Richard III

1592–1593

William Shakespeare

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Title: Richard III (published 1593)
Author: William Shakespeare (died 1616)

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Summary

Richard III is a play by William Shakespeare. It was probably written c. 1592–1594. It is labelled a history in the First Folio, and is usually considered one, but it is sometimes called a tragedy, as in the quarto edition. Richard III concludes Shakespeare's first tetralogy (also containing Henry VI, Part 1, and Henry VI, Part 2, and Henry VI, Part 3) and depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of King Richard III of England.

Source: Wikipedia

Dramatis Personæ

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

Prince Edward

Richard, Duke of York

their sons

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

Lord Grey

Marquess of Dorset

sons of Queen Elizabeth by her former marriage

Sir Thomas Vaughan

Sir William Catesby

Sir Richard Ratcliffe

Lord Lovell

Duke of Norfolk

Earl of Surrey

Richard’s supporters

Earl of Richmond, Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII

Earl of Oxford

Sir James Blunt

Sir Walter Herbert

Sir William Brandon

Sir Christopher, a priest

Richmond’s supporters

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
line 0001Now is the winter of our discontent
line 0002Made glorious summer by this son of York,
line 0003And all the clouds that loured upon our house
line 0004In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
5line 0005Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths,
line 0006Our bruisèd arms hung up for monuments,
line 0007Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
line 0008Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
line 0009Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front;
10line 0010And now, instead of mounting barbèd steeds
line 0011To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,
line 0012He capers nimbly in a lady’s chamber
line 0013To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.
line 0014But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks,
15line 0015Nor made to court an amorous looking glass;
line 0016I, that am rudely stamped and want love’s majesty
line 0017To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
line 0018I, that am curtailed of this fair proportion,
line 0019Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
20line 0020Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time
line 0021Into this breathing world scarce half made up,
line 0022And that so lamely and unfashionable
line 0023That dogs bark at me as I halt by them—
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 11 line 0024Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
25line 0025Have no delight to pass away the time,
line 0026Unless to see my shadow in the sun
line 0027And descant on mine own deformity.
line 0028And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
line 0029To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
30line 0030I am determinèd to prove a villain
line 0031And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
line 0032Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
line 0033By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams,
line 0034To set my brother Clarence and the King
35line 0035In deadly hate, the one against the other;
line 0036And if King Edward be as true and just
line 0037As I am subtle, false, and treacherous,
line 0038This day should Clarence closely be mewed up
line 0039About a prophecy which says that “G”
40line 0040Of Edward’s heirs the murderer shall be.
line 0041Dive, thoughts, down to my soul. Here Clarence
line 0042comes.

Enter Clarence, guarded, and Brakenbury.

line 0043Brother, good day. What means this armèd guard
line 0044That waits upon your Grace?
45line 0045CLARENCEHis Majesty,
line 0046Tend’ring my person’s safety, hath appointed
line 0047This conduct to convey me to the Tower.
RICHARD
line 0048Upon what cause?
line 0049CLARENCEBecause my name is
50line 0050George.
RICHARD
line 0051Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours.
line 0052He should, for that, commit your godfathers.
line 0053O, belike his Majesty hath some intent
line 0054That you should be new christened in the Tower.
55line 0055But what’s the matter, Clarence? May I know?
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 13 CLARENCE
line 0056Yea, Richard, when I know, for I protest
line 0057As yet I do not. But, as I can learn,
line 0058He hearkens after prophecies and dreams,
line 0059And from the crossrow plucks the letter G,
60line 0060And says a wizard told him that by “G”
line 0061His issue disinherited should be.
line 0062And for my name of George begins with G,
line 0063It follows in his thought that I am he.
line 0064These, as I learn, and such like toys as these
65line 0065Hath moved his Highness to commit me now.
RICHARD
line 0066Why, this it is when men are ruled by women.
line 0067’Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower.
line 0068My Lady Grey his wife, Clarence, ’tis she
line 0069That tempers him to this extremity.
70line 0070Was it not she and that good man of worship,
line 0071Anthony Woodeville, her brother there,
line 0072That made him send Lord Hastings to the Tower,
line 0073From whence this present day he is delivered?
line 0074We are not safe, Clarence; we are not safe.
CLARENCE
75line 0075By heaven, I think there is no man secure
line 0076But the Queen’s kindred and night-walking heralds
line 0077That trudge betwixt the King and Mistress Shore.
line 0078Heard you not what an humble suppliant
line 0079Lord Hastings was to her for his delivery?
RICHARD
80line 0080Humbly complaining to her Deity
line 0081Got my Lord Chamberlain his liberty.
line 0082I’ll tell you what: I think it is our way,
line 0083If we will keep in favor with the King,
line 0084To be her men and wear her livery.
85line 0085The jealous o’erworn widow and herself,
line 0086Since that our brother dubbed them gentlewomen,
line 0087Are mighty gossips in our monarchy.
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 15 BRAKENBURY
line 0088I beseech your Graces both to pardon me.
line 0089His Majesty hath straitly given in charge
90line 0090That no man shall have private conference,
line 0091Of what degree soever, with your brother.
RICHARD
line 0092Even so. An please your Worship, Brakenbury,
line 0093You may partake of anything we say.
line 0094We speak no treason, man. We say the King
95line 0095Is wise and virtuous, and his noble queen
line 0096Well struck in years, fair, and not jealous.
line 0097We say that Shore’s wife hath a pretty foot,
line 0098A cherry lip, a bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue,
line 0099And that the Queen’s kindred are made gentlefolks.
100line 0100How say you, sir? Can you deny all this?
BRAKENBURY
line 0101With this, my lord, myself have naught to do.
RICHARD
line 0102Naught to do with Mistress Shore? I tell thee,
line 0103fellow,
line 0104He that doth naught with her, excepting one,
105line 0105Were best to do it secretly, alone.
BRAKENBURY
line 0106I do beseech your Grace to pardon me, and withal
line 0107Forbear your conference with the noble duke.
CLARENCE
line 0108We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey.
RICHARD
line 0109We are the Queen’s abjects and must obey.—
110line 0110Brother, farewell. I will unto the King,
line 0111And whatsoe’er you will employ me in,
line 0112Were it to call King Edward’s widow “sister,”
line 0113I will perform it to enfranchise you.
line 0114Meantime, this deep disgrace in brotherhood
115line 0115Touches me deeper than you can imagine.
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 17 CLARENCE
line 0116I know it pleaseth neither of us well.
RICHARD
line 0117Well, your imprisonment shall not be long.
line 0118I will deliver you or else lie for you.
line 0119Meantime, have patience.
120line 0120CLARENCEI must, perforce. Farewell.

Exit Clarence, Brakenbury, and guard.

RICHARD
line 0121Go tread the path that thou shalt ne’er return.
line 0122Simple, plain Clarence, I do love thee so
line 0123That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven,
line 0124If heaven will take the present at our hands.
125line 0125But who comes here? The new-delivered Hastings?

Enter Lord Hastings.

HASTINGS
line 0126Good time of day unto my gracious lord.
RICHARD
line 0127As much unto my good Lord Chamberlain.
line 0128Well are you welcome to the open air.
line 0129How hath your Lordship brooked imprisonment?
HASTINGS
130line 0130With patience, noble lord, as prisoners must.
line 0131But I shall live, my lord, to give them thanks
line 0132That were the cause of my imprisonment.
RICHARD
line 0133No doubt, no doubt; and so shall Clarence too,
line 0134For they that were your enemies are his
135line 0135And have prevailed as much on him as you.
HASTINGS
line 0136More pity that the eagles should be mewed,
line 0137Whiles kites and buzzards prey at liberty.
line 0138RICHARDWhat news abroad?
HASTINGS
line 0139No news so bad abroad as this at home:
Act 1 Scene 1 - Pg 19 140line 0140The King is sickly, weak, and melancholy,
line 0141And his physicians fear him mightily.
RICHARD
line 0142Now, by Saint John, that news is bad indeed.
line 0143O, he hath kept an evil diet long,
line 0144And overmuch consumed his royal person.
145line 0145’Tis very grievous to be thought upon.
line 0146Where is he, in his bed?
line 0147HASTINGSHe is.
RICHARD
line 0148Go you before, and I will follow you.

Exit Hastings.

line 0149He cannot live, I hope, and must not die
150line 0150Till George be packed with post-horse up to heaven.
line 0151I’ll in to urge his hatred more to Clarence
line 0152With lies well steeled with weighty arguments,
line 0153And, if I fail not in my deep intent,
line 0154Clarence hath not another day to live;
155line 0155Which done, God take King Edward to His mercy,
line 0156And leave the world for me to bustle in.
line 0157For then I’ll marry Warwick’s youngest daughter.
line 0158What though I killed her husband and her father?
line 0159The readiest way to make the wench amends
160line 0160Is to become her husband and her father;
line 0161The which will I, not all so much for love
line 0162As for another secret close intent
line 0163By marrying her which I must reach unto.
line 0164But yet I run before my horse to market.
165line 0165Clarence still breathes; Edward still lives and reigns.
line 0166When they are gone, then must I count my gains.

He exits.

Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 21

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
line 0167Set down, set down your honorable load,
line 0168If honor may be shrouded in a hearse,
line 0169Whilst I awhile obsequiously lament
line 0170Th’ untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster.

They set down the bier.

5line 0171Poor key-cold figure of a holy king,
line 0172Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster,
line 0173Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood,
line 0174Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost
line 0175To hear the lamentations of poor Anne,
10line 0176Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughtered son,
line 0177Stabbed by the selfsame hand that made these
line 0178wounds.
line 0179Lo, in these windows that let forth thy life
line 0180I pour the helpless balm of my poor eyes.
15line 0181O, cursèd be the hand that made these holes;
line 0182Cursèd the heart that had the heart to do it;
line 0183Cursèd the blood that let this blood from hence.
line 0184More direful hap betide that hated wretch
line 0185That makes us wretched by the death of thee
20line 0186Than I can wish to wolves, to spiders, toads,
line 0187Or any creeping venomed thing that lives.
line 0188If ever he have child, abortive be it,
line 0189Prodigious, and untimely brought to light,
line 0190Whose ugly and unnatural aspect
25line 0191May fright the hopeful mother at the view,
line 0192And that be heir to his unhappiness.
line 0193If ever he have wife, let her be made
line 0194More miserable by the death of him
line 0195Than I am made by my young lord and thee.—
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 23 30line 0196Come now towards Chertsey with your holy load,
line 0197Taken from Paul’s to be interrèd there.

They take up the bier.

line 0198And still, as you are weary of this weight,
line 0199Rest you, whiles I lament King Henry’s corse.

Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

RICHARD
line 0200Stay, you that bear the corse, and set it down.
ANNE
35line 0201What black magician conjures up this fiend
line 0202To stop devoted charitable deeds?
RICHARD
line 0203Villains, set down the corse or, by Saint Paul,
line 0204I’ll make a corse of him that disobeys.
GENTLEMAN
line 0205My lord, stand back and let the coffin pass.
RICHARD
40line 0206Unmannered dog, stand thou when I command!—
line 0207Advance thy halberd higher than my breast,
line 0208Or by Saint Paul I’ll strike thee to my foot
line 0209And spurn upon thee, beggar, for thy boldness.

They set down the bier.

ANNEto the Gentlemen and Halberds
line 0210What, do you tremble? Are you all afraid?
45line 0211Alas, I blame you not, for you are mortal,
line 0212And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil.—
line 0213Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell.
line 0214Thou hadst but power over his mortal body;
line 0215His soul thou canst not have. Therefore begone.
RICHARD
50line 0216Sweet saint, for charity, be not so curst.
ANNE
line 0217Foul devil, for God’s sake, hence, and trouble us
line 0218not,
line 0219For thou hast made the happy Earth thy hell,
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 25 line 0220Filled it with cursing cries and deep exclaims.
55line 0221If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds,
line 0222Behold this pattern of thy butcheries.

She points to the corpse.

line 0223O, gentlemen, see, see dead Henry’s wounds
line 0224Open their congealed mouths and bleed afresh!—
line 0225Blush, blush, thou lump of foul deformity,
60line 0226For ’tis thy presence that exhales this blood
line 0227From cold and empty veins where no blood dwells.
line 0228Thy deeds, inhuman and unnatural,
line 0229Provokes this deluge most unnatural.—
line 0230O God, which this blood mad’st, revenge his death!
65line 0231O Earth, which this blood drink’st, revenge his
line 0232death!
line 0233Either heaven with lightning strike the murderer
line 0234dead,
line 0235Or Earth gape open wide and eat him quick,
70line 0236As thou dost swallow up this good king’s blood,
line 0237Which his hell-governed arm hath butcherèd.
RICHARD
line 0238Lady, you know no rules of charity,
line 0239Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses.
ANNE
line 0240Villain, thou know’st nor law of God nor man.
75line 0241No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity.
RICHARD
line 0242But I know none, and therefore am no beast.
ANNE
line 0243O, wonderful, when devils tell the truth!
RICHARD
line 0244More wonderful, when angels are so angry.
line 0245Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman,
80line 0246Of these supposèd crimes to give me leave
line 0247By circumstance but to acquit myself.
ANNE
line 0248Vouchsafe, defused infection of a man,
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 27 line 0249Of these known evils but to give me leave
line 0250By circumstance to curse thy cursèd self.
RICHARD
85line 0251Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have
line 0252Some patient leisure to excuse myself.
ANNE
line 0253Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make
line 0254No excuse current but to hang thyself.
RICHARD
line 0255By such despair I should accuse myself.
ANNE
90line 0256And by despairing shalt thou stand excused
line 0257For doing worthy vengeance on thyself
line 0258That didst unworthy slaughter upon others.
line 0259RICHARDSay that I slew them not.
line 0260ANNEThen say they were not slain.
95line 0261But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee.
line 0262RICHARDI did not kill your husband.
line 0263ANNEWhy then, he is alive.
RICHARD
line 0264Nay, he is dead, and slain by Edward’s hands.
ANNE
line 0265In thy foul throat thou liest. Queen Margaret saw
100line 0266Thy murd’rous falchion smoking in his blood,
line 0267The which thou once didst bend against her breast,
line 0268But that thy brothers beat aside the point.
RICHARD
line 0269I was provokèd by her sland’rous tongue,
line 0270That laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders.
ANNE
105line 0271Thou wast provokèd by thy bloody mind,
line 0272That never dream’st on aught but butcheries.
line 0273Didst thou not kill this king?
line 0274RICHARDI grant you.
ANNE
line 0275Dost grant me, hedgehog? Then, God grant me too
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 29 110line 0276Thou mayst be damnèd for that wicked deed.
line 0277O, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous.
RICHARD
line 0278The better for the King of heaven that hath him.
ANNE
line 0279He is in heaven, where thou shalt never come.
RICHARD
line 0280Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither,
115line 0281For he was fitter for that place than Earth.
ANNE
line 0282And thou unfit for any place but hell.
RICHARD
line 0283Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it.
line 0284ANNESome dungeon.
line 0285RICHARDYour bedchamber.
ANNE
120line 0286Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest!
RICHARD
line 0287So will it, madam, till I lie with you.
ANNE
line 0288I hope so.
line 0289RICHARDI know so. But, gentle Lady Anne,
line 0290To leave this keen encounter of our wits
125line 0291And fall something into a slower method:
line 0292Is not the causer of the timeless deaths
line 0293Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward,
line 0294As blameful as the executioner?
ANNE
line 0295Thou wast the cause and most accursed effect.
RICHARD
130line 0296Your beauty was the cause of that effect—
line 0297Your beauty, that did haunt me in my sleep
line 0298To undertake the death of all the world,
line 0299So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom.
ANNE
line 0300If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide,
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 31 135line 0301These nails should rend that beauty from my
line 0302cheeks.
RICHARD
line 0303These eyes could not endure that beauty’s wrack.
line 0304You should not blemish it, if I stood by.
line 0305As all the world is cheerèd by the sun,
140line 0306So I by that. It is my day, my life.
ANNE
line 0307Black night o’ershade thy day, and death thy life.
RICHARD
line 0308Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both.
ANNE
line 0309I would I were, to be revenged on thee.
RICHARD
line 0310It is a quarrel most unnatural
145line 0311To be revenged on him that loveth thee.
ANNE
line 0312It is a quarrel just and reasonable
line 0313To be revenged on him that killed my husband.
RICHARD
line 0314He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband
line 0315Did it to help thee to a better husband.
ANNE
150line 0316His better doth not breathe upon the earth.
RICHARD
line 0317He lives that loves thee better than he could.
ANNE
line 0318Name him.
line 0319RICHARDPlantagenet.
line 0320ANNEWhy, that was he.
RICHARD
155line 0321The selfsame name, but one of better nature.
ANNE
line 0322Where is he?
line 0323RICHARDHere. She spits at him. Why dost
line 0324thou spit at me?
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 33 ANNE
line 0325Would it were mortal poison for thy sake.
RICHARD
160line 0326Never came poison from so sweet a place.
ANNE
line 0327Never hung poison on a fouler toad.
line 0328Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes.
RICHARD
line 0329Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine.
ANNE
line 0330Would they were basilisks’ to strike thee dead.
RICHARD
165line 0331I would they were, that I might die at once,
line 0332For now they kill me with a living death.
line 0333Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn salt
line 0334tears,
line 0335Shamed their aspects with store of childish drops.
170line 0336These eyes, which never shed remorseful tear—
line 0337No, when my father York and Edward wept
line 0338To hear the piteous moan that Rutland made
line 0339When black-faced Clifford shook his sword at him;
line 0340Nor when thy warlike father, like a child,
175line 0341Told the sad story of my father’s death
line 0342And twenty times made pause to sob and weep,
line 0343That all the standers-by had wet their cheeks
line 0344Like trees bedashed with rain—in that sad time,
line 0345My manly eyes did scorn an humble tear;
180line 0346And what these sorrows could not thence exhale
line 0347Thy beauty hath, and made them blind with
line 0348weeping.
line 0349I never sued to friend nor enemy;
line 0350My tongue could never learn sweet smoothing word.
185line 0351But now thy beauty is proposed my fee,
line 0352My proud heart sues and prompts my tongue to
line 0353speak.She looks scornfully at him.
line 0354Teach not thy lip such scorn, for it was made
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 35 line 0355For kissing, lady, not for such contempt.
190line 0356If thy revengeful heart cannot forgive,
line 0357Lo, here I lend thee this sharp-pointed sword,
line 0358Which if thou please to hide in this true breast
line 0359And let the soul forth that adoreth thee,
line 0360I lay it naked to the deadly stroke
195line 0361And humbly beg the death upon my knee.

He kneels and lays his breast open; she offers at it with his sword.

line 0362Nay, do not pause, for I did kill King Henry—
line 0363But ’twas thy beauty that provokèd me.
line 0364Nay, now dispatch; ’twas I that stabbed young
line 0365Edward—
200line 0366But ’twas thy heavenly face that set me on.

She falls the sword.

line 0367Take up the sword again, or take up me.
ANNE
line 0368Arise, dissembler. Though I wish thy death,
line 0369I will not be thy executioner.
RICHARDrising
line 0370Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it.
ANNE
205line 0371I have already.
line 0372RICHARDThat was in thy rage.
line 0373Speak it again and, even with the word,
line 0374This hand, which for thy love did kill thy love,
line 0375Shall for thy love kill a far truer love.
210line 0376To both their deaths shalt thou be accessory.
line 0377ANNEI would I knew thy heart.
line 0378RICHARD’Tis figured in my tongue.
line 0379ANNEI fear me both are false.
line 0380RICHARDThen never was man true.
215line 0381ANNEWell, well, put up your sword.
line 0382RICHARDSay then my peace is made.
line 0383ANNEThat shalt thou know hereafter.
line 0384RICHARDBut shall I live in hope?
Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 37 line 0385ANNEAll men I hope live so.
220line 0386RICHARDVouchsafe to wear this ring.
line 0387ANNETo take is not to give.

He places the ring on her hand.

RICHARD
line 0388Look how my ring encompasseth thy finger;
line 0389Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart.
line 0390Wear both of them, for both of them are thine.
225line 0391And if thy poor devoted servant may
line 0392But beg one favor at thy gracious hand,
line 0393Thou dost confirm his happiness forever.
line 0394ANNEWhat is it?
RICHARD
line 0395That it may please you leave these sad designs
230line 0396To him that hath most cause to be a mourner,
line 0397And presently repair to Crosby House,
line 0398Where, after I have solemnly interred
line 0399At Chertsey monast’ry this noble king
line 0400And wet his grave with my repentant tears,
235line 0401I will with all expedient duty see you.
line 0402For divers unknown reasons, I beseech you,
line 0403Grant me this boon.
ANNE
line 0404With all my heart, and much it joys me too
line 0405To see you are become so penitent.—
240line 0406Tressel and Berkeley, go along with me.
RICHARD
line 0407Bid me farewell.
line 0408ANNE’Tis more than you deserve;
line 0409But since you teach me how to flatter you,
line 0410Imagine I have said “farewell” already.

Two exit with Anne. The bier is taken up.

245line 0411GENTLEMANTowards Chertsey, noble lord?
RICHARD
line 0412No, to Whitefriars. There attend my coming.

Halberds and gentlemen exit with corse.

Act 1 Scene 2 - Pg 39 line 0413Was ever woman in this humor wooed?
line 0414Was ever woman in this humor won?
line 0415I’ll have her, but I will not keep her long.
250line 0416What, I that killed her husband and his father,
line 0417To take her in her heart’s extremest hate,
line 0418With curses in her mouth, tears in her eyes,
line 0419The bleeding witness of my hatred by,
line 0420Having God, her conscience, and these bars against
255line 0421me,
line 0422And I no friends to back my suit at all
line 0423But the plain devil and dissembling looks?
line 0424And yet to win her, all the world to nothing!
line 0425Ha!
260line 0426Hath she forgot already that brave prince,
line 0427Edward, her lord, whom I some three months since
line 0428Stabbed in my angry mood at Tewkesbury?
line 0429A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman,
line 0430Framed in the prodigality of nature,
265line 0431Young, valiant, wise, and, no doubt, right royal,
line 0432The spacious world cannot again afford.
line 0433And will she yet abase her eyes on me,
line 0434That cropped the golden prime of this sweet prince
line 0435And made her widow to a woeful bed?
270line 0436On me, whose all not equals Edward’s moiety?
line 0437On me, that halts and am misshapen thus?
line 0438My dukedom to a beggarly denier,
line 0439I do mistake my person all this while!
line 0440Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot,
275line 0441Myself to be a marv’lous proper man.
line 0442I’ll be at charges for a looking glass
line 0443And entertain a score or two of tailors
line 0444To study fashions to adorn my body.
line 0445Since I am crept in favor with myself,
280line 0446I will maintain it with some little cost.
line 0447But first I’ll turn yon fellow in his grave
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 41 line 0448And then return lamenting to my love.
line 0449Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass,
line 0450That 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
line 0451Have patience, madam. There’s no doubt his
line 0452Majesty
line 0453Will soon recover his accustomed health.
GREY
line 0454In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse.
5line 0455Therefore, for God’s sake, entertain good comfort
line 0456And cheer his Grace with quick and merry eyes.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0457If he were dead, what would betide on me?
GREY
line 0458No other harm but loss of such a lord.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0459The loss of such a lord includes all harms.
GREY
10line 0460The heavens have blessed you with a goodly son
line 0461To be your comforter when he is gone.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0462Ah, he is young, and his minority
line 0463Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloucester,
line 0464A man that loves not me nor none of you.
RIVERS
15line 0465Is it concluded he shall be Protector?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0466It is determined, not concluded yet;
line 0467But so it must be if the King miscarry.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 43

Enter Buckingham and Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby.

GREY
line 0468Here comes the lord of Buckingham, and Derby.
BUCKINGHAMto Queen Elizabeth
line 0469Good time of day unto your royal Grace.
STANLEY
20line 0470God make your Majesty joyful, as you have been.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0471The Countess Richmond, good my lord of Derby,
line 0472To your good prayer will scarcely say amen.
line 0473Yet, Derby, notwithstanding she’s your wife
line 0474And loves not me, be you, good lord, assured
25line 0475I hate not you for her proud arrogance.
STANLEY
line 0476I do beseech you either not believe
line 0477The envious slanders of her false accusers,
line 0478Or if she be accused on true report,
line 0479Bear with her weakness, which I think proceeds
30line 0480From wayward sickness and no grounded malice.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0481Saw you the King today, my lord of Derby?
STANLEY
line 0482But now the Duke of Buckingham and I
line 0483Are come from visiting his Majesty.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0484What likelihood of his amendment, lords?
BUCKINGHAM
35line 0485Madam, good hope. His Grace speaks cheerfully.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0486God grant him health. Did you confer with him?
BUCKINGHAM
line 0487Ay, madam. He desires to make atonement
line 0488Between the Duke of Gloucester and your brothers,
line 0489And between them and my Lord Chamberlain,
40line 0490And sent to warn them to his royal presence.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 45 QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0491Would all were well—but that will never be.
line 0492I fear our happiness is at the height.

Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Hastings.

RICHARD
line 0493They do me wrong, and I will not endure it!
line 0494Who is it that complains unto the King
45line 0495That I, forsooth, am stern and love them not?
line 0496By holy Paul, they love his Grace but lightly
line 0497That fill his ears with such dissentious rumors.
line 0498Because I cannot flatter and look fair,
line 0499Smile in men’s faces, smooth, deceive, and cog,
50line 0500Duck with French nods and apish courtesy,
line 0501I must be held a rancorous enemy.
line 0502Cannot a plain man live and think no harm,
line 0503But thus his simple truth must be abused
line 0504With silken, sly, insinuating Jacks?
GREY
55line 0505To who in all this presence speaks your Grace?
RICHARD
line 0506To thee, that hast nor honesty nor grace.
line 0507When have I injured thee? When done thee
line 0508wrong?—
line 0509Or thee?—Or thee? Or any of your faction?
60line 0510A plague upon you all! His royal Grace,
line 0511Whom God preserve better than you would wish,
line 0512Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing while
line 0513But you must trouble him with lewd complaints.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0514Brother of Gloucester, you mistake the matter.
65line 0515The King, on his own royal disposition,
line 0516And not provoked by any suitor else,
line 0517Aiming belike at your interior hatred
line 0518That in your outward action shows itself
line 0519Against my children, brothers, and myself,
70line 0520Makes him to send, that he may learn the ground.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 47 RICHARD
line 0521I cannot tell. The world is grown so bad
line 0522That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch.
line 0523Since every Jack became a gentleman,
line 0524There’s many a gentle person made a Jack.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
75line 0525Come, come, we know your meaning, brother
line 0526Gloucester.
line 0527You envy my advancement, and my friends’.
line 0528God grant we never may have need of you.
RICHARD
line 0529Meantime God grants that we have need of
80line 0530you.
line 0531Our brother is imprisoned by your means,
line 0532Myself disgraced, and the nobility
line 0533Held in contempt, while great promotions
line 0534Are daily given to ennoble those
85line 0535That scarce some two days since were worth a
line 0536noble.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0537By Him that raised me to this careful height
line 0538From that contented hap which I enjoyed,
line 0539I never did incense his Majesty
90line 0540Against the Duke of Clarence, but have been
line 0541An earnest advocate to plead for him.
line 0542My lord, you do me shameful injury
line 0543Falsely to draw me in these vile suspects.
RICHARD
line 0544You may deny that you were not the mean
95line 0545Of my Lord Hastings’ late imprisonment.
line 0546RIVERSShe may, my lord, for—
RICHARD
line 0547She may, Lord Rivers. Why, who knows not so?
line 0548She may do more, sir, than denying that.
line 0549She may help you to many fair preferments
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 49 100line 0550And then deny her aiding hand therein,
line 0551And lay those honors on your high desert.
line 0552What may she not? She may, ay, marry, may she—
line 0553RIVERSWhat, marry, may she?
RICHARD
line 0554What, marry, may she? Marry with a king,
105line 0555A bachelor, and a handsome stripling too.
line 0556Iwis, your grandam had a worser match.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0557My lord of Gloucester, I have too long borne
line 0558Your blunt upbraidings and your bitter scoffs.
line 0559By heaven, I will acquaint his Majesty
110line 0560Of those gross taunts that oft I have endured.
line 0561I had rather be a country servant-maid
line 0562Than a great queen with this condition,
line 0563To be so baited, scorned, and stormèd at.

Enter old Queen Margaret, apart from the others.

line 0564Small joy have I in being England’s queen.
QUEEN MARGARETaside
115line 0565And lessened be that small, God I beseech Him!
line 0566Thy honor, state, and seat is due to me.
RICHARDto Queen Elizabeth
line 0567What, threat you me with telling of the King?
line 0568Tell him and spare not. Look, what I have said,
line 0569I will avouch ’t in presence of the King;
120line 0570I dare adventure to be sent to th’ Tower.
line 0571’Tis time to speak. My pains are quite forgot.
QUEEN MARGARETaside
line 0572Out, devil! I do remember them too well:
line 0573Thou killed’st my husband Henry in the Tower,
line 0574And Edward, my poor son, at Tewkesbury.
RICHARDto Queen Elizabeth
125line 0575Ere you were queen, ay, or your husband king,
line 0576I was a packhorse in his great affairs,
line 0577A weeder-out of his proud adversaries,
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 51 line 0578A liberal rewarder of his friends.
line 0579To royalize his blood, I spent mine own.
QUEEN MARGARETaside
130line 0580Ay, and much better blood than his or thine.
RICHARDto Queen Elizabeth
line 0581In all which time, you and your husband Grey
line 0582Were factious for the House of Lancaster.—
line 0583And, Rivers, so were you.—Was not your husband
line 0584In Margaret’s battle at Saint Albans slain?
135line 0585Let me put in your minds, if you forget,
line 0586What you have been ere this, and what you are;
line 0587Withal, what I have been, and what I am.
QUEEN MARGARETaside
line 0588A murd’rous villain, and so still thou art.
RICHARDto Queen Elizabeth
line 0589Poor Clarence did forsake his father Warwick,
140line 0590Ay, and forswore himself—which Jesu pardon!—
line 0591QUEEN MARGARETaside Which God revenge!
RICHARD
line 0592To fight on Edward’s party for the crown;
line 0593And for his meed, poor lord, he is mewed up.
line 0594I would to God my heart were flint, like Edward’s,
145line 0595Or Edward’s soft and pitiful, like mine.
line 0596I am too childish-foolish for this world.
QUEEN MARGARETaside
line 0597Hie thee to hell for shame, and leave this world,
line 0598Thou cacodemon! There thy kingdom is.
RIVERS
line 0599My lord of Gloucester, in those busy days
150line 0600Which here you urge to prove us enemies,
line 0601We followed then our lord, our sovereign king.
line 0602So should we you, if you should be our king.
RICHARD
line 0603If I should be? I had rather be a peddler.
line 0604Far be it from my heart, the thought thereof.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 53 QUEEN ELIZABETH
155line 0605As little joy, my lord, as you suppose
line 0606You should enjoy were you this country’s king,
line 0607As little joy you may suppose in me
line 0608That I enjoy, being the queen thereof.
QUEEN MARGARETaside
line 0609As little joy enjoys the queen thereof,
160line 0610For I am she, and altogether joyless.
line 0611I can no longer hold me patient.

She steps forward.

line 0612Hear me, you wrangling pirates, that fall out
line 0613In sharing that which you have pilled from me!
line 0614Which of you trembles not that looks on me?
165line 0615If not, that I am queen, you bow like subjects,
line 0616Yet that, by you deposed, you quake like rebels.—
line 0617Ah, gentle villain, do not turn away.
RICHARD
line 0618Foul, wrinkled witch, what mak’st thou in my
line 0619sight?
QUEEN MARGARET
170line 0620But repetition of what thou hast marred.
line 0621That will I make before I let thee go.
RICHARD
line 0622Wert thou not banishèd on pain of death?
QUEEN MARGARET
line 0623I was, but I do find more pain in banishment
line 0624Than death can yield me here by my abode.
175line 0625A husband and a son thou ow’st to me;
line 0626To Queen Elizabeth. And thou a kingdom;—all
line 0627of you, allegiance.
line 0628This sorrow that I have by right is yours,
line 0629And all the pleasures you usurp are mine.
RICHARD
180line 0630The curse my noble father laid on thee
line 0631When thou didst crown his warlike brows with
line 0632paper,
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 55 line 0633And with thy scorns drew’st rivers from his eyes,
line 0634And then, to dry them, gav’st the Duke a clout
185line 0635Steeped in the faultless blood of pretty Rutland—
line 0636His curses then, from bitterness of soul
line 0637Denounced against thee, are all fall’n upon thee,
line 0638And God, not we, hath plagued thy bloody deed.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0639So just is God to right the innocent.
HASTINGS
190line 0640O, ’twas the foulest deed to slay that babe,
line 0641And the most merciless that e’er was heard of!
RIVERS
line 0642Tyrants themselves wept when it was reported.
DORSET
line 0643No man but prophesied revenge for it.
BUCKINGHAM
line 0644Northumberland, then present, wept to see it.
QUEEN MARGARET
195line 0645What, were you snarling all before I came,
line 0646Ready to catch each other by the throat,
line 0647And turn you all your hatred now on me?
line 0648Did York’s dread curse prevail so much with
line 0649heaven
200line 0650That Henry’s death, my lovely Edward’s death,
line 0651Their kingdom’s loss, my woeful banishment,
line 0652Should all but answer for that peevish brat?
line 0653Can curses pierce the clouds and enter heaven?
line 0654Why then, give way, dull clouds, to my quick
205line 0655curses!
line 0656Though not by war, by surfeit die your king,
line 0657As ours by murder to make him a king.
line 0658To Queen Elizabeth. Edward thy son, that now is
line 0659Prince of Wales,
210line 0660For Edward our son, that was Prince of Wales,
line 0661Die in his youth by like untimely violence.
line 0662Thyself a queen, for me that was a queen,
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 57 line 0663Outlive thy glory, like my wretched self.
line 0664Long mayst thou live to wail thy children’s death
215line 0665And see another, as I see thee now,
line 0666Decked in thy rights, as thou art stalled in mine.
line 0667Long die thy happy days before thy death,
line 0668And, after many lengthened hours of grief,
line 0669Die neither mother, wife, nor England’s queen.—
220line 0670Rivers and Dorset, you were standers-by,
line 0671And so wast thou, Lord Hastings, when my son
line 0672Was stabbed with bloody daggers. God I pray Him
line 0673That none of you may live his natural age,
line 0674But by some unlooked accident cut off.
RICHARD
225line 0675Have done thy charm, thou hateful, withered hag.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 0676And leave out thee? Stay, dog, for thou shalt hear
line 0677me.
line 0678If heaven have any grievous plague in store
line 0679Exceeding those that I can wish upon thee,
230line 0680O, let them keep it till thy sins be ripe
line 0681And then hurl down their indignation
line 0682On thee, the troubler of the poor world’s peace.
line 0683The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul.
line 0684Thy friends suspect for traitors while thou liv’st,
235line 0685And take deep traitors for thy dearest friends.
line 0686No sleep close up that deadly eye of thine,
line 0687Unless it be while some tormenting dream
line 0688Affrights thee with a hell of ugly devils.
line 0689Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog,
240line 0690Thou that wast sealed in thy nativity
line 0691The slave of nature and the son of hell,
line 0692Thou slander of thy heavy mother’s womb,
line 0693Thou loathèd issue of thy father’s loins,
line 0694Thou rag of honor, thou detested—
245line 0695RICHARDMargaret.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 59 line 0696QUEEN MARGARETRichard!
line 0697RICHARDHa?
line 0698QUEEN MARGARETI call thee not.
RICHARD
line 0699I cry thee mercy, then, for I did think
250line 0700That thou hadst called me all these bitter names.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 0701Why, so I did, but looked for no reply.
line 0702O, let me make the period to my curse!
RICHARD
line 0703’Tis done by me and ends in “Margaret.”
QUEEN ELIZABETHto Queen Margaret
line 0704Thus have you breathed your curse against yourself.
QUEEN MARGARET
255line 0705Poor painted queen, vain flourish of my fortune,
line 0706Why strew’st thou sugar on that bottled spider,
line 0707Whose deadly web ensnareth thee about?
line 0708Fool, fool, thou whet’st a knife to kill thyself.
line 0709The day will come that thou shalt wish for me
260line 0710To help thee curse this poisonous bunch-backed
line 0711toad.
HASTINGS
line 0712False-boding woman, end thy frantic curse,
line 0713Lest to thy harm thou move our patience.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 0714Foul shame upon you, you have all moved mine.
RIVERS
265line 0715Were you well served, you would be taught your
line 0716duty.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 0717To serve me well, you all should do me duty:
line 0718Teach me to be your queen, and you my subjects.
line 0719O, serve me well, and teach yourselves that duty!
DORSETto Rivers
270line 0720Dispute not with her; she is lunatic.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 61 QUEEN MARGARET
line 0721Peace, Master Marquess, you are malapert.
line 0722Your fire-new stamp of honor is scarce current.
line 0723O, that your young nobility could judge
line 0724What ’twere to lose it and be miserable!
275line 0725They that stand high have many blasts to shake
line 0726them,
line 0727And if they fall, they dash themselves to pieces.
RICHARD
line 0728Good counsel, marry.—Learn it, learn it, marquess.
DORSET
line 0729It touches you, my lord, as much as me.
RICHARD
280line 0730Ay, and much more; but I was born so high.
line 0731Our aerie buildeth in the cedar’s top,
line 0732And dallies with the wind and scorns the sun.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 0733And turns the sun to shade. Alas, alas,
line 0734Witness my son, now in the shade of death,
285line 0735Whose bright out-shining beams thy cloudy wrath
line 0736Hath in eternal darkness folded up.
line 0737Your aerie buildeth in our aerie’s nest.
line 0738O God, that seest it, do not suffer it!
line 0739As it is won with blood, lost be it so.
BUCKINGHAM
290line 0740Peace, peace, for shame, if not for charity.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 0741Urge neither charity nor shame to me.
line 0742Addressing the others. Uncharitably with me have
line 0743you dealt,
line 0744And shamefully my hopes by you are butchered.
295line 0745My charity is outrage, life my shame,
line 0746And in that shame still live my sorrows’ rage.
line 0747BUCKINGHAMHave done, have done.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 0748O princely Buckingham, I’ll kiss thy hand
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 63 line 0749In sign of league and amity with thee.
300line 0750Now fair befall thee and thy noble house!
line 0751Thy garments are not spotted with our blood,
line 0752Nor thou within the compass of my curse.
BUCKINGHAM
line 0753Nor no one here, for curses never pass
line 0754The lips of those that breathe them in the air.
QUEEN MARGARET
305line 0755I will not think but they ascend the sky,
line 0756And there awake God’s gentle sleeping peace.
line 0757Aside to Buckingham. O Buckingham, take heed of
line 0758yonder dog!
line 0759Look when he fawns, he bites; and when he bites,
310line 0760His venom tooth will rankle to the death.
line 0761Have not to do with him. Beware of him.
line 0762Sin, death, and hell have set their marks on him,
line 0763And all their ministers attend on him.
RICHARD
line 0764What doth she say, my lord of Buckingham?
BUCKINGHAM
315line 0765Nothing that I respect, my gracious lord.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 0766What, dost thou scorn me for my gentle counsel,
line 0767And soothe the devil that I warn thee from?
line 0768O, but remember this another day,
line 0769When he shall split thy very heart with sorrow,
320line 0770And say poor Margaret was a prophetess.—
line 0771Live each of you the subjects to his hate,
line 0772And he to yours, and all of you to God’s.She exits.
BUCKINGHAM
line 0773My hair doth stand an end to hear her curses.
RIVERS
line 0774And so doth mine. I muse why she’s at liberty.
RICHARD
325line 0775I cannot blame her. By God’s holy mother,
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 65 line 0776She hath had too much wrong, and I repent
line 0777My part thereof that I have done to her.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0778I never did her any, to my knowledge.
RICHARD
line 0779Yet you have all the vantage of her wrong.
330line 0780I was too hot to do somebody good
line 0781That is too cold in thinking of it now.
line 0782Marry, as for Clarence, he is well repaid;
line 0783He is franked up to fatting for his pains.
line 0784God pardon them that are the cause thereof.
RIVERS
335line 0785A virtuous and a Christian-like conclusion
line 0786To pray for them that have done scathe to us.
RICHARD
line 0787So do I ever—speaks to himself being well advised,
line 0788For had I cursed now, I had cursed myself.

Enter Catesby.

CATESBY
line 0789Madam, his Majesty doth call for you,—
340line 0790And for your Grace,—and yours, my gracious
line 0791lords.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 0792Catesby, I come.—Lords, will you go with me?
line 0793RIVERSWe wait upon your Grace.

All but Richard, Duke of Gloucester exit.

RICHARD
line 0794I do the wrong and first begin to brawl.
345line 0795The secret mischiefs that I set abroach
line 0796I lay unto the grievous charge of others.
line 0797Clarence, who I indeed have cast in darkness,
line 0798I do beweep to many simple gulls,
line 0799Namely, to Derby, Hastings, Buckingham,
350line 0800And tell them ’tis the Queen and her allies
line 0801That stir the King against the Duke my brother.
Act 1 Scene 3 - Pg 67 line 0802Now they believe it and withal whet me
line 0803To be revenged on Rivers, Dorset, Grey;
line 0804But then I sigh and, with a piece of scripture,
355line 0805Tell them that God bids us do good for evil;
line 0806And thus I clothe my naked villainy
line 0807With odd old ends stol’n forth of Holy Writ,
line 0808And seem a saint when most I play the devil.

Enter two Murderers.

line 0809But soft, here come my executioners.—
360line 0810How now, my hardy, stout, resolvèd mates?
line 0811Are you now going to dispatch this thing?
MURDERER
line 0812We are, my lord, and come to have the warrant
line 0813That we may be admitted where he is.
RICHARD
line 0814Well thought upon. I have it here about me.

He gives a paper.

365line 0815When you have done, repair to Crosby Place.
line 0816But, sirs, be sudden in the execution,
line 0817Withal obdurate; do not hear him plead,
line 0818For Clarence is well-spoken and perhaps
line 0819May move your hearts to pity if you mark him.
MURDERER
370line 0820Tut, tut, my lord, we will not stand to prate.
line 0821Talkers are no good doers. Be assured
line 0822We go to use our hands and not our tongues.
RICHARD
line 0823Your eyes drop millstones when fools’ eyes fall
line 0824tears.
375line 0825I like you lads. About your business straight.
line 0826Go, go, dispatch.
line 0827MURDERERSWe will, my noble lord.

They exit.

Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 69

Scene 4

Enter Clarence and Keeper.

KEEPER
line 0828Why looks your Grace so heavily today?
CLARENCE
line 0829O, I have passed a miserable night,
line 0830So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights,
line 0831That, as I am a Christian faithful man,
5line 0832I would not spend another such a night
line 0833Though ’twere to buy a world of happy days,
line 0834So full of dismal terror was the time.
KEEPER
line 0835What was your dream, my lord? I pray you tell me.
CLARENCE
line 0836Methoughts that I had broken from the Tower
10line 0837And was embarked to cross to Burgundy,
line 0838And in my company my brother Gloucester,
line 0839Who from my cabin tempted me to walk
line 0840Upon the hatches. Thence we looked toward
line 0841England
15line 0842And cited up a thousand heavy times,
line 0843During the wars of York and Lancaster,
line 0844That had befall’n us. As we paced along
line 0845Upon the giddy footing of the hatches,
line 0846Methought that Gloucester stumbled, and in falling
20line 0847Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard
line 0848Into the tumbling billows of the main.
line 0849O Lord, methought what pain it was to drown,
line 0850What dreadful noise of waters in my ears,
line 0851What sights of ugly death within my eyes.
25line 0852Methoughts I saw a thousand fearful wracks,
line 0853A thousand men that fishes gnawed upon,
line 0854Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,
line 0855Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels,
line 0856All scattered in the bottom of the sea.
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 71 30line 0857Some lay in dead men’s skulls, and in the holes
line 0858Where eyes did once inhabit, there were crept—
line 0859As ’twere in scorn of eyes—reflecting gems,
line 0860That wooed the slimy bottom of the deep
line 0861And mocked the dead bones that lay scattered by.
KEEPER
35line 0862Had you such leisure in the time of death
line 0863To gaze upon these secrets of the deep?
CLARENCE
line 0864Methought I had, and often did I strive
line 0865To yield the ghost, but still the envious flood
line 0866Stopped in my soul and would not let it forth
40line 0867To find the empty, vast, and wand’ring air,
line 0868But smothered it within my panting bulk,
line 0869Who almost burst to belch it in the sea.
KEEPER
line 0870Awaked you not in this sore agony?
CLARENCE
line 0871No, no, my dream was lengthened after life.
45line 0872O, then began the tempest to my soul.
line 0873I passed, methought, the melancholy flood,
line 0874With that sour ferryman which poets write of,
line 0875Unto the kingdom of perpetual night.
line 0876The first that there did greet my stranger-soul
50line 0877Was my great father-in-law, renownèd Warwick,
line 0878Who spake aloud “What scourge for perjury
line 0879Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?”
line 0880And so he vanished. Then came wand’ring by
line 0881A shadow like an angel, with bright hair
55line 0882Dabbled in blood, and he shrieked out aloud
line 0883“Clarence is come—false, fleeting, perjured
line 0884Clarence,
line 0885That stabbed me in the field by Tewkesbury.
line 0886Seize on him, furies. Take him unto torment.”
60line 0887With that, methoughts, a legion of foul fiends
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 73 line 0888Environed me and howlèd in mine ears
line 0889Such hideous cries that with the very noise
line 0890I trembling waked, and for a season after
line 0891Could not believe but that I was in hell,
65line 0892Such terrible impression made my dream.
KEEPER
line 0893No marvel, lord, though it affrighted you.
line 0894I am afraid, methinks, to hear you tell it.
CLARENCE
line 0895Ah keeper, keeper, I have done these things,
line 0896That now give evidence against my soul,
70line 0897For Edward’s sake, and see how he requites me.—
line 0898O God, if my deep prayers cannot appease thee,
line 0899But thou wilt be avenged on my misdeeds,
line 0900Yet execute thy wrath in me alone!
line 0901O, spare my guiltless wife and my poor children!—
75line 0902Keeper, I prithee sit by me awhile.
line 0903My soul is heavy, and I fain would sleep.
KEEPER
line 0904I will, my lord. God give your Grace good rest.

Clarence sleeps.

Enter Brakenbury the Lieutenant.

BRAKENBURY
line 0905Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours,
line 0906Makes the night morning, and the noontide night.
80line 0907Princes have but their titles for their glories,
line 0908An outward honor for an inward toil,
line 0909And, for unfelt imaginations,
line 0910They often feel a world of restless cares,
line 0911So that between their titles and low name
85line 0912There’s nothing differs but the outward fame.

Enter two Murderers.

line 0913FIRST MURDERERHo, who’s here?
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 75 BRAKENBURY
line 0914What wouldst thou, fellow? And how cam’st thou
line 0915hither?
line 0916SECOND MURDERERI would speak with Clarence, and I
90line 0917came hither on my legs.
line 0918BRAKENBURYWhat, so brief?
line 0919FIRST MURDERER’Tis better, sir, than to be tedious.—
line 0920Let him see our commission, and talk no more.

Brakenbury reads the commission.

BRAKENBURY
line 0921I am in this commanded to deliver
95line 0922The noble Duke of Clarence to your hands.
line 0923I will not reason what is meant hereby
line 0924Because I will be guiltless from the meaning.
line 0925There lies the Duke asleep, and there the keys.

He hands them keys.

line 0926I’ll to the King and signify to him
100line 0927That thus I have resigned to you my charge.
line 0928FIRST MURDERERYou may, sir. ’Tis a point of wisdom.
line 0929Fare you well.

Brakenbury and the Keeper exit.

line 0930SECOND MURDERERWhat, shall I stab him as he
line 0931sleeps?
105line 0932FIRST MURDERERNo. He’ll say ’twas done cowardly,
line 0933when he wakes.
line 0934SECOND MURDERERWhy, he shall never wake until the
line 0935great Judgment Day.
line 0936FIRST MURDERERWhy, then he’ll say we stabbed him
110line 0937sleeping.
line 0938SECOND MURDERERThe urging of that word “judgment”
line 0939hath bred a kind of remorse in me.
line 0940FIRST MURDERERWhat, art thou afraid?
line 0941SECOND MURDERERNot to kill him, having a warrant,
115line 0942but to be damned for killing him, from the which
line 0943no warrant can defend me.
line 0944FIRST MURDERERI thought thou hadst been resolute.
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 77 line 0945SECOND MURDERERSo I am—to let him live.
line 0946FIRST MURDERERI’ll back to the Duke of Gloucester
120line 0947and tell him so.
line 0948SECOND MURDERERNay, I prithee stay a little. I hope
line 0949this passionate humor of mine will change. It was
line 0950wont to hold me but while one tells twenty.
line 0951FIRST MURDERERHow dost thou feel thyself now?
125line 0952SECOND MURDERERFaith, some certain dregs of conscience
line 0953are yet within me.
line 0954FIRST MURDERERRemember our reward when the
line 0955deed’s done.
line 0956SECOND MURDERERZounds, he dies! I had forgot the
130line 0957reward.
line 0958FIRST MURDERERWhere’s thy conscience now?
line 0959SECOND MURDERERO, in the Duke of Gloucester’s
line 0960purse.
line 0961FIRST MURDERERWhen he opens his purse to give us
135line 0962our reward, thy conscience flies out.
line 0963SECOND MURDERER’Tis no matter. Let it go. There’s
line 0964few or none will entertain it.
line 0965FIRST MURDERERWhat if it come to thee again?
line 0966SECOND MURDERERI’ll not meddle with it. It makes a
140line 0967man a coward: a man cannot steal but it accuseth
line 0968him; a man cannot swear but it checks him; a man
line 0969cannot lie with his neighbor’s wife but it detects
line 0970him. ’Tis a blushing, shamefaced spirit that mutinies
line 0971in a man’s bosom. It fills a man full of
145line 0972obstacles. It made me once restore a purse of gold
line 0973that by chance I found. It beggars any man that
line 0974keeps it. It is turned out of towns and cities for a
line 0975dangerous thing, and every man that means to live
line 0976well endeavors to trust to himself and live without it.
150line 0977FIRST MURDERERZounds, ’tis even now at my elbow,
line 0978persuading me not to kill the Duke.
line 0979SECOND MURDERERTake the devil in thy mind, and
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 79 line 0980believe him not. He would insinuate with thee but
line 0981to make thee sigh.
155line 0982FIRST MURDERERI am strong-framed. He cannot prevail
line 0983with me.
line 0984SECOND MURDERERSpoke like a tall man that respects
line 0985thy reputation. Come, shall we fall to work?
line 0986FIRST MURDERERTake him on the costard with the
160line 0987hilts of thy sword, and then throw him into the
line 0988malmsey butt in the next room.
line 0989SECOND MURDERERO, excellent device—and make a
line 0990sop of him!
line 0991FIRST MURDERERSoft, he wakes.
165line 0992SECOND MURDERERStrike!
line 0993FIRST MURDERERNo, we’ll reason with him.

