; +Withal, what I have been, and what I am. + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] +A murd'rous villain, and so still thou art. + +RICHARD, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Poor Clarence did forsake his father Warwick, +Ay, and forswore himself--which Jesu pardon!-- + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] Which God revenge! + +RICHARD +To fight on Edward's party for the crown; +And for his meed, poor lord, he is mewed up. +I would to God my heart were flint, like Edward's, +Or Edward's soft and pitiful, like mine. +I am too childish-foolish for this world. + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] +Hie thee to hell for shame, and leave this world, +Thou cacodemon! There thy kingdom is. + +RIVERS +My lord of Gloucester, in those busy days +Which here you urge to prove us enemies, +We followed then our lord, our sovereign king. +So should we you, if you should be our king. + +RICHARD +If I should be? I had rather be a peddler. +Far be it from my heart, the thought thereof. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +As little joy, my lord, as you suppose +You should enjoy were you this country's king, +As little joy you may suppose in me +That I enjoy, being the queen thereof. + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] +As little joy enjoys the queen thereof, +For I am she, and altogether joyless. +I can no longer hold me patient. +[She steps forward.] +Hear me, you wrangling pirates, that fall out +In sharing that which you have pilled from me! +Which of you trembles not that looks on me? +If not, that I am queen, you bow like subjects, +Yet that, by you deposed, you quake like rebels.-- +Ah, gentle villain, do not turn away. + +RICHARD +Foul, wrinkled witch, what mak'st thou in my +sight? + +QUEEN MARGARET +But repetition of what thou hast marred. +That will I make before I let thee go. + +RICHARD +Wert thou not banished on pain of death? + +QUEEN MARGARET +I was, but I do find more pain in banishment +Than death can yield me here by my abode. +A husband and a son thou ow'st to me; +[To Queen Elizabeth.] And thou a kingdom;--all +of you, allegiance. +This sorrow that I have by right is yours, +And all the pleasures you usurp are mine. + +RICHARD +The curse my noble father laid on thee +When thou didst crown his warlike brows with +paper, +And with thy scorns drew'st rivers from his eyes, +And then, to dry them, gav'st the Duke a clout +Steeped in the faultless blood of pretty Rutland-- +His curses then, from bitterness of soul +Denounced against thee, are all fall'n upon thee, +And God, not we, hath plagued thy bloody deed. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +So just is God to right the innocent. + +HASTINGS +O, 'twas the foulest deed to slay that babe, +And the most merciless that e'er was heard of! + +RIVERS +Tyrants themselves wept when it was reported. + +DORSET +No man but prophesied revenge for it. + +BUCKINGHAM +Northumberland, then present, wept to see it. + +QUEEN MARGARET +What, were you snarling all before I came, +Ready to catch each other by the throat, +And turn you all your hatred now on me? +Did York's dread curse prevail so much with +heaven +That Henry's death, my lovely Edward's death, +Their kingdom's loss, my woeful banishment, +Should all but answer for that peevish brat? +Can curses pierce the clouds and enter heaven? +Why then, give way, dull clouds, to my quick +curses! +Though not by war, by surfeit die your king, +As ours by murder to make him a king. +[To Queen Elizabeth.] Edward thy son, that now is +Prince of Wales, +For Edward our son, that was Prince of Wales, +Die in his youth by like untimely violence. +Thyself a queen, for me that was a queen, +Outlive thy glory, like my wretched self. +Long mayst thou live to wail thy children's death +And see another, as I see thee now, +Decked in thy rights, as thou art stalled in mine. +Long die thy happy days before thy death, +And, after many lengthened hours of grief, +Die neither mother, wife, nor England's queen.-- +Rivers and Dorset, you were standers-by, +And so wast thou, Lord Hastings, when my son +Was stabbed with bloody daggers. God I pray Him +That none of you may live his natural age, +But by some unlooked accident cut off. + +RICHARD +Have done thy charm, thou hateful, withered hag. + +QUEEN MARGARET +And leave out thee? Stay, dog, for thou shalt hear +me. +If heaven have any grievous plague in store +Exceeding those that I can wish upon thee, +O, let them keep it till thy sins be ripe +And then hurl down their indignation +On thee, the troubler of the poor world's peace. +The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul. +Thy friends suspect for traitors while thou liv'st, +And take deep traitors for thy dearest friends. +No sleep close up that deadly eye of thine, +Unless it be while some tormenting dream +Affrights thee with a hell of ugly devils. +Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog, +Thou that wast sealed in thy nativity +The slave of nature and the son of hell, +Thou slander of thy heavy mother's womb, +Thou loathed issue of thy father's loins, +Thou rag of honor, thou detested-- + +RICHARD Margaret. + +QUEEN MARGARET Richard! + +RICHARD Ha? + +QUEEN MARGARET I call thee not. + +RICHARD +I cry thee mercy, then, for I did think +That thou hadst called me all these bitter names. + +QUEEN MARGARET +Why, so I did, but looked for no reply. +O, let me make the period to my curse! + +RICHARD +'Tis done by me and ends in "Margaret." + +QUEEN ELIZABETH, [to Queen Margaret] +Thus have you breathed your curse against yourself. + +QUEEN MARGARET +Poor painted queen, vain flourish of my fortune, +Why strew'st thou sugar on that bottled spider, +Whose deadly web ensnareth thee about? +Fool, fool, thou whet'st a knife to kill thyself. +The day will come that thou shalt wish for me +To help thee curse this poisonous bunch-backed +toad. + +HASTINGS +False-boding woman, end thy frantic curse, +Lest to thy harm thou move our patience. + +QUEEN MARGARET +Foul shame upon you, you have all moved mine. + +RIVERS +Were you well served, you would be taught your +duty. + +QUEEN MARGARET +To serve me well, you all should do me duty: +Teach me to be your queen, and you my subjects. +O, serve me well, and teach yourselves that duty! + +DORSET, [to Rivers] +Dispute not with her; she is lunatic. + +QUEEN MARGARET +Peace, Master Marquess, you are malapert. +Your fire-new stamp of honor is scarce current. +O, that your young nobility could judge +What 'twere to lose it and be miserable! +They that stand high have many blasts to shake +them, +And if they fall, they dash themselves to pieces. + +RICHARD +Good counsel, marry.--Learn it, learn it, marquess. + +DORSET +It touches you, my lord, as much as me. + +RICHARD +Ay, and much more; but I was born so high. +Our aerie buildeth in the cedar's top, +And dallies with the wind and scorns the sun. + +QUEEN MARGARET +And turns the sun to shade. Alas, alas, +Witness my son, now in the shade of death, +Whose bright out-shining beams thy cloudy wrath +Hath in eternal darkness folded up. +Your aerie buildeth in our aerie's nest. +O God, that seest it, do not suffer it! +As it is won with blood, lost be it so. + +BUCKINGHAM +Peace, peace, for shame, if not for charity. + +QUEEN MARGARET +Urge neither charity nor shame to me. +[Addressing the others.] Uncharitably with me have +you dealt, +And shamefully my hopes by you are butchered. +My charity is outrage, life my shame, +And in that shame still live my sorrows' rage. + +BUCKINGHAM Have done, have done. + +QUEEN MARGARET +O princely Buckingham, I'll kiss thy hand +In sign of league and amity with thee. +Now fair befall thee and thy noble house! +Thy garments are not spotted with our blood, +Nor thou within the compass of my curse. + +BUCKINGHAM +Nor no one here, for curses never pass +The lips of those that breathe them in the air. + +QUEEN MARGARET +I will not think but they ascend the sky, +And there awake God's gentle sleeping peace. +[Aside to Buckingham.] O Buckingham, take heed of +yonder dog! +Look when he fawns, he bites; and when he bites, +His venom tooth will rankle to the death. +Have not to do with him. Beware of him. +Sin, death, and hell have set their marks on him, +And all their ministers attend on him. + +RICHARD +What doth she say, my lord of Buckingham? + +BUCKINGHAM +Nothing that I respect, my gracious lord. + +QUEEN MARGARET +What, dost thou scorn me for my gentle counsel, +And soothe the devil that I warn thee from? +O, but remember this another day, +When he shall split thy very heart with sorrow, +And say poor Margaret was a prophetess.-- +Live each of you the subjects to his hate, +And he to yours, and all of you to God's. [She exits.] + +BUCKINGHAM +My hair doth stand an end to hear her curses. + +RIVERS +And so doth mine. I muse why she's at liberty. + +RICHARD +I cannot blame her. By God's holy mother, +She hath had too much wrong, and I repent +My part thereof that I have done to her. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +I never did her any, to my knowledge. + +RICHARD +Yet you have all the vantage of her wrong. +I was too hot to do somebody good +That is too cold in thinking of it now. +Marry, as for Clarence, he is well repaid; +He is franked up to fatting for his pains. +God pardon them that are the cause thereof. + +RIVERS +A virtuous and a Christian-like conclusion +To pray for them that have done scathe to us. + +RICHARD +So do I ever--[(speaks to himself)] being well advised, +For had I cursed now, I had cursed myself. + +[Enter Catesby.] + + +CATESBY +Madam, his Majesty doth call for you,-- +And for your Grace,--and yours, my gracious +lords. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Catesby, I come.--Lords, will you go with me? + +RIVERS We wait upon your Grace. +[All but Richard, Duke of Gloucester exit.] + +RICHARD +I do the wrong and first begin to brawl. +The secret mischiefs that I set abroach +I lay unto the grievous charge of others. +Clarence, who I indeed have cast in darkness, +I do beweep to many simple gulls, +Namely, to Derby, Hastings, Buckingham, +And tell them 'tis the Queen and her allies +That stir the King against the Duke my brother. +Now they believe it and withal whet me +To be revenged on Rivers, Dorset, Grey; +But then I sigh and, with a piece of scripture, +Tell them that God bids us do good for evil; +And thus I clothe my naked villainy +With odd old ends stol'n forth of Holy Writ, +And seem a saint when most I play the devil. + +[Enter two Murderers.] + +But soft, here come my executioners.-- +How now, my hardy, stout, resolved mates? +Are you now going to dispatch this thing? + +MURDERER +We are, my lord, and come to have the warrant +That we may be admitted where he is. + +RICHARD +Well thought upon. I have it here about me. +[He gives a paper.] +When you have done, repair to Crosby Place. +But, sirs, be sudden in the execution, +Withal obdurate; do not hear him plead, +For Clarence is well-spoken and perhaps +May move your hearts to pity if you mark him. + +MURDERER +Tut, tut, my lord, we will not stand to prate. +Talkers are no good doers. Be assured +We go to use our hands and not our tongues. + +RICHARD +Your eyes drop millstones when fools' eyes fall +tears. +I like you lads. About your business straight. +Go, go, dispatch. + +MURDERERS We will, my noble lord. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter Clarence and Keeper.] + + +KEEPER +Why looks your Grace so heavily today? + +CLARENCE +O, I have passed a miserable night, +So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights, +That, as I am a Christian faithful man, +I would not spend another such a night +Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days, +So full of dismal terror was the time. + +KEEPER +What was your dream, my lord? I pray you tell me. + +CLARENCE +Methoughts that I had broken from the Tower +And was embarked to cross to Burgundy, +And in my company my brother Gloucester, +Who from my cabin tempted me to walk +Upon the hatches. Thence we looked toward +England +And cited up a thousand heavy times, +During the wars of York and Lancaster, +That had befall'n us. As we paced along +Upon the giddy footing of the hatches, +Methought that Gloucester stumbled, and in falling +Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard +Into the tumbling billows of the main. +O Lord, methought what pain it was to drown, +What dreadful noise of waters in my ears, +What sights of ugly death within my eyes. +Methoughts I saw a thousand fearful wracks, +A thousand men that fishes gnawed upon, +Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl, +Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels, +All scattered in the bottom of the sea. +Some lay in dead men's skulls, and in the holes +Where eyes did once inhabit, there were crept-- +As 'twere in scorn of eyes--reflecting gems, +That wooed the slimy bottom of the deep +And mocked the dead bones that lay scattered by. + +KEEPER +Had you such leisure in the time of death +To gaze upon these secrets of the deep? + +CLARENCE +Methought I had, and often did I strive +To yield the ghost, but still the envious flood +Stopped in my soul and would not let it forth +To find the empty, vast, and wand'ring air, +But smothered it within my panting bulk, +Who almost burst to belch it in the sea. + +KEEPER +Awaked you not in this sore agony? + +CLARENCE +No, no, my dream was lengthened after life. +O, then began the tempest to my soul. +I passed, methought, the melancholy flood, +With that sour ferryman which poets write of, +Unto the kingdom of perpetual night. +The first that there did greet my stranger-soul +Was my great father-in-law, renowned Warwick, +Who spake aloud "What scourge for perjury +Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?" +And so he vanished. Then came wand'ring by +A shadow like an angel, with bright hair +Dabbled in blood, and he shrieked out aloud +"Clarence is come--false, fleeting, perjured +Clarence, +That stabbed me in the field by Tewkesbury. +Seize on him, furies. Take him unto torment." +With that, methoughts, a legion of foul fiends +Environed me and howled in mine ears +Such hideous cries that with the very noise +I trembling waked, and for a season after +Could not believe but that I was in hell, +Such terrible impression made my dream. + +KEEPER +No marvel, lord, though it affrighted you. +I am afraid, methinks, to hear you tell it. + +CLARENCE +Ah keeper, keeper, I have done these things, +That now give evidence against my soul, +For Edward's sake, and see how he requites me.-- +O God, if my deep prayers cannot appease thee, +But thou wilt be avenged on my misdeeds, +Yet execute thy wrath in me alone! +O, spare my guiltless wife and my poor children!-- +Keeper, I prithee sit by me awhile. +My soul is heavy, and I fain would sleep. + +KEEPER +I will, my lord. God give your Grace good rest. +[Clarence sleeps.] + +[Enter Brakenbury the Lieutenant.] + + +BRAKENBURY +Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours, +Makes the night morning, and the noontide night. +Princes have but their titles for their glories, +An outward honor for an inward toil, +And, for unfelt imaginations, +They often feel a world of restless cares, +So that between their titles and low name +There's nothing differs but the outward fame. + +[Enter two Murderers.] + + +FIRST MURDERER Ho, who's here? + +BRAKENBURY +What wouldst thou, fellow? And how cam'st thou +hither? + +SECOND MURDERER I would speak with Clarence, and I +came hither on my legs. + +BRAKENBURY What, so brief? + +FIRST MURDERER 'Tis better, sir, than to be tedious.-- +Let him see our commission, and talk no more. +[Brakenbury reads the commission.] + +BRAKENBURY +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 from the meaning. +There lies the Duke asleep, and there the keys. +[He hands them keys.] +I'll to the King and signify to him +That thus I have resigned to you my charge. + +FIRST MURDERER You may, sir. 'Tis a point of wisdom. +Fare you well. +[Brakenbury and the Keeper exit.] + +SECOND MURDERER What, shall I stab him as he +sleeps? + +FIRST MURDERER No. He'll say 'twas done cowardly, +when he wakes. + +SECOND MURDERER Why, he shall never wake until the +great Judgment Day. + +FIRST MURDERER Why, then he'll say we stabbed him +sleeping. + +SECOND MURDERER The urging of that word "judgment" +hath bred a kind of remorse in me. + +FIRST MURDERER What, art thou afraid? + +SECOND MURDERER Not to kill him, having a warrant, +but to be damned for killing him, from the which +no warrant can defend me. + +FIRST MURDERER I thought thou hadst been resolute. + +SECOND MURDERER So I am--to let him live. + +FIRST MURDERER I'll back to the Duke of Gloucester +and tell him so. + +SECOND MURDERER Nay, I prithee stay a little. I hope +this passionate humor of mine will change. It was +wont to hold me but while one tells twenty. + +FIRST MURDERER How dost thou feel thyself now? + +SECOND MURDERER Faith, some certain dregs of conscience +are yet within me. + +FIRST MURDERER Remember our reward when the +deed's done. + +SECOND MURDERER Zounds, he dies! I had forgot the +reward. + +FIRST MURDERER Where's thy conscience now? + +SECOND MURDERER O, in the Duke of Gloucester's +purse. + +FIRST MURDERER When he opens his purse to give us +our reward, thy conscience flies out. + +SECOND MURDERER 'Tis no matter. Let it go. There's +few or none will entertain it. + +FIRST MURDERER What if it come to thee again? + +SECOND MURDERER I'll not meddle with it. It makes a +man a coward: a man cannot steal but it accuseth +him; a man cannot swear but it checks him; a man +cannot lie with his neighbor's wife but it detects +him. 