But, Heaven be thank'd, there is no need of me; (And much I need to help you, if need were ;) The royal tree hath left us royal fruit, Which mellow'd by the stealing hours of time, Will well become the seat of majesty, And make, no doubt, us happy by his reign. On bim I lay what you would lay on me, The right and fortune of his happy stars, Which, God defend, that I should wring from him! Buck. My lord, this argues conscience in your grace;
But the respects thereof are nice 9 and trivial, All circumstances well considered.
You say, that Edward is your brother's son; So say we too, but not by Edward's wife: For first he was contract to lady Lucy, Your mother lives a witness to his vow; And afterwards by substitute betroth'd To Bona, sister to the king of France. These both put by, a poor petitioner, A care-craz'd mother to a many sons, A beauty-waning and distressed widow, Even in the afternoon of her best days, Made prize and purchase of his wanton eye, Seduc'd the pitch and height of all his thoughts To base declension and loath'd bigamy : By her, in his unlawful bed, he got This Edward, whom our manners call More bitterly could I expostulate, Save that, for reverence to some alive, I give a sparing limit to my tongue; Then, good my lord, take to your royal self This proffer'd benefit of dignity : If not to bless us and the land withal, Yet to draw forth your noble ancestry From the corruption of abusing time, Unto a lineal true-derived course.
As well we know your tenderness of heart, And gentle, kind, effeminate remorse 1, Which we have noted in you to your kindred, And equally, indeed, to all estates, — Yet know, whe'r you accept our suit or no, Your brother's son shall never reign our king; But we will plant some other in your throne, To the disgrace and downfall of your house. And, in this resolution, here we leave you; Come, citizens, we will entreat no more.
[Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and Citizens. Cate. 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, But penetrable to your kind entreaties,
[Erit CATESEY. 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,
the prince. Your mere enforcement shall acquittance me From all the impure blots and stains thereof; For Heaven best knows, and you may partly see, How far I am from the desire of this.
May. Do, good my lord; your citizens entreat you. Buck. Refuse not, mighty lord, this proffer'd love Cate. O make them joyful, grant their lawful suit. Glo. Alas, why would you heap those cares on me? I am unfit for state and majesty : I do beseech you, take it not amiss; I cannot, nor I will not, yield to you. Buck. If you refuse it, as in love and zeal, Loath to depose the child, your brother's son;
May. God bless your grace! we see it, and will say it.
Glo. In saying so, you shall but say the truth. Buck. Then I salute you with this royal title,Long live king Richard, England's worthy king! All. Amen.
Buck. To-morrow may it please you to be crown'd? Glo. Even when you please, since you will have it so.
Buck. To-morrow then we will attend your grace; And so, most joyfully, we take our leave. Glo. Come, let us to our holv work again : [To the Bishops. Farewell, good cousin ; - farewell, gentle friends. [Exeunt.
Heaven give your graces both A happy and a joyful time of day!
Q. Eliz. As much to you, good sister! Whither away?
Upon the like devotion as yourselves, To gratulate the gentle princes there.
Q. Eliz. Kind sister, thanks; we'll enter all together:
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? Brak. Right well, dear madam: By your patience, I may not suffer you to visit them; The king hath strictly charg'd the contrary. Q. Eliz. The king! who's that? Brak.
I mean the lord protector. Q. Eliz. The Lord protect him from that kingly title!
Hath he set bounds between their love, and me? Anne. No further than the Tower; and, as I guess, I am their mother, who shall bar me from them?
Duch. I am their father's mother, I will see them. Anne. Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother:
Then bring me to their sights; I'll bear thy blame, And take thy office from thee, on thy peril.
Brak. No, madam, no, I may not leave it so; I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me, [Exit BRAKENBURY.
Stan. Let me but meet you, ladies, one hour hence, And I'll salute your grace of York as mother, And reverend looker-on of two fair queens. Come, madam, you must straight to Westminster. [To the DUCHESS OF GLOSTER. There to be crowned Richard's royal queen. Q. Eliz. Ah, cut my lace asunder! That my pent heart may have some scope to beat, Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news.
Anne. Despiteful tidings! O unpleasing news! Dor. Be of good cheer: Mother, how fares your grace?