Clarence wakes.

CLARENCE
line 0994Where art thou, keeper? Give me a cup of wine.
SECOND MURDERER
line 0995You shall have wine enough, my lord, anon.
CLARENCE
line 0996In God’s name, what art thou?
170line 0997FIRST MURDERERA man, as you are.
line 0998CLARENCEBut not, as I am, royal.
line 0999FIRST MURDERERNor you, as we are, loyal.
CLARENCE
line 1000Thy voice is thunder, but thy looks are humble.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1001My voice is now the King’s, my looks mine own.
CLARENCE
175line 1002How darkly and how deadly dost thou speak!
line 1003Your eyes do menace me. Why look you pale?
line 1004Who sent you hither? Wherefore do you come?
line 1005SECOND MURDERERTo, to, to—
line 1006CLARENCETo murder me?
180line 1007BOTHAy, ay.
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 81 CLARENCE
line 1008You scarcely have the hearts to tell me so
line 1009And therefore cannot have the hearts to do it.
line 1010Wherein, my friends, have I offended you?
FIRST MURDERER
line 1011Offended us you have not, but the King.
CLARENCE
185line 1012I shall be reconciled to him again.
SECOND MURDERER
line 1013Never, my lord. Therefore prepare to die.
CLARENCE
line 1014Are you drawn forth among a world of men
line 1015To slay the innocent? What is my offense?
line 1016Where is the evidence that doth accuse me?
190line 1017What lawful quest have given their verdict up
line 1018Unto the frowning judge? Or who pronounced
line 1019The bitter sentence of poor Clarence’ death
line 1020Before I be convict by course of law?
line 1021To threaten me with death is most unlawful.
195line 1022I charge you, as you hope to have redemption,
line 1023By Christ’s dear blood shed for our grievous sins,
line 1024That you depart, and lay no hands on me.
line 1025The deed you undertake is damnable.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1026What we will do, we do upon command.
SECOND MURDERER
200line 1027And he that hath commanded is our king.
CLARENCE
line 1028Erroneous vassals, the great King of kings
line 1029Hath in the table of His law commanded
line 1030That thou shalt do no murder. Will you then
line 1031Spurn at His edict and fulfill a man’s?
205line 1032Take heed, for He holds vengeance in His hand
line 1033To hurl upon their heads that break His law.
SECOND MURDERER
line 1034And that same vengeance doth He hurl on thee
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 83 line 1035For false forswearing and for murder too.
line 1036Thou didst receive the sacrament to fight
210line 1037In quarrel of the House of Lancaster.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1038And, like a traitor to the name of God,
line 1039Didst break that vow, and with thy treacherous
line 1040blade
line 1041Unrippedst the bowels of thy sovereign’s son.
SECOND MURDERER
215line 1042Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1043How canst thou urge God’s dreadful law to us
line 1044When thou hast broke it in such dear degree?
CLARENCE
line 1045Alas! For whose sake did I that ill deed?
line 1046For Edward, for my brother, for his sake.
220line 1047He sends you not to murder me for this,
line 1048For in that sin he is as deep as I.
line 1049If God will be avengèd for the deed,
line 1050O, know you yet He doth it publicly!
line 1051Take not the quarrel from His powerful arm;
225line 1052He needs no indirect or lawless course
line 1053To cut off those that have offended Him.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1054Who made thee then a bloody minister
line 1055When gallant-springing, brave Plantagenet,
line 1056That princely novice, was struck dead by thee?
CLARENCE
230line 1057My brother’s love, the devil, and my rage.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1058Thy brother’s love, our duty, and thy faults
line 1059Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee.
CLARENCE
line 1060If you do love my brother, hate not me.
line 1061I am his brother, and I love him well.
235line 1062If you are hired for meed, go back again,
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 85 line 1063And I will send you to my brother Gloucester,
line 1064Who shall reward you better for my life
line 1065Than Edward will for tidings of my death.
SECOND MURDERER
line 1066You are deceived. Your brother Gloucester hates
240line 1067you.
CLARENCE
line 1068O no, he loves me, and he holds me dear.
line 1069Go you to him from me.
line 1070FIRST MURDERERAy, so we will.
CLARENCE
line 1071Tell him, when that our princely father York
245line 1072Blessed his three sons with his victorious arm,
line 1073He little thought of this divided friendship.
line 1074Bid Gloucester think of this, and he will weep.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1075Ay, millstones, as he lessoned us to weep.
CLARENCE
line 1076O, do not slander him, for he is kind.
FIRST MURDERER
250line 1077Right, as snow in harvest. Come, you deceive
line 1078yourself.
line 1079’Tis he that sends us to destroy you here.
CLARENCE
line 1080It cannot be, for he bewept my fortune,
line 1081And hugged me in his arms, and swore with sobs
255line 1082That he would labor my delivery.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1083Why, so he doth, when he delivers you
line 1084From this Earth’s thralldom to the joys of heaven.
SECOND MURDERER
line 1085Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord.
CLARENCE
line 1086Have you that holy feeling in your souls
260line 1087To counsel me to make my peace with God,
line 1088And are you yet to your own souls so blind
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 87 line 1089That you will war with God by murd’ring me?
line 1090O sirs, consider: they that set you on
line 1091To do this deed will hate you for the deed.
SECOND MURDERERto First Murderer
265line 1092What shall we do?
line 1093CLARENCERelent, and save your souls.
line 1094Which of you—if you were a prince’s son
line 1095Being pent from liberty, as I am now—
line 1096If two such murderers as yourselves came to you,
270line 1097Would not entreat for life? Ay, you would beg,
line 1098Were you in my distress.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1099Relent? No. ’Tis cowardly and womanish.
CLARENCE
line 1100Not to relent is beastly, savage, devilish.
line 1101To Second Murderer. My friend, I spy some pity
275line 1102in thy looks.
line 1103O, if thine eye be not a flatterer,
line 1104Come thou on my side and entreat for me.
line 1105A begging prince what beggar pities not?
line 1106SECOND MURDERERLook behind you, my lord.
FIRST MURDERER
280line 1107Take that, and that. Stabs him. If all this will not
line 1108do,
line 1109I’ll drown you in the malmsey butt within.

He exits with the body.

SECOND MURDERER
line 1110A bloody deed, and desperately dispatched.
line 1111How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands
285line 1112Of this most grievous murder.

Enter First Murderer.

FIRST MURDERER
line 1113How now? What mean’st thou that thou help’st me
line 1114not?
Act 1 Scene 4 - Pg 89 line 1115By heavens, the Duke shall know how slack you
line 1116have been.
SECOND MURDERER
290line 1117I would he knew that I had saved his brother.
line 1118Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say,
line 1119For I repent me that the Duke is slain.He exits.
FIRST MURDERER
line 1120So do not I. Go, coward as thou art.
line 1121Well, I’ll go hide the body in some hole
295line 1122Till that the Duke give order for his burial.
line 1123And when I have my meed, I will away,
line 1124For 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
line 1125Why, so. Now have I done a good day’s work.
line 1126You peers, continue this united league.
line 1127I every day expect an embassage
line 1128From my Redeemer to redeem me hence,
5line 1129And more in peace my soul shall part to heaven
line 1130Since I have made my friends at peace on Earth.
line 1131Rivers and Hastings, take each other’s hand.
line 1132Dissemble not your hatred. Swear your love.
RIVERStaking Hastings’ hand
line 1133By heaven, my soul is purged from grudging hate,
10line 1134And with my hand I seal my true heart’s love.
HASTINGS
line 1135So thrive I as I truly swear the like.
KING EDWARD
line 1136Take heed you dally not before your king,
line 1137Lest He that is the supreme King of kings
line 1138Confound your hidden falsehood and award
15line 1139Either of you to be the other’s end.
HASTINGS
line 1140So prosper I as I swear perfect love.
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 95 RIVERS
line 1141And I as I love Hastings with my heart.
KING EDWARDto Queen Elizabeth
line 1142Madam, yourself is not exempt from this,—
line 1143Nor you, son Dorset,—Buckingham, nor you.
20line 1144You have been factious one against the other.—
line 1145Wife, love Lord Hastings. Let him kiss your hand,
line 1146And what you do, do it unfeignedly.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 1147There, Hastings, I will never more remember
line 1148Our former hatred, so thrive I and mine.

Hastings kisses her hand.

KING EDWARD
25line 1149Dorset, embrace him.—Hastings, love Lord
line 1150Marquess.
DORSET
line 1151This interchange of love, I here protest,
line 1152Upon my part shall be inviolable.
line 1153HASTINGSAnd so swear I.They embrace.
KING EDWARD
30line 1154Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this league
line 1155With thy embracements to my wife’s allies
line 1156And make me happy in your unity.
BUCKINGHAMto Queen Elizabeth
line 1157Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate
line 1158Upon your Grace, but with all duteous love
35line 1159Doth cherish you and yours, God punish me
line 1160With hate in those where I expect most love.
line 1161When I have most need to employ a friend,
line 1162And most assurèd that he is a friend,
line 1163Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile
40line 1164Be he unto me: this do I beg of God,
line 1165When I am cold in love to you or yours.

Queen Elizabeth and Buckingham embrace.

KING EDWARD
line 1166A pleasing cordial, princely Buckingham,
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 97 line 1167Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.
line 1168There wanteth now our brother Gloucester here
45line 1169To make the blessèd period of this peace.
line 1170BUCKINGHAMAnd in good time
line 1171Here comes Sir Richard Ratcliffe and the Duke.

Enter Ratcliffe, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

RICHARD
line 1172Good morrow to my sovereign king and queen,
line 1173And, princely peers, a happy time of day.
KING EDWARD
50line 1174Happy indeed, as we have spent the day.
line 1175Gloucester, we have done deeds of charity,
line 1176Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,
line 1177Between these swelling, wrong-incensèd peers.
RICHARD
line 1178A blessèd labor, my most sovereign lord.
55line 1179Among this princely heap, if any here
line 1180By false intelligence or wrong surmise
line 1181Hold me a foe,
line 1182If I unwittingly, or in my rage,
line 1183Have aught committed that is hardly borne
60line 1184By any in this presence, I desire
line 1185To reconcile me to his friendly peace.
line 1186’Tis death to me to be at enmity;
line 1187I hate it, and desire all good men’s love.
line 1188First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,
65line 1189Which I will purchase with my duteous service;—
line 1190Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,
line 1191If ever any grudge were lodged between us;—
line 1192Of you and you, Lord Rivers and of Dorset,
line 1193That all without desert have frowned on me;—
70line 1194Of you, Lord Woodeville and Lord Scales;—of you,
line 1195Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen; indeed, of all.
line 1196I do not know that Englishman alive
line 1197With whom my soul is any jot at odds
Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 99 line 1198More than the infant that is born tonight.
75line 1199I thank my God for my humility.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 1200A holy day shall this be kept hereafter.
line 1201I would to God all strifes were well compounded.
line 1202My sovereign lord, I do beseech your Highness
line 1203To take our brother Clarence to your grace.
RICHARD
80line 1204Why, madam, have I offered love for this,
line 1205To be so flouted in this royal presence?
line 1206Who knows not that the gentle duke is dead?

They all start.

line 1207You do him injury to scorn his corse.
KING EDWARD
line 1208Who knows not he is dead! Who knows he is?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
85line 1209All-seeing heaven, what a world is this!
BUCKINGHAM
line 1210Look I so pale, Lord Dorset, as the rest?
DORSET
line 1211Ay, my good lord, and no man in the presence
line 1212But his red color hath forsook his cheeks.
KING EDWARD
line 1213Is Clarence dead? The order was reversed.
RICHARD
90line 1214But he, poor man, by your first order died,
line 1215And that a wingèd Mercury did bear.
line 1216Some tardy cripple bare the countermand,
line 1217That came too lag to see him burièd.
line 1218God grant that some, less noble and less loyal,
95line 1219Nearer in bloody thoughts, and not in blood,
line 1220Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,
line 1221And yet go current from suspicion.

Enter Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby.

Act 2 Scene 1 - Pg 101 STANLEYkneeling
line 1222A boon, my sovereign, for my service done.
KING EDWARD
line 1223I prithee, peace. My soul is full of sorrow.
STANLEY
100line 1224I will not rise unless your Highness hear me.
KING EDWARD
line 1225Then say at once what is it thou requests.
STANLEY
line 1226The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant’s life,
line 1227Who slew today a riotous gentleman
line 1228Lately attendant on the Duke of Norfolk.
KING EDWARD
105line 1229Have I a tongue to doom my brother’s death,
line 1230And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave?
line 1231My brother killed no man; his fault was thought,
line 1232And yet his punishment was bitter death.
line 1233Who sued to me for him? Who, in my wrath,
110line 1234Kneeled at my feet, and bade me be advised?
line 1235Who spoke of brotherhood? Who spoke of love?
line 1236Who told me how the poor soul did forsake
line 1237The mighty Warwick and did fight for me?
line 1238Who told me, in the field at Tewkesbury,
115line 1239When Oxford had me down, he rescued me,
line 1240And said “Dear brother, live, and be a king”?
line 1241Who told me, when we both lay in the field
line 1242Frozen almost to death, how he did lap me
line 1243Even in his garments and did give himself,
120line 1244All thin and naked, to the numb-cold night?
line 1245All this from my remembrance brutish wrath
line 1246Sinfully plucked, and not a man of you
line 1247Had so much grace to put it in my mind.
line 1248But when your carters or your waiting vassals
125line 1249Have done a drunken slaughter and defaced
line 1250The precious image of our dear Redeemer,
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 103 line 1251You straight are on your knees for pardon, pardon,
line 1252And I, unjustly too, must grant it you.

Stanley rises.

line 1253But for my brother, not a man would speak,
130line 1254Nor I, ungracious, speak unto myself
line 1255For him, poor soul. The proudest of you all
line 1256Have been beholding to him in his life,
line 1257Yet none of you would once beg for his life.
line 1258O God, I fear Thy justice will take hold
135line 1259On me and you, and mine and yours for this!—
line 1260Come, Hastings, help me to my closet.—
line 1261Ah, poor Clarence.

Some exit with King and Queen.

RICHARD
line 1262This is the fruits of rashness. Marked you not
line 1263How that the guilty kindred of the Queen
140line 1264Looked pale when they did hear of Clarence’ death?
line 1265O, they did urge it still unto the King.
line 1266God will revenge it. Come, lords, will you go
line 1267To comfort Edward with our company?
line 1268BUCKINGHAMWe wait upon your Grace.

They exit.

Scene 2

Enter the old Duchess of York with the two children of Clarence.

BOY
line 1269Good grandam, tell us, is our father dead?
line 1270DUCHESSNo, boy.
DAUGHTER
line 1271Why do you weep so oft, and beat your breast,
line 1272And cry “O Clarence, my unhappy son”?
BOY
5line 1273Why do you look on us and shake your head,
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 105 line 1274And call us orphans, wretches, castaways,
line 1275If that our noble father were alive?
DUCHESS
line 1276My pretty cousins, you mistake me both.
line 1277I do lament the sickness of the King,
10line 1278As loath to lose him, not your father’s death.
line 1279It were lost sorrow to wail one that’s lost.
BOY
line 1280Then, you conclude, my grandam, he is dead.
line 1281The King mine uncle is to blame for it.
line 1282God will revenge it, whom I will importune
15line 1283With earnest prayers, all to that effect.
line 1284DAUGHTERAnd so will I.
DUCHESS
line 1285Peace, children, peace. The King doth love you
line 1286well.
line 1287Incapable and shallow innocents,
20line 1288You cannot guess who caused your father’s death.
BOY
line 1289Grandam, we can, for my good uncle Gloucester
line 1290Told me the King, provoked to it by the Queen,
line 1291Devised impeachments to imprison him;
line 1292And when my uncle told me so, he wept,
25line 1293And pitied me, and kindly kissed my cheek,
line 1294Bade me rely on him as on my father,
line 1295And he would love me dearly as a child.
DUCHESS
line 1296Ah, that deceit should steal such gentle shape,
line 1297And with a virtuous visor hide deep vice.
30line 1298He is my son, ay, and therein my shame,
line 1299Yet from my dugs he drew not this deceit.
BOY
line 1300Think you my uncle did dissemble, grandam?
line 1301DUCHESSAy, boy.
BOY
line 1302I cannot think it. Hark, what noise is this?
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 107

Enter Queen Elizabeth with her hair about her ears, Rivers and Dorset after her.

QUEEN ELIZABETH
35line 1303Ah, who shall hinder me to wail and weep,
line 1304To chide my fortune and torment myself?
line 1305I’ll join with black despair against my soul
line 1306And to myself become an enemy.
DUCHESS
line 1307What means this scene of rude impatience?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
40line 1308To make an act of tragic violence.
line 1309Edward, my lord, thy son, our king, is dead.
line 1310Why grow the branches when the root is gone?
line 1311Why wither not the leaves that want their sap?
line 1312If you will live, lament. If die, be brief,
45line 1313That our swift-wingèd souls may catch the King’s,
line 1314Or, like obedient subjects, follow him
line 1315To his new kingdom of ne’er-changing night.
DUCHESS
line 1316Ah, so much interest have I in thy sorrow
line 1317As I had title in thy noble husband.
50line 1318I have bewept a worthy husband’s death
line 1319And lived with looking on his images;
line 1320But now two mirrors of his princely semblance
line 1321Are cracked in pieces by malignant death,
line 1322And I, for comfort, have but one false glass
55line 1323That grieves me when I see my shame in him.
line 1324Thou art a widow, yet thou art a mother,
line 1325And hast the comfort of thy children left,
line 1326But death hath snatched my husband from mine
line 1327arms
60line 1328And plucked two crutches from my feeble hands,
line 1329Clarence and Edward. O, what cause have I,
line 1330Thine being but a moiety of my moan,
line 1331To overgo thy woes and drown thy cries!
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 109 BOYto Queen Elizabeth
line 1332Ah, aunt, you wept not for our father’s death.
65line 1333How can we aid you with our kindred tears?
DAUGHTERto Queen Elizabeth
line 1334Our fatherless distress was left unmoaned.
line 1335Your widow-dolor likewise be unwept!
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 1336Give me no help in lamentation.
line 1337I am not barren to bring forth complaints.
70line 1338All springs reduce their currents to mine eyes,
line 1339That I, being governed by the watery moon,
line 1340May send forth plenteous tears to drown the world.
line 1341Ah, for my husband, for my dear lord Edward!
CHILDREN
line 1342Ah, for our father, for our dear lord Clarence!
DUCHESS
75line 1343Alas for both, both mine, Edward and Clarence!
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 1344What stay had I but Edward? And he’s gone.
CHILDREN
line 1345What stay had we but Clarence? And he’s gone.
DUCHESS
line 1346What stays had I but they? And they are gone.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 1347Was never widow had so dear a loss.
CHILDREN
80line 1348Were never orphans had so dear a loss.
DUCHESS
line 1349Was never mother had so dear a loss.
line 1350Alas, I am the mother of these griefs.
line 1351Their woes are parceled; mine is general.
line 1352She for an Edward weeps, and so do I;
85line 1353I for a Clarence weep; so doth not she.
line 1354These babes for Clarence weep, and so do I;
line 1355I for an Edward weep; so do not they.
line 1356Alas, you three, on me, threefold distressed,
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 111 line 1357Pour all your tears. I am your sorrow’s nurse,
90line 1358And I will pamper it with lamentation.
DORSETto Queen Elizabeth
line 1359Comfort, dear mother. God is much displeased
line 1360That you take with unthankfulness His doing.
line 1361In common worldly things, ’tis called ungrateful
line 1362With dull unwillingness to repay a debt
95line 1363Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent;
line 1364Much more to be thus opposite with heaven,
line 1365For it requires the royal debt it lent you.
RIVERS
line 1366Madam, bethink you, like a careful mother,
line 1367Of the young prince your son. Send straight for
100line 1368him.
line 1369Let him be crowned. In him your comfort lives.
line 1370Drown desperate sorrow in dead Edward’s grave
line 1371And plant your joys in living Edward’s throne.

Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Buckingham, Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby, Hastings, and Ratcliffe.

RICHARDto Queen Elizabeth
line 1372Sister, have comfort. All of us have cause
105line 1373To wail the dimming of our shining star,
line 1374But none can help our harms by wailing them.—
line 1375Madam my mother, I do cry you mercy;
line 1376I did not see your Grace. Humbly on my knee
line 1377I crave your blessing.He kneels.
DUCHESS
110line 1378God bless thee, and put meekness in thy breast,
line 1379Love, charity, obedience, and true duty.
RICHARDstanding
line 1380Amen. Aside. And make me die a good old man!
line 1381That is the butt end of a mother’s blessing;
line 1382I marvel that her Grace did leave it out.
BUCKINGHAM
115line 1383You cloudy princes and heart-sorrowing peers
Act 2 Scene 2 - Pg 113 line 1384That bear this heavy mutual load of moan,
line 1385Now cheer each other in each other’s love.
line 1386Though we have spent our harvest of this king,
line 1387We are to reap the harvest of his son.
120line 1388The broken rancor of your high-swoll’n hates,
line 1389But lately splintered, knit, and joined together,
line 1390Must gently be preserved, cherished, and kept.
line 1391Meseemeth good that with some little train
line 1392Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fet
125line 1393Hither to London, to be crowned our king.
RIVERS
line 1394Why “with some little train,” my lord of
line 1395Buckingham?
BUCKINGHAM
line 1396Marry, my lord, lest by a multitude
line 1397The new-healed wound of malice should break out,
130line 1398Which would be so much the more dangerous
line 1399By how much the estate is green and yet
line 1400ungoverned.
line 1401Where every horse bears his commanding rein
line 1402And may direct his course as please himself,
135line 1403As well the fear of harm as harm apparent,
line 1404In my opinion, ought to be prevented.
RICHARD
line 1405I hope the King made peace with all of us;
line 1406And the compact is firm and true in me.
RIVERS
line 1407And so in me, and so, I think, in all.
140line 1408Yet since it is but green, it should be put
line 1409To no apparent likelihood of breach,
line 1410Which haply by much company might be urged.
line 1411Therefore I say with noble Buckingham
line 1412That it is meet so few should fetch the Prince.
145line 1413HASTINGSAnd so say I.
RICHARD
line 1414Then be it so, and go we to determine
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 115 line 1415Who they shall be that straight shall post to
line 1416Ludlow.—
line 1417Madam, and you, my sister, will you go
150line 1418To give your censures in this business?

All but Buckingham and Richard exit.

BUCKINGHAM
line 1419My lord, whoever journeys to the Prince,
line 1420For God’s sake let not us two stay at home.
line 1421For by the way I’ll sort occasion,
line 1422As index to the story we late talked of,
155line 1423To part the Queen’s proud kindred from the Prince.
RICHARD
line 1424My other self, my council’s consistory,
line 1425My oracle, my prophet, my dear cousin,
line 1426I, as a child, will go by thy direction.
line 1427Toward 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
line 1428Good morrow, neighbor, whither away so fast?
SECOND CITIZEN
line 1429I promise you I scarcely know myself.
line 1430Hear you the news abroad?
line 1431FIRST CITIZENYes, that the King is dead.
SECOND CITIZEN
5line 1432Ill news, by ’r Lady. Seldom comes the better.
line 1433I fear, I fear, ’twill prove a giddy world.

Enter another Citizen.