'Tis a blushing, shamefaced spirit that mutinies +in a man's bosom. It fills a man full of +obstacles. It made me once restore a purse of gold +that by chance I found. It beggars any man that +keeps it. It is turned out of towns and cities for a +dangerous thing, and every man that means to live +well endeavors to trust to himself and live without it. + +FIRST MURDERER Zounds, 'tis even now at my elbow, +persuading me not to kill the Duke. + +SECOND MURDERER Take the devil in thy mind, and +believe him not. He would insinuate with thee but +to make thee sigh. + +FIRST MURDERER I am strong-framed. He cannot prevail +with me. + +SECOND MURDERER Spoke like a tall man that respects +thy reputation. Come, shall we fall to work? + +FIRST MURDERER Take him on the costard with the +hilts of thy sword, and then throw him into the +malmsey butt in the next room. + +SECOND MURDERER O, excellent device--and make a +sop of him! + +FIRST MURDERER Soft, he wakes. + +SECOND MURDERER Strike! + +FIRST MURDERER No, we'll reason with him. +[Clarence wakes.] + +CLARENCE +Where art thou, keeper? Give me a cup of wine. + +SECOND MURDERER +You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon. + +CLARENCE +In God's name, what art thou? + +FIRST MURDERER A man, as you are. + +CLARENCE But not, as I am, royal. + +FIRST MURDERER Nor you, as we are, loyal. + +CLARENCE +Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble. + +FIRST MURDERER +My voice is now the King's, my looks mine own. + +CLARENCE +How darkly and how deadly dost thou speak! +Your eyes do menace me. Why look you pale? +Who sent you hither? Wherefore do you come? + +SECOND MURDERER To, to, to-- + +CLARENCE To murder me? + +BOTH Ay, ay. + +CLARENCE +You scarcely have the hearts to tell me so +And therefore cannot have the hearts to do it. +Wherein, my friends, have I offended you? + +FIRST MURDERER +Offended us you have not, but the King. + +CLARENCE +I shall be reconciled to him again. + +SECOND MURDERER +Never, my lord. Therefore prepare to die. + +CLARENCE +Are you drawn forth among a world of men +To slay the innocent? What is my offense? +Where is the evidence that doth accuse me? +What lawful quest have given their verdict up +Unto the frowning judge? Or who pronounced +The bitter sentence of poor Clarence' death +Before I be convict by course of law? +To threaten me with death is most unlawful. +I charge you, as you hope to have redemption, +By Christ's dear blood shed for our grievous sins, +That you depart, and lay no hands on me. +The deed you undertake is damnable. + +FIRST MURDERER +What we will do, we do upon command. + +SECOND MURDERER +And he that hath commanded is our king. + +CLARENCE +Erroneous vassals, the great King of kings +Hath in the table of His law commanded +That thou shalt do no murder. Will you then +Spurn at His edict and fulfill a man's? +Take heed, for He holds vengeance in His hand +To hurl upon their heads that break His law. + +SECOND MURDERER +And that same vengeance doth He hurl on thee +For false forswearing and for murder too. +Thou didst receive the sacrament to fight +In quarrel of the House of Lancaster. + +FIRST MURDERER +And, like a traitor to the name of God, +Didst break that vow, and with thy treacherous +blade +Unrippedst the bowels of thy sovereign's son. + +SECOND MURDERER +Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend. + +FIRST MURDERER +How canst thou urge God's dreadful law to us +When thou hast broke it in such dear degree? + +CLARENCE +Alas! For whose sake did I that ill deed? +For Edward, for my brother, for his sake. +He sends you not to murder me for this, +For in that sin he is as deep as I. +If God will be avenged for the deed, +O, know you yet He doth it publicly! +Take not the quarrel from His powerful arm; +He needs no indirect or lawless course +To cut off those that have offended Him. + +FIRST MURDERER +Who made thee then a bloody minister +When gallant-springing, brave Plantagenet, +That princely novice, was struck dead by thee? + +CLARENCE +My brother's love, the devil, and my rage. + +FIRST MURDERER +Thy brother's love, our duty, and thy faults +Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee. + +CLARENCE +If you do love my brother, hate not me. +I am his brother, and I love him well. +If you are hired for meed, go back again, +And I will send you to my brother Gloucester, +Who shall reward you better for my life +Than Edward will for tidings of my death. + +SECOND MURDERER +You are deceived. Your brother Gloucester hates +you. + +CLARENCE +O no, he loves me, and he holds me dear. +Go you to him from me. + +FIRST MURDERER Ay, so we will. + +CLARENCE +Tell him, when that our princely father York +Blessed his three sons with his victorious arm, +He little thought of this divided friendship. +Bid Gloucester think of this, and he will weep. + +FIRST MURDERER +Ay, millstones, as he lessoned us to weep. + +CLARENCE +O, do not slander him, for he is kind. + +FIRST MURDERER +Right, as snow in harvest. Come, you deceive +yourself. +'Tis he that sends us to destroy you here. + +CLARENCE +It cannot be, for he bewept my fortune, +And hugged me in his arms, and swore with sobs +That he would labor my delivery. + +FIRST MURDERER +Why, so he doth, when he delivers you +From this Earth's thralldom to the joys of heaven. + +SECOND MURDERER +Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord. + +CLARENCE +Have you that holy feeling in your souls +To counsel me to make my peace with God, +And are you yet to your own souls so blind +That you will war with God by murd'ring me? +O sirs, consider: they that set you on +To do this deed will hate you for the deed. + +SECOND MURDERER, [to First Murderer] +What shall we do? + +CLARENCE Relent, and save your souls. +Which of you--if you were a prince's son +Being pent from liberty, as I am now-- +If two such murderers as yourselves came to you, +Would not entreat for life? Ay, you would beg, +Were you in my distress. + +FIRST MURDERER +Relent? No. 'Tis cowardly and womanish. + +CLARENCE +Not to relent is beastly, savage, devilish. +[To Second Murderer.] My friend, I spy some pity +in thy looks. +O, if thine eye be not a flatterer, +Come thou on my side and entreat for me. +A begging prince what beggar pities not? + +SECOND MURDERER Look behind you, my lord. + +FIRST MURDERER +Take that, and that. [(Stabs him.)] If all this will not +do, +I'll drown you in the malmsey butt within. +[He exits with the body.] + +SECOND MURDERER +A bloody deed, and desperately dispatched. +How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands +Of this most grievous murder. + +[Enter First Murderer.] + + +FIRST MURDERER +How now? What mean'st thou that thou help'st me +not? +By heavens, the Duke shall know how slack you +have been. + +SECOND MURDERER +I would he knew that I had saved his brother. +Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say, +For I repent me that the Duke is slain. [He exits.] + +FIRST MURDERER +So do not I. Go, coward as thou art. +Well, I'll go hide the body in some hole +Till that the Duke give order for his burial. +And when I have my meed, I will away, +For this will out, and then I must not stay. +[He exits.] + + +ACT 2 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Flourish. Enter King Edward, sick, Queen Elizabeth, +Lord Marquess Dorset, Rivers, Hastings, Buckingham, +Woodeville, Grey, and Scales.] + + +KING EDWARD +Why, so. Now have I done a good day's work. +You peers, continue this united league. +I every day expect an embassage +From my Redeemer to redeem me hence, +And more in peace my soul shall part to heaven +Since I have made my friends at peace on Earth. +Rivers and Hastings, take each other's hand. +Dissemble not your hatred. Swear your love. + +RIVERS, [taking Hastings' hand] +By heaven, my soul is purged from grudging hate, +And with my hand I seal my true heart's love. + +HASTINGS +So thrive I as I truly swear the like. + +KING EDWARD +Take heed you dally not before your king, +Lest He that is the supreme King of kings +Confound your hidden falsehood and award +Either of you to be the other's end. + +HASTINGS +So prosper I as I swear perfect love. + +RIVERS +And I as I love Hastings with my heart. + +KING EDWARD, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Madam, yourself is not exempt from this,-- +Nor you, son Dorset,--Buckingham, nor you. +You have been factious one against the other.-- +Wife, love Lord Hastings. Let him kiss your hand, +And what you do, do it unfeignedly. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +There, Hastings, I will never more remember +Our former hatred, so thrive I and mine. +[Hastings kisses her hand.] + +KING EDWARD +Dorset, embrace him.--Hastings, love Lord +Marquess. + +DORSET +This interchange of love, I here protest, +Upon my part shall be inviolable. + +HASTINGS And so swear I. [They embrace.] + +KING EDWARD +Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this league +With thy embracements to my wife's allies +And make me happy in your unity. + +BUCKINGHAM, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate +Upon your Grace, but with all duteous love +Doth cherish you and yours, God punish me +With hate in those where I expect most love. +When I have most need to employ a friend, +And most assured that he is a friend, +Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile +Be he unto me: this do I beg of God, +When I am cold in love to you or yours. +[Queen Elizabeth and Buckingham embrace.] + +KING EDWARD +A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham, +Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart. +There wanteth now our brother Gloucester here +To make the blessed period of this peace. + +BUCKINGHAM And in good time +Here comes Sir Richard Ratcliffe and the Duke. + +[Enter Ratcliffe, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester.] + + +RICHARD +Good morrow to my sovereign king and queen, +And, princely peers, a happy time of day. + +KING EDWARD +Happy indeed, as we have spent the day. +Gloucester, we have done deeds of charity, +Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate, +Between these swelling, wrong-incensed peers. + +RICHARD +A blessed labor, my most sovereign lord. +Among this princely heap, if any here +By false intelligence or wrong surmise +Hold me a foe, +If I unwittingly, or in my rage, +Have aught committed that is hardly borne +By any in this presence, I desire +To reconcile me to his friendly peace. +'Tis death to me to be at enmity; +I hate it, and desire all good men's love. +First, madam, I entreat true peace of you, +Which I will purchase with my duteous service;-- +Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham, +If ever any grudge were lodged between us;-- +Of you and you, Lord Rivers and of Dorset, +That all without desert have frowned on me;-- +Of you, Lord Woodeville and Lord Scales;--of you, +Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen; indeed, of all. +I do not know that Englishman alive +With whom my soul is any jot at odds +More than the infant that is born tonight. +I thank my God for my humility. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +A holy day shall this be kept hereafter. +I would to God all strifes were well compounded. +My sovereign lord, I do beseech your Highness +To take our brother Clarence to your grace. + +RICHARD +Why, madam, have I offered love for this, +To be so flouted in this royal presence? +Who knows not that the gentle duke is dead? +[They all start.] +You do him injury to scorn his corse. + +KING EDWARD +Who knows not he is dead! Who knows he is? + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +All-seeing heaven, what a world is this! + +BUCKINGHAM +Look I so pale, Lord Dorset, as the rest? + +DORSET +Ay, my good lord, and no man in the presence +But his red color hath forsook his cheeks. + +KING EDWARD +Is Clarence dead? The order was reversed. + +RICHARD +But he, poor man, by your first order died, +And that a winged Mercury did bear. +Some tardy cripple bare the countermand, +That came too lag to see him buried. +God grant that some, less noble and less loyal, +Nearer in bloody thoughts, and not in blood, +Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did, +And yet go current from suspicion. + +[Enter Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby.] + + +STANLEY, [kneeling] +A boon, my sovereign, for my service done. + +KING EDWARD +I prithee, peace. My soul is full of sorrow. + +STANLEY +I will not rise unless your Highness hear me. + +KING EDWARD +Then say at once what is it thou requests. + +STANLEY +The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant's life, +Who slew today a riotous gentleman +Lately attendant on the Duke of Norfolk. + +KING EDWARD +Have I a tongue to doom my brother's death, +And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave? +My brother killed no man; his fault was thought, +And yet his punishment was bitter death. +Who sued to me for him? Who, in my wrath, +Kneeled at my feet, and bade me be advised? +Who spoke of brotherhood? Who spoke of love? +Who told me how the poor soul did forsake +The mighty Warwick and did fight for me? +Who told me, in the field at Tewkesbury, +When Oxford had me down, he rescued me, +And said "Dear brother, live, and be a king"? +Who told me, when we both lay in the field +Frozen almost to death, how he did lap me +Even in his garments and did give himself, +All thin and naked, to the numb-cold night? +All this from my remembrance brutish wrath +Sinfully plucked, and not a man of you +Had so much grace to put it in my mind. +But when your carters or your waiting vassals +Have done a drunken slaughter and defaced +The precious image of our dear Redeemer, +You straight are on your knees for pardon, pardon, +And I, unjustly too, must grant it you. +[Stanley rises.] +But for my brother, not a man would speak, +Nor I, ungracious, speak unto myself +For him, poor soul. The proudest of you all +Have been beholding to him in his life, +Yet none of you would once beg for his life. +O God, I fear Thy justice will take hold +On me and you, and mine and yours for this!-- +Come, Hastings, help me to my closet.-- +Ah, poor Clarence. +[Some exit with King and Queen.] + +RICHARD +This is the fruits of rashness. Marked you not +How that the guilty kindred of the Queen +Looked pale when they did hear of Clarence' death? +O, they did urge it still unto the King. +God will revenge it. Come, lords, will you go +To comfort Edward with our company? + +BUCKINGHAM We wait upon your Grace. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter the old Duchess of York with the two +children of Clarence.] + + +BOY +Good grandam, tell us, is our father dead? + +DUCHESS No, boy. + +DAUGHTER +Why do you weep so oft, and beat your breast, +And cry "O Clarence, my unhappy son"? + +BOY +Why do you look on us and shake your head, +And call us orphans, wretches, castaways, +If that our noble father were alive? + +DUCHESS +My pretty cousins, you mistake me both. +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. + +BOY +Then, you conclude, my grandam, he is dead. +The King mine uncle is to blame for it. +God will revenge it, whom I will importune +With earnest prayers, all to that effect. + +DAUGHTER And so will I. + +DUCHESS +Peace, children, peace. The King doth love you +well. +Incapable and shallow innocents, +You cannot guess who caused your father's death. + +BOY +Grandam, we can, for my good uncle Gloucester +Told me the King, provoked to it by the Queen, +Devised impeachments to imprison him; +And when my uncle told me so, he wept, +And pitied me, and kindly kissed my cheek, +Bade me rely on him as on my father, +And he would love me dearly as a child. + +DUCHESS +Ah, that deceit should steal such gentle shape, +And with a virtuous visor hide deep vice. +He is my son, ay, and therein my shame, +Yet from my dugs he drew not this deceit. + +BOY +Think you my uncle did dissemble, grandam? + +DUCHESS Ay, boy. + +BOY +I cannot think it. Hark, what noise is this? + +[Enter Queen Elizabeth with her hair about her ears, +Rivers and Dorset after her.] + + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Ah, who shall hinder me to wail and weep, +To chide my fortune and torment myself? +I'll join with black despair against my soul +And to myself become an enemy. + +DUCHESS +What means this scene of rude impatience? + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +To make an act of tragic violence. +Edward, my lord, thy son, our king, is dead. +Why grow the branches when the root is gone? +Why wither not the leaves that want their sap? +If you will live, lament. If die, be brief, +That our swift-winged souls may catch the King's, +Or, like obedient subjects, follow him +To his new kingdom of ne'er-changing night. + +DUCHESS +Ah, so much interest have I in thy sorrow +As I had title in thy noble husband. +I have bewept a worthy husband's death +And lived with looking on his images; +But now two mirrors of his princely semblance +Are cracked in pieces by malignant death, +And I, for comfort, have but one false glass +That grieves me when I see my shame in him. +Thou art a widow, yet thou art a mother, +And hast the comfort of thy children left, +But death hath snatched my husband from mine +arms +And plucked two crutches from my feeble hands, +Clarence and Edward. O, what cause have I, +Thine being but a moiety of my moan, +To overgo thy woes and drown thy cries! + +BOY, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Ah, aunt, you wept not for our father's death. +How can we aid you with our kindred tears? + +DAUGHTER, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Our fatherless distress was left unmoaned. +Your widow-dolor likewise be unwept! + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Give me no help in lamentation. +I am not barren to bring forth complaints. +All springs reduce their currents to mine eyes, +That I, being governed by the watery moon, +May send forth plenteous tears to drown the world. +Ah, for my husband, for my dear lord Edward! + +CHILDREN +Ah, for our father, for our dear lord Clarence! + +DUCHESS +Alas for both, both mine, Edward and Clarence! + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +What stay had I but Edward? And he's gone. + +CHILDREN +What stay had we but Clarence? And he's gone. + +DUCHESS +What stays had I but they? And they are gone. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Was never widow had so dear a loss. + +CHILDREN +Were never orphans had so dear a loss. + +DUCHESS +Was never mother had so dear a loss. +Alas, I am the mother of these griefs. +Their woes are parceled; mine is general. +She for an Edward weeps, and so do I; +I for a Clarence weep; so doth not she. +These babes for Clarence weep, and so do I; +I for an Edward weep; so do not they. +Alas, you three, on me, threefold distressed, +Pour all your tears. I am your sorrow's nurse, +And I will pamper it with lamentation. + +DORSET, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Comfort, dear mother. God is much displeased +That you take with unthankfulness His doing. +In common worldly things, 'tis called ungrateful +With dull unwillingness to repay a debt +Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent; +Much more to be thus opposite with heaven, +For it requires the royal debt it lent you. + +RIVERS +Madam, bethink you, like a careful mother, +Of the young prince your son. Send straight for +him. +Let him be crowned. In him your comfort lives. +Drown desperate sorrow in dead Edward's grave +And plant your joys in living Edward's throne. + +[Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Buckingham, Lord +Stanley, Earl of Derby, Hastings, and Ratcliffe.] + + +RICHARD, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Sister, have comfort. All of us have cause +To wail the dimming of our shining star, +But none can help our harms by wailing them.-- +Madam my mother, I do cry you mercy; +I did not see your Grace. Humbly on my knee +I crave your blessing. [He kneels.] + +DUCHESS +God bless thee, and put meekness in thy breast, +Love, charity, obedience, and true duty. + +RICHARD, [standing] +Amen. [Aside.] And make me die a good old man! +That is the butt end of a mother's blessing; +I marvel that her Grace did leave it out. + +BUCKINGHAM +You cloudy princes and heart-sorrowing peers +That bear this heavy mutual load of moan, +Now cheer each other in each other's love. +Though we have spent our harvest of this king, +We are to reap the harvest of his son. +The broken rancor of your high-swoll'n hates, +But lately splintered, knit, and joined together, +Must gently be preserved, cherished, and kept. +Meseemeth good that with some little train +Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fet +Hither to London, to be crowned our king. + +RIVERS +Why "with some little train," my lord of +Buckingham? + +BUCKINGHAM +Marry, my lord, lest by a multitude +The new-healed wound of malice should break out, +Which would be so much the more dangerous +By how much the estate is green and yet +ungoverned. +Where every horse bears his commanding rein +And may direct his course as please himself, +As well the fear of harm as harm apparent, +In my opinion, ought to be prevented. + +RICHARD +I hope the King made peace with all of us; +And the compact is firm and true in me. + +RIVERS +And so in me, and so, I think, in all. +Yet since it is but green, it should be put +To no apparent likelihood of breach, +Which haply by much company might be urged. +Therefore I say with noble Buckingham +That it is meet so few should fetch the Prince. + +HASTINGS And so say I. + +RICHARD +Then be it so, and go we to determine +Who they shall be that straight shall post to +Ludlow.