Skip to main content

Full text of "The tragedy of King Richard III"

See other formats 


LIBRARY 
BRIGHAM  YOUNG  UNIVERSITY 

THEODORE  FUCHS 
collection  on 


Theatre  Technology 


»        .  *     • 


THE  ARDEN  SHAKESPEARE 

A  MIDSUMMER  NIGHT'S  DREAM. 

Edited  by  Edmund  K.  Chambers,  B.A.,  Oxford. 

AS  YOU  LIKE  IT. 

Edited  by  J.  C.  Smith,  M.A.,  Edinburgh. 

CORIOLANUS. 

Edited  by  Edmund  K.  Chambers,  B.A.,  Oxford, 

CYMBELINE. 

Edited  by  A.  J.  Wyatt,  M.A.,  Cambridge. 

HAMLET. 

Edited  by  Edmund  K.  Chambers,  B.A.,  Oxford. 
HENRY  IV  — FIRST  PART. 

Edited  by  F.  W.  Moorman,  B.A.,  Yorkshire  College. 

HENRY  V. 

Edited  by  G.  C.  Moore  Smith,  M.A.,  Cambridge. 

HENRY  VIII. 

Edited  by  D.  Nichol  Smith, M. A.,  Edinburgh. 

JULIUS  C^SAR. 

Edited  by  Arthur  D.  Innes,  M.A.,  Oxford, 

KING  JOHN. 

Edited  by  Q.  C.  Moore  Smith,  M.A.,  Cambridge. 

KING  LEAR. 

Edited  by  D.  Nichol  Smith,  M.A.,  Edinburgh. 

MACBETH. 

Edited  by  Edmund  K.  Chambers,  B.A.,  Oxford, 

MUCH  ADO  ABOUT  NOTHING. 

Edited  by  J.  C.  Smith,  M.A.,  Edinburgh. 

RICHARD  II. 

Edited  by  C.  H.  Herford,  Litt.D.,  Cambridge. 
RICHARD  IIL 

Edited  by  George  Macdonald,  M.A.,  Oxford. 
ROMEO  AND  JULIET. 

Edited  by  Robert  A.  Law,  Ph.D.,  Harvard. 

THE  MERCHANT  OF  VENICE. 

Edited  by  H.  L.  Withers,  B.A.,  Oxford. 

THE  TEMPEST. 

Edited  by  F.  S.  Boas,  M.A,  Oxford. 

THE  WINTER'S  TALE. 

Edited  by  H.  B.  Charlton,  M.A.,  Manchester, 

TWELFTH   NIGHT. 

Edited  by  Arthur  D.  Innes,  M.A.,  Oxford. 

The  remainmg  volumes  are  in  preparation. 


Deatb's  lEnalisb  Classics 


THE  TRAGEDY 


OF 


KING  RICHARD  III 


EDITED  BY 

GEORGE  MACDONALD,  M.  A. 

BALLIOL  COLLEGE,  OXFORD 


D.  C.  HEATM  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 
BOSTON     NEW  YORK    CHICAGO 


2  H  2 


HAROLD  B.  LEE  LNMARV^ 

BRIGHAM  YOUNG  UNtVfUilTY'''' 

PROVO,  UTAH   ' 


GENERAL    PREFACE 


In  this  edition  of  Shakespeare  an  attempt  is  made  to 
present  the  greater  plays  of  the  dramatist  in  their  hterary 
aspect,  and  not  merely  as  material  for  the  study  of  philology 
or  grammar.  Criticism  purely  verbal  and  textual  has  only 
been  included  to  such  an  extent  as  may  serve  to  help  the 
student  in  the  appreciation  of  the  essential  poetry.  Questions 
of  date  and  literary  history  have  been  fully  dealt  with  in  the 
Introductions,  but  the  larger  space  has  been  devoted  to  the 
interpretative  rather  than  the  matter-of-fact  order  of  scholar- 
ship. Aesthetic  judgments  are  never  final,  but  the  Editors 
have  attempted  to  suggest  points  of  view  from  which  the 
analysis  of  dramatic  motive  and  dramatic  character  may  be 
profitably  undertaken.  In  the  Notes  likewise,  while  it  is 
hoped  that  all  unfamiliar  expressions  and  allusions  have  been 
adequately  explained,  yet  it  has  been  thought  even  more 
important  to  consider  the  dramatic  value  of  each  scene,  and 
the  part  which  it  plays  in  relation  to  the  whole.  These 
general  principles  are  common  to  the  whole  series;  in  detail 
each  Editor  is  alone  responsible  for  the  play  intrusted  to 
him. 

Every  volume  of  the  series  has  been  provided  with  a 
Glossary,  an  Essay  upon  Metre,  and  an  Index;  and  Appen- 
dices have  been  added  upon  points  of  special  interest,  which 
could  not  conveniently  be  treated  in  the  Introduction  or  the 
Notes.  The  text  is  based  by  the  several  Editors  on  that  of 
the  Globe  edition:  the  only  omissions  made  are  those  that  are 
unavoidable  in  an  edition  likely  to  be  used  by  young  students. 

By  the  systematic  arrangement  of  the  introductory  matter, 
and  by  close  attention  to  typographical  details,  every  effort 
has  been  made  to  provide  an  edition  that  will  prove  con- 
venient in  use. 


PREFATORY  NOTE, 


My  chief  guide  in  preparing-  this  edition  has  been  personal 
experience  of  the  difficulty  of  teaching  Shakespeare  to  school- 
boys. In  addition  to  Schmidt's  Shakespeare  Lexicon  and 
Abbott's  Shakespearian  Grammar^  I  have  constantly  had 
beside  me  the  commentaries  of  Malone,  Delius,  and  Wright 
(Clarendon  Press).  To  all  of  these  I  owe  much.  W.  Oechel- 
haeuser's  Essay  iiber  Konig  Richard  III.  has  been  helpful 
in  many  ways,  though  I  have  found  myself  unable  to  agree 
with  its  main  conclusions.  In  the  Glossary  I  have  been 
mainly  guided  by  The  New  English  Dictionary  and  by 
Skeat's  Etymological  Dictionary^  while  Professor  Herford's 
Glossary  to  his  edition  of  Richard  II.  has  also  been  very 
suggestive.  In  compiling  the  historical  summary  of  the 
lives  of  the  dramatis  per sonce^  I  have,  with  the  permission  of 
the  Publishers,  occasionally  made  use  of  Mr.  F.  A.  Marshall's 
notes  in  the  Henry  Irving  Shakespeare.  Specific  obligations 
to  other  works  I  have  endeavoured  faithfully  to  acknowledge. 
The  Index  has  been  drawn. up  in  Messrs.  Blackie's  office. 
It  only  remains  for  me  to  thank  the  friends  who,  at  various 
stages  in  the  progress  of  this  little  book,  have  ungrudgingly 
given  me  much  valuable  advice  and  assistance. 

G.  M. 

Glasgow,  luly,  i8g6. 


CONTENTS. 


TsLgt 

Introduction, 7 

Dramatis  PERsoNiE, 20 

The  Tracedy  of  King  Richard  the  Third,  -        -    21 

Notes,    -  ^ 112 

Appendix, 177 

Glossary, -        -        -        -  188 

Classified  Index, -       -  I9S 


INTRODUCTION. 


I.— CHARACTER  OF  THE  PLAY. 

The  argument  is  simple  and  straightforward.  Richard, 
Duke  of  Gloucester,  has  done  the  House  of  York  yeoman 
service  in  the  Wars  of  the  Roses,  and  his  courage  and  deter- 
mination have  had  no  small  share  in  securing  the  crown  for 
his  elder  brother,  now  Edward  IV.  of  England.  But  his 
ambition  will  not  let  him  rest  satisfied  with  the  triumph  of 
his  party.  He  must  himself  be  king.  Edward's  illness  and 
death  give  him  his  opportunity;  and  his  plans  are  laid  and 
carried  through  with  a  politic  foresight  that  compels  our 
admiration,  even  though  hypocrisy  is  his  armour  and  murder 
his  favourite  weapon.  Throughout  he  bears  himself  as  one 
who  stands  alone  and  who  has  "neither  pity,  love,  nor 
fear".^  Those  of  his  own  house  are  removed  as  ruthlessly 
as  his  hereditary  foes,  and  at  length  he  mounts  the  throne 
as  Richard  III.  But  with  all  his  shrewdness  he  has 
blundered  in  the  elements  of  his  calculation;  he  has  under- 
estimated the  inevitable  reaction  of  his  wickedness  on  him- 
self and  on  others.  A  twofold  retribution  overtakes  him. 
On  the  one  hand,  his  own  conscience  is  awakened,  and  when 
he  lies  down  to  rest  he  is  "  scared  with  dreams  and  terrified 
with  visions ".  On  the  other,  his  subjects,  alienated  by  his 
cruel  deeds,  flock  to  swell  the  forces  of  rebellion,  and  on 
Bosworth  Field  outraged  humanity  exacts  the  vengeance  it 
was  bound  to  claim.  For  his  final  defeat  is  brought  about 
not  by  any  cowardice  or  want  of  skill  upon  his  part,  but 
mainly  by  the  desertion  at  a  critical  moment  of  a  large  body 
of  those  whom  he  trusted. 

1  Third  Part  of  King  Henry  Sixths  v.  6.  68.    The  whole  passage  ought  to  be 
fead  carefully. 


8  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD. 

Richard's  fate,  then,. might  have  been  foreseen,  and  it  was  in 
a  sense  deserved.  Yet  it  moves  our  pity.  If  it  failed  to  do 
so,  the  play  would  not  be  a  tragedy.  The  everyday  use  of 
this  word  is  most  misleading.  No  crime,  however  startling, 
is  in  itself  tragic,  nor  is  it  made  more  so  by  swiftly  following 
punishment.  A  true  tragedy  is  the  spectacle  of  a  great  soul 
wrecked  and  ruined  through  being  somehow  or  other  brought 
into  conflict  with  the  moral  order  of  the  world.  The  tragic 
hero  must  therefore  be  a  man  whose  life  is  full  of  possibilities, 
and  whose  nature  is  rich  in  striking  qualities.  Shakespeare's 
Richard  III.  is  no  mere  vulgar  criminal.  To  begin  with,  he 
is  of  the  blood  royal,  as  Lear  is  a  king,  as  Hamlet  is  a  prince, 
as  Othello  is  the  right  arm  of  a  mighty  republic.  Then  he 
has  in  him  much  of  positive  good — personal  courage,  intel- 
lectual quickness,  readiness  of  resource,  and  unflinching 
steadfastness  of  purpose.  If  we  would  realize  how  great  he 
is,  we  have  but  to  set  him  alongside  of  Hastings  or  of 
Buckingham,  men  as  ambitious  and  almost  as  unscrupulous 
as  himself  Matched  with  ordinary  opponents,  they  would 
have  been  dangerous  foes.  In  Richard's  hands  each  of  them 
in  turn  becomes  a  tool  to  be  used  at  pleasure,  and  then  con- 
temptuously cast  aside,  their  futile  efforts  after  independent 
action  serving  only  to  throw  into  bold  relief  the  grander  lines 
of  the  hero's  figure.  A  man  so  richly  dowered  by  nature  has 
many  claims  upon  our  admiration,  and  as  we  watch  insatiable 
ambition  drive  him  into  a  hopeless  conflict  with  the  eternal 
principles  of  righteousness  and  truth,  we  cannot  but  be  stirred 
with  unavailing  regret  for  what  might  have  been,  as  well  as 
with  something  of  the  "fear  or  terror"  that  tragedy  ought  to 
inspire. 