THIRD CITIZEN
line 1434Neighbors, God speed.
line 1435FIRST CITIZENGive you good morrow, sir.
Act 2 Scene 3 - Pg 117 THIRD CITIZEN
line 1436Doth the news hold of good King Edward’s death?
SECOND CITIZEN
10line 1437Ay, sir, it is too true, God help the while.
THIRD CITIZEN
line 1438Then, masters, look to see a troublous world.
FIRST CITIZEN
line 1439No, no, by God’s good grace, his son shall reign.
THIRD CITIZEN
line 1440Woe to that land that’s governed by a child.
SECOND CITIZEN
line 1441In him there is a hope of government,
15line 1442Which, in his nonage, council under him,
line 1443And, in his full and ripened years, himself,
line 1444No doubt shall then, and till then, govern well.
FIRST CITIZEN
line 1445So stood the state when Henry the Sixth
line 1446Was crowned in Paris but at nine months old.
THIRD CITIZEN
20line 1447Stood the state so? No, no, good friends, God wot,
line 1448For then this land was famously enriched
line 1449With politic grave counsel; then the King
line 1450Had virtuous uncles to protect his Grace.
FIRST CITIZEN
line 1451Why, so hath this, both by his father and mother.
THIRD CITIZEN
25line 1452Better it were they all came by his father,
line 1453Or by his father there were none at all,
line 1454For emulation who shall now be nearest
line 1455Will touch us all too near if God prevent not.
line 1456O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloucester,
30line 1457And the Queen’s sons and brothers haught and
line 1458proud,
line 1459And were they to be ruled, and not to rule,
line 1460This sickly land might solace as before.
Act 2 Scene 4 - Pg 119 FIRST CITIZEN
line 1461Come, come, we fear the worst. All will be well.
THIRD CITIZEN
35line 1462When clouds are seen, wise men put on their
line 1463cloaks;
line 1464When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand;
line 1465When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?
line 1466Untimely storms makes men expect a dearth.
40line 1467All may be well; but if God sort it so,
line 1468’Tis more than we deserve or I expect.
SECOND CITIZEN
line 1469Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear.
line 1470You cannot reason almost with a man
line 1471That looks not heavily and full of dread.
THIRD CITIZEN
45line 1472Before the days of change, still is it so.
line 1473By a divine instinct, men’s minds mistrust
line 1474Ensuing danger, as by proof we see
line 1475The water swell before a boist’rous storm.
line 1476But leave it all to God. Whither away?
SECOND CITIZEN
50line 1477Marry, we were sent for to the Justices.
THIRD CITIZEN
line 1478And 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
line 1479Last night, I hear, they lay at Stony Stratford,
line 1480And at Northampton they do rest tonight.
line 1481Tomorrow or next day they will be here.
Act 2 Scene 4 - Pg 121 DUCHESS
line 1482I long with all my heart to see the Prince.
5line 1483I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 1484But I hear no; they say my son of York
line 1485Has almost overta’en him in his growth.
YORK
line 1486Ay, mother, but I would not have it so.
DUCHESS
line 1487Why, my good cousin? It is good to grow.
YORK
10line 1488Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper,
line 1489My uncle Rivers talked how I did grow
line 1490More than my brother. “Ay,” quoth my uncle
line 1491Gloucester,
line 1492“Small herbs have grace; great weeds do grow
15line 1493apace.”
line 1494And since, methinks I would not grow so fast
line 1495Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make
line 1496haste.
DUCHESS
line 1497Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold
20line 1498In him that did object the same to thee!
line 1499He was the wretched’st thing when he was young,
line 1500So long a-growing and so leisurely,
line 1501That if his rule were true, he should be gracious.
YORK
line 1502And so no doubt he is, my gracious madam.
DUCHESS
25line 1503I hope he is, but yet let mothers doubt.
YORK
line 1504Now, by my troth, if I had been remembered,
line 1505I could have given my uncle’s Grace a flout
line 1506To touch his growth nearer than he touched mine.
DUCHESS
line 1507How, my young York? I prithee let me hear it.
Act 2 Scene 4 - Pg 123 YORK
30line 1508Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast
line 1509That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old.
line 1510’Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
line 1511Grandam, this would have been a biting jest.
DUCHESS
line 1512I prithee, pretty York, who told thee this?
35line 1513YORKGrandam, his nurse.
DUCHESS
line 1514His nurse? Why, she was dead ere thou wast born.
YORK
line 1515If ’twere not she, I cannot tell who told me.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 1516A parlous boy! Go to, you are too shrewd.
DUCHESS
line 1517Good madam, be not angry with the child.
40line 1518QUEEN ELIZABETHPitchers have ears.

Enter a Messenger.

line 1519ARCHBISHOPHere comes a messenger.—What news?
MESSENGER
line 1520Such news, my lord, as grieves me to report.
line 1521QUEEN ELIZABETHHow doth the Prince?
line 1522MESSENGERWell, madam, and in health.
45line 1523DUCHESSWhat is thy news?
MESSENGER
line 1524Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are sent to Pomfret,
line 1525And, with them, Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.
line 1526DUCHESSWho hath committed them?
MESSENGER
line 1527The mighty dukes, Gloucester and Buckingham.
50line 1528ARCHBISHOPFor what offense?
MESSENGER
line 1529The sum of all I can, I have disclosed.
line 1530Why, or for what, the nobles were committed
line 1531Is all unknown to me, my gracious lord.
Act 2 Scene 4 - Pg 125 QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 1532Ay me! I see the ruin of my house.
55line 1533The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind.
line 1534Insulting tyranny begins to jut
line 1535Upon the innocent and aweless throne.
line 1536Welcome, destruction, blood, and massacre.
line 1537I see, as in a map, the end of all.
DUCHESS
60line 1538Accursèd and unquiet wrangling days,
line 1539How many of you have mine eyes beheld?
line 1540My husband lost his life to get the crown,
line 1541And often up and down my sons were tossed
line 1542For me to joy, and weep, their gain and loss.
65line 1543And being seated, and domestic broils
line 1544Clean overblown, themselves the conquerors
line 1545Make war upon themselves, brother to brother,
line 1546Blood to blood, self against self. O, preposterous
line 1547And frantic outrage, end thy damnèd spleen,
70line 1548Or let me die, to look on Earth no more.
QUEEN ELIZABETHto York
line 1549Come, come, my boy. We will to sanctuary.—
line 1550Madam, farewell.
line 1551DUCHESSStay, I will go with you.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 1552You have no cause.
75line 1553ARCHBISHOPto Queen Elizabeth My gracious lady, go,
line 1554And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
line 1555For my part, I’ll resign unto your Grace
line 1556The seal I keep; and so betide to me
line 1557As well I tender you and all of yours.
80line 1558Go. 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
line 1559Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your chamber.
RICHARDto Prince
line 1560Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts’ sovereign.
line 1561The weary way hath made you melancholy.
PRINCE
line 1562No, uncle, but our crosses on the way
5line 1563Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy.
line 1564I want more uncles here to welcome me.
RICHARD
line 1565Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of your years
line 1566Hath not yet dived into the world’s deceit;
line 1567Nor more can you distinguish of a man
10line 1568Than of his outward show, which, God He knows,
line 1569Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart.
line 1570Those uncles which you want were dangerous.
line 1571Your Grace attended to their sugared words
line 1572But looked not on the poison of their hearts.
15line 1573God keep you from them, and from such false
line 1574friends.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 131 PRINCE
line 1575God keep me from false friends, but they were none.
RICHARD
line 1576My lord, the Mayor of London comes to greet you.

Enter Lord Mayor with others.

MAYOR
line 1577God bless your Grace with health and happy days.
PRINCE
20line 1578I thank you, good my lord, and thank you all.—
line 1579I thought my mother and my brother York
line 1580Would long ere this have met us on the way.
line 1581Fie, what a slug is Hastings that he comes not
line 1582To tell us whether they will come or no!

Enter Lord Hastings.

BUCKINGHAM
25line 1583And in good time here comes the sweating lord.
PRINCE
line 1584Welcome, my lord. What, will our mother come?
HASTINGS
line 1585On what occasion God He knows, not I,
line 1586The Queen your mother and your brother York
line 1587Have taken sanctuary. The tender prince
30line 1588Would fain have come with me to meet your Grace,
line 1589But by his mother was perforce withheld.
BUCKINGHAM
line 1590Fie, what an indirect and peevish course
line 1591Is this of hers!—Lord Cardinal, will your Grace
line 1592Persuade the Queen to send the Duke of York
35line 1593Unto his princely brother presently?—
line 1594If she deny, Lord Hastings, go with him,
line 1595And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce.
CARDINAL
line 1596My lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 133 line 1597Can from his mother win the Duke of York,
40line 1598Anon expect him here; but if she be obdurate
line 1599To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid
line 1600We should infringe the holy privilege
line 1601Of blessèd sanctuary! Not for all this land
line 1602Would I be guilty of so deep a sin.
BUCKINGHAM
45line 1603You are too senseless obstinate, my lord,
line 1604Too ceremonious and traditional.
line 1605Weigh it but with the grossness of this age,
line 1606You break not sanctuary in seizing him.
line 1607The benefit thereof is always granted
50line 1608To those whose dealings have deserved the place
line 1609And those who have the wit to claim the place.
line 1610This prince hath neither claimed it nor deserved it
line 1611And therefore, in mine opinion, cannot have it.
line 1612Then taking him from thence that is not there,
55line 1613You break no privilege nor charter there.
line 1614Oft have I heard of sanctuary men,
line 1615But sanctuary children, never till now.
CARDINAL
line 1616My lord, you shall o’errule my mind for once.—
line 1617Come on, Lord Hastings, will you go with me?
60line 1618HASTINGSI go, my lord.
PRINCE
line 1619Good lords, make all the speedy haste you may.

The Cardinal and Hastings exit.

line 1620Say, uncle Gloucester, if our brother come,
line 1621Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?
RICHARD
line 1622Where it seems best unto your royal self.
65line 1623If I may counsel you, some day or two
line 1624Your Highness shall repose you at the Tower;
line 1625Then where you please and shall be thought most fit
line 1626For your best health and recreation.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 135 PRINCE
line 1627I do not like the Tower, of any place.—
70line 1628Did Julius Caesar build that place, my lord?
BUCKINGHAM
line 1629He did, my gracious lord, begin that place,
line 1630Which, since, succeeding ages have re-edified.
PRINCE
line 1631Is it upon record, or else reported
line 1632Successively from age to age, he built it?
75line 1633BUCKINGHAMUpon record, my gracious lord.
PRINCE
line 1634But say, my lord, it were not registered,
line 1635Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
line 1636As ’twere retailed to all posterity,
line 1637Even to the general all-ending day.
RICHARDaside
80line 1638So wise so young, they say, do never live long.
line 1639PRINCEWhat say you, uncle?
RICHARD
line 1640I say, without characters fame lives long.
line 1641Aside. Thus, like the formal Vice, Iniquity,
line 1642I moralize two meanings in one word.
PRINCE
85line 1643That Julius Caesar was a famous man.
line 1644With what his valor did enrich his wit,
line 1645His wit set down to make his valor live.
line 1646Death makes no conquest of this conqueror,
line 1647For now he lives in fame, though not in life.
90line 1648I’ll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham—
line 1649BUCKINGHAMWhat, my gracious lord?
PRINCE
line 1650An if I live until I be a man,
line 1651I’ll win our ancient right in France again
line 1652Or die a soldier, as I lived a king.
RICHARDaside
95line 1653Short summers lightly have a forward spring.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 137

Enter young Duke of York, Hastings, and the Cardinal.

BUCKINGHAM
line 1654Now in good time here comes the Duke of York.
PRINCE
line 1655Richard of York, how fares our loving brother?
YORK
line 1656Well, my dread lord—so must I call you now.
PRINCE
line 1657Ay, brother, to our grief, as it is yours.
100line 1658Too late he died that might have kept that title,
line 1659Which by his death hath lost much majesty.
RICHARD
line 1660How fares our cousin, noble lord of York?
YORK
line 1661I thank you, gentle uncle. O my lord,
line 1662You said that idle weeds are fast in growth.
105line 1663The Prince my brother hath outgrown me far.
RICHARD
line 1664He hath, my lord.
line 1665YORKAnd therefore is he idle?
RICHARD
line 1666O my fair cousin, I must not say so.
YORK
line 1667Then he is more beholding to you than I.
RICHARD
110line 1668He may command me as my sovereign,
line 1669But you have power in me as in a kinsman.
YORK
line 1670I pray you, uncle, give me this dagger.
RICHARD
line 1671My dagger, little cousin? With all my heart.
line 1672PRINCEA beggar, brother?
YORK
115line 1673Of my kind uncle, that I know will give,
line 1674And being but a toy, which is no grief to give.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 139 RICHARD
line 1675A greater gift than that I’ll give my cousin.
YORK
line 1676A greater gift? O, that’s the sword to it.
RICHARD
line 1677Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough.
YORK
120line 1678O, then I see you will part but with light gifts.
line 1679In weightier things you’ll say a beggar nay.
RICHARD
line 1680It is too heavy for your Grace to wear.
YORK
line 1681I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.
RICHARD
line 1682What, would you have my weapon, little lord?
YORK
125line 1683I would, that I might thank you as you call me.
line 1684RICHARDHow?
line 1685YORKLittle.
PRINCE
line 1686My lord of York will still be cross in talk.
line 1687Uncle, your Grace knows how to bear with him.
YORK
130line 1688You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me.—
line 1689Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me.
line 1690Because that I am little, like an ape,
line 1691He thinks that you should bear me on your
line 1692shoulders.
BUCKINGHAMaside
135line 1693With what a sharp-provided wit he reasons!
line 1694To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,
line 1695He prettily and aptly taunts himself.
line 1696So cunning and so young is wonderful.
RICHARDto Prince
line 1697My lord, will ’t please you pass along?
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 141 140line 1698Myself and my good cousin Buckingham
line 1699Will to your mother, to entreat of her
line 1700To meet you at the Tower and welcome you.
YORKto Prince
line 1701What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord?
PRINCE
line 1702My Lord Protector needs will have it so.
YORK
145line 1703I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower.
line 1704RICHARDWhy, what should you fear?
YORK
line 1705Marry, my uncle Clarence’ angry ghost.
line 1706My grandam told me he was murdered there.
line 1707PRINCEI fear no uncles dead.
150line 1708RICHARDNor none that live, I hope.
PRINCE
line 1709An if they live, I hope I need not fear.
line 1710To York. But come, my lord. With a heavy heart,
line 1711Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.

A sennet. Prince Edward, the Duke of York, and Hastings exit. Richard, Buckingham, and Catesby remain.

BUCKINGHAMto Richard
line 1712Think you, my lord, this little prating York
155line 1713Was not incensèd by his subtle mother
line 1714To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?
RICHARD
line 1715No doubt, no doubt. O, ’tis a parlous boy,
line 1716Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable.
line 1717He is all the mother’s, from the top to toe.
BUCKINGHAM
160line 1718Well, let them rest.—Come hither, Catesby.
line 1719Thou art sworn as deeply to effect what we intend
line 1720As closely to conceal what we impart.
line 1721Thou knowest our reasons, urged upon the way.
Act 3 Scene 1 - Pg 143 line 1722What thinkest thou? Is it not an easy matter
165line 1723To make William Lord Hastings of our mind
line 1724For the installment of this noble duke
line 1725In the seat royal of this famous isle?
CATESBY
line 1726He, for his father’s sake, so loves the Prince
line 1727That he will not be won to aught against him.
BUCKINGHAM
170line 1728What think’st thou then of Stanley? Will not he?
CATESBY
line 1729He will do all in all as Hastings doth.
BUCKINGHAM
line 1730Well then, no more but this: go, gentle Catesby,
line 1731And, as it were far off, sound thou Lord Hastings
line 1732How he doth stand affected to our purpose
175line 1733And summon him tomorrow to the Tower
line 1734To sit about the coronation.
line 1735If thou dost find him tractable to us,
line 1736Encourage him and tell him all our reasons.
line 1737If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
180line 1738Be thou so too, and so break off the talk,
line 1739And give us notice of his inclination;
line 1740For we tomorrow hold divided councils,
line 1741Wherein thyself shalt highly be employed.
RICHARD
line 1742Commend me to Lord William. Tell him, Catesby,
185line 1743His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries
line 1744Tomorrow are let blood at Pomfret Castle,
line 1745And bid my lord, for joy of this good news,
line 1746Give Mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.
BUCKINGHAM
line 1747Good Catesby, go effect this business soundly.
CATESBY
190line 1748My good lords both, with all the heed I can.
RICHARD
line 1749Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 145 line 1750CATESBYYou shall, my lord.
RICHARD
line 1751At Crosby House, there shall you find us both.

Catesby exits.

BUCKINGHAM
line 1752Now, my lord, what shall we do if we perceive
195line 1753Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?
RICHARD
line 1754Chop off his head. Something we will determine.
line 1755And look when I am king, claim thou of me
line 1756The earldom of Hereford, and all the movables
line 1757Whereof the King my brother was possessed.
BUCKINGHAM
200line 1758I’ll claim that promise at your Grace’s hand.
RICHARD
line 1759And look to have it yielded with all kindness.
line 1760Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards
line 1761We may digest our complots in some form.

They exit.

Scene 2

Enter a Messenger to the door of Hastings.

line 1762MESSENGERknocking My lord, my lord.
line 1763HASTINGSwithin Who knocks?
line 1764MESSENGEROne from the Lord Stanley.
line 1765HASTINGSwithin What is ’t o’clock?
5line 1766MESSENGERUpon the stroke of four.

Enter Lord Hastings.

HASTINGS
line 1767Cannot my Lord Stanley sleep these tedious nights?
MESSENGER
line 1768So it appears by that I have to say.
line 1769First, he commends him to your noble self.
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 147 line 1770HASTINGSWhat then?
MESSENGER
10line 1771Then certifies your Lordship that this night
line 1772He dreamt the boar had razèd off his helm.
line 1773Besides, he says there are two councils kept,
line 1774And that may be determined at the one
line 1775Which may make you and him to rue at th’ other.
15line 1776Therefore he sends to know your Lordship’s
line 1777pleasure,
line 1778If you will presently take horse with him
line 1779And with all speed post with him toward the north
line 1780To shun the danger that his soul divines.
HASTINGS
20line 1781Go, fellow, go. Return unto thy lord.
line 1782Bid him not fear the separated council.
line 1783His Honor and myself are at the one,
line 1784And at the other is my good friend Catesby,
line 1785Where nothing can proceed that toucheth us
25line 1786Whereof I shall not have intelligence.
line 1787Tell him his fears are shallow, without instance.
line 1788And for his dreams, I wonder he’s so simple
line 1789To trust the mock’ry of unquiet slumbers.
line 1790To fly the boar before the boar pursues
30line 1791Were to incense the boar to follow us
line 1792And make pursuit where he did mean no chase.
line 1793Go, bid thy master rise and come to me,
line 1794And we will both together to the Tower,
line 1795Where he shall see the boar will use us kindly.
MESSENGER
35line 1796I’ll go, my lord, and tell him what you say.He exits.

Enter Catesby.

CATESBY
line 1797Many good morrows to my noble lord.
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 149 HASTINGS
line 1798Good morrow, Catesby. You are early stirring.
line 1799What news, what news in this our tott’ring state?
CATESBY
line 1800It is a reeling world indeed, my lord,
40line 1801And I believe will never stand upright
line 1802Till Richard wear the garland of the realm.
HASTINGS
line 1803How “wear the garland”? Dost thou mean the
line 1804crown?
line 1805CATESBYAy, my good lord.
HASTINGS
45line 1806I’ll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders
line 1807Before I’ll see the crown so foul misplaced.
line 1808But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?
CATESBY
line 1809Ay, on my life, and hopes to find you forward
line 1810Upon his party for the gain thereof;
50line 1811And thereupon he sends you this good news,
line 1812That this same very day your enemies,
line 1813The kindred of the Queen, must die at Pomfret.
HASTINGS
line 1814Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,
line 1815Because they have been still my adversaries.
55line 1816But that I’ll give my voice on Richard’s side
line 1817To bar my master’s heirs in true descent,
line 1818God knows I will not do it, to the death.
CATESBY
line 1819God keep your Lordship in that gracious mind.
HASTINGS
line 1820But I shall laugh at this a twelve-month hence,
60line 1821That they which brought me in my master’s hate,
line 1822I live to look upon their tragedy.
line 1823Well, Catesby, ere a fortnight make me older
line 1824I’ll send some packing that yet think not on ’t.
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 151 CATESBY
line 1825’Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord,
65line 1826When men are unprepared and look not for it.
HASTINGS
line 1827O monstrous, monstrous! And so falls it out
line 1828With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey; and so ’twill do
line 1829With some men else that think themselves as safe
line 1830As thou and I, who, as thou know’st, are dear
70line 1831To princely Richard and to Buckingham.
CATESBY
line 1832The Princes both make high account of you—
line 1833Aside. For they account his head upon the Bridge.
HASTINGS
line 1834I know they do, and I have well deserved it.

Enter Lord Stanley.

line 1835Come on, come on. Where is your boar-spear, man?
75line 1836Fear you the boar and go so unprovided?
STANLEY
line 1837My lord, good morrow.—Good morrow, Catesby.—
line 1838You may jest on, but, by the Holy Rood,
line 1839I do not like these several councils, I.
HASTINGS
line 1840My lord, I hold my life as dear as you do yours,
80line 1841And never in my days, I do protest,
line 1842Was it so precious to me as ’tis now.
line 1843Think you but that I know our state secure,
line 1844I would be so triumphant as I am?
STANLEY
line 1845The lords at Pomfret, when they rode from London,
85line 1846Were jocund and supposed their states were sure,
line 1847And they indeed had no cause to mistrust;
line 1848But yet you see how soon the day o’ercast.
line 1849This sudden stab of rancor I misdoubt.
line 1850Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward!
90line 1851What, shall we toward the Tower? The day is spent.
Act 3 Scene 2 - Pg 153 HASTINGS
line 1852Come, come. Have with you. Wot you what, my lord?
line 1853Today the lords you talked of are beheaded.
STANLEY
line 1854They, for their truth, might better wear their heads
line 1855Than some that have accused them wear their hats.
95line 1856But come, my lord, let’s away.

Enter a Pursuivant.

HASTINGS
line 1857Go on before. I’ll talk with this good fellow.

Lord Stanley and Catesby exit.

line 1858How now, sirrah? How goes the world with thee?
PURSUIVANT
line 1859The better that your Lordship please to ask.
HASTINGS
line 1860I tell thee, man, ’tis better with me now
100line 1861Than when thou met’st me last where now we meet.
line 1862Then was I going prisoner to the Tower
line 1863By the suggestion of the Queen’s allies.
line 1864But now, I tell thee—keep it to thyself—
line 1865This day those enemies are put to death,
105line 1866And I in better state than e’er I was.
PURSUIVANT
line 1867God hold it, to your Honor’s good content!
HASTINGS
line 1868Gramercy, fellow. There, drink that for me.

Throws him his purse.

line 1869PURSUIVANTI thank your Honor.Pursuivant exits.

Enter a Priest.

PRIEST
line 1870Well met, my lord. I am glad to see your Honor.
HASTINGS
110line 1871I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart.
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 155 line 1872I am in your debt for your last exercise.
line 1873Come the next sabbath, and I will content you.
line 1874PRIESTI’ll wait upon your Lordship.Priest exits.

Enter Buckingham.

BUCKINGHAM
line 1875What, talking with a priest, Lord Chamberlain?
115line 1876Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest;
line 1877Your Honor hath no shriving work in hand.
HASTINGS
line 1878Good faith, and when I met this holy man,
line 1879The men you talk of came into my mind.
line 1880What, go you toward the Tower?
BUCKINGHAM
120line 1881I do, my lord, but long I cannot stay there.
line 1882I shall return before your Lordship thence.
HASTINGS
line 1883Nay, like enough, for I stay dinner there.
BUCKINGHAMaside
line 1884And supper too, although thou know’st it not.—
line 1885Come, will you go?
125line 1886HASTINGSI’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
line 1887Sir Richard Ratcliffe, let me tell thee this:
line 1888Today shalt thou behold a subject die
line 1889For truth, for duty, and for loyalty.
GREYto Ratcliffe
line 1890God bless the Prince from all the pack of you!
5line 1891A knot you are of damnèd bloodsuckers.
Act 3 Scene 3 - Pg 157 VAUGHANto Ratcliffe
line 1892You live that shall cry woe for this hereafter.
RATCLIFFE
line 1893Dispatch. The limit of your lives is out.
RIVERS
line 1894O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prison,
line 1895Fatal and ominous to noble peers!
10line 1896Within the guilty closure of thy walls,
line 1897Richard the Second here was hacked to death,
line 1898And, for more slander to thy dismal seat,
line 1899We give to thee our guiltless blood to drink.
GREY
line 1900Now Margaret’s curse is fall’n upon our heads,
15line 1901When she exclaimed on Hastings, you, and I,
line 1902For standing by when Richard stabbed her son.
RIVERS
line 1903Then cursed she Richard. Then cursed she
line 1904Buckingham.
line 1905Then cursed she Hastings. O, remember, God,
20line 1906To hear her prayer for them as now for us!
line 1907And for my sister and her princely sons,
line 1908Be satisfied, dear God, with our true blood,
line 1909Which, as thou know’st, unjustly must be spilt.
RATCLIFFE
line 1910Make haste. The hour of death is expiate.
RIVERS
25line 1911Come, Grey. Come, Vaughan. Let us here embrace.