-- +Madam, and you, my sister, will you go +To give your censures in this business? +[All but Buckingham and Richard exit.] + +BUCKINGHAM +My lord, whoever journeys to the Prince, +For God's sake let not us two stay at home. +For by the way I'll sort occasion, +As index to the story we late talked of, +To part the Queen's proud kindred from the Prince. + +RICHARD +My other self, my council's consistory, +My oracle, my prophet, my dear cousin, +I, as a child, will go by thy direction. +Toward Ludlow then, for we'll not stay behind. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter one Citizen at one door, and another at the other.] + + +FIRST CITIZEN +Good morrow, neighbor, whither away so fast? + +SECOND CITIZEN +I promise you I scarcely know myself. +Hear you the news abroad? + +FIRST CITIZEN Yes, that the King is dead. + +SECOND CITIZEN +Ill news, by 'r Lady. Seldom comes the better. +I fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world. + +[Enter another Citizen.] + + +THIRD CITIZEN +Neighbors, God speed. + +FIRST CITIZEN Give you good morrow, sir. + +THIRD CITIZEN +Doth the news hold of good King Edward's death? + +SECOND CITIZEN +Ay, sir, it is too true, God help the while. + +THIRD CITIZEN +Then, masters, look to see a troublous world. + +FIRST CITIZEN +No, no, by God's good grace, his son shall reign. + +THIRD CITIZEN +Woe to that land that's governed by a child. + +SECOND CITIZEN +In him there is a hope of government, +Which, in his nonage, council under him, +And, in his full and ripened years, himself, +No doubt shall then, and till then, govern well. + +FIRST CITIZEN +So stood the state when Henry the Sixth +Was crowned in Paris but at nine months old. + +THIRD CITIZEN +Stood the state so? No, no, good friends, God wot, +For then this land was famously enriched +With politic grave counsel; then the King +Had virtuous uncles to protect his Grace. + +FIRST CITIZEN +Why, so hath this, both by his father and mother. + +THIRD CITIZEN +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 +Will touch us all too near if God prevent not. +O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloucester, +And the Queen's sons and brothers haught and +proud, +And were they to be ruled, and not to rule, +This sickly land might solace as before. + +FIRST CITIZEN +Come, come, we fear the worst. All will be well. + +THIRD CITIZEN +When clouds are seen, wise men put on their +cloaks; +When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand; +When the sun sets, who doth not look for night? +Untimely storms makes men expect a dearth. +All may be well; but if God sort it so, +'Tis more than we deserve or I expect. + +SECOND CITIZEN +Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear. +You cannot reason almost with a man +That looks not heavily and full of dread. + +THIRD CITIZEN +Before the days of change, still is it so. +By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust +Ensuing danger, as by proof we see +The water swell before a boist'rous storm. +But leave it all to God. Whither away? + +SECOND CITIZEN +Marry, we were sent for to the Justices. + +THIRD CITIZEN +And so was I. I'll bear you company. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter Archbishop, the young Duke of York, +Queen Elizabeth, and the Duchess of York.] + + +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. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +But I hear no; they say my son of York +Has almost overta'en him in his growth. + +YORK +Ay, mother, but I would not have it so. + +DUCHESS +Why, my good cousin? It is good to grow. + +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. + +YORK +And so no doubt he is, my gracious madam. + +DUCHESS +I hope he is, but yet let mothers doubt. + +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. + +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? + +YORK Grandam, his nurse. + +DUCHESS +His nurse? Why, she was dead ere thou wast born. + +YORK +If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +A parlous boy! Go to, you are too shrewd. + +DUCHESS +Good madam, be not angry with the child. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH Pitchers have ears. + +[Enter a Messenger.] + + +ARCHBISHOP Here comes a messenger.--What news? + +MESSENGER +Such news, my lord, as grieves me to report. + +QUEEN 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 offense? + +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. + +QUEEN 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 +Accursed 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 damned spleen, +Or let me die, to look on Earth no more. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH, [to York] +Come, come, my boy. We will to sanctuary.-- +Madam, farewell. + +DUCHESS Stay, I will go with you. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +You have no cause. + +ARCHBISHOP, [to Queen Elizabeth] 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. +Go. I'll conduct you to the sanctuary. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 3 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[The trumpets sound. Enter young Prince Edward, +Richard Duke of Gloucester, Buckingham, +the Cardinal, Catesby, and others.] + + +BUCKINGHAM +Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your chamber. + +RICHARD, [to Prince] +Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts' sovereign. +The weary way hath made you melancholy. + +PRINCE +No, uncle, but our crosses on the way +Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy. +I want more uncles here to welcome me. + +RICHARD +Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of your years +Hath not yet dived into the world's deceit; +Nor more can you distinguish of a man +Than of his outward show, which, God He knows, +Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart. +Those uncles which you want were dangerous. +Your Grace attended to their sugared words +But looked not on the poison of their hearts. +God keep you from them, and from such false +friends. + +PRINCE +God keep me from false friends, but they were none. + +RICHARD +My lord, the Mayor of London comes to greet you. + +[Enter Lord Mayor with others.] + + +MAYOR +God bless your Grace with health and happy days. + +PRINCE +I thank you, good my lord, and thank you all.-- +I thought my mother and my brother York +Would long ere this have met us on the way. +Fie, what a slug is Hastings that he comes not +To tell us whether they will come or no! + +[Enter Lord Hastings.] + + +BUCKINGHAM +And in good time here comes the sweating lord. + +PRINCE +Welcome, my lord. What, will our mother come? + +HASTINGS +On what occasion God He knows, not I, +The Queen your mother and your brother York +Have taken sanctuary. The tender prince +Would fain have come with me to meet your Grace, +But by his mother was perforce withheld. + +BUCKINGHAM +Fie, what an indirect and peevish course +Is this of hers!--Lord Cardinal, will your Grace +Persuade the Queen to send the Duke of York +Unto his princely brother presently?-- +If she deny, Lord Hastings, go with him, +And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce. + +CARDINAL +My lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory +Can from his mother win the Duke of York, +Anon expect him here; but if she be obdurate +To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid +We should infringe the holy privilege +Of blessed sanctuary! Not for all this land +Would I be guilty of so deep a sin. + +BUCKINGHAM +You are too senseless obstinate, my lord, +Too ceremonious and traditional. +Weigh it but with the grossness of this age, +You break not sanctuary in seizing him. +The benefit thereof is always granted +To those whose dealings have deserved the place +And those who have the wit to claim the place. +This prince hath neither claimed it nor deserved it +And therefore, in mine opinion, cannot have it. +Then taking him from thence that is not there, +You break no privilege nor charter there. +Oft have I heard of sanctuary men, +But sanctuary children, never till now. + +CARDINAL +My lord, you shall o'errule my mind for once.-- +Come on, Lord Hastings, will you go with me? + +HASTINGS I go, my lord. + +PRINCE +Good lords, make all the speedy haste you may. +[The Cardinal and Hastings exit.] +Say, uncle Gloucester, if our brother come, +Where shall we sojourn till our coronation? + +RICHARD +Where it seems best unto your royal self. +If I may counsel you, some day or two +Your Highness shall repose you at the Tower; +Then where you please and shall be thought most fit +For your best health and recreation. + +PRINCE +I do not like the Tower, of any place.-- +Did Julius Caesar build that place, my lord? + +BUCKINGHAM +He did, my gracious lord, begin that place, +Which, since, succeeding ages have re-edified. + +PRINCE +Is it upon record, or else reported +Successively from age to age, he built it? + +BUCKINGHAM Upon record, my gracious lord. + +PRINCE +But say, my lord, it were not registered, +Methinks the truth should live from age to age, +As 'twere retailed to all posterity, +Even to the general all-ending day. + +RICHARD, [aside] +So wise so young, they say, do never live long. + +PRINCE What say you, uncle? + +RICHARD +I say, without characters fame lives long. +[Aside.] Thus, like the formal Vice, Iniquity, +I moralize two meanings in one word. + +PRINCE +That Julius Caesar was a famous man. +With what his valor did enrich his wit, +His wit set down to make his valor live. +Death makes no conquest of this conqueror, +For now he lives in fame, though not in life. +I'll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham-- + +BUCKINGHAM What, my gracious lord? + +PRINCE +An if I live until I be a man, +I'll win our ancient right in France again +Or die a soldier, as I lived a king. + +RICHARD, [aside] +Short summers lightly have a forward spring. + +[Enter young Duke of York, Hastings, and the +Cardinal.] + + +BUCKINGHAM +Now in good time here comes the Duke of York. + +PRINCE +Richard of York, how fares our loving brother? + +YORK +Well, my dread lord--so must I call you now. + +PRINCE +Ay, brother, to our grief, as it is yours. +Too late he died that might have kept that title, +Which by his death hath lost much majesty. + +RICHARD +How fares our cousin, noble lord of York? + +YORK +I thank you, gentle uncle. O my lord, +You said that idle weeds are fast in growth. +The Prince my brother hath outgrown me far. + +RICHARD +He hath, my lord. + +YORK And therefore is he idle? + +RICHARD +O my fair cousin, I must not say so. + +YORK +Then he is more beholding to you than I. + +RICHARD +He may command me as my sovereign, +But you have power in me as in a kinsman. + +YORK +I pray you, uncle, give me this dagger. + +RICHARD +My dagger, little cousin? With all my heart. + +PRINCE A beggar, brother? + +YORK +Of my kind uncle, that I know will give, +And being but a toy, which is no grief to give. + +RICHARD +A greater gift than that I'll give my cousin. + +YORK +A greater gift? O, that's the sword to it. + +RICHARD +Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough. + +YORK +O, then I see you will part but with light gifts. +In weightier things you'll say a beggar nay. + +RICHARD +It is too heavy for your Grace to wear. + +YORK +I weigh it lightly, were it heavier. + +RICHARD +What, would you have my weapon, little lord? + +YORK +I would, that I might thank you as you call me. + +RICHARD How? + +YORK Little. + +PRINCE +My lord of York will still be cross in talk. +Uncle, your Grace knows how to bear with him. + +YORK +You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me.-- +Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me. +Because that I am little, like an ape, +He thinks that you should bear me on your +shoulders. + +BUCKINGHAM, [aside] +With what a sharp-provided wit he reasons! +To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle, +He prettily and aptly taunts himself. +So cunning and so young is wonderful. + +RICHARD, [to Prince] +My lord, will 't please you pass along? +Myself and my good cousin Buckingham +Will to your mother, to entreat of her +To meet you at the Tower and welcome you. + +YORK, [to Prince] +What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord? + +PRINCE +My Lord Protector needs will have it so. + +YORK +I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower. + +RICHARD Why, what should you fear? + +YORK +Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghost. +My grandam told me he was murdered there. + +PRINCE I fear no uncles dead. + +RICHARD Nor none that live, I hope. + +PRINCE +An if they live, I hope I need not fear. +[To York.] But come, my lord. With a heavy heart, +Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower. +[A sennet. Prince Edward, the Duke of York, +and Hastings exit. Richard, Buckingham, +and Catesby remain.] + +BUCKINGHAM, [to Richard] +Think you, my lord, this little prating York +Was not incensed by his subtle mother +To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously? + +RICHARD +No doubt, no doubt. O, 'tis a parlous boy, +Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable. +He is all the mother's, from the top to toe. + +BUCKINGHAM +Well, let them rest.--Come hither, Catesby. +Thou art sworn as deeply to effect what we intend +As closely to conceal what we impart. +Thou knowest our reasons, urged upon the way. +What thinkest thou? Is it not an easy matter +To make William Lord Hastings of our mind +For the installment of this noble duke +In the seat royal of this famous isle? + +CATESBY +He, for his father's sake, so loves the Prince +That he will not be won to aught against him. + +BUCKINGHAM +What think'st thou then of Stanley? Will not he? + +CATESBY +He will do all in all as Hastings doth. + +BUCKINGHAM +Well then, no more but this: go, gentle Catesby, +And, as it were far off, sound thou Lord Hastings +How he doth stand affected to our purpose +And summon him tomorrow to the Tower +To sit about the coronation. +If thou dost find him tractable to us, +Encourage him and tell him all our reasons. +If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling, +Be thou so too, and so break off the talk, +And give us notice of his inclination; +For we tomorrow hold divided councils, +Wherein thyself shalt highly be employed. + +RICHARD +Commend me to Lord William. Tell him, Catesby, +His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries +Tomorrow are let blood at Pomfret Castle, +And bid my lord, for joy of this good news, +Give Mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more. + +BUCKINGHAM +Good Catesby, go effect this business soundly. + +CATESBY +My good lords both, with all the heed I can. + +RICHARD +Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep? + +CATESBY You shall, my lord. + +RICHARD +At Crosby House, there shall you find us both. +[Catesby exits.] + +BUCKINGHAM +Now, my lord, what shall we do if we perceive +Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots? + +RICHARD +Chop off his head. Something we will determine. +And look when I am king, claim thou of me +The earldom of Hereford, and all the movables +Whereof the King my brother was possessed. + +BUCKINGHAM +I'll claim that promise at your Grace's hand. + +RICHARD +And look to have it yielded with all kindness. +Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards +We may digest our complots in some form. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter a Messenger to the door of Hastings.] + + +MESSENGER, [knocking] My lord, my lord. + +HASTINGS, [within] Who knocks? + +MESSENGER One from the Lord Stanley. + +HASTINGS, [within] What is 't o'clock? + +MESSENGER Upon the stroke of four. + +[Enter Lord Hastings.] + + +HASTINGS +Cannot my Lord Stanley sleep these tedious nights? + +MESSENGER +So it appears by that I have to say. +First, he commends him to your noble self. + +HASTINGS What then? + +MESSENGER +Then certifies your Lordship that this night +He dreamt the boar had razed off his helm. +Besides, he says there are two councils kept, +And that may be determined at the one +Which may make you and him to rue at th' other. +Therefore he sends to know your Lordship's +pleasure, +If you will presently take horse with him +And with all speed post with him toward the north +To shun the danger that his soul divines. + +HASTINGS +Go, fellow, go. Return unto thy lord. +Bid him not fear the separated council. +His Honor and myself are at the one, +And at the other is my good friend Catesby, +Where nothing can proceed that toucheth us +Whereof I shall not have intelligence. +Tell him his fears are shallow, without instance. +And for his dreams, I wonder he's so simple +To trust the mock'ry of unquiet slumbers. +To fly the boar before the boar pursues +Were to incense the boar to follow us +And make pursuit where he did mean no chase. +Go, bid thy master rise and come to me, +And we will both together to the Tower, +Where he shall see the boar will use us kindly. + +MESSENGER +I'll go, my lord, and tell him what you say. [He exits.] + +[Enter Catesby.] + + +CATESBY +Many good morrows to my noble lord. + +HASTINGS +Good morrow, Catesby. You are early stirring. +What news, what news in this our tott'ring state? + +CATESBY +It is a reeling world indeed, my lord, +And I believe will never stand upright +Till Richard wear the garland of the realm. + +HASTINGS +How "wear the garland"? Dost thou mean the +crown? + +CATESBY Ay, my good lord. + +HASTINGS +I'll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders +Before I'll see the crown so foul misplaced. +But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it? + +CATESBY +Ay, on my life, and hopes to find you forward +Upon his party for the gain thereof; +And thereupon he sends you this good news, +That this same very day your enemies, +The kindred of the Queen, must die at Pomfret. + +HASTINGS +Indeed, I am no mourner for that news, +Because they have been still my adversaries. +But that I'll give my voice on Richard's side +To bar my master's heirs in true descent, +God knows I will not do it, to the death. + +CATESBY +God keep your Lordship in that gracious mind. + +HASTINGS +But I shall laugh at this a twelve-month hence, +That they which brought me in my master's hate, +I live to look upon their tragedy. +Well, Catesby, ere a fortnight make me older +I'll send some packing that yet think not on 't. + +CATESBY +'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord, +When men are unprepared and look not for it. + +HASTINGS +O monstrous, monstrous! And so falls it out +With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey; and so 'twill do +With some men else that think themselves as safe +As thou and I, who, as thou know'st, are dear +To princely Richard and to Buckingham. + +CATESBY +The Princes both make high account of you-- +[Aside.] For they account his head upon the Bridge. + +HASTINGS +I know they do, and I have well deserved it. + +[Enter Lord Stanley.] + +Come on, come on. Where is your boar-spear, man? +Fear you the boar and go so unprovided? + +STANLEY +My lord, good morrow.