K. Rich. Even all I have; ay, and myself and all, Will I withal endow a child of thine; So in the Lethe of thy angry soul Thou drown the sad remembrance of those wrongs, Which, thou supposest, I have done to thee. Q. Eliz. Be brief, lest that the process of thy kindness Last longer telling than thy kindness' date. K. Rich. Then know, that from my soul, I love thy daughter. Q. Eliz. My daughter's mother thinks it with her soul. K. Rich. What do you think? Q. Eliz. That thou dost love my daughter, from thy soul: So, from thy soul's love, didst thou love her brothers: And from my heart's love, I do thank thee for it. K. Rich. Be not so hasty to confound my meaning: I mean, that with my soul I love thy daughter, And do intend to make her queen of England. Q. Eliz. Well then, who dost thou mean shall be her king? K. Rich. Even he, that makes her queen: Who else should be? Madam, with all my heart. As one being best acquainted with her humour. Q. Eliz. And wilt thou learn of me? K. Rich. Q. Eliz. Send to her, by the man that slew her brothers, A pair of bleeding hearts; thereon engrave, Edward, and York; then, haply, will she weep: Therefore present to her,—as sometime Margaret Did to thy father, steep'd in Rutland's blood,- Tell her, thou mad'st away her uncle Clarence, Mad'st quick conveyance with her good aunt Anne. K. Rich. You mock me, madam; this is not the way To win your daughter. Q. Eliz. K. Rich. Say, that I did all this for love of her? Q. Eliz. Nay, then indeed, she cannot choose but hate thee 26, Having bought love with such a bloody spoil. Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes, Than is the doting title of a mother; 26 Tyrwhitt suggested that the sense seemed to require we should read but love thee' ironically. Mason proposed but have thee,' which Steevens admitted into the text. It is by no means evident that this is spoken ironically (says Mr. Boswell), and, if not, the old reading affords a perfectly clear meaning. A virtuous woman would hate the man who thought to purchase her love by the commission of crimes.' They are as children, but one step below, The loss, you have, is but—a son being king, Again shall you be mother to a king, And all the ruins of distressful times Of ten times double gain of happiness. 27 Endur'd of her, for whom you bid like sorrow.' Of is used for by; bid is the past tense from bide. To whom I will retail 28 my conquest won, Q. Eliz. What were I best to say? her father's brother Would be her lord? Or shall I say, her uncle? That God, the law, my honour, and her love, Q. Eliz. Which she shall purchase with still lasting war. K. Rich. Tell her, the king, that may command, entreats. Q. Eliz. That at her hands, which the king's King forbids 29. K. Rich. Say, she shall be a high and mighty queen. K. Rich. As long as heaven, and nature, lengthens it. Q. Eliz. As long as hell, and Richard, likes of it. K. Rich. Say, I, her sovereign, am her subject low. Q. Eliz. But she, your subject, loaths such sov'reignty. K. Rich. Be eloquent in my behalf to her. 28 i. e. recount. See note on p. 71. 29 She means that his crimes would render such a marriage offensive to heaven. 30 Young has borrowed this thought: But say, my all, my mistress, and my friend, Q. Eliz. An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told. K. Rich. Then in plain terms tell her my loving tale. Q. Eliz. Plain, and not honest, is too harsh a style. K. Rich. Your reasons are too shallow and too quick. Q. Eliz. O, no, my reasons are too deep and dead; Too deep and dead, poor infants, in their graves. K. Rich. Harp not on that string, madam; that is past. Q. Eliz. Harp on it still shall I, till heartstrings break. K. Rich. Now, by my George, my garter, and my crown, Q. Eliz. Profan'd, dishonour'd, and the third usurp❜d. K. Rich. I swear. Q. Eliz. By nothing; for this is no oath. Thy George, profan'd, hath lost his holy honour; Thy garter, blemish'd, pawn'd his knightly virtue; Thy crown, usurp'd, disgrac'd his kingly glory: If something thou would'st swear to be believ'd, Swear then by something that thou hast not wrong'd. K. Rich. Now by the world,Q. Eliz. "Tis full of thy foul wrongs. K. Rich. My father's death,— Thy life hath that dishonour'd K. Rich. Then, by myself,- Thyself is self misus'd. K. Rich. Why then, by God,- God's wrong is most of all. The unity, the king thy brother made, |