They embrace.

line 1912Farewell until we meet again in heaven.

They exit.

Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 159

Scene 4

Enter Buckingham, Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby, Hastings, Bishop of Ely, Norfolk, Ratcliffe, Lovell, with others, at a table.

HASTINGS
line 1913Now, noble peers, the cause why we are met
line 1914Is to determine of the coronation.
line 1915In God’s name, speak. When is the royal day?
BUCKINGHAM
line 1916Is all things ready for the royal time?
STANLEY
5line 1917It is, and wants but nomination.
ELY
line 1918Tomorrow, then, I judge a happy day.
BUCKINGHAM
line 1919Who knows the Lord Protector’s mind herein?
line 1920Who is most inward with the noble duke?
ELY
line 1921Your Grace, we think, should soonest know his
10line 1922mind.
BUCKINGHAM
line 1923We know each other’s faces; for our hearts,
line 1924He knows no more of mine than I of yours,
line 1925Or I of his, my lord, than you of mine.—
line 1926Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love.
HASTINGS
15line 1927I thank his Grace, I know he loves me well.
line 1928But for his purpose in the coronation,
line 1929I have not sounded him, nor he delivered
line 1930His gracious pleasure any way therein.
line 1931But you, my honorable lords, may name the time,
20line 1932And in the Duke’s behalf I’ll give my voice,
line 1933Which I presume he’ll take in gentle part.

Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 161 ELY
line 1934In happy time here comes the Duke himself.
RICHARD
line 1935My noble lords and cousins all, good morrow.
line 1936I have been long a sleeper; but I trust
25line 1937My absence doth neglect no great design
line 1938Which by my presence might have been concluded.
BUCKINGHAM
line 1939Had you not come upon your cue, my lord,
line 1940William Lord Hastings had pronounced your part—
line 1941I mean your voice for crowning of the King.
RICHARD
30line 1942Than my Lord Hastings no man might be bolder.
line 1943His Lordship knows me well and loves me well.—
line 1944My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn
line 1945I saw good strawberries in your garden there;
line 1946I do beseech you, send for some of them.
ELY
35line 1947Marry and will, my lord, with all my heart.

Exit Bishop of Ely.

RICHARD
line 1948Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you.

They move aside.

line 1949Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business
line 1950And finds the testy gentleman so hot
line 1951That he will lose his head ere give consent
40line 1952His master’s child, as worshipfully he terms it,
line 1953Shall lose the royalty of England’s throne.
BUCKINGHAM
line 1954Withdraw yourself awhile. I’ll go with you.

Richard and Buckingham exit.

STANLEY
line 1955We have not yet set down this day of triumph.
line 1956Tomorrow, in my judgment, is too sudden,
45line 1957For I myself am not so well provided
line 1958As else I would be, were the day prolonged.
Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 163

Enter the Bishop of Ely.

ELY
line 1959Where is my lord the Duke of Gloucester?
line 1960I have sent for these strawberries.
HASTINGS
line 1961His Grace looks cheerfully and smooth this
50line 1962morning.
line 1963There’s some conceit or other likes him well
line 1964When that he bids good morrow with such spirit.
line 1965I think there’s never a man in Christendom
line 1966Can lesser hide his love or hate than he,
55line 1967For by his face straight shall you know his heart.
STANLEY
line 1968What of his heart perceive you in his face
line 1969By any livelihood he showed today?
HASTINGS
line 1970Marry, that with no man here he is offended,
line 1971For were he, he had shown it in his looks.

Enter Richard and Buckingham.

RICHARD
60line 1972I pray you all, tell me what they deserve
line 1973That do conspire my death with devilish plots
line 1974Of damnèd witchcraft, and that have prevailed
line 1975Upon my body with their hellish charms?
HASTINGS
line 1976The tender love I bear your Grace, my lord,
65line 1977Makes me most forward in this princely presence
line 1978To doom th’ offenders, whosoe’er they be.
line 1979I say, my lord, they have deservèd death.
RICHARD
line 1980Then be your eyes the witness of their evil.

He shows his arm.

line 1981Look how I am bewitched! Behold mine arm
70line 1982Is like a blasted sapling withered up;
Act 3 Scene 4 - Pg 165 line 1983And this is Edward’s wife, that monstrous witch,
line 1984Consorted with that harlot, strumpet Shore,
line 1985That by their witchcraft thus have markèd me.
HASTINGS
line 1986If they have done this deed, my noble lord—
RICHARD
75line 1987If? Thou protector of this damnèd strumpet,
line 1988Talk’st thou to me of “ifs”? Thou art a traitor.—
line 1989Off with his head. Now by Saint Paul I swear
line 1990I will not dine until I see the same.—
line 1991Lovell and Ratcliffe, look that it be done.—
80line 1992The rest that love me, rise and follow me.

They exit. Lovell and Ratcliffe remain, with the Lord Hastings.

HASTINGS
line 1993Woe, woe for England! Not a whit for me,
line 1994For I, too fond, might have prevented this.
line 1995Stanley did dream the boar did raze his helm,
line 1996And I did scorn it and disdain to fly.
85line 1997Three times today my foot-cloth horse did stumble,
line 1998And started when he looked upon the Tower,
line 1999As loath to bear me to the slaughterhouse.
line 2000O, now I need the priest that spake to me!
line 2001I now repent I told the pursuivant,
90line 2002As too triumphing, how mine enemies
line 2003Today at Pomfret bloodily were butchered,
line 2004And I myself secure in grace and favor.
line 2005O Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curse
line 2006Is lighted on poor Hastings’ wretched head.
RATCLIFFE
95line 2007Come, come, dispatch. The Duke would be at
line 2008dinner.
line 2009Make a short shrift. He longs to see your head.
HASTINGS
line 2010O momentary grace of mortal men,
line 2011Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!
Act 3 Scene 5 - Pg 167 100line 2012Who builds his hope in air of your good looks
line 2013Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast,
line 2014Ready with every nod to tumble down
line 2015Into the fatal bowels of the deep.
LOVELL
line 2016Come, come, dispatch. ’Tis bootless to exclaim.
HASTINGS
105line 2017O bloody Richard! Miserable England,
line 2018I prophesy the fearfull’st time to thee
line 2019That ever wretched age hath looked upon.—
line 2020Come, lead me to the block. Bear him my head.
line 2021They smile at me who shortly shall be dead.

They exit.

Scene 5

Enter Richard and Buckingham, in rotten armor, marvelous ill-favored.

RICHARD
line 2022Come, cousin, canst thou quake and change thy
line 2023color,
line 2024Murder thy breath in middle of a word,
line 2025And then again begin, and stop again,
5line 2026As if thou were distraught and mad with terror?
BUCKINGHAM
line 2027Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian,
line 2028Speak, and look back, and pry on every side,
line 2029Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
line 2030Intending deep suspicion. Ghastly looks
10line 2031Are at my service, like enforcèd smiles,
line 2032And both are ready, in their offices,
line 2033At any time to grace my stratagems.
line 2034But what, is Catesby gone?
RICHARD
line 2035He is; and see he brings the Mayor along.
Act 3 Scene 5 - Pg 169

Enter the Mayor and Catesby.

15line 2036BUCKINGHAMLord Mayor—
line 2037RICHARDLook to the drawbridge there!
line 2038BUCKINGHAMHark, a drum!
line 2039RICHARDCatesby, o’erlook the walls.

Catesby exits.

line 2040BUCKINGHAMLord Mayor, the reason we have sent—
RICHARD
20line 2041Look back! Defend thee! Here are enemies.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2042God and our innocence defend and guard us!

Enter Lovell and Ratcliffe, with Hastings’ head.

RICHARD
line 2043Be patient. They are friends, Ratcliffe and Lovell.
LOVELL
line 2044Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
line 2045The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.
RICHARD
25line 2046So dear I loved the man that I must weep.
line 2047I took him for the plainest harmless creature
line 2048That breathed upon the Earth a Christian;
line 2049Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded
line 2050The history of all her secret thoughts.
30line 2051So smooth he daubed his vice with show of virtue
line 2052That, his apparent open guilt omitted—
line 2053I mean his conversation with Shore’s wife—
line 2054He lived from all attainder of suspects.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2055Well, well, he was the covert’st sheltered traitor
35line 2056That ever lived.—
line 2057Would you imagine, or almost believe,
line 2058Were ’t not that by great preservation
line 2059We live to tell it, that the subtle traitor
Act 3 Scene 5 - Pg 171 line 2060This day had plotted, in the council house,
40line 2061To murder me and my good lord of Gloucester?
line 2062MAYORHad he done so?
RICHARD
line 2063What, think you we are Turks or infidels?
line 2064Or that we would, against the form of law,
line 2065Proceed thus rashly in the villain’s death,
45line 2066But that the extreme peril of the case,
line 2067The peace of England, and our persons’ safety
line 2068Enforced us to this execution?
MAYOR
line 2069Now fair befall you! He deserved his death,
line 2070And your good Graces both have well proceeded
50line 2071To warn false traitors from the like attempts.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2072I never looked for better at his hands
line 2073After he once fell in with Mistress Shore.
line 2074Yet had we not determined he should die
line 2075Until your Lordship came to see his end
55line 2076(Which now the loving haste of these our friends,
line 2077Something against our meanings, have prevented),
line 2078Because, my lord, I would have had you heard
line 2079The traitor speak and timorously confess
line 2080The manner and the purpose of his treasons,
60line 2081That you might well have signified the same
line 2082Unto the citizens, who haply may
line 2083Misconster us in him, and wail his death.
MAYOR
line 2084But, my good lord, your Graces’ words shall serve
line 2085As well as I had seen and heard him speak;
65line 2086And do not doubt, right noble princes both,
line 2087But I’ll acquaint our duteous citizens
line 2088With all your just proceedings in this case.
RICHARD
line 2089And to that end we wished your Lordship here,
line 2090T’ avoid the censures of the carping world.
Act 3 Scene 5 - Pg 173 BUCKINGHAM
70line 2091Which since you come too late of our intent,
line 2092Yet witness what you hear we did intend.
line 2093And so, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewell.

Mayor exits.

RICHARD
line 2094Go after, after, cousin Buckingham.
line 2095The Mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post.
75line 2096There, at your meetest vantage of the time,
line 2097Infer the bastardy of Edward’s children.
line 2098Tell them how Edward put to death a citizen
line 2099Only for saying he would make his son
line 2100Heir to the Crown—meaning indeed his house,
80line 2101Which, by the sign thereof, was termèd so.
line 2102Moreover, urge his hateful luxury
line 2103And bestial appetite in change of lust,
line 2104Which stretched unto their servants, daughters,
line 2105wives,
85line 2106Even where his raging eye or savage heart,
line 2107Without control, lusted to make a prey.
line 2108Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person:
line 2109Tell them when that my mother went with child
line 2110Of that insatiate Edward, noble York
90line 2111My princely father then had wars in France,
line 2112And, by true computation of the time,
line 2113Found that the issue was not his begot,
line 2114Which well appearèd in his lineaments,
line 2115Being nothing like the noble duke my father.
95line 2116Yet touch this sparingly, as ’twere far off,
line 2117Because, my lord, you know my mother lives.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2118Doubt not, my lord. I’ll play the orator
line 2119As if the golden fee for which I plead
line 2120Were for myself. And so, my lord, adieu.
RICHARD
100line 2121If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard’s Castle,
Act 3 Scene 6 - Pg 175 line 2122Where you shall find me well accompanied
line 2123With reverend fathers and well-learnèd bishops.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2124I go; and towards three or four o’clock
line 2125Look for the news that the Guildhall affords.

Buckingham exits.

RICHARD
105line 2126Go, Lovell, with all speed to Doctor Shaa.
line 2127To Ratcliffe. Go thou to Friar Penker. Bid them
line 2128both
line 2129Meet me within this hour at Baynard’s Castle.

Ratcliffe and Lovell exit.

line 2130Now will I go to take some privy order
110line 2131To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight,
line 2132And to give order that no manner person
line 2133Have any time recourse unto the Princes.

He exits.

Scene 6

Enter a Scrivener.

SCRIVENER
line 2134Here is the indictment of the good Lord Hastings,
line 2135Which in a set hand fairly is engrossed,
line 2136That it may be today read o’er in Paul’s.
line 2137And mark how well the sequel hangs together:
5line 2138Eleven hours I have spent to write it over,
line 2139For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me;
line 2140The precedent was full as long a-doing,
line 2141And yet within these five hours Hastings lived,
line 2142Untainted, unexamined, free, at liberty.
10line 2143Here’s a good world the while! Who is so gross
line 2144That cannot see this palpable device?
line 2145Yet who so bold but says he sees it not?
Act 3 Scene 7 - Pg 177 line 2146Bad is the world, and all will come to naught
line 2147When such ill dealing must be seen in thought.

He exits.

Scene 7

Enter Richard and Buckingham at several doors.

RICHARD
line 2148How now, how now? What say the citizens?
BUCKINGHAM
line 2149Now, by the holy mother of our Lord,
line 2150The citizens are mum, say not a word.
RICHARD
line 2151Touched you the bastardy of Edward’s children?
BUCKINGHAM
5line 2152I did; with his contract with Lady Lucy
line 2153And his contract by deputy in France;
line 2154Th’ unsatiate greediness of his desire
line 2155And his enforcement of the city wives;
line 2156His tyranny for trifles; his own bastardy,
10line 2157As being got, your father then in France,
line 2158And his resemblance being not like the Duke.
line 2159Withal, I did infer your lineaments,
line 2160Being the right idea of your father,
line 2161Both in your form and nobleness of mind;
15line 2162Laid open all your victories in Scotland,
line 2163Your discipline in war, wisdom in peace,
line 2164Your bounty, virtue, fair humility;
line 2165Indeed, left nothing fitting for your purpose
line 2166Untouched or slightly handled in discourse.
20line 2167And when mine oratory drew toward end,
line 2168I bid them that did love their country’s good
line 2169Cry “God save Richard, England’s royal king!”
line 2170RICHARDAnd did they so?
Act 3 Scene 7 - Pg 179 BUCKINGHAM
line 2171No. So God help me, they spake not a word
25line 2172But, like dumb statues or breathing stones,
line 2173Stared each on other and looked deadly pale;
line 2174Which when I saw, I reprehended them
line 2175And asked the Mayor what meant this willful silence.
line 2176His answer was, the people were not used
30line 2177To be spoke to but by the Recorder.
line 2178Then he was urged to tell my tale again:
line 2179“Thus saith the Duke. Thus hath the Duke
line 2180inferred”—
line 2181But nothing spoke in warrant from himself.
35line 2182When he had done, some followers of mine own,
line 2183At lower end of the hall, hurled up their caps,
line 2184And some ten voices cried “God save King Richard!”
line 2185And thus I took the vantage of those few.
line 2186“Thanks, gentle citizens and friends,” quoth I.
40line 2187“This general applause and cheerful shout
line 2188Argues your wisdoms and your love to Richard”—
line 2189And even here brake off and came away.
RICHARD
line 2190What tongueless blocks were they! Would they not
line 2191speak?
45line 2192Will not the Mayor then and his brethren come?
BUCKINGHAM
line 2193The Mayor is here at hand. Intend some fear;
line 2194Be not you spoke with but by mighty suit.
line 2195And look you get a prayer book in your hand
line 2196And stand between two churchmen, good my lord,
50line 2197For on that ground I’ll make a holy descant.
line 2198And be not easily won to our requests.
line 2199Play the maid’s part: still answer “nay,” and take it.
RICHARD
line 2200I go. An if you plead as well for them
line 2201As I can say “nay” to thee for myself,
55line 2202No doubt we bring it to a happy issue.

Knocking within.

Act 3 Scene 7 - Pg 181 BUCKINGHAM
line 2203Go, go, up to the leads. The Lord Mayor knocks.

Richard exits.

Enter the Mayor and Citizens.

line 2204Welcome, my lord. I dance attendance here.
line 2205I think the Duke will not be spoke withal.

Enter Catesby.

line 2206Now, Catesby, what says your lord to my request?
CATESBY
60line 2207He doth entreat your Grace, my noble lord,
line 2208To visit him tomorrow or next day.
line 2209He is within, with two right reverend fathers,
line 2210Divinely bent to meditation,
line 2211And in no worldly suits would he be moved
65line 2212To draw him from his holy exercise.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2213Return, good Catesby, to the gracious duke.
line 2214Tell him myself, the Mayor, and aldermen,
line 2215In deep designs, in matter of great moment
line 2216No less importing than our general good,
70line 2217Are come to have some conference with his Grace.
CATESBY
line 2218I’ll signify so much unto him straight.He exits.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2219Ah ha, my lord, this prince is not an Edward!
line 2220He is not lolling on a lewd love-bed,
line 2221But on his knees at meditation;
75line 2222Not dallying with a brace of courtesans,
line 2223But meditating with two deep divines;
line 2224Not sleeping, to engross his idle body,
line 2225But praying, to enrich his watchful soul.
line 2226Happy were England would this virtuous prince
Act 3 Scene 7 - Pg 183 80line 2227Take on his Grace the sovereignty thereof.
line 2228But sure I fear we shall not win him to it.
MAYOR
line 2229Marry, God defend his Grace should say us nay.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2230I fear he will. Here Catesby comes again.

Enter Catesby.

line 2231Now, Catesby, what says his Grace?
CATESBY
85line 2232He wonders to what end you have assembled
line 2233Such troops of citizens to come to him,
line 2234His Grace not being warned thereof before.
line 2235He fears, my lord, you mean no good to him.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2236Sorry I am my noble cousin should
90line 2237Suspect me that I mean no good to him.
line 2238By heaven, we come to him in perfect love,
line 2239And so once more return and tell his Grace.

Catesby exits.

line 2240When holy and devout religious men
line 2241Are at their beads, ’tis much to draw them thence,
95line 2242So sweet is zealous contemplation.

Enter Richard aloft, between two Bishops.

Catesby reenters.

MAYOR
line 2243See where his Grace stands, ’tween two clergymen.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2244Two props of virtue for a Christian prince,
line 2245To stay him from the fall of vanity;
line 2246And, see, a book of prayer in his hand,
100line 2247True ornaments to know a holy man.—
line 2248Famous Plantagenet, most gracious prince,
line 2249Lend favorable ear to our requests,
Act 3 Scene 7 - Pg 185 line 2250And pardon us the interruption
line 2251Of thy devotion and right Christian zeal.
RICHARD
105line 2252My lord, there needs no such apology.
line 2253I do beseech your Grace to pardon me,
line 2254Who, earnest in the service of my God,
line 2255Deferred the visitation of my friends.
line 2256But, leaving this, what is your Grace’s pleasure?
BUCKINGHAM
110line 2257Even that, I hope, which pleaseth God above
line 2258And all good men of this ungoverned isle.
RICHARD
line 2259I do suspect I have done some offense
line 2260That seems disgracious in the city’s eye,
line 2261And that you come to reprehend my ignorance.
BUCKINGHAM
115line 2262You have, my lord. Would it might please your
line 2263Grace,
line 2264On our entreaties, to amend your fault.
RICHARD
line 2265Else wherefore breathe I in a Christian land?
BUCKINGHAM
line 2266Know, then, it is your fault that you resign
120line 2267The supreme seat, the throne majestical,
line 2268The sceptered office of your ancestors,
line 2269Your state of fortune, and your due of birth,
line 2270The lineal glory of your royal house,
line 2271To the corruption of a blemished stock,
125line 2272Whiles in the mildness of your sleepy thoughts,
line 2273Which here we waken to our country’s good,
line 2274The noble isle doth want her proper limbs—
line 2275Her face defaced with scars of infamy,
line 2276Her royal stock graft with ignoble plants,
130line 2277And almost shouldered in the swallowing gulf
line 2278Of dark forgetfulness and deep oblivion;
line 2279Which to recure, we heartily solicit
Act 3 Scene 7 - Pg 187 line 2280Your gracious self to take on you the charge
line 2281And kingly government of this your land,
135line 2282Not as Protector, steward, substitute,
line 2283Or lowly factor for another’s gain,
line 2284But as successively, from blood to blood,
line 2285Your right of birth, your empery, your own.
line 2286For this, consorted with the citizens,
140line 2287Your very worshipful and loving friends,
line 2288And by their vehement instigation,
line 2289In this just cause come I to move your Grace.
RICHARD
line 2290I cannot tell if to depart in silence
line 2291Or bitterly to speak in your reproof
145line 2292Best fitteth my degree or your condition.
line 2293If not to answer, you might haply think
line 2294Tongue-tied ambition, not replying, yielded
line 2295To bear the golden yoke of sovereignty,
line 2296Which fondly you would here impose on me.
150line 2297If to reprove you for this suit of yours,
line 2298So seasoned with your faithful love to me,
line 2299Then on the other side I checked my friends.
line 2300Therefore, to speak, and to avoid the first,
line 2301And then, in speaking, not to incur the last,
155line 2302Definitively thus I answer you:
line 2303Your love deserves my thanks, but my desert
line 2304Unmeritable shuns your high request.
line 2305First, if all obstacles were cut away
line 2306And that my path were even to the crown
160line 2307As the ripe revenue and due of birth,
line 2308Yet so much is my poverty of spirit,
line 2309So mighty and so many my defects,
line 2310That I would rather hide me from my greatness,
line 2311Being a bark to brook no mighty sea,
165line 2312Than in my greatness covet to be hid
line 2313And in the vapor of my glory smothered.
line 2314But, God be thanked, there is no need of me,
Act 3 Scene 7 - Pg 189 line 2315And much I need to help you, were there need.
line 2316The royal tree hath left us royal fruit,
170line 2317Which, mellowed by the stealing hours of time,
line 2318Will well become the seat of majesty,
line 2319And make, no doubt, us happy by his reign.
line 2320On him I lay that you would lay on me,
line 2321The right and fortune of his happy stars,
175line 2322Which God defend that I should wring from him.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2323My lord, this argues conscience in your Grace,
line 2324But the respects thereof are nice and trivial,
line 2325All circumstances well considerèd.
line 2326You say that Edward is your brother’s son;
180line 2327So say we too, but not by Edward’s wife.
line 2328For first was he contract to Lady Lucy—
line 2329Your mother lives a witness to his vow—
line 2330And afterward by substitute betrothed
line 2331To Bona, sister to the King of France.
185line 2332These both put off, a poor petitioner,
line 2333A care-crazed mother to a many sons,
line 2334A beauty-waning and distressèd widow,
line 2335Even in the afternoon of her best days,
line 2336Made prize and purchase of his wanton eye,
190line 2337Seduced the pitch and height of his degree
line 2338To base declension and loathed bigamy.
line 2339By her in his unlawful bed he got
line 2340This Edward, whom our manners call “the Prince.”
line 2341More bitterly could I expostulate,
195line 2342Save that, for reverence to some alive,
line 2343I give a sparing limit to my tongue.
line 2344Then, good my lord, take to your royal self
line 2345This proffered benefit of dignity,
line 2346If not to bless us and the land withal,
200line 2347Yet to draw forth your noble ancestry
line 2348From the corruption of abusing times
line 2349Unto a lineal, true-derivèd course.
Act 3 Scene 7 - Pg 191 MAYOR
line 2350Do, good my lord. Your citizens entreat you.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2351Refuse not, mighty lord, this proffered love.
CATESBY
205line 2352O, make them joyful. Grant their lawful suit.
RICHARD
line 2353Alas, why would you heap this care on me?
line 2354I am unfit for state and majesty.
line 2355I do beseech you, take it not amiss;
line 2356I cannot, nor I will not, yield to you.
BUCKINGHAM
210line 2357If you refuse it, as in love and zeal
line 2358Loath to depose the child, your brother’s son—
line 2359As well we know your tenderness of heart
line 2360And gentle, kind, effeminate remorse,
line 2361Which we have noted in you to your kindred
215line 2362And equally indeed to all estates—
line 2363Yet know, whe’er you accept our suit or no,
line 2364Your brother’s son shall never reign our king,
line 2365But we will plant some other in the throne,
line 2366To the disgrace and downfall of your house.
220line 2367And in this resolution here we leave you.—
line 2368Come, citizens. Zounds, I’ll entreat no more.
RICHARD
line 2369O, do not swear, my lord of Buckingham!

Buckingham and some others exit.

CATESBY
line 2370Call him again, sweet prince. Accept their suit.
line 2371If you deny them, all the land will rue it.
RICHARD
225line 2372Will you enforce me to a world of cares?
line 2373Call them again. I am not made of stones,
line 2374But penetrable to your kind entreaties,
line 2375Albeit against my conscience and my soul.