No  one,  however,  would  rank  Richard  III.  among  the 
masterpieces  of  Shakespeare.  The  more  fully  we  realize 
the  conditions  under  which,  in  actual  experience,  faults  of 
character  and  violations  of  moral  order  bring  with  them 
failure  and  punishment,  the  more  deeply  are  we  impressed 
with  the  complexity  of  the  process ;  and  so  here  the  very  ease 
with  which  we  apprehend  the  moral  bearing  of  the  play  is  a 
clear  sign  of  inferiority  to  the  greater  tragedies  in  point  of 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

faithfulness  to  the  facts  of  human  life.  The  flaw  of  character 
which  brings  about  Richard's  ruin  is  so  positive  and  well- 
defined,  and  calls  so  loudly  for  punishment,  that  the  manner 
in  which  cause  and  effect  are  linked  together  seems  to  lack 
the  interest  for  which  we  have  a  right  to  look.  Lear's 
failure  to  understand  Cordelia,  Hamlet's  reluctance  to  kill  his 
uncle,  Othello's  jealous  love — all  these  are  natural  enough, 
and  in  each  case  the  catastrophe  entailed  brings  with  it  a 
baffling  sense  of  the  perversity  of  fate.  But  such  ambition 
as  Richard's  is  a  grievous  fault,  and  our  sense  of  justice 
demands  that  he  should  answer  it  grievously.  Thus  it  is  that 
events  move  too  much  as  we  should  expect  them  to  do,  and 
when  the  end  does  come,  our  satisfaction  at  the  ultimate 
overthrow  of  obvious  wrong  leaves  but  scanty  room  for  the 
play  of  tragic  pity  and  fear.  It  is  true  that  a  similar  objection 
might  fairly  be  urged  against  a  drama  that  reaches  a  much 
higher  level.  In  reading  Richard  III,  we  are  constantly  re- 
minded of  Macbeth'^,  and  the  resemblance  between  the  two 
is  reflected  in  their  common  popularity.  In  the  later  play, 
however, — to  say  nothing  of  the  supremely  successful  use 
there  made  of  the  supernatural, — the  character  of  the  hero 
has  all  the  perfection  of  a  mature  study;  and,  besides,  Mac- 
beth himself  is  never  allowed  to  absorb  the  whole  of  our 
attention.  In  Richard  III.  there  is  no  Lady  Macbeth.  But 
that  there,  too,  Shakespeare  was  alive  to  the  danger  of  the 
motive  he  selected,  is  clear  from  the  fact  that  he  has  done 
not  a  little  to  lessen  its  effect  by  making  the  majority  of  the 
victims  of  Richard's  cruelty  openly  acknowledge  the  justice 
of  their  doom.  "False,  fleeting,  perjured  Clarence",  "the 
adulterate  Hastings",  "  high  -  reaching  Buckingham",  the 
fickle  Anne,  too  easily  wooed  and  won,  virtually  pronounce 
sentence  on  themselves.  Even  Rivers  and  Grey  fail  to  com- 
mand our  full  sympathy,  for  they  had  been  "standers  by" 
when  the  Lancastrian  Edward  was  foully  done  to  death  at 
Tewkesbury.  Only  the  young  princes  who  perish  in  the 
Tower  are  wholly  innocent.  In  their  case  it  is  the  sins  of  the 
fathers  that  are  visited  on  the  children.     For  Richard  III.  is 

1  See  note  on  iv.  3.  51. 


lo  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD. 

not  merely  the  tragedy  of  an  individual  soul ;  it  is  the  tragedy 
of  a  dynasty. 

To  us,  who  stand  at  a  sufficient  distance  to  adjust  the  his- 
torical perspective  properly,  it  is  plain  enough  that  the  main 
result  of  the  Wars  of  the  Roses  was  to  weaken  beyond  hope 
of  recovery  the  numbers  and  the  power  of  the  great  feudal 
nobility,  and  so  to  leave  the  way  clear  for  the  slow  but  irre- 
sistible development  of  a  democratic  England.  Shake- 
speare was  too  nearly  a  contemporary  to  be  able  to  assign 
to  that  prolonged  struggle  its  proper  place  in  the  drama  of 
history.  But  to  him  too  it  meant  something  more  than  "  a 
confused  noise  of  the  warrior  and  garments  rolled  in  blood  ". 
As  he  read  the  story  in  the  pages  of  the  Chronicler,  his 
unerring  instinct  laid  .hold  of  the  most  picturesque  and  chai- 
acteristic  incidents,  and  this  material  he  wove  into  a  serie* 
of  plays  which  in  a  way  form  a  continuous  whole.  In  th© 
dethronement  and  death  of  Richard  II.  we  have  what  may 
be  called  the  First  Act.  Under  Henry  IV.  and  Henry  V.  we 
see  the  House  of  Lancaster  rise  to  a  position  of  unexampled 
prosperity  and  glory.  This  power,  however,  had  its  begin- 
nings in  a  flagrant  injustice,  and  it  was  bound  to  pass  away. 
In  the  hands  of  Henry  VI.  it  crumbled  into  dust,  and  the  last 
of  the  Lancastrian  kings  paid  with  his  life  the  debt  he  had 
inherited.  The  instrument  of  vengeance  was  the  rival 
House  of  York.  But  the  White  Rose,  no  less  than  the  Red, 
had  blossomed  on  a  soil  that  was  made  rich  by  the  blood  of 
men ;  and  the  retribution  was  not  long  delayed.  This  time 
it  came  from  within.  As  Queen  Margaret  in  our  play  never 
wearies  of  reminding  us,  Richard  III.,  in  compassing  the  death 
of  his  kinsfolk,  is  but  avenging,  albeit  without  intention,  the 
wrongs  of  the  House  of  Lancaster.  When  his  task  is 
finished,  he  himself  falls  by  the  edge  of  the  sword.  And  the 
king  who  succeeds  him  is  neither  a  Yorkist  nor  a  Lancastrian ; 
he  is  the  first  of  the  Tudor  monarchs. 


INTRODUCTION.  ir 


II.  SOURCES   OF  THE   PLAY. 

In  1509  or  1 5 13  (for  authorities  differ)  the  book  that  forms 
the  real  foundation  of  Shakespeare's  Richard  III,  was  written 
in  Latin.  This  is  Sir  Thomas  More's  history  of  the  reigns  of 
Edward  V.  and  Richard  III.  It  was  never  finished,  but  an 
English  version  of  so  much  as  had  been  completed  was 
published  in  1543  in  Hardyng's  Chronicle^  and  it  subse- 
quently appeared  in  an  English  dress  in  the  folio  edition  of 
More's  Works  (London,  1557).  The  latter  translation  is 
easily  accessible,  as  it  has  been  edited  with  glossary  and 
notes  for  the  Pitt  Press  by  Professor  Lumby  (Cambridge, 
1883).  Although,  as  we  shall  see,  Shakespeare  did  not  draw 
from  it  directly,  still  More's  book  has  an  interest  of  its  own 
in  connection  with  Richard  III,  For  the  materials  used  in 
compiling  it  were  in  all  probability  supplied  to  the  writer  by 
Cardinal  Morton,  in  whose  household  More  lived  when  he 
was  a  young  man,  and  who  appears  in  our  play  as  Bishop 
of  Ely.  If  we  remember  that  Morton  was  a  pronounced 
Lancastrian,  and  that  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  intrigues 
that  preceded  Richmond's  invasion,  we  shall  have  little  diffi- 
culty in  understanding  why  tradition  has  painted  Richard 
Crookback  in  such  sombre  colours. 

Three  centuries  ago  historians  had  no  scruples  about 
making  use  of  the  very  words  of  their  predecessors.  When 
Hall  wrote  his  Chronicle  (published  in  1 548),  he  incorporated 
in  it  More's  work,  substantially  as  it  had  appeared  in  Har- 
dyng;  and  in  1577  Holinshed,  in  his  Chronicles  of  the  Kings 
of  England^  Scotland^  and  Ireland^  once  again  reproduced 
the  original  story  with  the  addition  of  a  few  interpolations 
that  had  been  made  by  Hall.  Although  the  language  of  the 
various  versions  is  practically  identical,  still  there  are  minor 
differences^  in  points  of  detail — in  unimportant  names,  in  the 
introduction  or  omission  of  trifling  episodes, — a  careful  colla- 
tion of  which  shows  that  Shakespeare  must  have  read  both 
Hall  and  the  second  %^\\\oxi  of  Holinshed  (1586-87). 

*  Some  of  the  more  striking  are  indicated  in  the  Notes. 


12  KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD. 

Shakespeare,  then,  was  indebted  to  the  Chronicle  for  his 
conception  of  Richard.  Whether  that  conception  accords 
with  the  facts  of  history  is  a  question  that  in  no  way  affects 
our  view  of  the  play.  It  need  not,  therefore,  be  discussed. 
More  to  the  point  is  it  to  ask  how  the  dramatist  has  treated 
his  materials.  It  may  be  said  at  once  that  the  first  impres- 
sion is  one  of  surprise  at  the  faithfulness  with  which  he  has 
adhered  to  the  narrative  and  even  to  the  language  of  his 
authorities.  This  makes  it  all  the  more  instructive  to  note 
the  character  of  the  changes  he  has  seen  fit  to  introduce. 
First  and  foremost  are  his  deliberate  alterations  of  time  and 
place.  Just  as  in  the  Second  Part  of  King  Henry  VI,  (v.  2.), 
Richard  is  represented  as  taking  part  in  the  Battle  of  St. 
Albans,  though  he  was  at  the  time  little  more  than  an  infant, 
so  now  Queen  Margaret,  who  really  died  in  France  in  1482, 
has  her  life  prolonged  for  at  least  three  years  that  she  may 
be  able  to  heap  curses  on  the  enemies  of  Lancaster  and  point 
the  moral  of  Richard's  misdeeds.  Similarly  in  Act  ii.  Scene 
2  we  have  most  of  the  chief  personages  in  the  play  grouped 
together  round  the  dying  Edward,  whereas  at  the  time  of  the 
king's  mortal  illness  Richard  had  not  r'iturned  from  his 
campaign  in  Scotland,  Rivers  and  Grey  were  probably  at 
Ludlow,  and  Buckingham  in  Wales.  Again,  in  order  to  con- 
centrate our  interest,  the  poet  in  Acts  i.  and  ii.  crowds  into 
the  space  of  a  few  days  the  funeral  of  Henry  VL  (1471), 
the  murder  of  Clarence  (1478),  and  the  death  of  Edward 
IV.  (1483).  A  little  reflection  will  show  how  intimately  such 
changes  are  bound  up  with  much  that  is  most  character- 
istic in  the  drama.  It  is  interesting  too  to  observe  how  a 
mere  hint  dropped  by  the  Chronicler  has  sometimes  been 
elaborated  into  an  effective  scene.  A  case  in  point  is  Derby's 
petition  to  Edward  (Act  ii.  Scene  i).  Further  illustration  oi 
the  actual  changes  Shakespeare  has  made  will  be  found  in 
the  Notes.  Meanwhile  it  remains  to  be  said  that  it  is  a 
matter  of  course  that  for  many  of  the  most  characteristic 
details  he  drew  entirely  upon  the  resources  of  his  own  rich 
imagination.  Thus  in  the  various  scenes  in  which  the  young 
princes  appear,  as  well  as  in  the  interviews  between  Richard 


INTRODUCTION.  tj 

and  Anne,  and  between  Richard  and  his  mother,  he  owes 
practically  nothing  to  Holinshed,  while  even  where  he  bor- 
rows most  freely,  his  hand  has  transformed  whatever  it 
touched,  his  genius  has  moved  over  the  dry  bones  of  the 
Chronicle^  and  has  breathed  into  them  the  breath  of  life. 


