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RICHARD THE THIRD
BY
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
\Shakspa e-Quailo Facsimiles, No. it .]
JO^ V
jr<"' ii-j
RICHARD THE THIRD
BY
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
THE FIRST QUARTO,
J597
A FACSIMILE IN PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHY
BY
WILLIAM GRIGGS,
FOR 13 YEARS PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHKR TO THE INDIA CFFICK,
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
P. A. DANIEL.
i'<5*
6 3
7*7 >
0
LONDON:
Publisht by W. GRIGGS, Hanover Street, Peckham, S.E.
CONTENTS OF INTRODUCTION.
p. iii. The O. editions.
p. iv. Date of Play. — An inferior work not wholly by Shakespeare.
— The relation of O. to F. the chief matter for enquiry.
— Opinion of Cambridge Editors and others thereon. —
My own conclusions.
p. v. Pedigree of F. text considered; derived from MS. of
original Play and 06.
p. vi. Its text influenced by Oos. ; reproduces their errors through
the medium of 06.
vii — xi. Errors of F., not derived from 06, examined ; do not
affect that O.'s claim to its part origin.
Instances of exclusive connection of 06 with F.
Proof that conjectural emendations were made in F. text.
F. text not due to revision by an unknown hand.
Proof of Q. being a revision of F. text.
F. is from 06 corrected by a Theatre MS. Q. is a shortend
and revised copy of F. — Course to be followed by an
Editor of the Play,
p. xxi. This Facsimile ; its line numbers and marks, etc.
p
Xll.
p-
Xll —
■XIV.
p-
xiv.
p-
XIV—
-XX.
p
. XX,
xxi.
17 so
221
Ill
RICHARD III.
INTRODUCTION.
This play was entered on the Stationers' Register to Andrew
Wise, 20th Oct. 1597, and the 1st Quarto edition of it — the Facsimile
of which is here given — was published by him that same year, "As it
hath beene lately Acted by the Right honourable the Lord Chamber-
laine his seruants."
It will be seen that no author's name appears on the title page of
this 1st edition : in the 2nd edition (Q2) 1598, it is said to be " By-
William Shakespeare."
A third edition (Q3) was published in 1602, its title differing in
no respect from Q2 except in stating that it was " Newly aug-
mented " ; but neither in this nor in any subsequent Q. is any
addition to be found to the text of the two first Qos. It differs
from them only in a very large increase of errors, which (it may be
added) are mostly left uncorrected in the subsequent Qos.
A fourth edition (Q4) appeared in 1605 ; a fifth (Q5) in 161 2 ;
a sixth (Q6) in 1622 ; a seventh (Q7) in 1629 ; and an eighth (Q8)
in 1634; each Q. upwards being printed from its immediate pre-
decessor, with the exception of Q5, which was printed not from Q4
but from Q3.1
The above particulars are taken from the Preface to the Play in
Vol. V. of the Cambridge edition of Shakespeare's Works, where
also full bibliographical details, not needed here, will be found.
It is on the basis of the complete collation, given in the Cambridge
edition, of all the old copies that my work is founded, occasional
reference only having been needed to the original editions them-
selves. With this acknowledgment I must also express my sense
of the deep debt of gratitude which all lovers of Shakespeare owe
to the labours of Messrs. W. G. Clark and W. Aldis Wright : my
admiration of their great work has increased with my almost daily
use of it since its publication, 1863-66.
1 I do not presume to dispute this last statement of the Cambridge editors ;
but the collation of these Qos., given in their foot-notes to the Play, suggests that
Q5 was printed from a copy made up of Q3 and Q4. It certainly reproduces
errors of Q3 which were corrected in Q4, but it also repeats errors which origin-
ated in Q4. I have no means of determining this point ; it would require a
minute examination of undoubtedly genuine copies of all three editions. Fortun-
ately it is not a point which in any way interferes with the inquiry now in hand.
iv DATE OF PLAY. Q. A SHORTENED AND REVISED COPY OF IT.
The earliest date assigned to this Play (by Malone) is 1593;
later dates being fixed on by subsequent commentators ; my own
impression, so far as Shakespeare was concerned in its production,
is that, as suggested in the Title-page— (" as it hath beene lately
acted," etc.) — it was written not long before the date of its first
publication, say 1596/7.
Measured by the Shakespearian standard of excellence, Richard
III., however popular and successful on the stage, can only rank as
a second or third rate performance ; and this, I make no doubt, is
to be attributed to the fact that it was not of Shakespeare's original
composition, but the work of the author or authors of the Henry
VI series of plays ; his part in this as in those, being merely that
of a reviser or re-writer. With the question of authorship, however,
I am not here concerned ; the relation to each other of the Q. and
F. versions is all I propose to deal with ; and this, after all, is the
most important matter connected with the play, for unless it can be
settled on some reasonably certain basis, the difficulties in the way
of a satisfactory settlement of the text itself are almost insuperable.
The most important recent contributions to the literature of this
subject are the Preface of the Cambridge Editors and the Papers
which it has given rise to by Prof. Delius, Mr. James Spedding, Mr.
E. H. Pickersgill, etc., for which see the Transactions of the New
Shakspere Society for 1875-6, Ft. I. The space at my disposal will
not permit me, except very rarely, to comment on these ; I must
content myself with stating briefly their conclusions.
The Cam. Edd. suppose the Q. to represent Shakespeare's original
work : the F. a copy revised and augmented by him, but again
revised by some unknown hand, with occasional aid from Q3.
Prof. Delius believes the F. to be the original work ; the Q. a copy
obtained clandestinely, amended or patched up by some unknown
person for the pirate-publisher.
Mr. Spedding supposes the Q. to be the original work ; the F. a
subsequent but incomplete revision and augmentation of it, by Shake-
speare himself, founded on one of the printed Qos., probably Q3.
Mr. Pickersgill is of opinion that the Q. is the shortened actois'-
copy of the original work ; the F. the original work revised by some
unknown hand, with occasional aid from Q3.
Of course all make due allowance for error and corruption in
both versions.
My own conclusions, as briefly stated, and with like allowance for
corruption by transcrihers, printers, players, stage licenser, etc., are
that the F. represents the play as first set forth by Shakespeare ;
the Q. a shortened and revised copy of it.
The heart of the matter is in this last proposition ; for if it can
be shown that the Q. is anywhere revised or altered on the text of
F. PRINTED FROM Q6 CORRECTED BT A THEATRE MS. V
the play as given in the F., it follows almost as a matter of course
that it is also a shortened version, and, till proof to the contrary is
forthcoming, that the F. must be accepted as representing substanti-
ally the original play. The only external hint affording any ground
for the theory that the F. at any time underwent revision, except
for the purpose of the Q., is the announcement on the title-page of
Q3, 1602 — " Newly augmented," — but unless this external evidence
can be backed up by internal evidence derived from comparison of
the texts themselves, this bookseller's announcement may be dis-
missed as worthless, or at the best as meaning nothing more than
that, when preparing for his third edition, Andrew Wise intended or
hoped to be able to give his readers a completer copy of the play
than he had supplied them with in his two first editions. I do not
believe that any such internal evidence can be produced ; certainly
I find none in the Papers I have referred to above, nor have I been
able to detect any in the course of my own examination : on the
other hand I do find in the Q. (1) deliberate corrections of errors
that appear in the F., and (2) corruption and confusion of F.
passages, evidently the result of the careless way in which the
revision or alteration for the Q. was made.
Let us first try to get a clear notion of the F. text as it stands.
The subject has been complicated by the supposition that Q3 is in
some way connected with it, as having in part supplied the printers
of the F. with their " copy " ; or as having been consulted by some
unknown reviser : or even as having formed the actual foundation of
an augmented and revised play. I can find no p)'oof of any such
connection.
The " copy "—as I hope to prove — supplied to the printers of
the F. was a copy of Q6, 1622, enlarged, altered, and corrected in
accordance with a complete MS. of the play in the possession of
the theatre.
That this MS. was in existence when the publication of the F.
was determined on is certain, — without it the F. version would have
been an impossibility, — and though it may seem strange that with
this complete copy in their possession, Messrs. Heminge and
Condell should have taken the trouble to provide a special copy of
it for the printers of the F., it is clear they must have done so, and
in the way I have supposed ; it is impossible otherwise to account
for the numerous errors which the F. has derived from the Qos.,
and an examination of these errors shows that Q6 was the particular
Q. from which they were immediately taken. Indeed, this Q. was
almost of necessity the one to be made use of; the previous editions
being exhausted, dispersed, or destroyed, as was the common fate
of "sixpenny books of the play." And it may be noted that this
was the course followed with respect to the other plays in the F.
VI F. TEXT CORRUPTED BY Q. ERRORS.
which were printed from Qos : all were printed from the latest
editions, with one exception : the ist Pt. of Henry IV. was printed
from Q5, 16 1 3, not from Q6, 1622. Romeo a?id Juliet may perhaps
be another exception ; it was printed from Q3, 1609, and there was
an undated Q4, which may possibly have been published before the
F. But even with these two plays we see that it was not the earlier
and more correct editions which were chosen for the F.
If then my reader will imagine for himself the scribe employed
by Messrs. Heminge and Condell laboriously adding to, altering
and correcting the pages of Q6 in accordance with the theatrical
MS., he may also easily imagine that that scribe would have been
more than mortal if he had not left some traces of the ground he
was at work on, in the shape of uncorrected errors of the printed
book, or if he had not blundered some of the corrections he
intended ; while at the same time he thoughtlessly introduced into
his copy errors of the MS. itself; — for it is not to be supposed that
this MS. was other than a transcript of the author's MS., and as
such, having, of course, its own share of errors. Unfortunately for
the text of the play — though fortunately for the purpose of this
inquiry — our scribe was not an immortal : he has let us into the
secret of the materials he had to work with, has enabled us to
account for many of the variations of Q. and F., and has given us
the means of forming a reasonably consistent theory as to the
relation of the two versions.
A very brief examination of the collation of Qos. 1 to 6,1 as set
forth in the foot-notes of the Cambridge edition, establishes the
fact that in numerous places these Qos. differ among themselves ;
sometimes in the correction in a later Q. of an error that had
established itself in one of an earlier date, but generally in a progres-
sive increase in error in the later editions as compared with the earlier.
Putting aside all cases in which the F. differs from all the pre-
ceding Qos.,— in which cases the reading of the F. must of course
as a rule be referred to its MS. authority— I find that the F. in some
435 cases in which Qos. 1 to 6 disagree among themselves, is in
accord with one or more of them : —
with Qi 326 times
with Q2 292 times
with Q3 262 times
with Q4 238 times
with Q5 236 times
with Q6 168 times
This relatively greater agreement of the F. with the earlier
» In this inquiry it was of course useless to take into account the Qos. 7 and
S published later than the F.
INSTANCES OF Q. ERRORS IN F. yii
Qos. merely marks the progressive deterioration of the Qos. and
the generally superior accuracy of the F. text : it is in its agreement
with Q. errors that we learn its part origin, and are able to decide
to which Q. it was indebted. From these 435 cases then I have
culled a list of 72 doubtful or erroneous readings imported into the
F. text.
It would be needless, as tedious, to give the whole of this list ;
some half dozen instances will suffice to show that they could only
have got into the F. from one of the Qos. Take then the following : — ■
III. i. 40. To milde entreaties, God forbid. Q3--6 F., a deficient
line : God in heaven forbid. Qi and 2.
III.i.78. Even to the generall ending day. Q2--6 F., a deficient
line : all ending Qi.
IILi. 141. My Lord Protector will haue it so. Q2--6 F., a de-
ficient line : needes will Qi .
V.iii. 152. Let us be laid within thy bosome, Richard. Q2--6 F.,
a misprint: lead Qi.
V.iii. 180. It is not dead midnight. Q2-6 F, a misprint: now
Qi-
V.iii. 255. If you do sweare to put a Tyrant downe. Q3-6 F., a
misprint : sweate Qi and 2.
V.iii.338. Right Gentlemen of England, fight boldly yeomen —
misprints : Right Q3-6 F. Fight Qi, 2 ; boldly Q2-6 F. bold Qi.
V.iii.351. Upon them, Victorie sits on our helpes. Q3, 5, and 6,
F., a misprint : helmes Qi, 2, and 4.
These are sufficient for my purpose : it now remains to show
from which of the Qos. they were derived.
Out of my list of 72 doubtful or erroneous readings I find that
the F. shares 10 with Qi, two exclusively;
19 with Q2, none exclusively;
53 with Q3, one exclusively ;
54 with Q4, one exclusively ;
52 with Q5, one exclusively;
56 with Q6, twelve exclusively.
The preponderance of Q6 in this account of errors points very
decidedly to that Q. as the one used in preparing "copy" for the
F. text : it is worth while therefore to examine in detail the 16
(72 — 56 = 16) "errors" of this list of 72 which the F. could not have
derived from the imaltered text of that Q. : they are as follows : —
1. IILi. 1 23. " I would that I might thank you, as, as, you call
me" F. : " as as you call me " Q3. This is the only instance in
which the F. is in agreement with a reading peculiar to Q3 ; the
viii Q. EBROBS IN P., NOT TAKEN FROM Q.6, CONSIDERED. NOS. 1 — 4.
repetition of as is not found in the other Qos. Mr. Spedding
remarks of it that it is " a misprint probably, though it might
perhaps be defended as meant to indicate an affected hesitation."
Sidney Walker — who, however, does not appear to have been
acquainted with Q3 — evidently so considered it, and, commenting
on the F., asks, " May not this be the right reading? " ; and he has
found at least one editor (the Rev. H. N. Hudson) to answer
affirmatively by introducing it into the modern text. If then
this repetition of as be the true reading it would naturally have
found its way into the F. from the theatrical MS. independently of
Q3 ; but if an error — and I am bound to say I think it one — the
chances are no doubt great against it having crept into the F. except
as a relict of Q3 ; still the repetition of words is a very common
error of the press, and it is possible that the error may have been
made independently in both Q3 and Fi.
2. III.ii-19. " Goe fellow, goe, return unto thy Lord." F.
Qi, 2: " Good fellow, goe" etc. Q3--6, which seems to me a pre-
ferable reading ; though all editors, I believe, accept that of the F.
and two first Qos. Qi and 2, however, have no claim, either of
them, to be the copy prepared for the F. text, and I can scarcely
doubt that their reading was also that of the theatrical MS., and in'
that case was of course transferred from that MS. to the Q. which
the scribe was at work on, one of the Qos. 3 to 6.
3. III.v.61. " Misconster us in him, and waile his death." F.
Q1-5. Q6 has misconstrue. Misconster cannot of course be
considered either a doubtful or erroneous reading, and I have only
admitted it into this list because prima facie it tells against Q6 :
the question is, did the F. get it from one of the Qos. 1-5, or,
supposing 6 to be the Q. printed from, was its form of the word
altered in accordance with the theatrical MS. ? The result of
my examination of Fi with Q3 and 6 — the two chief claimants to
the parentage of the F. — is the conviction that the mere form or
spelling of a word in those Qos. is no proof of connection with
the F., the printer of which followed his own lights in this respect
regardless of his " copy." Hence I conclude that this instance
neither tells against Q6 nor in favour of one of the Qos. 1-5.
4. III. v. 108. "And to give order that no manner person ." F.
Q3, 4: "no manner of person " Qi, 2, 5, and 6. Perhaps also I
ought not to have included this reading of F. and Q3, 4 in a list
of doubtful and erroneous readings: there is no question of the
propriety ot the use of manner without the preposition, and in this
the metre should be allowed to decide. If then the F. has
tlie true reading, that reading was probably found in the theatrical
MS., and there is no need therefore in this case to suppose any
special connection between F. and Q3 and 4; which like the
Q. ERRORS IN F., NOT TAKEN FROM Q6, CONSIDERED. NOS. 5, 6. ix
rest of the Qos. have their own independent corrections, and
errors. The person preparing "copy" for the F. text would, in
accordance with his original, strike out the of which he found in the
Q. [ ? Q6] on which he was at work.
5. IV.i.84. " Did I enjoy the golden dealt) of sleepe." F.
Q3--5 : dew Qi, 2, 6. Here again, as in No. 3 of this list, no
proof for or against the claims of any of the Qos. is to be deduced
from difference of spelling.
6. IV.h.102. "A king perhaps." F. and, except that it has a
comma in the place of the period, so also Q4. All the other
Qos. repeat perhaps, and this repetition is accepted by several
editors as the true reading. If the true reading, can the omission
in the F. have originated with Q4, or is it merely an accidental
coincidence ? It is the only instance of the agreement of the F
with a reading peculiar to Q4, and in any case tells as much, or as
little, against Q3 as against Q6. I incline to believe that the
repetition of perhaps was not found in the theatrical MS., and
was therefore struck out of the Q. used in the preparation of the
F. text ; and the more so that Q4 has little or no claim to this
distinction.
It is worthy of notice, however, that this missing " perhaps " was
the last word which occurs before the only long Q. passage not found
in the F, and the omission of which from the F. is one of the chief
puzzles of the many the play presents. It is the passage in which
.Richard snubs Buckingham. I can only account for the omission
of this passage from the F. on the supposition that it never was in
the original draught of the play • that it was in fact, in theatrical
parlance, a " bit of fat " inserted in the Q. version for the benefit
of the chief actor, when that version was put upon the stage. At
any rate when " copy " was being prepared for the printers of the
F., it must have been deliberately struck out of the Q. used for
that purpose, and could only have been thus struck out because
it was not in the theatrical MS., or was there found crossed out :
perhaps in striking it out the scribe used his pen too vigorously,
and also struck out the "perhaps," the absence of which occasions
this elaborate attempt to account for its absence.
I may add here that I believe this passage and perhaps one other
are the only passages that can in any way be considered additions to
the Q. ; all the other lines found in it, but not in the F., are to be
accounted for as accidental omissions in the F. The other passage
is Richard's speech, Act III. vii. 220, " O, do not swear, my lord
of Buckingham " : again, perhaps, a little " bit of fat " for the chief
actor ; though here again, if the censor of the F. had struck out
Buckingham's oath in the preceding speech, this line would
naturally disappear with it, and its absence from F. text would
X Q. ERRORS IN F., NOT TAKEN FROM Q6, CONSIDERED. NOS. 7 — 10.
not have been accidental. That the censor has been busy with the
F. appears in Act I. Sc. iv. 1. 184-5—
" I charge you, as you hope to have redemption
By Christ's dear blood shed for our grievous sins," etc.
reduced in the F. to —
" I charge you, as you hope for any goodness " —
line 185 being struck out altogether. That at least is the explana-
tion of previous commentators, and I am willing to accept it ;
though it is an instance that would tell strongly in favour of my
theory that the Q. was a revision of the F. text.
7. IV.iii. 22. "To beare this tydings to the bloody king." F.
Q1-5. Q6 has these. Most editors are content to accept u this
tidings" as the true reading, and probably it was that of the
theatrical MS., in which case, if Q6 was used for printing the F.
text, these would have been changed to this : so that this case can
scarcely be said to tell against the Q6 theory.
8. IV.iv.45. " I had a Rutland too, thou hofi'st to kill him." Fi.
thou liopst Qi, 2 ; and thou holfst Q3-6. Qos. 1 and 2 have so
little claim to the parentage of F. that if this misprint, hofst, is not
merely an accidental coincidence, I should be disposed to conjecture
that Qi got it from the theatrical MS., and that from that MS. it
was again transferred by the scribe to the later Q. from which the
F. was printed ; the superfluous and, which had got into the later
Qos., being at the same time struck out.
9. IV.iv.392. " Ungouern'd youth, to wail it with their age "
F. Q5 : in their Q1-4 ; with her Q6. Here Q5 puts in its solitary
claim to exclusive connection with F. ; but all things considered
I am disposed to think that so far from this case telling against Q6
it affords proof in its favour : in their is clearly the right reading, and
it is quite possible that the scribe who prepared the " copy " for the
F., with the theatrical MS. before him and working on a copy of
Q6, may, in correcting the obvious blunder her, have overlooked
the other correction of with to in which he should also have made.
This is one of the errors which correctors for the press are, I
know from experience, very liable to fall into. Note, Malone
assigns the reading with their to "Quarto 1602, [Q3] etc."; he is
wrong : the Cam. edd. give the variations of the Qos. correctly, as
above.
10. IV.iv.423. "But in your daughter's wombe I bury them"
F. Q3, 4: I buried Qr, 2; Ik burie Q5, 6. Qi and 2 are of
course wrong; Q5 and 6 seem tome to have the best reading; but
if Q3> 4, and F. are right, as all editors by their acceptance seem
to consider, the F. would get its reading independently of Q3 and 4
Q. ERRORS IN F., NOT TAKEN FROM Q6, CONSIDERED. NOS. 11 16. xi
with which it agrees, and therefore there would be no case here
against Q6.
11. V.iii.114. "That we may praise thee in thy victory." F.
Q3--5 : the Qi, 2, 6. Editors are not agreed as to the true reading
in this case ; some adopting thy, others the : it can hardly therefore
be taken into account in deciding the question of the Q. used
for the preparation of the F. text.
12, 13. V.iii. 13 1& 139. "Let me sit heauy in thy soule to-morrow."
F. Q1--4 : on Q5, 6. Where this line first occurs — 1. 118 — all the
old editions agree in on : in these two repetitions of it they differ as
noted above. In or on are equally fitting here ; but no doubt all
three repetitions of the line should be uniform. The agreement of
Fi and Qi in in in two places (11. 131, 139) must be set against
their agreement in on in one place (1. 118), and I take it the
balance is in favour of in as the true reading, or at any rate as the
reading of the theatrical MS. ; in which case its occurrence in these
lines 131 and 139 of the F. text can neither be taken as proof in
favour of one of the Qos. 1--4, nor against Qos. 5 and 6.
14. V.iii. 221. " Vnder our Tents He play the Ease-dropper."
F. : ease dropper Qi ; the rest, ewse, eawse, and ezvese-dropper : it is
not 'till F4 that we arrive at eaves-dropper. I hardly think it can
be maintained that ease in Qi and Fi is a survival of easen, and
if not, it is difficult to guess how what must be a misprint can have
found its way into both Qi and F. — Qi being out of the question
as regards the pedigree of Fi — unless, as I have suggested of other
cases, both derived it from the theatrical MS.
15. V.iii. 304. " Iockey of Norfolke, be not .wbold" F. Q1--5 :
too, according to the Chronicles, was the right word, and Q6 has
to ; so that if Q6 was used for printing from, it must have been
" corrected " to so, because that was the reading of the theatrical
MS., whence also Qi must have derived it.
16. V.v.20,21. " Smile Heauen. . . . That long have frown'd,"
etc. F. Q1--5 : hath Q6. Till editors are agreed that have in this
place is a misprint, it can hardly be maintained that the F. must
have derived it from one of the Qos. 1—5. It may very well
have been the reading of the theatrical MS., and so transferred by
the scribe to Q6, which I believe to have been the Q. used in the
preparation of the F. text : and I venture to'think that this examin-
ation of the 16 "errors" shared by the F. with other Qos. than
Q6 scarcely touches that Q.'s claim to the parentage of the F. ; that
claim, moreover, being immensely strengthened by the exclusive
connection which is shown to exist between the two in the following
instances, which form part of the 72 doubtful or erroneous readings
supposed to have been transferred from Q. to F.
xii TWELVE ERRORS SHARED BY F. WITH Q6 ONLY.
INSTANCES OF EXCLUSIVE CONNECTION OF Q6 WITH F.
1. I.iv.13. "Vpon the Hatches: There we look'd toward
England." thence Qi~5-
' -1. I.iv.22. "What dreadful noise of zvater in mine ears.
waters Qi-5- . ....... ,,
3. I.iv.135. " Bid Gloucester thinke on this and he will weepe.
0/Q1-5.
4. I.iv.272. " By Heauen the Duke shall know," etc. heauensQ 1-5.
5. IV.i.82. " Which hitherto hath held mine eyes from rest."
my Qi-5- AH the Qos., however, give the line very differently—
" Which euer since hath kept my'eyes from sleepe."
Q6 differing from them only in the word mine, as in F. version.
6. IV.iv.i 12. " From which euen heere I slip my wearied head."
wcarie Q1--5. All the Qos., however, for head have neck; an
erroneous repetition of the word, I believe, caught by the printer
of Q. from the preceding line.
7. IV.iv.238. "Then euer you and yours by me were harm'd."
or Q1--5. All the Qos., however, give the line very differently —
"Then euer you or yours were by me wrong '</."
Q6 differing from them only in the word and, as in F. version.
In these three instances (5, 6, and 7) we may easily imagine that
the scribe at work on a copy of Q6, while altering that text in
accordance with the theatrical MS., overlooked the tell-tale words
mine, wearied, and and of that Q.
8. IV.iv.509. " Out on ye, owles." yon Q1--5.
9. V.iii.250. " A base foule Stone, made precious by the soyle.
The true reading is of course that of Qos. 1 and 2—foile ; the rest
have soile, but Q6 prints the word as it is found in the F. soyle. In
the case of an error such as this undoubtedly is, its form may
perhaps point to the source of its derivation, and I have therefoie
set this down as an instance of exclusive connection between Q6
and F. ; though, as I have pointed out in Nos. 3 and 5 of the
preceding list, not much reliance is, as a rule, to be placed on
mere spelling.
To these nine instances of readings peculiar to Q6 and F. I
add three more, completing my list of 12 exclusive Q6--F1 errors,
out of the order in which they occur in the play, because I wish to
group them with others which, with them, seem to me to point
pretty clearly to the fact that conjectural emendations of errors have
been made in the F. text.
III.v.66. " With all your just proceedings in this case." F. :
cause Q1--5, corrupted to ease in Q6. Though the F. word fits
CONJECTURAL EMENDATIONS IN F. TEXT. Xlll
the place well enough, it has all the look of a correction of the
Q6 error.
III.v.74. " There at your meetest vantage of the time." F. The
Q1--5 have meetst advantage, which "Q6 corrupts to meetest advantage.
The F. reading looks very like a metrical correction of this
corruption.
IV.iv.533-6.
" My Liege, the Duke of Buckingham is taken,
That is the best newes : that the Earle of Richmond
Is with a mighty power Landed at Milford,
Is colder Newes, but yet they must be told." F.
For the last line Q1-5 have —
" Is colder tidings yet they must be tokl."
The printer of Q6 catching the word newes from the second line
repeated it here in place of tidings —
' ' Is colder newes yet they must be told "
and so left an imperfect line. Here again the F. line has all the
appearance of a conjectural emendation of the Q6 blunder.
In the other instances of this kind of " correction," though the
errors which occasioned it are not peculiar to Q6, they are all
shared by that Q: —
I.i.65.
" That tempts him to this harsh Extremity." F.
The 1st Q., which certainly has the better reading, gives the line
thus —
" That tempers him to this extremity."
Qos. 2, 5, 6, corrupt tempers to tempts, Qos. 3 and 4 to temps, and
thus they leave an imperfect line which the editor of Fi " corrects "
by the addition of harsh.
V.iii.199.
" Throng all to lh' Barre, crying all, Guilty, Guilty." F.
The Qos. 1 and 2, which are undoubtedly right, have —
" Throng to the bar crying all, Guilty, Guilty " —
corrupted in Qos. 3-6 to "Throng all to the bar," etc. The printer of
F., instead of striking out the redundant all, tried to reduce the line
to measure by contracting to the to to' th\
V.iii.309.
" For Conscience is a word that cowards use." F.
"Conscience is but a word that cowards use." Qi and 2.
XIV CONJECTURAL EMENDATIONS IN F. ALTERATIONS OF F. IN Q.
Qos. 3--6 omit but, leaving the line defective, and F. restores the
metre at the expense of the sense.