Enter Buckingham and the rest.

Act 3 Scene 7 - Pg 193 line 2376Cousin of Buckingham and sage, grave men,
230line 2377Since you will buckle Fortune on my back,
line 2378To bear her burden, whe’er I will or no,
line 2379I must have patience to endure the load;
line 2380But if black scandal or foul-faced reproach
line 2381Attend the sequel of your imposition,
235line 2382Your mere enforcement shall acquittance me
line 2383From all the impure blots and stains thereof,
line 2384For God doth know, and you may partly see,
line 2385How far I am from the desire of this.
MAYOR
line 2386God bless your Grace! We see it and will say it.
RICHARD
240line 2387In saying so, you shall but say the truth.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2388Then I salute you with this royal title:
line 2389Long live Richard, England’s worthy king!
line 2390ALLAmen.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2391Tomorrow may it please you to be crowned?
RICHARD
245line 2392Even when you please, for you will have it so.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2393Tomorrow, then, we will attend your Grace,
line 2394And so most joyfully we take our leave.
RICHARDto the Bishops
line 2395Come, let us to our holy work again.—
line 2396Farewell, 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
line 2397Who meets us here? My niece Plantagenet
line 2398Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloucester?
line 2399Now, for my life, she’s wandering to the Tower,
line 2400On pure heart’s love, to greet the tender prince.—
5line 2401Daughter, well met.
line 2402ANNEGod give your Graces both
line 2403A happy and a joyful time of day.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2404As much to you, good sister. Whither away?
ANNE
line 2405No farther than the Tower, and, as I guess,
10line 2406Upon the like devotion as yourselves,
line 2407To gratulate the gentle princes there.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2408Kind sister, thanks. We’ll enter all together.

Enter Brakenbury, the Lieutenant.

line 2409And in good time here the Lieutenant comes.—
line 2410Master Lieutenant, pray you, by your leave,
15line 2411How doth the Prince and my young son of York?
Act 4 Scene 1 - Pg 199 BRAKENBURY
line 2412Right well, dear madam. By your patience,
line 2413I may not suffer you to visit them.
line 2414The King hath strictly charged the contrary.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2415The King? Who’s that?
20line 2416BRAKENBURYI mean, the Lord Protector.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2417The Lord protect him from that kingly title!
line 2418Hath he set bounds between their love and me?
line 2419I am their mother. Who shall bar me from them?
DUCHESS
line 2420I am their father’s mother. I will see them.
ANNE
25line 2421Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother.
line 2422Then bring me to their sights. I’ll bear thy blame
line 2423And take thy office from thee, on my peril.
BRAKENBURY
line 2424No, madam, no. I may not leave it so.
line 2425I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me.

Brakenbury the Lieutenant exits.

Enter Stanley.

STANLEY
30line 2426Let me but meet you ladies one hour hence,
line 2427And I’ll salute your Grace of York as mother
line 2428And reverend looker-on of two fair queens.
line 2429To Anne. Come, madam, you must straight to
line 2430Westminster,
35line 2431There to be crownèd Richard’s royal queen.
line 2432QUEEN ELIZABETHAh, cut my lace asunder
line 2433That my pent heart may have some scope to beat,
line 2434Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news!
ANNE
line 2435Despiteful tidings! O, unpleasing news!
Act 4 Scene 1 - Pg 201 DORSETto Queen Elizabeth
40line 2436Be of good cheer, mother. How fares your Grace?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2437O Dorset, speak not to me. Get thee gone.
line 2438Death and destruction dogs thee at thy heels.
line 2439Thy mother’s name is ominous to children.
line 2440If thou wilt outstrip death, go, cross the seas,
45line 2441And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell.
line 2442Go, hie thee, hie thee from this slaughterhouse,
line 2443Lest thou increase the number of the dead
line 2444And make me die the thrall of Margaret’s curse,
line 2445Nor mother, wife, nor England’s counted queen.
STANLEY
50line 2446Full of wise care is this your counsel, madam.
line 2447To Dorset. Take all the swift advantage of the
line 2448hours.
line 2449You shall have letters from me to my son
line 2450In your behalf, to meet you on the way.
55line 2451Be not ta’en tardy by unwise delay.
DUCHESS
line 2452O ill-dispersing wind of misery!
line 2453O my accursèd womb, the bed of death!
line 2454A cockatrice hast thou hatched to the world,
line 2455Whose unavoided eye is murderous.
STANLEYto Anne
60line 2456Come, madam, come. I in all haste was sent.
ANNE
line 2457And I with all unwillingness will go.
line 2458O, would to God that the inclusive verge
line 2459Of golden metal that must round my brow
line 2460Were red-hot steel to sear me to the brains!
65line 2461Anointed let me be with deadly venom,
line 2462And die ere men can say “God save the Queen.”
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2463Go, go, poor soul, I envy not thy glory.
line 2464To feed my humor, wish thyself no harm.
Act 4 Scene 1 - Pg 203 ANNE
line 2465No? Why? When he that is my husband now
70line 2466Came to me as I followed Henry’s corse,
line 2467When scarce the blood was well washed from his
line 2468hands
line 2469Which issued from my other angel husband
line 2470And that dear saint which then I weeping followed—
75line 2471O, when, I say, I looked on Richard’s face,
line 2472This was my wish: be thou, quoth I, accursed
line 2473For making me, so young, so old a widow;
line 2474And, when thou wedd’st, let sorrow haunt thy bed;
line 2475And be thy wife, if any be so mad,
80line 2476More miserable by the life of thee
line 2477Than thou hast made me by my dear lord’s death.
line 2478Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again,
line 2479Within so small a time my woman’s heart
line 2480Grossly grew captive to his honey words
85line 2481And proved the subject of mine own soul’s curse,
line 2482Which hitherto hath held my eyes from rest,
line 2483For never yet one hour in his bed
line 2484Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep,
line 2485But with his timorous dreams was still awaked.
90line 2486Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick,
line 2487And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2488Poor heart, adieu. I pity thy complaining.
ANNE
line 2489No more than with my soul I mourn for yours.
DORSET
line 2490Farewell, thou woeful welcomer of glory.
ANNE
95line 2491Adieu, poor soul that tak’st thy leave of it.
DUCHESSto Dorset
line 2492Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee.
line 2493To Anne. Go thou to Richard, and good angels
line 2494tend thee.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 205 line 2495To Queen Elizabeth. Go thou to sanctuary, and
100line 2496good thoughts possess thee.
line 2497I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with me.
line 2498Eighty-odd years of sorrow have I seen,
line 2499And each hour’s joy wracked with a week of teen.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2500Stay, yet look back with me unto the Tower.—
105line 2501Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes
line 2502Whom envy hath immured within your walls—
line 2503Rough cradle for such little pretty ones.
line 2504Rude ragged nurse, old sullen playfellow
line 2505For tender princes, use my babies well.
110line 2506So 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
line 2507Stand all apart.—Cousin of Buckingham.

The others move aside.

line 2508BUCKINGHAMMy gracious sovereign.
RICHARD
line 2509Give me thy hand.

Here he ascendeth the throne. Sound trumpets.

line 2510Thus high, by thy advice
5line 2511And thy assistance is King Richard seated.
line 2512But shall we wear these glories for a day,
line 2513Or shall they last and we rejoice in them?
BUCKINGHAM
line 2514Still live they, and forever let them last.
RICHARD
line 2515Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the touch,
10line 2516To try if thou be current gold indeed:
line 2517Young Edward lives; think now what I would speak.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 207 line 2518BUCKINGHAMSay on, my loving lord.
RICHARD
line 2519Why, Buckingham, I say I would be king.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2520Why so you are, my thrice-renownèd lord.
RICHARD
15line 2521Ha! Am I king? ’Tis so—but Edward lives.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2522True, noble prince.
line 2523RICHARDO bitter consequence
line 2524That Edward still should live “true noble prince”!
line 2525Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull.
20line 2526Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead,
line 2527And I would have it suddenly performed.
line 2528What sayst thou now? Speak suddenly. Be brief.
line 2529BUCKINGHAMYour Grace may do your pleasure.
RICHARD
line 2530Tut, tut, thou art all ice; thy kindness freezes.
25line 2531Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?
BUCKINGHAM
line 2532Give me some little breath, some pause, dear lord,
line 2533Before I positively speak in this.
line 2534I will resolve you herein presently.

Buckingham exits.

CATESBYaside to the other Attendants
line 2535The King is angry. See, he gnaws his lip.
RICHARDaside
30line 2536I will converse with iron-witted fools
line 2537And unrespective boys. None are for me
line 2538That look into me with considerate eyes.
line 2539High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.—
line 2540Boy!
35line 2541PAGEcoming forward My lord?
RICHARD
line 2542Know’st thou not any whom corrupting gold
line 2543Will tempt unto a close exploit of death?
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 209 PAGE
line 2544I know a discontented gentleman
line 2545Whose humble means match not his haughty spirit.
40line 2546Gold were as good as twenty orators,
line 2547And will, no doubt, tempt him to anything.
RICHARD
line 2548What is his name?
line 2549PAGEHis name, my lord, is Tyrrel.
RICHARD
line 2550I partly know the man. Go, call him hither, boy.

Page exits.

45line 2551Aside. The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
line 2552No more shall be the neighbor to my counsels.
line 2553Hath he so long held out with me, untired,
line 2554And stops he now for breath? Well, be it so.

Enter Stanley.

line 2555How now, Lord Stanley, what’s the news?
50line 2556STANLEYKnow, my loving lord,
line 2557The Marquess Dorset, as I hear, is fled
line 2558To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.

He walks aside.

RICHARD
line 2559Come hither, Catesby. Rumor it abroad
line 2560That Anne my wife is very grievous sick.
55line 2561I will take order for her keeping close.
line 2562Inquire me out some mean poor gentleman,
line 2563Whom I will marry straight to Clarence’ daughter.
line 2564The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.
line 2565Look how thou dream’st! I say again, give out
60line 2566That Anne my queen is sick and like to die.
line 2567About it, for it stands me much upon
line 2568To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me.

Catesby exits.

line 2569Aside. I must be married to my brother’s daughter,
line 2570Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass.
Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 211 65line 2571Murder her brothers, and then marry her—
line 2572Uncertain way of gain. But I am in
line 2573So far in blood that sin will pluck on sin.
line 2574Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.

Enter Tyrrel.

line 2575Is thy name Tyrrel?
TYRREL
70line 2576James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.
RICHARD
line 2577Art thou indeed?
line 2578TYRRELProve me, my gracious lord.
RICHARD
line 2579Dar’st thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?
TYRREL
line 2580Please you. But I had rather kill two enemies.
RICHARD
75line 2581Why then, thou hast it. Two deep enemies,
line 2582Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleep’s disturbers,
line 2583Are they that I would have thee deal upon.
line 2584Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower.
TYRREL
line 2585Let me have open means to come to them,
80line 2586And soon I’ll rid you from the fear of them.
RICHARD
line 2587Thou sing’st sweet music. Hark, come hither, Tyrrel.

Tyrrel approaches Richard and kneels.

line 2588Go, by this token. Rise, and lend thine ear.

Tyrrel rises, and Richard whispers to him. Then Tyrrel steps back.

line 2589There is no more but so. Say it is done,
line 2590And I will love thee and prefer thee for it.
85line 2591TYRRELI will dispatch it straight.He exits.

Enter Buckingham.

Act 4 Scene 2 - Pg 213 BUCKINGHAM
line 2592My lord, I have considered in my mind
line 2593The late request that you did sound me in.
RICHARD
line 2594Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to Richmond.
line 2595BUCKINGHAMI hear the news, my lord.
RICHARD
90line 2596Stanley, he is your wife’s son. Well, look unto it.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2597My lord, I claim the gift, my due by promise,
line 2598For which your honor and your faith is pawned—
line 2599Th’ earldom of Hereford and the movables
line 2600Which you have promisèd I shall possess.
RICHARD
95line 2601Stanley, look to your wife. If she convey
line 2602Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2603What says your Highness to my just request?
RICHARD
line 2604I do remember me, Henry the Sixth
line 2605Did prophesy that Richmond should be king,
100line 2606When Richmond was a little peevish boy.
line 2607A king perhaps—
line 2608BUCKINGHAMMy lord—
RICHARD
line 2609How chance the prophet could not at that time
line 2610Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?
BUCKINGHAM
105line 2611My lord, your promise for the earldom—
RICHARD
line 2612Richmond! When last I was at Exeter,
line 2613The Mayor in courtesy showed me the castle
line 2614And called it Rougemont, at which name I started,
line 2615Because a bard of Ireland told me once
110line 2616I should not live long after I saw Richmond.
line 2617BUCKINGHAMMy lord—
Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 215 line 2618RICHARDAy, what’s o’clock?
BUCKINGHAM
line 2619I am thus bold to put your Grace in mind
line 2620Of what you promised me.
115line 2621RICHARDWell, but what’s o’clock?
line 2622BUCKINGHAMUpon the stroke of ten.
line 2623RICHARDWell, let it strike.
line 2624BUCKINGHAMWhy let it strike?
RICHARD
line 2625Because that, like a jack, thou keep’st the stroke
120line 2626Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.
line 2627I am not in the giving vein today.
BUCKINGHAM
line 2628Why then, resolve me whether you will or no.
RICHARD
line 2629Thou troublest me; I am not in the vein.

He exits, and is followed by all but Buckingham.

BUCKINGHAM
line 2630And is it thus? Repays he my deep service
125line 2631With such contempt? Made I him king for this?
line 2632O, let me think on Hastings and be gone
line 2633To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on!

He exits.

Scene 3

Enter Tyrrel.

TYRREL
line 2634The tyrannous and bloody act is done,
line 2635The most arch deed of piteous massacre
line 2636That ever yet this land was guilty of.
line 2637Dighton and Forrest, who I did suborn
5line 2638To do this piece of ruthless butchery,
line 2639Albeit they were fleshed villains, bloody dogs,
line 2640Melted with tenderness and mild compassion,
Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 217 line 2641Wept like two children in their deaths’ sad story.
line 2642“O thus,” quoth Dighton, “lay the gentle babes.”
10line 2643“Thus, thus,” quoth Forrest, “girdling one another
line 2644Within their alabaster innocent arms.
line 2645Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,
line 2646And in their summer beauty kissed each other.
line 2647A book of prayers on their pillow lay,
15line 2648Which once,” quoth Forrest, “almost changed my
line 2649mind,
line 2650But, O, the devil—” There the villain stopped;
line 2651When Dighton thus told on: “We smotherèd
line 2652The most replenishèd sweet work of nature
20line 2653That from the prime creation e’er she framed.”
line 2654Hence both are gone with conscience and remorse;
line 2655They could not speak; and so I left them both
line 2656To bear this tidings to the bloody king.

Enter Richard.

line 2657And here he comes.—All health, my sovereign lord.
RICHARD
25line 2658Kind Tyrrel, am I happy in thy news?
TYRREL
line 2659If to have done the thing you gave in charge
line 2660Beget your happiness, be happy then,
line 2661For it is done.
line 2662RICHARDBut did’st thou see them dead?
TYRREL
30line 2663I did, my lord.
line 2664RICHARDAnd buried, gentle Tyrrel?
TYRREL
line 2665The chaplain of the Tower hath buried them,
line 2666But where, to say the truth, I do not know.
RICHARD
line 2667Come to me, Tyrrel, soon at after-supper,
35line 2668When thou shalt tell the process of their death.
line 2669Meantime, but think how I may do thee good,
Act 4 Scene 3 - Pg 219 line 2670And be inheritor of thy desire.
line 2671Farewell till then.
line 2672TYRRELI humbly take my leave.

Tyrrel exits.

RICHARD
40line 2673The son of Clarence have I pent up close,
line 2674His daughter meanly have I matched in marriage,
line 2675The sons of Edward sleep in Abraham’s bosom,
line 2676And Anne my wife hath bid this world goodnight.
line 2677Now, for I know the Breton Richmond aims
45line 2678At young Elizabeth, my brother’s daughter,
line 2679And by that knot looks proudly on the crown,
line 2680To her go I, a jolly thriving wooer.

Enter Ratcliffe.

line 2681RATCLIFFEMy lord.
RICHARD
line 2682Good or bad news, that thou com’st in so bluntly?
RATCLIFFE
50line 2683Bad news, my lord. Morton is fled to Richmond,
line 2684And Buckingham, backed with the hardy Welshmen,
line 2685Is in the field, and still his power increaseth.
RICHARD
line 2686Ely with Richmond troubles me more near
line 2687Than Buckingham and his rash-levied strength.
55line 2688Come, I have learned that fearful commenting
line 2689Is leaden servitor to dull delay;
line 2690Delay leads impotent and snail-paced beggary;
line 2691Then fiery expedition be my wing,
line 2692Jove’s Mercury, and herald for a king.
60line 2693Go, muster men. My counsel is my shield.
line 2694We must be brief when traitors brave the field.

They exit.

Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 221

Scene 4

Enter old Queen Margaret.

QUEEN MARGARET
line 2695So now prosperity begins to mellow
line 2696And drop into the rotten mouth of death.
line 2697Here in these confines slyly have I lurked
line 2698To watch the waning of mine enemies.
5line 2699A dire induction am I witness to,
line 2700And will to France, hoping the consequence
line 2701Will prove as bitter, black, and tragical.
line 2702Withdraw thee, wretched Margaret. Who comes
line 2703here?She steps aside.

Enter Duchess of York and Queen Elizabeth.

QUEEN ELIZABETH
10line 2704Ah, my poor princes! Ah, my tender babes,
line 2705My unblown flowers, new-appearing sweets,
line 2706If yet your gentle souls fly in the air
line 2707And be not fixed in doom perpetual,
line 2708Hover about me with your airy wings
15line 2709And hear your mother’s lamentation.
QUEEN MARGARETaside
line 2710Hover about her; say that right for right
line 2711Hath dimmed your infant morn to agèd night.
DUCHESS
line 2712So many miseries have crazed my voice
line 2713That my woe-wearied tongue is still and mute.
20line 2714Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead?
QUEEN MARGARETaside
line 2715Plantagenet doth quit Plantagenet;
line 2716Edward for Edward pays a dying debt.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2717Wilt thou, O God, fly from such gentle lambs
line 2718And throw them in the entrails of the wolf?
25line 2719When didst thou sleep when such a deed was done?
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 223 QUEEN MARGARETaside
line 2720When holy Harry died, and my sweet son.
DUCHESSto Queen Elizabeth
line 2721Dead life, blind sight, poor mortal living ghost,
line 2722Woe’s scene, world’s shame, grave’s due by life
line 2723usurped,
30line 2724Brief abstract and record of tedious days,
line 2725Rest thy unrest on England’s lawful earth,
line 2726Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood.
QUEEN ELIZABETHas they both sit down
line 2727Ah, that thou wouldst as soon afford a grave
line 2728As thou canst yield a melancholy seat,
35line 2729Then would I hide my bones, not rest them here.
line 2730Ah, who hath any cause to mourn but we?
QUEEN MARGARETcoming forward
line 2731If ancient sorrow be most reverend,
line 2732Give mine the benefit of seigniory,
line 2733And let my griefs frown on the upper hand.
40line 2734If sorrow can admit society,
line 2735Tell over your woes again by viewing mine.
line 2736I had an Edward till a Richard killed him;
line 2737I had a husband till a Richard killed him.
line 2738Thou hadst an Edward till a Richard killed him;
45line 2739Thou hadst a Richard till a Richard killed him.
DUCHESS
line 2740I had a Richard too, and thou did’st kill him;
line 2741I had a Rutland too; thou holp’st to kill him.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 2742Thou hadst a Clarence too, and Richard killed him.
line 2743From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept
50line 2744A hellhound that doth hunt us all to death—
line 2745That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes,
line 2746To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood;
line 2747That excellent grand tyrant of the Earth,
line 2748That reigns in gallèd eyes of weeping souls;
55line 2749That foul defacer of God’s handiwork
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 225 line 2750Thy womb let loose to chase us to our graves.
line 2751O upright, just, and true-disposing God,
line 2752How do I thank thee that this carnal cur
line 2753Preys on the issue of his mother’s body
60line 2754And makes her pew-fellow with others’ moan!
DUCHESSstanding
line 2755O Harry’s wife, triumph not in my woes!
line 2756God witness with me, I have wept for thine.
QUEEN MARGARET
line 2757Bear with me. I am hungry for revenge,
line 2758And now I cloy me with beholding it.
65line 2759Thy Edward he is dead, that killed my Edward,
line 2760Thy other Edward dead, to quit my Edward;
line 2761Young York, he is but boot, because both they
line 2762Matched not the high perfection of my loss.
line 2763Thy Clarence he is dead that stabbed my Edward,
70line 2764And the beholders of this frantic play,
line 2765Th’ adulterate Hastings, Rivers, Vaughan, Grey,
line 2766Untimely smothered in their dusky graves.
line 2767Richard yet lives, hell’s black intelligencer,
line 2768Only reserved their factor to buy souls
75line 2769And send them thither. But at hand, at hand
line 2770Ensues his piteous and unpitied end.
line 2771Earth gapes, hell burns, fiends roar, saints pray,
line 2772To have him suddenly conveyed from hence.
line 2773Cancel his bond of life, dear God I pray,
80line 2774That I may live and say “The dog is dead.”
QUEEN ELIZABETHstanding
line 2775O, thou didst prophesy the time would come
line 2776That I should wish for thee to help me curse
line 2777That bottled spider, that foul bunch-backed toad!
QUEEN MARGARET
line 2778I called thee then “vain flourish of my fortune.”
85line 2779I called thee then poor shadow, “painted queen,”
line 2780The presentation of but what I was,
line 2781The flattering index of a direful pageant,
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 227 line 2782One heaved a-high to be hurled down below,
line 2783A mother only mocked with two fair babes,
90line 2784A dream of what thou wast, a garish flag
line 2785To be the aim of every dangerous shot,
line 2786A sign of dignity, a breath, a bubble,
line 2787A queen in jest, only to fill the scene.
line 2788Where is thy husband now? Where be thy brothers?
95line 2789Where are thy two sons? Wherein dost thou joy?
line 2790Who sues and kneels and says “God save the
line 2791Queen?”
line 2792Where be the bending peers that flattered thee?
line 2793Where be the thronging troops that followed thee?
100line 2794Decline all this, and see what now thou art:
line 2795For happy wife, a most distressèd widow;
line 2796For joyful mother, one that wails the name;
line 2797For one being sued to, one that humbly sues;
line 2798For queen, a very caitiff crowned with care;
105line 2799For she that scorned at me, now scorned of me;
line 2800For she being feared of all, now fearing one;
line 2801For she commanding all, obeyed of none.
line 2802Thus hath the course of justice whirled about
line 2803And left thee but a very prey to time,
110line 2804Having no more but thought of what thou wast
line 2805To torture thee the more, being what thou art.
line 2806Thou didst usurp my place, and dost thou not
line 2807Usurp the just proportion of my sorrow?
line 2808Now thy proud neck bears half my burdened yoke,
115line 2809From which even here I slip my weary head
line 2810And leave the burden of it all on thee.
line 2811Farewell, York’s wife, and queen of sad mischance.
line 2812These English woes shall make me smile in France.

She begins to exit.

QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2813O, thou well-skilled in curses, stay awhile,
120line 2814And teach me how to curse mine enemies.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 229 QUEEN MARGARET
line 2815Forbear to sleep the nights, and fast the days;
line 2816Compare dead happiness with living woe;
line 2817Think that thy babes were sweeter than they were,
line 2818And he that slew them fouler than he is.
125line 2819Bettering thy loss makes the bad causer worse.
line 2820Revolving this will teach thee how to curse.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2821My words are dull. O, quicken them with thine!
QUEEN MARGARET
line 2822Thy woes will make them sharp and pierce like
line 2823mine.Margaret exits.
DUCHESS
130line 2824Why should calamity be full of words?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2825Windy attorneys to their clients’ woes,
line 2826Airy succeeders of intestate joys,
line 2827Poor breathing orators of miseries,
line 2828Let them have scope; though what they will impart
135line 2829Help nothing else, yet do they ease the heart.
DUCHESS
line 2830If so, then be not tongue-tied. Go with me,
line 2831And in the breath of bitter words let’s smother
line 2832My damnèd son that thy two sweet sons smothered.

A trumpet sounds.

line 2833The trumpet sounds. Be copious in exclaims.

Enter King Richard and his train, including Catesby.

RICHARD
140line 2834Who intercepts me in my expedition?
DUCHESS
line 2835O, she that might have intercepted thee,
line 2836By strangling thee in her accursèd womb,
line 2837From all the slaughters, wretch, that thou hast done.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 231 QUEEN ELIZABETHto Richard
line 2838Hid’st thou that forehead with a golden crown
145line 2839Where should be branded, if that right were right,
line 2840The slaughter of the prince that owed that crown
line 2841And the dire death of my poor sons and brothers?
line 2842Tell me, thou villain-slave, where are my children?
DUCHESSto Richard
line 2843Thou toad, thou toad, where is thy brother Clarence,
150line 2844And little Ned Plantagenet his son?
QUEEN ELIZABETHto Richard
line 2845Where is the gentle Rivers, Vaughan, Grey?
line 2846DUCHESSto Richard Where is kind Hastings?
RICHARD
line 2847A flourish, trumpets! Strike alarum, drums!
line 2848Let not the heavens hear these telltale women
155line 2849Rail on the Lord’s anointed. Strike, I say!

