And, in this resolution, here we leave you Come, citizens, we will entreat no more. [Exeunt. Cates. Call them again, sweet prince, accept| their suit;
If you deny them, all the land will rue it.
Glo. Will you enforce me to a world of cares? Well, call them again; I am not made of stone, [Exit Catesby.
But penetrable to your kind entreaties, Albeit against my conscience and my soul.-
Re-enter Buckingham, and the rest. Cousin of Buckingham,—and sage, grave men,- Since you will buckle fortune on my back, To bear her burden, whe'r I will or no, I must have patience to endure the load: But if black scandal, or foul-fac'd reproach, Attend the sequel of your imposition, Your meer enforcement shall acquittance me
Enter the Queen, Dutchess of York, and Marquis 30 of Dorset, at one door; Anne Dutchess of Gloster, leading Lady Margaret Plantagenet, Clarence's young daughter, at the other.
Dutch. WHO meets us here?-my niece Plantagenet,
Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloster? Now, for my life, she's wand'ring to the Tower, On pure heart's love, to greet the tender prince.- Daughter, well met.
I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me. [Exit Brakenbury.
[hence, Stan. Let me but meet you, ladies, one hour And I'll salute your grace of York as mother, And reverend looker-on, of two fair queens.— Come, madam, you must straight to Westminster, [To the Dutchess of Gloster. 35 There to be crowned Richard's royal queen. Queen. Ah, cut my lace asunder! That my pent heart may have some scope to beat, Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news.
Anne. Despightful tidings! O unpleasing news! Dor. Be of good chear:-Mother, how fares your grace? [gone,
[away Whither Queen. O Dorset, speak not to me, get thee and, as I Death and destruction dog thee at the heels; [guess, Thy mother's name is ominous to children: [ther: 45 If thou wilt out-strip death, go cross the seas,
Anne. God give your graces both A happy and a joyful time of day! Queen. As much to you, good sister! Anne. No further than the Tower; Upon the like devotion as yourselves, To gratulate the gentle princes there. Queen. Kind sister, thanks; we'll enter all toge Enter Brakenbury.
And, in good time, here the lieutenant comes.- Master lieutenant, pray you, by your leave, How doth the prince, and my young son of York: 50 Brak. Right well, dear madam: By your patience, I may not suffer you to visit them; The king hath strictly charg'd the contrary. Queen. The king!" who's that? Brak. I mean, the lord protector. Queen. The lord protect him from that kingly Hath he set bounds between their love and me? I am their mother, Who shall bar me from them? Dutch, Iam their father's mother, I will see them. Anne. Their aunt am I in law, in love their 60 mother:
Then bring me to their sights; I'll bear thy blame, And take thy office from thee, on my peril.
Brak. No, madam, no, I may not leave it so;
And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell. Go, hie thee, hie thee from this slaughter-house, Lest thou increase the number of the dead; And make me die the thrall of Margaret's curse,- Nor mother, wife, nor England's counted queen. Stanl. Full of wise care is this your counsel,
Take all the swift advantage of the hours: You shall have letters from me to my son In your behalf, to meet you on the way: Be not ta'en tardy by unwise delay.
Dutch. O ill-dispersing wind of misery!- my accursed womb, the bed of death; A cockatrice hast thou hatch'd to the world, Whose unavoided eye is murderous! [sent. Stan. Come, madam, come; I in all haste was Anne. And I with all unwillingness will go.- O, would to God, that the inclusive verge Of golden metal, that must round my brow,
Were red-hot steel, to sear me to the brain1! Anointed let nie be with deadly venom; And die, ere men can say-God save the queen! Queen. Go, go, poor soul, I envy not thy glory; To feed my humour, wish thyself no harm. Anne. No! why?-When he, that is my hus-
Came to me, as I follow'd Henry's corse; [hands, When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his Which issued from my other angel husband, And that dead saint which then I weeping follow'd; O, when, I say, I look'd on Richard's face, This was my wish,-Be thou, quoth I, accurs'd, For making me, so young, so old a widow !
And, when thou wed'st, let sorrow haunt thy bed; 15 And be thy wife (if any be so mad) More miserable by the life of thee,
Than thou hast made me by my dear lord's death! Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again, E'en in so short a space, my woman's heart Grossly grew captive to his honey words, And prov'd the subject of mine own soul's curse: Which ever since hath held mine eyes from rest; For never yet one hour in his bed Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep, But with his timorous dreams was still awak’d. Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick; And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.