V.v.4. "these long vsurped Royalties" F. : "this long vsurped
roialtie" Qi. Q2-6 corrupt roialtie to roialties, whereupon F., accept-
ing the corruption, " corrects " this to these.
These instances are all I can find in the play which afford proof
of conjectural emendation ; and the errors being all found in Q6,
some exclusively, it is probable that the "emendations" all resulted
from the errors in that Q., and therefore it is obvious that Shakespeare
himself can have had nothing to do with them ; nor can they be
supposed the work of the scribe, who, as I have endeavoured to
show, was employed in adding to and altering a copy of Q6 in
accordance with the theatrical MS. : with that MS. before him,
there could have been no need for him to resort to conjectural
emendation. But we have seen, in the transfer of Q. errors to the
F., that his work was far from perfect, and that he left many errors
of his printed book uncorrected. The conclusion necessarily then
must be, that these errors were " corrected " conjecturally in the
proofs of the F. text itself: and the fact that such "corrections"
exist brings into full relief the importance of this inquiry into the
nature of the "copy" supplied to the printers of the F. ; for it is
possibly to them we owe the notion that the play was revised
throughout by some unknown hand, and, as the Cambridge editors
suppose, shortly before 1623. I cannot, however, admit that they
justify such a theory, and I have been quite unable to find any
other grounds for it. Indeed, considering the plentiful crop of
errors this unknown reviser might have exercised his ingenuity upon,
but did not, I think we may safely decline to believe at all in his
existence.
Incidentally in examining the list of F.-Q. " errors " not derived
from Q6, we have touched on the important question which now
remains to be decided, viz. : the priority of Q. or F. ; for we have
seen reason to believe that both derived some of the errors they
have in common from the same MS. source, and therefore prima
facie the F. = MS. would represent the original play ; but the follow-
ing cases are of still greater weight, to my thinking, as affording
proof that the Q. text is altered or revised on that given in the F. :
on them chiefly must depend the acceptance or rejection of
my conclusions.
INSTANCES OF ALTERATION OF THE F. TEXT IN THE Q.
Li. 138. " Now by S.Iohn, that Newes is bad indeed." F. The
Q. alters to Paul, the saint by whom Richard swears elsewhere,
I.ii., I.iii., Ill.iv. and V.iii. Unless we suppose the John of F. to
PROOF THAT Q. IS A REVISION OF F. TEXT. XV
be a mere misprint, I do not see how we can avoid the conclusion
that a deliberate change was made to Paul in the Q.
I. ii. 19,20.
" Then I can wish to IVohtes, to Spiders, Toades
Or any creeping venom'd thing that lines." F.
The Q. here has, — "to adders, Spiders," etc., an obvious
correction.
I.ii. 180-182.
"Nay, do not pause : For I did kill King Henrie,
But 'twas thy Beauty that prouoked me.
Nay now dispatch : 'Twas I that stabb' d young Edward." F.
The Q. restores the historical order of these crimes, reading in
the first line — "'twas I that kild your husband'''' — and in the
third — " kild King Henry" : and the alterations in the text show
that the transposition was made advisedly. Against this might
perhaps be urged the fact that in the Qos. 1 and 2, in V. hi., the
ghosts of the young Princes enter before the Ghost of Hastings,
while in the F. they enter in due chronological order ; but this case
must be merely an instance of blundering in the two first Qos., for
in the other Qos. the error is corrected.
I.ii. 213. "Crosbie House" F. ; altered in Q. to " Crosbie place."
" Then have you one great house called Crosby place." Stowe,
1603, ed. Thorns 1842, p. 65. This mansion is twice elsewhere
mentioned in the Play : I.iii.345, where F. agrees with Q. in calling
it place, and III. i. 191 where the Q. again alters Crosbie house to
Crosbie place.
I. iii. 333. "To be reveng'd on Riuers, Dorset, Grey." F. For
Dorset the Q. substitutes Vaughan; no doubt for the sufficient
reason that he is associated in death with the other two.
I.iv. In the F. Brackenbury's position is not very clear here.
The author seems to have begun the scene with the intention of
making the keeper in attendance on Clarence a distinct personage,
and then, as the scene progressed, to have resolved that Bracken-
bury himself should be this keeper. I don't see how else we are
to account for the way in which, after 1. 75, Brackenbury enters,
takes up the words of the keeper, and assumes his post. The
consolidation of the two parts has the advantage of economizing
the services of one actor, and accordingly in the Q. we find the
new plan consistently carried out : the lines 67 and 73 —
"Ah keeper, keeper, I haue done these things" —
and — ■
"Keeper, I prythee sit by me a-while"
being changed to —
Xvi PROOF THAT Q. IS A REVISION OF F. TEXT.
"O Brokenbury, I haue done those things,"
and to —
" I pray thee, gentle keeper, stay by me," —
while at the same time the entry of Brackenbury, as Lieutenant, is
struck out, and in the first entry to the Scene and in the prefixes to
speeches, his name is substituted for keeper.
II.i.66-68.
"Of you and you, Lord Riuers and of Dorset,
That all without desert haue frown'd on me :
Of you Lord Wooduill, and Lord Scales of you. " F.
In the Q. we find only : —
"Of you Lo: Riuers, and Lord Gray of you,
That all without desert haue frownd on me."
The third line being omitted altogether. All three lines, I believe
to have been in the original MS. ; but not in the order in which
they stand in the F. : the line — " Of you Lord Wooduill, and Lord
Scales of you"- — was second in order; but the scribe who was
preparing, from the original MS. with the aid of one of the printed
Qos., "copy" for the F. edition, either inserted the line wanting in
the Q. in the wrong place, or the printer mistook his directions and
did it for him. But why was the line wanting in the Q. ? Here we
have good proof, I think, that when the play was shortened for the
Q. edition it was also revised. Woodville (Anthony Woodville —
there was no Lord Woodville) was the " Lord Rivers " addressed
in the first line of the passage quoted above ; he was also " Lord
Scales " in right of his wife, the " heir and daughter of Lord Scales,"
who Richard, in 3 Henry VI. IV. i., complains would better have
been bestowed on him or Clarence. This mistake in making Rivers
three separate persons, was evidently corrected when the play was
revised for the Q. version, the "Woodville" line struck out altogether,
and its, form given to the first line as we find it in the Q. : "Gray,"
Dorset's younger brother, being substituted for "Dorset" because
he was, in history as in the play, associated in death with his uncle
Rivers : for the same reason in fact which caused the substitution
of "Vaughan" for "Dorset" in I. iii. 333.1 I do not set down the
1 It may be further noted with reference to this correction in the Q. that
Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers, is the only brother of the Queen who is intro-
duced in this play, and the only brother who fell a victim to Richard's hatred ;
yet in the F. it is always her "brothers" who are referred to ( I. iii. 37,67 ; II.
iii. 28; IV. iv. 92, 143,380). I suspect that the original author of the play was
not very clear as to the relationship of his dramatis persona:, and that he supposed
Grey, who is nowhere referred to as one of the Queen's sons, to be one of her
brothers. In two places in the Q., I. iii. 67 and iV.iv.3S0, brothers is corrected
PROOF THAT Q. IS A REVISION OF F. TEXT. XV11
substitution of "Hastings" for "Dorset" in line 7 of this scene as
the result of revision, because, tho' undoubtedly a correction, the
occurrence of Dorset's name here in the F. was probably merely a
blunder on the part of transcriber or printer : the context shows
that Hastings was meant. So again in the next scene, II. ii. 11.
142 and 154, where the F. has London the Q. gives it correctly
Ludlozv, and Ludlotv was clearly the place meant. Perhaps both
these cases are to be attributed to error in the MS. copy of the
play.
II.iv.1-3.
"Last night I heard they lay at Stony Stratford,
And at Northampton they do rest to night :
Tomorrow, or next day, they will be here." F.
Now this — an error as regards the conduct of the IMay — curiously
enough coincides with the Chronicles on which the play is founded :
the young Prince on his way from Ludlow to London was actually
taken back from Stony Stratford to Northampton. This seems to
me proof positive that the F. gives the first version of the lines ; but
now comes the revision for the Q., and the reviser, recollecting that
Stony Stratford is nearer to London than Northampton, gives us : —
"Last night I heare they lay at Northampton
At Stonistratford will they be to night,
Tomorrow or next day they will be here."
This transposition of localities has the additional advantage of
agreement with the intention of the author as expressed in the third
line; and, whether it appear paradoxical or not, I should say that
the slight sacrifice of rhythm involved in the change is another
proof of the revision itself.
Note, that we have here in the F., in the first line, one of the
numerous proofs that one of the later Qos. was used in preparing
that version for the press. The " tell-tale" word heard was derived
from one of the Qos. 3-6 : from Q6, of course, according to my
theory.
Later in this scene we have an incontestible proof of change
from F. to Q : for the service of the stage, and to economize a
Messenger, Dorset is made to deliver this part, and is thereby placed
in a most incongruous position. It is impossible to read the part
given to him in the Q. without at once perceiving that it was never
originally intended for him : the Messenger of the F. was clearly its
first exponent.
to brother, though in the other four places this correction has been overlooked.
The Cam. edd., in error, note brothers in I.iii.67 as the reading of both Q.
and F.
xviii PROOF THAT Q. IS A REVISION OF F. TEXT.
III. iii. 15-17. Rivers, Vaughan and Grey on their way to
execution :
" Grey. Now Margaret's Curse is falne vpon our Heads
When shee exclaim'd on Hastings, you, and I,
For standing by, when Richard stabb'd her Sonne." F.
This is of course a direct reference to Margaret's curse in I.iii.
210-14; but Margaret had not there "exclaimed on" Grey, but on
Rivers, Dorset and Hastings. The Q. omits the second line of the
passage quoted above, and perhaps the omission was due to some
bungled attempt to conceal the discrepancy ; if so, the reviser over-
looked a second misstatement in the line following the above — "then
cursed she Buckingham." Margaret did not then curse Buckingham.
III. iv. and v. The substitution in these scenes in the Q. of Catesby
for the Lovell and Ratcliff of the F. is a clearer case of "revision,"
and may be taken as a measure of the generally careless manner in
which that revision was done ; or rather, perhaps, of the incomplete
state in which it got to press. The economy of the stage no doubt
recommended the abolition of Lovell as a separate part ; but Catesby
in Sc. iv., leading Hastings to execution, is in almost as incongruous
a position as Dorset in II. iv. as the Messenger ; in Sc. v., however,
his displacement of Lovell and Ratcliff brings in a world of con-
fusion : while actually on the stage with Richard, his double enters
bearing the head of Hastings ! Yet that this office originally devolved
(as in the F.) on Ratcliff and Lovell, is shown in the Q. itself in
certain tell-tale words in 1. 54, where Richard refers to the haste
with which " these our friends " have executed their commission.
IV. i. The Queen, Duchess of York, etc., on their way to the
Tower, meet with Anne, Duchess of Gloucester :
"Duck- Yorke. Who meetes us here ?
My Neece Plantagenet,
Led in the hand of her kind Aunt of Gloster ?
Now for my Life, shee's wandring to the Tower,
On pure hearts loue, to greet the tender Prince.
Daughter, well met.
Anne. God giue your Graces both, a happie
And a ioyfull time of day.
Qu. As much to you, good Sister : whither away ? " F.
The Q. has only —
"Dut. Who meets vs heere, my neece Plantagenet?
Qu. Sister well met, whither away so fast ? "
Now though no other indication of the presence of this " Neece."
either in the text or stage directions, is given in F. or Q., I suppose
all will admit that modern editors, following Theobald, are right in
defining her as Clarence's young daughter; and the Duchess could
no more be supposed to address her daughter-in-law Anne as
PROOF THAT Q. IS A REVISION OF F. TEXT. XIX
"neece Plantagenet" than the Queen could address this "neece"
as sister ; the presence therefore of my neece Plantagenet in the Q.
can only be accounted for as a remnent of the passage omitted in
the Q., and seems to me clear proof that here the F. presents the
original draught, and the Q. a copy mangled in revision.
V.i. In the Q., Ratcliff takes the part given in the F. to the
Sheriff, and thus the services of an additional actor are economized ;
so also in
V.ii. Catesby takes the part given in the F. to Surrey; both
marks, these, of the Q. version having been " revised " on the
original, as presented in the F.
V.iii. In stage direction, in F., Dorset enters with Richmond,
Brandon and Oxford. In Q., Richmond enters only with " Lordes,
etc." Malone supposes (Dorset not having been at the battle) that
Dorset's name was put in the F. by the Players; on the contrary,
I should suppose it to be struck out when the Q. was prepared.
All these variations, it seems to me, can only be regarded as alter-
ations of the F. version, and therefore, till evidence to the contrary
is forthcoming, all the other textual variations in the two versions
must be set down to the same cause, due allowance being of course
made for error and corruption.
How else is it possible to account for such a case as this ; —
Richard and Buckingham, IILi. 188-9, commission Catesby to sound
Hastings as to his willingness to join in their plots :
" Richci7-d. Shall we heare from you, Catesby, ere we sleepe?
Catesby. You shall my Lord."
So it appears in both F. and Q. ; but in the Q., IV.iii.85-6, with
a mere change of name, these speeches occur again : —
" King. Shall we heare from you, Tirrel, ere we sleepe?
Tirrel. Ye shall my Lord."
Now, as regards the first occurrence of these speeches, it is to be noted
that Catesby does not execute his commission 'till the next morning,
and it surely does not require any great effort of the imagination to
suppose that, in revision, these speeches were therefore transferred
to the Tyrell scene, where they fit better ; though through oversight
they were not struck out in the previous Catesby scene. It could
never have been intended that they should appear in both places.
Again in II.ii.23,24, in the F. we find —
"And when my Vnckle told me so, he wept,
And pittied me, and kindly kist my cheeke" —
changed in Q. into the following extraordinary "verses" —
"And when he told me so, he wept
And hugd me in his arme and kindly kist my cheeke."
XX RESULT : P. THE ORIGINAL PLAY, Q. A REVISION OF IT.
This, in my view of the case, — although a strong point with those
who believe the F. to be a weak revision of the Q., sacrificing vigour
of expression to smoothness of verse,- — really affords proof that the
F. gives us the original version of the lines, the Q. a corruption of
a proposed emendation. See back to I.iv.241-3, where Clarence
tells the murderers how he parted with Gloucester —
" It cannot be, for he bewept my Fortune
And hugg'd me in his armes, and swore with sobs
That he would labour my deliuery."
The audience had witnessed this parting, and this account of it
would strike them as fanciful, to say the least ; it was therefore
probably proposed to take some part of Clarence's speech and
give it to his son, in whose mouth it would be more appropriate.
Clarence's speech has been partly altered in the Q , and reads —
" It cannot be for when I parted with him
He hugg'd me," etc.
The transfer to his son of the words " hugg'd me in his arms " was
probably not fully carried out, at least not in the copy from which
the Q. was printed ; a copy which may be shrewdly suspected of
containing many such half-realized emendations, such as would be
suggested when the play was first read to the company ; and which
was probably further scored with such cuts, alterations and gags, as
may have arisen during the rehearsals. Only from a copy in this
chaotic condition can I imagine the Q. to have been printed.1
And now to sum up the results of my inquiry.
I have shown, I think, that the F. edition was printed from a
copy of Q6 altered and enlarged in accordance with a complete
MS. copy of the play, and, errors, etc., allowed for, must be taken
as a faithful representation of that MS. No evidence whatever
being forthcoming of any revision of the MS., subsequent to the
publication of the Q., the F. must therefore be accepted as the Play
as first set forth by Shakespeare. I have also shown, I believe, that
the Q. is a revised copy of this play, though shortened and much
confused and corrupted in its passage to and through the Press.
The relations to each other of the F. and Q. being thus
1 If I may hazard a guess, I should say that if the proposed changes, here
indicated, had been carried out we should have found in Clarence's speech —
" It cannot be, for when I parted with him
He swore he'd labour my delivery " —
and in his son's speech —
" And when my Uncle told me so he wept,
. And hugg'd me in his arms and kissed my cheek."
HOW TO EDIT THE PLAY. THIS FACSIMILE, ETC. XXI
established, some reasonably certain guidance in the settlement of
the text is obtained : the Q. being too imperfect for the purpose,
an Editor should take the F. as the basis of his text. He will
retain in it those characters (as Lovell, Surrey, Sheriff, Messenger,
etc.) whose parts have either been struck out or given to other
actors in the Q. for the mere sake of stage convenience ; he will
restore to it all those lines which, accidentally omitted from it, have
been preserved in the Q. ; he will correct in it all those errors
which have crept into it from corruptions in the Q. which was used
in preparing it for the Press ; he will reject the conjectural
emendations in it which have resulted from those corruptions ; and
lastly, he will alter it in accordance with the Q. in all places where
it can be reasonably supposed that the variations of the Q. are the
result of deliberate revision for the sake of correction or improve-
ment. A sufficiently arduous task, but — if he bears steadily in
mind the relationship of the two versions, and recollects that,
besides being a revised and corrected copy, the Q. has also suffered
much from transcribers, printers, players, stage licencer, etc. — a task
which he need not despair of conducting to a reasonably successful
issue.
'In the margins of the Facsimile the Acts, Scenes, and lines are
numbered as in the Globe edition : in the F. the division of the
scenes is incomplete; scenes v., vi., and vii. of Act III. not being
numbered ; Sccena secnnda of Act IV. includes sc. ii. and hi., Sccena
tertia equals our sc. iv., and Sccena quarta, sc. v. ; in Act V. scenes
iii., iv., and v. are not numbered.
All lines of Q. which differ from those of F. are marked with a
dagger (t) ; all the lines which are not found in F. are marked with.
a star (*) ; and where lines and passages of F. are not found in Q.
a < is placed, the last preceding line and the first line following
being numbered as in the Globe edition.
On the night 3rd and 4th June last, all the negatives, and the
Photographic copy of this play which had been prepared for publi-
cation, were destroyed in the fire which consumed Mr. Griggs's
premises : at Mr. Furnivall's request, and with a liberality which
needs only to be mentioned to be appreciated, his Grace the Duke
of Devonshire at once consented to his copy of the precious Q.
being again photographed for this series of Facsimiles.
P. A. Daniel.
CORRIGENDA, Etc.
p. 3. I. i. 44. — Read appointed ; deficient in original.
p. 6. „ „ 151. — Bead mercy ; deficient in original. — 1. 1, I. ii. The Cam.
Edd. note that this line in Ql ends with lo : , amplified
in subsequent Qos. to lord. This copy of Ql has but
a solitary I. The true reading, that of the Fo., is
load.
p. 15. „ iii. 72 — Read Gentleman:.— 1. 86, A colon after Clarence:.— 1. 98,
A comma after not.
p. 16. „ „ 100, 118. — Commas at the ends of these lines.
p. 17. „ „ 161. — Read bow Wee ; damaged in original. — 1. 177, Read gau'st
with the apostrophe.
p. 19. „ „ 227. — Read hell, diuels ; deficient in original.
p. 20. „ „ 266. — Read alas, alas, .
p. 21. „ „ 296. — A period after Buck,
p. 49.III.iv. 8. — Read inward; deficient in original.
p. 63. IV. ii. 8, — A comma at the end of line. — 1. 17, A comma after Coosin.
— 1. 18, A comma at the end of line.
p. 66. „ „ — The line numbered 100 in the margin should be 110. — 1. 112,
A note of interrogation after clocke.
p. 67. „ iii. 46. — A comma after Richmond. — 1. 53, A hyphen in snaile-pact,
p. 68. „ iv. 9. — A note of exclamation after babes. — 1. 11, Head gentle.
p. 70. „ „ 85.— An e in direful!. — 1. 105, An apostrophe to whe'eld.
p. 72. „ „ 174. — An apostrophe to grac't.
p. 73. „ „ 204. — Full stop at end of line.
p. 74. „ „ 282.— Comma after Riuers.— 1. 284, full stop at end of line, thus
waie* .
p. 75. „ „ 358. — A period after Qu.
p. 76. „ „ 385. — A hyphen to plaie-felloives. — 1. 393, A comma after
butcherd.
p. 88. V. iii. 197. — A comma after second murther.
p. 90. „ „ 285. — Note of interrogation at the end of line. — 1. 299, A comma
after battle,
p. 91. „ „ 303. — A full stop after paper. — 1. 334, A comma at the end of
line. — 1. 338, A comma after England.
It should be noted, with reference to the last paragraph of the Introduction,
that that Introduction was printed in 1883, in the expectation that the
Fac-simile of Richard III. would be issued before the end of that year.
P. A. D.
With January, 1885
THE TRAGEDY OF
King Richard the third.
Containing,
His treacherous Plots againfthis brother Clarence:
the pittiefull raurthcr of his iunocent nephewes :
his tyrannicall vfurpation : with the whole courfc
of his dctefted life, and moft deferucd death.
As ithath beene lately Adted by the
Right honourable the Lord Charaber-
lainehisferuants*
AT LONDON
Printed by Valentine Sims , for Andrew Wife,
dwelling in Paules Chuch-yard , at the
Signe oftheAngell.
"Enter Richard Duke cfGlocefterJolui.
Ow is the winter of our difcontent.
Made glorious fiimmer by this forme of" Yorfcc:
And all the cloudes thatlowrd vpon our houfe,
In the deepc bofomc of the Ocean buried.
Now arc our browes bound with victorious wreathes*
Our bruifed amies hung vp for monuments,
Oar fterne alarmcs changd to merry meetings,
Our dreadfull marches to delightfull rneafures.
Grim-vifagde warre,hath fmoothde his wrinkled front,
And now in ftced of mounting barbed ft cedes,
To fright the foules of fearefull aduerfaries.
He capers nimbly in a Ladies chamber,
To the lafciuiouspleafingof a loue.
But I that am not fhapte for fportiue tricked,
Nor made to court an amorous looking glaffe,
I that am rudely ftampt and want loues maicfty ,
To ftmt before a wanton ambling Nymph:
I rhacamcurtaild of this faire proportion,
Cheated of feature by ditfembling nature,
DcfonTidjVnnmiht, fent before my time
Into this breathing world fcarce halfe made vp»
And that fo lamely and vnfafhionable,
That dogs barke at me as I halt by them:
Why I in this weake piping time of peace
Hauc no delight to pafle away the time,
Vnlefle to fpic my fbadow in the funne,
And dcfcaj.it on mineowne deformity:
And therefore fsnee I cannot prooue a louer
To cntertainc th?fe faire well fpoken daies*
A 2 I am
Li.
12
t
16
20
24
zS
Li
The TfAgeiy
I am determined to proouc a villaine.
And hate the idle plcafures of thefe daies:
Plots haue I laid indubious dangerous,
By drunken Proprieties, Ii be Is and dreames,
To fet my brother Clarence and the King
In deadly hate the one againft the other.
And if King Edward be as true and iuft*
As I am fubtile, falfc, and trecherous:
This day fhould Clarence clofely be mewed vp,
About a Prophecy which faiesthat G.
Of Edwards hcires the muttherers fliall be.
Di ue thoughts do wne to my foule, € nte r CUttmt with
Heere Clarence comes, agardofmen.
Brotherhood dayes,whatmcanes this armed gard
That wakes vpon your grace?
CLr. His Maicfty tendering my perfons fafcty hath ap*
fontcd
This conduct to conuay me to the tower.
Clo. Vpon what caufe?
Cl*. Becaufc my name is George.
Clo. Alackemy Lord that fault is none of yours,
42 He fhould for that commit your Godfathers;
O belike his Maiefty hath fome intent
That ycu fhalbe ncwchriflencd in the Tower.
But vvhats the matter Clarence may I know?
+32 Ck. Yea Richard when I know; for I protcft
As yet I doe not, bur as I can lcarne,
He harkens after Prophecies and dreames,
And from the crofTc-rowe pluckes the letter G:
56 And faics a wifard told him that by G,
His illue disinherited Ihould be.
And for my name of George begins with G»
Itfollowes in his thought that I am he.
6c Thefc as I Scarne and fuch like toicsas thefe,
Haue moued his highnes to commit me now.
<?/<?. Why this it is when men arc ruldc by women,
T is not the King chat fends you to the towen
My Ladv Gray his wife, Clarence tis flic,
; J ' That
u
o/Xkhart! the third*
Thattcmpers him to this extremity,
Was it not (he and that good man of worfiijppe
Anthony Wooduile her brother there,
That made him fend Lord Haftings to the tower* 69
From whence this prcftnt day he is del merer1?
We are not fafc Clarence, we are not fafe.
CU. By heauen I thinke there i s no roan h fecurde,
But the Queenes kindred ?and night-walking Heralds,
That trudge betwixt the King and Miftrcflc Shore,
Heard ye not what an humble fuppliant
Lord Haftinzs was to herforhisdehucry*
CU. Humbly complaining to her deity,
Got my Lord Cbamberlainc his liberty,
lie tell you whati I thinke it is our way .
If we will kcepe in fauour with the King,
To be her men and weare her littery. <&
Thcicalcus orewome widdowand herfelfe,
Since that our brother dubd them gentlewomen,
Arc mighty gofsips in this monarchy. t
Bro. I befcech your Graces both to pardon me: 84
His Maicfty hath (treightly giuen in charge,
That no man mall hauc prkiate conference,
Of what degree focuer with his brother. +
G/o. Euen fo and plcafc your worlhip Brokcnbury , &
Yo«may pcrtake of any thing we (ay:
We fpeake no treafon man, we (ay the King
Is wife and vei tuous , and his noble Queene
Well ftroke in yercs, raire and not iealou*. 92
We (ay that Shores wife hath a prety foote,
A cherry lippe, a bonny eie> a paffing pleafing tongue:
And that the Queenes kindred are made gentlefolks.
How fay you fir, can you deny all this? s<?
Bro. With this (my Lord) my felfe haue nought to do.
Glo. Naught to do with Miftris Shore,! telhhee fellow*
He that doth naught with her, excepting one
Were beft he doe it tccret ly alone. »* f
"Bro. Ibefeech your Grace to pardon me, and withal for. ws f
Your conference with the noble Duke. (bear*
A3 We
u
108
112
t
*20
* ;2.i
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f
/40
The Tragedy
CU. We know thy charge Brokenbury and will obey,
G/o. Wc arc the Queenes abie&s and mu ft obey*
Brother farewell,Iw*ul vnto the King,
And whatfoeuer you will imploy rae in,
Were it to call King Edwa rds widdo w fitter,
I will performc it to enfranchifc you,
Mcanc time this dcepe difgrace in brotherhood,
Touches me deeper then you can imagine.
CU, I know it pleafcth neither ofvs well:
Clo, Wei l,your impnfbnment iliall not be 1 oug,
I will deliuer you or lie for you,
Meane time haue patience.
CL. I muft perforce; fare welU "ExhCUr,
Clo. Go trcade the path that thou (halt ncre returns,
Simpie plaine Clarence I doelouc thee fo,
That I will fliortly fend thy foule to heauen,
If heauen will take the prefent at our hands:
But who comes here the new delniered haftings?
Enter Lord Haftings.
Hdft. Good time of day vnto my gratious Lord:
Clo, As much vnto my good Lord ChamberJainc:
Well are you welcome to the open aire,
How hath your Lordihip brookt imprifbnmcnt?
Hdfl^ With patience (noble Lord)as prifonersmufl:
But I ihall Hue my Lord to giuc them thankes
That were the cauie of my imprifbnment.
Clo. No doubt,no doubt, and fo fhal Clarence too,
For they that were your enemies are his,
And haue preuaild as much on him as you.
Haft. More pitty that the Eagle fhould be mewed,
While keihts andbuffards prey atliberty.
Clo. What ncwes abroad?
Ha/?. No newes fo bad abroad as this at home:
TheKing is fickly,weakc and melancholy,
And his Phifitions fcare him mightily,
Glo, Now by Saint Paul this newes is bad indccdc*
Oh he hath keptan euill diet long,
And oucrmuch confumed his royall ptrfon.