Flourish. Alarums.

line 2850Either be patient and entreat me fair,
line 2851Or with the clamorous report of war
line 2852Thus will I drown your exclamations.
line 2853DUCHESSArt thou my son?
RICHARD
160line 2854Ay, I thank God, my father, and yourself.
DUCHESS
line 2855Then patiently hear my impatience.
RICHARD
line 2856Madam, I have a touch of your condition,
line 2857That cannot brook the accent of reproof.
DUCHESS
line 2858O, let me speak!
165line 2859RICHARDDo then, but I’ll not hear.
DUCHESS
line 2860I will be mild and gentle in my words.
RICHARD
line 2861And brief, good mother, for I am in haste.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 233 DUCHESS
line 2862Art thou so hasty? I have stayed for thee,
line 2863God knows, in torment and in agony.
RICHARD
170line 2864And came I not at last to comfort you?
DUCHESS
line 2865No, by the Holy Rood, thou know’st it well.
line 2866Thou cam’st on Earth to make the Earth my hell.
line 2867A grievous burden was thy birth to me;
line 2868Tetchy and wayward was thy infancy;
175line 2869Thy school days frightful, desp’rate, wild, and
line 2870furious;
line 2871Thy prime of manhood daring, bold, and venturous;
line 2872Thy age confirmed, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody,
line 2873More mild, but yet more harmful, kind in hatred.
180line 2874What comfortable hour canst thou name,
line 2875That ever graced me with thy company?
RICHARD
line 2876Faith, none but Humfrey Hower, that called your
line 2877Grace
line 2878To breakfast once, forth of my company.
185line 2879If I be so disgracious in your eye,
line 2880Let me march on and not offend you, madam.—
line 2881Strike up the drum.
line 2882DUCHESSI prithee, hear me speak.
RICHARD
line 2883You speak too bitterly.
190line 2884DUCHESSHear me a word,
line 2885For I shall never speak to thee again.
line 2886RICHARDSo.
DUCHESS
line 2887Either thou wilt die by God’s just ordinance
line 2888Ere from this war thou turn a conqueror,
195line 2889Or I with grief and extreme age shall perish
line 2890And nevermore behold thy face again.
line 2891Therefore take with thee my most grievous curse,
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 235 line 2892Which in the day of battle tire thee more
line 2893Than all the complete armor that thou wear’st.
200line 2894My prayers on the adverse party fight,
line 2895And there the little souls of Edward’s children
line 2896Whisper the spirits of thine enemies
line 2897And promise them success and victory.
line 2898Bloody thou art; bloody will be thy end.
205line 2899Shame serves thy life and doth thy death attend.

She exits.

QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2900Though far more cause, yet much less spirit to
line 2901curse
line 2902Abides in me. I say amen to her.
RICHARD
line 2903Stay, madam. I must talk a word with you.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
210line 2904I have no more sons of the royal blood
line 2905For thee to slaughter. For my daughters, Richard,
line 2906They shall be praying nuns, not weeping queens,
line 2907And therefore level not to hit their lives.
RICHARD
line 2908You have a daughter called Elizabeth,
215line 2909Virtuous and fair, royal and gracious.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2910And must she die for this? O, let her live,
line 2911And I’ll corrupt her manners, stain her beauty,
line 2912Slander myself as false to Edward’s bed,
line 2913Throw over her the veil of infamy.
220line 2914So she may live unscarred of bleeding slaughter,
line 2915I will confess she was not Edward’s daughter.
RICHARD
line 2916Wrong not her birth. She is a royal princess.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2917To save her life, I’ll say she is not so.
RICHARD
line 2918Her life is safest only in her birth.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 237 QUEEN ELIZABETH
225line 2919And only in that safety died her brothers.
RICHARD
line 2920Lo, at their birth good stars were opposite.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2921No, to their lives ill friends were contrary.
RICHARD
line 2922All unavoided is the doom of destiny.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2923True, when avoided grace makes destiny.
230line 2924My babes were destined to a fairer death
line 2925If grace had blessed thee with a fairer life.
RICHARD
line 2926You speak as if that I had slain my cousins.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2927Cousins, indeed, and by their uncle cozened
line 2928Of comfort, kingdom, kindred, freedom, life.
235line 2929Whose hand soever launched their tender hearts,
line 2930Thy head, all indirectly, gave direction.
line 2931No doubt the murd’rous knife was dull and blunt
line 2932Till it was whetted on thy stone-hard heart,
line 2933To revel in the entrails of my lambs.
240line 2934But that still use of grief makes wild grief tame,
line 2935My tongue should to thy ears not name my boys
line 2936Till that my nails were anchored in thine eyes,
line 2937And I, in such a desp’rate bay of death,
line 2938Like a poor bark of sails and tackling reft,
245line 2939Rush all to pieces on thy rocky bosom.
RICHARD
line 2940Madam, so thrive I in my enterprise
line 2941And dangerous success of bloody wars
line 2942As I intend more good to you and yours
line 2943Than ever you or yours by me were harmed!
QUEEN ELIZABETH
250line 2944What good is covered with the face of heaven,
line 2945To be discovered, that can do me good?
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 239 RICHARD
line 2946Th’ advancement of your children, gentle lady.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2947Up to some scaffold, there to lose their heads.
RICHARD
line 2948Unto the dignity and height of fortune,
255line 2949The high imperial type of this Earth’s glory.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2950Flatter my sorrow with report of it.
line 2951Tell me what state, what dignity, what honor,
line 2952Canst thou demise to any child of mine?
RICHARD
line 2953Even all I have—ay, and myself and all—
260line 2954Will I withal endow a child of thine;
line 2955So in the Lethe of thy angry soul
line 2956Thou drown the sad remembrance of those wrongs
line 2957Which thou supposest I have done to thee.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2958Be brief, lest that the process of thy kindness
265line 2959Last longer telling than thy kindness’ date.
RICHARD
line 2960Then know that from my soul I love thy daughter.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2961My daughter’s mother thinks it with her soul.
line 2962RICHARDWhat do you think?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2963That thou dost love my daughter from thy soul.
270line 2964So from thy soul’s love didst thou love her brothers,
line 2965And from my heart’s love I do thank thee for it.
RICHARD
line 2966Be not so hasty to confound my meaning.
line 2967I mean that with my soul I love thy daughter
line 2968And do intend to make her Queen of England.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
275line 2969Well then, who dost thou mean shall be her king?
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 241 RICHARD
line 2970Even he that makes her queen. Who else should be?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2971What, thou?
line 2972RICHARDEven so. How think you of it?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2973How canst thou woo her?
280line 2974RICHARDThat would I learn of you,
line 2975As one being best acquainted with her humor.
line 2976QUEEN ELIZABETHAnd wilt thou learn of me?
line 2977RICHARDMadam, with all my heart.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2978Send to her, by the man that slew her brothers,
285line 2979A pair of bleeding hearts; thereon engrave
line 2980“Edward” and “York.” Then haply will she weep.
line 2981Therefore present to her—as sometime Margaret
line 2982Did to thy father, steeped in Rutland’s blood—
line 2983A handkerchief, which say to her did drain
290line 2984The purple sap from her sweet brother’s body,
line 2985And bid her wipe her weeping eyes withal.
line 2986If this inducement move her not to love,
line 2987Send her a letter of thy noble deeds;
line 2988Tell her thou mad’st away her uncle Clarence,
295line 2989Her uncle Rivers, ay, and for her sake
line 2990Mad’st quick conveyance with her good aunt Anne.
RICHARD
line 2991You mock me, madam. This is not the way
line 2992To win your daughter.
line 2993QUEEN ELIZABETHThere is no other way,
300line 2994Unless thou couldst put on some other shape
line 2995And not be Richard, that hath done all this.
RICHARD
line 2996Say that I did all this for love of her.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 2997Nay, then indeed she cannot choose but hate thee,
line 2998Having bought love with such a bloody spoil.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 243 RICHARD
305line 2999Look what is done cannot be now amended.
line 3000Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes,
line 3001Which after-hours gives leisure to repent.
line 3002If I did take the kingdom from your sons,
line 3003To make amends I’ll give it to your daughter.
310line 3004If I have killed the issue of your womb,
line 3005To quicken your increase I will beget
line 3006Mine issue of your blood upon your daughter.
line 3007A grandam’s name is little less in love
line 3008Than is the doting title of a mother.
315line 3009They are as children but one step below,
line 3010Even of your metal, of your very blood,
line 3011Of all one pain, save for a night of groans
line 3012Endured of her for whom you bid like sorrow.
line 3013Your children were vexation to your youth,
320line 3014But mine shall be a comfort to your age.
line 3015The loss you have is but a son being king,
line 3016And by that loss your daughter is made queen.
line 3017I cannot make you what amends I would;
line 3018Therefore accept such kindness as I can.
325line 3019Dorset your son, that with a fearful soul
line 3020Leads discontented steps in foreign soil,
line 3021This fair alliance quickly shall call home
line 3022To high promotions and great dignity.
line 3023The king that calls your beauteous daughter wife
330line 3024Familiarly shall call thy Dorset brother.
line 3025Again shall you be mother to a king,
line 3026And all the ruins of distressful times
line 3027Repaired with double riches of content.
line 3028What, we have many goodly days to see!
335line 3029The liquid drops of tears that you have shed
line 3030Shall come again, transformed to orient pearl,
line 3031Advantaging their love with interest
line 3032Of ten times double gain of happiness.
line 3033Go then, my mother; to thy daughter go.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 245 340line 3034Make bold her bashful years with your experience;
line 3035Prepare her ears to hear a wooer’s tale;
line 3036Put in her tender heart th’ aspiring flame
line 3037Of golden sovereignty; acquaint the Princess
line 3038With the sweet silent hours of marriage joys;
345line 3039And when this arm of mine hath chastisèd
line 3040The petty rebel, dull-brained Buckingham,
line 3041Bound with triumphant garlands will I come
line 3042And lead thy daughter to a conqueror’s bed,
line 3043To whom I will retail my conquest won,
350line 3044And she shall be sole victoress, Caesar’s Caesar.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3045What were I best to say? Her father’s brother
line 3046Would be her lord? Or shall I say her uncle?
line 3047Or he that slew her brothers and her uncles?
line 3048Under what title shall I woo for thee,
355line 3049That God, the law, my honor, and her love
line 3050Can make seem pleasing to her tender years?
RICHARD
line 3051Infer fair England’s peace by this alliance.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3052Which she shall purchase with still-lasting war.
RICHARD
line 3053Tell her the King, that may command, entreats—
QUEEN ELIZABETH
360line 3054That, at her hands, which the King’s King forbids.
RICHARD
line 3055Say she shall be a high and mighty queen.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3056To vail the title, as her mother doth.
RICHARD
line 3057Say I will love her everlastingly.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3058But how long shall that title “ever” last?
RICHARD
365line 3059Sweetly in force unto her fair life’s end.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 247 QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3060But how long fairly shall her sweet life last?
RICHARD
line 3061As long as heaven and nature lengthens it.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3062As long as hell and Richard likes of it.
RICHARD
line 3063Say I, her sovereign, am her subject low.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
370line 3064But she, your subject, loathes such sovereignty.
RICHARD
line 3065Be eloquent in my behalf to her.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3066An honest tale speeds best being plainly told.
RICHARD
line 3067Then plainly to her tell my loving tale.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3068Plain and not honest is too harsh a style.
RICHARD
375line 3069Your reasons are too shallow and too quick.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3070O no, my reasons are too deep and dead—
line 3071Too deep and dead, poor infants, in their graves.
RICHARD
line 3072Harp not on that string, madam; that is past.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3073Harp on it still shall I till heart-strings break.
RICHARD
380line 3074Now by my George, my Garter, and my crown—
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3075Profaned, dishonored, and the third usurped.
RICHARD
line 3076I swear—
line 3077QUEEN ELIZABETHBy nothing, for this is no oath.
line 3078Thy George, profaned, hath lost his lordly honor;
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 249 385line 3079Thy Garter, blemished, pawned his knightly virtue;
line 3080Thy crown, usurped, disgraced his kingly glory.
line 3081If something thou wouldst swear to be believed,
line 3082Swear then by something that thou hast not
line 3083wronged.
RICHARD
390line 3084Then, by myself—
line 3085QUEEN ELIZABETHThyself is self-misused.
RICHARD
line 3086Now, by the world—
line 3087QUEEN ELIZABETH’Tis full of thy foul wrongs.
RICHARD
line 3088My father’s death—
395line 3089QUEEN ELIZABETHThy life hath it dishonored.
RICHARD
line 3090Why then, by God.
line 3091QUEEN ELIZABETHGod’s wrong is most of all.
line 3092If thou didst fear to break an oath with Him,
line 3093The unity the King my husband made
400line 3094Thou hadst not broken, nor my brothers died.
line 3095If thou hadst feared to break an oath by Him,
line 3096Th’ imperial metal circling now thy head
line 3097Had graced the tender temples of my child,
line 3098And both the Princes had been breathing here,
405line 3099Which now, two tender bedfellows for dust,
line 3100Thy broken faith hath made the prey for worms.
line 3101What canst thou swear by now?
line 3102RICHARDThe time to come.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3103That thou hast wrongèd in the time o’erpast;
410line 3104For I myself have many tears to wash
line 3105Hereafter time, for time past wronged by thee.
line 3106The children live whose fathers thou hast
line 3107slaughtered,
line 3108Ungoverned youth, to wail it in their age;
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 251 415line 3109The parents live whose children thou hast
line 3110butchered,
line 3111Old barren plants, to wail it with their age.
line 3112Swear not by time to come, for that thou hast
line 3113Misused ere used, by times ill-used o’erpast.
RICHARD
420line 3114As I intend to prosper and repent,
line 3115So thrive I in my dangerous affairs
line 3116Of hostile arms! Myself myself confound,
line 3117Heaven and fortune bar me happy hours,
line 3118Day, yield me not thy light, nor night thy rest,
425line 3119Be opposite all planets of good luck
line 3120To my proceeding if, with dear heart’s love,
line 3121Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,
line 3122I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter.
line 3123In her consists my happiness and thine.
430line 3124Without her follows to myself and thee,
line 3125Herself, the land, and many a Christian soul,
line 3126Death, desolation, ruin, and decay.
line 3127It cannot be avoided but by this;
line 3128It will not be avoided but by this.
435line 3129Therefore, dear mother—I must call you so—
line 3130Be the attorney of my love to her;
line 3131Plead what I will be, not what I have been;
line 3132Not my deserts, but what I will deserve.
line 3133Urge the necessity and state of times,
440line 3134And be not peevish found in great designs.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3135Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?
RICHARD
line 3136Ay, if the devil tempt you to do good.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3137Shall I forget myself to be myself?
RICHARD
line 3138Ay, if your self’s remembrance wrong yourself.
445line 3139QUEEN ELIZABETHYet thou didst kill my children.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 253 RICHARD
line 3140But in your daughter’s womb I bury them,
line 3141Where, in that nest of spicery, they will breed
line 3142Selves of themselves, to your recomforture.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
line 3143Shall I go win my daughter to thy will?
RICHARD
450line 3144And be a happy mother by the deed.
line 3145QUEEN ELIZABETHI go. Write to me very shortly,
line 3146And you shall understand from me her mind.
RICHARD
line 3147Bear her my true love’s kiss; and so, farewell.

Queen exits.

line 3148Relenting fool and shallow, changing woman!

Enter Ratcliffe.

455line 3149How now, what news?
RATCLIFFE
line 3150Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast
line 3151Rideth a puissant navy. To our shores
line 3152Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends,
line 3153Unarmed and unresolved to beat them back.
460line 3154’Tis thought that Richmond is their admiral;
line 3155And there they hull, expecting but the aid
line 3156Of Buckingham to welcome them ashore.
RICHARD
line 3157Some light-foot friend post to the Duke of
line 3158Norfolk—
465line 3159Ratcliffe thyself, or Catesby. Where is he?
CATESBY
line 3160Here, my good lord.
line 3161RICHARDCatesby, fly to the Duke.
CATESBY
line 3162I will, my lord, with all convenient haste.
RICHARD
line 3163Ratcliffe, come hither. Post to Salisbury.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 255 470line 3164When thou com’st thither—To Catesby. Dull,
line 3165unmindful villain,
line 3166Why stay’st thou here and go’st not to the Duke?
CATESBY
line 3167First, mighty liege, tell me your Highness’ pleasure,
line 3168What from your Grace I shall deliver to him.
RICHARD
475line 3169O true, good Catesby. Bid him levy straight
line 3170The greatest strength and power that he can make
line 3171And meet me suddenly at Salisbury.
line 3172CATESBYI go.He exits.
RATCLIFFE
line 3173What, may it please you, shall I do at Salisbury?
RICHARD
480line 3174Why, what wouldst thou do there before I go?
RATCLIFFE
line 3175Your Highness told me I should post before.
RICHARD
line 3176My mind is changed.

Enter Lord Stanley.

line 3177Stanley, what news with you?
STANLEY
line 3178None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing,
485line 3179Nor none so bad but well may be reported.
RICHARD
line 3180Hoyday, a riddle! Neither good nor bad.
line 3181What need’st thou run so many miles about
line 3182When thou mayst tell thy tale the nearest way?
line 3183Once more, what news?
490line 3184STANLEYRichmond is on the seas.
RICHARD
line 3185There let him sink, and be the seas on him!
line 3186White-livered runagate, what doth he there?
STANLEY
line 3187I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 257 line 3188RICHARDWell, as you guess?
STANLEY
495line 3189Stirred up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton,
line 3190He makes for England, here to claim the crown.
RICHARD
line 3191Is the chair empty? Is the sword unswayed?
line 3192Is the King dead, the empire unpossessed?
line 3193What heir of York is there alive but we?
500line 3194And who is England’s king but great York’s heir?
line 3195Then tell me, what makes he upon the seas?
STANLEY
line 3196Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess.
RICHARD
line 3197Unless for that he comes to be your liege,
line 3198You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes.
505line 3199Thou wilt revolt and fly to him, I fear.
STANLEY
line 3200No, my good lord. Therefore mistrust me not.
RICHARD
line 3201Where is thy power, then, to beat him back?
line 3202Where be thy tenants and thy followers?
line 3203Are they not now upon the western shore,
510line 3204Safe-conducting the rebels from their ships?
STANLEY
line 3205No, my good lord. My friends are in the north.
RICHARD
line 3206Cold friends to me. What do they in the north
line 3207When they should serve their sovereign in the west?
STANLEY
line 3208They have not been commanded, mighty king.
515line 3209Pleaseth your Majesty to give me leave,
line 3210I’ll muster up my friends and meet your Grace
line 3211Where and what time your Majesty shall please.
RICHARD
line 3212Ay, thou wouldst be gone to join with Richmond,
line 3213But I’ll not trust thee.
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 259 520line 3214STANLEYMost mighty sovereign,
line 3215You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful.
line 3216I never was nor never will be false.
RICHARD
line 3217Go then and muster men, but leave behind
line 3218Your son George Stanley. Look your heart be firm,
525line 3219Or else his head’s assurance is but frail.
STANLEY
line 3220So deal with him as I prove true to you.

Stanley exits.

Enter a Messenger.

FIRST MESSENGER
line 3221My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire,
line 3222As I by friends am well advertisèd,
line 3223Sir Edward Courtney and the haughty prelate,
530line 3224Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother,
line 3225With many more confederates are in arms.

Enter another Messenger.

SECOND MESSENGER
line 3226In Kent, my liege, the Guilfords are in arms,
line 3227And every hour more competitors
line 3228Flock to the rebels, and their power grows strong.

Enter another Messenger.

THIRD MESSENGER
535line 3229My lord, the army of great Buckingham—
RICHARD
line 3230Out on you, owls! Nothing but songs of death.

He striketh him.

line 3231There, take thou that till thou bring better news.
THIRD MESSENGER
line 3232The news I have to tell your Majesty
line 3233Is that by sudden floods and fall of waters
540line 3234Buckingham’s army is dispersed and scattered,
Act 4 Scene 4 - Pg 261 line 3235And he himself wandered away alone,
line 3236No man knows whither.
line 3237RICHARDI cry thee mercy.
line 3238There is my purse to cure that blow of thine.

He gives money.

545line 3239Hath any well-advisèd friend proclaimed
line 3240Reward to him that brings the traitor in?
THIRD MESSENGER
line 3241Such proclamation hath been made, my lord.

Enter another Messenger.

FOURTH MESSENGER
line 3242Sir Thomas Lovell and Lord Marquess Dorset,
line 3243’Tis said, my liege, in Yorkshire are in arms.
550line 3244But this good comfort bring I to your Highness:
line 3245The Breton navy is dispersed by tempest.
line 3246Richmond, in Dorsetshire, sent out a boat
line 3247Unto the shore to ask those on the banks
line 3248If they were his assistants, yea, or no—
555line 3249Who answered him they came from Buckingham
line 3250Upon his party. He, mistrusting them,
line 3251Hoised sail and made his course again for Brittany.
RICHARD
line 3252March on, march on, since we are up in arms,
line 3253If not to fight with foreign enemies,
560line 3254Yet to beat down these rebels here at home.

Enter Catesby.

CATESBY
line 3255My liege, the Duke of Buckingham is taken.
line 3256That is the best news. That the Earl of Richmond
line 3257Is with a mighty power landed at Milford
line 3258Is colder tidings, yet they must be told.
RICHARD
565line 3259Away towards Salisbury! While we reason here,
line 3260A royal battle might be won and lost.
Act 4 Scene 5 - Pg 263 line 3261Someone take order Buckingham be brought
line 3262To Salisbury. The rest march on with me.

Flourish. They exit.

Scene 5

Enter Stanley, Earl of Derby, and Sir Christopher.

STANLEY
line 3263Sir Christopher, tell Richmond this from me:
line 3264That in the sty of the most deadly boar
line 3265My son George Stanley is franked up in hold;
line 3266If I revolt, off goes young George’s head;
5line 3267The fear of that holds off my present aid.
line 3268So get thee gone. Commend me to thy lord.
line 3269Withal, say that the Queen hath heartily consented
line 3270He should espouse Elizabeth her daughter.
line 3271But tell me, where is princely Richmond now?
CHRISTOPHER
10line 3272At Pembroke, or at Ha’rfordwest in Wales.
line 3273STANLEYWhat men of name resort to him?
CHRISTOPHER
line 3274Sir Walter Herbert, a renownèd soldier;
line 3275Sir Gilbert Talbot, Sir William Stanley,
line 3276Oxford, redoubted Pembroke, Sir James Blunt,
15line 3277And Rice ap Thomas, with a valiant crew,
line 3278And many other of great name and worth;
line 3279And towards London do they bend their power,
line 3280If by the way they be not fought withal.
STANLEYgiving Sir Christopher a paper
line 3281Well, hie thee to thy lord. I kiss his hand.
20line 3282My letter will resolve him of my mind.
line 3283Farewell.

They exit.

ACT 5

Scene 1

Enter Buckingham, with Sheriff and Halberds, led to execution.

BUCKINGHAM
line 3284Will not King Richard let me speak with him?
SHERIFF
line 3285No, my good lord. Therefore be patient.
BUCKINGHAM
line 3286Hastings and Edward’s children, Grey and Rivers,
line 3287Holy King Henry and thy fair son Edward,
5line 3288Vaughan, and all that have miscarrièd
line 3289By underhand, corrupted, foul injustice,
line 3290If that your moody, discontented souls
line 3291Do through the clouds behold this present hour,
line 3292Even for revenge mock my destruction.—
10line 3293This is All Souls’ Day, fellow, is it not?
line 3294SHERIFFIt is.
BUCKINGHAM
line 3295Why, then, All Souls’ Day is my body’s doomsday.
line 3296This is the day which, in King Edward’s time,
line 3297I wished might fall on me when I was found
15line 3298False to his children and his wife’s allies.
line 3299This is the day wherein I wished to fall
line 3300By the false faith of him whom most I trusted.
line 3301This, this All Souls’ Day to my fearful soul
Act 5 Scene 2 - Pg 269 line 3302Is the determined respite of my wrongs.
20line 3303That high All-seer which I dallied with
line 3304Hath turned my feignèd prayer on my head
line 3305And given in earnest what I begged in jest.
line 3306Thus doth he force the swords of wicked men
line 3307To turn their own points in their masters’ bosoms.
25line 3308Thus Margaret’s curse falls heavy on my neck:
line 3309“When he,” quoth she, “shall split thy heart with
line 3310sorrow,
line 3311Remember Margaret was a prophetess.”—
line 3312Come, lead me, officers, to the block of shame.
30line 3313Wrong 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
line 3314Fellows in arms, and my most loving friends,
line 3315Bruised underneath the yoke of tyranny,
line 3316Thus far into the bowels of the land
line 3317Have we marched on without impediment,
5line 3318And here receive we from our father Stanley
line 3319Lines of fair comfort and encouragement.
line 3320The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar,
line 3321That spoiled your summer fields and fruitful vines,
line 3322Swills your warm blood like wash, and makes his
10line 3323trough
line 3324In your embowelled bosoms—this foul swine
line 3325Is now even in the center of this isle,
line 3326Near to the town of Leicester, as we learn.
line 3327From Tamworth thither is but one day’s march.
15line 3328In God’s name, cheerly on, courageous friends,
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 271 line 3329To reap the harvest of perpetual peace
line 3330By this one bloody trial of sharp war.
OXFORD
line 3331Every man’s conscience is a thousand men
line 3332To fight against this guilty homicide.
HERBERT
20line 3333I doubt not but his friends will turn to us.
BLUNT
line 3334He hath no friends but what are friends for fear,
line 3335Which in his dearest need will fly from him.
RICHMOND
line 3336All for our vantage. Then, in God’s name, march.
line 3337True hope is swift, and flies with swallow’s wings;
25line 3338Kings 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
line 3339Here pitch our tent, even here in Bosworth field.