And thy assistance, is king Richard seated:- But shall we wear these glories for a day? Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them? Buck. Still live they, and for ever let them last! K. Rich. Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the touch',
Totry if thou be current gold indeed:- [speak. Young Edward lives;-Think now what I would Buck. Say on, my loving lord.
K. Rich. Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be king. [liege. Buck. Why, so you are, my thrice-renowned K. Henry. Ha! am I king? 'tis so: but Edward Buck. True, noble prince. [lives. [prince!→→
K. Rich. O bitter consequence, That Edward still should live-True! noble Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull:- Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead; And I would have it suddenly perform'd. 20 What say'st thou now? speak suddenly, be brief. Buck. Your grace may do your pleasure. K.Rich. Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezes:
Queen. Poor heart,adieu; I pity thy complaining. Anne. No more than with my soul I mourn for 30 yours.
Dor. Farewell, thou woeful welcomer of glory! Anne. Adieu,poorsoul, thou tak'st thy leave ofit! Dutch. Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee![To Dorset. 35 Go thou to Richard, and good angels tend thee![To Anne.
Go thou to sanctuary, and good thoughts possess [To the Queen.
I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with me! 40 Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen, And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen2. Queen. Stay yet; look back, with me, unto the Tower.-
Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes, Whom envy hath immur'd within your walls! Rough cradle for such little pretty ones! Rude ragged nurse! old sulfen play-fellow For tender princes, use my babies well! So foolish sorrow bids your stones farewell.
Say, have Lthy consent, that they shall die? Buck. Give me some breath, some little pause, Before I positively speak in this: [dear lord,
I will resolve your grace immediately.
[Exit Buckingham. Cates. The king is angry; see, he gnaws his lip. K. Rich. I will converse with iron-witted fools, And unrespective boys; none are for me, That look into me with considerate eyes:- High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.-- Boy!-
Page. My lord. [gold K.Rich. Know'st thou not any, whom corrupting Would tempt unto a close exploit' of death? Page. I know a discontented gentleman, Whose humble means match not his haughty Gold were as good as twenty orators, [mind: And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing. K. Rich. What is his name?
This seems to allude to the ancient mode of punishing a regicide, viz. by placing a crown of 2 i.e. sorrow. To play the touch, means, to represent the
iron heated red-hot, upon his head.
K. Rich. Ay, what's o'clock? Buck. I am thus bold to put y Of what you promis'd me. K. Rich. Well, but what's o'c Buck. Upon the stroke of ten K. Rich. Well, let it strike. Buck. Why let it strike? K. Rich. Because that, lik keep'st the stroke Betwixt thy begging and my m I am not in the giving vein to-d Buck. Why, then resolve m K. Rich. Thou troublest me; vein.
Buck. Is it even so? repays he With such contempt? made I h
Tyr. Please you, but I had rather kill two ene-200, let me think on Hastings; an
K. Rich. Why, then thou hast it; two deep ene- Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleep's disturbers, Are they that I would have thee deal upon : Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower. Tyr. Let me have open means to come to them, And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them. K. Rich. Thou sing'st sweet music. Hark, cone hither, Tyrrel;
Go, by this token :-Rise, and lend thine ear: [Whispers. There is no more but so:-Say, it is done, And I will love thee, and prefer thee for it. Tyr. I will dispatch it straight.
Buck. My lord, I have consider'd in my mind The late demand that you did sound me in. K. Rich. Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to Buck. I hear the news, my lord. [Richmond. K. Rich. Stanley, he is your wife's son:-Well, look to it.
Buck. My lord, I claim the gift, my due by proFor which your honour and your faith is pawn'd; The earldom of Hereford, and the moveables, Which you have promised I shall possess.
K.Rich.Stanley, look to your wife,if she convey Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.
Buck. Whatsays your highness tomyjust request? K. Rich. I do remember me,-Henry the sixth Did prophesy, that Richmond should be king, When Richmond was a little peevish boy. A king!--perhaps---
To Brecknock, while my fearful!
SCENE I Enter Tyrrel.