Tis
156
_ I.i.
$f Rkh&rA the third,
Tis very grictioits to be thought vpon:
What is he in his bed J
H*ft. He is.
Glo. Go you before and I wilf follow you. Exit Ha. m
He cannot Hue I hope, and rau(t not die,
Till George be packt withpbft horfe vptoheaucn.
He in to vrge. his hatred more to Clarence,
With lies well ftceld with weighty arguments, 14*
And if I faile not in my dcepe intent,
Clarence hath not an other day to hue
Which done, God take King Edward to his mere
And leauethe world forme to bufleli in,
For then He marry Warwick? yongefi daughter ;
What though I kild her husband and her father,
The 1 eadic ft way to make the wench amends,
Is to become her husband and her father :
The which will I. , not all fb much for loue,
A.s for another ftcret clofc intent.
By marrying her which I mull reach vnto .
But yet I run before my horfe to market: rfc
Clarence ft ill breathes, Edward (rill hues and raignes,
Wh en they arc gone then rnuft I count my gaines. Exit,
Enter Lady ^itne With the htarfc 0/ Harry tht 6, Tn.
Lady %An . Set downe Cet downe your honourable 1 +
If honor may be fhrowded in a hearfe,
Whiift I a while obfequioufiy lament
The vntimelv fall of vertuous Lancaftert
Poore kei-cold figure of a holy King,
Pale afhes of the houfe of Lancafter,
Thou bloudle£fe remnant of that royall bloud..
Be it lawfoll that Iinuocate thy ghoft*
To hearc the lamentations of poore Anne,
Wife to thy Edward,to thy ilaughtercd fonnc,
Stabd by the fci fe fame hands that made thefe hole*, t
Loin, thofe windowes that let foorth thy life, « f
2 powre the hclpleflc balme of my poore eies,
Curft be the hand that made thefe fatall holes, t
Curil be the heart chat had the heart to dot iu l5t
Mau <
In
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54
ThcTfdgedy
More dircfull hap betide that hated wretch,
That raak.es vs wretched by the death of thec:
Than I can wiflhto adders, fpidcrs, toades,
Or any creeping venomde thing that liues.
If eucr he haue child abortiuc be it,
Prodigious and vntimcly brought to lights
Whofe vglyand vnnaturall afpeel,
May fright the hopcfull mother at the view*
^e If eucr he haue wife, let her be made
t As miferablc by the death of him,
As I ana made by my poore Lord and thec.
Come now towards Chcrtfcy with your holy loade,
Taken from Paules to be interred there:
f And ft 1 11 as you arc weary ofthc waight,
Reft you whiles I lament King Henries corfe.
Enter Glocefier.
Glo. Stay you that bcarc the corfe and fet it downe.
34 La. Whatblackemagitianconiures vp this fiend,,
Toftopdeuotcd charitable dcedes.
* Gto. Villaine fet downe the corfe, or by S.Paulc*
lie make a corfe of him that difbbcies.
js Gtnt. My Lord, ftand backeand let the coffin pafte.
Glo. Vnmanerd dog,ftand thou wlienlcommandp
Aduance thy halbert higher than my brcft,
Or by Saint Paul lie flrikc thee to my loote,
42 Andfpurne vpon thee begger forthy boldncs.
La. What doc you tremble.arc you all afraid?
Alas, I blame you not, for you are mortall,
And mortall eies cannot endure the diuell,
Auauntthoudreadmllminrfterofhell,
Thou hadft but power oucr his mortall body,
His foulc thou canft not haue, therefore be gone.
Glo . S weete Saint.for Charity be not fo curft.
La, Foule Diuell, for Gods fake hence & trouble VJ not,
For thou haft made the happy earth thy hell:
Fild it with curling cries and decpe exclaimes.
If thou delight to vie w thy haioous decdes,
Behold this pattcrne of thy butcheries.
Oh
&
Lii,
of Richard the third.
Oh gentlemen fccf fee dead Henries woundes,
Open their congeald mouthes and blccde a fiefli,
Blufh blufh thou lumpe of fbulc deformity*
For tis thy prcfencc that exhales this bloud, 5#
From cold and empty veines where no bloud dwells.
Thy deed inhumane and vnnaturall,
Prouokes this deluge moft vnnaturall.
Oh God which this bloud madeftjreuenge his death. &
Oh earth which this bloud drinkft,reuenge his death:
Either heauen with lightning (hike the murtherer dead,
Or earth gnpe open wide and eate hhnquicke.
As thou doett fwallow vp this good Kings bloud, 66
Whichhis hell-gouernd arme hath butchered.
Glo. Lady you know no rules of charityi
Which renders good for bad,blefsings for curfes.
Lady Villaine thou kno weft no law of God nor man:
No bead fb fierce but knowes fome touch of pitty.
Glo. But I know none, and therefore am no beafh
Lady Oh wonderfull when Diuels tell the troth,
Glo. More wonderfull when Angels are Co angy 74
Voutfafe deuine perfection of a woman, .
Of the/e fuppofed euils to giue me leauc,
By circumftance but fo acquire my felfe.
La. Vouchfafe defufed infection of a man5 78*<
For thefe knowne euils but to giue me leaue, t
By circumftance to curfc thy curfed felfe.
Glo. Fairer then tongue can name thee, let me haue
Some patient leifure to excufe my felfe# sz
La. Fouler then heart can thinke thee thou canft make
No excufc currant but to hang thy felfe.
Glo. By fuch deipaire I mould accufe my felfe.
Lad. And by defpairing fhouldft thou ftand exeufde , ss^
For doing worthy vengeance on thy feUe,
Which didft vnworthy (laughter vpon others,
Glo. Say that I flew them not.
La. Why then they are not dead, «
But dead they are, and diuelifh flaue by thee.
Glo. I did not kill your husband.
B I*
7°f
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Id. Why then lie is ahue.
Glo. Nay,he is dead,and flaine by Edwards hand.
.L*. In thy foule throat thou licft, Queene Margaret Caw
Thy bloudy faulchion finoking in his bfoud*
The which thou once didfl bendagainft lier brcft.
But tliat thy brothers beat afidc the point#
Glo. I was prouoked by her flaunderous tongue*
,s8 Which laid their guilt vpon my gui! dale moulders.
L*. Thou waft prouoked bv thy bloudy minde*
Which neuer dreamt on ought but butcheries,
Dtdft thou not kili this King. Glo. I grantyea.
Lat DocH grant me hedghogge then god grant me too
Thoumaieft be damnd for that wicked deedc,
Oh he was gertle,mildc» and vertuous.
Glo, The fitter for the King of Heaucn that hath him,
Ld. He is in hcauen where thou jfhalt neuer come.
Glo. Let him thanke me that holpe to fend him thither*
For he was fitter for that place then earth.
Ld. And thou unfit for any place but hell.
g/o. Yes one place els ifyou will hcare me name it.
La. Some dungeon. Glo. Your bedchamber .
Ld. III reft betide the chamber where thou licft.
do. So will it Madame till I he wi*h you#
La. Ihopefo.
Glo. I know Coy but gentle Lady Anne,
To leauc this keen incounter of our wits,
And fall feme what into a flower methode:
Is not the caufer of the tiooeles deaths,
„t Of thefe Piantagcncts Henry and Edward,
Asblamefullas the executioner.
Ld. Thou art the caufe aud moO accurlr efTecT:.
Glo . Your beauty wasthe caufe of that effect,
f,as Your beauty which did haunt me in my deeper
To undertake the death of all the world
+ So I might reft one houre in your fwee te bofbmc%
L*. If I thought that I tell thee homicide,
f us Thefe nailes fhculd rend that beauty from my chcekes,
+ £la. Thefe cies could iieuer todure (west beauties wrack,
You
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Yon mould not blemish them if I flood bys
As all the world is cheered by the fonnc t
So I by that, it is my day , my lite.
Id. Blackc night ouerftude thy day,and death thy life.
Clo. Curfe not thy felfe faire creature* thou art both.
La. I would I were to be reucnged on thee.
do. It is a quarrel! noft vnnaturali*
To be reuengdon him that loueth you. *
La. It is a quarrell iulland rca(bnable>
To be reuengd on him thatfle w my husband. t
do. He that bereft thee Lady of thy husband, i3s
Did it to hclpe thee to a better husband.
La, His better doth not breath vpon the earth.
do. Go to, he Hues that loucs you better then he could.
La. Name him. do, Plantagenet.
La. Why that was hee.
do. The felfefame name but one of better nature.
La. Where is he- Shecfpitttthathim.
do. Heere»
Why doeft thou fpittc atme.
Z<*. Woold it were mortall poifon for thy fake. 146
do. Neuer came poifon from fo fweete a pfcec.
La, Neuer hung poifon on a fouler toade*
0 tit of my fight thou dceft infeftmyeies. +
Glo. ThineeicsfwceteLadyhaueinfeftedroine. i5„
La. Would they were bafiliskes to ftrike thee dead.
Clo. I would they were that I might die at once,
For now they kill roe with a Iiu'mg death:
Tbofc eies of thine from mine haue drawen fait tcares,
Shamd their afpe& with (tore of chiiduli drops: 155 *
1 neuerfued to friend nor enemy,
My tongue could neuer learne fweete foothing words:
But now thy beauty is propefde my fee:
JMy proud heart fues and prompts my tongue to fpeakev
Teach not thy Hps fuch fcornc, for they wcte made
For kiffing Lady rot for fuch contempt.
If thy reuengcfull heart cannot forgiuc,
Lo here I lend thee this ftarpe pointe.dfword:
B 2 Which
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Which if tfiou pleafe to hide in thisiruc bofotDCj
And let thcfoule forth that adoreth thee:
I la'.e it naked to the deadly ftroke,
And humbly beg the death vponmy knee.
Nay, doe not pawfe, twas I that kild your husband,
But twas thy beauty that prouoked me:
Nay now d»fp3tch twas I that kild King Henry:
But twas thy heauenly face that fct me on: Heref)?elett faU.
Take vp the fword agame or take vp me. the [word.
Ldk Arife diflembler,though 2 wifh thy dcathi
1 will not be the executioner,
Glo, T hen bid me kill my ftlfe^ and I will doe it.'
la. J haue already.
Glo, Tuih that was in thy rage;
Speakcit againe.and euen with the word,
That hand which for thy loue did kill thy loue,
Shall for thy loue3 kill a farre truer loue:
To both their deaths fhalt thou be acceflary.
Lat I would I knew thy heart.
do. Tis figuied in my tongue*
La. I feare me both are falfe.
do. -Then neuer was man true.
La. Well, well, put vp your fword
do. Say then roy peace is made.
La4 That fhall you know h ereafter.
G to. But /hall I hue in hope.
La, Allmenlhopeliuefo.
do. Vcutfafc to weare this ring.
La. To take is not to giue.
do. Looke how this ring incompaflcth thy finger,
Euen fo thy breafl: inclofeth my poore heart.
Weare both of them for both of them are thine,
And if thy poore deuotedfiipphantmay
Bur beg one fauour at thy gratious hand,
Thou doeft conflrmehis happincs forcuer.
La. What is it?
do. That it would pleafe thee leaue thefe fad defignes,
To him that hath more caufe to be a mourner,
And
72
Iri
$f Richard the ih'vrk
And prcfently repairc ?o Crosbie place,
"Where after I haue folomnly interred
, At Chertfic monaftery this noble King,
And wet his graue with my repentant teares, »*
I will with all expedient dutic fee you:
For diuers vnknowne rcafons, I befcechyou
Grant me thisboonc.
Ld. With all my heart, and much it ioies me too, «*
To fee you are become fo penitent:
Trefsill and Barkley go along with me.
c/ot Bid me farewell
Lat Tis more then you deferue:
But fince you teach me how to flatter you,
Imagine I hauc faid fare well already JExtr.
do. Sirs take vp the corfe.
Set, Towards Chertfie noble Lord,
do. Nojto white Friers there attend my comming.
Was euer woman in this humor woed, "Exeunt . manet Gl.
Was euer woman in this humor wonnc:
He haue hen but I will not keepe her long.
What I that kild her husband and his father,
To take her in her hearts extrcamelT hate: tn
With curies in her nwuth » teares in her eici,
The bleeding witnetTe of her hatred by *
Hauing God,her conference, and thefc bars again ft m*:
And Inothing to backe my luite at all, 236 *.
But the plaine Diuell and dilTemblinglookes,
And vet to win her all the world to nothing, Hah
Hath /he forgot already that brauc Prince
Edward, her Lord whom I {bmc three months llnce,
Stabd in my angry moode atTewxbery*
A tweeter and a louelier gentleman,
Framd in the prodigality of nature: w
Young, valiant, wife, andiio doubt right royalL
Thefpacious world cannot againeaffoord:
And will £he yet debafehereyesonme
That cropt the golden prime of this fweete prince, h*
And made her widdowto a wofullbed,
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TheTrdgedy
On me whofe all not equals Edwards moity,
On me chat halt»andam vnthapenthu*.
M>' Dukedome to a beggerly denier.
I doe oiilcaksmy peribn all this while.
Vpon my life fee findes, although I canno£
My felfc'i to be a inerueilous proper man.
He be at charges for a looking glatle,
And enterMine fbmc fcore or two of taylers.
To ftndy fafliions to adorne my body*
Since I am crept in fauour with my*feife>
I will maintaine it with tome little coft:
But firir lie turne yon fellow in his graue,
And then retunie lamenting to my loue.
Shine outfaire funne till Ihaue bought aglafTe,
That I may fee my ihado w as I patfe. Sxh.
"Ewer Queene, LordBjHert* Cray.
FJ Haue patience Madame, thcres no doubt his Maie-
Wiil foone recouer hisaccuttomed health* (flit
Gray Tn thatyou brookc it, ill icmakeshira worfc»
T hereforc for Gods fake entertainc good comfort,
And chcerehisgracc quick and mcry words,
qjt Ifhe were dead what would betide of me.
Ky. No other harme butloflccf furhaLord.
Q^, The lode oftiich a Lord includes all harme.
Gr. The heauens haue blefcyou with a goodly tonne.
To be ycur comforter when he is gone.
Q5. Oh he is young, and his minority
Is pint vnto the truO: of Rich. Glocefteft
Aman that loucsnotme nor none of you.
JRJ, Is it concluded he fhall be protectory
QUj It is determinde,not concluded yet»
But to it mutt be if the King mifearry. (Enter Buck, tidrhy
Gr. Here eomethc Lords of Buckingham and Darby.
Backz Good time of day vnto your royall grace.
D4r. God make your Maiefty ioyfull as you haue been*
QS TheCounccfle Richmond good my JLq: of Darby*
To your good praiers wilt fcarcely fay, Amen:
Yet Darby notwithftanding,ihees your wife ,
And
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in.
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of Richard the third.
Andloues not me , be you good Lo. afluide
X hate not you for her proud arrogance,
Dur. 1 doe befeech you cither not beleetie
The enuious (launders of her falfe accufers,
Or if Hie be accuide in true report,
Bearc with her weakenes which I thinkc procecdes
From wayward ficknefle,and no grounded malice.
By, Saw you the King to day, my Lo: of DarbyJ
Dar. But now the Duke of Buckingham and 1
Came from vifi ting his Mai efty. *«+
q^, With likelihood of his amendment Lords? t
B«c. Madame good hope/his Grace fpeakes chcerfuHy.
j£5k. God grant him health, did you confer with him.
hue. Madame we did: He deli res to make attoncment j«f
Betwixt the Duke of Gloceftcr and your brothers* +
And betwixt them and my Lord chamberlainc, +
And fent to warnc them to his royall prefence.
Qu^ Would all were well, but that will neuer be- 4C
Ifeareourhappincsisatthehigheft. Enter Gteceflcr t
Glo. They doe me wrong and I will rot endure ic,
Who are they that complainesvnto the King, +
That I forfooth am fterne and loue them not: 44
By holy Paul they kme his grace bur lightly,
That fill his eares with fuch difcentious rumors:
Becaufe I cannot flatter and fpeakefatre, +
Smile in mens faces, itnoothc, deceiue and cog» 4«
Duckc with French nods and apifh courtefie,
I muft be held a rankerous enimy.
Cannot a plai ne man liue and thinkc no harme}
But thus his iunplc truth muft bcabufde, **
Byfilkcnflieiniinu3tingiackes? +
Ey. To whom in all this prefence fpeakes your Grace* f
do. To thee that hall nor honefty nor grace,
When haue I iniured thee , when done thee wrong* s*
Or thee or thee or any of your faction:
A plague vpon you all. His royall perfon *
(Whom God preferue better then you would wifli)
Cannot be quiet force a breathing while, *>
Bat
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Butyoit aiuft trouble him with lewd complaints.
j£5». Brother of Glocefter,you miftaicc the matter?
The King of his owne royall difpofition,
trt And not prouokt by any f uiter elic,
Ayming be like at your inter lour hatred,
Which in your outward actions ibewes itfelfe
Againftmy kindred, brothenand my felfe:
+ 68 Makes him to fend that thereby he may gather
t Theground ofyourill will and to rcnioueit.
Glo. I cannot tell, the world is growen fo bad
That wrens make pray where Eagles dare not pearch,
Since cuery iackc became a Gent!
T heres many a gentle perfbn made a Iacke.
Q«; Come come , we know your meaning brother GI.
You enuy myaduanceraent and my friends,
j6 God graunt we neucr may haue needc of you#
Glo Meane time God grants that we haue ncede of you.
Our brother is imprifoned by your meanes,
My Cclfc difgract,and the nobility
+So Held in contempt, whilft many fairc promotions,
Are daily giuen to enoblc thofe
That fcarce fbmetwo daics fince were worth a noble,
Qtf. By him thatraifdemc to this ca refill 1 height,
*4 From tharcont entcd hap which ! cnioyd,
I ncuer did incenfe his Maiefty
Againft the Duke of Clarence? but haue beene,
An earncft aduocate to pleade for him.
s8 My Lord you doe me (hamefull i niury,
Fallely to draw me in thefc vilefufpeets.
Gtot You may deny that you were not the caufe,
Of my Lord HafHngslate imprifonment.
+92 K>", She may my Lord.
Ch. She mayLo:Ryuers, why who knowes not fo?
She may doe more Sir then denying that:
She may helpe you to many fairc preferment^
96 And then deny her aydiog hand therein,
Andlay thafc honours on your high deferts,
What may (he not fhemay,yea marry may fhe.
16
I'm.
cfMkhdrd the third*
Ry* What mary may fhe.
Gio. What mary may lhe, marry with a King.
A batchelor, a handfbmc (tripling too.
I wis your Grandam hadaworfcr match.
Q*. My Lo: of Gloccfter J haue too long borne
Your blunt vpbraidings and your bitter feoffes,
By heauen I will acquaint his Maiefly
With thefc grofc taunts I often haue endured?
Iliad rather be a countrey fernantmaid*
Then a great Queene wich this condition.
To be thus taunted, fcornedjand baited at: TLntcr Q«±
Small ioy haue I in being Engknds Queene, Mdrgaret.
Qu^Mar. And lefned be that final, God I befeech thee*
Thy honour, irate* andfeatcisdue tome.
Gfo . What?threat you me with telling of the King,
Tell him and fparc not, iooke what I haue faid,]
I will auouch in prefence of the King: f
Tis time to jfpeakc, my paines arc quite forgot.
Qu. Mart Out dineil I remember them too well;
Thou flcweft my husband Henry in the tower,
And Edward my poore ibnnc at Teuxbery.
Glo Ere you were Queene* yea or your husband Kingr
I was a packborfe in his great affaires*
A weeder out of his proud aduer/aries,
A liberal! rcwarder cf his friends:
To royalize his bloud I fpiltminc owne.
Qjt, Mat. Yea and much better bloud then his or thine.
Gto. In all which time you and your husband Gray,
Were factious for the houfc of Lancafter:
And Ryucrs,fo were you, was not your husband
In Margarets battaile at Saint Alboncs flainc:
Let me put in your mindes, if yours forget
What you haue beetle ere now, and what you are.
Wkhali,what 1 haue been,and what I am.
Qu. Ma. A murtherous villaine, and fb ftill thou art.
Gto. Poore Clarence did forfake his father Warwickc,
Yea and fbrfworc himfelfe (which Iefu pardon.)
Qtt.AU. Which God reucnge4
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The Tragedy
G/o. To fig hf. on Edwards party for the crovvne,
And for h)s meede poore Lo: he is mewed vppe ;
I would to Godmy heart were flint hke Edwards,
Or Edwards foft and pith full like mine,
1 am toochildifli, rbohfhfor this world.
Qu^Ma , Hie thee to hell for (bamc and leaue the world
Thou Caeodemon, there thy kingdomc is.
Kjy. My Lo: of Glocefter in thofc bufic daics*
Which here you vrge toprotc vs enemies,
We followed then our Lo: our lawful! King,
So mould we you if you mould be our King*
Ch. H I fhould be? I had rather be a pedlcr,
Farrebe it from my hear r the thought of it.
Qu% As httic loy my Lord as you fuppo(e
You mould cnioy9 were you this countries King,
As little ioy may you (uppofe in me,
That I enioy being the Queenc thereof.
Qjr M. A Jit tie loy enioics the Queenc thereof^
For 1 am (he and altogether ioyleffc,
3 can no longer hold me patient:
Hearc me you wrangling Pyrats that fallout.
In during that which you haue pild from mc:
Which or you trembles not chat lookrs on mc?
Ifnot, that I beint* Queenc you bow uke fobicc"b,
Yet thatby you oepofde you quake like rebels;
O gentle viilainc doc not turne away,
G/o. Foule wrinckled witch what makft thou in my fight*
QJ&« But repetition of what thou haft mard.
That will I make before I let thee go:
A husband and a (on thou owe ft to mc»
And thou a kingdom call of you allcgcancc:
The forrow thatl haue by right is yours,
And all the pleasures you vfiirpe arc mine.
G/o. The curfc my noble father laid on thee,
When thou didft crovvne his warlike browes with paper*
And with thy fcorne dre wft riuers from his eics,
And then to dne them gau ft the Duke a clout,
Stccptin theraultlcfl'ebJoud of pretty Rutland:
His
IS
I. III.
cfRkhdrd the third.
His curfes then from bitternes offbulc
Denounft ,againft thee, are all fallen vpon thee,
And God,not we,hath plagde thy bloudy decde.
A Qu^ So mft is God to right the innocent.
H<*/r. O twas the fouleft decde to flaie that babe,
And the moft mercileue that euer was heard of.
I{iv . Tyrants themfelues wept when it was reported.
Dorf. No man but prophecied reuengc for it.
Bitch. Northumberland then prefent wept to fee it.
Q**^ Af ♦ What? were you marling all before I came,
Ready to catch each other by the throat,
And turnc you all your hatred now on me?
Did Yorkes dread curfc preuaile (b much with heaue;:?,
That Henries death my louely Edwards death,
Their kimjdomes lofIe,rnv wofull baniihmcot,
Could all butanfwerc for that pecuiih brat?
Can curfes pierce the clouds and enter heauen?
Why then gme way dull cloudes to ray quicke curfes:
If not, by war,by iurfet die your King,
As ours by murder to make him a King.
Edward thy fonne which now is Prince of Wales,
For Edward my fonne which was Prince of Wales*
Die in his youth by like vntimely violence^
Thy felfca Quecnc.for me that was a Qucenc,
Outhuc thy glory like my wretched felfe:
Long roaieft thou hue to waile thy childrcns loflc,
Ana fee another as I fee thee now
Dccktin thy rights, as thou art ft aid in mine:
Long die thy happy daies before thy death.
And after many lengthened houres of gricfc>
Die neither mother,wife, nor Englands Quecne:
Riuers and Dorfct you were (landers by,
And fo waft thou Lo: Haftings when my fonne
Was ftabd with bloudy daggers, god I pray him,
That none of you may hue your natural! age.
But by fomc vnlookt accident cut off,
I Glo. Hauc done thy charme thou hatefull withred hag.
Qjtf . And leaue out the flay dog for thou (halt heat mc
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Ifheauco haue any gricuous plague in (We,
Exceeding tbofe that I can wifh vpon theci
0 let them keepe it till thy finnes be ripe.
And then hurlc downe their indignation
On thee the troubier of the poore worlds peace:
The vvorme ofconftf ence drill begnaw thy foulc,
Thy friends fufpeel for traitors while thou liucfr,
And take deep: traitors for thy dearcft friends:
No llecpc, clofe vp that deadly eye of thine,
VnicfTe it be while ft fome tormenting drcame
Affrights thee with a he I of vgiy duels.
1 houelui(h inarkt abortiue rooting hog.
Thou that waft icald in thy natiuity
The Haue cfnature, and the fbnne of hell.
T hou (launder of thy mothers heauy wombe*
Thou lothed 'iftue of thy fathers loynes.
Thou rag of honour, thou detefted, &c.
Glo. Margaret.
Q«:M. Richard. Glo. Ha.
Qu. M. Icalltheenot.
Glo, Then I ci ie thee mercy, for I had thought
That thou hadft cald me all tbefe bitter names.
qk,M. Why io I djd, but looktfor no reply,
O Let me make the period to my curfe.
do. Tisdonebyme, and ends in Margaret. (fcife.
Q^: Thus haue you breathed your curie againft your
Qh.M. Poore painted Qucenc,vainc flourifhofmyfor-
"Why ftrc wft thou fuger on that bottled fpider, (rune
"YVhofe deadly web enfhareth thee about?
Foolc foolcj thou whetft a knife to kill thy felfe.
The time will come that thou (haft wifh for me,
To hclpc thee curfe thatpoifenous bunchbackttoade.
lUjl. Falfe boadins woman,end thy frantike curfe,
Left to thy harme thou moue our patience.
Q^M. Foule fliarne vpon you, you haue all raou'd mine,
fl/. Were you well fcru3d you would be taught your duty.
Q.Jyi. To feme me wcll,you all (hould doc me duty,
Teach me to be your Qocenc, and you my fubicfts;
O
20
Lift.
cf Rkhtrd the third,
O fcrueme we11,and teach your fclues that duty.
Dorf Difputc not with her, (he is lunaticjue.
Qjd. Peace Matter Marques you are malapert,
Your fire-new ftampc ol honour is fcarfc currant:
O that your young nobility could Judge,
What twerc to loofc it and be mifcrable:
They that ftand high haue many blaft to fhake them.
And if they fall they dafh themfclues to pieces.
Clo» Goodcounfell mary, learne it learne it Marques.
Dor. It toucheth you my Lo: afmuch as me.
do. Yea and much more . but I was borne fohi°h>
Our aicry bui Idcth in the Cedars top,
And dallies with the windc,and fcornes the funne.
qu^m. And tunes the fun to made, alas alas,
Witnesmy{bn,now in the made of death,
Whofe bright outshining beames, thy cloudy wrath
Hath in eternal! darkenes foulded vp.
Your aierybuildethinouraieriesnefl
O God that feeft it,doenotfufifcrit:
As it was wonnc with bloud, loft be it fo.
Eucl^ Haue done for (hamcs if not for charity.
Q*. M. Vrge neither charity nor (hame to rac^
Vncharitably with me haue you dealt,
And fliamc fully by you my hopes arc butcherd,
My charity is outrage, life my lhame,
And in my (hame, iiiil ltue my forrowes rage.
Buck. Haue done.
O . M. O Pri nceiy Buckingham, I will kifie thy liana!
In fianc of league and 3mity with thee:
Now fairc befall thee and thy Princely houfe,
Thy car ini-nts are notfpottcd with ourbloud,
JsSor thou within thecomp.ifieof my curfe.