Soldiers begin to pitch the tent.

line 3340My lord of Surrey, why look you so sad?
SURREY
line 3341My heart is ten times lighter than my looks.
RICHARD
line 3342My lord of Norfolk—
5line 3343NORFOLKHere, most gracious liege.
RICHARD
line 3344Norfolk, we must have knocks, ha, must we not?
NORFOLK
line 3345We must both give and take, my loving lord.
RICHARD
line 3346Up with my tent!—Here will I lie tonight.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 273 line 3347But where tomorrow? Well, all’s one for that.
10line 3348Who hath descried the number of the traitors?
NORFOLK
line 3349Six or seven thousand is their utmost power.
RICHARD
line 3350Why, our battalia trebles that account.
line 3351Besides, the King’s name is a tower of strength
line 3352Which they upon the adverse faction want.—
15line 3353Up with the tent!—Come, noble gentlemen,
line 3354Let us survey the vantage of the ground.
line 3355Call for some men of sound direction;
line 3356Let’s lack no discipline, make no delay,
line 3357For, 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
20line 3358The weary sun hath made a golden set,
line 3359And by the bright track of his fiery car
line 3360Gives token of a goodly day tomorrow.—
line 3361Sir William Brandon, you shall bear my standard.—
line 3362Give me some ink and paper in my tent;
25line 3363I’ll draw the form and model of our battle,
line 3364Limit each leader to his several charge,
line 3365And part in just proportion our small power.—
line 3366My Lord of Oxford, you, Sir William Brandon,
line 3367And you, Sir Walter Herbert, stay with me.
30line 3368The Earl of Pembroke keeps his regiment.—
line 3369Good Captain Blunt, bear my goodnight to him,
line 3370And by the second hour in the morning
line 3371Desire the Earl to see me in my tent.
line 3372Yet one thing more, good captain, do for me.
35line 3373Where is Lord Stanley quartered, do you know?
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 275 BLUNT
line 3374Unless I have mista’en his colors much,
line 3375Which well I am assured I have not done,
line 3376His regiment lies half a mile, at least,
line 3377South from the mighty power of the King.
RICHMOND
40line 3378If without peril it be possible,
line 3379Sweet Blunt, make some good means to speak with
line 3380him,
line 3381And give him from me this most needful note.

He gives a paper.

BLUNT
line 3382Upon my life, my lord, I’ll undertake it,
45line 3383And so God give you quiet rest tonight.
RICHMOND
line 3384Good night, good Captain Blunt.Blunt exits.
line 3385Come, gentlemen,
line 3386Let us consult upon tomorrow’s business.
line 3387Into 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.

50line 3388RICHARDWhat is ’t o’clock?
CATESBY
line 3389It’s suppertime, my lord. It’s nine o’clock.
RICHARD
line 3390I will not sup tonight. Give me some ink and paper.
line 3391What, is my beaver easier than it was,
line 3392And all my armor laid into my tent?
CATESBY
55line 3393It is, my liege, and all things are in readiness.
RICHARD
line 3394Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge.
line 3395Use careful watch. Choose trusty sentinels.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 277 line 3396NORFOLKI go, my lord.
RICHARD
line 3397Stir with the lark tomorrow, gentle Norfolk.
60line 3398NORFOLKI warrant you, my lord.He exits.
line 3399RICHARDCatesby.
line 3400CATESBYMy lord.
line 3401RICHARDSend out a pursuivant-at-arms
line 3402To Stanley’s regiment. Bid him bring his power
65line 3403Before sunrising, lest his son George fall
line 3404Into the blind cave of eternal night.Catesby exits.
line 3405To Soldiers. Fill me a bowl of wine. Give me a
line 3406watch.
line 3407Saddle white Surrey for the field tomorrow.
70line 3408Look that my staves be sound and not too heavy.—
line 3409Ratcliffe.
line 3410RATCLIFFEMy lord.
RICHARD
line 3411Sawst thou the melancholy Lord Northumberland?
RATCLIFFE
line 3412Thomas the Earl of Surrey and himself,
75line 3413Much about cockshut time, from troop to troop
line 3414Went through the army cheering up the soldiers.
RICHARD
line 3415So, I am satisfied. Give me a bowl of wine.
line 3416I have not that alacrity of spirit
line 3417Nor cheer of mind that I was wont to have.

Wine is brought.

80line 3418Set it down. Is ink and paper ready?
RATCLIFFE
line 3419It is, my lord.
line 3420RICHARDBid my guard watch. Leave me.
line 3421Ratcliffe, about the mid of night come to my tent
line 3422And help to arm me. Leave me, I say.

Ratcliffe exits. Richard sleeps in his tent, which is guarded by Soldiers.

Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 279

Enter Stanley, Earl of Derby to Richmond in his tent.

STANLEY
85line 3423Fortune and victory sit on thy helm!
RICHMOND
line 3424All comfort that the dark night can afford
line 3425Be to thy person, noble father-in-law.
line 3426Tell me, how fares our loving mother?
STANLEY
line 3427I, by attorney, bless thee from thy mother,
90line 3428Who prays continually for Richmond’s good.
line 3429So much for that. The silent hours steal on,
line 3430And flaky darkness breaks within the east.
line 3431In brief, for so the season bids us be,
line 3432Prepare thy battle early in the morning,
95line 3433And put thy fortune to the arbitrament
line 3434Of bloody strokes and mortal-staring war.
line 3435I, as I may—that which I would I cannot—
line 3436With best advantage will deceive the time
line 3437And aid thee in this doubtful shock of arms.
100line 3438But on thy side I may not be too forward,
line 3439Lest, being seen, thy brother, tender George,
line 3440Be executed in his father’s sight.
line 3441Farewell. The leisure and the fearful time
line 3442Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love
105line 3443And ample interchange of sweet discourse,
line 3444Which so-long-sundered friends should dwell upon.
line 3445God give us leisure for these rites of love!
line 3446Once more, adieu. Be valiant and speed well.
RICHMOND
line 3447Good lords, conduct him to his regiment.
110line 3448I’ll strive with troubled thoughts to take a nap,
line 3449Lest leaden slumber peise me down tomorrow
line 3450When I should mount with wings of victory.
line 3451Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 281

All but Richmond leave his tent and exit.

Richmond kneels.

line 3452O Thou, whose captain I account myself,
115line 3453Look on my forces with a gracious eye.
line 3454Put in their hands Thy bruising irons of wrath,
line 3455That they may crush down with a heavy fall
line 3456The usurping helmets of our adversaries.
line 3457Make us Thy ministers of chastisement,
120line 3458That we may praise Thee in the victory.
line 3459To Thee I do commend my watchful soul,
line 3460Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes.
line 3461Sleeping and waking, O, defend me still!Sleeps.

Enter the Ghost of young Prince Edward, son to Harry the Sixth.

GHOST OF EDWARD, to Richard
line 3462Let me sit heavy on thy soul tomorrow.
125line 3463Think how thou stabbed’st me in my prime of
line 3464youth
line 3465At Tewkesbury. Despair therefore, and die!
line 3466To Richmond. Be cheerful, Richmond, for the
line 3467wrongèd souls
130line 3468Of butchered princes fight in thy behalf.
line 3469King Henry’s issue, Richmond, comforts thee.

He exits.

Enter the Ghost of Henry the Sixth.

GHOST OF HENRY, to Richard
line 3470When I was mortal, my anointed body
line 3471By thee was punchèd full of deadly holes.
line 3472Think on the Tower and me. Despair and die!
135line 3473Harry the Sixth bids thee despair and die.
line 3474To Richmond. Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror.
line 3475Harry, that prophesied thou shouldst be king,
line 3476Doth comfort thee in thy sleep. Live and flourish.

He exits.

Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 283

Enter the Ghost of Clarence.

GHOST OF CLARENCEto Richard
line 3477Let me sit heavy in thy soul tomorrow,
140line 3478I, that was washed to death with fulsome wine,
line 3479Poor Clarence, by thy guile betrayed to death.
line 3480Tomorrow in the battle think on me,
line 3481And fall thy edgeless sword. Despair and die!
line 3482To Richmond. Thou offspring of the house of
145line 3483Lancaster,
line 3484The wrongèd heirs of York do pray for thee.
line 3485Good angels guard thy battle. Live and flourish.

He exits.

Enter the Ghosts of Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan.

GHOST OF RIVERSto Richard
line 3486Let me sit heavy in thy soul tomorrow,
line 3487Rivers, that died at Pomfret. Despair and die!
GHOST OF GREYto Richard
150line 3488Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair!
GHOST OF VAUGHANto Richard
line 3489Think upon Vaughan, and with guilty fear
line 3490Let fall thy lance. Despair and die!
ALLto Richmond
line 3491Awake, and think our wrongs in Richard’s bosom
line 3492Will conquer him. Awake, and win the day.

They exit.

Enter the Ghosts of the two young Princes.

GHOSTS OF PRINCES, to Richard
155line 3493Dream on thy cousins smothered in the Tower.
line 3494Let us be lead within thy bosom, Richard,
line 3495And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death.
line 3496Thy nephews’ souls bid thee despair and die.
line 3497To Richmond. Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace
160line 3498and wake in joy.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 285 line 3499Good angels guard thee from the boar’s annoy.
line 3500Live, and beget a happy race of kings.
line 3501Edward’s unhappy sons do bid thee flourish.

They exit.

Enter the Ghost of Hastings.

GHOST OF HASTINGSto Richard
line 3502Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake,
165line 3503And in a bloody battle end thy days.
line 3504Think on Lord Hastings. Despair and die!
line 3505To Richmond. Quiet, untroubled soul, awake, awake.
line 3506Arm, fight, and conquer for fair England’s sake.

He exits.

Enter the Ghost of Lady Anne his wife.

GHOST OF ANNEto Richard
line 3507Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife,
170line 3508That never slept a quiet hour with thee,
line 3509Now fills thy sleep with perturbations.
line 3510Tomorrow, in the battle, think on me,
line 3511And fall thy edgeless sword. Despair and die!
line 3512To Richmond. Thou quiet soul, sleep thou a quiet
175line 3513sleep.
line 3514Dream of success and happy victory.
line 3515Thy adversary’s wife doth pray for thee.She exits.

Enter the Ghost of Buckingham.

GHOST OF BUCKINGHAMto Richard
line 3516The first was I that helped thee to the crown;
line 3517The last was I that felt thy tyranny.
180line 3518O, in the battle think on Buckingham,
line 3519And die in terror of thy guiltiness.
line 3520Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death.
line 3521Fainting, despair; despairing, yield thy breath.
line 3522To Richmond. I died for hope ere I could lend
185line 3523thee aid,
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 287 line 3524But cheer thy heart, and be thou not dismayed.
line 3525God and good angels fight on Richmond’s side,
line 3526And Richard fall in height of all his pride.

He exits.

Richard starteth up out of a dream.

RICHARD
line 3527Give me another horse! Bind up my wounds!
190line 3528Have mercy, Jesu!—Soft, I did but dream.
line 3529O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!
line 3530The lights burn blue; it is now dead midnight.
line 3531Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
line 3532What do I fear? Myself? There’s none else by.
195line 3533Richard loves Richard, that is, I am I.
line 3534Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am.
line 3535Then fly! What, from myself? Great reason why:
line 3536Lest I revenge. What, myself upon myself?
line 3537Alack, I love myself. Wherefore? For any good
200line 3538That I myself have done unto myself?
line 3539O, no. Alas, I rather hate myself
line 3540For hateful deeds committed by myself.
line 3541I am a villain. Yet I lie; I am not.
line 3542Fool, of thyself speak well. Fool, do not flatter.
205line 3543My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,
line 3544And every tongue brings in a several tale,
line 3545And every tale condemns me for a villain.
line 3546Perjury, perjury, in the highest degree;
line 3547Murder, stern murder, in the direst degree;
210line 3548All several sins, all used in each degree,
line 3549Throng to the bar, crying all “Guilty, guilty!”
line 3550I shall despair. There is no creature loves me,
line 3551And if I die no soul will pity me.
line 3552And wherefore should they, since that I myself
215line 3553Find in myself no pity to myself?
line 3554Methought the souls of all that I had murdered
line 3555Came to my tent, and every one did threat
line 3556Tomorrow’s vengeance on the head of Richard.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 289

Enter Ratcliffe.

line 3557RATCLIFFEMy lord.
220line 3558RICHARDZounds, who is there?
RATCLIFFE
line 3559Ratcliffe, my lord, ’tis I. The early village cock
line 3560Hath twice done salutation to the morn.
line 3561Your friends are up and buckle on their armor.
RICHARD
line 3562O Ratcliffe, I have dreamed a fearful dream!
225line 3563What think’st thou, will our friends prove all true?
RATCLIFFE
line 3564No doubt, my lord.
line 3565RICHARDO Ratcliffe, I fear, I fear.
RATCLIFFE
line 3566Nay, good my lord, be not afraid of shadows.
RICHARD
line 3567By the apostle Paul, shadows tonight
230line 3568Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard
line 3569Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers
line 3570Armed in proof and led by shallow Richmond.
line 3571’Tis not yet near day. Come, go with me.
line 3572Under our tents I’ll play the eavesdropper
235line 3573To see if any mean to shrink from me.

Richard and Ratcliffe exit.

Enter the Lords to Richmond, in his tent.

line 3574LORDSGood morrow, Richmond.
RICHMOND
line 3575Cry mercy, lords and watchful gentlemen,
line 3576That you have ta’en a tardy sluggard here.
line 3577A LORDHow have you slept, my lord?
RICHMOND
240line 3578The sweetest sleep and fairest-boding dreams
line 3579That ever entered in a drowsy head
line 3580Have I since your departure had, my lords.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 291 line 3581Methought their souls whose bodies Richard
line 3582murdered
245line 3583Came to my tent and cried on victory.
line 3584I promise you, my soul is very jocund
line 3585In the remembrance of so fair a dream.
line 3586How far into the morning is it, lords?
line 3587A LORDUpon the stroke of four.
RICHMONDleaving the tent
250line 3588Why, then ’tis time to arm and give direction.

His oration to his soldiers.

line 3589More than I have said, loving countrymen,
line 3590The leisure and enforcement of the time
line 3591Forbids to dwell upon. Yet remember this:
line 3592God, and our good cause, fight upon our side.
255line 3593The prayers of holy saints and wrongèd souls,
line 3594Like high-reared bulwarks, stand before our faces.
line 3595Richard except, those whom we fight against
line 3596Had rather have us win than him they follow.
line 3597For what is he they follow? Truly, gentlemen,
260line 3598A bloody tyrant and a homicide;
line 3599One raised in blood, and one in blood established;
line 3600One that made means to come by what he hath,
line 3601And slaughtered those that were the means to help
line 3602him;
265line 3603A base foul stone, made precious by the foil
line 3604Of England’s chair, where he is falsely set;
line 3605One that hath ever been God’s enemy.
line 3606Then if you fight against God’s enemy,
line 3607God will, in justice, ward you as his soldiers.
270line 3608If you do sweat to put a tyrant down,
line 3609You sleep in peace, the tyrant being slain.
line 3610If you do fight against your country’s foes,
line 3611Your country’s fat shall pay your pains the hire.
line 3612If you do fight in safeguard of your wives,
275line 3613Your wives shall welcome home the conquerors.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 293 line 3614If you do free your children from the sword,
line 3615Your children’s children quits it in your age.
line 3616Then, in the name of God and all these rights,
line 3617Advance your standards; draw your willing swords.
280line 3618For me, the ransom of my bold attempt
line 3619Shall be this cold corpse on the Earth’s cold face,
line 3620But if I thrive, the gain of my attempt
line 3621The least of you shall share his part thereof.
line 3622Sound drums and trumpets boldly and cheerfully.
285line 3623God, and Saint George, Richmond, and victory!

They exit.

Enter King Richard, Ratcliffe, and Soldiers.

RICHARD
line 3624What said Northumberland as touching Richmond?
RATCLIFFE
line 3625That he was never trainèd up in arms.
RICHARD
line 3626He said the truth. And what said Surrey then?
RATCLIFFE
line 3627He smiled and said “The better for our purpose.”
RICHARD
290line 3628He was in the right, and so indeed it is.

The clock striketh.

line 3629Tell the clock there. Give me a calendar.

He looks in an almanac.

line 3630Who saw the sun today?
line 3631RATCLIFFENot I, my lord.
RICHARD
line 3632Then he disdains to shine, for by the book
295line 3633He should have braved the east an hour ago.
line 3634A black day will it be to somebody.
line 3635Ratcliffe!
RATCLIFFE
line 3636My lord.
line 3637RICHARDThe sun will not be seen today.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 295 300line 3638The sky doth frown and lour upon our army.
line 3639I would these dewy tears were from the ground.
line 3640Not shine today? Why, what is that to me
line 3641More than to Richmond, for the selfsame heaven
line 3642That frowns on me looks sadly upon him.

Enter Norfolk.

NORFOLK
305line 3643Arm, arm, my lord. The foe vaunts in the field.
RICHARD
line 3644Come, bustle, bustle. Caparison my horse.—
line 3645Call up Lord Stanley; bid him bring his power.—
line 3646I will lead forth my soldiers to the plain,
line 3647And thus my battle shall be orderèd:
310line 3648My foreward shall be drawn out all in length,
line 3649Consisting equally of horse and foot;
line 3650Our archers shall be placèd in the midst.
line 3651John Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Earl of Surrey,
line 3652Shall have the leading of this foot and horse.
315line 3653They thus directed, we will follow
line 3654In the main battle, whose puissance on either side
line 3655Shall be well wingèd with our chiefest horse.
line 3656This, and Saint George to boot!—What think’st
line 3657thou, Norfolk?
NORFOLK
320line 3658A good direction, warlike sovereign.

He sheweth him a paper.

line 3659This found I on my tent this morning.
RICHARDreads
line 3660Jockey of Norfolk, be not so bold.
line 3661For Dickon thy master is bought and sold.
line 3662A thing devisèd by the enemy.—
325line 3663Go, gentlemen, every man unto his charge.
line 3664Let not our babbling dreams affright our souls.
line 3665Conscience is but a word that cowards use,
line 3666Devised at first to keep the strong in awe.
Act 5 Scene 3 - Pg 297 line 3667Our strong arms be our conscience, swords our law.
330line 3668March on. Join bravely. Let us to it pell mell,
line 3669If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell.

His oration to his army.

line 3670What shall I say more than I have inferred?
line 3671Remember whom you are to cope withal,
line 3672A sort of vagabonds, rascals, and runaways,
335line 3673A scum of Bretons and base lackey peasants,
line 3674Whom their o’ercloyèd country vomits forth
line 3675To desperate adventures and assured destruction.
line 3676You sleeping safe, they bring to you unrest;
line 3677You having lands and blessed with beauteous wives,
340line 3678They would restrain the one, distain the other.
line 3679And who doth lead them but a paltry fellow,
line 3680Long kept in Brittany at our mother’s cost,
line 3681A milksop, one that never in his life
line 3682Felt so much cold as overshoes in snow?
345line 3683Let’s whip these stragglers o’er the seas again,
line 3684Lash hence these overweening rags of France,
line 3685These famished beggars weary of their lives,
line 3686Who, but for dreaming on this fond exploit,
line 3687For want of means, poor rats, had hanged
350line 3688themselves.
line 3689If we be conquered, let men conquer us,
line 3690And not these bastard Bretons, whom our fathers
line 3691Have in their own land beaten, bobbed, and
line 3692thumped,
355line 3693And in record left them the heirs of shame.
line 3694Shall these enjoy our lands, lie with our wives,
line 3695Ravish our daughters?Drum afar off.
line 3696Hark, I hear their drum.
line 3697Fight, gentlemen of England.—Fight, bold
360line 3698yeomen.—
line 3699Draw, archers; draw your arrows to the head.—
Act 5 Scene 4 - Pg 299 line 3700Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood.
line 3701Amaze the welkin with your broken staves.—

Enter a Messenger.

line 3702What says Lord Stanley? Will he bring his power?
365line 3703MESSENGERMy lord, he doth deny to come.
line 3704RICHARDOff with his son George’s head!
NORFOLK
line 3705My lord, the enemy is past the marsh.
line 3706After the battle let George Stanley die.
RICHARD
line 3707A thousand hearts are great within my bosom.
370line 3708Advance our standards. Set upon our foes.
line 3709Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
line 3710Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons.
line 3711Upon them! Victory sits on our helms.

They exit.

Scene 4

Alarum. Excursions. Enter Norfolk, with Soldiers, andCatesby.

CATESBY
line 3712Rescue, my lord of Norfolk, rescue, rescue!
line 3713The King enacts more wonders than a man,
line 3714Daring an opposite to every danger.
line 3715His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights,
5line 3716Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death.
line 3717Rescue, fair lord, or else the day is lost.

Norfolk exits with Soldiers.

Alarums. Enter Richard.

RICHARD
line 3718A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!
CATESBY
line 3719Withdraw, my lord. I’ll help you to a horse.
Act 5 Scene 5 - Pg 301 RICHARD
line 3720Slave, I have set my life upon a cast,
10line 3721And I will stand the hazard of the die.
line 3722I think there be six Richmonds in the field;
line 3723Five have I slain today instead of him.
line 3724A 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
line 3725God and your arms be praised, victorious friends!
line 3726The day is ours; the bloody dog is dead.
STANLEYoffering him the crown
line 3727Courageous Richmond, well hast thou acquit thee.
line 3728Lo, here this long-usurpèd royalty
5line 3729From the dead temples of this bloody wretch
line 3730Have I plucked off, to grace thy brows withal.
line 3731Wear it, enjoy it, and make much of it.
RICHMOND
line 3732Great God of heaven, say amen to all!
line 3733But tell me, is young George Stanley living?
STANLEY
10line 3734He is, my lord, and safe in Leicester town,
line 3735Whither, if it please you, we may now withdraw us.
RICHMOND
line 3736What men of name are slain on either side?
STANLEY
line 3737John, Duke of Norfolk, Walter, Lord Ferrers,
line 3738Sir Robert Brakenbury, and Sir William Brandon.
Act 5 Scene 5 - Pg 303 RICHMOND
15line 3739Inter their bodies as becomes their births.
line 3740Proclaim a pardon to the soldiers fled
line 3741That in submission will return to us.
line 3742And then, as we have ta’en the sacrament,
line 3743We will unite the white rose and the red;
20line 3744Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction,
line 3745That long have frowned upon their enmity.
line 3746What traitor hears me and says not “Amen”?
line 3747England hath long been mad and scarred herself:
line 3748The brother blindly shed the brother’s blood;
25line 3749The father rashly slaughtered his own son;
line 3750The son, compelled, been butcher to the sire.
line 3751All this divided York and Lancaster,
line 3752Divided in their dire division.
line 3753O, now let Richmond and Elizabeth,
30line 3754The true succeeders of each royal house,
line 3755By God’s fair ordinance conjoin together,
line 3756And let their heirs, God, if Thy will be so,
line 3757Enrich the time to come with smooth-faced peace,
line 3758With smiling plenty and fair prosperous days.
35line 3759Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord,
line 3760That would reduce these bloody days again
line 3761And make poor England weep in streams of blood.
line 3762Let them not live to taste this land’s increase,
line 3763That would with treason wound this fair land’s peace.
40line 3764Now civil wounds are stopped, peace lives again.
line 3765That she may long live here, God say amen.

They exit.

Copyright Notice

Contents

Summary

Dramatis Personæ

Dramatis Personæ

ACT 1

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

ACT 2

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

ACT 3

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Scene 6

Scene 7

ACT 4

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

ACT 5

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Title

Notes & Highlights

Reading History

Settings

Typography

Colour scheme

Tap zones