--Good morrow, Catesby.-- +You may jest on, but, by the Holy Rood, +I do not like these several councils, I. + +HASTINGS +My lord, I hold my life as dear as you do yours, +And never in my days, I do protest, +Was it so precious to me as 'tis now. +Think you but that I know our state secure, +I would be so triumphant as I am? + +STANLEY +The lords at Pomfret, when they rode from London, +Were jocund and supposed their states were sure, +And they indeed had no cause to mistrust; +But yet you see how soon the day o'ercast. +This sudden stab of rancor I misdoubt. +Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward! +What, shall we toward the Tower? The day is spent. + +HASTINGS +Come, come. Have with you. Wot you what, my lord? +Today the lords you talked of are beheaded. + +STANLEY +They, for their truth, might better wear their heads +Than some that have accused them wear their hats. +But come, my lord, let's away. + +[Enter a Pursuivant.] + + +HASTINGS +Go on before. I'll talk with this good fellow. +[Lord Stanley and Catesby exit.] +How now, sirrah? How goes the world with thee? + +PURSUIVANT +The better that your Lordship please to ask. + +HASTINGS +I tell thee, man, 'tis better with me now +Than when thou met'st me last where now we meet. +Then was I going prisoner to the Tower +By the suggestion of the Queen's allies. +But now, I tell thee--keep it to thyself-- +This day those enemies are put to death, +And I in better state than e'er I was. + +PURSUIVANT +God hold it, to your Honor's good content! + +HASTINGS +Gramercy, fellow. There, drink that for me. +[Throws him his purse.] + +PURSUIVANT I thank your Honor. [Pursuivant exits.] + +[Enter a Priest.] + + +PRIEST +Well met, my lord. I am glad to see your Honor. + +HASTINGS +I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart. +I am in your debt for your last exercise. +Come the next sabbath, and I will content you. + +PRIEST I'll wait upon your Lordship. [Priest exits.] + +[Enter Buckingham.] + + +BUCKINGHAM +What, talking with a priest, Lord Chamberlain? +Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest; +Your Honor hath no shriving work in hand. + +HASTINGS +Good faith, and when I met this holy man, +The men you talk of came into my mind. +What, go you toward the Tower? + +BUCKINGHAM +I do, my lord, but long I cannot stay there. +I shall return before your Lordship thence. + +HASTINGS +Nay, like enough, for I stay dinner there. + +BUCKINGHAM, [aside] +And supper too, although thou know'st it not.-- +Come, will you go? + +HASTINGS I'll wait upon your Lordship. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Sir Richard Ratcliffe, with Halberds, carrying the +nobles Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan to death at Pomfret.] + + +RIVERS +Sir Richard Ratcliffe, let me tell thee this: +Today shalt thou behold a subject die +For truth, for duty, and for loyalty. + +GREY, [to Ratcliffe] +God bless the Prince from all the pack of you! +A knot you are of damned bloodsuckers. + +VAUGHAN, [to Ratcliffe] +You live that shall cry woe for this hereafter. + +RATCLIFFE +Dispatch. The limit of your lives is out. + +RIVERS +O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prison, +Fatal and ominous to noble peers! +Within the guilty closure of thy walls, +Richard the Second here was hacked to death, +And, for more slander to thy dismal seat, +We give to thee our guiltless blood to drink. + +GREY +Now Margaret's curse is fall'n upon our heads, +When she exclaimed on Hastings, you, and I, +For standing by when Richard stabbed her son. + +RIVERS +Then cursed she Richard. Then cursed she +Buckingham. +Then cursed she Hastings. O, remember, God, +To hear her prayer for them as now for us! +And for my sister and her princely sons, +Be satisfied, dear God, with our true blood, +Which, as thou know'st, unjustly must be spilt. + +RATCLIFFE +Make haste. The hour of death is expiate. + +RIVERS +Come, Grey. Come, Vaughan. Let us here embrace. +[They embrace.] +Farewell until we meet again in heaven. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter Buckingham, Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby, +Hastings, Bishop of Ely, Norfolk, Ratcliffe, Lovell, with +others, at a table.] + + +HASTINGS +Now, noble peers, the cause why we are met +Is to determine of the coronation. +In God's name, speak. When is the royal day? + +BUCKINGHAM +Is all things ready for the royal time? + +STANLEY +It is, and wants but nomination. + +ELY +Tomorrow, then, I judge a happy day. + +BUCKINGHAM +Who knows the Lord Protector's mind herein? +Who is most inward with the noble duke? + +ELY +Your Grace, we think, should soonest know his +mind. + +BUCKINGHAM +We know each other's faces; for our hearts, +He knows no more of mine than I of yours, +Or I of his, my lord, than you of mine.-- +Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love. + +HASTINGS +I thank his Grace, I know he loves me well. +But for his purpose in the coronation, +I have not sounded him, nor he delivered +His gracious pleasure any way therein. +But you, my honorable lords, may name the time, +And in the Duke's behalf I'll give my voice, +Which I presume he'll take in gentle part. + +[Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester.] + + +ELY +In happy time here comes the Duke himself. + +RICHARD +My noble lords and cousins all, good morrow. +I have been long a sleeper; but I trust +My absence doth neglect no great design +Which by my presence might have been concluded. + +BUCKINGHAM +Had you not come upon your cue, my lord, +William Lord Hastings had pronounced your part-- +I mean your voice for crowning of the King. + +RICHARD +Than my Lord Hastings no man might be bolder. +His Lordship knows me well and loves me well.-- +My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn +I saw good strawberries in your garden there; +I do beseech you, send for some of them. + +ELY +Marry and will, my lord, with all my heart. +[Exit Bishop of Ely.] + +RICHARD +Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you. +[They move aside.] +Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business +And finds the testy gentleman so hot +That he will lose his head ere give consent +His master's child, as worshipfully he terms it, +Shall lose the royalty of England's throne. + +BUCKINGHAM +Withdraw yourself awhile. I'll go with you. +[Richard and Buckingham exit.] + +STANLEY +We have not yet set down this day of triumph. +Tomorrow, in my judgment, is too sudden, +For I myself am not so well provided +As else I would be, were the day prolonged. + +[Enter the Bishop of Ely.] + + +ELY +Where is my lord the Duke of Gloucester? +I have sent for these strawberries. + +HASTINGS +His Grace looks cheerfully and smooth this +morning. +There's some conceit or other likes him well +When that he bids good morrow with such spirit. +I think there's never a man in Christendom +Can lesser hide his love or hate than he, +For by his face straight shall you know his heart. + +STANLEY +What of his heart perceive you in his face +By any livelihood he showed today? + +HASTINGS +Marry, that with no man here he is offended, +For were he, he had shown it in his looks. + +[Enter Richard and Buckingham.] + + +RICHARD +I pray you all, tell me what they deserve +That do conspire my death with devilish plots +Of damned witchcraft, and that have prevailed +Upon my body with their hellish charms? + +HASTINGS +The tender love I bear your Grace, my lord, +Makes me most forward in this princely presence +To doom th' offenders, whosoe'er they be. +I say, my lord, they have deserved death. + +RICHARD +Then be your eyes the witness of their evil. +[He shows his arm.] +Look how I am bewitched! Behold mine arm +Is like a blasted sapling withered up; +And this is Edward's wife, that monstrous witch, +Consorted with that harlot, strumpet Shore, +That by their witchcraft thus have marked me. + +HASTINGS +If they have done this deed, my noble lord-- + +RICHARD +If? Thou protector of this damned strumpet, +Talk'st thou to me of "ifs"? Thou art a traitor.-- +Off with his head. Now by Saint Paul I swear +I will not dine until I see the same.-- +Lovell and Ratcliffe, look that it be done.-- +The rest that love me, rise and follow me. +[They exit. Lovell and Ratcliffe remain, +with the Lord Hastings.] + +HASTINGS +Woe, woe for England! Not a whit for me, +For I, too fond, might have prevented this. +Stanley did dream the boar did raze his helm, +And I did scorn it and disdain to fly. +Three times today my foot-cloth horse did stumble, +And started when he looked upon the Tower, +As loath to bear me to the slaughterhouse. +O, now I need the priest that spake to me! +I now repent I told the pursuivant, +As too triumphing, how mine enemies +Today at Pomfret bloodily were butchered, +And I myself secure in grace and favor. +O Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curse +Is lighted on poor Hastings' wretched head. + +RATCLIFFE +Come, come, dispatch. The Duke would be at +dinner. +Make a short shrift. He longs to see your head. + +HASTINGS +O momentary grace of mortal men, +Which we more hunt for than the grace of God! +Who builds his hope in air of your good looks +Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast, +Ready with every nod to tumble down +Into the fatal bowels of the deep. + +LOVELL +Come, come, dispatch. 'Tis bootless to exclaim. + +HASTINGS +O bloody Richard! Miserable England, +I prophesy the fearfull'st time to thee +That ever wretched age hath looked upon.-- +Come, lead me to the block. Bear him my head. +They smile at me who shortly shall be dead. +[They exit.] + +Scene 5 +======= +[Enter Richard and Buckingham, in rotten armor, +marvelous ill-favored.] + + +RICHARD +Come, cousin, canst thou quake and change thy +color, +Murder thy breath in middle of a word, +And then again begin, and stop again, +As if thou were distraught and mad with terror? + +BUCKINGHAM +Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian, +Speak, and look back, and pry on every side, +Tremble and start at wagging of a straw, +Intending deep suspicion. Ghastly looks +Are at my service, like enforced smiles, +And both are ready, in their offices, +At any time to grace my stratagems. +But what, is Catesby gone? + +RICHARD +He is; and see he brings the Mayor along. + +[Enter the Mayor and Catesby.] + + +BUCKINGHAM Lord Mayor-- + +RICHARD Look to the drawbridge there! + +BUCKINGHAM Hark, a drum! + +RICHARD Catesby, o'erlook the walls. +[Catesby exits.] + +BUCKINGHAM Lord Mayor, the reason we have sent-- + +RICHARD +Look back! Defend thee! Here are enemies. + +BUCKINGHAM +God and our innocence defend and guard us! + +[Enter Lovell and Ratcliffe, with Hastings' head.] + + +RICHARD +Be patient. They are friends, Ratcliffe and Lovell. + +LOVELL +Here is the head of that ignoble traitor, +The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings. + +RICHARD +So dear I loved the man that I must weep. +I took him for the plainest harmless creature +That breathed upon the Earth a Christian; +Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded +The history of all her secret thoughts. +So smooth he daubed his vice with show of virtue +That, his apparent open guilt omitted-- +I mean his conversation with Shore's wife-- +He lived from all attainder of suspects. + +BUCKINGHAM +Well, well, he was the covert'st sheltered traitor +That ever lived.-- +Would you imagine, or almost believe, +Were 't not that by great preservation +We live to tell it, that the subtle traitor +This day had plotted, in the council house, +To murder me and my good lord of Gloucester? + +MAYOR Had he done so? + +RICHARD +What, think you we are Turks or infidels? +Or that we would, against the form of law, +Proceed thus rashly in the villain's death, +But that the extreme peril of the case, +The peace of England, and our persons' safety +Enforced us to this execution? + +MAYOR +Now fair befall you! He deserved his death, +And your good Graces both have well proceeded +To warn false traitors from the like attempts. + +BUCKINGHAM +I never looked for better at his hands +After he once fell in with Mistress Shore. +Yet had we not determined he should die +Until your Lordship came to see his end +(Which now the loving haste of these our friends, +Something against our meanings, have prevented), +Because, my lord, I would have had you heard +The traitor speak and timorously confess +The manner and the purpose of his treasons, +That you might well have signified the same +Unto the citizens, who haply may +Misconster us in him, and wail his death. + +MAYOR +But, my good lord, your Graces' words shall serve +As well as I had seen and heard him speak; +And do not doubt, right noble princes both, +But I'll acquaint our duteous citizens +With all your just proceedings in this case. + +RICHARD +And to that end we wished your Lordship here, +T' avoid the censures of the carping world. + +BUCKINGHAM +Which since you come too late of our intent, +Yet witness what you hear we did intend. +And so, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewell. +[Mayor exits.] + +RICHARD +Go after, after, cousin Buckingham. +The Mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post. +There, at your meetest vantage of the time, +Infer the bastardy of Edward's children. +Tell them how Edward put to death a citizen +Only for saying he would make his son +Heir to the Crown--meaning indeed his house, +Which, by the sign thereof, was termed so. +Moreover, urge his hateful luxury +And bestial appetite in change of lust, +Which stretched unto their servants, daughters, +wives, +Even where his raging eye or savage heart, +Without control, lusted to make a prey. +Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person: +Tell them when that my mother went with child +Of that insatiate Edward, noble York +My princely father then had wars in France, +And, by true computation of the time, +Found that the issue was not his begot, +Which well appeared in his lineaments, +Being nothing like the noble duke my father. +Yet touch this sparingly, as 'twere far off, +Because, my lord, you know my mother lives. + +BUCKINGHAM +Doubt not, my lord. I'll play the orator +As if the golden fee for which I plead +Were for myself. And so, my lord, adieu. + +RICHARD +If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard's Castle, +Where you shall find me well accompanied +With reverend fathers and well-learned bishops. + +BUCKINGHAM +I go; and towards three or four o'clock +Look for the news that the Guildhall affords. +[Buckingham exits.] + +RICHARD +Go, Lovell, with all speed to Doctor Shaa. +[To Ratcliffe.] Go thou to Friar Penker. Bid them +both +Meet me within this hour at Baynard's Castle. +[Ratcliffe and Lovell exit.] +Now will I go to take some privy order +To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight, +And to give order that no manner person +Have any time recourse unto the Princes. +[He exits.] + +Scene 6 +======= +[Enter a Scrivener.] + + +SCRIVENER +Here is the indictment of the good Lord Hastings, +Which in a set hand fairly is engrossed, +That it may be today read o'er in Paul's. +And mark how well the sequel hangs together: +Eleven hours I have spent to write it over, +For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me; +The precedent was full as long a-doing, +And yet within these five hours Hastings lived, +Untainted, unexamined, free, at liberty. +Here's a good world the while! Who is so gross +That cannot see this palpable device? +Yet who so bold but says he sees it not? +Bad is the world, and all will come to naught +When such ill dealing must be seen in thought. +[He exits.] + +Scene 7 +======= +[Enter Richard and Buckingham at several doors.] + + +RICHARD +How now, how now? What say the citizens? + +BUCKINGHAM +Now, by the holy mother of our Lord, +The citizens are mum, say not a word. + +RICHARD +Touched you the bastardy of Edward's children? + +BUCKINGHAM +I did; with his contract with Lady Lucy +And his contract by deputy in France; +Th' unsatiate greediness of his desire +And his enforcement of the city wives; +His tyranny for trifles; his own bastardy, +As being got, your father then in France, +And his resemblance being not like the Duke. +Withal, I did infer your lineaments, +Being the right idea of your father, +Both in your form and nobleness of mind; +Laid open all your victories in Scotland, +Your discipline in war, wisdom in peace, +Your bounty, virtue, fair humility; +Indeed, left nothing fitting for your purpose +Untouched or slightly handled in discourse. +And when mine oratory drew toward end, +I bid them that did love their country's good +Cry "God save Richard, England's royal king!" + +RICHARD And did they so? + +BUCKINGHAM +No. So God help me, they spake not a word +But, like dumb statues or breathing stones, +Stared each on other and looked deadly pale; +Which when I saw, I reprehended them +And asked the Mayor what meant this willful silence. +His answer was, the people were not used +To be spoke to but by the Recorder. +Then he was urged to tell my tale again: +"Thus saith the Duke. Thus hath the Duke +inferred"-- +But nothing spoke in warrant from himself. +When he had done, some followers of mine own, +At lower end of the hall, hurled up their caps, +And some ten voices cried "God save King Richard!" +And thus I took the vantage of those few. +"Thanks, gentle citizens and friends," quoth I. +"This general applause and cheerful shout +Argues your wisdoms and your love to Richard"-- +And even here brake off and came away. + +RICHARD +What tongueless blocks were they! Would they not +speak? +Will not the Mayor then and his brethren come? + +BUCKINGHAM +The Mayor is here at hand. Intend some fear; +Be not you spoke with but by mighty suit. +And look you get a prayer book in your hand +And stand between two churchmen, good my lord, +For on that ground I'll make a holy descant. +And be not easily won to our requests. +Play the maid's part: still answer "nay," and take it. + +RICHARD +I go. An if you plead as well for them +As I can say "nay" to thee for myself, +No doubt we bring it to a happy issue. +[Knocking within.] + +BUCKINGHAM +Go, go, up to the leads. The Lord Mayor knocks. +[Richard exits.] + +[Enter the Mayor and Citizens.] + +Welcome, my lord. I dance attendance here. +I think the Duke will not be spoke withal. + +[Enter Catesby.] + +Now, Catesby, what says your lord to my request? + +CATESBY +He doth entreat your Grace, my noble lord, +To visit him tomorrow or next day. +He is within, with two right reverend fathers, +Divinely bent to meditation, +And in no worldly suits would he be moved +To draw him from his holy exercise. + +BUCKINGHAM +Return, good Catesby, to the gracious duke. +Tell him myself, the Mayor, and aldermen, +In deep designs, in matter of great moment +No less importing than our general good, +Are come to have some conference with his Grace. + +CATESBY +I'll signify so much unto him straight. [He exits.] + +BUCKINGHAM +Ah ha, my lord, this prince is not an Edward! +He is not lolling on a lewd love-bed, +But on his knees at meditation; +Not dallying with a brace of courtesans, +But meditating with two deep divines; +Not sleeping, to engross his idle body, +But praying, to enrich his watchful soul. +Happy were England would this virtuous prince +Take on his Grace the sovereignty thereof. +But sure I fear we shall not win him to it. + +MAYOR +Marry, God defend his Grace should say us nay. + +BUCKINGHAM +I fear he will. Here Catesby comes again. + +[Enter Catesby.] + +Now, Catesby, what says his Grace? + +CATESBY +He wonders to what end you have assembled +Such troops of citizens to come to him, +His Grace not being warned thereof before. +He fears, my lord, you mean no good to him. + +BUCKINGHAM +Sorry I am my noble cousin should +Suspect me that I mean no good to him. +By heaven, we come to him in perfect love, +And so once more return and tell his Grace. +[Catesby exits.] +When holy and devout religious men +Are at their beads, 'tis much to draw them thence, +So sweet is zealous contemplation. + +[Enter Richard aloft, between two Bishops.] +[Catesby reenters.] + + +MAYOR +See where his Grace stands, 'tween two clergymen. + +BUCKINGHAM +Two props of virtue for a Christian prince, +To stay him from the fall of vanity; +And, see, a book of prayer in his hand, +True ornaments to know a holy man.