Bue. Nor no one here, for curfesneuer paflc
The lips ofthofethat breath them in theatre.
<^M. He not belceue but they afcend the skie,
And there awake gods gentlefleepin* peace.
O Buckingham beware of yonder dog,
Lcoke when he ftwnes, he bites, and when he bites,
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1 he Tragedy
I lis venome tooth will racklc tbee to death,
Hauc not to doc with him, beware of him:
Smne, death and heli , hauc fet rheirmarkes on h'ira,
And all their minifrers attend on him.
G/o. What doth The fay my Lo: of Buckingham?
/><:£„ Nothing that I refpect mygrarious Lord.
q», M. What doeft thou fcorne me for my gentle coun-
And looth the diuell that I warne thee from: " ( fell,
0 but remember this another day,
When he (hall fpi;t thy very heart with fbrrow,
And fay poorc Margaret was a propheteffe:
Line eachofyou tiie fubiecb of his hate,
And he to your,and all ofyou to Gods. Exit.
Haft. My haire dorh fland on end to hearc her curfes.
Bytf. And fo doth mine, 1 wonder fhecs at liberty-
G/o. I cannot blame her by gods holy mother,
She hath had too much wrong, and I repent
My pare thereof that I hauc done.
Q£,» 1 neuer did her any to my knowledge.
g/o. But you hauc all the vantage of this^wron'%
1 was too boat to doe (bine body °-ood,
That is too cold in thinking of it now:
Marry as for Clarence he is well repaid,
He is franc kt vp to rate mg for his paines,
God pardon them that arc the caufeof it.
K>». A vertuousand a Chriflianhkeconcluhon,
To pray for them that hauedonefcathe to vs.
g/o. So doc I euer being well aduifde,
For had I curll,* now 1 had cui ft my fclfe.
Cdtef. Madam his Maicfty doth "call for you,
And for your Grace, and you my noble Lo:
Q& Catcsby we come, Lords will you £0 with vs.
Rj. Madame we will attend your graced Exeunt mtn.Ri.
g/o. ldoome wrong, and fir it began to braule
The fecrct miichiefes that I fet abroach,
Day vnto the grieuous charge of others:
Clarence whom lindecdhaue Jaidindarfcencs,
J doe bewecpeto many finiplcguls:
Name-
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of Richard the third,
Namely to Haftings, Darby, Buckingham,
And fay it is the Queenc and her allies,
That ftirrc the King againft the Duke my brother.
Now they bcleeuc me,and witball whet me, t
To be reuenged on Ryucrs, Vaughan, Gray; t
But then I ilgh.and with a piece of fcripturei
Tell them that God bids vs doe good for cuill:
And thus I clothe my naked villany,
With old odde ends ftolne out of holy writ, t
And feemea Saint when molt I play the Diuell: «*
But foft here come my executioners . "Enter Executioners,
How now my hardy (tout rciblued mates,
Are you now going to difpatch this deedc. *
Execu. We arc my Lord, and come to hauc the warrant, ^2
That we may be admitted where he is.
do. It was well thought vpon.Ihaue it here about me, t
When you haue done repaire to Crosby place j
But firs.bcfudden in the execution, 34e
Withall.obduratei doe not hcare him plcade,
For Clarence is well fpokcn,and perhaps,
May,mouc your harts to pitty ifyou rnarke him.
Exec. Tufh feare not my Lo: we will not (land to prate, 350 j
Talkers arc no good doers be aflured:
We come to vie our hands, and not our tongues.
G/.Your eies drop milftoncs when fbolcs cies drop tears, f
I like you lads, about your bufincs. Exeunt. js^.
Enter CUrence^Brokenbury. \jy,
Brokj Why lookes your grace foheauily to day?
Ciar» Oh I haue part a miferablc night,
So full of vgly fights, of gaftly dreames,
That as I am a chrifhan faith full man, 4
I would not fpend another fuch a nighr,
Though twerc to buy a world of happy daies,
So full of difmall terror was the time,
Brok^ What was your dreame, I long to hcare you tell it. *t
CU. Me thoughts I was imbarkt for Burgundy, t
And inmy company my brother Glocefter,
Who from my cabbinc tempted me to walke>
Vpon
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Vpon the hatches the nee we Iookt coward England,
And cited vp a thoufand fearefull times,
During the wars of Yorkc andLancafter:
,6 That had befallen vs, as we pacl along,
Vpon the giddy footing of the hatches?
Me thought that Glocefter ("tumbled, and in (tumbling;
Stroke me that thought to ftay him ouer board,
Into the tumbling bilfowes or the mainc.
* Lord. Lord, me thought whit pa jnc it was to droyvne*
What dreadfull noilc of waters in my cares,
What vgly lights of death within my cies:
Me thought 1 fawc a thoufand fearefull wracks,
Ten thoufand men, that filhes gnawed vpon,
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heapes ofpcarlc,
Incftimablc Hones ,vnualued Iewels,
Some lay in dead mens fculs, and in thole holes,
Where eies did once inhabitc, there were crepe
Astwcrc in fcorne of cies reflecting gems,
f32 Which wocd the flimy bottome of the deepc»
And mockt the dead bones that lay Scattered by.
Brokz Had you fuch leifurcin the time of death,
To gaze vpon the fecrcts of the deepc?
> i CUr, Me thought I had. for Hill the cnuious floud
+ Kept in my foule, and would not letit foorth,
t To feeke the emptie vaft and wandering aire,
4o But (mothered it within my panting bulke*
Which almoft burft to belch it in the fea.
Brokz Awakt you not with this lore agony.
CU. O no, my drcame was lengthned after life,
O then began the tempeft to my foule,
Who paft me thought the melancholy ffoud,
With that grim ferriman, which Poets write of
Vnto the kingdome of perpetual I night:
** The firft that there did greet my Granger Coule,
t Wasmy great father in law renowmed Warwickc,
f Who cried alowd what fcotnge for periury.
Can thisdarke monarchy affoord falfe Clarence,
And fo he vanifiit, then came wandring by,
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cf Richard the third.
A ftiadow like an angcll in bright haire ,
Dablcd in bloud, and he fcjuakt out alowd.
Clarence is come, falfe, fleeting, periurd Clarence,
That ftabd me in the field by Teuxbery:
Seaze on him furies, take him to your torment*,
With that me thoughts a legion of foulc fiends
Enuirond me about, and howled in mine cares
Such hideous cries, that with the very noifc
I trembling, wakt, and for a feafon after
Could not belceue but that I was in hell,
Such terrible impreffion made the drcame.
Brot No mameilc my Lo: though it affrighted yout
I proroifc you, I am afraid to hcare you tell it.
£/*♦ O Brokenbury I haue done thofe things,
Which now bcarc euidcnceagainft my foulc
For Edwards fake, and fee how he requites inc.
I pray thee gentle keeper ftay by me,
My foulc is heauy,and I rline would fleepe.
Tiro . I will my Lot God giue your Grace good reft,
Sorrowe breake feafbns. andrepofinghowers
Makes the night morning* and the noonetide night.
Princes haue but their titles for their glories*
An outward honour.for an inward toile,
And for vnfclt imagination,
They often feelc a world of reftlcfle cares;
So that betwixt their titles and lowe names*
Theres nothing differs but the outward fame.
The mmtherers enter.
In Gods name what are you,and how came you hither?
ExecH. I would fpeake with Clarence, and I came hither
Bro. Yca,areyoufobriefe, (onrnylcgs.
2 Exe. O fir, it is better to be bricfe then tedious,
Shew him our commisfion, talJcc no more. He rct&ith it,
Bro. I am in this commanded todeliuer
The noble Duke of Clarence to your hand*>
I will not reafon what is meant hereby,
Bccaufe I wilbe guiltles of the meaning:
Here arc the keics, there fits the Duke a fieepe,
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He to his Maie(ty,and ccrtific his Grace,
That thus T liauc refignd my charge to you.
txe. Doe Co, it is a point of wifedome.
2 What (hall I (lab him as he flccpes?
1 No then he will fay twas done cowardly
When he wakes.
2 When he wakes,
Why foolc he (hall neucr wake till the iudgement day.
1 Why then he willfay, we ftabdhim flccping.
2 The vrgingof that word Iudgement, hath bred
A kind ofrcmoriein me.
1 What art thou afraid.
2 Not to kill him hauinga warrant for it ..but to be dand
For killing him, from which no warrant can defend vs.
1 Backc to the Duke of Gloce(r.cr,tcllhim (b»
2 1 pray thee (lay a while, I hope my holy humor will
Change.twas wont to hold me but while one would tcl xx.
1 How docft thou fcelc thy fclfc now? (in me.
2 Faith fome certaine dregs of conference are yet with
1 Remember our reward when the dcede is done.
2 Zounds he dies, 1 had forgot the reward.
1 Where is thy confeience now?
2 In the Duke of GJocefTcrs purfc.
1 So when he opens his purfe to giue vs our reward,
Thyconfcience flics our.
2 Letitgo,rheresfewornoncwilIcntertaineit,
1 How if it come to thee againe?
2 He not meddle with it, itis a dangerous thing,
It makes a man a coward: A man cannot ftealc.
But it accufethhim: he cannot fwcarc, but it checks him:
He cannot lie with his neighbors wifc,butic detects
Him. Itis a blushing fhamefaft fpirit, that mutinies
In a mans bofome : it fllsonc full of obflaclcs,
It made me once re (tore a purfe of gold that I found,
Itbeggers any man that keepes it: it is turned out ofall
Towncs and Cittics for a dangerous thing, and cuery
Man that meancs to iiuc wel, endcuors to truft to
To himfelfe, and co liuc without itf
I Zounds
•2.6
of Richard thethird.
X Zounds it is cucn now at ray elbowcperfwadingme
Not to kill the Duke.
2 Take the diuell in thy minde , and beleeue him nor,
He would iolinuatc with thee to make thee (igh.
1 TutJ am ftrong in fraud, he cannot preuaile with mc,
I warrant thee.
2 Spoke like a tall fellow that reipects his reputation*
Come (hall we to this gecrc.
1 Take him ouer the coftard with the hilts of thy (word.
And then we wil chop him in the malmfcy But in the next
2 Oh excellent dcuice, make a fop of him. (roomc.
1 Harke he ftirs, fhail I ftrike.
2 No* firft lets reafbn with him.
CU. Where art thou keeper, giue me acup of wine,
1 You fliall haue wine enough my Lo: anon.
CU. In Gods name what art thou.
2 A man as you are*
CU. Bnt not as I am, royal! .
2 Nor you as we are* loyall.
CU. Thy voice is thunder, but thy lookesare humble.
2 My voice is now the Kings, my lookes mine owne.
CU. How darkly • and how deadly doeft thou fpeake:
Tell me who are you, wherefore come you hither*
^m. To, to, to.
CU. Tomurtherme. *Am. I.
CU. You fcarccly haue the hearrs to tell mc fo,
And therefore cannot haue the hearts to doe it.
Wherein my friends haue Ioffendcd you ?
1 Offended vs you haue not, but the King.
CU. I flialbe reconcild to him againe.
2 Neuer my Lo: therfore prepare to die.
CU, Are you cald foorth from out a world of men
To (lay the innocent? what is my offence.
Where are the cuidencc that doe accufc mc:
What lawfull qucft haue giucn their vcrd id vp
Vnto the frowning ludgc, or who pronounfi:
The bitter {cntcncc of poorc Clarence death,
Before I be conwift by courfe of law 3
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TheTrtgtdy
To threaten me with death, is mod vnhwfuH:
I charge you as you hope to hauc redemption*
By Chrifh dearc bloud fried for our grieuous finnes,
That you depart and lay no hands on me,
The decde you vndcrtake is damnable*
1 What we will doe» we doc vpon command,
2 And he that hath commanded, is the King.
Ctar. Erronious Vaflaile, the great King of Kings,
Hath in the tables of his law commanded,
That thou /halt doe no murder, and wilt thou then
Spurne at hiscdift, and fulfil! a mans?
Take hecde» for he holds vengeance in his hands.
To hurle vpon their heads that breakc his law,
1 And that fame vengeance doth he throw on thee,
For falfe forfwearing, and for murder too:
Thou didft recciue the holy fiscrament.
To fight in quarel I of the houfc of Lancaftcr.
1 And like a traitor to the name of God*
Didft breake that vowc, and with thy trecherous Wade,
Vnripfl: the bowels ofthy foucraignes fonne.
2 Whom thou wcrt iworne to chcrifh and defend.
I HowcanO thou vrge Gods dreadfull Law to vs,
When thou haR broke it in fo dearc degree?
■ €U. Alas, for whole fake did I that ill 6ecde9
For Edward, for my brother, for his fake:
Why firs, he fends ye not to murder me for this,
For in this finne heis as decpe as I ;
If God will be reuenged for this deede,
Take not the quarrcll from his powerful! armc,
He ncedes no indirect, nor lawleffe courtc,
To cu t ofFthofe that haue offended hi m.
I Who made thee then a bloudy rainiftcr,
When gallant fpringing brauc Plantagenet,
That Princely Nouke wasilroke dead by thee?
CU. My brothers Ioue, the diuelUnd say rage.
1 Thy brothers loue, the diuell and thy fault
Maue brought vs hither now to murder thee.
CU. Oh ifyou loue my brother, lute not me,
lam
*8
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I.iv.
of Richard the third,
I am his brother, and I louc him well?
Jf y ou be hirde for mcede , go backe againe,
And 1 will fendyou to my brother Gloceftcr,
Who will reward you better for my life,
Then Edward will for ty dings of my death.
2 You are decciu3d,your brother Gloceftcr hates you.
C U. Oh no, he loues me , and he holds me dcare,
Go you to him from me«
,Am. I, (owe will.
CU. Tell him, when that our princely father Yorke,
Bleft his three fonnes with his victorious armc:
And chargd vs from his (bule, to loue each other,
He little thought of this dcuided friend/hi p.
Bid Gloceftcr thinke of this, and he will weepe.
*Am. I,mil(tonesashe leilbndvs to weepe.
CU. O doe not (launder him for he is kind.
I Right as (how in harueft, thou dcceiu'ft thy fclfe,
Tis he hath fent vs hither now to (laughter thee.
CU, It cannot be, for when I parted with him,
Hchugd me in his armes, and (wore with Cobs,
That he would labour my dcliucry.
ft Why{bhedoth,nowhcdeliuersthee,
From this worlds thraldoroe, to the ioics ofheaueni
1 Makes peace with God, for you muft die my Lo:
CU. Haft thou that holy feeling in thy foulc,
To counfell me to make my peace with God j
And art thou yet to thy owne foule fbblinde,
That thou wilt war with God, by raurdring me*
Ah firs, confider, he that fet you on
To doe this decdcwill hate you for this dtede*
2 What (hall we doe ?
CU. Relenhandfaueyourioules.
X Relent, tis cowardly and womani fli»
CU. Nor to relent, is bcaftly,(auage, diucli(hf
My friend, I (pie (bmc pitty in thy lookes:
Oh if thy eye be not a flatterer,
Come thou on my fide, and intrcatfor me,
A begging Prince, what begger pitriesnot?
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The Tragedy
*.,7e I I thus, and thus: if this wil-noc (crue . Uefiah him.
He chop thee in the malmcfcy But,in the next roomc.
2 A bloudy deede and defperatcly pcrformd,
How fainc like Pilate would I warn my hand,
Of this mod grieuous guilty murder done.
I Why docfl: thou not hclpe roe,
By heauens the Duke mall know how flacke thou art.
1 I would he knew that 1 had (aued his brother.
284 Take thou the fee, and tell him what ] fay,
For I repent me that the Duke is flaine. Zxit»
I So doe not I, go coward as thou art:
Now muft 1 hide his body in fome hole,
Vntill the Duke rake order for his burial!;
And when I haue my meede I muft away,
For this will out. and here I muft not (ray. Exeunt,
Enter King% Queene, Hafl/ngtt Ryuers, Dorceti&Ct
Kin. So,now Thaue done a good daics workc,
You peeres continue this vnited league,
I euery day expect an Embaflage
From my redeemer to redecmeme hence:
And now in peace my fbule mall part from heauen,
Since I haue fctmy friends at peace on earth:
Riuersand Haftmgs, take each others hand,
Diuemble not your hatred, fweare yourloue.
%iu. Byhcaucn,myhcartispurgdfrom grudging bate,
And with my hand I feaJc roy true iiearts louc.
I /«*/?. So thriuc I as Ttrucly fweare the like.
Kin. Take heede you dally not before your King,
Leaft he that is the fupreme King of Kings,
Confound your hidden falftiood and award
Either of you to be the others end.
16 Haft. So profper Las I fweare perfect loue.
Ttiu* And I , as I louc haftings with my heart.
Kin. Madame your felfe arc notexempt in this,
Nor your fbn Dor fet , Buckingham nor you,
You haue becne factious one againft the other:
Wife, loue Lo: Haftings, let him kiflc your hand*
And what you doe.doc it vnfaincdly.
Q Here Haftings I will ncucr more remember Our
t
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S
III.
of Richard the third.
Our former hatred fo chriuc land mine.
t>or, Thiscnterchangeofloue Ihercprotcft,
Vpon my part fhalbe vnuiolablc.
fir*/?? And ibfweare I my Lord.
Kin . Now princely Buckingham feale thou this league
With thy embracements to my wiuesaJhcs,
And make me happy in your vnity.
Buc , When eucr Buckingham doth turne his hate,
On you or yours, but with all duteous loue +
Doth cheri(h you and yours, God punifli me
With hate, in thofe wh ere I expect moft louc,
Whcnlhauemoftneedctoimployarlricnd,
And mod aflurcd that he is a friend,
Deepe, hollow, f rechcrous, and full o{ guile
Be he vnto me, this doc I begge of God, *
When lam cold in zeale to you or yours, j.
Kin. A pleafmg cordiall Princely Buckingham,
Is this thy vow vnto my fickly heart:
There wanteth now our brother Glocefterhcre,
To make the perfect period of this peace. Enter Gloce/t,
Buc. And in good time here comes the noble Duke .
Oh Good morrow to my foueraigne King & Quccne,
And Princely pceres, a happy time of day.
Kin. Happy indeedc as wehauefpent the day:
Brother we nauc done dcedes of charity;
Made peace of enmity, fairc louc of hate,
Betwccnc thefe fvvelling wrong infenced peeres.
G/«?. A blefted labour , my mod foueraigne liege,
Amongft this princely heape, if any here
By falfe Intelligence or wrong furmife.
Hold mca focifl vn wittingly or in my rage,
Haue ought committed chat is hardly borne
Byanyinthisprefence, Idcfirc
To reconcile me to his friendly peace,
Tis death to me to be at enmity-
I hate ity and dclire all good mens louc.
Fir ft Madam I mtreate true peace of you,
Which I will purchafc with my duuous feruice.
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Cfyou my noble Coofcn Buckingham,
If cuer any grudge were logde bctweene vs.
OfyouLo:Riucrs,and Lord Gray ofyou,
Thac all without defcrt haue frownd on rac,
Dukcs>Earlcs,Lords, gentlemen, indeed of all?
I doc not know that Englifli man aiiue,
With whom my foule is any iotte at oddes ,
More then the infant that is borne to night:
I thanke my God for my humility.
Q£. A holy day tfiall this be kept hereafter,
1 would to God all frrifes were well compounded*
* My foucraigne liege I doe befeech your Maiefry,
76 To take our brother Clarence to your Grace.
do. Why Madame , hauc I orTred Iouc for this,
To be thus fcorned in thisroyallprcfencei
Who knowes not that the noble Duke is dead,
You doe him iniury to fcorne his corfc.
Ry«. Who knowes not he is dead? who knowes he iii
Q&. All feeing heauen, what a world is this?
Bwki Looke I (o pale Lo: Dorfct as the reft?
Dor. J my good L;and no one in this prefence,
But his red couler hath forfooke his checkes.
Kin. Is Clarence dead, the order was rcuerfl.
Cio. But he poore foule by your firft order died,
And that a wingled Mercury did bearc,
Some tardy cripple bore the countcrmaund,
That came too lag to fee him buried:
God grant that fomelefle noble, and feflc loyall.
Nccrcr in bloudy thoughts, but not in blond:
Deferuc not worfethen wretched Clarence did.
And yet go currant from fufpition. Enter Ddrly.
£*r. A boonc my foucraigne for my fcruice done*
Kin. I pray thee peace, my foule is full of forrow.
n*r. I will not rife vnlcfTe your bighneflc grant.
Kin. Then fpeake at once, what is it thou demaundfh
B*r. The forfeit fbueraigne of my feruants life,
Who flew to day a riotous gentleman,
Lately attendant on the Duke of Norfolke,
Kin. Kane
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ll.i.
of Richard the third.
Kin. Haue 1 a tongue to doome my brothers death,
And (hall the fame giuc pardon to a (laue?
My brother flew no man, his fault was thought,
And yet his punt (hmcnl was crucil death .
Who fucd to mc for him? who in my rage,
Kneeld at my fecte and bad me be aduifdc?
Who fpakc of Brotherhood? who of loue?
Who told me how the poore fbule did forfakc
The mighty Warwickc, and did fight for me:
Who toldc me in the field by Teuxbery,
When Oxford had medowne, he refcued me.
And (aid deare brother , hue and be a King?
Who told me when we both lay in the field,
Frozen almolt to death, how he did lappe mc
Euen in his owne garments, and gauc himfclfc
Ail thin and naked to the numbcold night?
AH this from my remembrance bruti/h wrath
Sinfully puckt, and not a man of you
Had fo much grace to put it in my rainde.
But when your carters,or your waighting vaflaHes
Haue done adrunken (laughter, a«d defafte
The prctious image of our deare Redeemer,
You (traight sre on your knees for pardon pardont
And I vniuftly too, mud grant it you:
But for my brother, not a man would fpeake»
Nor I vngratiouj fpeake vnto my felfc»
For him poore foule.'The proudeft of you all
Haue becne beholding to him in his life:
Yet none of you would once plcade for his life;
Oh God I fearc thy luflicc will take hold
On mc, and you, and mine5 and yours for this. {Exit,
Come Haftings help me to my clofct, oh poore Clarence,
aio. Thisisthefruitofraflines: marktyounot
How that the guiky kindred of the Queene,
Lookt pale when they did hearc of Clarence death?
Oh they did vrge it (fill vnto the King,
God will reuenge it. Bat come lets in
To comfort Edward with our company, Zxemt.
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Enter DutchesofToti^ with Clarence Children*
Boy. Tell me good Granam, is our father dead?
Z>m. No boy. (breaft,
Boy. Why doe you wring your hands* and beate your
4 And crie, Oh Clarence my vnhappy fonne;
Cerh Why doc you looke on vs and make your head,
t A nd call vs wretches* Orphanes,caftawaic$»
If that our noble father be aliue?
"Dut. My piety Cofens,y ou mi (lake me much*
I doe lament the nekneflfe of the King:
As loth to loofe him.not your fathers death:
It were loft labour, to weepc for one thats loft.
Boy. Then Granam you conclude that he is dead,
TheKing my Vnckle is too blame for this:
God will rcucngc it,whom I will importune
With daily praters* all to thatcffccl.
Dut, Peace children,pcace,the King doth lottcyou wcl#
Incapable and mallow innocents.
You cannot guefle who caufdc your fathers death.
Boy. Granam we can: For my good Vnckle Glocefter
Tould mc,the Kingprouoked by the Quccne,
Deuifd impeachments to imprifon him:
And when he tould me lb, he wept*
And hugd me in his arme,and kindly kift my checke,
And bad me rely on hi m as in my father,
And he would loue me dcarely as his child*
Dut. Oh that deceit fhould ftealc fuch gentle mapes,
And with a vertuousvifardhidc foule guile:
He is my fonnc,yea,and therein my fliamc;
Yet from my dugs he drew not this deceit.
Boy. Thinkc you my Vnckle diddiffemble Granam?
Dut. I boy.
Boy. 1 cannot thinke it,hark what noifc is this. Enter the
Qu. Oh who mail hinder me to waile and wcepe? Quee,
To chide my fortune* and torment my fclfe?
lie ioinc with blackc defpaire againfr my foule,
And to my fclfe become an enemy.
Dut . What mcanes this fecane of rude impatience-
Q^ To make an aft of tragicke violence; Ed-
34
flii.
of Richard the third.
Edward, my Lord, your Tonne our King is dead.
Why grow thebranchcs,now therootc is witherd?
Why wither not the leaues, the lap being gone?
If you will liue, lament: if die* be briefe:
That our {wiftwingedfoules may catch the Kings,
Or like obedient fubicfts, follow him
To his new kingdome of perpctuall reft,
Dut. Ah fbmuch intereft hauc I in thy fbrrow*
As 1 had title in thy noble husband:
I hauc be wept a worthy husbands death,
And liu'd by looking on his images.
Bntnow two mirrours of his Princely lembJance,
Arc crackt in pieces by malignant death:
And I for comfort haue but one falfcglafle,
Which gricucs me when I fee my (hauie in him.
Thou art a widd ow, yet thou art a mother,
And haft the comfort of thy children left thee:
But death hath fnatcht my children from mine armes,
Andpluckt two crutches from my feeble limmes,
Edward and Clarence, Oh whatcaufe haue I
Then.bcingbut moity of my griefe,
To ouergo thy plaints and drowne thy cries?
Boy. Good Aunt, you wept not for our fathers death,
How can we aide you with our kindreds te3res,
Gtrl. Our fatherlefTe diftrelTe was left vnmoandi
Your widdowes dolours like wife be vnwept.
Q£ Giuemcno help in lamentation,
I am not barren to bring foorth laments:
All Iprings reduce thcircurrents tomine eics,
That 1 being gouernd by the watry moane,
May fend foorth plenteous tcares to drowne the world:
Oh for my husband, for my eire Lo: Edward.
%Ambo Oh for our father,for our dcarc Lo: Clarence.
Dut. Alas for both, both mine Edward and Clarence.
Q£, What (lay had I but Edward, and he is gone?
•dm. Whac fray bad we but Clarence, and he is gone?
Dut . What ftaies had 1 but they, and they are gone?
Q». Was neuei- Widdowjiad fo deare a lolTe.
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^imho. Was ncucr Orphanes had a dearer lofle.
Dw . Was ncucr mother had a dearer lode:
Alas, I am the mother of thefc mones,
Their woes are parccld* mine are general!:
She for Edward wecpes , and To doc I :
I for a Clarence wecpe, Co doth not (he -.
Thefe babes for Clarence weepc> and fo doe I:
I for an Edward weepe, fo doe not they.
Alas, you three on me threefold diftrefr,
Poure all your teares, I am y our.forro wes nurle,
And I will pamper it with lamentations. Enter G/occft,
G/.Madame hauc comfort,al of vs hauc caufe, 'With others*
To waile the dimming of our (h tiling ftarre :
But none ca n cure the irharmes by waiiing them,
Madame my mother, I doe crie you mercy,
Idid not fee your Grace, humbly on my knee
I crauc your blefsing.
Du. God blcfTe thee, and put meekenes inthyminde,
Loue, chanty, obedience, and true duety.
Gfo. Amenjand make me die a good old man,
Thats the butt end of a mothers blefsing:
I marucll why her Grace did leaue it our*
Buck. You cloudy Princes, and hart-ibrrowing peeres
Thatbearethismutuallhcauyiodeofmoane:
Now cheare each other, ?n each others loue:
Though we haueipencour haruefr. of this King,
We are to reape the harueft of his fonnc:
The broken rancour ofy our high fwolne hearts,
But lately fplinterd, knit, and ioynd ecogethcr,
MuftgenrlybepreferuVl,cherUhtandk^pt,
Me feemeth good that with fome little trainei
Forthwith from Ludlow the yong Prince be fetcht
Hither to London, to be crownd our King.
g/o. Then be it (b; and go we to determine,
Who they /halbc that llraight friall poft to Ludlow:
Madame, and you my mother will you go,
To giue your cenfures in this waighty bufines,
utnf With all our hearts. £x?HntmantGfo,Buck.
of Richard the third,
Buel^, My Lord whoeucriourneies to the Prince,
For Gods lake let not vs two (lay behindc:
For by the way lie fort occaflon,
As index to the ilory we late talkt of,
To part the Quecnes proud kindred from the ICin<r
Glo, My other fclfe,my counfels confiftory:
My Oracle, my Prophet, my deare Cofcn:
I like a childe will go by thy direction:
Towards Ludlow then, for wc will notilay bchinde.