III.     HISTORY   OF  THE   PLAY. 

In  1597  The  Tragedy  of  Ki7ig  Richard  the  Third  first  rmide 
its  appearance  in  print.  It  was  in  quarto  form.  The  title- 
page  of  this  edition,  which  is  known  as  the  First  Quarto, 
gave  no  indication  of  the  authorship.  The  Second  and  all 
subsequent  Quartos  (1598,  1602,  1605,  161 2,  1622,  1629,  1634) 
were  published  under  Shakespeare's  name.  The  last  two  of 
these  were  printed  from  the  preceding  Quarto,  no  regard  being 
paid  to  the  widely  different  text  that  had  in  the  interval 
appeared  in  the  First  Folio  (1623).  The  fact  that  so  many 
editions  were  called  for,  shows  how  popular  the  play  must 
have  been,  and  this  indirect  evidence  is  confirmed  by  more 
than  one  allusion  in  contemporary  writers.^  Nor  are  the 
causes  of  its  popularity  far  to  seek.  Its  comparative  sim- 
plicity of  outline,  the  obviousness  of  the  main  motive,  the 
rapidity  with  which  one  stirring  event  follows  another,  all 
tended  to  make  it  find  favour  in  the  eyes  of  '*  the  general  '*. 

Melodramatic  as  it  undoubtedly  is,  it  was  not  sufficiently  so 
for  the  eighteenth-century  playgoer.  In  1700  Colley  Gibber 
produced  The  Tragical  History  of  King  Richard  III.  altered 
from  Shakespear^  and  until  1821  no  other  version  was  seen 
upon  the  English  stage.  In  the  latter  year  Macready  took 
part  in  a  revival  of  the  Shakespearian  play  at  Covent  Garden, 
and  in  1877  Mr.  Irving  produced  at  the  l^ycexxm.  Richard  III, 
**  arranged  for  the  stage  exclusively  from  the  author's  text ".  , 
With  these  exceptions  Gibber's  adaptation  has  maintained  its 
hold  on  the  public  taste  for  nearly  two  centuries,  and  in  view 

iFor  anecdotes  showing  how  closely  the  name  of  the  famous  actor  Burbage 
was  associated  with  the  part  of  Richard  III.,  see  The  Henry  Irving  Shakespeare^ 
vol.  iii.  p.  10. 


14  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD. 

of  this  it  is  worth  while  to  note  its  leading  characteristics. 
Shakespeare's  Richard  IIL  contains  about  3600  lines,  and 
is  the  longest  of  all  his  plays  save  Hamlet,  To  shorten  it 
Gibber  began  by  excluding  many  of  the  original  dramatis 
personcE^  notably  Clarence,  Hastings,  Edward  IV.,  and  "the 
kindred  "  of  his  Queen,  as  well  as  the  widowed  Queen  Mar- 
garet, who  is  in  some  ways  the  most  striking  figure  of  all 
This  wholesale  excision  involved  the  loss  of  the  greater  part 
of  the  Shakespearian  play.  To  bring  the  length  up  to  about 
2000  lines,  a  good  deal  of  new  matter  is  introduced,  and  the 
changes  are  of  the  boldest  kind.  Where  the  pretence  of  fol- 
lowing Shakespeare's  text  is  maintained,  phrases  are  altered 
and  expanded  in  the  most  arbitrary  manner,  poetry  being 
transformed  into  mere  rhetoric.  Where  passages  are  inter- 
polated, the  object  is  almost  invariably  to  exaggerate 
Richard's  physical  and  moral  deformities,  and  to  drive  home 
to  the  audience  the  enormity  of  his  crimes.  Thus  the  murder 
of  Henry  VI.  upon  the  stage  is  borrowed  for  the  occasion 
from  the  Shakespearian  Henry  the  Sixths  Part  3, — perhaps 
a  more  excusable  innovation  than  the  method  in  which  the 
murder  of  the  young  princes  is  treated.  Shakespeare  passes 
over  this  incident  as  lightly  as  it  was  possible  for  him  to  do, 
softening  the  horror  of  Tyrrel's  description  by  the  exceeding 
beauty  of  the  language  in  which  it  is  clothed.  His  adapter 
makes  the  actual  murderers  discuss  their  plans  before  the 
spectators,  and  then  represents  Richard  himself  as  listening 
in  an  adjoming  room  to  the  doing  of  the  deed  and  gloating 
over  its  execution.  Such  a  change  is  typical  of  the  whole  spirit 
of  Cibber's  version.  In  his  hands  Richard  HI.  is  robbed  of 
almost  every  element  that  makes  it  a  tragedy.  The  stake  for 
which  the  villain  plays  is  still  indeed  a  crown.  Apart  from 
that,  the  drama  becomes  a  mere  common  story  of  revolting 
wickedness  and  well-merited  retribution.  Yet  it  was  in  this, 
and  not  in  Shakespeare's  Richard  HI. ^  that  the  great  actors 
of  the  past,  like  David  Garrick  and  Edmund  Kean,  moved 
the  multitudes  to  enthusiasm.  The  stage  history  of  our  play 
might  well  be  appealed  to  in  support  of  Charles  Lamb's 
paradoxical   contention   "that   the  plays  of  Shakspere  are 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

less  calculated  for  performance  on  a  stage  than  those  of 
almost  any  other  dramatic  author".^ 


IV.     DATE   AND   AUTHORSHIP. 

Within  certain  limits  there  is  but  little  room  for  difference 
of  opinion  about  the  date  of  Richard  III.  The  First  Quarto 
was  published  in  1 597,  and  the  play  must  have  had  time  to 
acquire  a  considerable  popularity  before  it  would  have  been 
worth  anyone's  while  to  print  it.  Furnivall  in  his  Trial 
Table  assigns  it  to  1594.  Others  would  place  it  a  year  or 
two  earlier.  All  definite  dates  are  purely  conjectural.  But 
the  evidence  supplied  by  the  style  and  construction  of  the 
drama,  taken  along  with  the  results  of  the  various  metrical 
tests,^  clearly  indicates  the  handiwork  of  the  youthful  Shake- 
speare. The  characters  are  drawn  with  genuine  power  and 
boldness,  but  there  is  an  absence  of  the  subtle  refinement 
that  maturity  brought  with  it,  while  the  comparative  faithful- 
ness with  which  the  Chronicle  is  followed,  would  seem  to 
show  that  the  dramatist  had  not  yet  acquired  full  confidence 
in  his  own  inventive  genius.  An  examination  of  the  form  of 
the  play  brings  out  certain  striking  points  of  resemblance  to 
the  conventional  "classical"  drama,  which,  as  represented 
by  Seneca,  provided  the  early  Elizabethans  with  a  model,' 
Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the  large  proportion  of 
cTixoiJ^vdia^  that  the  dialogue  contains,  and  the  frequent 
instances  of  tragic  irony,^  as  well  as  the  manner  in  which 
Richard's  opening  speech,  like  a  prologue  of  Euripides,  sets 
forth  the  whole  situation.  Such  marks  of  approximation  to 
the  classical  type  probably  betray  the  influence  of  Marlowe, 
and  the  concentration  of  interest  upon  the  single  figure  of  the 
hero  is  also  a  "  Marlowesque "  characteristic.      Mr.  Fleay 

ISee  Lamb's  Essay  On  the  Tragedies  ofShakspere, 

*  See  Appendix  on  Prosody. 

8  See  J.  W.  CunlifFe  :  The  Influence  of  Seneca  on  Elizabethan  Tragedy 
(London,  1893),  and  Rudolf  Fischer:  Zur  Kunstentwicklung  der  Englischen 
Tragd'die  (Strassburg,  1893). 

*See  note  to  i.  2.  68.  ^See  note  to  i.  2.  26  ff. 


i6  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD. 

indeed  believes^  that  "  Shakespeare  derived  his  plot  and  part 
of  his  text  from  an  anterior  play",  and  "  that  the  anterior  play 
was  Marlowe's,  partly  written  for  Lord  Strange's  company  in 
1593,  but  left  unfinished  at  Marlowe's  death,  and  completed 
and  altered  by  Shakespeare  in  1594.  .  .  .  The  unhistorical 
but  grandly  classical  conception  of  Margaret,  the  Cassandra 
prophetess,  the  Helen-Ate  of  the  House  of  Lancaster,  .  .  . 
is  evidently  due  to  Marlowe."  This  hypothesis  of  Mr.  Fleay's 
— for  it  is  a  mere  hypothesis,  and  admits  neither  of  proof  nor 
of  disproof — marks  the  most  advanced  point  that  criticism 
has  reached,  and  renders  necessary  some  reference  to  one  of 
the  most  difficult  problems  that  Shakespearian  students  have 
to  deal  with. 

It  is  clear  that  Richard  III.  is  intimately  connected  with 
the  series  of  three  plays  commonly  known  as  Shakespeare's 
Henry  the  Sixth.  The  narrative  is  continuous,  and  the  same 
characters  reappear.  Richard,  it  is  true,  does  not  at  first  dis* 
play  the  masterful  ambition  and  wickedness  that  we  associate 
with  his  name.  But,  as  has  been  well  pointed  out,^  there  are 
two  Richards  in  the  Chronicle  also,  the  second  becoming 
prominent  as  soon  as  Hall  begins  to  draw  upon  Mora's 
History.  Now  the  question  of  the  authorship  of  the  various 
parts  of  Henry  the  Sixth  is  one  in  regard  to  which  there  is  a 
very  serious  divergence  of  opinion.  These  three  plays  ap- 
peared for  the  first  time  in  the  Folio  of  1623.  Nearly  thirty 
years  before,  there  had  been  published  anonymously  in  quarto 
form  The  First  Part  of  the  Contention  betwixt  the  Two 
Famous  Houses  of  Yorke  and  Lancaster  (1594)  and  The  True 
Tragedie  of  Richard  Duke  of  Yorke  (1595),  two  plays  which 
may  be  described  as  earlier  and  cruder  versions  of  Parts  2 
and  3  of  the  Shakespearian  Henry  the  Sixth.  After  being 
republished  separately  in  1600,  they  were  published  together 
in  1619  as  The  Whole  Contention  betweene  the  Two  Famous 
Houses^  Lancaster  and  Yorke,  and  on  the  title-page  of  this 
last  edition  Shakespeare  figures  as  the  author.     In  the  First 

IF.  G.  Fleay:  Life  and  Works  of  Shakespeare  ^  pp.  276  f. 
2  Oechelhaeuser  :  Shakespeareana,  p.  51. 

CM288> 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

Folio,  however,  the  place  they  would,  naturally  have  occupied 
is  taken  by  Henry  the  Sixth,  Parts  2  and  3. 

Round  the  issues  these  facts  raise  there  has  been  keen 
controversy,  some  asserting  that  both  the  earlier  and  later 
plays  are  wholly  the  work  of  Shakespeare,  others  maintaining 
that  he  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  The  Contention  and 
The  True  Tragedie^  and  that  even  Henry  the  Sixth  has  been 
only  here  and  there  touched  by  his  hand.  Between  these 
two  extremes  room  has  been  found  for  a  great  variety  of 
opinion.^  As  a  matter  of  fact,  though  there  is  material  for 
much  interesting  speculation,  there  is  not  sufficient  evidence 
to  justify  a  positive  conclusion.  There  is  certainly  a  great 
deal  to  be  said  for  the  "anterior  play"  theory  so  far  as 
regards  Henry  the  Sixth,  But  we  may  hesitate  before 
extending  it  with  Mr.  Fleay  to  Richard  the  Third,  At  the 
best,  subjective  criticism  is  a  dangerous  thing;  and  further, 
while  it  may  be  possible  to  say  that  a  particular  passage 
reaches  a  level  of  greatness  to  which  only  Shakespeare  could 
have  attained,  it  is  a  different  matter  altogether  to  fix  an 
inferior  limit  and  declare  arbitrarily  that  nothing  that  falls 
beneath  it  can  be  Shakespeare^s. 


V.  THE   QUESTION   OF  THE  TEXT. 

The  text  of  Richard  the  Third  as  it  was  printed  in  the 
Quartos  differs  widely  from  that  which  appeared  in  the  First 
Folio,  the  points  of  variation  being  at  once  numerous  and 
remarkable.  Each  version  contains  passages  not  found  in 
the  other,  the  omissions  in  the  Folio  being  fewer  than  in  the 
Quartos.  Further,  the  Folio  contains  many  minor  alterations, 
which  have  been  made  sometimes  to  avoid  repetition,  some- 
times to  make  the  metre  run  more  smoothly,  sometimes  to 
escape  the  penalties  imposed  upon  profanity  by  the  Act  of 

1  See  Miss  Jane  Lee  in  Proceedings  of  the  New  Shakspere  Society  (1875-76. 
Part  2).  The  study  of  her  paper  may  be  commended  to  those  who  think  that 
certainty  on  such  points  is  attainable. 