Tyr. The tyrannous and blood The most arch deed of piteous n That ever yet this land was guil Dighton, and Forrest, whom I d To do this piece of ruthless butc 30 Albeit they were flesh'd villains, Melting with tenderness and mil Wept like two children, in their d O thus, quoth Dighton, lay the g Thus, thus, quoth Forrest, girdl 35 Within their alabaster innocent a Their lips were four red roses on Which, in their summer beauty, k A book of prayers on their pillow Which once, quoth Forrest,almost But, O, the devil-there the villa When Dighton thus told on,The most replenished sweet work That, from the prime creation, er Hence both are gone with conscie 45 They could not speak; and so I To bear these tidings to the bloc Enter King Richar And here he comes:--All healt
[that time K. Rich. How chance, the prophet could not at Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him? 55 Buck. My lord, your promise for the earldom,- K. Rich. Richmond!--When last I was at Exeter, The mayor in court'sy shew'd me the castle, And call'd it---Rouge-mont: at which name, I started;
K. Rich. Kind Tyrrel! am I ha Tyr.If to have done the thing y Beget your happiness, be happy For it is done.
K.Rich. But didst thou see the Tyr. I did, my lord.
K. Rich. And buried, gentle Tyr.The chaplain of the Tower But where, to say the truth, I do
K.Rich. Come to me, Tyrrel, s 60 When thou shalt tell the process
An image like those at St. Dunstan's church in Fleet-street, and at the markettowns in this kingdom, was usually called a Jack of the clock-house.-Perhaps th called Jacks, because the engines of that name which turn the spit were anciently o such a puppet.
Mean time, but think how I may do thee good, And be inheritor of thy desire. Farewell, 'till then.
K. Rich. The son of Clarence have I penn'd up close;
His daughter meanly have I match'd in marriage; The sons of Edward sleep in Abraham's bosom, And Anne my wife hath bid the world good night. Now, for I know the Bretagne Richmond aims At young Elizabeth, my brother's daughter, And, by that knot, looks proudly on the crown, To her go I, a jolly thriving wooer. Enter Catesby.
K. Rich. Good news or bad, that thou com'st in so bluntly? [Richmond; Cates. Bad news, my lord: Morton is fled to And Buckingham, back'd with the hardy WelshIs in the field, and still his power increaseth. [men, K.Rich. Ely with Richmond troubles me more
Than Buckingham and his rash-levied strength. Come,-I have learn'd, that fearful commenting Is leaden servitor to dull delay; Delay leads impotent and snail-pac'd beggary: Then fiery expedition be my wing, Jove's Mercury, and herald for a king! Go, muster men; My counsel is my shield; We must be brief, when traitors brave the field. 30
SCENE IV.
Enter Queen Margaret.
2. Mar. When holy Henry dy'd, and my sweet
[ghost, Dutch. Dead life, blind sight, pocr mortal living Woe's scene, world's shame, grave's due by life usurp❜d,
Brief abstract and record of tedious days, Rest thy unrest on England's lawful earth, [Sitting down. Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood! Queen. Ah, that thou wouldst as soon afford a As thou canst yield a melancholy seat; [grave, Then would I hide my bones, not rest them here! Ah, who hath any cause to mourn, but we? [Sitting down by her. 2. Mar. If ancient sorrow be most reverent, Give mine the benefit of signiory, And let my griefs frown on the upper hand. [Sitting down with them. If sorrow can admit society, Tell o'er your woes again by viewing mine:- I had an Edward, 'till a Richard kill'd him ; I had a husband, 'till a Richard kill'd him :" Thou hadst an Edward, 'till a Richard kill'd him; Thou hadst a Richard, 'till a Richard kill'd him. Dutch. I had a Richard too, and thou didst kill him;
I had a Rutland too, thou holp'st to kill him. 2. Mar. Thou hadst a Clarence too, and Ri chard kill'd him.
From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept A hell-hound, that doth hunt us all to death: That dog that had his teeth before his eyes, To worry lambs, and lap their gentle blood; That foul defacer of God's handy-work;
2. Mar. So, now prosperity begins to mellow, 35 That excellent grand tyrant of the earth,
And drop into the rotten mouth of death. Here in these confines slily have I lurk'd, To watch the waining of mine enemies. A dire induction2 am I witness to, And will to France; hoping, the consequence Will prove as bitter, black, and tragical.— [here?| Withdraw thee, wretched Margaret! who comes
Enter the Queen and the Dutchess of York. Queen. Ah,my poor princes! ah,my tender babes! My unblown flowers, new-appearing sweets! If yet your gentle souls fly in the air, And be not fix'd in doom perpetual, Hover about me with your airy wings, And hear your mother's lamentation!