Enter two Citti\ens.
1 Cit. Neighbour well met, whither away fofaft?
2 Cit. I promife you,I fcarcely know my felfc.
1 Hearcyou the ncwesabroad?
2 I, that the Kingis dead.
I Bad newes birlady, feldome comes the better,
I feare, I feare, twill proouc a troublous world. £»f ,ano~
3 Cit. Good morrow neighbours. therCitt.
Doth this newes hold ofgood King Edwards death?
I It doth. 3 Then matters looke to fee a troublous world
I No no, by Gods good grace his fonne ftiallraigne-
3 Woetothatlandthatsgouerndbyachilde.
7 In himthereisahopeofgoucrncment*
That in his nonage counfcll vnder him,
And in his full and ripened ycres himfclfe,
No doubt fhall then, and till then gouerne well,
1 So ftoode the flate when Harry the fixe
Was crownd at Paris, but at he, moneths olde.
5 Stoodc the ftatc fo? no good my friend not fot
For then this land was famoufly enricht
With polhtikc graue counfcll : then the King
Had vertuous Vncklesto protect his Grace.
2 So hath this, both by the father and mother.
3 Better it were they ali came by the rather,
Or by t he father there were none at all:
For emulation now, who (hall be neerefl:
Will touch vsall tooncarc>if God prcuentnot.
Oh full of danger is the Dukcof Glocefter,
And the Quecnes kindred hauty and proud,
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The Tragedy
And were they to be ruldc, and nor £0 rule,
T his fickly "land might foiace as before.
1 Come come, we feare the wor{rsaH fhalbc well,
3 When cloudes appearc* wife men put on their clokes:
When greatleaues fall, the winter is at hand:
When the funns fcts» who doth not looke for night:
t Vntimclyftormes, make men expect a darth:
All may be well: but if God fort it Co,
Tis more then wedeferue or I expect
t I Truely the fbulesofmen arc full of bread:
Yee cannot aimed reafon with a mm
That lookes not heauily>and full of fearc
* 3 Before the times of change (hi! is it fo:
By a diuine inftincT: mens mindes mid rule
+ Enfuing dangers, as by proofe we fee.
The waters fweil before a boiftrous ftorme:
But leaue it all to God: whither away?
2 We are fent for to the lattice*
3 And fowasl, He bearcyou company. Exeunt.
H.iv. Ewer Cardinal! dutches of Torke, Qttfe. young 7ar&.
Car. Laft night I hearc they lay at Northhampton.
t AtStoniftratford will they be to night,
To morrow or next day,they will be here.
Dut, 1 long with all my heart to fee the Prince,
I hope he is much growen fince laft I (aw hi m ♦
QUj But I hcare no, they fay my fonne of Yorke
Hath almoft oucrrane him in his growth.
Tor. I mother, but I would not haue it fo,
Dut. Why my young Cofen it is good to growe.
Tor. Grandam, one night as we did fit at fupper.
My Vnckle Riuerstalkt how I did grow
More then my brothcr.I quoth my Nnckle Gloceftcr,
t Small herbes haue grace, great weedes grow apace,
And fince me thinkes I would not grow fo faft:
Bccaufe fwecte flowers are flow, and weedes make hade.
Dus. Good faith, good faith5the faying did not hold
In him that did obiccl the fame to thee:
He was the wretchedft thing when he was young,
So
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Jl.iv.
of Richard the third.
So long a growing,and To Jeifurely,
Thatifthiswereatruerule,hefhould begratious.
Car. Why Madame, To no doubt he is.
Dut . I hope Co too, but yet let mothers doubt.
Tor. Now by my troth if I had beene remembrcd,
I could haue giuen my Vntkles grace a flout, mine.
That mould haue necrer toucht his growth then he did
Dttt. Howmyprety Yorke? I pray thee let me heare it.
Tor. Mary they fay,my Vnckle grew fo hft,
That he could gnaw a cruft at two hourcs older
Twas full two y cares ere I could get a tooch.
Granam this would haue heenc a biting ie ft .
Dut. I pray thee prery Yorke who toldc thee fo.
Tor. Granam his nurfe.
Dut . His nurfe: why me was dead ere thou wertbornc.
Tor. If twere not fhe» 1 cannot tell who tolde me.
qh^ A perilous boy, go to, you arc coo (hrcwdc.
Car. Good Madame be not angry with the childe;
Qu. Pitchers haue eares. TLnter Dorfet,
Car. Here comes your lonne, Lo: M. Dorfct.
Whatnewcs Lo: Marques?
Dor. Such ncwes my Lo: asgrieues me to vnfolde.
q«. How fares the Prince?
Dor. Well Madame, and in health.
Dut. What is thy ncwes then?
Dor. Lo: Riuers and Lo: Gray arc fent to Pomfrer,
With them* Sir Thomas Vaughan, prifoncrs.
Dut. Who hath committed them?
Dor. The mighty Dukes, Glocefterand Buckingham.
Car. For what offence.
Dor. The fumme of all I can, I haue difclofcd:
Why>orfor whar,thefe nobles were committed,
Is all vnknowen to me my gratious Lady.
qh^ Ay me I fee the downfall of our hotife,
The tygei now hath ceazd the gentle hinde:
Infulting tyranny beginncs toiet,
Vpon the innocent and la wleiTe throanc:
Welcome deffruction , death and maflacre,
I fee
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The Tragedy
I fee as in a mappe the endeof all.
Du. Accurfed and vnquiet wrangling daies,
How many of you haue mine cics beheld?
My husband loft his life to get the ctowne,
And often vp and downc my fonnes were toft:
For me to ioyand weepe their gaincand loile,
And being feated and domeftike broiles*
Cleane ouerblowne themfelues»thc conquerours
Make warre vpon ihcmfelues,bIoud againft bloud,
Se(fe againft felfe, O prepofterous
And frantike outrage* endcthy damned fplecne,
Or kt me die to looke on death no more.
On, Come come my boy, we will to fan&uary.
Dut. He go along with you,
QHj Youh&uenocaufe.
Cat. My gratious Lady go,
And thither beare your treafurc and your goods,
For my part, lie reflgne vnto your Grace
The feale I keepe, and fo betide to me,
As well I tender you and all of yours:
Come He conduct you to the faneluary . "Exeunt.
The Trumpets found. Enter young Trince^the Dukes of g/o-
cejler> and Bmkinghitm^ Car din* //, d?"c. (ber.
Sue. Welcome f we etc Prince to London to your cham*
G lo. Welcome deare Cofen my thoughts foueraigne,
The weary way hath made you melancholy.
Trin. No Vnckle, but our erodes on the way
Haue madeittedJous,wcarhome,andheauy: '
I want more Vnckles here to welcome me.
Glo. SweetePrince,thc vntainted vertueofyouryercs,
Hath not yetdiued into the worlds deceit:
Nor more can you diftinguifli of a man,
Then of his outward /hew, which God he knowes,
Seldome or neucr iumpeth with the heart:
Thofe Vnckles which you want, were dangerous,
Your Grace attended to their fugrcd words,
But Ioofct not on the poifon of their hearts:
God keepe you from them , and from fuch falfc ftiends.
Trin.
^o
Ill.i.
of Richard the third.
Tri. God keepe mc from falfc friends, but they wcr none,
Glo» My Lo, the Maior of London comes to grccteyou.
En: erLord Msior.
Lq'M. God bieUe your grace with health and happy daies.
Trin . I thanke you good my Lo: and thanke you all:
I thought my mother,and ray brother Yorke,
Would long ere this hauc met vs on the way:
Fie, what a Aug is Haftings that he comes not
To tell vs whether they will come, or no» (€ ntcr L.Haff.
B*ckz And in good time, here comes the fweating Los
Tri. Welcome my Lo: what will our mother come?
Haft. On what occafion, God he knowesmot I:
The Quecncyour mother and your brother Yorke
Hauc taken fanctuary:Thc tender Prince
Would faine hauc come with mc, to meet e your Grace,
But by his mother was perforce withheld.
Bue. Fie, what an indirect and peeuiih courfe
Is this of hers? Lo: Cardinal! will your grace
Pcrfwade the Queeneto fend the Duke of Yorke
Vnto his Princely brother prcfently?
If me deny. Lo: Haftings go with him,
And from her iealous armes pluckc him perforce.
Car. MyLo: of Buckingham, if my wcake oratory
Can from his mother winne the Duke of Yorke,
Anonc expect him here : but if fhe be obdurate
To milde entreaties^ God in heauen forbid
We mould infringe the holy piiuiledge
OfblefTed fanctuary^iot for all this land,
Would I be guilty of fo deepe a none.
"Buck. You arc too fencelefle obftinatc my Lo:
Too ceremonious and traditional!:
Weigh it but with the groffenes of this age.
You breake not fanctuary in feazing him;
The benefit thereof is alwaies granted
To thofc whofe dealings hauc deferudc the plsce,
And thofe who hauc the wit to claimc the place.
This Prince hath neither claimed it,nordefcrucd it,
And therefore in mine opinion,cannct banc it.
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The Tragedy
T h ?n taking h »m from thence that is not there,
Youbreake no priuilcdge nor charter there."
Ofthaue I heard of fanctuary men.
But fanftuary children neuer till now*
Car. MyLo.-youfhallouerrule my mindc for oncet
Come on Lo: Haftings will you go with me?
Hast. I go my Lord.
Trin. Good Lords make all the fpeedy haft you may :
Say Vnckle Glcecftcr, if our brother come,
Where fhall weibiotirne till our coronations
do. Where it feemes bell vnto your royall fclfc:
If 1 may counccli you,fomc day or two,
Your highnes fhall repofe you at the tower:
Then where youpleafe»and fhalbe thought mod fit
For your beft health and recreation.
Trin. I doe not like the tower of any place:
Did Iul ius Caefar build that place my Lord?
Buc. He did, my grati ous Lo: begin thar place,
Which fince fuccceding ages hauc recdified.
Trin. Is it vpon Tecord, or els reported
SuccefsiueJy from age to age he built it*
Buc. Vpon record my gratious Lo:
Tri. But fay my Lo: it were not regiflred,
Me thinkes the truth fhould hue from age to age,
Astwereretaildetoall poflerity,
Euento thegenerallall-endingday.
Glo. So wife, Co young, they fay doe neuet hue long.
Tri. What fay you Vnckle?
Glo. I C&y without characters fame liucs long:
Thus like the formal I vice iniquity,
I rnorallizc two meanings in one word.
Tri. That IuliusCefar was a famous man,
With what his valour did enrich his wit,
Hiswitferdownetomakehis valureliuer
Death makes no concjueft of this conejucrour,
For now he hues in fame though not in life;
lie tell you what my Cofcn Buckingham.
Buc. What my gratious Lord?
Trin.
4.2
IJI.i.
of Richard the third.
Trin% And if I iiue vntill I bca man,
lie winne our auncicnt right in France againe,
Or die a fouldicr as I liudc a King.
Glo. Short fummers lightly hauc a forward fpring.
Biter young Tork$t Hafhngs, Cardinal!.
Sac. Now in good time here comes the Duke of Yorke.
7>ri. Rich, of Yorkehow fares our louing brother?
Tor. Well my dread Lo: (bmuft I call you now.
Tri I brother to our gricfe as it is yours;
Too late he died that might haue kept that title,
Which by his death hath loft much maieftv.
Glo. How fares our Co fen noble Lo: of Yorke?
Tor. I thanke you gentle Vnckle. O my Lo:
Youfaid that idle weedes arefaftin growth:
The Prince my brother hath outgro wen me farre.
c/o. He hath my Lo:
Tor. And therfore is he idle?
Glo. Oh my faire Co/en, I muft not fay Co.
Tor. Then he is more beholding ro you thenl.
Glo, He may command me as my foueraigne,
But you haue power in me as in a kinfeman.
Tor. I pray you Vncklcgiue me this dagger.
c/o. My dagger little Cofcn,withall my heart.
Tri. A begger brother?
Tor, Of my kind Vncklc that 1 know will giue ,
And being but a toy,which is no gricfe to giue.
Glot A greater gi tt then that, lie giue my Cofen.
Tor. A greater gift, O thats the /word to it.
Glot I gentle Cofcn, were it light enough.
Tor. O then I fee you will pare but with light gifts,
In weightier things youlc fay a begger nay
Glo . It is too heauy for your Grace to weare.
Tor, I weigh it lightly were it heauier.
do. What wouldyou haue my weapon little Lord?
Tor. I would,thatI might thanke you as you call mc.
Glo. How? Tor, little.
Tri. My Lo: of Yorke will ftill be erode in talke:
Vnckle your grace knowes how to beare with him.
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Tor, Youmeane to bcarc me ,not to beare with mcj
Vnckle, my brother mockcs both you and mC|
Becaufe that I am little tike an Ape,
He thinkes that you mould beare rae on your fhoulder* .
Buck± With what a (harpe prouided wit he reafons.
To mittigate the fcornc he giucs his Vnckle:
He pretcly and aptly taunts himfclfc,
So cunning and (o young is wonderful!.
g/o. My Lo: wilt picafe you pafle along,
My fclfc and my good Coofcn Buckingham*
Will to your mother, to entrcatc of her,
To meere you at the tower! and welcome you ,
Tor, What will you go vnto the tower my Lo?
frin. My Lo: protestor needes will hauc it fo#
tor* I frail not flcepe in quiet at the tower.
Gla. Why, what mould you feare?
Tor. Mary my Vnckle Clarence angry ghofl:
My Granam tolde mc he was murdrcd there.
Tri. 1 fearc no Vncklcs dead.
Clo. Nor none that liucl hope.
Tri And if they liucj hope I ncedc notrearc:
Buccome my Lo:\vithaheauy heart
Thinking on them , go I vnto the tower-
Exeunt Tren.Tor, Ha/l.DorfmdnetJKJrh. Buck.
Buc. Thinkc you my Lo; this little prating Yorkc,
Was not inccnled by his fubtile mother,
To taunt and fcorne you thus opprobrioufly?
do. No doubt/10 doubt> Oh tis a pcrillous boy»
Bold.quickc, ingenious, forward, capable,
He is ail the mothers, from the top to toe.
Sue. WelU let them reft: Come hither Catcsby,
Thou artfworne as deepcly to ctTecl what we intend,
As clofely toconceale what we impart.
Thou knoweft out reafons vrgde vpon the way:
What thinkeft thou? is it not an cafie matter
To make William Lo: Haftings of ourmmdej
For the inftalement of this noble Duke,
In the fcatc royall of this famous ile?
Cattft
Ak
\\U.
of Richard the third,
Cdtef. He for his fathers take foloucs the Prince,
That he will not be wonne to ought againft him.
Buck. What thinkeft thou chen of Stanley what will he*
Cat . He will doe ail in al! as Haflings doth,
Bnck± Well then no more butthis: c
Go gentle Catesb)\ and as it were a farrc ofF,
Sound thou Lo: Ha{tings,howhe Rands affeeW
Vnto our purpofe, if he be willing,
Encourage him, and /hew him all ourrcafbns:
lfhe be leaden* icte» eold^vnwiHing,
Be thou fo too : and to breake offyour talke,
And giuc vs notice of his inclination:
For we tc morrow hold deuided counfcls,
Wherein thy felfe fhalt highly be craploied
Glo, Commend me &>Lo: Wiiliam,te!l himCitcsby,
His auncient knotof dangerous aducriaries
Tomorrow are let bloud at Pomfret Cattle,
And bid my friend for ioy of this goodnewes,
Giue Miftieflc Shore, one gentle kifle the more,
Buck; Good Catesby dfic*t this bufines foundly.
C*t , My good Lo; both, w;th all the heede I may.
c/a. Shall we bears from you Catesby ere we ilccpc?
C*t. You fhall my Lord.
Glo. At Crosby place there fhall you flnde vsboth.
Btic. Now my Lo: what (hail we doe, if we pcrceiuc
William Lo; Haffcings wiilnctyeeldto ourcomplots?
Glo. Chop of his head man# (bmewhat we will doc,
And lookc when I am King, clairoe thou ofrae
The Earledome of Hereford and che moueabtcs,
Whereof the King my brother fcood poffeit.
Si'c. lleclaime thatpromife at your Graces hands*
C/o, And looke to hauc itycelded with ail wiUingne*:
Come let vsfuppc betimes, that afterwards
We may cigeft our complcts in fome forme- JLxettnt*
jLnitf & Meffengevte Lo\ Haftings.
M?£ Wharhomy Lord.
K4/?, Who knockes at the dore.
Mcy?. A mcilenger from the LsiStsnley . Snter LjR&ft
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Haft. Whatsaclocke?
Me/JT. Vpon the itroke of fourc
7/rf/?. Cannot thy Maftcr flccpe thefe tedious nights?
Uejf. So it/hould fee me by that I haue to C*y:
Firft he commends him to your noble Lord/hip.
H*ft. And then. Mef And then he fends you word.
He dreamt to nightthebeare hadraftehis hcimc:
BeiideSjhe faies thereare two councels held,
And that may be determined at the ore.
Which may makeyou and him to lewe at the other,
Therefore he fends to know your Lordfhips pleasure:
If prefendy you will take horfe with him,
Andwith ail fpeedepoft into the North,
To fhun thedanger that his fbule diuines.
Haft, Go fellow go, returnc vnto thy Lord,
Bid him notfeare the fepcrared counfels:
His honour and my felfc are at the one,
And at the other, is my feruant Catesby:
Where nothing can proccedethattouchcih vs,
Whereof! fhall not haue intelligence.
Tell him his fearcsare /hallow, wanting infrance.
And for his dccamei, I wonder he is Jo fond.
To trull: the mockery of vnquietf? umbers,
To flic the boarc, before the boare pur files vs»
Were to incenfe the boare to follow vs,
And make pu rfuitc where he did meanc no chafe:
Go bid thy Mafrer rife and come to me,
And we will both together to ihetower,
Where he fliall fee the boarc will vCc vs kindely.
Utff. My gratious Lo: lie tell him what you fay. Enter
Cat. Many good mcrrowes to my noble Lo: (Cafef,
Hdfl. GcodmorrowCatesby, you are early llirring,
Whatncwcs what mwes* in this our tottering flats?
Cat. Itis a reeling worldindeede my Lo:
And I beleeue it will neuer (land vpright,
Tili Richard wesre the g.ir'iand of the Realme.
H*ft. Howe? weare the gaalar«cj? docft thou mcane the
Cat. Imy good Lord. (erowne?
Hsft.
ip6
niai.
of Richard the third.
Haft. He haue this crowncof mine , cutfrommyihoul-
Ere Twill fee the crowne Co foule mifplaOe : (dcrs
Biit<2nftthougucflethathedothaimcatit.
Cat4 Vpon my life my Lo.-and hopes to find you forward
Vpon his party for the gainc thereof,
And thereupon he fends you this good nevves,
That this fame very day, your enemies,
The kindred of the Quccnc mull die at Pomfret.
Hd.fi* Indeede Jam no mourner for that nevves,
Becaufe they haue bcenc ftill mme enemies:
But that Ilegiuemyvoiccon Richards fide,
To barrc my Matters he ires in true difcent,
God knowes I will not dock to the death.
Cat. God kcepe your Lordfliip in that gratious mindc.
Haft* But I (hall laugh at this a twclucmonth hence*
That they who brought inc in my Mailers hate,
I hue to lookc vpon their tragedy:
I tell thee Catcsby. Cat. What my Lord?
Haft. Ere a fortnight make mc elder,
lie fend fame packing, that yet thinke not onit
Cat. Tis a vile thing to die my gratious Lord,
When men are vnprcpard and looke not for it.
H*&- O Monftrous monftrous, and ib fais it out
With Riuers, Vaughan,Gray, and fo twill doc
With fomemen els, who thinke thcmfelucs as fafe
As thou, and I. who as thou knoweft aredearc
To Princely Richard»and to Buckingham.
Cat. The Princes both make high account of you,
For they account hishcad vponthe bridge.
Haft. Iknowtheydoe, and 1 haue well defc rued it.
Enter Lords tanfey.
What my Lo: where is your boare-fpearc man?
l:care you the boare and go fo vnpronided?
Stan, My Lo: good morrow: good morrow Catcsby:
You may iefl on: but by the holy roode.
I doe notlikethcfcfcucrailcounccls I,
Had. My Lo: Ihould my life as dearc asyou doe yours,
And neuer in my life I doc proteft »
Was
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Was it more pretioustome then it is now:
Thinke you,butthatI know our date fccurc,
I would be Co triumphant as I am ? (don,
Sun. The Lords at Pomfrct when they r ode from Lon-
Wcre iocund, and fuppofde their dates was lure*
And they indeed had no caufe tomiirruft:
But yet you fee how (bone thedayouercad,
This fodainefcab of rancour I mifdoubt,
Pray God J faysIprouc aneedciciTe coward:
Bur come my Lo: fhall we to the tower?
H<*.#. I go; but (ray , hcare you not the newes,
This day thofe men you taikc of, arc beheaded.
St a. They for their t<ruth might better wearc their heads,
Then fomethathaue accufdc them wearc their hats:
But come my Lo: let vs away. Enter Haftin.
H<*/?. Go you before, U e fol io w prefently . (<t Turfiuant.
H*fl. Well met Haftingsjhow goes the world with thec?
Pur. The better that it plcafc your Lo: to askc.
Haft, I tell thee fellow tis better with me now.
Then when 1 met thec lad where now vvc meete:
Then was I going prifoner to the tower,
By the fuggeftion of the Quecncs allies:
But now I tell thee (kcepc it to thy fcUe.)
This day thofe enemies arc put to death,
And I in better (late then cuer [ was.
Tur. God hold it to your honors good content.
Haft. Gramcrcy Haftings hold fpend thou th*t,He gives
Tur, God fauc your Lordftiip. {him his put fe.
"Hafl. What Sir John , you arc wcl met, {Enter „ prieft*
I am beholding to you for your laft daics exerctfc:
Come the next fabaoth and I will contcntyou . He whif-
€nter Buckingham, (pert ln ku we.
Sue. How now Lo:Chamberlaine, what talking with a
Your friends at Pomfrct they _oe need the pried (pried,
Your honour hath no Jhriuing workc in hand.
Hajl. Good faith and when I met this holy man,
t Thofe men you ralke of came into my minde:
t Whar^go you to the tower my Lord?
T
+ ICC
"3
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of Richard the third.
Buct^ I doe, but long I (hall not flay,
I fliall returnc before your Lordfliip thence.
Haji. Tis like enough, for 1 {lay dinner there.
Bucks And fuppcr too, although thou kno weft it not:
Come (hall we go along? 'Exeunt.
"Enter Sir Bjckard Ratttffe, wit ft the Lo: Rtuert,
Grayed Vaughan frifoncrs.
Rati. Come bring foorth the prifoners*
Ryu. Sir Richard Rathffe let me tell thee this:
To day (halt thou behold a fubieel die.
For truth,for duty, and for loyalty-
Gray. God keepe the Prince from all thepacke of you:
A knot you are of damned bioudfuckers.
Ryu. O Pomfrct Pomfret> Oh thou bloudy prifon,
Fatall and ominous to noble peeres«
Within the guilty clofurc of thy wals
Richatd the fecond here was hackt to death:
And tor more (launder to thy dtfmall foule,
Wcgiucthee vpourguiltleilc bloudsto drinkc
Cray . Now Margarets curfc i $ fain e vpon our heads:
For (landing by, when Richard flabd her fonne.
t{iu. Then curd fhe Haflings, then cmfl (he Bucking.
Then curd (he Richard.Oh remember God, (ham:
To heare her praicrs for them as now for vs,
And for my hue r, and her princely fonne;
Be (atisfieddcarcGod with our trucbiouds,
Which as thou knowefl vniuftly muft be fpilt.
Rat. Come come difpatch, the limit ofyour lines is out.
Ryu. Come Gray, come Vaughan, let vs all irabracc
And take ouricauc vntill we meetc in heauen. ixettnt.
Enter the Lords to Councell.
Haft, My Lords at once the caufe why wc arc met,
Is to determine of the coronation:
In Gods name fay, when is this royal! day?
Buc. Are all things fitting for that royal I time?
Dar. It is,and wants but nomination,
Ryu. To morrowthen. I gueftc a happy time.
Buc. Who knowes the Lo: protectors mind herein?
G Who
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Who is roofl inwa d with the noble Duke.
hi- Why you my Lo: me thinksyou /hould fboneft know
Buc . Who I my Lo? we know eachorhcrs faces: (his mind
But for our harts,he kiiowcs no more of mine,
Then I of yours: nor Ino more of his, then you of mines
Lo: Mailings you and he areneereinloue.
Haft. I thankc his Grace* I know he loues mc well:
But for his purpofe in the coronation:
I hauc notfounded him nor he dcliuerd
His Graces pleafure any way therein:
But you my noble Lo: may name the time,
And in the Dukcsbehalfe,Ilegiuemy voice,
Which 1 prcfume he will take in Gentle part.
Bfi, Now in good time here comes the Duke himfelfe.
Glo. My noble L. and Cofens all .good morrow, (€nt,Gfo.
I hauc becne 'ong a fleeper, but I hope
My abfence doth neglccl no great defignes,
Which by my prefence might hauc been concluded.
Buc. Had not you come vpon your kew my Lo:
William L: Hastings had now pronounft your part:
I meane your voice forcrowningof the King.
c/c, Thanmy Lo: Halting* no man might beholder^
HisLordfhipknowcsmewell,andlouesmewclb
Haft. Ithanke.yourGrace.
Cio. MyLo:ofElie» Bifc. MyLo;
Ch. WhcnlwaslailinHolbotnc:
I faw^ood itrawberries in your garden there,
I doe befc cch you fend for fome ofthem.
Bifh. 1 go my Lord.
0/o. Cofen Buckingham , a word with you;
Catcsby hath founded Haftings in our bufuics*
And iindcs the tcfty Gentleman fo boat ,
As he will loofc h'ts head eare giue confent,
His Matters fonneas worfhipfui he termes itt
Sha 1 looic the roiaicy of Englands throane,
Buc. Withdraw you hence my LoJle follow you. ExGl,
^ p*r. We hauc not yet fet downe this day of triumph,
To morrow in mine opinion is too fodainc;
For
so
III.IV.
of Richard th* third.
For I my fclfe am not fo Well prouided, £»*«■ S.
As els I would be, were the day prolonged. of Ely*
By. Where is ray LprotcftorJ hauc fene for thefc ftrawbc
H*. His Grace lookes cheerfully and fmooth to day, (rics.
Theres fome conceit or other likes him well,
When he doth bid good morrow with fucha fpirit.
I thinkc there is neuer a man uichrtftcndome.
That can Icflcr hi dc his loue or hate then he:
For by his face ftrai ght (hall you know his heart.
Dar. W hat of his heart pcrceiuc you in his face,
By any likelihood he (hewed to day?
Hafl, Mary,that with no man here he is offended*
For if he were, he would hauc (hewen it in his lookes.
D>tr. I pray God he be nof3 1 fay. Enter Gloceficr,
Clo. 1 pray you all , what doc they defcrue,
That doc conipire my death with diuelim plots,
Of damned witchcraft, and that hauepreuaild.