(M233)  B 


i8  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD. 

1606,  and  sometimes  for  no  reason  that  it  is  now  possible  to 
discover.  The  result  is  a  formidable  accumulation  of  various 
readings.  In  the  first  82  lines  of  Act  i.  Scene  4,  for  instance, 
the  Cambridge  Editors  record  nearly  70  variations  between 
the  First  Quarto  and  the  First  Folio.  In  their  Preface  they 
say:  "The  respective  origin  and  authority  of  the  First 
Quarto  and  the  First  Folio  texts  of  Richard  III.  is  perhaps 
the  most  difficult  question  which  presents  itself  to  an  editor 
of  Shakspeare.  In  the  case  of  most  of  the  plays  a  brief 
survey  leads  him  to  form  a  definite  judgment:  in  this,  the 
most  attentive  examination  scarcely  enables  him  to  propose 
with  confidence  a  hypothetical  conclusion."  As  the  text 
these  editors  have  framed  is  practically  the  one  adopted  in 
the  Warwick  Series,  it  will  be  well  to  explain  briefly  the 
principles  on  which  they  have  proceeded. 

Their  hypothesis  is  that  some  time  after  writing  the  original 
version,  which  they  call  Aj,  Shakespeare  himself  produced 
a  revised  version  (Ag).  Both  versions  were  subsequently 
copied  by  other  hands,  the  copyists  introducing,  accidentally 
or  otherwise,  a  considerable  number  of  changes  in  the  course 
of  transcription.  The  Quarto  text  was  printed  from  the 
copied  manuscript  of  A^,  the  Folio  text  from  the  copied 
manuscript  of  Ag.  On  this  theory  the  ideal  would  be  to 
recover,  if  possible,  the  original  text  of  Aj.  That  is  what  the 
Cambridge  Editors  have  tried  to  do;  but  they  very  frequently 
prefer  the  reading  of  the  First  Quarto,  on  the  ground  that 
the  copyist  of  Ag,  "who  worked  in  the  spirit,  though  not  with 
the  audacity,  of  Colley  Cibber",  emended  much  more  freely 
than  the  copyist  of  A^.  The  stage-directions  of  the  Folio 
are,  they  admit,  "more  precise  and  ample".  Other  scholars, 
both  in  England  and  Germany,  are  of  opinion  that  the  read- 
ing of  the  Folio  is  almost  invariably  to  be  preferred.  The 
Quartos,  they  say,  were  practically  pirated  editions ;  for  it 
was  not  in  the  interest  of  the  company  to  which  an  actor- 
dramatist  belonged,  to  have  his  plays  printed  while  they 
were  still  being  performed.  They  must  have  found  their 
way  into  type  by  a  circuitous  route,  probably  through  an  old 
and  tattered  theatre  copy,  the  gaps  in  which  would  be  filled 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

by  actors'  "gag".^  The  Folio,  on  the  other  hand,  in  the 
view  of  these  scholars,  was  printed  as  nearly  as  possible 
directly  from  Shakespeare's  original  version,  the  few  omis- 
sions being  purely  accidental.  The  whole  subject  is,  as  the 
Cambridge  Editors  say,  extremely  complex  and  difficult,  and 
here  we  can  do  no  more  than  indicate  the  conditions  of  the 
problem.  A  full  and  elaborate  statement  of  both  sides  of 
the  question  will  be  found  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  New 
Shakespere  Society  for  1875-76. 

1  This  is  practically  the  theory  set  forth  by  N.  Delius  in  the  Jahrhuch  der 
deutschen  Shakesp.-Gesellschaft^  vol.  vii.  pp.  124,  &c.  In  vol.  xv.  of  the  same 
periodical  (pp.  301  ff.)  Alex.  Schmidt  attempts  to  prove  that  the  text  of  the 
First  Quarto  was  not  derived  from  any  manuscript  at  all,  but  taken  down  "steno- 
graphically  "  during  performances  of  the  play. 


DRAMATIS   PERSON.^. 

King  Edward  the  Fourth. 

Edward,  Prince  of  Wales,  afterwards  King  Edward  V.,  i 

Richard,  Duke  of  York,  j       *  ^"^' 

George,  Duke  of  Clarence,  ^  brothers  to  th^ 

Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  afterwards  King  Richard  III.,  /         king. 

A  young  son  of  Clarence. 

Henry,  Earl  of  Richmond,  afterwards  King  Henry  VII. 

Cardinal  Bourchikr,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

Thomas  Rotherham,  Archbishop  of  York. 

John  Morton,  Bishop  of  Ely. 

Duke  of  Buckingham. 

Duke  of  Norfolk. 

Earl  of  Surrey,  his  son. 

Earl  Rivers,  brother  to  Elizabeth. 

Marquis  of  Dorset  and  Lord  Grey,  sons  to  Elizabeth. 

Earl  of  Oxford. 

Lord  Hastings. 

Lord  Stanley,  called  also  Earl  of  Derby. 

Lord  Lovel. 

Sir  Thomas  Vaughan. 

Sir  Richard  Ratcliff. 

Sir  William  Catesby. 

Sir  James  Tyrrel. 

Sir  James  Blount. 

Sir  Walter  Herbert. 

Sir  Robert  Brakenbury,  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower. 

Christopher  Urswick,  a  priest.     Another  Priest. 

Tressel  and  Berkeley,  gentlemen  attending  on  the  Lady  Anne. 

Lord  Mayor  of  London.     Sheriff  of  Wiltshire. 

Elizabeth,  queen  to  King  Edward  IV. 

Margaret,  widow  of  King  Henry  VI. 

Duchess  of  York,  mother  to  King  Edward  IV. 

Lady  Anne,  widow  of  Edward,  Prince  of  Wales,  son  to  King  Henry  VI. ;  after 
wards  married  to  Richard. 

A  young  Daughter  of  Clarence  (Margaret  Plantagenet) 

Ghosts  of  those  murdered  by  Richard  III.,    Lords  and  other  Attendants;   a 
Pursuivant,  Scrivener,  Citizens,  Murderers,  Messengers,  Soldiers,  &c. 

Scene:  England. 


THE  TRAGEDY  OF 

KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD. 


ACT   I. 

Scene  I.    London,    A  street. 

Enter  Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  solus, 

Glou.  Now  is  the  winter  of  our  discontent 
Made  glorious  summer  by  this  sun  of  York ; 
And  all  the  clouds  that  lour'd  upon  our  house 
In  the  deep  bosom  of  the  ocean  buried. 
Now  are  our  brows  bound  with  victorious  wreaths; 
Our  bruised  arms  hung  up  for  monuments ; 
Our  stern  alarums  changed  to  merry  meetings, 
Our  dreadful  marches  to  delightful  measures. 
^Grim-visaged  war  hath  smooth'd  his  wrinkled  front ; 
And  now,  instead  of  mounting  barbed  steeds  lo 

To  fright  the  souls  of  fearful  adversaries, 
He  capers  nimbly  in  a  lady's  chamber 
To  the  lascivious  pleasing  of  a  lute. 
But  I,  that  am  not  shaped  for  sportive  tricks. 
Nor  made  to  court  an  amorous  looking-glass; 
I,  that  am  rudely  stamp'd,  and  want  love's  majesty 
To  strut  before  a  wanton  ambling  nymph ; 
I,  that  am  curtail'd  of  this  fair  proportion, 
Cheated  of  feature  by  dissembling  nature, 
Deform'd,  unfinished,  sent  before  my  time  20 

Into  this  breathing  world,  scarce  half  made  up, 
And  that  so  lamely  and  unfashionable 
That  dogs  bark  at  me  as  I  halt  by  them ; 
Why,  I,  in  this  weak  piping  time  of  peace. 
Have  no  delight  to  pass  away  the  time. 
Unless  to  spy  my  shadow  in  the  sun 
And  ddsc^nt  on  mine  own  deformity : 
And  therefore,  since  I  cannot  prove  a  lover, 
To  entertain  these  fair  well-spoken  days, 


/ 


22  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

I  am  determined  to  prove  a  villain  30 

And  hate  the  idle  pleasures  of  these  days. 

Plots  have  I  laid,  inductions  dangerous, 

By  drunken  prophecies,  libels  and  dreams, 
,  To  set  my  brother  Clarence  and  the  king 
^  /  In  deadly  hate  the  one  against  the  other : 
J^\  And  if  King  Edward  be  as  true  and  just 

As  I  am  subtle,  false  and  treacherous, 

This  day  should  Clarence  closely  be  mew'd  up, 

About  a  prophecy,  which  says  that  G 

Of  Edward's  heirs  the  murderer  shall  be.  40 

Dive,  thoughts,  down  to  my  soul :  here  Clarence  comes. 

Enter  Clarence,  guarded^  and  Brakenbury. 

Brother,  good  day :  what  means  this  armed  guard 
That  waits  upon  your  grace? 

Clar.  His  majesty, 

Tendering  my  person's  safety,  hath  appointed 
This  conduct  to  convey  me  to  the  Tower. 

Glou,  Upon  what  cause.'* 

Clar,  Because  my  name  is  George. 

Glou,  Alack,  my  lord,  that  fault  is  none  of  yours ; 
He  should,  for  that,  commit  your  godfathers : 
O,  belike  his  majesty  hath  some  intent 

That  you  shall  be  new-christen'd  in  the  Tower.  So 

But  what's  the  matter,  Clarence.'*  may  I  know? 

Clar,  Yea,  Richard,  when  I  know ;  for  I  protest 
As  yet  I  do  not :  but,  as  I  can  learn. 
He  hearkens  after  prophecies  and  dreams ; 
And  from  the  cross-row  plucks  the  letter  G, 
And  says  a  wizard  told  him  that  by  G 
His  issue  disinherited  should  be ; 
And,  for  my  name  of  George  begins  with  G, 
It  follows  in  his  thought  that  I  am  he. 

These,  as  I  learn,  and  such  like  toys  as  these  60 

Have  moved  his  highness  to  commit  me  now. 

Glou,  Why,  this  it  is.  when  men  are  ruled  by  women : 
'Tis  not  the  king  that  sends  you  to  the  Tower; 
My  Lady  Grey  his  wife,  Clarence,  't  is  she 
That  tempers  him  to  this  extremity. 
Was  it  not  she  and  that  good  man  of  worship, 
Anthony  Woodville,  her  brother  there. 
That  made  him  send  Lord  Hastings  to  the  Tower, 
From  whence  this  present  day  he  is  delivered? 
We  are  not  safe,  Clarence ;  we  are  not  safe.  ^o 


Scene  i.]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  23 

Clar.  By  heaven,  I  think  there 's  no  man  is  secure 
But  the  queen's  kindred  and  night-walking  heralds 
That  trudge  betwixt  the  king  and  Mistress  Shore. 
Heard  ye  not  what  an  humble  suppliant 
Lord  Hastings  was  to  her  for  his  delivery? 

Glou.  Humbly  complaining  to  her  deity 
Got  my  lord  chamberlain  his  liberty. 
I  '11  tell  you  what ;  I  think  it  is  our  way, 
If  we  will  keep  in  favour  with  the  king, 

To  be  her  men  and  wear  her  livery :  80 

The  jealous  o'erworn  widow  and  herself, 
Since  that  our  brother  dubb'd  them  gentlewomen, 
Are  mighty  gossips  in  this  monarchy. 

Brak,  I  beseech  your  graces  both  to  pardon  me ; 
His  majesty  hath  straitly  given  in  charge 
That  no  man  shall  have  private  conference. 
Of  what  degree  soever,  with  his  brother. 