And now I cloy me with beholding it. Thy Edward he is dead, that kill'd my Edward; Thy other Edward dead, to quit my Edward; Young York he is but boot, because both they Match not the high perfection of my loss. Thy Clarence he is dead, that stabb'dmy Edward; And the beholders of this tragic play, The adulterate' Hastings, Rivers, Vaughan, Grey, Untimely smother'd in their dusky graves. Richard yet lives, hell's black intelligencer; Only reserv'd their factor, to buy souls, And send them thither: But at hand, at hand, Ensues his piteous and unpitied end:
disquisition are the dull attendants on delay. In
his bond of life, dear God, I pray, That I may live to say, The dog is dead! [come, Queen. O, thou didst prophesy, the time would 5 That I should wish for thee to help me curse That bottled spider, that foul hunch-back'd toad. 2. Mar. I call'd thee then vain flourish of my fortune;
I call'd thee then poor shadow, painted queen; The presentation of but what I was, The flatt'ring index of a direful pageant', One heav'd a-high, to be hurl'd down below; A mother only mock'd with two fair babes; A dream of what thou wast; a garish flag, To be the aim of every dangerous shot2; A sign of dignity, a breath, a bubble; A queen in jest, only to fill the scene. Where is thyhusband now? where be thy brothers? Where be thy two sons? wherein dost thou joy: Who sues, and kneels, and says-God save the
Poor_breathing orators of miseri Let them have scope: though v Help nothing else, yet they do eas
Dutch. If so, then be not tong And in the breath of bitter word My damned son, that thy two s ther'd.
10I hear his drum,-be copious in Enter King Richard, and his tr K.Rich. Who intercepts me in Dutch.O, she, that might havei 15 By strangling thee in her accurs From all the slaughters, wretch done.
Queen. Hid'st thou that forehe Where should be branded, if that The slaughter of the prince that And the dire death of my poor so Tell me,thou villain-slave,where Dutch. Thou toad, thou toad, ther Clarence?
25 And little Ned Plantagenet his s Queen. Where is the gentle R Dutch. Where is kind Hasting K. Rich. A flourish, trumpets Let not the heavens hear these t 30 Rail on the Lord's anointed: S [Flow Either be patient, and entreat m Or with the clamorous report of Thus will I drown your exclama Dutch. Art thou my son? K. Rich. Ay, I thank God, my Dutch. Then patiently hear m K.Rich. Madam, I have a tou dition,
Where be the bending peers that flatter'd thee? Where be the thronging troops that follow'd thee? Decline all this, and see what now thou art. For happy wife, a most distressed widow; For joyful mother, one that wails the name; For one being su'd to, one that humbly sues; For queen, a very caitiff crown'd with care; For one that scorn'd at me, now scorn'd of me; For one being fear'd of all, now fearing one; For one commanding all, obey'd of none. Thus hath the course of justice wheel'd about, And left thee but a very prey to time; Having no more but thought of what thou wert, To torture thee the more, being what thou art. Thou didst usurp my place: And dost thou not Usurp the just proportion of my sorrow? Nowthy proudneck bears half my burden'd yoke; From which even here I slip my wearied head, 40 And leave the burden of it all on thec. Farewell, York's wife, andqueen ofsad mischance, These English woes shall make me sinile in France. Queen. Othou well skill'd in curses! stay a while, And teach me how to curse mine enemies. 145
2. Mar. Forbear to sleep the night, and fast the day;
Compare dead happiness with living woe; Think that thy babes were fairer than they were, And he that slew them, fouler than he is: Bettering thy loss makes the bad causer worse; Revolving this will teach thee how to curse.
Queen. My words are dull; O, quicken them with thine!
2. Mar. Thy woes will make them sharp, and 55 pierce like mine. [Exit Margaret. Dutch. Why should calamity be full of words?
That cannot brook the accent of Dutch. O, let me speak. K. Rich. Do, then; but I'll n Dutch. I will be mild and gen K. Rich. And brief, good mot haste.
Dutch. Art thou so hasty? I hav God knows, in torment and in a K. Rich. And came I not at last Dutch. No, by the holy rood well, Thou cam'st on earth to make th A grievous burden was thy birth Tetchy and wayward was thy in Thy school-days, frightful, desp furious;
Thy prime of manhood, daring Thy age confirm'd, proud,subtle
The pageants displayed on public occasions in those days, were generally pred account of the order in which the characters were to walk. These indexes were dis the spectators, that they might understand the meaning of the allegory exhibited every book was anciently placed before the beginning of it. 2 This alludes to
situation of those persons to whose care the standards of armies were entrusted. tun'd to complaints, succeed joys that are dead; and unbequeath'd to them, to wh properly descend. i.e. a spice or particle of your disposition.
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