Vponmy body with their hellifh charmes?
Haft. T he tender loue I bearc your grace my Lord,
Makes me moll forward in this noble prefence,
To doomc the offenders whatfocucr they be:
I fay my Lo: they hauc deferued death.
Glo, Then be your eiesthe witnellc of thtsili,
See how 1 am bewitcht, behold mine armc
Is iikeablafted fapling withered vp.
This is that Edwards wife,chat monftrous witch,
Conferred with that harlot (trumpet Shore.
That by their witchcrafc, thus hauc marked me.
Haft. If they haue done this thing my gratious Lo:
do. If,thou protcftqr ofthis damned (trumpet,
Telft thou me of iffcs?thou art a traitor.
Off with his head.Now by Saint Paulc,
I will not diuc to day I fvveare,
Vntill 1 ice the famefome fee it done,
The reft that loue me,come and follow roe.
Ha. Wo wo for England,not a whit for me:
Fori too fond might hauc preuented this:
Stanley did drcamc the boarc did race his helmc,
G 2 But
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But I difdaind it, and did fcorncto flie.
Three times to day, my footccloth horfcdid /tumble.
And ftartlcd when he lookt vpon the tower.
As loath to bearc mc to the flauehtcrhouie,
Oh>now I want the Pricfl: that lpake to me,
1 now repent I tolde the Purfiuantf
As twere triumphing at mine enemies:
How they at Pomfrct bloudily were butcherd,
And I my fclfc fecurc in grace and fauour:
Oh Margaret Margaret: now thy heauy curie,
1$ lighted on poore Haflings wretched head.
Cat . Difparch my Lo:the Duke would be at dinner:
Make a fhort fhrift, he longs to fee your head.
Hafl. O momentary {fate of worldly mcnt
Which we more hunt for, then the grace of heauen*
Who buildes his hopes in aire of your fairclookcs,
X.iues like a drunken fayler on a maft,
Ready with cue ry nod to tumble downe
Into the fatall bowels of the decpe.
Come leade me to the blocke* bearc him my head,
They fmile at me that /nortly (halbc dead. Exeunt.
Enter DukfofG/ocefier and Buckingham in armonr.
Gio. Come Cofen.canft thou quake and change thy co-
Murther thy breath in middle ofa word, (Jour?
And then beginne againe, and (lop againe,
Asifthouvvert diftraught and mad with terror.
Bhc. Tutfcarenotmc.
I can countcrfaitthedeepe Tragedian:
Speake,and looke backe, andprie on eucry fide:
Intending decpe fufpition, gaftly lookes
Are at my feruice like infbrccd fmiles,
And both arc ready in their offices
To pace my ftratagems, Enter Maior,
clo. Here comes the Maior.
Buc. Lctmealonetocntcrtainchim. Lo. Maior,
Clo. Looke to the drawbridge there.
'Bhc. The reafon we haue fentfor you.
clo, Catcsby ouctlookc the wals.
8«4
52
111. v.
of Richard the third.
Buck. Harke,Iheareadrummc. /• +
clo. Lookebacke^defcndthcc, here are enemies, i ,9
Buc God and our innocence defend vs. Enter Cat/sly 2"+
Clo. 0,0,bequict/itisCatesby. with Haft, had. z/+
Cat. Here isthe head of that ignoble traitor, +
The daungerous and vnfuipeclcd Haftings.
Clo. Sodearc UouMtheman.thatlmuftweepe: 24
I tooke him for the plainefl harmelcfle man, *-
That breathed vpon this earth a chriflian, *
Lookc ye my Lo: Maior. *
Made him my booke, wherein my foulc recorded,
The hiftory of all her fecret thoughts: ze
So fmoothchedaubd his vice with (hew of vertuc.
That his apparant open guile omitted:
I meanehis conuerfation with Shores wife*
He laid from all attainder of fufpecl. J*f
Bucki Well well, he was the couertft fhcltrcd traitor
That cucr liuM> would you haue imagined, +
Or almoft bclecuc, wcrt not by great prefcruation J^f
We Hue to tell it you? The fubtile traitor t
Had this day plotted in the counccll h 0 ufe, +
To murder me, and my good Lord of Gloccfler.
Mdior. What, had he fo? 4„ +
Clo. What thinlec you we arc Turkcs or Infidels,
Or that we would againfrthc forme of lawc,
Procccdc thus ralhly to the villaines death* *
But that the extrcame peril! of the cafe, +*
The peace of England, and our perrons fafety
Inforft vs to this execution.
Ma. Now faire befall you, he deferued his death,
And you my good Lords both, haue well proceeded 4f +
To warnc falfe traitours from the like attempts:
I neuer lookt for better at hii hands,
After he once fell in with MiflrctTc Shore.
Dut. Yet had not we determined he fhould die, 52*
Vntil! your Lordfiiip came to fee his death, *
Which now the longing haflc of thefeour friends, +
Somewhat againft our meaning haue preuented, *
G 3 Be*
52
III.v.
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TheTragedy
Bccaufc, my Lord, wc would haue had you heard
The traitor fpeake,andtimerouflyconfefre
The mansr,and the purpofc of his trcafon,
That you might well haue fignificd the fame
Vnto the Citizens, who happi I y may
IMifconfter vs in him,aud wayle his death.
AU. But my good Lord* your graces word (halifcruc
As well as I had feeneor heard him fpeake,
And doubt you noti right noble Princes both,
But lie acquaint your dutious citizens,
With all your iuft proceedings in this caufc.
G/<*. And to that end wcwiiht your Lordmip here
To auoyde the car ping cenfures of the world.
Buc, But fince you come too late of our intents,
Yet witncfle what wedid intend, and fo my LoFd adue.
g/<?. After,after, eoofin Buckingham , Exit Malar,
The Maior towards Guildhall hies him in all poft»
There at your meetft aduantagc of the time,
Inferrc thebafterdy of Edwards children:
Tell them how Edward put to death a Cittizcm
Onely (or %ing he would make his fonne
Heiretothe Crowne, meaning (indcede) hishoufe,
Which by the fignc thereof was termed (©.
Moreouer, vrgc hishatcfuli luxuries
AndbclHal! appetite inchange of lull,
Which itrctched to theyr fcruants^aughtcrsjwiues,
Tutu where his Iuf¥ ul! eye, or fauage heart
Without contrail 'lifted to make his prey;
Nay for a needc thusfarrc, come necremy perfbn,
TeJI themfwhenthat my mother wentwith childe
Of that vnfatiate Edward , noble Yorkc
My princely fatherthen had waires in Fraunce»
And by iuft computation of the tyme
Found,thatthe iUue was nsthis begot.
Which well appeared so his lineaments,
Being nothing like the noble Duke my father:
But touch this iparingly ai it were fart e off,
Bccaufe you know* my Lord, my mother liues.
L_
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HI v.
of Richard the third
Buck. Fcare not, my Lord, He play the Orator,
As if the golden fee foe which I plcade 9*
Were for myfclfe- <
do. If you rhriue weljjbr'mgthcrn to Baynards caftlc,
Where you /hall finde me welfaceompanycd,
Wy th reucrend fathers and well learned BifTiops.
Bttc. About th rec or foure a clocke look to heare
What news Guildhall afTordeth,andlb my Lord farewell.
Glo. NowwilllintotakclbmepriuyordcTj ExitBuc. tof^
To draw the brats of Clarence outoffight,
And to giue notice, that no mancrof perfon
At any tyme haue rccourfc vnto the Princes. Sxit.
Enter a Scrivenertoith apafer in his ha.nl. lll.vi.
This is the indictment of the good Lord Haftings,
Which in a fct hand fairely iscngrofTt»
That it may be this day read ouer in Paules:
And markc how well the fcquele hangs together,
Eleucn houres I fpent to wryte it ouer?
For yeff ernight by Catesby was it brought me,
The prcfident was full as long a doyng,
And yet wit bin theft iiue houres liucd Lord Hafttngs, *+
Vntayntcd, vnexamined, free, at liberty:
Hecres a good world , the while. Why whoes Co grofle
That lees not this palpable dcuiceJ
Yet whoes fo blinde but fayes he fees it noil >z *
Bad is the world, and all will come to naught,
When fuch bad dealing mult be fene in thought. Exit
Enter Gtocefter at one doore* Buckingham at Another* Hl.vii.
Glo. How now my Lord , what fay the Cittizens*
Bue . Now by the holy mother ofour Lord,
TheCitizcnsarcmumme, andfpeake not a word.
Glo. Toucht you the baltatdy of cd wards children ?
Bttck^ I did, wyth the infatrate greedinelTc of his defiresj
His tyranny for trifles* his owne baftardy*
Asbcyng got^your father then in Fraunce: j2
Withall [ did liifcrre your lineaments,
Beyng the rightldca of your father,
Both in yourformeand nobleneilc ofminde,
Laid
55
ni.vii.
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TheTragedy
Laid open all your victories in Scotland:
Your difcipline in warrc, wifedomein peace:
Your bounty, vcrtue/aire humility:
3ndeede left nothing fitting for the purpofc
Vntoucht,or tlcightly handled in diftourfe:
And when mine oratory grew Co an ende,
I bid them that did ioue their countries goodi
Crie, God faue Richard, Englands royall King,
G h A and d id rhev fo?
Sue. NofoGodhelpemc,
But likedumbe (lames or breathing (tones,
Gazdc each on other and lookt deadly pale:
Whichvvhe.nl faw, I reprehended them,
And askt the Maiot, what meant this wilfull Glence?
His anfwere was* the people were not wont
To be (poke to, but by the Recorder.
Then he was vrgde to tell my tale againe:
T hus, (aith the Duke, thus hath the Duke inferd:
But nothing fpake in warrant from hirofelfe:
When he had done, tome followers of mine ownc
At the lower end of the Hail , hurid vpthcir caps,
And fbme ten voices cried, God faue King Richard.
Thankes toning C itttzens and friends quoth I ,
This general! appiaufc and louingfhoutc,
Argues your wifedomes and your Ioue fo Richardb
Andfo Brake off and came away,
c/o. What tongiefle blockcs were they?would they not
due. No by my troth my Lo.: (fpeake?
Clo. Will not the Maiorthen.and his brethren come.
Glo. The Maiorishere at hand,and intend fotnefcatCi
Be notfpoken withal!* but with mighty fuite:
And lookc you get apraier booke in your hand,
And (land betwixt two churchmen good my Lo:
For on that ground lie build a holy defcanfc
Be not eafily wonne to our requefb
Play the maides partj fay no, but take it.
do. Feare not me, i f thou cmft plead* afwcil for them,
As I can fay nsv to thee, for my (clfe?
No
56
III. vii.
of Richard the third.
No doubt weele bring it to a happie ifTue.
Back; You fhal fee what I can do.get you vp to the \nds.Exit.
Now my L. Maior,I dance attendance heare,
1 thinkc the Duke will not be (poke withall. Enter Catesly.
Here corns his feruant: how now Catesby whatfaics he.
Catef. My Lord, he doth intreatyour grace
To vifit him to morrow or next daie,
He is within with two right rcuereud fathers,
Diuincly bent to meditation,
And in no worldjy fuite would he be mou'd,
To draw him from his holy exercifc,
Bhc^. Rcturne good Cttejbytoihy Lord againe.
Tell him my fclfe,the Maior and Cittizens,
In deepe defignes and matters of greatmoment,
Nolcfle importing then our generall good,
Arecome tohaue (bme conference with his grace.
Catef He teJI him what you fay my Lord. Exit,
Buc\. A ha my Lord this prince is not an Edward.*
He is not lulling on a lewd day bed,
But on his knees atmeditation:
Not dalying with a brace of Curtizans,
But meditating with two deepe Diuines.
Not deeping to ingrofle his idle body,
But praying to inrich his watchfull foulc.
Happy were England,would this gracious prince
Takeon himfelfe thefoucrainty thereon,
But fure I fcare we fliall neuer winne him to it,
Mnior. Marry God forbid hisgrace fhouldfay vsnay.
Buc^. Ifearchewil,hownowCatesby, Enter Catef
What faies your Lord?
Catef. My Lo.hc wonders to what end, you hauc aflembled
Such troupes ofCictizens to /peake with him,
His gracenot being warnd thereofbefore,
My Lord,he fearesyou meane no good to him,
Bhc kf Sorrie I am my noble Cofen fhould
Sufpecl me that I meane no good to him.
Byneauen Icomeinpcrfcctlouetohim,
Arid fo once more retutne and tell his grace: Exit C*tes hp
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7&£ Tragedy
When hoIKe and deuout religious men,
Arc at their beads,tis hard to ara w them thence,
So fwcctis zealous contemplation.
Enter Rich. with two bifhops a htte,
Maior, Sec where he ftands between two ciergic men.
BhcI^ Two propsofvertucforachriftian Prince,
Toftaie him from the fallofvanitie,
Famous Plantaganet,moft gracious prince,
Lead fauorable earcs to our rcqueft,
And pardon vsthe interruption
Ofthy deuotion and right Chriftian zeale,
Glo . My Lord,there needs no fuch apologie,
1 rather do befeech you pardon me,
Who earncftin the fcruiceof my God,
Neglect the viGtation of my friends,
But leauing this, what is your graces pleafure?
Buck. Euen that I hope which pleafeth God aboue,
And all good menofthisvngoucrned lie*
Glo. / do fufpect I haue done Come offence,
That fecmes difgracious in the Cirties cies,
And that you come to reprehend my ignorance,
Bucki You haue my Lord,would it pleafe your grace
At our entreaties to amend that fault.
Glo, Elfe wherefore breath Tina Chriftian landf
Buc \. Then know it is your fault that you refigne
The fupreame fcat,the throne maiefticaJJ,
The fceptred office ofyouraunccftors,
The lineall glone ofyourtoiall houfe,
7b the conuption of a blemifhft ftockej
WhilRin thermldnefle ofyourflccpie thoughts',
Which here we waken to our countries gcod,
This noble He doth want her proper limbes.
Her face defac't with fears ofinfamie,
And almoft fhouldred in the fwallowing gulph,
Of blind forgetrulnefTe and darke obliuion,
Which to recure we hartily folicit,
Your gratiousfclfc to take on you the foueraingtie thereof
Not asProte&orfteward fubftitute, *
Or
58
IH.vii.
of Richard the third*
Or lowlie factor for anochers gaine:
But as fuccefliuclie from bloud to bloud,
Your right ofbirthjyour Empcrie,your ownc:
For this contented with the Citizens
Your veric worfhipfull and louing frinds,
And by their vehement mitigation,
In this iuft fuitc come I to moue your grace.
Glo, I know not whether to depart in filence,
Or bitterlie to fpcake in your reproofe,
Bert fitteth my degree or your condition;
Your ioue dcierues my thanks,but my defert
Vnmeritable flumes your high requeft,
Firft if all obftacles were cut awaie,
And that my path were euen to the crown,
As my ripe reuene w and dew by birth,
Vet fb much is my pouerty ofipitit,
So mightie and fb many my defects,
As I had rather hide mc from my greatnes,
Becing a Barketo braoke no mightie /ea,
Then in my greatnes couetto be hid,
And in the vapour of my glorie fmotherd:
But God be thanked there's no need of me,
And much I need to helpeyou if need were,
The roiall tree hath left vs roiall fruit,
Which mellowed by the ftealinghoures of time,
Will well become the feat of maicftie,
And make no doubt vs happie by his raigne,
On him I hie what you would late on me;
The right and fortune of his happie ftars,
Which God defend that I (hould wring from him.
Butks My Iord,this argues confeience in yourgrace,
Butt he refpedts thereof are nice and triuiali,
All circumftances well confidered:
You faic that Edward is your brothers fonne,
Sofaic wcto^bucnoc by Edwards wife,
For firft he was contraa to lady Lmy ,
Your mother Hues a wfcncfle tothatvowc,
And afterward by fubflitutebenothed
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To # *»<» fifter to the king oflFrauncc,
Thcfe both put by a poore petitioner
A care- crazd mother of a many children,
A beauty-wainingand diftreffed widow,
Euen in the afternoone of her beft daies
Made prife and purchafe ofhis luftfull eye,
Seduc t the pitch and height ofal his thoughts,
To bafe declenfion and loathd bigamie,
By her in his vnla wfull bed he got.
This Edward whom our maners terme the prince,
Morcbitteriie couldlexpoftulate,
Saue that for reuerence to fome aliue
I giue a fparing limit to my tongue;
Then good my Lord ,take to your royallfelfej
This proffered benefit ofdignitie:
IfnottoblefTe vs and the land withall,
f ,9s Yet to draw out your royaJI ftocke,
From the corruption ofabufing time,
Vnto a Iineall true deriucd courfe.
Afator. Do good my Lord your Cittizens entreat you.
Catef. O make them ioifull grant their lawful fuite.
Clo. Alas^why would you heapc thefe cares on me,
I am vnfltfor ftate and dignitie,
I do befeechyou take it not amiiTe,
I cannot nor 1 will not yceld to you.
Back. Ifyou refufe it as in loue and zeale.
Loath to depofe the child your brothers fbnne,
As well we know your tendemes of heart,
And gentle kind effeminate remorfe,
Which wee haue noted in you to your ha,
Andceallie indeed to all eftates,
t «i Yet whether you acceptour fuite or no,
Vourbrothers fonne fhallncuerraigne our king,
But we will plant fome other in the thToanc,
To the difgrace and downfall ofyour houfe:
And in this refolution here weleaue you.
Come Gtizens, zounds ile intreat no more.
Glo, OdonotfwearemyLordofBuckingnam,
Cattsby
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Ill.vn.
of Richard the third.
Catef. Call them againe, my lord, and accept their fute,
jino. Doe, good my lord, Icaft all the land dorew it,
g/o. Would you inforce me to a world ofcare :
Well, call them againev I am not made offtones,
But penetrable to your kind intreates,
Albeic againft my confeience and my foule.
CoofinofBuckingharnjandyou fage graucmen,
Since you will buckle fortune on my backe,
To beare her burthen whether 1 will or no,
I mult haue patience to indure the lode,
But if blacke fcandale or fbule-fac'c reproch
Attend thefcquell ofyourim portion.
Your meere inforccment fhall acquittance nice
From all the impure blots and f taines thereof
For God he knowes, and you may pardy Ice,
How farre Ism from the delire thcreo f.
Mayor. God blefle your grace, we fee it, and will fay it.
Q/o. In faying Tc^you fhall but fay the-truth.
Bucks Then Ifalute you with this kingly title s
Long Jiue Richard, Englands royal] king.
lM 'far. Amen.
Buck. To morrow will it plea fe you tobe crovirfd.
Cjlo. Eucn when you will, (ince you will haue it fo,
Bucks To morrow then we will attend your grace,
Cjlo. Come, let vs to our holy taske againe."
Fare wel good coofl ne, far wel gentle friends. Exeunt,
Enter Quee. mother, Ducbsjfe of Torkfi UWwjftcs Dcrfct, at
ewdoorc5DtscbeffeofGioi;?f$>aiafictherdex)rei.
Vucb. W ho meets vs heere, my neece Pi antagenet ?
Qit, Sifter wcli met, whether awaie fo faft ?
Ducb. No farther then the Tower, and as I ghelTe
Vpon the fikedeuotson as your feiues,
To gratulate the tender Princes there.
Qte, Kind lifter thanks,wcde enteral toghher. Enter
And in good time here the Lieutenant comes, Lkatenf-nt*
M. Lieutenant, pray you by yourleaue,
How fares the Prince ?
lot*. Wel Madam, and hheakhjfeot by youi leaue,
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I may notfuffer you to vtfrtc him,
The King hath ftraighdic charged the conirarie.
Qiu The King? whic, whole that?
Lien, I crie you mercie, I meanc the Lord protector.
Qh. The Lord protect him from that Kingiie title:
Hath he fet boundes betwixt their loue and me.*
I am their mothcr,who (hould keepc me from them?
Du.yor. I am their FatherSjMother, I will fee them.
Buch.glo. Their aunt I am in la w,in loue their mother:
Then feare not thou, He bearc thy blame,
And take thy office from thee on my perill.
Lieu. I doe befeech your gracesall to pardon me;
/ am bound by oath, I may not doc k, Enter L.Stanlit.
Stan. Let me but mectc you Ladies an houre hence,
And IJcialute your grace ofYorke, as Mother.*
And reuerentc looker on, oftwofaire Queenes.
Come Madam.you muft go with me to Wcitminfter,
There to be crowned, Richards royall Quecne.
Q^. O cut my lace in funder.that my pent heart,
Mayhauefbmeicope tobeatc,orelfe I found,
rf With this dead killing ne wes.
Dor, Madam,haue comrortjhow fares your graces
Quj O Dorfct fpeake not to me,get thee hence,
Death anddeftru&iondogge thee atthchccJcs,
Thy Mothers name is ominous to children,
i2 If thou wilt outftrip dcath,go ctofle the feas,
And liue with Richmond,from the teach of hcU,
Go hie thee, hie thee from this (laughter houfe,
Leaft thou increafe the number of the dead,
And make me die the thrall of Margarets curflc^
Nor Mothet,Wifc,norEngIands counted Queenc.
Stan. Full of wife care is this your counicU Madam,
Take all the fwift aduantage of the time,
You (hall haue lettcrsftom me to my fonne,
To meete you on the way, and welcome youa
Be not tane tardic, by vnwife delate/
Duch.yer* O ill dilperfing winde ofmiferie,
O my accuded wombc, the bed of death,
A Coca-
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ofRkhurd the third.
A Cocatrice hail thou hatch to the wcr Id 9
Whofe vnauoidedcye ismurtherous.
Stan. Come Madam,! in all hatt was Cent*
Duch. And I in all vnwillinsncs will go,
I would to God thar the inclufiue verge,
Ofgoldenmettall that muft roun« my browe,
were red hottc fteelc to fearc mc to the braine,
Annointed let me be with dcadlie poy Con. g2 f
And die,ere men can fay , God faue the Quecnc.
Qm. Alas poore foule,I enuie not thy glorie,
To feede my humor,wifh thy fclfe no harme.
T>wh.glo. No, when he that is my husband now, sex
Came to me as I followed Henries courfe,
When fcarfe the bloud was well wafht from hishandes,
Which lflued from my other angel husband,
And that dead faint, which the n, I weeping followed,
O, when 1 fay, J looktonRjchatds face,
This was my wifh,be thou quoth I accurft,
For making me Co young, foolde a widow.
And when thou wedft, let fbrrow haunt thy bed,
And be thy wife^if any be Co maddc,
Asmifcrableby the death of thee,
As thou haft made me by my deare Lordes death,
Loc, earelcanrepeatcchiscurfcagaine, 7s
Euen in fo fhort aipace, my woman*, hart,
Groffehe grewe captiuc to his home wordcSj
And prou'd the fuhiecte of my owne ( >ules cude, *
Which eucrfinec hath kept mv eyes from fieepe, «»j
For neuer yet, one home in his bed,
Haue /enioyed ihcgo'dcn dew offlcepe,
But haue bene waked by his limerous dreames,
BefidcSjhe hates me tor my fichtr War wicke.
And will no doubt, fhcrtlie bend of me,
Qu. Ala*1 poore foule, /piccic thy complaints. t
Dwk. gfo. No more thenfrom my foule /rnourne for your$»
I)cr. Farewell, thou wofiui welcoroci ofglorie. s»
Dticb.gh* Adcw poore foule,, thou taklhhyfeaueofir.
Dw.jer.Co thou to Rtchmond,apd guyd fortune guidcthec
Goc
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Go thou to Richard,and good Angels garde thee,
Go thou to fan&uarie, good thoughts poflcfle thee,
I to my grauc where peace and reit lie with me,
Eightieoddcyeaiesor forrow haue I feene,
And each houres ioy wrackt with a wceke oftccne.
The Trumpets found, Enter Richtrd crwndJSwking-
ham.Catesby wth ether Nobles.
King Stand a! apart. Coofin of Buckingham,
Giuemethyhand.* llerebeafcexdeth
Thus high by thy aduice the throne,
A ad thy afftftance is king Richard fcated /
But ilial we weare thefe honours for a day ?
Or mall they laft, and we reioice in them.
f Buc, Stil Iiue they , and for euer may they laft.
■f. s Kmg Ru O Buckingham,now do I plaic she touch
To trie iftnou be currant sold indeed .•
t Young Edwaid Hues j thinke now what I would lay.
f Btfc. Saie on my gracious (bueraigne.
« Khg Whie Buckingham, I faie 1 would be king.
Sue. Whie foyou are my thrice renowned liege.
King Ha : am I king ? tis fo3 but Edward Hues.
Buc. True noble prince.
Kwg O bitter confequencc,
That Edward ml mould liue true noble prince.
t Ceofin, thou wert not worn to be fo dul :
Shall be plainer I wifhthebaitardsdead,
And I would haueitfuddenlie perfonnde.
Wha«faiftthou.?fpeakefudden!ie,be bride,
Sue, 'four grace may doe your pleafure.
Kmg Tut,tut, thou art all yce,thy kindnefle fteezetb,
Saic,hane 1 thy content that they fhaj die?
Buc. Giue me ibmc brctth/ome little paufe my lord,
f Before I poHtiuelie fprake herein :
f I wi! refolue yo?nr grace immediatlie* Exit.
f Catef The kmg Is angtie. (ee, he bites the lip.
King I wil conuerfe with iron witted fooles
And vnrefpe<5tiue boies, none are forme
That looke into me with confidcr-te cics :
,0
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IV.ii.
34
t
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cfRtchardthc third,
Boy,high reaching Buckingham growes circumfpeft. v f
Bey. My Lord. f
XW. Knowft chou not any whom corrupting gold
Wouldtempt vnto a dofe exploit ofdeath.
'Boy, My lord,I know a difcontcnted gentleman,
Whole humble m canes match not his haughnc mind,
Gould were as good as twentie Orators, 3*
And will nc doubt tempt him to any thing.
King* What is his name.
Bey. His name my Lord is Tirrell. t
King. Go call him hither prefentlie, t
The dcepereuoluingwitrie Buckingham. 42
No more /nail be the neighbour to my couniell,
Hath he (o long held out with me vntirdc
And flops he nowefor breath? EftterDarby. <
How now,what nee wes with you? t
Da>By. My Lord,lhcare the Marques Dorfet *<>*
Is fled to Richmond^in thofe paries beyond the fcas where he
abides.
King, Catesby, Cat, My Lord. s«^
King, Rumor it abroad
That Anne my wife is ficke and like to die, t
I will take order for her keeping dole:
Enquire me out fome rneane born e gentleman, « f
Whom I will ma rr ie (traight to Clarence daughter ,
The boy b fboiifhjand I feare not him;
Lookc how thou dreamft : I fay againegiueout
7natAnncmywifcisilckeandliketodie, ^f
About it, for it ftands me much vpon
To ftop a II hopes y vhofc growth may damadge me,
Imuft be matried to my brothers daughter
Or elfc my kingdome frauds on brittle glaflfe,
Marcher her brcthers,and then marrie her,
Vncertaine waie ofgainc,but lam in
So fa r in bloud that fame vvili plucfcc on fin,
Tcare falling pittie dwels not m this cic, EnttrTtrrtt,
Isthynamef irrill?
7j r. lames Tirrell and yourmoft obedient fubiccl.
I Kmg.
/
65
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T&? Tragedy
King Artthou indeed?
Tir, Troueme my gracious foueraigne,
King Darftthourcfbluc to kill a fiiend of mire?
Ttr. I my Lord.but I had rather kill two enemies.
King Why there thou hafi it two deepe enemies,
Foes to my reft,and my fweet fleepes difturbs,
Are they that I would hauc thee dcale vpon*
Tirrel I meanc thoie baftar ds in the tower.