Q. Eliz. O Dorset, speak not to me, get thee gone, Death and destruction dog thee at the heels; Thy mother's name is ominous to children: If thou wilt outstrip death, go cross the seas, And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell. Go, hie thee, hie thee, from this 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. Stan. Full of wise care is this your counsel, madam :-
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.
Duch. O ill-dispersing wind of misery! O my accursed womb, the bed of death; A cockatrice hast thou hatch'd to the world, Whose unavoided eye is murderous!
Stan. Come, madam, come; I in all haste was
Anne. And I with all unwillingness will go.- O, would to heaven that the inclusive verge Of golden metal, that must round my brow, Were red-hot steel, to sear me to the brain! Anointed let me be with deadly venom; And die, ere men can say God save the queen! Q. Eliz. 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 husband
Came to me, as I follow'd Henry's corse;
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.
Q. Eliz. Poor heart, adieu; I pity thy complaining. Anne. No more than with my soul I mourn for yours.
Dor. Farewell, thou woful welcomer of glory! Anne. Adieu, poor soul, that tak'st thy leave of it! Duch. Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee! [To DORSET. Go thou to Richard, and good angels tend thee!
[TO ANNE, Go thou to sanctuary, and good thoughts possess [To Q. ELIZABETH, I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with me! Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen, And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen.? Q. Eliz. 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 sullen play-fellow For tender princes, use my babies well!
So foolish sorrow bids your stones farewell. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A Room of State in the Palace. Flourish of Trumpets. RICHARD, as King, upon his Throne; BUCKINGHAM, CATESBY, a Page, and
Buck. Say on, my loving lord.
K. Rich. Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be king. Buck. Why, so you are, my thrice-renowned liege. K. Rich. Ha! am I king? 'Tis so: but Edward lives. Buck. True, noble prince. K. Rich. O bitter consequence, That Edward still should live,-true, noble prince!-
When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull:
Which issu'd 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; 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, Even 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;
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead; And I would have it suddenly perform'd. 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 :
Say, have I thy consent, that they shall die? Buck. Give me some breath, some little pause, dear lord,
Before I positively speak in this:
I will resolve your grace immediately,
[Exit BUCKINGHAM. Cate. The king is angry; see, he gnaws his lip. [Aside.
The deep-revolving witty Buckingham No more shall be the neighbour to my counsels : Hath he so long held out with me untir'd, And stops he now for breath? — well, be it so.- Enter STANLEY.
How now, lord Stanley? what's the news? Know, my loving lord, The marquis Dorset, as I hear, is fled To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.
K. Rich. Come hither, Catesby: rumour it abroad, That Anne, my wife, is very grievous sick; I will take order for her keeping close. Inquire me out some mean-born gentleman, Whom I will marry straight to Clarence's daughter: The boy is foolish, and I fear not him. — Look, how thou dream'st!—I say again, give out, That Anne my queen is sick, and like to die: About it; for it stands me much upon 7, To stop all hopes, whose growth may damage me. [Exit CATESBY.
I must be married to my brother's daughter, Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass: Murder her brothers, and then marry her! Uncertain way of gain! But I am in So far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin. Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye. Re-enter Page, with TYRREL.
Tyr. James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject. K. Rich. Art thou, indeed? Tyr. Prove me, my gracious lord. K. Rich. Dar'st thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?
Tyr. Please you; but I had rather kill two ene
K. Rich. Why, then thou hast it; two deep enemies!
Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleep's disturbers, Are they that I would have thee deal 8 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, come hither, Tyrrel;
Go, by this token: - Rise, and lend thine ear:
There is no more but so: Say, it is done, And I will love thee, and prefer thee for it. Tyr. I will despatch it straight.
Buck. My lord, have considered in my mind The late demand that you did sound me in.
K. Rich. Well, let that rest. Richmond.
Buck. I hear the news, my lord.
K. Rich. Stanley, he is your wife's son:—
Buck. My lord, I claim the gift, my due by
To put your grace in mind of what you promis'd me. K. Rich. Well, but what is't o'clock ?
K. Rich. Because that, like a Jack', thou keep'st
Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.
I am not in the giving vein to-day.
Buck. Why, then resolve me whe'r you will, or no. K. Rich. Thou troublest me; I am not in the vein. [Exeunt KING RICHARD and Train. Buck. And is it thus? repays he my deep service With such contempt? made I him king for this? O, let me think on Hastings; and begone To Brecknock 2, while my fearful head is on. [Erit.
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