If thou hadst fear'd to break an oath by him,'
The imperial metal, circling now thy head,
Had grac❜d the tender temples of my child;
And both the princes had been breathing here,
Which now, two tender bedfellows for dust,
Thy broken faith hath made a prey for worms.
What canst thou swear by now?

K. Rich.

By the time to come.

Q. Eliz. That thou hast wronged in the time o'er

past;

For I myself have many tears to wash

Hereafter time, for time past, wrong'd by thee.
The children live, whose parents thou hast slaughter'd,
Ungovern'd youth, to wail it in their age:

The parents live, whose children thou hast butcher'd!
Old barren plants, to wail it with their age.
Swear not by time to come; for that thou hast
Misus'd ere used, by times ill us'd o'er past.
K. Rich. As I intend to prosper, and repent!
So thrive I in my dangerous attempt
Of hostile arms! myself myself confound!
Heaven, and fortune, bar me happy hours!
Day, yield me not thy light; nor, night, thy rest!
Be opposite all planets of good luck

To my proceeding, if, with pure heart's love,
Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,

I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter!
In her consists my happiness, and thine:
Without her, follows to myself, and thee,
Herself, the land, and many a christian soul,
Death, desolation, ruin, and decay:

It cannot be avoided but by this;

It will not be avoided, but by this.
Therefore, dear mother (I must call you so),
Be the attorney of my love to her.

Plead what I will be, not what I have been;
Not my deserts, but what I will deserve:
Urge the necessity and state of times,

And be not peevish 31 found in great designs.

Q. Eliz. Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?
K. Rich. Ay, if the devil tempt thee to do good.
Q. Eliz. Shall I forget myself, to be myself?
K. Rich. Ay, if yourself's remembrance wrong
yourself.

Q. Eliz. But thou didst kill my children.

K.Rich. But in your daughter's womb I bury them: Where, in that nest of spicery 32, they shall breed Selves of themselves, to your recomforture.

Q. Eliz. Shall I go win my daughter to thy will? K. Rich. And be a happy mother by the deed. Q. Eliz. I go.-Write to me very shortly,

And

you shall understand from me her mind. K. Rich. Bear her my true love's kiss, and so farewell.

[Kissing her. Exit Q. ELIZABETH. Relenting fool, and shallow, changing-woman 33 ! How now? what news?

Enter RATCLIFF; CATESBY following.

Rat. Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast Rideth a puissant navy; to the shore

Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends,
Unarm'd, and unresolv'd to beat them back:
'Tis thought, that Richmond is their admiral;
And there they hull, expecting but the aid
Of Buckingham, to welcome them ashore.

31 Foolish.

32 Alluding to the phoenix.

33 Such was the real character of this queen dowager, who would have married her daughter to King Richard, and did all in her power to alienate the marquis of Dorset, her son, from the earl of Richmond.

K. Rich. Some lightfoot friend post to the duke of Norfolk 34.

Ratcliff, thyself,-or Catesby; where is he?
Cate. Here, my good lord.

K. Rich.

Catesby, fly to the duke. Cate. I will, my lord, with all convenient haste. K. Rich. Ratcliff, come hither: Post to Salisbury; When thou com'st thither,-Dull, unmindful villain, [TO CATESBY. Why stay'st thou here, and go'st not to the duke? Cate. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure,

What from your grace I shall deliver to him.

K. Rich. O, true, good Catesby;-Bid him levy

straight

The greatest strength and power he can make,
And meet me suddenly at Salisbury.

Cate. I go.

[Exit.

Rat. What, may it please you, shall I do at Salisbury?

K. Rich. Why, what would'st thou do there, before I go?

Rat. Your highness told me, I should post before.

Enter STANLey.

K. Rich. My mind is chang'd.-Stanley, what news with you?

Stan. None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing;

Nor none so bad, but well may be reported.

K. Rich. Heyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad! What need'st thou run so many miles about,

34 Richard's precipitation and confusion is in this scene very happily represented by inconsistent orders and sudden variation of opinion.

When thou may'st tell thy tale the nearest way? Once more, what news?

Stan.

Richmond is on the seas.

K.Rich. There let him sink, and be the seas on him! White liver'd runagate, what doth he there?

Stan. I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess. K. Rich. Well, as you guess?

Stan. Stirr'd up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton,

He makes for England, here to claim the crown. K. Rich. Is the chair empty? is the sword unsway'd?

Is the king dead, the empire unpossess'd?
What heir of York is there alive, but we 35?
And who is England's king, but great York's heir?
Then, tell me, what makes he the seas?

upon

Stan. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess. K. Rich. Unless for that he comes to be your liege, You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes. Thou wilt revoit, and fly to him, I fear.

Stan. No, mighty liege; therefore mistrust me not. K. Rich. Where is thy power then, to beat him back?

Where be thy tenants, and thy followers?
Are they not now. upon the western shore,
Safe-cónducting the rebels from their ships?

35 Richard asks this question in the plenitude of power, and no one dares to answer him. But they whom he addresses, had they not been intimidated, might have told him that there was a male heir of the house of York alive, who had a better claim to the throne than he, Edward earl of Warwick, the only son of the usurper's eldest brother, George duke of Clarence; but Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Edward IV. and all her sisters had a better title than either of them. He had however been careful to have the issue of King Edward pronounced illegitimate, and as the duke of Clarence had been attainted of high treason, he had some colour for his bravado.

Stan. No, my good lord, my friends are in the north. K. Rich. Cold friends to me: what do they in the

north,

When they should serve their sovereign in the west? Stan. They have not been commanded,mighty king: Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave,

I'll muster up my friends; and meet your grace, Where, and at what time, your majesty shall please. K. Rich. Ay, ay, thou would'st be gone to join with Richmond:

I will not trust you, sir.

Stan.

Most mighty sovereign, You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful; I never was, nor never will be false.

K. Rich. Well, go, muster men. But, hear

leave behind

you,

Your son, George Stanley: look your heart be firm, Or else his head's assurance is but frail.

Stan. So deal with him, as I prove true to you. [Exit STANLEY.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire, As I by friends am well advértised,

Sir Edward Courteney, and the haughty prelate, Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother,

With many more confederates, are in arms.

Enter another Messenger.

2 Mess. In Kent, my liege, the Guildfords are in

arms;

And every hour more competitors 36

Flock to the rebels, and their power grows strong.

See note on The

36 Competitors here means confederates. Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act ii. Sc. 6, p. 136.