Glou,  Even  so ;  an  ^t  please  your  worship,  Brakenbury, 
You  may  partake  of  any  thing  we  say  : 

We  speak  no  treason,  man  :  we  say  the  king  90 

Is  wise  and  virtuous,  and  his  noble  queen 
Well  struck  in  years,  fair,  and  not  jealous ; 
We  say  that  Shore's  wife  hath  a  pretty  foot, 
A  cherry  lip,  a  bonny  eye,  a  passing  pleasing  tongue ; 
And  that  the  queen's  kindred  are  made  gentlefolks : 
How  say  you,  sir?  can  you  deny  all  this? 

Brak,  I  beseech  your  grace  to  pardon  me,  and  withal    103 
Forbear  your  conference  with  the  noble  duke. 

Clar,  We  know  thy  charge,  Brakenbury,  and  will  obey. 

Glou,  We  are  the  queen's  abjects,  and  must  obey. 
Brother,  farewell :  I  will  unto  the  king ; 
And  whatsoever  you  will  employ  me  in. 
Were  it  to  call  King  Edward's  widow  sister, 
I  will  perform  it  to  enfranchise  you.  ,        ^        Iio 

Meantime,  this  deep  disgrace  in  brotherhood 
Touches  me  deeper  than  you  can  imagine. 

Clar,  I  know  it  pleaseth  neither  of  us  well. 

Glou.  Well,  your  imprisonment  shall  not  be  long ; 
I  will  deliver  you,  or  else  lie  for  you : 
Meantime,  have  patience. 

Clar.  I  must  perforce.     Farewell. 

[Exeunt  Clarence^  Brakenbury^  and  Guard. 

Glou,   Go,  tread  the  path  that  thou  shalt  ne'er  return, 
Simple,  plain  Clarence !     I  do  love  thee  so. 
That  I  will  shortly  send  thy  soul  to  heaven, 


3)^1 


24  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

If  heaven  will  take  the  present  at  our  hands.  120 

But  who  comes  here?  the  new-deliver'd  Hastings? 

En/er  Lord  Hastings. 

//ast.  Good  time  of  day  unto  my  gracious  lord ! 

G/ou.  As  much  unto  my  good  lord  chamberlain ! 
Well  are  you  welcome  to  the  open  air. 
How  hath  your  lordship  brook'd  imprisonment? 

Hast.  With  patience,  noble  lord,  as  prisoners  must : 
But  I  shall  live,  my  lord,  to  give  them  thanks 
That  were  the  cause  of  my  imprisonment. 

Glou.  No  doubt,  no  doubt;  and  so  shall  Clarence  too; 
For  they  that  were  your  enemies  are  his,  130 

And  have  prevail'd  as  much  on  him  as  you. 

Hast.  More  pity  that  the  eagle  should  be  mew'd, 
While  kites  and  buzzards  prey  at  liberty. 

Glou.  What  news  abroad? 

Hast.  No  news  so  bad  abroad  as  this  at  home; 
The  king  is  sickly,  weak  and  melancholy, 
And  his  physicians  fear  him  mightily. 

GI021.  Now,  by  Saint  Paul,  this  news  is  bad  indeed. 
O,  he  hath  kept  an  evil  diet  long, 

And  overmuch  consumed  his  royal  person:  140 

'T  is  very  grievous  to  be  thought  upon. 
What,  is  he  in  his  bed? 

Hast.  He  is. 

Glou.  Go  you  before,  and  I  will  follow  you. 

\Exit  Hastings, 
He  cannot  live,  I  hope ;  and  must  not  die 
Till  George  be  pack'd  with  post-horse  up  to  heaven. 
I  '11  in,  to  urge  his  hatred  more  to  Clarence, 
With  lies  well  steel'd  with  weighty  arguments ; 
'  And,  if  I  fail  not  in  my  deep  intent, 
..      ^-Clarence  hath  not  another  day  to  live:  ^         150 

\Which-done,  God  take  King  Edward  to  his  mercy,  / 
And  leave  the  world  for  me  to  bustle  in ! 
For  then  I  '11  marry  Warwick's  youngest  daughter. 
What  though  I  kill'd  her  husband  and  her  father? 
The  readiest  way  to  make  the  wench  amends 
Is  to  become  her  husband  and  her  father: 
j    \  The  which  will  I ;  not  all  so  much  for  love 
\  As  for  another  secret  close  intent, 
)  By  marrying  her  which  I  must  reach  unto, 
i  But  yet  I  run  before  my  horse  to  market:  160 


Scene  2.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  2$ 

Clarence  still  breathes  ;  Edward  still  lives  and  reigns  : 
When  they  are  gone,  then  must  I  count  my  gains.         [Exi^, 

Scene  II.     The  same.     Another  street. 

Enter  the  corpse  of  King  Henry  the  Sixth,  Gentlemen  with 
halberds  tchguard  it;  Lady  Anne  being  the  mourner, 

Anne.  Set  down,  set  down  your  honourable  load, 
If  honour  may  be  shrouded  in  a  hearse, 
Whilst  I  awhile  obsequiously  lament 
The  untimely  fall  of  virtuous  Lancaster. 
Poor  key-cold  figure  of  a  holy  king  ! 
Pale  ashes  of  the  house  of  Lancaster  ! 
Thou  bloodless  remnant  of  that  royal  blood ! 
Be  it  lawful  that  I  invocate  thy  ghost, 
To  hear  the  lamentations  of  poor  Anne, 

Wife  to  thy  Edward,  to  thy  slaughter'd  son,  10 

Stabb'd  by  the  selfsame  hand  that  made  these  wounds ! 
Lo,  in  these  windows  that  let  forth  thy  life, 
I  pour  the  helpless  balm  of  my  poor  eyes. 

Cursed  be  the  hand  that  made  these  fatal  holes  •!((>,    '   £^UVlfi^ 
Cursed  be  the  heart  that  had  the  heart  to  do  it !    \  ^  ^  '  "  ■  ^     ^ 
Cursed  the  blood  that  let  this  blood  from  hence !       v  h.    V>v  v6/V\^tiLr 
More  direful  hap  betide  that  hated  wretch,  I    ^,^     -^ 

That  makes  us  wretched  by  the  death  of  thee,      /      M       I 
Than  I  can  wish  to  adders,  spiders,  toads,  j    ^**r^  * 

Or  any  creeping  venom'd  thing  that  lives !  I  ao 

If  ever  he  have  child,  abortive  be  it,  ' 

Prodigious,  and  untimely  brought  to  light, 
Whose  ugly  and  unnatural  aspect 
May  fright  the  hopeful  mother  at  the  view;      / 
And  that  be  heir  to  his  unhappiness  !  /    '^'  T\      — r"^ 

If  ever  he  have  wife,  let  her  be  made  /     ^  \)     ^     \ 

As  miserable  by  the  death  of  him  /      ^"^  ^...^ 

As  I  am  made  by  my  poor  lord  and  thee ! 
i  Come,  now  towards  Chertsey  with  your  holy  load. 
Taken  from  Paul's  to  be  interred  there;  30 

And  still,  as  you  are  weary  of  the  weight. 
Rest  you,  whiles  I  lament  King  Henry's  corse. 

Enter  Gloucester. 

Glou.  Stay,  you  that  bear  the  corse,  and  set  it  down. 
A7ine.  What  black  magician  conjures  up  this  fiend, 
To  stop  devoted  charitable  deeds .f* 


fll 


26  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  I 

G/ou.  Villains,  set  down  the  corse ;  or,  by  Saint  Paul, 
I  '11  make  a  corse  of  him  that  disobeys. 

Gen^.  My  lord,  stand  back,  and  let  the  coffin  pass. 

Glou.  Unmanner'd  dog !  stand  thou,  when  I  command : 
Advance  thy  halberd  higher  than  my  breast,  40 

Or,  by  Saint  Paul,  I  '11  strike  thee  to  my  foot, 
And  spurn  upon  thee,  beggar,  for  thy  boldness. 

Anne.  What,  do  you  tremble?  are  you  all  afraid? 
Alas,  I  blame  you  not ;  for  you  are  mortal, 
And  mortal  eyes  cannot  endure  the  devil. 
Avaunt,  thou  dreadful  minister  of  hell ! 
Thou  hadst  but  power  over  his  mortal  body, 
His  soul  thou  canst  not  have ;  therefore,  be  gone. 

Glou,  Sweet  saint,  for  charity,  be  not  so  curst. 

Anne.  Foul  devil,  for  God's  sake,  hence,  and  trouble  us  not;  50 
For  thou  hast  made  the  happy  earth  thy  hell, 
Fill'd  it  with  cursing  cries  and  deep  exclaims. 
If  thou  delight  to  view  thy  heinous  deeds. 
Behold  this  pattern  of  thy  butcheries. 
O,  gentlemen,  see,  see !  dead  Henry's  wounds 
Open  their  congeal'd  mouths  and  bleed  afresh ! 
Blush,  blush,  thou  lump  of  foul  deformity; 
For  't  is  thy  presence  that  exhales  this  blood 
From  cold  and  empty  veins,  where  no  blood  dwells ; 
Thy  deed,  inhuman  and  unnatural,  60 

Provokes  this  deluge  most  unnatural. 
O  God,  which  this  blood  madest,  revenge  his  death ! 
O  earth,  which  this  blood  drink'st,  revenge  his  death ! 
Either  heaven  with  lightning  strike  the  murderer  dead, 
Or  earth,  gape  open  wide  and  eat  him  quick. 
As  thou  dost  swallow  up  this  good  king's  blood, 
Which  his  hell-govern'd  arm  hath  butchered ! 

Glou.  Lady,  you  know  no  rules  of  charity, 
Which  renders  good  for  bad,  blessings  for  curses. 

Anne.  Villain,  thou  know'st  no  law  of  God  nor  man :       70 
No  beast  so  fierce  but  knows  some  touch  of  pity. 

Glou.  But  I  know  none,  and  therefore  am  no  beast. 

Anne,  O  wonderful,  when  devils  tell  the  truth! 

Glou.  More  wonderful,  when  angels  are  so  angry. 
Vouchsafe,  divine  perfection  of  a  woman, 
OTThese  supposed  evils,  to  give  me  leave, 
By  circumstance,  but  to  ^<:quit  myself. 

Anne.  Vouchsafe,  defused  infection  of  a  man, 
For  these  known  evils,  but  to  give  me  leave, 
By  circumstance,  to  curse  thy  cursed  self.  So 


KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  27 

GTou.  Fairer  than  tongue  can  name  thee,  let  me  have 
Some  patient  leisure  to  excuse  myself. 

Anne,  Fouler  than  heart  can  think  thee,  thou  canst  make 
No  excuse  current,  but  to  hang  thyself. 

Glou.  By  such  despair,  I  should  accuse  myself 

An7te,  And,  by  despairing,  shouldst  thou  stand  excused, 
For  doing  worthy  vengeance  on  thyself. 
Which  didst  unworthy  slaughter  upon  others. 

Glou.  Say  that  I  slew  them  not  .'* 

Anne.  Why,  then  they  are  not  dead : 

But  dead  they  are,  and,  devilish  slave,  by  thee.  90 

Glou.  I  did  not  kill  your  husband. 

A7tne,  Why,  then  he  is  alive. 

Glou.  Nay,  he  is  dead ;  and  slain  by  Edward^s  hand. 

Anne.  In  thy  foul  throat  thou  liest :  Queen  Margaret  saw 
Thy  murderous  falchion  smoking  in  his  blood ; 
The  which  thou  once  didst  bend  against  her  breast, 
But  that  thy  brothers  beat  aside  the  point. 

Glou.  I  was  provoked  by  her  slanderous  tongue, 
Which  laid  their  guilt  upon  my  guiltless  shoulders. 

Anne.  Thou  wast  provoked  by  thy  bloody  mind, 
Which  never  dreamt  on  aught  but  butcheries :  100 

Didst  thou  not  kill  this  king? 