-- +Famous Plantagenet, most gracious prince, +Lend favorable ear to our requests, +And pardon us the interruption +Of thy devotion and right Christian zeal. + +RICHARD +My lord, there needs no such apology. +I do beseech your Grace to pardon me, +Who, earnest in the service of my God, +Deferred the visitation of my friends. +But, leaving this, what is your Grace's pleasure? + +BUCKINGHAM +Even that, I hope, which pleaseth God above +And all good men of this ungoverned isle. + +RICHARD +I do suspect I have done some offense +That seems disgracious in the city's eye, +And that you come to reprehend my ignorance. + +BUCKINGHAM +You have, my lord. Would it might please your +Grace, +On our entreaties, to amend your fault. + +RICHARD +Else wherefore breathe I in a Christian land? + +BUCKINGHAM +Know, then, it is your fault that you resign +The supreme seat, the throne majestical, +The sceptered office of your ancestors, +Your state of fortune, and your due of birth, +The lineal glory of your royal house, +To the corruption of a blemished stock, +Whiles in the mildness of your sleepy thoughts, +Which here we waken to our country's good, +The noble isle doth want her proper limbs-- +Her face defaced with scars of infamy, +Her royal stock graft with ignoble plants, +And almost shouldered in the swallowing gulf +Of dark forgetfulness and deep oblivion; +Which to recure, we heartily solicit +Your gracious self to take on you the charge +And kingly government of this your land, +Not as Protector, steward, substitute, +Or lowly factor for another's gain, +But as successively, from blood to blood, +Your right of birth, your empery, your own. +For this, consorted with the citizens, +Your very worshipful and loving friends, +And by their vehement instigation, +In this just cause come I to move your Grace. + +RICHARD +I cannot tell if to depart in silence +Or bitterly to speak in your reproof +Best fitteth my degree or your condition. +If not to answer, you might haply think +Tongue-tied ambition, not replying, yielded +To bear the golden yoke of sovereignty, +Which fondly you would here impose on me. +If to reprove you for this suit of yours, +So seasoned with your faithful love to me, +Then on the other side I checked my friends. +Therefore, to speak, and to avoid the first, +And then, in speaking, not to incur the last, +Definitively thus I answer you: +Your love deserves my thanks, but my desert +Unmeritable shuns your high request. +First, if all obstacles were cut away +And that my path were even to the crown +As the ripe revenue and due of birth, +Yet so much is my poverty of spirit, +So mighty and so many my defects, +That I would rather hide me from my greatness, +Being a bark to brook no mighty sea, +Than in my greatness covet to be hid +And in the vapor of my glory smothered. +But, God be thanked, there is no need of me, +And much I need to help you, were there need. +The royal tree hath left us royal fruit, +Which, mellowed by the stealing hours of time, +Will well become the seat of majesty, +And make, no doubt, us happy by his reign. +On him I lay that you would lay on me, +The right and fortune of his happy stars, +Which God defend that I should wring from him. + +BUCKINGHAM +My lord, this argues conscience in your Grace, +But the respects thereof are nice and trivial, +All circumstances well considered. +You say that Edward is your brother's son; +So say we too, but not by Edward's wife. +For first was he contract to Lady Lucy-- +Your mother lives a witness to his vow-- +And afterward by substitute betrothed +To Bona, sister to the King of France. +These both put off, a poor petitioner, +A care-crazed mother to a many sons, +A beauty-waning and distressed widow, +Even in the afternoon of her best days, +Made prize and purchase of his wanton eye, +Seduced the pitch and height of his degree +To base declension and loathed bigamy. +By her in his unlawful bed he got +This Edward, whom our manners call "the Prince." +More bitterly could I expostulate, +Save that, for reverence to some alive, +I give a sparing limit to my tongue. +Then, good my lord, take to your royal self +This proffered benefit of dignity, +If not to bless us and the land withal, +Yet to draw forth your noble ancestry +From the corruption of abusing times +Unto a lineal, true-derived course. + +MAYOR +Do, good my lord. Your citizens entreat you. + +BUCKINGHAM +Refuse not, mighty lord, this proffered love. + +CATESBY +O, make them joyful. Grant their lawful suit. + +RICHARD +Alas, why would you heap this care on me? +I am unfit for state and majesty. +I do beseech you, take it not amiss; +I cannot, nor I will not, yield to you. + +BUCKINGHAM +If you refuse it, as in love and zeal +Loath to depose the child, your brother's son-- +As well we know your tenderness of heart +And gentle, kind, effeminate remorse, +Which we have noted in you to your kindred +And equally indeed to all estates-- +Yet know, whe'er you accept our suit or no, +Your brother's son shall never reign our king, +But we will plant some other in the throne, +To the disgrace and downfall of your house. +And in this resolution here we leave you.-- +Come, citizens. Zounds, I'll entreat no more. + +RICHARD +O, do not swear, my lord of Buckingham! +[Buckingham and some others exit.] + +CATESBY +Call him again, sweet prince. Accept their suit. +If you deny them, all the land will rue it. + +RICHARD +Will you enforce me to a world of cares? +Call them again. I am not made of stones, +But penetrable to your kind entreaties, +Albeit against my conscience and my soul. + +[Enter Buckingham and the rest.] + +Cousin of Buckingham and sage, grave men, +Since you will buckle Fortune on my back, +To bear her burden, whe'er I will or no, +I must have patience to endure the load; +But if black scandal or foul-faced reproach +Attend the sequel of your imposition, +Your mere enforcement shall acquittance me +From all the impure blots and stains thereof, +For God doth know, and you may partly see, +How far I am from the desire of this. + +MAYOR +God bless your Grace! We see it and will say it. + +RICHARD +In saying so, you shall but say the truth. + +BUCKINGHAM +Then I salute you with this royal title: +Long live Richard, England's worthy king! + +ALL Amen. + +BUCKINGHAM +Tomorrow may it please you to be crowned? + +RICHARD +Even when you please, for you will have it so. + +BUCKINGHAM +Tomorrow, then, we will attend your Grace, +And so most joyfully we take our leave. + +RICHARD, [to the Bishops] +Come, let us to our holy work again.-- +Farewell, my cousin. Farewell, gentle friends. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 4 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Queen Elizabeth, with the Duchess of York, and +the Lord Marquess of Dorset, at one door; Anne, +Duchess of Gloucester with Clarence's daughter, at +another door.] + + +DUCHESS +Who meets us here? My niece Plantagenet +Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloucester? +Now, for my life, she's wandering to the Tower, +On pure heart's love, to greet the tender prince.-- +Daughter, well met. + +ANNE God give your Graces both +A happy and a joyful time of day. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +As much to you, good sister. Whither away? + +ANNE +No farther than the Tower, and, as I guess, +Upon the like devotion as yourselves, +To gratulate the gentle princes there. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Kind sister, thanks. We'll enter all together. + +[Enter Brakenbury, the Lieutenant.] + +And in good time here the Lieutenant comes.-- +Master Lieutenant, pray you, by your leave, +How doth the Prince and my young son of York? + +BRAKENBURY +Right well, dear madam. By your patience, +I may not suffer you to visit them. +The King hath strictly charged the contrary. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +The King? Who's that? + +BRAKENBURY I mean, the Lord Protector. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +The Lord protect him from that kingly title! +Hath he set bounds between their love and me? +I am their mother. Who shall bar me from them? + +DUCHESS +I am their father's mother. I will see them. + +ANNE +Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother. +Then bring me to their sights. I'll bear thy blame +And take thy office from thee, on my peril. + +BRAKENBURY +No, madam, no. I may not leave it so. +I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me. +[Brakenbury the Lieutenant exits.] + +[Enter Stanley.] + + +STANLEY +Let me but meet you ladies one hour hence, +And I'll salute your Grace of York as mother +And reverend looker-on of two fair queens. +[To Anne.] Come, madam, you must straight to +Westminster, +There to be crowned Richard's royal queen. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH Ah, cut my lace asunder +That my pent heart may have some scope to beat, +Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news! + +ANNE +Despiteful tidings! O, unpleasing news! + +DORSET, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Be of good cheer, mother. How fares your Grace? + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +O Dorset, speak not to me. Get thee gone. +Death and destruction dogs thee at thy heels. +Thy mother's name is ominous to children. +If thou wilt outstrip death, go, cross the seas, +And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell. +Go, hie thee, hie thee from this slaughterhouse, +Lest thou increase the number of the dead +And make me die the thrall of Margaret's curse, +Nor mother, wife, nor England's counted queen. + +STANLEY +Full of wise care is this your counsel, madam. +[To Dorset.] Take all the swift advantage of the +hours. +You shall have letters from me to my son +In your behalf, to meet you on the way. +Be not ta'en tardy by unwise delay. + +DUCHESS +O ill-dispersing wind of misery! +O my accursed womb, the bed of death! +A cockatrice hast thou hatched to the world, +Whose unavoided eye is murderous. + +STANLEY, [to Anne] +Come, madam, come. I in all haste was sent. + +ANNE +And I with all unwillingness will go. +O, would to God that the inclusive verge +Of golden metal that must round my brow +Were red-hot steel to sear me to the brains! +Anointed let me be with deadly venom, +And die ere men can say "God save the Queen." + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Go, go, poor soul, I envy not thy glory. +To feed my humor, wish thyself no harm. + +ANNE +No? Why? When he that is my husband now +Came to me as I followed Henry's corse, +When scarce the blood was well washed from his +hands +Which issued from my other angel husband +And that dear saint which then I weeping followed-- +O, when, I say, I looked on Richard's face, +This was my wish: be thou, quoth I, accursed +For making me, so young, so old a widow; +And, when thou wedd'st, let sorrow haunt thy bed; +And be thy wife, if any be so mad, +More miserable by the life of thee +Than thou hast made me by my dear lord's death. +Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again, +Within so small a time my woman's heart +Grossly grew captive to his honey words +And proved the subject of mine own soul's curse, +Which hitherto hath held my eyes from rest, +For never yet one hour in his bed +Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep, +But with his timorous dreams was still awaked. +Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick, +And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Poor heart, adieu. I pity thy complaining. + +ANNE +No more than with my soul I mourn for yours. + +DORSET +Farewell, thou woeful welcomer of glory. + +ANNE +Adieu, poor soul that tak'st thy leave of it. + +DUCHESS, [to Dorset] +Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee. +[To Anne.] Go thou to Richard, and good angels +tend thee. +[To Queen Elizabeth.] Go thou to sanctuary, and +good thoughts possess thee. +I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with me. +Eighty-odd years of sorrow have I seen, +And each hour's joy wracked with a week of teen. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Stay, yet look back with me unto the Tower.-- +Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes +Whom envy hath immured within your walls-- +Rough cradle for such little pretty ones. +Rude ragged nurse, old sullen playfellow +For tender princes, use my babies well. +So foolish sorrows bids your stones farewell. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Sound a sennet. Enter Richard in pomp; Buckingham, +Catesby, Ratcliffe, Lovell, and others, including a Page.] + + +RICHARD +Stand all apart.--Cousin of Buckingham. +[The others move aside.] + +BUCKINGHAM My gracious sovereign. + +RICHARD +Give me thy hand. +[Here he ascendeth the throne. Sound trumpets.] +Thus high, by thy advice +And thy assistance is King Richard seated. +But shall we wear these glories for a day, +Or shall they last and we rejoice in them? + +BUCKINGHAM +Still live they, and forever let them last. + +RICHARD +Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the touch, +To try if thou be current gold indeed: +Young Edward lives; think now what I would speak. + +BUCKINGHAM Say on, my loving lord. + +RICHARD +Why, Buckingham, I say I would be king. + +BUCKINGHAM +Why so you are, my thrice-renowned lord. + +RICHARD +Ha! Am I king? 'Tis so--but Edward lives. + +BUCKINGHAM +True, noble prince. + +RICHARD O bitter consequence +That Edward still should live "true noble prince"! +Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull. +Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead, +And I would have it suddenly performed. +What sayst thou now? Speak suddenly. Be brief. + +BUCKINGHAM Your Grace may do your pleasure. + +RICHARD +Tut, tut, thou art all ice; thy kindness freezes. +Say, have I thy consent that they shall die? + +BUCKINGHAM +Give me some little breath, some pause, dear lord, +Before I positively speak in this. +I will resolve you herein presently. +[Buckingham exits.] + +CATESBY, [aside to the other Attendants] +The King is angry. See, he gnaws his lip. + +RICHARD, [aside] +I will converse with iron-witted fools +And unrespective boys. None are for me +That look into me with considerate eyes. +High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.-- +Boy! + +PAGE, [coming forward] My lord? + +RICHARD +Know'st thou not any whom corrupting gold +Will tempt unto a close exploit of death? + +PAGE +I know a discontented gentleman +Whose humble means match not his haughty spirit. +Gold were as good as twenty orators, +And will, no doubt, tempt him to anything. + +RICHARD +What is his name? + +PAGE His name, my lord, is Tyrrel. + +RICHARD +I partly know the man. Go, call him hither, boy. +[Page exits.] +[Aside.] The deep-revolving witty Buckingham +No more shall be the neighbor to my counsels. +Hath he so long held out with me, untired, +And stops he now for breath? Well, be it so. + +[Enter Stanley.] + +How now, Lord Stanley, what's the news? + +STANLEY Know, my loving lord, +The Marquess Dorset, as I hear, is fled +To Richmond, in the parts where he abides. +[He walks aside.] + +RICHARD +Come hither, Catesby. Rumor it abroad +That Anne my wife is very grievous sick. +I will take order for her keeping close. +Inquire me out some mean poor gentleman, +Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter. +The boy is foolish, and I fear not him. +Look how thou dream'st! I say again, give out +That Anne my queen is sick and like to die. +About it, for it stands me much upon +To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me. +[Catesby exits.] +[Aside.] I must be married to my brother's daughter, +Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass. +Murder her brothers, and then marry her-- +Uncertain way of gain. But I am in +So far in blood that sin will pluck on sin. +Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye. + +[Enter Tyrrel.] + +Is thy name Tyrrel? + +TYRREL +James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject. + +RICHARD +Art thou indeed? + +TYRREL Prove me, my gracious lord. + +RICHARD +Dar'st thou resolve to kill a friend of mine? + +TYRREL +Please you. But I had rather kill two enemies. + +RICHARD +Why then, thou hast it. Two deep enemies, +Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleep's disturbers, +Are they that I would have thee deal upon. +Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower. + +TYRREL +Let me have open means to come to them, +And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them. + +RICHARD +Thou sing'st sweet music. Hark, come hither, Tyrrel. +[Tyrrel approaches Richard and kneels.] +Go, by this token. Rise, and lend thine ear. +[Tyrrel rises, and Richard whispers +to him. Then Tyrrel steps back.] +There is no more but so. Say it is done, +And I will love thee and prefer thee for it. + +TYRREL I will dispatch it straight. [He exits.] + +[Enter Buckingham.] + + +BUCKINGHAM +My lord, I have considered in my mind +The late request that you did sound me in. + +RICHARD +Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to Richmond. + +BUCKINGHAM I hear the news, my lord. + +RICHARD +Stanley, he is your wife's son. Well, look unto it. + +BUCKINGHAM +My lord, I claim the gift, my due by promise, +For which your honor and your faith is pawned-- +Th' earldom of Hereford and the movables +Which you have promised I shall possess. + +RICHARD +Stanley, look to your wife. If she convey +Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it. + +BUCKINGHAM +What says your Highness to my just request? + +RICHARD +I do remember me, Henry the Sixth +Did prophesy that Richmond should be king, +When Richmond was a little peevish boy. +A king perhaps-- + +BUCKINGHAM My lord-- + +RICHARD +How chance the prophet could not at that time +Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him? + +BUCKINGHAM +My lord, your promise for the earldom-- + +RICHARD +Richmond! When last I was at Exeter, +The Mayor in courtesy showed me the castle +And called it Rougemont, at which name I started, +Because a bard of Ireland told me once +I should not live long after I saw Richmond. + +BUCKINGHAM My lord-- + +RICHARD Ay, what's o'clock? + +BUCKINGHAM +I am thus bold to put your Grace in mind +Of what you promised me. + +RICHARD Well, but what's o'clock? + +BUCKINGHAM Upon the stroke of ten. + +RICHARD Well, let it strike. + +BUCKINGHAM Why let it strike? + +RICHARD +Because that, like a jack, thou keep'st the stroke +Betwixt thy begging and my meditation. +I am not in the giving vein today. + +BUCKINGHAM +Why then, resolve me whether you will or no. + +RICHARD +Thou troublest me; I am not in the vein. +[He exits, and is followed by all but Buckingham.] + +BUCKINGHAM +And is it thus? Repays he my deep service +With such contempt? Made I him king for this? +O, let me think on Hastings and be gone +To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on! +[He exits.