Ttr. Let me hauc open m eanes to come to the m,
And fboneile rid you from the feare of them.
King Thou fingftfweetmuficke.Comehithcr7irr*/,
Go by that token ,rile and lend t hine care, be wifpers in bh t*rt>
7*is no more but fo,faie is it done,
And I will loue thee and prefer thee too.
Ttr. Tis done my gracious lord.
X ng Shal we heare from thee 7 W/erc we fleep? Enter Bm.
Ttr, Ye mall my lord,
Buckf My lordjl haue confidered in my mind,
The late demand that you did found me in.
Ktitg Well,let that pafle,Dorfet is fled to Richmond,
Bu\ I heare that ne wes my lord.
Kmg Stanley he is your wifes tonnes. Wei looke to it.
Bucks My lordjdaime your gift,my dew by promife.
For which your honor and your faith ispawnd,
The EarledomeofHerfbrd and the moueables,
The which you promifed I fliouldpoflefle.
Kwg Stanley looke to your wife,ifme conuay
LetterstoRichmondyou fhall anfwereit.
Buck* What faies your highnes to my iuft demand.
Kmg As I remember,Henjie the fix*.
Didprophecicthat Richmond mould be king,
When Richmond was a Kttle peeuifh boy:
Akingperhaps,perhaps, Buck. My lord.
King How chance the prophet could not at that time,
HauetoldmeIbeingby,thatImouldkillhim.
Bhc ki My lord,your promife for theEarledome.
King RichmondjWhenlaftlwasatExeter,
The Maior in cuitefie ftowd methe Caflle,
And
66
IV.ii.
ofRichardthe third.
And called it Rugc- mount, 3t which name I flirted,
Becaufca Bard oflreland told me once
I mould not Hue long after I faw Richmond.
Buckf My lord.
King. I,whats a docke?
Bhc kf I am thus bold to put your grace in mind
Of what you promifd me.
Ktng. Wcl,but whats a clockef
Buck* Vponthe Jtrokeof ten.
King. WeU,ictitftrikc.
5«^WhicletStftrike?
King. Becaufe that like a Iacke thou kcepft the ftrokr
Betwixt thy begging and my meditation, ns*
I am not in the giuing va'ine to day.
Bad^ Whie then refolue me whether you wil orno?^
King, Tut^tut,thou trouble!* me,I am not in the vain. Sxit.
122
t
Tuck. Jsitcuenfb?rewardfthemytrucferuice ^ f
With fuch deepe contempt/nade /him king for this?
O let me thinke on Hafttnes and be gouc
ToBrecnockwhilemyfearcfullheadison. Exit, tie
Enter SirFrancuTmetl. JVjn.
Tyr. The tyrranous and bloudie deed is done,
7 "he moft arch, act ofpitteous maflacre, t
That euer yet this land was guilt ie of,
Dighton and Forreft whom I did fuborne, 4 f
7o do this ruthles peece ofb utc her \t>
Although they were fleflit villains5bloudie dogs,
Melting with tendernes and kind companion,
Weptlikc two children in their deaths lad (lories: #t
Lo thus quoth Dighton laic thofe tender babes,
Thus thus quoth Forreft girdling on another,
Within their innocent alablafler armes,
Their lips were fbure red Roies on a ftalke,
Which in their fummer beautie kift each other,
A booke ofpraicrs on their pillow laie,
Whic h once quoth Forreft aimoft changd my mind,
But 6 the Diueli their the villaine ftopt, ,e
Whilft Dighton dws told on we f mothered
la The
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IV.HL
The Tragedy
The moftrcpleniflieci/weet workc of nature,
Thatfromtne prime creation cues he framed,
Thus both are gone with conference and rcaiorfc,
They could not fpcake and Co I left them both,
7b bring this tidings to the bloudie king. Enter Kk Jtjifbard.
And here he comes;,aii h&ile my fbueraigne leigc.
Ktng' Kind Tirrell am I happie in thy ncwes.
^ Tyr, If to haue done the thing you giue in charge,
Beget your happinefle,bc happie then
For it is done my Lord
Ktng. But didft thou fee them dead?
7V. I did my Lord.
28 K'vg* And buried gentle Tirrellt
Tir. 7^he Chaplaine of the tower hath buried them,
But how or in what place I do not know
t 7V, Come tome Tirrelfoonc at after (upper,
t j2 And thou (halt tell the proccflc oftheir death,
Meane time but thinke how I may do thee good.
And be inheritor of thy defire. Sxit T$rr*h
*3s FarewcltiHbone.
^e Tht (bnne of Clarence haue T pent vp clofc,
His daughter rut an die haue I matcht in mariage,
Tne tonnes ofEdward fleepe in Abrahams boiomc,
And Anne my wife hath bid the world godnighc,
40 Now for I know the Brittaine Richmond aimtt
Atyouno Elizabeth, my brothers daughter,
And by that knot lookes proudly ore the crowne,
t To her I go a iollie thriuing wooer- Enter Cdtej by.
f44 C4t. My Lord.
Kh& Gcod ne wes or bad that thou comft in fo bluntly?
t C*tefc Bad newes my lord.£/? Is tied to R ichmond
And Buckingham backt with the hardie Wekhmen,
Is in rhe ficld^and flill his power increafeth.
*"'**• Ely with Richmond troubles mc more ncare
Then Buckingham and his rafh leuicd armie:
Come Ihaue heard that fearcful commenting,
5? I* leaden feruitour to dull delaie,
Delaie leadcs impotent and fnaile pact bcg°erie,
Then fierie expedition be my wing,
/ouei
48
68>
IV. ii
III.
of Richard the third.
loues Mcrcurie and Herald rot a king .♦
Come muftec men, my couniaii e is my fhield,
Wc muft be brie fc when traitor* braue the field. Exeutt,
Enter Quecnc LMargttretJbU.
Qjiiar. So now profperirie begins to mellow
And drop i mo the rotten mouth ofDeatb 5
Here in thefe confines flilie hauc I lurkt,
To watch the waining of mine aducriaries :
A dire induction am I wimetTe to,
And wil to Fraunce, hoping the confequence
Wil prooue as bitter, blacke and tragical
Withdraw thee wretched Margaret, who comes here ?
Enter th$ Qu> and the Dtttcheffe efYirke*
Qm. Ah my young princes, ah my tender babes i
My vnblowne flowers, new appearing fweets,
If yet your gerftle ibules fiie in the 4yre
And be not fixe in doome perpetual,
Houcr about me with your aicriewinges,
And heare your mothers lamentation.
Qh. CMar. Houcr about her, faie thatrightfbrright,
Hath dimd your infant morne,to aged night.
Q*ee. Wilt <:hou,0 God,flicfrom fuch gentle lambes,
And throw them in theintrailes of the Wolfe .*
When didft thou fleepe when fuch a deed was done ?
Q^Mar. When holie Harry died,and my fweet tonne.
Dutch. Blind fight,dead iife,poore mortal fiulng ghoii,
Woesfceane, worids iliame,graues due by life viurpt %
Re(i thy vnreft on EngKands lawful earth,
Vnl? wfuliiemade drunkc with innocents bloud-
Qu^ O that thou wouldft afwel afFoord a graue,
As thou canft yeeld a melancholic feates
Then would / hide my bones, notreft them here :
O who hath snie caule to nsournc but / •
Duch, So manic miferies ha» ic crazd my voice
That my woe- wearied toong is mute and dumbe.
Ed ward Plantagcner, whie art thou dead ?
Qtt. Mar. /f ancient forro w be molt reuerenr,
Giue mine the benefice offignorie,
/* And
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IV. iv
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The Tr&geeae
And let my woes frownc on the vppcr hand,
Ifforro vv can admitte fbcieticj
Tell oucr your woes againe by vewing mine,
/ had an Edward, till a Richard kiid him:
1 had a Richard, till a Ricard kild him.*
Thou hadft an Ed ward,till a Richard kiid him:
Thou hadft aRichard,tiil a Richard kild him.
Duch. I had a Richard to, and thou didtt kill him:
/had a Rutland to, thou hopft to kill him.
Qu^Mar. Thou hadft a Clarence to> and Richard kild him:
From forth the kennell of thy wornbe hath crept,
A hel-hound that doeth hunt vs ali to death,
That dogge^that had his teeth before his eyes,
To worric lambes,and lap their gentle blouds,
That foule defacer ofGods handie workc,
Thy wombe let ioofe,to chafe ys to our graues,
O vpright^iuit^and true difpoflngGod,
How doe /thanke thee, that this carnal curre,
Praiescn the iffue of his mothers bodie,
ss And makes her puefellow with others mone.
Dttch. 0,Hanies wifes triumph not in my woes,
God witnes wich me, I haue wept for thine.
Qt^Mar. Beare with me,/ am hungrie for reuengc,
And now / cloie me with beholding it,
+ Thy Edwardjhe is dead, that ftabd my Edward,
Thy other Edward dead, to quktc my Edward,
Yong Yorke,he is but boote becaufe both they
Match not the high perfection of my lofTe,
Thy Clarence he is dend^hac kiki my Edward,
And the beholders of this tragicke plaie,
The adulterate Hafiings,Riuer^Vaughan/3ray,
Vntimelie fmothrcd in their duskie graues,
Richard yet liues, hcls blacke intelligence^
Onely referued their fa&or to buie toulcs,
And fend them thethcr,but at hand at handes,
enfues his piteous, and ynpitticd end,
£ arth gapes,heli burncs,ncndes roare/amte? oraie.,
TohauchimiudderJyconMriedayvay.
Cancel!
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70
IV. iv.
c/Richdrd the third,
Cancell his bond oflifc,dearc God I pray,
That I may liuc to fay, the dog is dead. '
Qh, O thou didft prophetic the time would conic,
That / fhould wifh for thee to helpc me curfle,
That botteld ipider, that fbulc bunch-backt toadc,
QuMar. /cald thee then, vainc floorifh ofmy fortune,
/ cald thee then,poore fliadow,painted Quecne,
The prefemation of; but what /was,
The flattering /ndex of a dircfull pageant,
One heaued a high,tobc hurld downe belowe,
A mother onclie,mocktwhli two fweere babes,
A dreame of which thou wert a breach, a bubblc5
A figne of dignitie, a garifh. flagge,
To be thcaimc ofeucrie dangerous fhot,
A Quecne in ieaft onelie to fill the fceane,
Where is thy husband now, where be thy brothers?
Where arc thy children,whercin doeft thou ioyef
Who fucs to thce^and cries God faue the Queenc?
Where be the bending peeres that flattered thee?
Where be the thronging troopes thatfoilowed thee?
decline all this, and fee what now thou arc,
For happie wife, a mod diftrefTcd widow,
For ioyf ull Mother,one that wailcs the name,
For Queene, a verie caitiue crownd vvith care,
For one being fued to, one that humblie fues,
For one commaunding all, obeyed of none,
For one that fcornd at me, now fcornd of me,
Thus hath the courfe of iuftice whe eld about,
And left thee but, a verie praietotime,
Hauing no more,but thought of what thou wert,
7b toiture thee the more, being what thou art.
Thou didft vlurpe my place,? nd doeft thou nor,
VTurpe the iuft proportion ofmy fbrrow,
Now thy proud neckc,beares halfe my burthencd yoke,
From which,euen here,I flippemy wearie necke,
And leaue the burthen of it all on thee .*
Farewell Yorkes wife3 and Qncenc ofiadmifchance,
Thefe Englifh woes, will make mefmile in France,
7#-
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IV. iv
The Tr&gedte
th O thou wel skild in curfes, Oaic a while.
And teach me how to curfe mine enemies.
Qq Mar. Forbeare to flecpe the nights,and fad the daics,
Compare dead happinefle with liuing woe,
Thinkc that thy babes were faircrthen they were,
And he that (lew them fouler then he is,
Bettring thy loflc makes the bad caufer worfc,
Reuoluing this,wil teach thee how to curfe.
Qt*. My words are dul, O quicken them with thine*
Q^Mar. Thy woes wil make them fharp,& pierce like mine.
126 Du. Why fhould calamine be ful of words? Exit <JMar.
Qu, Windie atturnies to your Client woes,
t A crie fuccecdcrs of intcf*ate ioies,
Poorc brca thing Orators ofmif eries,
Let them haue icopc, though what they do impart,
Helpe not at al, yet do they cafe the hart.
Duck. I\ fo, then be not toong- tide, go with me,
And in the breath ofbitter words lets (mother
+ 134 My damned ibnnc,which thy two f jveet fons fmotherd,
J hearc his drum»be copious in exciaimes.
Enter K, Rkhardtntrchtng with Drmnmes
attdTrttmpcts.
King Who intercepts my expedition ?
Duck. A fhe, that might haue intercepted thee
Byftranglingthce in heraccurfed wombc,
From al the (laughters wretch, that thou halt done.
Qtt^ Hidft thou that forehead with a golden crownc
Where fhould be Prauen,ifthat right were right,
The (laughter of the Prince that owed that Crownc,
And the dire death of my two fonnes, and brothers :
Tel me thou villaine flaue, where ai? my children ?
rDucht Thou todc, thou tode,where is thy brother Clarence?
And little Ned Piancagenet, his ibnne ?
Qg^ Where is kind Hafiings^Mgrs^OHgh^ qrq >
King A fiourifhtrumpets^irike alarum drummesj '
Let not the heauens hearc chefe tel-tale women
Railc on the Lords annointed. Strike /faic. The trumpets
Hither be patient^ andintreac me fairc„
Or
73
IV.iv.
of Richard the third.
Or with the clamorus repot tofwar:
Thus will I drowne your exclamations,
*Dm, Art thou my (on?
King . I,/ than1, e God ,my father and your felfe,
Dut Then patiently here my impatience.
Kmg. Madam I haue a touch ofyour condition.
Which cannot brooke the accent ofreproofe.
Dm, f will be mild and gentle in my (peach.
King. Andbricfegood mother for lam in haft.
Dm. Art thou To haftie / haue ftaid for thee,
God knowesin anguifh,painc andagonie,
Kwg. And came I not at laft tocomfbrtyou?
Dm, No by the holie roode thou knowft it well,
Thou camft on earth to make the earth my hell,
A grcuous burthen was thy berth to me,
Techie and v\ aiward was thy infancie,
Thy fchoele-daiesmghtfol,deiperate,wild,and furious.
Thy prime of manhood,daring,bold and venturous,
Thy age confirmed .proud/ubtilejbloudiejtrechcrous,
What comfortable houre canft thou name
7liateuer grac t me in thy companie?
King, Faith none but Humphrey houre, that cald your grace
To breakc faft once foith ofmtf companie,
If I be lb di (gracious in your fight,
Let me march on,and not offend your grace.
Dm, O heart me f peake tor I flial ncucr fee thee more.
King, Come.come, you art too bitter.
Dm, Either thou wilt die by Gods iuft ordinance,
Eeare from this war thou turne a conqueror,
Or I with griefe and extreamc cge mail perifh,
And neuerlooke vpon thy face againe,
Therefore take with thee my moft heauy curie,
Whichin the daic of battaile tire thee more
Then all the corapleat armor that thou wearft,
My praiers on the aduerfepartie fight,
And there the little fbules ofEdwards children,
Whifper the (piritsofthine enemies,
And promife them fucce/Te and vi&oric,
K bloudie
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Bloudie thou an,bloudie wiibcthy end.
Shame femes thy Iife5and doch thy death attend
Qu. Though far more cau(e,yet much IcAcfpirkto curfe
Abides in mc,I faie Amen to ail.
Bx*t.
Ab
King* Staie Maddam,I muftfpeake a word with you,
Qff. 1 haue no moe formes of the royaJ I bJoud,
For ch'ee to murchcrfbr my daughters Richard,
They fbalbe praying pimnes not weeping Quecncs,
And therefore ieueli not to hit their lines.
King You haue a daughter cald Elizabeth,
Vertuousand fairc,roiaIland gracious,
Q*t And mud foe die for this/" O let her liue!
And He corrupt hermaners,ftaine her beautie.
Slander my ielfc as falfc to Edwards bed
Throw oucr her the vale ofinf amie,
So flic may liue vnskard from bleeding (laughter,
I will conteflc (he was not Edwards daughter.
King Wrong not her birch, (lie is ofroiall bloud,
Qu^ To due her hre,ile faie fhe is not fo.
K ng Her life is onlie fafeft in hir birth.
jQu. And onlie in that fifetie died her brothers.
Ksng Lo at their biahs good ftars wereoppoh'te,
Q*^ No to their lines bad friends werecontrarie.
King All vnauoided is the doome ofdeftinie,
Qn. Tme when auoided grace makes deftinie,
My babes were defiinde to a fairer death,
/fgracc had bleft thee with a fairer life. (armes
Kmg Madam,fbthriWmmydangerousartemptofTioftiie
As 2 intend more good toyou and yours
Theneueryouoryourswcrebymewrongd.
^ Vtfhatgoodiscouerdwichrhcfaccofheaucn,
To be dikouerd that can do me oood,
Ktng The aduancemcntofyonr children mightie Ladie.
SJji. vptofomefcarToid.theretoloofe thcirheads
Kwg No to the diguitieand height of honor,
7fiehigh imperial tipe of this earths glorie.
Q*u Flatter my forrowes with report of it,
Tell me * hat Hate, what dignitie^what honor?
Canft
of Richard the third,
Canrt thou demifc to anic child ofmine.
King. Euen all 1 hauc.yea and my fclfe and all.
Will I withal endow a child of thine,
So in the Lethe of thy angnc foule,
Thou drown thefadd remembrance of thole wrongs
Which thou fuppofeft Ihauedbnetothee.
Qu. Be briefe^caft that the proceffe of thy kindncs,
Laft longer telling then thy kindnes doe.
King. Then know that from my foule I loue thy daughter,
Qu^ My daughters mother thinkes it with her foule.
King. What do you thinkef
Qh. 7liat thou doftloue my daughtcrfrom thy foule,
So from thy fouies loue didll thou loue her brothers,
And from my harts loue I do thanke thecforit.
King. Be not fb hafhe to confound my meaning,
/meanc that with my foule I loue thy daughter,
And meane to make her Quecnc of England.
Qm. Saic then,who doft thou meane fhalbe her ling?
Ktnir. Euen he that makes her Queen,wbofhould bcelic?
£?#.Whatthottf
Ktng I euen I, what tiiinke you ofit Maddamc?
Q*. How canft rhou wooe her?
King Thatwouldllcarncofyou»
As one that arc beft acquainted with her humor.
Qu. And wilt thou learn ofme?
King Madam withal my harts
j£? /t. Send to her by the man that flew her brother?,
A paire ofbleeding harts thereon ingraue,
Edward and Yorke^then happclie flhc wil weepe,
Therefore prelenttohci asfometimes Margaret
Did to thy fathcrjahandkerchcr fteeptin Rutlandsbloudj
Andbidhcr drie her wecpingcies therewith,
If this inducement force her not to loue,
Send her a ftorie of thy noble a«5b,
Tel het thou madftawaie herVncleClarence,
Her Vncle Riuers yea.and for her fake
Madft quicke conueiancc with her good Aunt Anne,
King Corac,come,you niockc me,thj$ is not the waic
K.2 To
74
IV. iv.
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IV.iv.
Theft Agedj
To win your daughter.
Qu. There is no other waie
Vnlefle thou couldft put on (bme other fhape,
And not be Richard that hath done all this.
j+3 King Infer fa ire Englands peace by this alliance.
Qk. Which fhefhall purchafcwith rtilllaftmg war.
Kmg Saie that the king which may command intreats.
Qu. Th at at her hands which the kings king forbids.
Kmg Saie flic Oialbe a high and mightie Queene,
^34.8 Qy, To waile the tide as her mother doth.
King Saie I wil loue her euerlaf tmglie.
Qh, But how long (hall that title eucr laft.
K* ng S weetlic infbrce vnto her fa ire lyues end,
352 Q«. But how long farely Jh all her fweet life laftt
Kmg So long a&heauen and nature lengthens it
Qu. So long as hell and Richard likes ofit.
Kmg Saie 1 her Ibueraign am her fubie<ft loue,
ss6 Qh. Butflieyourfubie&loathsfuchfbueraintie.
King Becloquentinmybehalfetoher,
Qh Anhoneft tale fpeeds befl being plainlie told.
Kmg T nen mpJainetermcs tell her my louin* tale.
3e. £*. Plaine and not honeft is to harfli a Mile, °
f Kmg Madame your reaibns are too flial!ow& too quicke
Qm* Onomyrca/bnsaretodeepeanddead.
7oo dcepe and dead pooreinfants in their graue,
f 364 Ktng HarpenotonethatftnngMadanuhatispa*(t.
f Qh, HarpeonitftillfhalJ I tillhartftringsbreake.
t King Now by my George,my Gattcrand my crown,
Qh. Prophandjdimonerd^nd thethird vfurped,
tj« Ktig I fweare by nothing.
Qh. By nothmg/orthis is no oath.
7lbeGeorgeprophandhathlofthisholichonor,
TheGarterblemimtpawnd hisknightlie vertue,
The crown vfurpt difgrac't his kinglie dignitie,
+ 372 If iomething thou wilt fwcarc to be beleeude.
SweaKthcnbyfomethingthatthouhaftnotvvroiigd.
Kmg Now by the world.
Qh. Tisfutoftbyfoule wrongs.
Ki>% My
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King. My Fathers death.
Qh. Thy life hath that difhonord.
King, Then by my felfe.
Qu Thy felfe thy felfe mifufeft.
King. Whie,thcnbyGod.
Qu. Gods wrong is moft of all,
If thou hadft fcard, to breake an oath by him,
The vnitie the king my brother made,
Had not bene broken, nor my brother flaine.
If thou hadft feard to breake an oath by him,
ThcempcriallmettaH circling now thy brow„
Had graft the tender temples of my childe,
And both the princes had bene breathing hcere,
Whichnow,twotcnderplaie fellowesfor duft,
Thy broken faith,hath made a praie for wormes,
King. Bythetimetocome.
Qh. Thatthouhaftwrongdintimeorepaft,
For I my felfe, haue manie teares to wafti,
Hereafter time, for time, by the paft wrongd,
The children Hue, whole parents thou haft tlaughterd,
Vngouernd youth,to waile it in their age,
The parent* liue, whofe children thou haft butcherd
Oldc withered plantcs. to waile it with their age,
S weare not by time to come/or that thou haft,
Mifufcd,eare v&d,by time mifufed orepaft.
King. As 1 intend toprofper and repent,
So thriuc I in my dangerous attempt,
Ofhoftile amies, my felfe,my felfe confound,
Dayeyecld me not thy Iight,nor night thyrcftj
Be oppofite, all planets of good lucke,
To my proceedings, if with pure hearrcslouc,
Immaculate deuocion, holicthoughtes,
) tender nor thy beauteous princelic daughter,
In bcr eonfiftcs my happines and thinc5
Without her followes to this land and me,
To thee her fclfe3 and manic a Chriftian foulc,
Sad defblation,rutnc,and decaie,
It cannot be auoided but by this,
K, 3. It will
IV. iv.
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h will not be auoid rd but this:
Therefore good mother ( •{ muft call you ib,)
Be the attumey of my loue toher.
Pleadewhat ] will be, not whac 1 hauebene,
Not by defertes, but what I willdefcrue,
Vrge the necemYie and ftate of times,
And be not pieuiih^fond in great defignes,
Qu. Sha I ! / be remptc d of the diueil thus.
King, I, ifthc dtueli tempt thee to doe good.
£Jtf. Shalllfbrgetmy feife.toberayleHe.
King. I,if your feifes. reniembrance,wrong your felfc.
Qu^ But thou didft kill my children.
King, Butin your daughters wombe,Iburicd them,
Where in that neft of fpieerie they fhall breed,
Sclfesofthemielues, to your recomfaure.
Qft. Shall I go winnc my daughter to thy will.
King. And be a happie mother by the deede,
Qh. I goe, write to me veric {hortlie.
King* Beare her my true ioueskJlTcrare well. Exit.
Relenting (bole, and mallow changing woman. Enter Rat.
Rat. My gracious Soucraignc on the wctlcmc coaft,
Rideth a puiflantNauie.To the iTioxe,
7hrong manie doubtfull hollow hartcd fricndcs,
Vnarmd,and vnrcfolud tobeatc them backc:
Ttsthought that Richmond is their admiral!,
And there they hull, expecting but the aide,
QfBuckingham,to welcome them a fhorc.
King. Some light footc fricnd,pofko the Duke orNorflf,
RatcMFc thy felfe, or Cateibie, where is hec?
Cat. HcremyLord.
K/#£. Flic to the Duke, poft thouto Saiisburie9
When thou comft there. dull vnmindtwllvilfome,
Whieftandft thouihll ?and gocft not to the Duke.
df , Firit mightie Soueraigne,let me know your mindc,
What, from your grace,I fhaUdeliuer them.
King. 0?true good Catefbic, bid him Icuie ftraigfa,
The greatcftftrcngth and power hecanmake^
Andmectc me prefentlic at SaJisburic,
R*tt
16
of Richard the third.
Rat. What is ie your highnes plcafurc, I (hall do at Salisbu-
King. Whie? what vvouidft thou doc there before I goc? (ry,
Rat, Your highnes told me I fliould port before.
King. Mymindischangd/ir, mymindeischangd.
How now, what newes with you?
Enter Barbie,
Dar. None good my Lord,to pleafeyou with the hearing,
Nor none (6 bad, but it may well be told.
King. Hoiday,ariddlc,neithcrgood,norbad:
Why doeft thou runne fo many mile about,
When thou maift tell thy tale a neercr way.
Once more, what newes?
Dar. Richmond is on the Seas.
King. There let him finkc,and be the Teas on him,
White liuerd nmnagate,what docthhe there?
Dor. I know not mightic Soueraignc,but by guefle.
King. Well fir, as you oueffe, as you gueiTc.
Dor. Sturd vp by Dorfet,Budkingham,and Elie,
He makes for England .there to claime the crowne.
King, Is the chaire emptier is the fword vnfwaied?
Is the king dead ? the Empire vnpofleft?
What hcire of Yorke is there aiiue but we?
And who is Englands King,but great Yorkesheire,?
Then tell me, what doeth he vpon the tea?
1)ar, VnlefTe for that my liege, I cannot guefle.
King Vnlcfle for that^he comes to be your liege,
You cannot gueiTc, wherefore the Wclfhman conies,
Thou wilt reuolt,and flic to him /feare.
Dar. No mightie liege, therefore miftruft me not.
King Where is thy power then ? to beatc him backe,
Where arc thy tennants ? and thy followers?
Arc they not now vpon the Weftcrne fliorc?
Safe conducting, the rebels from their fliips,
Dar, No my good Lord,my friendes are in the North.
King, Cold friends to Richard, what doe they in the North?
When they fhouid fcructheir Soueraignein the Weft.
Dar. They hauc not bin commaunded,mightic foueraignc.
Pjcafe it your Maieftie to giuc me leaue ,
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lie mufter vp my fricndes and mccte your grace,
Where ,and what time , your Maieftie mall pleafe.
King. i,I,thou wouldeft be gone, to ioync with Richmond,
/will not truft you Sir,
Dor. MoftmightieSoueraigne,
You haucnocaufeto hold my friendfhip doubtrull,
T neuer was,nor neuer will befaMe.
King, Weiljgo mu(ter men,but heare ycu,leaue bchinde,
Your lonne George Stanlic, lookc your faith be flrme,
Or eHe, his heads dTurance is but fraile.
Dar, So dcale with him, as /proue true to you.
Enter a Mejfenger,
Mcf. My gracious 5oueraigne,now in Deuonfhirc,
As I by friendes am well aduertiied,
Sir William Courtney,and thehaughtie Prelate,
Bid jop of Excetcr, his brother there,
With manic mo confederates, are in armes.