Glou.  I  grant  ye. 

Anne.  Dost  grant  me,  hedgehog.'^  then,  God  grant  me  too 
Thou  mayst  be  damned  for  that  wicked  deed ! 
O,  he  was  gentle,  mild,  and  virtuous ! 

Glou.  The  fitter  for  the  King  of  heaven,  that  hath  him. 

Anne.  He  is  in  heaven,  where  thou  shalt  never  come. 

Glou.  Let  him  thank  me,  that  holp  to  send  him  thither ; 
For  he  was  fitter  for  that  place  than  earth. 

Anne.  And  thou  unfit  for  any  place  but  hell. 

Glou.  But,  gentle  Lady  Anne, 

To  leave  this  keen  encounter  of  our  wits. 
And  fall  somewhat  into  a  slower  method. 
Is  not  the  causer  of  the  timeless  deaths 
Of  these  Plantagenets,  Henry  and  Edward, 
As  blameful  as  the  executioner? 

Anne.  Thou  art  the  cause,  and  most  accursed  effect.      120 

Glou.  Your  beauty  was  the  cause  of  that  effect ; 
Your  beauty,  which  did  haunt  me  in  my  sleep 
To  undertake  the  death  of  all  the  world, 
So  I  might  live  one  hour  in  your  sweet  bosom. 

Anne.  If  I  thought  that,  I  tell  thee,  homicide, 
These  nails  should  rend  that  beauty  from  my  cheeks. 


^t  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

Glou.  These  eyes  could  never  endure  sweet  beauty's  wreck; 
You  should  not  blemish  it,  if  I  stood  by : 
As  all  the  world  is  cheered  by  the  sun, 
So  I  by  that ;  it  is  my  day,  my  life.  130 

Anne,  Black  night  o'ershade  thy  day,  and  death  thy  life ! 

Glou,  Curse  not  thyself,  fair  creature ;  thou  art  both. 

Anne,   I  would  I  were,  to  be  revenged  on  thee. 
o,      Glou,  It  is  a  quarrel  rnost  unnatural, 
Q,—  jjn  To  be  revenged  on  hiiri/that  loveth  you. 
\  J  Amie.  It  is  a  quarrjgff  just  and  reasonable, 

\  To  be  revenged  on  him  that  slew  my  husband. 

Glou,  He  that  bereft  thee,  lady,  of  thy  husband, 
Did  it  to  help  thee  to  a  better  husband. 

Anne,  His  better  doth  not  breathe  upon  the  earth.         l  !o 

Glou.  He  lives  that  loves  thee  better  than  he  could. 

Anne.  Name  him. 

Glou,  Plantagenet. 

Anne,  Why,  that  was  he. 

Glou,  The  selfsame  name,  but  one  of  better  nature. 

Anne.  Where  is  he? 

Glou.  Here.     \She  spitleth  at  hwt,']     Why  dost 

thou  spit  at  me ! 

Anne,  Would  it  were  mortal  poison,  for  thy  sake! 

Glou,  Never  came  poison  from  so  sweet  a  place. 

Anne,  Never  hung  poison  on  a  fouler  toad. 
Out  of  my  sight!  thou  dost  infect  my  eyes. 

Glou.  Thine  eyes,  sweet  lady,  have  infected  mine.  15C 

Anne.  Would  they  were  basilisks,  to  strike  thee  dead! 

Glou,   I  would  they  were,  that  I  might  die  at  once ; 
For  now  they  kill  me  with  a  living  death. 
Those  eyes  of  thine  from  mine  have  drawn  salt  tears, 
Shamed  their  aspect  with  store  of  childish  drops : 
These  eyes,  which  never  shed  remorseful  tear. 
No,  when  my  father  York  and  Edward  wept, 
To  hear  the  piteous  moan  that  Rutland  made 
When  black-faced  Clifford  shook  his  sword  at  him ; 
Nor  when  thy  warlike  father,  like  a  child,  160 

Told  the  sad  story  of  my  father's  death, 
And  twenty  times  made  pause  to  sob  and  weep. 
That  all  the  standers-by  had  wet  their  cheeks, 
Like  trees  bedash'd  with  rain :  in  that  sad  time 
My  manly  eyes  did  scorn  an  humble  tear ; 
And  what  these  sorrows  could  not  thence  exhale, 
Thy  beauty  hath,  and  made  them  blind  with  weeping. 
I  never  sued  to  friend  nor  enemy; 


Scene  2.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  29 

My  tongue  could  never  learn  sweet  smoothing  words ; 

But,  now  thy  beauty  is  proposed  my  fee,  170 

My  proud  heart  sues  and  prompts  my  tongue  to  speak. 

[S/ie  looks  scornfully  at  him. 
Teach  not  thy  lips  such  scorn,  for  they  were  made 
For  kissing,  lady,  not  for  such  contempt. 
If  thy  revengeful  heart  cannot  forgive, 
Lo,  here  I  lend  thee  this  sharp-pointed  sword ; 
Which  if  thou  please  to  hide  in  this  true  bosom, 
And  let  the  soul  forth  that  adoreth  thee, 
I  lay  it  naked  to  the  deadly  stroke, 
And  humbly  beg  the  death  upon  my  knee. 

\^He  lays  his  breast  open:  she  offers  at  it  with  his  sword. 
Nay,  do  not  pause;  for  I  did  kill  King  Henry,  igo 

But  ^t  was  thy  beauty  that  provoked  me. 

Nay,  now  dispatch ;  't  was  I  that  stabb'd  young  Edward,  2 

But 't  was  thy  heavenly  face  that  set  me  on. 
"^"  {Here  she  lets  fall  the  sword. 

Take  up  the  sword  again,  or  take  up  me. 

Anne,  Arise,  dissembler :  though  I  wish  thy  death, 
I  will  not  be  the  executioner. 

Glou.  Then  bid  me  kill  myself,  and  I  will  do  it. 

An?2e.  I  have  already. 

Glou.  Tush,  that  was  in  thy  rage : 

Speak  it  again,  and,  even  with  the  word, 
That  hand,  which,  for  thy  love,  did  kill  thy  love,  J  90 

Shall,  for  thy  love,  kill  a  far  truer  love ; 
To  both  their  deaths  thou  shalt  be  accessary. 

Anne,  I  would  I  knew  thy  heart. 

Glou.  'Tis  figured  in  my  tongue.  ,        . 

Anne,  I  fear  me  both  are  false.  "v-l  (Tw    -  ^"^    t^-*^t^.A.».*l  [f, 

Glou.  Then  never  man  was  true.  \>4='TWV' 

Anne.  Well,  well,  put  up  your  sword. 

Glou.  Say,  then,  my  peace  is  made. 

Anne.  That  shall  you  know  hereafter. 

Glou.  But  shall  I  live  in  hope?  200 

Anne.  All  men,  I  hope,  live  so. 

Glou.  Vouchsafe  to  wear  this  ring. 

Anne.  To  take  is  not  to  give. 

Glou.  Look,  how  this  ring  encompasseth  thy  finger. 
Even  so  thy  breast  encloseth  my  poor  heart ; 
Wear  both  of  them,  for  both  of  them  are  thine. 
And  if  thy  poor  devoted  suppliant  may 
But  beg  one  favour  at  thy  gracious  hand, 
Thou  dost  confirm  his  happiness  for  ever. 


\ 


.T<* 


\^ 


Xit^ 


30  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

Anne,  What  is  it?  210 

Glou,  That  it  would  please  thee  leave  these  sad  designs 
To  him  that  hath  more  cause  to  be  a  mourner, 
And  presently  repair  to  Crosby  Place ; 
Where,  after  I  have  solemnly  interfd 
At  Chertsey  monastery  this  noble  king, 
And  wet  his  grave  with  my  repentant  tears, 
I  will  with  all  expedient  duty  see  you : 
For  divers  unknown  reasons,  I  beseech  you, 
Grant  me  this  boon. 

Anne,  With  all  my  heart ;  and  much  it  joys  me  too,      220 
To  see  you  are  become  so  penitent. 
Tressel  and  Berkeley,  go  along  with  me. 

Glou,  Bid  me  farewell. 

Anfie,  'T  is  more  than  you  deserve ; 

But  since  you  teach  me  how  to  flatter  you, 
Imagine  I  have  said  farewell  already. 

{Exeunt  Lady  Anne,  Tressel,  and  Berkeley, 

Glou.  Sirs,  take  up  the  corse. 

Gent.  Towards  Chertsey,  noble  lord? 

Glou.  No,  to  White-Friars ;  there  attend  my  coming. 

{Exeunt  all  but  Gloucester, 
\  /-Was  ever  woman  in  this  humour  woo'd?  \ 

a'  Was  ever  woman  in  this  humour  won?  \ 

I  ^11  have  her ;  but  I  will  not  keep  her  long.  230 

What !  I,  that  Icill'd  her  husband  and  his  father. 
To  take  her  in  her  heart's  extremest  hate, 
With  curses  in  her  mouth,  tears  in  her  eyes, 
V    The  bleeding  witness  of  her  hatred  by  ; 

Having  God,  her  conscience,  and  these  bars  against  me, 

And  I  nothing  to  back  my  suit  at  all. 

But  the  plain  devil  and  dissembling  looks. 

And  yet  to  win  her,  all  the  world  to  nothing ! 

Ha! 

Hath  she  forgot  already  that  brave  prince,  240 

Edward,  her  lord,  whom  I,  some  three  months  since, 

Stabb'd  in  my  angry  mood  at  Tewksbury? 

A  sweeter  and  a  lovelier  gentleman, 

Framed  in  the  prodigality  of  nature. 

Young,  valiant,  wise,  and,  no  doubt,  right  royal, 

The  spacious  world  cannot  again  afford : 

And  will  she  yet  debase  her  eyes  on  me. 

That  cropped  the  golden  prime  of  this  sweet  prince, 

And  made  her  widow  to  a  woful  bed? 

On  me,  whose  all  not  equals  Edward's  moiety?  250 


Scenes.]        KING  RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  31 

On  me,  that  halt  and  am  unshapen  thus? 

My  dukedom  to  a  beggarly  denier, 

I  do  mistake  my  person  all  this  while : 

Upon  my  life,  she  finds,  although  I  cannot, 

Myself  to  be  a  marvellous  proper  man. 

I  '11  be  at  charges  for  a  looking-glass, 

And  entertain  some  score  or  two  of  tailors, 

To  study  fashions  to  adorn  my  body: 

Since  I  am  crept  in  favour  with  myself, 

I  will  maintain  it  with  some  little  cost  260 

But  first  I  '11  turn  yon  fellow  in  his  grave; 

And  then  return  lamenting  to  my  love. 

Shine  out,  fair  sun,  till  I  have  bought  a  glass, 

That  I  may  see  my  shadow  as  I  pass.  y     \Exit 


Scene  III.     The  palace,  i^^ 

Enter  Queen  Elizabeth,  Lord  Rivers,  and  Lord  Grey. 

Riv,  Have  patience,  madam:  there's  no  doubt  his  majesty 
Will  soon  recover  his  accustom'd  health. 

Grey,  In  that  you  brook  it  ill,  it  makes  him  worse: 
Therefore,  for  God's  sake,  entertain  good  comfort. 
And  cheer  his  grace  with  quick  and  merry  words, 

Q,  Eliz,  If  he  were  dead,  what  would  betide  of  me? 

Riv,  No  other  harm  but  loss  of  such  a  lord. 

Q,  Eliz.  The  loss  of  such  a  lord  includes  all  harm. 

Grey.  The  heavens  have  bless'd  you  with  a  goodly  son. 
To  be  your  comforter  when  he  is  gone.  10 

Q,  Eliz,  Oh,  he  is  young,  and  his  minority 
Is  put  unto  the  trust  of  Richard  Gloucester, 
A  man  that  loves  not  me,  nor  none  of  you. 

Riv.  Is  it  concluded  he  shall  be  protector? 