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Tyrrel.] + + +TYRREL +The tyrannous and bloody act is done, +The most arch deed of piteous massacre +That ever yet this land was guilty of. +Dighton and Forrest, who I did suborn +To do this piece of ruthless butchery, +Albeit they were fleshed villains, bloody dogs, +Melted with tenderness and mild compassion, +Wept like two children in their deaths' sad story. +"O thus," quoth Dighton, "lay the gentle babes." +"Thus, thus," quoth Forrest, "girdling one another +Within their alabaster innocent arms. +Their lips were four red roses on a stalk, +And in their summer beauty kissed each other. +A book of prayers on their pillow lay, +Which once," quoth Forrest, "almost changed my +mind, +But, O, the devil--" There the villain stopped; +When Dighton thus told on: "We smothered +The most replenished sweet work of nature +That from the prime creation e'er she framed." +Hence both are gone with conscience and remorse; +They could not speak; and so I left them both +To bear this tidings to the bloody king. + +[Enter Richard.] + +And here he comes.--All health, my sovereign lord. + +RICHARD +Kind Tyrrel, am I happy in thy news? + +TYRREL +If to have done the thing you gave in charge +Beget your happiness, be happy then, +For it is done. + +RICHARD But did'st thou see them dead? + +TYRREL +I did, my lord. + +RICHARD And buried, gentle Tyrrel? + +TYRREL +The chaplain of the Tower hath buried them, +But where, to say the truth, I do not know. + +RICHARD +Come to me, Tyrrel, soon at after-supper, +When thou shalt tell the process of their death. +Meantime, but think how I may do thee good, +And be inheritor of thy desire. +Farewell till then. + +TYRREL I humbly take my leave. +[Tyrrel exits.] + +RICHARD +The son of Clarence have I pent up close, +His daughter meanly have I matched in marriage, +The sons of Edward sleep in Abraham's bosom, +And Anne my wife hath bid this world goodnight. +Now, for I know the Breton Richmond aims +At young Elizabeth, my brother's daughter, +And by that knot looks proudly on the crown, +To her go I, a jolly thriving wooer. + +[Enter Ratcliffe.] + + +RATCLIFFE My lord. + +RICHARD +Good or bad news, that thou com'st in so bluntly? + +RATCLIFFE +Bad news, my lord. Morton is fled to Richmond, +And Buckingham, backed with the hardy Welshmen, +Is in the field, and still his power increaseth. + +RICHARD +Ely with Richmond troubles me more near +Than Buckingham and his rash-levied strength. +Come, I have learned that fearful commenting +Is leaden servitor to dull delay; +Delay leads impotent and snail-paced beggary; +Then fiery expedition be my wing, +Jove's Mercury, and herald for a king. +Go, muster men. My counsel is my shield. +We must be brief when traitors brave the field. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter old Queen Margaret.] + + +QUEEN MARGARET +So now prosperity begins to mellow +And drop into the rotten mouth of death. +Here in these confines slyly have I lurked +To watch the waning of mine enemies. +A dire induction am I witness to, +And will to France, hoping the consequence +Will prove as bitter, black, and tragical. +Withdraw thee, wretched Margaret. Who comes +here? [She steps aside.] + +[Enter Duchess of York and Queen Elizabeth.] + + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Ah, my poor princes! Ah, my tender babes, +My unblown flowers, new-appearing sweets, +If yet your gentle souls fly in the air +And be not fixed in doom perpetual, +Hover about me with your airy wings +And hear your mother's lamentation. + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] +Hover about her; say that right for right +Hath dimmed your infant morn to aged night. + +DUCHESS +So many miseries have crazed my voice +That my woe-wearied tongue is still and mute. +Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead? + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] +Plantagenet doth quit Plantagenet; +Edward for Edward pays a dying debt. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Wilt thou, O God, fly from such gentle lambs +And throw them in the entrails of the wolf? +When didst thou sleep when such a deed was done? + +QUEEN MARGARET, [aside] +When holy Harry died, and my sweet son. + +DUCHESS, [to Queen Elizabeth] +Dead life, blind sight, poor mortal living ghost, +Woe's scene, world's shame, grave's due by life +usurped, +Brief abstract and record of tedious days, +Rest thy unrest on England's lawful earth, +Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH, [as they both sit down] +Ah, that thou wouldst as soon afford a grave +As thou canst yield a melancholy seat, +Then would I hide my bones, not rest them here. +Ah, who hath any cause to mourn but we? + +QUEEN MARGARET, [coming forward] +If ancient sorrow be most reverend, +Give mine the benefit of seigniory, +And let my griefs frown on the upper hand. +If sorrow can admit society, +Tell over your woes again by viewing mine. +I had an Edward till a Richard killed him; +I had a husband till a Richard killed him. +Thou hadst an Edward till a Richard killed him; +Thou hadst a Richard till a Richard killed him. + +DUCHESS +I had a Richard too, and thou did'st kill him; +I had a Rutland too; thou holp'st to kill him. + +QUEEN MARGARET +Thou hadst a Clarence too, and Richard killed him. +From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept +A hellhound that doth hunt us all to death-- +That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes, +To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood; +That excellent grand tyrant of the Earth, +That reigns in galled eyes of weeping souls; +That foul defacer of God's handiwork +Thy womb let loose to chase us to our graves. +O upright, just, and true-disposing God, +How do I thank thee that this carnal cur +Preys on the issue of his mother's body +And makes her pew-fellow with others' moan! + +DUCHESS, [standing] +O Harry's wife, triumph not in my woes! +God witness with me, I have wept for thine. + +QUEEN MARGARET +Bear with me. I am hungry for revenge, +And now I cloy me with beholding it. +Thy Edward he is dead, that killed my Edward, +Thy other Edward dead, to quit my Edward; +Young York, he is but boot, because both they +Matched not the high perfection of my loss. +Thy Clarence he is dead that stabbed my Edward, +And the beholders of this frantic play, +Th' adulterate Hastings, Rivers, Vaughan, Grey, +Untimely smothered in their dusky graves. +Richard yet lives, hell's black intelligencer, +Only reserved their factor to buy souls +And send them thither. But at hand, at hand +Ensues his piteous and unpitied end. +Earth gapes, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray, +To have him suddenly conveyed from hence. +Cancel his bond of life, dear God I pray, +That I may live and say "The dog is dead." + +QUEEN ELIZABETH, [standing] +O, thou didst prophesy the time would come +That I should wish for thee to help me curse +That bottled spider, that foul bunch-backed toad! + +QUEEN MARGARET +I called thee then "vain flourish of my fortune." +I called thee then poor shadow, "painted queen," +The presentation of but what I was, +The flattering index of a direful pageant, +One heaved a-high to be hurled down below, +A mother only mocked with two fair babes, +A dream of what thou wast, a garish flag +To be the aim of every dangerous shot, +A sign of dignity, a breath, a bubble, +A queen in jest, only to fill the scene. +Where is thy husband now? Where be thy brothers? +Where are thy two sons? Wherein dost thou joy? +Who sues and kneels and says "God save the +Queen?" +Where be the bending peers that flattered thee? +Where be the thronging troops that followed thee? +Decline all this, and see what now thou art: +For happy wife, a most distressed widow; +For joyful mother, one that wails the name; +For one being sued to, one that humbly sues; +For queen, a very caitiff crowned with care; +For she that scorned at me, now scorned of me; +For she being feared of all, now fearing one; +For she commanding all, obeyed of none. +Thus hath the course of justice whirled about +And left thee but a very prey to time, +Having no more but thought of what thou wast +To torture thee the more, being what thou art. +Thou didst usurp my place, and dost thou not +Usurp the just proportion of my sorrow? +Now thy proud neck bears half my burdened yoke, +From which even here I slip my weary head +And leave the burden of it all on thee. +Farewell, York's wife, and queen of sad mischance. +These English woes shall make me smile in France. +[She begins to exit.] + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +O, thou well-skilled in curses, stay awhile, +And teach me how to curse mine enemies. + +QUEEN MARGARET +Forbear to sleep the nights, and fast the days; +Compare dead happiness with living woe; +Think that thy babes were sweeter than they were, +And he that slew them fouler than he is. +Bettering thy loss makes the bad causer worse. +Revolving this will teach thee how to curse. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +My words are dull. O, quicken them with thine! + +QUEEN MARGARET +Thy woes will make them sharp and pierce like +mine. [Margaret exits.] + +DUCHESS +Why should calamity be full of words? + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Windy attorneys to their clients' woes, +Airy succeeders of intestate joys, +Poor breathing orators of miseries, +Let them have scope; though what they will impart +Help nothing else, yet do they ease the heart. + +DUCHESS +If so, then be not tongue-tied. Go with me, +And in the breath of bitter words let's smother +My damned son that thy two sweet sons smothered. +[A trumpet sounds.] +[The trumpet sounds.] Be copious in exclaims. + + [Enter King Richard and his train, including Catesby.] + + +RICHARD +Who intercepts me in my expedition? + +DUCHESS +O, she that might have intercepted thee, +By strangling thee in her accursed womb, +From all the slaughters, wretch, that thou hast done. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH, [to Richard] +Hid'st thou that forehead with a golden crown +Where should be branded, if that right were right, +The slaughter of the prince that owed that crown +And the dire death of my poor sons and brothers? +Tell me, thou villain-slave, where are my children? + +DUCHESS, [to Richard] +Thou toad, thou toad, where is thy brother Clarence, +And little Ned Plantagenet his son? + +QUEEN ELIZABETH, [to Richard] +Where is the gentle Rivers, Vaughan, Grey? + +DUCHESS, [to Richard] Where is kind Hastings? + +RICHARD +A flourish, trumpets! Strike alarum, drums! +Let not the heavens hear these telltale women +Rail on the Lord's anointed. Strike, I say! +[Flourish. Alarums.] +Either be patient and entreat me fair, +Or with the clamorous report of war +Thus will I drown your exclamations. + +DUCHESS Art thou my son? + +RICHARD +Ay, I thank God, my father, and yourself. + +DUCHESS +Then patiently hear my impatience. + +RICHARD +Madam, I have a touch of your condition, +That cannot brook the accent of reproof. + +DUCHESS +O, let me speak! + +RICHARD Do then, but I'll not hear. + +DUCHESS +I will be mild and gentle in my words. + +RICHARD +And brief, good mother, for I am in haste. + +DUCHESS +Art thou so hasty? I have stayed for thee, +God knows, in torment and in agony. + +RICHARD +And came I not at last to comfort you? + +DUCHESS +No, by the Holy Rood, thou know'st it well. +Thou cam'st on Earth to make the Earth my hell. +A grievous burden was thy birth to me; +Tetchy and wayward was thy infancy; +Thy school days frightful, desp'rate, wild, and +furious; +Thy prime of manhood daring, bold, and venturous; +Thy age confirmed, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody, +More mild, but yet more harmful, kind in hatred. +What comfortable hour canst thou name, +That ever graced me with thy company? + +RICHARD +Faith, none but Humfrey Hower, that called your +Grace +To breakfast once, forth of my company. +If I be so disgracious in your eye, +Let me march on and not offend you, madam.-- +Strike up the drum. + +DUCHESS I prithee, hear me speak. + +RICHARD +You speak too bitterly. + +DUCHESS Hear me a word, +For I shall never speak to thee again. + +RICHARD So. + +DUCHESS +Either thou wilt die by God's just ordinance +Ere from this war thou turn a conqueror, +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 armor that thou wear'st. +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. +Shame serves thy life and doth thy death attend. +[She exits.] + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Though far more cause, yet much less spirit to +curse +Abides in me. I say amen to her. + +RICHARD +Stay, madam. I must talk a word with you. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +I have no more sons of the royal blood +For thee to slaughter. For my daughters, Richard, +They shall be praying nuns, not weeping queens, +And therefore level not to hit their lives. + +RICHARD +You have a daughter called Elizabeth, +Virtuous and fair, royal and gracious. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +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 unscarred of bleeding slaughter, +I will confess she was not Edward's daughter. + +RICHARD +Wrong not her birth. She is a royal princess. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +To save her life, I'll say she is not so. + +RICHARD +Her life is safest only in her birth. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +And only in that safety died her brothers. + +RICHARD +Lo, at their birth good stars were opposite. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +No, to their lives ill friends were contrary. + +RICHARD +All unavoided is the doom of destiny. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +True, when avoided grace makes destiny. +My babes were destined to a fairer death +If grace had blessed thee with a fairer life. + +RICHARD +You speak as if that I had slain my cousins. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Cousins, indeed, and by their uncle cozened +Of comfort, kingdom, kindred, freedom, life. +Whose hand soever launched their tender hearts, +Thy head, all indirectly, gave direction. +No doubt the murd'rous knife was dull and blunt +Till it was whetted on thy stone-hard heart, +To revel in the entrails of my lambs. +But that still use of grief makes wild grief tame, +My tongue should to thy ears not name my boys +Till that my nails were anchored in thine eyes, +And I, in such a desp'rate bay of death, +Like a poor bark of sails and tackling reft, +Rush all to pieces on thy rocky bosom. + +RICHARD +Madam, so thrive I in my enterprise +And dangerous success of bloody wars +As I intend more good to you and yours +Than ever you or yours by me were harmed! + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +What good is covered with the face of heaven, +To be discovered, that can do me good? + +RICHARD +Th' advancement of your children, gentle lady. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Up to some scaffold, there to lose their heads. + +RICHARD +Unto the dignity and height of fortune, +The high imperial type of this Earth's glory. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Flatter my sorrow with report of it. +Tell me what state, what dignity, what honor, +Canst thou demise to any child of mine? + +RICHARD +Even all I have--ay, and myself and all-- +Will I withal endow a child of thine; +So in the Lethe of thy angry soul +Thou drown the sad remembrance of those wrongs +Which thou supposest I have done to thee. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Be brief, lest that the process of thy kindness +Last longer telling than thy kindness' date. + +RICHARD +Then know that from my soul I love thy daughter. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +My daughter's mother thinks it with her soul. + +RICHARD What do you think? + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +That thou dost love my daughter from thy soul. +So from thy soul's love didst thou love her brothers, +And from my heart's love I do thank thee for it. + +RICHARD +Be not so hasty to confound my meaning. +I mean that with my soul I love thy daughter +And do intend to make her Queen of England. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Well then, who dost thou mean shall be her king? + +RICHARD +Even he that makes her queen. Who else should be? + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +What, thou? + +RICHARD Even so. How think you of it? + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +How canst thou woo her? + +RICHARD That would I learn of you, +As one being best acquainted with her humor. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH And wilt thou learn of me? + +RICHARD Madam, with all my heart. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Send to her, by the man that slew her brothers, +A pair of bleeding hearts; thereon engrave +"Edward" and "York." Then haply will she weep. +Therefore present to her--as sometime Margaret +Did to thy father, steeped in Rutland's blood-- +A handkerchief, which say to her did drain +The purple sap from her sweet brother's body, +And bid her wipe her weeping eyes withal. +If this inducement move her not to love, +Send her a letter of thy noble deeds; +Tell her thou mad'st away her uncle Clarence, +Her uncle Rivers, ay, and for her sake +Mad'st quick conveyance with her good aunt Anne. + +RICHARD +You mock me, madam. This is not the way +To win your daughter. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH There is no other way, +Unless thou couldst put on some other shape +And not be Richard, that hath done all this. + +RICHARD +Say that I did all this for love of her. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Nay, then indeed she cannot choose but hate thee, +Having bought love with such a bloody spoil. + +RICHARD +Look what is done cannot be now amended. +Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes, +Which after-hours gives leisure to repent. +If I did take the kingdom from your sons, +To make amends I'll give it to your daughter. +If I have killed the issue of your womb, +To quicken your increase I will beget +Mine issue of your blood upon your daughter. +A grandam's name is little less in love +Than is the doting title of a mother. +They are as children but one step below, +Even of your metal, of your very blood, +Of all one pain, save for a night of groans +Endured of her for whom you bid like sorrow. +Your children were vexation to your youth, +But mine shall be a comfort to your age. +The loss you have is but a son being king, +And by that loss your daughter is made queen. +I cannot make you what amends I would; +Therefore accept such kindness as I can. +Dorset your son, that with a fearful soul +Leads discontented steps in foreign soil, +This fair alliance quickly shall call home +To high promotions and great dignity. +The king that calls your beauteous daughter wife +Familiarly shall call thy Dorset brother. +Again shall you be mother to a king, +And all the ruins of distressful times +Repaired with double riches of content. +What, we have many goodly days to see! +The liquid drops of tears that you have shed +Shall come again, transformed to orient pearl, +Advantaging their love with interest +Of ten times double gain of happiness. +Go then, my mother; to thy daughter go. +Make bold her bashful years with your experience; +Prepare her ears to hear a wooer's tale; +Put in her tender heart th' aspiring flame +Of golden sovereignty; acquaint the Princess +With the sweet silent hours of marriage joys; +And when this arm of mine hath chastised +The petty rebel, dull-brained Buckingham, +Bound with triumphant garlands will I come +And lead thy daughter to a conqueror's bed, +To whom I will retail my conquest won, +And she shall be sole victoress, Caesar's Caesar. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +What were I best to say? Her father's brother +Would be her lord? Or shall I say her uncle? +Or he that slew her brothers and her uncles? +Under what title shall I woo for thee, +That God, the law, my honor, and her love +Can make seem pleasing to her tender years? + +RICHARD +Infer fair England's peace by this alliance. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Which she shall purchase with still-lasting war. + +RICHARD +Tell her the King, that may command, entreats-- + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +That, at her hands, which the King's King forbids. + +RICHARD +Say she shall be a high and mighty queen. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +To vail the title, as her mother doth. + +RICHARD +Say I will love her everlastingly. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +But how long shall that title "ever" last? + +RICHARD +Sweetly in force unto her fair life's end. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +But how long fairly shall her sweet life last? + +RICHARD +As long as heaven and nature lengthens it. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +As long as hell and Richard likes of it. + +RICHARD +Say I, her sovereign, am her subject low. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +But she, your subject, loathes such sovereignty. + +RICHARD +Be eloquent in my behalf to her. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +An honest tale speeds best being plainly told. + +RICHARD +Then plainly to her tell my loving tale. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Plain and not honest is too harsh a style. + +RICHARD +Your reasons are too shallow and too quick. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +O no, my reasons are too deep and dead-- +Too deep and dead, poor infants, in their graves. + +RICHARD +Harp not on that string, madam; that is past. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Harp on it still shall I till heart-strings break. + +RICHARD +Now by my George, my Garter, and my crown-- + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Profaned, dishonored, and the third usurped. + +RICHARD +I swear-- + +QUEEN ELIZABETH By nothing, for this is no oath. +Thy George, profaned, hath lost his lordly honor; +Thy Garter, blemished, pawned his knightly virtue; +Thy crown, usurped, disgraced his kingly glory. +If something thou wouldst swear to be believed, +Swear then by something that thou hast not +wronged. + +RICHARD +Then, by myself-- + +QUEEN ELIZABETH Thyself is self-misused. + +RICHARD +Now, by the world-- + +QUEEN ELIZABETH 'Tis full of thy foul wrongs. + +RICHARD +My father's death-- + +QUEEN ELIZABETH Thy life hath it dishonored. + +RICHARD +Why then, by God. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH God's wrong is most of all. +If thou didst fear to break an oath with Him, +The unity the King my husband made +Thou hadst not broken, nor my brothers died. +If thou hadst feared to break an oath by Him, +Th' imperial metal circling now thy head +Had graced the tender temples of my child, +And both the Princes had been breathing here, +Which now, two tender bedfellows for dust, +Thy broken faith hath made the prey for worms. +What canst thou swear by now? + +RICHARD The time to come. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +That thou hast wronged in the time o'erpast; +For I myself have many tears to wash +Hereafter time, for time past wronged by thee. +The children live whose fathers thou hast +slaughtered, +Ungoverned youth, to wail it in their age; +The parents live whose children thou hast +butchered, +Old barren plants, to wail it with their age. +Swear not by time to come, for that thou hast +Misused ere used, by times ill-used o'erpast. + +RICHARD +As I intend to prosper and repent, +So thrive I in my dangerous affairs +Of hostile arms! Myself myself confound, +Heaven and fortune bar me happy hours, +Day, yield me not thy light, nor night thy rest, +Be opposite all planets of good luck +To my proceeding if, with dear heart's love, +Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts, +I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter. +In her consists my happiness and thine. +Without her follows to myself and thee, +Herself, the land, and many a Christian soul, +Death, desolation, ruin, and decay. +It cannot be avoided but by this; +It will not be avoided but by this. +Therefore, dear mother--I must call you so-- +Be the attorney of my love to her; +Plead what I will be, not what I have been; +Not my deserts, but what I will deserve. +Urge the necessity and state of times, +And be not peevish found in great designs. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Shall I be tempted of the devil thus? + +RICHARD +Ay, if the devil tempt you to do good. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Shall I forget myself to be myself? + +RICHARD +Ay, if your self's remembrance wrong yourself. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH Yet thou didst kill my children. + +RICHARD +But in your daughter's womb I bury them, +Where, in that nest of spicery, they will breed +Selves of themselves, to your recomforture. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH +Shall I go win my daughter to thy will? + +RICHARD +And be a happy mother by the deed. + +QUEEN ELIZABETH I go. Write to me very shortly, +And you shall understand from me her mind. + +RICHARD +Bear her my true love's kiss; and so, farewell. +[Queen exits.] +Relenting fool and shallow, changing woman! + +[Enter Ratcliffe.] + +How now, what news? + +RATCLIFFE +Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast +Rideth a puissant navy. To our shores +Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends, +Unarmed and unresolved to beat them back. +'Tis thought that Richmond is their admiral; +And there they hull, expecting but the aid +Of Buckingham to welcome them ashore. + +RICHARD +Some light-foot friend post to the Duke of +Norfolk-- +Ratcliffe thyself, or Catesby. Where is he? + +CATESBY +Here, my good lord. + +RICHARD Catesby, fly to the Duke. + +CATESBY +I will, my lord, with all convenient haste. + +RICHARD +Ratcliffe, come hither. Post to Salisbury.When thou com'st thither--[To Catesby.] Dull, +unmindful villain, +Why stay'st thou here and go'st not to the Duke? + +CATESBY +First, mighty liege, tell me your Highness' pleasure, +What from your Grace I shall deliver to him. + +RICHARD +O true, good Catesby. Bid him levy straight +The greatest strength and power that he can make +And meet me suddenly at Salisbury. + +CATESBY I go. [He exits.] + +RATCLIFFE +What, may it please you, shall I do at Salisbury? + +RICHARD +Why, what wouldst thou do there before I go? + +RATCLIFFE +Your Highness told me I should post before. + +RICHARD +My mind is changed. + +[Enter Lord Stanley.] + +Stanley, what news with you? + +STANLEY +None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing, +Nor none so bad but well may be reported. + +RICHARD +Hoyday, a riddle! Neither good nor bad. +What need'st thou run so many miles about +When thou mayst tell thy tale the nearest way? +Once more, what news? + +STANLEY Richmond is on the seas. + +RICHARD +There let him sink, and be the seas on him! +White-livered runagate, what doth he there? + +STANLEY +I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess. + +RICHARD Well, as you guess? + +STANLEY +Stirred up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton, +He makes for England, here to claim the crown. + +RICHARD +Is the chair empty? Is the sword unswayed? +Is the King dead, the empire unpossessed? +What heir of York is there alive but we? +And who is England's king but great York's heir? +Then tell me, what makes he upon the seas? + +STANLEY +Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess. + +RICHARD +Unless for that he comes to be your liege, +You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes. +Thou wilt revolt and fly to him, I fear. + +STANLEY +No, my good lord. Therefore mistrust me not. + +RICHARD +Where is thy power, then, to beat him back? +Where be thy tenants and thy followers? +Are they not now upon the western shore, +Safe-conducting the rebels from their ships? + +STANLEY +No, my good lord. My friends are in the north. + +RICHARD +Cold friends to me. What do they in the north +When they should serve their sovereign in the west? + +STANLEY +They have not been commanded, mighty king. +Pleaseth your Majesty to give me leave, +I'll muster up my friends and meet your Grace +Where and what time your Majesty shall please. + +RICHARD +Ay, thou wouldst be gone to join with Richmond, +But I'll not trust thee. + +STANLEY Most mighty sovereign, +You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful. +I never was nor never will be false. + +RICHARD +Go then and muster men, but leave behind +Your son George Stanley. Look your heart be firm, +Or else his head's assurance is but frail. + +STANLEY +So deal with him as I prove true to you. +[Stanley exits.] + +[Enter a Messenger.] + + +FIRST MESSENGER +My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire, +As I by friends am well advertised, +Sir Edward Courtney and the haughty prelate, +Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother, +With many more confederates are in arms. + +[Enter another Messenger.] + + +SECOND MESSENGER +In Kent, my liege, the Guilfords are in arms, +And every hour more competitors +Flock to the rebels, and their power grows strong. + +[Enter another Messenger.] + + +THIRD MESSENGER +My lord, the army of great Buckingham-- + +RICHARD +Out on you, owls! Nothing but songs of death. +[He striketh him.] +There, take thou that till thou bring better news. + +THIRD MESSENGER +The news I have to tell your Majesty +Is that by sudden floods and fall of waters +Buckingham's army is dispersed and scattered, +And he himself wandered away alone, +No man knows whither. + +RICHARD I cry thee mercy. +There is my purse to cure that blow of thine. +[He gives money.] +Hath any well-advised friend proclaimed +Reward to him that brings the traitor in? + +THIRD MESSENGER +Such proclamation hath been made, my lord. + +[Enter another Messenger.] + + +FOURTH MESSENGER +Sir Thomas Lovell and Lord Marquess Dorset, +'Tis said, my liege, in Yorkshire are in arms. +But this good comfort bring I to your Highness: +The Breton navy is dispersed by tempest. +Richmond, in Dorsetshire, sent out a boat +Unto the shore to ask those on the banks +If they were his assistants, yea, or no-- +Who answered him they came from Buckingham +Upon his party. He, mistrusting them, +Hoised sail and made his course again for Brittany. + +RICHARD +March on, march on, since we are up in arms, +If not to fight with foreign enemies, +Yet to beat down these rebels here at home. + +[Enter Catesby.] + + +CATESBY +My liege, the Duke of Buckingham is taken. +That is the best news. That the Earl of Richmond +Is with a mighty power landed at Milford +Is colder tidings, yet they must be told. + +RICHARD +Away towards Salisbury! While we reason here, +A royal battle might be won and lost. +Someone take order Buckingham be brought +To Salisbury. The rest march on with me. +[Flourish. They exit.] + +Scene 5 +======= +[Enter Stanley, Earl of Derby, and Sir Christopher.] + + +STANLEY +Sir Christopher, tell Richmond this from me: +That in the sty of the most deadly boar +My son George Stanley is franked up in hold; +If I revolt, off goes young George's head; +The fear of that holds off my present aid. +So get thee gone. Commend me to thy lord. +Withal, say that the Queen hath heartily consented +He should espouse Elizabeth her daughter. +But tell me, where is princely Richmond now? + +CHRISTOPHER +At Pembroke, or at Ha'rfordwest in Wales. + +STANLEY What men of name resort to him? + +CHRISTOPHER +Sir Walter Herbert, a renowned soldier; +Sir Gilbert Talbot, Sir William Stanley, +Oxford, redoubted Pembroke, Sir James Blunt, +And Rice ap Thomas, with a valiant crew, +And many other of great name and worth; +And towards London do they bend their power, +If by the way they be not fought withal. + +STANLEY, [giving Sir Christopher a paper] +Well, hie thee to thy lord. I kiss his hand. +My letter will resolve him of my mind. +Farewell. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 5 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Buckingham, with Sheriff and Halberds, led to +execution.] + + +BUCKINGHAM +Will not King Richard let me speak with him? + +SHERIFF +No, my good lord. Therefore be patient. + +BUCKINGHAM +Hastings and Edward's children, Grey and Rivers, +Holy King Henry and thy fair son Edward, +Vaughan, and all that have miscarried +By underhand, corrupted, foul injustice, +If that your moody, discontented souls +Do through the clouds behold this present hour, +Even for revenge mock my destruction.-- +This is All Souls' Day, fellow, is it not? + +SHERIFF It is. + +BUCKINGHAM +Why, then, All Souls' Day is my body's doomsday. +This is the day which, in King Edward's time, +I wished might fall on me when I was found +False to his children and his wife's allies. +This is the day wherein I wished to fall +By the false faith of him whom most I trusted. +This, this All Souls' Day to my fearful soul +Is the determined respite of my wrongs. +That high All-seer which I dallied with +Hath turned my feigned prayer on my head +And given in earnest what I begged in jest. +Thus doth he force the swords of wicked men +To turn their own points in their masters' bosoms. +Thus Margaret's curse falls heavy on my neck: +"When he," quoth she, "shall split thy heart with +sorrow, +Remember Margaret was a prophetess."-- +Come, lead me, officers, to the block of shame. +Wrong hath but wrong, and blame the due of blame. +[Buckingham exits with Officers.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Richmond, Oxford, Blunt, Herbert, and others, +with Drum and Colors.] + + +RICHMOND +Fellows in arms, and my most loving friends, +Bruised underneath the yoke of tyranny, +Thus far into the bowels of the land +Have we marched on without impediment, +And here receive we from our father Stanley +Lines of fair comfort and encouragement. +The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar, +That spoiled your summer fields and fruitful vines, +Swills your warm blood like wash, and makes his +trough +In your embowelled bosoms--this foul swine +Is now even in the center of this isle, +Near to the town of Leicester, as we learn. +From Tamworth thither is but one day's march. +In God's name, cheerly on, courageous friends, +To reap the harvest of perpetual peace +By this one bloody trial of sharp war. + +OXFORD +Every man's conscience is a thousand men +To fight against this guilty homicide. + +HERBERT +I doubt not but his friends will turn to us. + +BLUNT +He hath no friends but what are friends for fear, +Which in his dearest need will fly from him. + +RICHMOND +All for our vantage. Then, in God's name, march. +True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings; +Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings. +[All exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter King Richard, in arms, with Norfolk, Ratcliffe, and +the Earl of Surrey, with Soldiers.] + + +RICHARD +Here pitch our tent, even here in Bosworth field. +[Soldiers begin to pitch the tent.] +My lord of Surrey, why look you so sad? + +SURREY +My heart is ten times lighter than my looks. + +RICHARD +My lord of Norfolk-- + +NORFOLK Here, most gracious liege. + +RICHARD +Norfolk, we must have knocks, ha, must we not? + +NORFOLK +We must both give and take, my loving lord. + +RICHARD +Up with my tent!--Here will I lie tonight. +But where tomorrow? Well, all's one for that. +Who hath descried the number of the traitors? + +NORFOLK +Six or seven thousand is their utmost power. + +RICHARD +Why, our battalia trebles that account. +Besides, the King's name is a tower of strength +Which they upon the adverse faction want.-- +Up with the tent!--Come, noble gentlemen, +Let us survey the vantage of the ground. +Call for some men of sound direction; +Let's lack no discipline, make no delay, +For, lords, tomorrow is a busy day. +[The tent now in place, they exit.] + +[Enter Richmond, Sir William Brandon, Oxford, +Dorset, Herbert, Blunt, and others who set up +Richmond's tent.] + + +RICHMOND +The weary sun hath made a golden set, +And by the bright track of his fiery car +Gives token of a goodly day tomorrow.-- +Sir William Brandon, you shall bear my standard.-- +Give me some ink and paper in my tent; +I'll draw the form and model of our battle, +Limit each leader to his several charge, +And part in just proportion our small power.-- +My Lord of Oxford, you, Sir William Brandon, +And you, Sir Walter Herbert, stay with me. +The Earl of Pembroke keeps his regiment.