Enter another A<fejfenger.
xJftfoC, My Liege ,in Kent the Guilfordes are in armes,
A nd euerie houre more competitors^
Flocke to their aidc,2tid ftiil their power increased).
Enter unethcr fJ% fejfenger.
Mef, Mv Lord^the armic ofthc Duke of Buckingham.
Hejh'iktlkhim.
King, Out on you owles/iothing but longs ofTdcath.
Take that vndil thou bring me better ncwes,
Aief. Your grace miftakes, the newes /bring is good,
My ncwes is that by fudden fioud, and fall of water,
TheDukeofBuctanghamsarmieisdJlperft and fcartcred,
And hebiinfcife&c^nornan knowes whether*
King, O I crie you mcrcie,! did miftake,
RatdirYe reward bim, for theblow I gaue him5
Hath any well adu&d friend giuen out,
Kewardts tor him that brings in Buckingham.
Mef, Such proclamation hath bene made my liege.
Enter tittothtr £>£ejjinger>
<Mef> Sir Thomas Loud, and Lord Marques Dcrfet,
Tisfaid my liege,ate vpin arises,
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IV. iv.
o/Richardthe third.
Yet this good comfort bring I to your grace^
The Brittaine nauic is difperft, Richmond iii Dorfoirc
Sent out aboate toaske them on the fhore,
Ifthey were his afllftants yea, or no:
Who anfwered him.they came from Buckingham,
Vpon his partie,he miftruftmg them,
Hoiftftlc,and made away for Brittainc.
King. March on,march on,f incc we are vpir, armes,
/fnot to fight with forreine enemies,
Yet to beate do wne, these rebels here at home.
Enter Caxefbie.
Cat. My liegCjthe Duke of Buckingham is taken,
Thats the beft ncwes,that the Earle of Richmond,
Is with a mightiepowcr landed at Milford,
Is colder tidings, yet they muft be told.
King. Away towardes SaHsburie, while we reaion here,
A royall batteJl mightbe wonne and loft.
Some one take order, Buckingham be brought,
To Salisburie,the reft march on with me. £xeunt%
Entee rD*rbhHSir Cbriftopber*
Dor. S\r Chrifraphrr,teH Richmond this from roe,
That in the {tie of this mo(t bloudie bore,
My forme George Stanlie is francktvp in hold,
If I reuoltjoflfgoes young Georges head,
Thefeare of that, with holdes my prefent aide,
But tell me, where is princelic Richmond now?
Chris?. At Pembroke,or at Har ford-weft in Wales,
Dar. What men of name refort to him.
S. Chrift. Sir Walter Herbcrc,a renowned fouldier,
SirGilbert Talbot,Sir William Stanlic,
Oxford,redoubted Pembroke,Sir lames Blunt,
Rice vp Thomas, with a valiant crew,
With many moe of noble fame and worth,
And towardes London they doe bend their courfe,
Ifby the way, they be not fought withall.
Dor. Rctournc vnto thy Lord,commend me to him,
Tell him, the Queene hath hartelie confentcd,
He ftiall c/poufc Elizabeth her daughter,
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Thcfe letters will rcfokie him of my minde.
Farewell. Bxeunt,
tenter Buckingham to execution.
Buck. Will notkingRichard Ice mc fpeakewidihim.
* \ Rat. No my Lord, thereforebe patient
f j Buci^ Haftings,andEdwardsch'»idren,Riuers,Gray,
Hoiie king Henrie 5and my raire fonne Edward,
Vaugharvand all chat haue mifcarticd,
By vnderhand corrupted3rbuleiniulticc,
If chat your moodic difcontcnted fbules,
Dot through the cloudes, behold thisprefent houre,
Euen for reuenge^mocke ray dettruflion .
This is Aiioules dayfeHowes,isitnoi?
Rat. ItisniyLord.
Buck: Whie then Aifbulcs day3is my bodiesdomefday;
This is the day3thae in king Edwards time,
I wilht might faK on me,when I was found,
Falfc to his children,or his wiues allies:
This is the day, wherein I wifht to fall,
By thcfalfefaith,ofhim I trufted moft:
This, this Atfbulcs day, to my fearefullfbule,
Is the determind tefpit of my wrongs;
That high al-feer, that 1 dallied with,
Hath turnd my fained prayer on my head,
Andgiueninearneft whae/begd inieft.
Thus docth he force the fwordes ofwicked men,
To turne their owne pointes, on their Maifters bolbme:
Now Margarets curfe, is fallen vpon my head,
When he quorh fhe/hall fplit thy hart with forrow.
Remember, Margaret was a Prophcteflc,
Come flrs,conuey me to the blocke offliarne,
Wrong hath but wrong,and blame rhe dew ofblame.
Enter Rtcbmondwith drums and trumpets.
Rich , Fellowes in armes, and my moft louing triendej,
Bruifd vnderneaththe yoakeof tyrannie,
Thus farre i nto the bowels of thcland,
Haue we marcht on withoutimpediment.
And here receiuc we, from our Father Stanlte,
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Lines offaire comfort,and incouragement,
The wretehed,bloud!e,and vfurping bore,
That fpoild your fbmer'fieidcs,and fruitful! vines,
SwiU your warmc bloud like wafh,and makes his trough,
/nyourinboweidbofomes,thisfoulefwinc,
Lies no w euen in the center of this He,
Neare to the towne of Lcyccftcr as wc learne;
From Tarn worth thcthcr,isbut onedayes march,
In Gods name cheerelie on, couragiousfriendes,
To reape the haruefr ofperpetuall peace,
By this one bloudie triall or fharpe wane.
i La. Eucricmansconfcienccisathoufandfwordes,
To fight againft that bloudie homicide.
l Lo. 1 doubt not but his friendes will flie to vs.
3 Lo. He hath no friendes, but who arc friendes for fcare,
Which in his greater! neede will fhrinke from him.
Rich. All for our vantage, then in Gods name march,
True hope is fwift, and flies with Swallowes wings,
Kings it make Gods,and meancrcreatureskings. Exit>
Enter King Richard, Nor fotkeyRatcUffey
Catefbiejvfth others.
King. Here pitch our tentes, euen here in Bofworth field,
Whie, how now Catesbic, whie lookft thou fo bad.
Cat y My hart is ten times lighter then my lookes.
King , NorrTolke,come hcthcr.
NorftoJke, wc rauft hauc knockes.ha.muft we notY
Norjf. We muft both giue,and take,my gracious Lord,
King. Vp with my tent there,here will I lie to night,
But where to morrow, wcH,all is one for that,-
Who hath difcried the number ofthe foe.
Norjf. Sixe or feuen thoufand is their greateft number.
King, Whie our battalion trebles that account,
Befides,the Kings name is a tower of flrcngth,
Which they vpon the aduerfe partie want,
Vp with my tent there,valiant gentlemen ,
Let vs furuey the vantage ofthe field,
Call for fomc men of found direction,
Lets want no difciplinc,makc no delaie,
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The Tragedy
For Lordes, to m orrow is a bufic day. Exeunt.
Enter Richmond with the Lordes jfrc.
Rich. The wearic fonnc hath made a golden fete,
And by the bright tracke of his fierie Carre,
Giuesfignall of a goodlie day to morrow,
+22 Where is Sir William Brandon,hefhalIbeare myftanderd,
The Earlc of Pembroke keepe his regiment,
Good captaine Blunt.bearc my good nightto him,
And by the fecond houre in the morning,
DenVc the Earle to fee mc in my tent
Yet one thing more,good Blunt before thou goeftj
Where is Lord Stanlie quarterd,doeft rhou know.
Blunt. VnleiTe I haue miftanc his coulers much,
Which well /am aiTur'd,/haue not done,
His regiment, lies ha Ife a mile at leaft,
South from the mightie power of the king.
Rich, /f without perrili it be ponlble.
Good captaine Blunt bea re my good night to him,
And giue him from me, this moft needefull fcrowle.
Blunt. Vpon my life my Lordjlc vndeitakc it,
+44 Rich. Farewell good Blunt.
2J Giue me fome inke, and paper, in my tent,
u lie drawe the formc^and modlcofour battel,
2S Limit each leader to his feuerall charge,
+26 And part in iuft proportion our imaJlflrcngth,
Come,lct vsconfult vpon to morrowes buhnes,
In toour rent, the aire is rawe and cold.
Enter king Richard, Norf, Ratclife
Catefb'e.&c.
K ng. What is a ciocke.
Cat. It isfrxe ofclocke,full fupper time.
King. I will not fup to nighr, giue me Ibme infce and paper
Whatsis my beuereafierthen it was?, '
And all my armour laid into my tenr^
C >t3 Ins my Liege,and all thinges are in readines.
King. Good Norffolke, hie thee to thy charge,
t s4 Vfe carefull watch^chufc trutiic centmell,
NtTff' /goemyLord.
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■King. Scur with the Larketo morrow gentle Norffblke:
Tfyr. I warrantyou my Lord.
K ng. Catesby.
Rat. My lord.
King.Send out a Purfuiant atarmes
To Stanleys regimented him bring his power
Before fun rifing,Ieaft his Tonne George fall
Into the blind cauc of eternal night.
Fill me a bowlc of wine jgiue me a watch,
Saddle white Surrey for the field to morrow,
Lookethat myftaucsbc found and nottoohcauyRatliffe.
R t. My lord.
King. Sawfl thou the melancholic Lo.Northumberlandf
Rat* Thomas the Earle of Surrey and himfclfc,
Much about cockfliut time/rom troupe to troupe
Went through the army cheering vp the (bldiors.
King. Sol amfacisficdjgiuemca bouleofwine,
Ihaue not that alacrity offpirk
Nor cheerc ofmind that I was wont to haue:
Set it down. Is inkc and paper ready?
Rat. It is my lord.
King Bid my guard watch.leaue me.
RatlifTc about the mid of night come to my tent
And helpe to arme me.- leauc me I fay. £xit . Ratliffe
Enter 'Darby to Richntondin his tent.
Darby. Fortune and vicWie fct on thy hclme.
Hich, All comfort that the darke night can afford,
Be to thy pcrfon noble father inlaw,
Tel me howfares our louing mother?
D/ir. I by atturney bleffe thee from thy mother,
Who praicscontinuallie for Richmonds good.
So much for that the filcnt hourcsfteale on.
And flakie darkeneue breakes within the eafi,
In brie(e,for lb the feafon bids vs be:
Prepare thy battel! esreiie in the morning,
And put thy fortune to the arbitrement,,
Of bioudie ftrokes and mortal ftai ing war,
I as I may,that which I would/ cannot,
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With befl aduantage will decciue the time,
And aide thee in this doubful ihocke ofarmes,
But on thy fide I may not be too for ward5
Leafl being feene thy brother tender George
Be executed in his fathers fight.
Farewel,the Ieafure and the fearefull time,
CutsofFthe ceremonious vowes of loue,
And ampleenterchangcoffweet difcourfe,
Which fo long fundried friends flhould dwelvpon,
God giue vs leifure for thefe rights ofloue,
Once more adicWjbe valiant and fpeed well.
Rich. Good lordsc onducl him to his regiment;
lie ftriue with troubled thoughts to take a nap,
Leal} leaden (lumber peife me downc to morrows
When / fhould mount with wings ofvidlorie,
Once more good night kind Lords and gendemen, £xmtt
O thou whole Captaine I account my felfe,
Lookeon my forces with a gracious eie;
Put in their hands thy brufing Irons of wrath,
That they may crufh downc with a heauicfall,
The vfuf ping helmets ofour adueriaries,
Makevs thy miniftersofcbaflifemenr,
That we may praife thec in the vielorie,
To thec I do commend my watchful! fbule,
Earc /letfal the windowes ofmine eics,
Sleeping and waking,oh defend me fliil !
Enter theghofl of young Prince Edward^ [onne
Harry theJixtjoRi.
Gkejl to Ri, Let me fit heauie on thy foule to morrow.
Thinke how thou ftabftme in my prime of youth,
At 7eukcsburie,dirpaire therefore and die,
ToTtjch, Be cheerful Richmond for the wronged feulcs
Of Butchered pnnces fightinthy bchalfc,
King Henries iflue Richmond comforts thee.
Enter theghoH of Henry tkefixt*
Cjhojitc Ri. When /was mortal! niyannointcd body,
By thee was punched full of deadiie holes.
Thinke on the tower and me difpaireand die,
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of Richard tht third,
Harrie the fixt bids thee dilpaire and die.
To Rich. Vcrtuous and holiebcthou conqueror,
Harris that prophified thou fhouldft be king,
Doth comfbrtthec in thy flcepe hue and flori(h»
Enter the Cjoafi of Clarence.
Ghofi. Let mc fct heauie in thy foule to morrow,
I that was wafht to death with fuiibmc wine,
Poore Clarence by thy guile betraid to dcathj
To morrow in the battaile thinke on me.
And fall thy edgeles fvvord,diipaire and die.
To "JRjch. ThouofspringoftheboufeofLanceftcr,
The wronged heircs of Ycrke do pray for thee,
Good angels guard thy battarle hue and florifti.
Enter theghofts of 'Ritters yCjray ytughm.
King Let me fit heauic in thy fbuic to morrow,'
Riuersthac died atPomfiet,difpaire and die,
<jr*y. Thinke vpon Graie.and let thy loule difpairc.
Vaugh. Thinke vpon Vaughan,and with guiltie fcaw,
Let fall thy launce,aifpa*sre and die.
AH to Ri. Awake and thinke out wrongs in Richards bofomer
Wei conquer him^awakeand win the daie.
Enter therhofts of the two yon? 'Princes,
G»oft to R$. Dreame on thy Coofens imothcred in the towet ,
Let vs be lead within thy boibme Richard,
And weigh thee down to ruinejfhame,and death,
7~hy Ncphc wes foules bid thee difpaire and die.
To Rich, Slcepe Richmond f!eepe,in peace and wake in ioy,
Good aneels guard thee from the bores anuoy,
Liue and beget a happicrace of kings,
Edwards vnhappie fonnes do bid thee floriftu
Enter 'the ghefl ofJIaft$n?s*
Ghaft Bloudic and guiltie .guiltilie awakea
And in a bJoudie battaile end chy daks,
Thinke on lord Haftings, difpaire and die,'
To Rich. C^ie?yntroubledfcule,awakc,awake,
Arme,fight and conquer for faireEngiandsfake,
Enter the ghofi of Lady Anne his »if€t
Richard thy wife^tha? wretched Anne thy wire*
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7 hat ncucr flept a quiet houre with thee,
Now fils thy flccpc wichpretuibations,
To morrow in the battaile thinke on me,
And fall thy edgelcs fword defpaire and die.
To Fich. Thou quiet foule,flecpe thou a quiet fleepe,
Dreame offuccefie and happie vi&orie,
Thy aduerfaries wife doth praie for thee.
Enter the Cjoaft of Buckingham.
T'he firft was I that helpt thee to the crown,
168 The hft was I that felt thy tynannie,
Oin the battaile thinke on Buckingham,
And die in terror of thy giltinefic,
Dreame on dreame on,ofblqudie deed* and death,
Fainting,defpaire ,defparing yeeld thy breath,
To T^tch. I died for hope ere I could lend thee aid,
But cheare thy heartland be thou not difmaid,
God and good angelsfighton Richmons fide,
* i76 And Richard fals in height ofall his pride.
Richard jl art ethvp out of a drea* e.
King Ri. Giue me another horfe,bind vp my wounds,
Haue mercie Jclu: foft,I did but dreame,
O Coward confcicncc,hov\ doftthou afflict me?
The lights burne blew,itis now dead midnight,
Cold fearcfull drops fraud on my trembling flcfh,
WhatdoIfearePmy fclfe-'theres none dfc by,
Richard louesRichard,thatis Und I,
,84 Is there a'murthercr here? no. Y es I am,
7hen flie,what from my felfef great reaioti whie?
Leaft /reuenge. What my felfe vpon my felfe?
Alackc /iouc my felfe, wherefore? for anie good
7*f lat I my fcife haue done vnto my felfe;
0 no,aIas I rather hate my felfe,
For hateful I dcedes committed by my klfcf
1 am a vi!laine,yet/ lie /am not,
•92 Foole of thy felfe fpeakeweIl,toole do notflatter,
My conference hach a thoufand feuerall tongues,
And euerie tongue brings in a fcueral talc,
And euerie tale condemnsmc fer a viJlainc,
periisrie
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88
of Ricky fobt th,i d.
^eriuriejpciiuric, in tlfehighcft degree,
Murther,fterne murther jo the dyreft degree,
AH leuerall finnes,all v&le in each degree,
Throng to the barrCjCrying all guiltiCjguiltie.
Ifhall difpaire, there is no creature loucs me,
And if I die, no foule will pitie me;
And wherefore mould they.fincethatlmy felfct
Finde in my felfe,no pitie to my fcifc.
Me thought the foulcs of all that I had murtherd.
Came to my tent, and euery one did threat,
To morrows vengeance on the head of Richard-
V7 •••
.III.
'9*t
t
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Snfer Ra'ctiffe,
Rat. My Lord,
K$ng, Zoundes, who is there?
Rat. Ratclifte5my Lord,tisI,the earlie village cocke,
Hath twife done (alutation to the morne,
Your friendes are vp, and buckle on their armor.
King. O RatciHfe,! haue drecmd a fearefull dreame.
What thinkf t thou5will our riiendes prouc all true?
Rat, No doubt my Lord.
King. O RatclirTe^ I feare, Ifeare.
Rat . Nay good my Lordjbs not afraid offhadowes.
King By the Apoftle Paul, fhadowes to night,
Haue ftroke more tenor to the foule ofRichard,
Then can thefubfiancc often thoufandibuldiers,^
A rmed in prcofe,and led by fhallow Richmond.
Tis not yet neere day , come, go with me,
Vnder our tents lie plaie the eafe dropper,
To fee if any meanc to flirinke from me. €xemt.
Enter the hordes to Richmond.
Lo. Good morrow Richmond.
^icht Criemercic Lordes^and watchfull gctitlem^
That you haue tanc atardicfluggardherc,
Lo. How haue you flept my Lord?
Rich. The fweet£ft(lecpe,and&ircft boding drcames,
That cuer entred in a drowfic head,
Haue I fince your d<fpatureha<JmyIottJc«»
M. Ms.
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Methoughtthexr ibufes,whofe bodies Rkhard mutthesd,
Came tomy tent,and cried on vi&one,
/promueyou,my foulc is verfe /ocund,
/n the remembrance oftbfaire a dreame.
How farre into the morning is k Lordes?
Lo. Vpontherirokeoffourc,
Rich. Whiej then tistimeto arme,and gmc dire$k>n.
Hit oration t» hisfetildivrs,
Morethen Ihauefaid, louingcountricmen,
The Ieafure and infbrccment of the time,
Forbids to dwell vpon, yet remember this,
God j and our good caule,fight vponour PAc9
The praiers of holy Saints and wronged foules,
Like high reard bul warkes, ftand before our faces,
Richard, except thoie whome we fight againft,
Had rather haue vs winne,thenhim ttay follow.*
For, what is he they follow t truclic gentlemen,
A bloudic tirant,and a homicide.
One raifd in bloud, and one in bloud eftabliflicd,
z48 One that mademeanes to come by what he-hath,
And flaughtered diofe,thatwere the meanestohelpe him.
T A bafe foulc ftone.made precious by the fbile,
Of England? chaire, where he is felfely fet,
One that hath e uer bene Gods enemie .
Then if you fight^gatnft Gods encmic,
God will In iuttice, ward you as his fouldiers,
t If yon doe fweate to put a tyrant down?,
s6 You fleepe in peace,the tyrant being flame,
Ifyou doe fight againft your countries foes,
Your countries fat, /hall paie your paincs the hiree
Ifyou doe fight in fafegardofyour wiues,
Your wiues (hall welcome home the conquerors.
Ifyou doe freeyoui children from the fword,
Your childrens children quks it in your age:
Then in thename of God and all thefe rightes,
Aduaunceyour ftandat dVfrawc your willingfwordes,
Forme, the raunfome of my bold attempt,
frail Wthiscouldcorponijjeeaifijscold face*
Sub
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ofRicbardtbe third.
But if X thrhie, the game of my attempt,
The leaft of you, fhali /hare his part thereof. its
Sound drummes and trumpets boidIie,and cheercfullie,
God^and "aintGeorge, Richmond,and vi&oric.
King. What (aid Northumberland jOS touching Richmond*
Rat , That he was neuer trained vp in armes.
King He faid r.hetrueth,and what faid Surrey then.
Rat, He fmiled and faid. the better fbrourpurpofe,
King. He was in the right, and fo indeedeit is:
Tell the clockc there. TbccUckeflrtketk.
Giue me a calender, who faw theSunnc today?
Rat. Not I my Lord*
King. Then he difdaines to fhine,tor by thebookes
He ihouid haue braud the Eaft an howcr agoc,
A bkeke day will it be to fomc bodie Rat.
Rap. My Lord.
Kin? . The Sunne will not be fcencto-dajr,
7he skiedoeth frowne, and lowre vponour armicj
3 would thefe dewic teares were from the ground, zSl
Not Aline to day: whte, what is mat to roes
Mere then to Richmond,fbr thtsieltc-fcmcheaucn,.
That f rowncs on mc5 iockes fadlie vpon hirn.
Enter Norffcl^e.
Nerff. Arrne, arme, my Lord^he foe vaunts in the field;
YJng. Come^uftlejbuftlejCapnrifon my hocfc.
Call vp Lord Standlie,bid him bring his power,
I will leade forth, my ibuldiersto ihe plaine,
Arxkhus my battaHc (hall be ordered. *$*
Myforewardfhalibedrawenout aliiniength, f
Confiding cquallieofhorfc and foot?,
Our Archers (hail be placed in the midft,
Zohn, Duke ofNorffolke, Thomas Earle ofSurrey, 29s
(hallhaue the leading of thisfoote and horip,.
t
They thus directed, we wiUfoilow3
In the matne battie. whofe puiffance on cither iide,
(hall be well winged with our chicfeft horfc: j*«
this, and Saint George.ro bootes wbat.tbioWltJbQA*Noj6oifce?
M.2. A good
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Nor. A good direction warlike fouefaignc,
This found / on my tent this morning,
/orfy ofN&rfalkg-fointfi bcitid,
For'D :thonthy mafier is bought uttdfould.
King A thing dcuifed by the cnemie.
Gogemleraen eucry man vntohischavge,
Let not our babling dreames affright our fbules:
Confcicncc is but .arword that cowards vie,
Deuifol at firft to keepe the rtrong in awe,
Our ftrong armes be our confeience (words, our Jaw.
Marehonjoine brauelie3let vs to it pell mell,
If net to heauen then hand in hand to hell.
His Or* tion to his army.
Whatfha! /iaiemore then I haue inferd?
Remember whom you arc to cope withall,
A fort of vagabonds, rafcols and runawaies,
A fcum of Britrains and bafe lacky pcfants,
Whom their orecloied country vomits forth,
7b defperate aduentures and aiTurd dermic~tion,
You flecping fafe they bring to you vnreft.
You hauing lands and bleft with beauteous wires.
They would reftrainerhe one,diftaine the other/
And who doth lead them but a paltreyfello w/
Long kept in Brittaine at our mothers eoft,
A mUkefoptjOnethat neuer m his Irfe
Felt fo much coide as ouer fhooes in fnow:
Lets whip thefe ftragglers ore the feas againe,
Lain hence thefe ouerweening rags ofFrance*
Thefe famifht beggers vvearie of their Hues,
Who but for dreaming on this fond exploit,
For want ofmeanspoore rats had hangd themfelues,
Ifwe be conqueredjlet men conquer vs,
And not thefebattard Brittains whom our fathers
Haue in their own land beaten bobd and thumpt%
And in record left them the heiresof jname.
Shallrhefe enioy our Iands^ie with our wiues?
Ra^ih our o!aughters,harke 1 heare their drum,
Kghtg«iticriiervofEngland1fightboldyeomen,
Be(hewetbbim>
4 paper
Draw
92
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cf Richard the third.
Draw archers draw your arrowcs to the head.
Spur your proud horfes hard,and ride in bloud, s+o
Amaze the welkin with your broken ftaues,
What faieslord Stan!ey,wil he bring his powerf
M f. My lord,he doth deny to come,
King Off with his fbnne Georges head. ^
Nor, My lord,rhc enemie is paft the marfh,
After the battaile let George Stanley die.
King A rhoufand harts are great within my bofbmc,
Aduance our ftandards,ietvpon our foes, i4$
Ourancient word ofcourage faire faint George
Infpire vs with the fplceneorfierie Dragons,
Vpon them vi&orie fits on out helmcs. Extant. *
Alarum,excttrJions, Enter Catesby. V.iv.
Catif, Refccw my lord ofNorffblke,refcew,refcew7
The king enacts more wonders then a man,
Daring an oppofite to euerie danger,
His horle is flaine,and all on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death,
Refcew faire lord^or dfe the daie is loft.
Enter Richard.
King A hor(e,a horfe>my kingdome for a horfe.
Catef Withdraw my lord.ile helpc you to a horfe.
King Slaue I haue fct my life vpon a cait,
And /will ftand the hazard of the die,
/diinke dicrebe fixeRichmondsin the field,
Fiue haue I flaine to daie in (lead of him,
A horfe,a horfe, my kingdome for a horfe*
Alarum , Enter Richardand Rickmondjhc] 'fight >Ricbardisflain
then retrait being fonnded. Enter RkhmmdJ) ]<trbjr Jtcaring the ',v
crorvne.with other Lords j&c.
Rt. God and youi armes be praifd victorious freends,
The daie is ours,the bloudie dog is dead.
Darm GoungiousRichmoncLwelhaft thou acquit thee,
Loe here this long vlurped roiakie , -f t
From the dead temples ofdiis bloudie wretch,
Haue I pluckt ofFto grace thy browes withall,
Weaic k}enby it,and make much of it.
But
98
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t
12
The Tragtdie
Rich. Great God of heauen faieAmentoall,
But tell me,is yong George Stanley liuing.
Dar. He is my lord,and fafe in Leicefler townc,
Whether if itpleafcyou wc may now withdrawvs*
Rich. What men of name arc (laine on either fide I
t John Duke of ityffblke JVtoer Lord Ferris, fir
Robert Bmokenbury/^'Jrr Willimn Brandon.
Rich. Inter their bodies as become their births,
16 Proclaime a pardon to the foldiers fled,
Thil infubmiflion will returne to v$,
And then as we haue tane the iacrament,
We will vnite the white ro(e and the red,
z o Smile heauen vpon this faire conjunction.
That long haue frownd vpon their enmitie,
What traitor heares mc.and faies not Amen?
England hath Ions been madde and (card herfelfe,
The brother blindfie Hied the brothers bloud $
The father rafhlic (laughter d his own fonne,
The ibnne compeld ben butcher to the fire,
All this deuided Yorke and Lancafter,
28 Deuided in their dire dcuifion.
O now let Richmond and Elizabeth,
The true (uccecdcrs ofcach roy all houfe,
By Gods faire ordinance conioine together3
t j* And let their hcircs(God if thy will be fb)
t Enrich the time to come with fmooth- fafte peace,
With fmiling plentie and faire profperous daies,
Abate the edge oftraitors gracious Lord,
36 That would reduce thefe bloudy daies againc,
And makepoore England weepe in ftrcamesof b'oud.
Let them not liucto taft this lands incrcafc,
That wouid with treaibn wound this faire lands peace,
4c Now ciuill wounds arc ftopt,pcace lines againe,
That (he may long liue hcare,God faic Amen,
FINIS.
24
PR Shakespeare, William
2750 Richard the Third
821
1886
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