Q,  Eliz,  It  is  determined,  not  concluded  yet: 
But  so  it  must  be,  if  the  king  miscarry. 

Enter  Buckingham  and  Derby. 

Grey,  Here  come  the  lords  of  Buckingham  and  Derby. 

Buck,  Good  time  of  day  unto  your  royal  grace ! 

Der,  God  make  your  majesty  joyful  as  you  have  been! 

Q,  Eliz,    The   Countess   Richmond,   good    my   Lord    of 
Derby,  ao 

To  your  good  prayers  will  scarcely  say  amen. 
Yet,  Derby,  notwithstanding  she 's  your  wife, 


32  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

And  loves  not  me,  be  you,  good  lord,  assured 
I  hate  not  you  for  her  proud  arrogance. 

Der.  I  do  beseech  you,  either  not  believe 
The  envious  slanders  of  her  false  accusers; 
Or,  if  she  be  accused  in  true  report, 
Bear  with  her  weakness,  which,  I  think,  proceeds 
From  wayward  sickness,  and  no  grounded  malice. 

Riv.  Saw  you  the  king  to-day,  my  Lord  of  Derby?  30 

Der.  But  now  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  and  I 
Are  come  from  visiting  his  majesty. 

Q,  Eliz,  What  likelihood  of  his  amendment,  lords? 

Buck,  Madam,  good  hope;  his  grace  speaks  cheerfully. 

Q.  Eliz.  God  grant  him  health!    Did  you  confer  with  him? 

Buck.  Madam,  we  did:  he  desires  to  make  atonement 
Betwixt  the  Duke  of  Gloucester  and  your  brothers, 
And  betwixt  them  and  my  lord  chamberlain; 
And  sent  to  warn  them  to  his  royal  presence. 

Q.  Eliz.  Would  all  were  well !  but  that  will  never  be:      40 
I  fear  our  happiness  is  at  the  highest. 

Enter  GLOUCESTER,  HASTINGS,  and  DORSET. 

Glou.  They  do  me  wrong,  and  I  will  not  endure  it : 
Who  are  they  that  complain  unto  the  king, 
That  I,  forsooth,  am  stern  and  love  them  not  ? 
By  holy  Paul,  they  love  his  grace  but  hghtly 
That  fill  his  ears  with  such  dissentious  rumours. 
Because  I  cannot  flatter  and  speak  fair, 
Smile  in  men's  faces,  smooth,  deceive  and  cog, 
Duck  with  French  nods  and  apish  courtesy, 
I  must  be  held  a  rancorous  enemy.  50 

Cannot  a  plain  man  live  and  think  no  harm, 
But  thus  his  simple  truth  must  be  abused 
By  silken,  sly,  insinuating  Jacks? 

Riv.  To  whom  in  all  this  presence  speaks  your  grace? 

Glou.  To  thee,  that  hast  nor  honesty  nor  grace. 
When  have  I  injured  thee?  when  done  thee  wrong? 
Or  thee?  or  thee?  or  any  of  your  faction? 
A  plague  upon  you  all !     His  royal  person, — 
Whom  God  preserve  better  than  you  would  wish ! — 
Cannot  be  quiet  scarce  a  breathing- while,  60 

But  you  must  trouble  him  with  lewd  complaints. 

Q.  Eliz,  Brother  of  Gloucester,  you  mistake  the  matter. 
The  king,  of  his  own  royal  disposition, 
And  not  provoked  by  any  suitor  else ; 
Aiming,  belike,  at  your  interior  hatred, 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD,  33 

Which  in  your  outward  actions  shows  itself 
Against  my  kindred,  brothers,  and  myself, 
Makes  him  to  send ;  that  thereby  he  m  .y  gather 
The  ground  of  your  ill-will,  and  so  remove  it. 

Glou.   I  cannot  tell :  the  world  is  grown  so  bad,  70 

That  wrens  make  prey  where  eagles  dare  not  perch ; 
Since  every  Jack  became  a  gentleman, 
There 's  many  a  gentle  person  made  a  Jack. 

Q.  Eliz,    Come,  come,  we  know  your  meaning,  brother 
Gloucester ; 
You  envy  my  advancement  and  my  friends' ; 
God  grant  we  never  may  have  need  of  you ! 

Gloii.  Meantime,  God  grants  that  we  have  need  of  you : 
Our  brother  is  imprison'd  by  your  means, 
Myself  disgraced,  and  the  nobility 

Held  in  contempt ;  whilst  many  fair  promotions  80 

Are  daily  given  to  ennoble  those 
That  scarce,  some  two  days  since,  were  worth  a  noble. 

Q,  Eliz.  By  Him  that  raised  me  to  this  careful  height 
From  that  contented  hap  which  I  enjoy'd, 
I  never  did  incense  his  majesty 
Against  the  Duke  of  Clarence,  but  have  been 
An  earnest  advocate  to  plead  for  him. 
My  lord,  you  do  me  shameful  injury. 
Falsely  to  draw  me  in  these  vile  suspects. 

Glou.  You  may  deny  that  you  were  not  the  cause  90 

Of  my  Lord  Hastings'  late  imprisonment. 

Riv.  She  may,  my  lord,  for — 

Glou.  She  may,  Lord  Rivers!  why,  who  knows  not  so? 
She  may  do  more,  sir,  than  denying  that : 
She  may  help  you  to  many  fair  preferments, 
And  then  deny  her  aiding  hand  therein, 
And  lay  those  honours  on  your  high  deserts. 
What  may  she  not.'*     She  may,  yea,  marry,  may  she, — 

Riv.  What,  marry,  may  she? 

Glou.  What,  marry,  may  she  !  marry  with  a  king,  100 

A  bachelor,  a  handsome  stripling  too :  / 

I  wis  your  grandam  had  a  worser  match. 

Q.  Eliz.  My  Lord  of  Gloucester,  I  have  too  long  borne 
Your  blunt  upbraidings  and  your  bitter  scoffs: 
By  heaven,  I  will  acquaint  his  majesty 
With  those  gross  taunts  I  often  have  endured. 
I  had  rather  be  a  country  servant-maid 
Than  a  great  queen,  with  this  condition. 
To  be  thus  taunted,  scorn'd,  and  baited  at : 

(M233)  0 


AaA\  O-y-n     i;^      '5     ^^  hf^  y^^    :> 


V'^' 


34  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD,  [Act 

EnUr  Queen  Margaret,  behind. 


Small  joy  have  I  in  being  England's  queen.  no 

j^  "^^         Q'  Mar.  And  lessen'd  be  that  small,  God,  I  beseech  thee ! 
J^^   ^      Thy  honour,  state  and  seat  is  due  to  me. 

Qlou,  What!  threat  you  me  with  telling  of  the  king? 
Tell  him,  and  spare  not:  look,  what  I  have  said 
«^  I  will  avouch  in  presence  of  the  king  : 

I  dare  adventure  to  be  sent  to  the  Tower. 

'T  is  time  to  speak ;  my  pains  are  quite  forgot. 

Q,  Mar.  Out,  devil!  I  remember  them  too  well: 
Thou  slewest  my  husband  Henry  in  the  Tower, 
And  Edward,  my  poor  son,  at  Tewksbury.  120 

Gloii.  Ere  you  were  queen,  yea,  or  your  husband  king, 
I  was  a  pack-horse  in  his  great  affairs ; 
A  weeder-out  of  his  proud  adversaries, 
A  liberal  rewarder  of  his  friends : 
To  royalise  his  blood  I  spilt  mine  own. 

Q,  Mar.  Yea,  and  much  better  blood  than  his  or  thine. 

Glou.  In  all  which  time  you  and  your  husband  Grey 
Were  factious  for  the  house  of  Lancaster ; 
And,  Rivers,  so  were  you.     Was  not  your  husband 
In  Margaret's  battle  at  St.  Albans  slain. f*  130 

Let  me  put  in  your  minds,  if  you  forget, 
What  you  have  been  ere  now,  and  what  you  are ; 
Withal,  what  I  have  been,  and  what  I  am. 

Q.  Mar.  A  murderous  villain,  and  so  still  thou  art. 

Glou.  Poor  Clarence  did  forsake  his  father,  Warwick ; 
Yea,  and  forswore  himself, — which  Jesu  pardon ! — 

Q.  Mar.  Which  God  revenge  ! 

Glou,  To  fight  on  Edward's  party  for  the  crown ; 
And  for  his  meed,  poor  lord,  he  is  mew'd  up. 
I  would  to  God  my  heart  were  flint,  like  Edward's;  140 

Or  Edward's  soft  and  pitiful,  like  mine : 
I  am  too  childish-foolish  for  this  world. 

Q.  Mar.  Hie  thee  to  hell  for  shame,  and  leave  the  world, 
Thou  cacodemon  !  there  thy  kingdom  is. 

Riv.  My  Lord  of  Gloucester,  in  those  busy  days 
Which  here  you  urge  to  prove  us  enemies, 
We  foUow'd  then  our  lord,  our  lawful  king : 
So  should  we  you,  if  you  should  be  our  king. 

Glou.  If  I  should  be!  I  had  rather  be  a  pedlar: 
Far  be  it  from  my  heart,  the  thought  of  it !  150 

Q.  Eliz,  As  little  joy,  my  lord,  as  you  suppose 
You  should  enjoy,  were  you  this  country's  king, 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  35 

As  little  joy  may  you  suppose  in  me, 
That  I  enjoy,  being  the  queen  thereof. 

Q.  Mar.  A  little  joy  enjoys  the  queen  thereof; 
For  I  am  she,  and  altogether  joyless.  ^  ] 

I  can  no  longer  hold  me  patient.  [Advancing, 

Hear  me,  you  wrangling  pirates,  that  fall  out 
In  sharing  that  which  you  have  pill'd  from  me! 
Which  of  you  trembles  not  that  looks  on  me?  l6o 

If  not,  that,  I  being  queen,  you  bow  like  subjects, 
Yet  that,  by  you  deposed,  you  quake  like  rebels? 
O  gentle  villain,  do  not  turn  away ! 

Glou.  Foul,  wrinkled  witch,  what  makest  thou  in  my  sight? 

Q.  Mar.  But  repetition  of  what  thou  hast  marred ; 
That  will  I  make  before  I  let  thee  go. 

Glou.  Wert  thou  not  banished  on  pain  of  death? 

Q.  Mar.  I  was ;  but  I  do  find  more  pain  in  banishment 
Than  death  can  yield  me  here  by  my  abode. 
A  husband  and  a  son  thou  owest  to  me ;  170 

And  thou  a  kingdom ;  all  of  you  allegiance : 
The  sorrow  that  I  have,  by  right  is  yours, 
And  all  the  pleasures  you  usurp  are  mine. 

Glou.  The  curse  my  noble  father  laid  on  thee, 
When  thou  didst  crown  his  warlike  brows  with  paper 
And  with  thy  scorns  drew'st  rivers  from  his  eyes, 
And  then,  to  dry  them,  gavest  the  duke  a  clout 
Steep'd  in  the  faultless  blood  of  pretty  Rutland, — 
His  curses,  then  from  bitterness  of  soul 

Denounced  against  thee,  are  all  fall'n  upon  thee;  180 

And  God,  not  we,  hath  plagued  thy  bloody  deed. 

Q.  Eliz.  So  just  is  God,  to  right  the  innocent. 

Hast,  O,  't  was  the  foulest  deed  to  slay  that  babe, 
And  the  most  merciless  that  e'er  was  heard,  of  I 

Riv.  Tyrants  themselves  wept  when  it  was  reported. 

Dor.  No  man  but  prophesied  revenge  for  it. 

Buck.  Northumberland,  then  present,  wept  to  see  it. 