-- +Good Captain Blunt, bear my goodnight to him, +And by the second hour in the morning +Desire the Earl to see me in my tent. +Yet one thing more, good captain, do for me. +Where is Lord Stanley quartered, do you know? + +BLUNT +Unless I have mista'en his colors much, +Which well I am assured I have not done, +His regiment lies half a mile, at least, +South from the mighty power of the King. + +RICHMOND +If without peril it be possible, +Sweet Blunt, make some good means to speak with +him, +And give him from me this most needful note. +[He gives a paper.] + +BLUNT +Upon my life, my lord, I'll undertake it, +And so God give you quiet rest tonight. + +RICHMOND +Good night, good Captain Blunt. [Blunt exits.] +Come, gentlemen, +Let us consult upon tomorrow's business. +Into my tent. The dew is raw and cold. +[Richmond, Brandon, Dorset, Herbert, and Oxford +withdraw into the tent. The others exit.] + +[Enter to his tent Richard, Ratcliffe, Norfolk, and +Catesby, with Soldiers.] + + +RICHARD What is 't o'clock? + +CATESBY +It's suppertime, my lord. It's nine o'clock. + +RICHARD +I will not sup tonight. Give me some ink and paper. +What, is my beaver easier than it was, +And all my armor laid into my tent? + +CATESBY +It is, my liege, and all things are in readiness. + +RICHARD +Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge. +Use careful watch. Choose trusty sentinels. + +NORFOLK I go, my lord. + +RICHARD +Stir with the lark tomorrow, gentle Norfolk. + +NORFOLK I warrant you, my lord. [He exits.] + +RICHARD Catesby. + +CATESBY My lord. + +RICHARD Send out a pursuivant-at-arms +To Stanley's regiment. Bid him bring his power +Before sunrising, lest his son George fall +Into the blind cave of eternal night. [Catesby exits.] +[To Soldiers.] Fill me a bowl of wine. Give me a +watch. +Saddle white Surrey for the field tomorrow. +Look that my staves be sound and not too heavy.-- +Ratcliffe. + +RATCLIFFE My lord. + +RICHARD +Sawst thou the melancholy Lord Northumberland? + +RATCLIFFE +Thomas the Earl of Surrey and himself, +Much about cockshut time, from troop to troop +Went through the army cheering up the soldiers. + +RICHARD +So, I am satisfied. Give me a bowl of wine. +I have not that alacrity of spirit +Nor cheer of mind that I was wont to have. +[Wine is brought.] +Set it down. Is ink and paper ready? + +RATCLIFFE +It is, my lord. + +RICHARD Bid my guard watch. Leave me. +Ratcliffe, about the mid of night come to my tent +And help to arm me. Leave me, I say. +[Ratcliffe exits. Richard sleeps in his tent, +which is guarded by Soldiers.] + +[Enter Stanley, Earl of Derby to Richmond in his tent.] + + +STANLEY +Fortune and victory sit on thy helm! + +RICHMOND +All comfort that the dark night can afford +Be to thy person, noble father-in-law. +Tell me, how fares our loving mother? + +STANLEY +I, by attorney, bless thee from thy mother, +Who prays continually for Richmond's good. +So much for that. The silent hours steal on, +And flaky darkness breaks within the east. +In brief, for so the season bids us be, +Prepare thy battle early in the morning, +And put thy fortune to the arbitrament +Of bloody strokes and mortal-staring war. +I, as I may--that which I would I cannot-- +With best advantage will deceive the time +And aid thee in this doubtful shock of arms. +But on thy side I may not be too forward, +Lest, being seen, thy brother, tender George, +Be executed in his father's sight. +Farewell. The leisure and the fearful time +Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love +And ample interchange of sweet discourse, +Which so-long-sundered friends should dwell upon. +God give us leisure for these rites of love! +Once more, adieu. Be valiant and speed well. + +RICHMOND +Good lords, conduct him to his regiment. +I'll strive with troubled thoughts to take a nap, +Lest leaden slumber peise me down tomorrow +When I should mount with wings of victory. +Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen. + +[All but Richmond leave his tent and exit.] +[Richmond kneels.] +O Thou, whose captain I account myself, +Look on my forces with a gracious eye. +Put in their hands Thy bruising irons of wrath, +That they may crush down with a heavy fall +The usurping helmets of our adversaries. +Make us Thy ministers of chastisement, +That we may praise Thee in the victory. +To Thee I do commend my watchful soul, +Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes. +Sleeping and waking, O, defend me still! [Sleeps.] + +[Enter the Ghost of young Prince Edward, son to Harry +the Sixth.] + + +GHOST OF EDWARD, [to Richard] +Let me sit heavy on thy soul tomorrow. +Think how thou stabbed'st me in my prime of +youth +At Tewkesbury. Despair therefore, and die! +[(To Richmond.)] Be cheerful, Richmond, for the +wronged souls +Of butchered princes fight in thy behalf. +King Henry's issue, Richmond, comforts thee. +[He exits.] + +[Enter the Ghost of Henry the Sixth.] + + +GHOST OF HENRY, [to Richard] +When I was mortal, my anointed body +By thee was punched full of deadly holes. +Think on the Tower and me. Despair and die! +Harry the Sixth bids thee despair and die. +[(To Richmond.)] Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror. +Harry, that prophesied thou shouldst be king, +Doth comfort thee in thy sleep. Live and flourish. +[He exits.] + +[Enter the Ghost of Clarence.] + + +GHOST OF CLARENCE, [to Richard] +Let me sit heavy in thy soul tomorrow, +I, that was washed to death with fulsome wine, +Poor Clarence, by thy guile betrayed to death. +Tomorrow in the battle think on me, +And fall thy edgeless sword. Despair and die! +[(To Richmond.)] Thou offspring of the house of +Lancaster, +The wronged heirs of York do pray for thee. +Good angels guard thy battle. Live and flourish. +[He exits.] + +[Enter the Ghosts of Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan.] + + +GHOST OF RIVERS, [to Richard] +Let me sit heavy in thy soul tomorrow, +Rivers, that died at Pomfret. Despair and die! + +GHOST OF GREY, [to Richard] +Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair! + +GHOST OF VAUGHAN, [to Richard] +Think upon Vaughan, and with guilty fear +Let fall thy lance. Despair and die! + +ALL, [to Richmond] +Awake, and think our wrongs in Richard's bosom +Will conquer him. Awake, and win the day. +[They exit.] + +[Enter the Ghosts of the two young Princes.] + + +GHOSTS OF PRINCES, [to Richard] +Dream on thy cousins smothered in the Tower. +Let us be lead within thy bosom, Richard, +And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death. +Thy nephews' souls bid thee despair and die. +[(To Richmond.)] Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace +and wake in joy. +Good angels guard thee from the boar's annoy. +Live, and beget a happy race of kings. +Edward's unhappy sons do bid thee flourish. +[They exit.] + +[Enter the Ghost of Hastings.] + + +GHOST OF HASTINGS, [to Richard] +Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake, +And in a bloody battle end thy days. +Think on Lord Hastings. Despair and die! +[(To Richmond.)] Quiet, untroubled soul, awake, awake. +Arm, fight, and conquer for fair England's sake. +[He exits.] + +[Enter the Ghost of Lady Anne his wife.] + + +GHOST OF ANNE, [to Richard] +Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife, +That never slept a quiet hour with thee, +Now fills thy sleep with perturbations. +Tomorrow, in the battle, think on me, +And fall thy edgeless sword. Despair and die! +[(To Richmond.)] Thou quiet soul, sleep thou a quiet +sleep. +Dream of success and happy victory. +Thy adversary's wife doth pray for thee. [She exits.] + +[Enter the Ghost of Buckingham.] + + +GHOST OF BUCKINGHAM, [to Richard] +The first was I that helped thee to the crown; +The last was I that felt thy tyranny. +O, in the battle think on Buckingham, +And die in terror of thy guiltiness. +Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death. +Fainting, despair; despairing, yield thy breath. +[(To Richmond.)] I died for hope ere I could lend +thee aid, +But cheer thy heart, and be thou not dismayed. +God and good angels fight on Richmond's side, +And Richard fall in height of all his pride. +[He exits.] +[Richard starteth up out of a dream.] + +RICHARD +Give me another horse! Bind up my wounds! +Have mercy, Jesu!--Soft, I did but dream. +O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me! +The lights burn blue; it is now dead midnight. +Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh. +What do I fear? Myself? There's none else by. +Richard loves Richard, that is, I am I. +Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am. +Then fly! What, from myself? Great reason why: +Lest I revenge. What, myself upon myself? +Alack, I love myself. Wherefore? For any good +That I myself have done unto myself? +O, no. Alas, I rather hate myself +For hateful deeds committed by myself. +I am a villain. Yet I lie; I am not. +Fool, of thyself speak well. Fool, do not flatter. +My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, +And every tongue brings in a several tale, +And every tale condemns me for a villain. +Perjury, perjury, in the highest degree; +Murder, stern murder, in the direst degree; +All several sins, all used in each degree, +Throng to the bar, crying all "Guilty, guilty!" +I shall despair. There is no creature loves me, +And if I die no soul will pity me. +And wherefore should they, since that I myself +Find in myself no pity to myself? +Methought the souls of all that I had murdered +Came to my tent, and every one did threat +Tomorrow's vengeance on the head of Richard. + +[Enter Ratcliffe.] + + +RATCLIFFE My lord. + +RICHARD Zounds, who is there? + +RATCLIFFE +Ratcliffe, my lord, 'tis I. The early village cock +Hath twice done salutation to the morn. +Your friends are up and buckle on their armor. + +RICHARD +O Ratcliffe, I have dreamed a fearful dream! +What think'st thou, will our friends prove all true? + +RATCLIFFE +No doubt, my lord. + +RICHARD O Ratcliffe, I fear, I fear. + +RATCLIFFE +Nay, good my lord, be not afraid of shadows. + +RICHARD +By the apostle Paul, shadows tonight +Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard +Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers +Armed in proof and led by shallow Richmond. +'Tis not yet near day. Come, go with me. +Under our tents I'll play the eavesdropper +To see if any mean to shrink from me. +[Richard and Ratcliffe exit.] + +[Enter the Lords to Richmond, in his tent.] + + +LORDS Good morrow, Richmond. + +RICHMOND +Cry mercy, lords and watchful gentlemen, +That you have ta'en a tardy sluggard here. + +A LORD How have you slept, my lord? + +RICHMOND +The sweetest sleep and fairest-boding dreams +That ever entered in a drowsy head +Have I since your departure had, my lords. +Methought their souls whose bodies Richard +murdered +Came to my tent and cried on victory. +I promise you, my soul is very jocund +In the remembrance of so fair a dream. +How far into the morning is it, lords? + +A LORD Upon the stroke of four. + +RICHMOND, [leaving the tent] +Why, then 'tis time to arm and give direction. + +His oration to his soldiers. + +More than I have said, loving countrymen, +The leisure and enforcement of the time +Forbids to dwell upon. Yet remember this: +God, and our good cause, fight upon our side. +The prayers of holy saints and wronged souls, +Like high-reared bulwarks, stand before our faces. +Richard except, those whom we fight against +Had rather have us win than him they follow. +For what is he they follow? Truly, gentlemen, +A bloody tyrant and a homicide; +One raised in blood, and one in blood established; +One that made means to come by what he hath, +And slaughtered those that were the means to help +him; +A base foul stone, made precious by the foil +Of England's chair, where he is falsely set; +One that hath ever been God's enemy. +Then if you fight against God's enemy, +God will, in justice, ward you as his soldiers. +If you do sweat to put a tyrant down, +You sleep in peace, the tyrant being slain. +If you do fight against your country's foes, +Your country's fat shall pay your pains the hire. +If you do fight in safeguard of your wives, +Your wives shall welcome home the conquerors. +If you do free your children from the sword, +Your children's children quits it in your age. +Then, in the name of God and all these rights, +Advance your standards; draw your willing swords. +For me, the ransom of my bold attempt +Shall be this cold corpse on the Earth's cold face, +But if I thrive, the gain of my attempt +The least of you shall share his part thereof. +Sound drums and trumpets boldly and cheerfully. +God, and Saint George, Richmond, and victory! +[They exit.] + +[Enter King Richard, Ratcliffe, and Soldiers.] + + +RICHARD +What said Northumberland as touching Richmond? + +RATCLIFFE +That he was never trained up in arms. + +RICHARD +He said the truth. And what said Surrey then? + +RATCLIFFE +He smiled and said "The better for our purpose." + +RICHARD +He was in the right, and so indeed it is. +[The clock striketh.] +Tell the clock there. Give me a calendar. +[He looks in an almanac.] +Who saw the sun today? + +RATCLIFFE Not I, my lord. + +RICHARD +Then he disdains to shine, for by the book +He should have braved the east an hour ago. +A black day will it be to somebody. +Ratcliffe! + +RATCLIFFE +My lord. + +RICHARD The sun will not be seen today. +The sky doth frown and lour upon our army. +I would these dewy tears were from the ground. +Not shine today? Why, what is that to me +More than to Richmond, for the selfsame heaven +That frowns on me looks sadly upon him. + +[Enter Norfolk.] + + +NORFOLK +Arm, arm, my lord. The foe vaunts in the field. + +RICHARD +Come, bustle, bustle. Caparison my horse.-- +Call up Lord Stanley; bid him bring his power.-- +I will lead forth my soldiers to the plain, +And thus my battle shall be ordered: +My foreward shall be drawn out all in length, +Consisting equally of horse and foot; +Our archers shall be placed in the midst. +John Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Earl of Surrey, +Shall have the leading of this foot and horse. +They thus directed, we will follow +In the main battle, whose puissance on either side +Shall be well winged with our chiefest horse. +This, and Saint George to boot!--What think'st +thou, Norfolk? + +NORFOLK +A good direction, warlike sovereign. +[He sheweth him a paper.] +This found I on my tent this morning. + +RICHARD [reads] + Jockey of Norfolk, be not so bold. + For Dickon thy master is bought and sold. +A thing devised by the enemy.-- +Go, gentlemen, every man unto his charge. +Let not our babbling dreams affright our souls. +Conscience is but a word that cowards use, +Devised at first to keep the strong in awe. +Our strong arms be our conscience, swords our law. +March on. Join bravely. Let us to it pell mell, +If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell. + +His oration to his army. + +What shall I say more than I have inferred? +Remember whom you are to cope withal, +A sort of vagabonds, rascals, and runaways, +A scum of Bretons and base lackey peasants, +Whom their o'ercloyed country vomits forth +To desperate adventures and assured destruction. +You sleeping safe, they bring to you unrest; +You having lands and blessed with beauteous wives, +They would restrain the one, distain the other. +And who doth lead them but a paltry fellow, +Long kept in Brittany at our mother's cost, +A milksop, one that never in his life +Felt so much cold as overshoes in snow? +Let's whip these stragglers o'er the seas again, +Lash hence these overweening rags of France, +These famished beggars weary of their lives, +Who, but for dreaming on this fond exploit, +For want of means, poor rats, had hanged +themselves. +If we be conquered, let men conquer us, +And not these bastard Bretons, whom our fathers +Have in their own land beaten, bobbed, and +thumped, +And in record left them the heirs of shame. +Shall these enjoy our lands, lie with our wives, +Ravish our daughters? [Drum afar off.] +Hark, I hear their drum. +Fight, gentlemen of England.--Fight, bold +yeomen.-- +Draw, archers; draw your arrows to the head.-- +Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood. +Amaze the welkin with your broken staves.-- + +[Enter a Messenger.] + +What says Lord Stanley? Will he bring his power? + +MESSENGER My lord, he doth deny to come. + +RICHARD Off with his son George's head! + +NORFOLK +My lord, the enemy is past the marsh. +After the battle let George Stanley die. + +RICHARD +A thousand hearts are great within my bosom. +Advance our standards. Set upon our foes. +Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George, +Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons. +Upon them! Victory sits on our helms. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Alarum. Excursions. Enter Norfolk, with Soldiers, and +Catesby.] + + +CATESBY +Rescue, my lord of Norfolk, rescue, rescue! +The King enacts more wonders than a man, +Daring an opposite to every danger. +His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights, +Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death. +Rescue, fair lord, or else the day is lost. +[Norfolk exits with Soldiers.] + +[Alarums. Enter Richard.] + + +RICHARD +A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse! + +CATESBY +Withdraw, my lord. I'll help you to a horse. + +RICHARD +Slave, I have set my life upon a cast, +And I will stand the hazard of the die. +I think there be six Richmonds in the field; +Five have I slain today instead of him. +A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse! +[They exit.] + +Scene 5 +======= +[Alarum. Enter Richard and Richmond. They fight. +Richard is slain. Then retreat being sounded, Richmond +exits, and Richard's body is removed. Flourish. Enter +Richmond, Stanley, Earl of Derby, bearing the crown, +with other Lords, and Soldiers.] + + +RICHMOND +God and your arms be praised, victorious friends! +The day is ours; the bloody dog is dead. + +STANLEY, [offering him the crown] +Courageous Richmond, well hast thou acquit thee. +Lo, here this long-usurped royalty +From the dead temples of this bloody wretch +Have I plucked off, to grace thy brows withal. +Wear it, enjoy it, and make much of it. + +RICHMOND +Great God of heaven, say amen to all! +But tell me, is young George Stanley living? + +STANLEY +He is, my lord, and safe in Leicester town, +Whither, if it please you, we may now withdraw us. + +RICHMOND +What men of name are slain on either side? + +STANLEY +John, Duke of Norfolk, Walter, Lord Ferrers, +Sir Robert Brakenbury, and Sir William Brandon. + +RICHMOND +Inter their bodies as becomes their births. +Proclaim a pardon to the soldiers fled +That in submission will return to us. +And then, as we have ta'en the sacrament, +We will unite the white rose and the red; +Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction, +That long have frowned upon their enmity. +What traitor hears me and says not "Amen"? +England hath long been mad and scarred herself: +The brother blindly shed the brother's blood; +The father rashly slaughtered his own son; +The son, compelled, been butcher to the sire. +All this divided York and Lancaster, +Divided in their dire division. +O, now let Richmond and Elizabeth, +The true succeeders of each royal house, +By God's fair ordinance conjoin together, +And let their heirs, God, if Thy will be so, +Enrich the time to come with smooth-faced peace, +With smiling plenty and fair prosperous days. +Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord, +That would reduce these bloody days again +And make poor England weep in streams of blood. +Let them not live to taste this land's increase, +That would with treason wound this fair land's peace. +Now civil wounds are stopped, peace lives again. +That she may long live here, God say amen. +[They exit.] \ No newline at end of file