Q.  Mar,-  What !  were  you  snarling  all  before  I  came, 
Ready  to  catch  each  other  by  the  throat. 
And  turn  you  all  your  hatred  now  on  me?  1 90 

Did  York's  dread  curse  prevail  so  much  w^ith  heaven 
That  Henry's  death,  my  lovely  Edward's  death, 
Their  kingdom's  loss,  my  woful  banishment,  \^ 

Could  all  but  answer  for  that  peevish  brat?  ^ 

Can  curses  pierce  the  clouds  and  enter  heaven? 
Why,  then,  give  way,  dull  clouds,  to  my  quick  curses! 
If  not  by  war,  by  surfeit  die  your  king, 


36  KING  RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

As  ours  by  murder,  to  make  him  a  king ! 
Edward„tliy:.son,  which  now  is  Prince  of  Wales, 
For  Edward  my  son,  which  was  Prince  of  Wales,  20c 

Die  in  his  youth  by  like  untimely  violence ! 
Thyself  a  queen,  for  me  that  was  a  queen, 
Outlive  thy  glory,  like  my  wretched  self! 
Long  mayst  thou  live  to  wail  thy  children's  loss ; 
And  see  another,  as  I  see  thee  now, 
Deck'd  in  thy  rights,  as  thou  art  stall'd  in  mine  1 
Long  die  thy  happy  days  before  thy  death ; 
And,  after  many  lengthened  hours  of  grief. 
Die  neither  mother,  wife,  nor  England's  queen! 
Rivers  and  Dorset,  you  were  standers  by,  210 

And  so  wast  thou,  Lord  Hastings,  when  my  son 
1.    ^'    I       Was  stabb'd  with  bloody  daggers  :  God,  I  pray  him, 
d  "^Z^j       That  none  of  you  may  live  your  natural  age, 
^^7       But  by  some  unlook'd  accident  cut  off  I 

Glou.  Have  done  thy  charm,  thou  hateful  wither'd  hag  I 

Q.  Mar.  And  leave  out  thee  1  stay,  dog,  for  thou  shalt  hear  me. 
If  heaven  Have  any  grievous  plague  in  store 
Exceeding  those  that  I  can  wish  upon  thee, 
O,  let  them  keep  it  till  thy  sins  be  ripe, 

And  then  hurl  down  their  indignation  220 

On  thee,  the  troubler  of  the  poor  world's  peace ! 
The  worm  of  conscience  still  begnaw  thy  soul ! 
Thy  friends  suspect  for  traitors  while  thou  livest. 
And  take  deep  traitors  for  thy  dearest  friends !    . 
No  sleep  close  up  that  deadly  eye  of  thine, 
Unless  it  be  whilst  some  tormenting  dream 
Affrights  thee  with  a  hell  of  ugly  devils  I 
Thou  elvish-mark'd,  abortive,  rooting  hog ! 
Thou  that  wast  seal'd  in  thy  nativity 

The  slave  of  nature  and  the  son  of  hell  1  230 

Thou  rag  of  honour  1  thou  detested — 

Glou.  Margaret. 

Q.  Mar.  Richard ! 

Glou,  Ha ! 

Q.  Mar,  I  call  thee  not. 

Glou,  I  cry  thee  mercy  then,  for  I  had  thought 
That  thou  hadst  call'd  me  all  these  bitter  names. 

Q.  Mar.  Why,  so  I  did ;  but  look'd  for  no  reply. 
O,  let  me  make  the  period  to  my  curse ! 

Glou.  'T  is  done  by  me,  and  ends  in  "  Margaret ". 

Q.  Eliz,  Thus  have  you  breathed  your  curse  against  your* 
self.  240 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  37 

Q.  Mar.  Poor  painted  queen,  vain  flourish  of  my  fortune !  ^     W^ 

Why  strew'st  thou  sugar  on  that  bottled  spider, 
Whose  deadly  web  ensnareth  thee  about? 
Fool,  fool !  thou  whet'st  a  knife  to  kill  thyself 
The  time  will  come  when  thou  shalt  wish  for  me 
To  help  thee  curse  that  poisonous  bunch-back'd  tdad. 

//ast.  False-boding-  woman,  end  thy  fra-ntic  curse, 
Lest  to  thy  harm  thou  move  our  patience.  / 

Q.  Mar.  Foul  shame  upon  you !  you  have  all  moved  miii^T 

Riv.   Were  you  well  served,  you  would  be   taught  your 
duty.  250 

Q,  Mar.  To  serve  me  well,  you  all  should  do  me  duty, 
Teach  me  to  be  your  queen,  and  you  my  subjects : 
O,  serve  me  well,  and  teach  yourselves  that  duty ! 

Dor.  Dispute  not  with  her ;  she  is  lunatic. 

Q,  Mar.  Peace,  master  marquess,  you  are  malapert : 
Your  fire-new  stamp  of  honour  is  scarce  current. 
O,  that  your  young  nobility  could  judge 
What 't  were  to  lose  it,  and  be  miserable ! 
They  that  stand  high  have  many  blasts  to  shake  them ; 
And  if  they  fall,  they  dash  themselves  to  pieces.  260 

Glou.  Good  counsel,  marry :  learn  it,  learn  it,  marquess. 

Dor.  It  toucheth  you,  my  lord,  as  much  as  me. 

Glou,  Yea,  and  much  more :  but  I  was  born  so  high, 
Our  aery  buildeth  in  the  cedar's  top. 
And  dallies  with  the  wind  and  scorns  the  sun. 

Q.  Mar.  And  turns  the  sun  to  shade ;  alas !  alas ! 
Witness  my  son,  now  in  the  shade  of  death ; 
Whose  bright  out-shining  beams  thy  cloudy  wrath 
Hath  in  eternal  darkness  folded  up. 

Your  aery  buildeth  in  our  aery's  nest.  270 

O  God,  that  seest  it,  do  not  suffer  it ; 
As  it  was  won  with  lolood,  lost  be  it  so ! 

Buck,  Have  done  !  for  shame,  if  not  for  charity. 

Q.  Mar.  Urge  neither  charity  nor  shame  to  me: 
Uncharitably  with  me  have  you  dealt. 
And  shamefully  by  you  my  hopes  are  butcher'd. 
My  charity  is  outrage,  life  my  shame: 
And  in  that  shame  still  live  my  sorrow's  rage ! 

Buck.  Have  done,  have  done. 

Q.  Mar.  O  princely  Buckingham,  I  '11  kiss  thy  hand,      280 
In  sign  of  leagiTe  and  amity  with  thee : 
Now  fair  befall  thee  and  thy  noble  house ! 
Thy  garments  are  not  spotted  with  our  blood, 
Nor  thou  within  the  con^p^ss  of  my  curse. 


(^ 


h 


KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD. 


[Act  L 


^ 


^ 


Buck.  Nor  no  one  here ;  for  curses  never  pass 
The  hps  of  those  that  breathe  them  in  the  air. 

^.  Mar.  I  '11  not  believe  but  they  ascend  the  sky, 
And  there  awake  God's  gentle-sleeping  peace. 
.    O  Buckingham,  take  heed  of  yonder  dog! 
I  \  Look,  when  he  fawns,  he  bites ;  and  when  he  bites,  290 

His  venom  tooth  will  rankle  to  the  death : 
Have  not  to  do  with  him,  beware  of  him ; 
Sin,  death,  and  hell  have  set  their  marks  on  him, 
And  all  their  ministers  attend  on  him. 

Glou.  What  doth  she  say,  my  Lord  of  Buckingham? 
Buck,  Nothing  that  I  respect,  my  gracious  lord. 
^  Q.  Mar.  What,  dost  thou  scorn  me  for  my  gentle  counsel? 
j    And  soothe  the  devil  that  I  warn  thee  from? 
i    O,  but  remember  this  another  day, 

When  he  shall  split  thy  very  heart  with  sorrow,  300 

I   And  say  poor  Margaret  was  a  prophetess  I 
\    Live  each  of  you  the  subjects  to  his  hate. 
And  he  to  yours,  and  all  of  you  to  God's !  [Exit 

Hast.  My  hair  doth  stand  on  end  to  hear  her  curses. 
Riv.  And  so  doth  mine :  I  muse  why  she 's  at  liberty. 
Glou.  I  cannot  blame  her :  by  God's  holy  mother. 
She  hath  had  too  much  wrong;  and  I  repent 
My  part  thereof  that  I  have  done  to  her. 

Q.  Eliz.  I  never  did  her  any,  to  my  knowledge. 
Glou.  But  you  have  all  the  vantage  of  her  wrong.  310 

I  was  too  hot  to  do  somebody  good. 
That  is  too  cold  in  thinking  of  it  now. 
Marry,  as  for  Clarence,  he  is  well  repaid; 
He  is  frank'd  up  to  fatting  for  his  pains : 
God  pardon  them  that  are  the  cause  of  it ! 

Riv.  A  virtuous  and  a  Christian-like  conclusion, 
To  pray  for  them  that  have  done  scathe  to  us. 

Glou.  So  do  I  ever:  [Aside]  being  well  advised. 
For  had  1  cursed  now,  I  had  cursed  myself. 

Enter  Catesby. 

Gates.  Madam,  his  majesty  doth  call  for  you ;  320 

And  for  your  grace ;  and  you,  my  noble  lords. 

Q.  Eliz.  Catesby,  we  come.     Lords,  will  you  go  with  us? 

Riv.  Madam,  we  will  attend  your  grace. 

[Exeunt  all  but  Gloucester, 

Glou.  I  do  the  wrong,  and  first  begin  to  brawl. 
The  secret  mischiefs  that  I  set  abroach 
I  lay  unto  the  grievous  charge  of  others. 


Scene  4.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  39 

Clarence,  whom  I,  indeed,  have  laid  in  darkness, 

I  do  beweep  to  many  simple  gulls  ; 

Namely,  to  Hastings,  Derby,  Buckingham: 

And  say  it  is  the  queen  and  her  allies  330 

That  stir  the  king  against  the  duke  my  brother. 

Now,  they  believe  it ;  and  withal  whet  me  \ ^  f 

To  be  revenged  on  Rivers,  Vaughan,  Grey :  '  _    /r^-^ 

But  then  I  sigh ;  and,  with  a  piece  of  scripture, 

Tell  them  that  God  bids  us  do  good  for  evil : 

And  thus  I  clothe  my  naked  villainy 

With  old  odd  ends  stolen  out  of  holy  writ ; 

And  seem  a  saint,  when  most  I  play  the  devil. 

Enter  two  Murderers.  ! 

But  soft !  here  come  my  executioners. 

How  now,  my  hardy,  stout  resolved  mates !  340 

Are  you  now  going  to  dispatch  this  deed? 

First Murd,  We  are,  my  lord;  and  come  to  have  the  warrant, 
That  we  may  be  admitted  where  he  is. 

Glou.  Well  thought  upon ;  I  have  it  here  about  me. 

{Gives  the  warrant. 
When  you  have  done,  repair  to  Crosby  Place. 
But,  sirs,  be  sudden  in  the  execution, 
Withal  obdurate,  do  not  hear  him  plead ; 
For  Clarence  is  well-spoken,  and  perhaps 
May  move  your  hearts  to  pity,  if  you  mark  him. 

First  Murd.  Tush  !  350 

Fear  not,  my  lord,  we  will  not  stand  to  prate ; 
Talkers  are  no  good  doers :  be  assured 
We  come  to  use  our  hands  and  not  our  tongues. 

Glou.  Your  eyes  drop  millstones,  when  fools*  eyes  drop 
tears : 
I  like  you,  lads  ;  about  your  business  straight ; 
Go,  go,  dispatch. 


First  Murd,       We  will,  my  noble  lord. 


\Exeunt 


Scene  IV.     London.     The  Tower, 

Enter  Clarence  and  Brakenbury. 

Brak,  Why  looks  your  grace  so  heavily  to-day? 

Clar,  O,  I  have  pass'd  a  miserable  night. 
So  full  of  ugly  sights,  of  ghastly  dreams, 
That,  as  I  am  a  Christian  faithful  man, 
I  would  not  spend  another  such  a  night, 


40  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  1. 

Though  't  were  to  buy  a  world  of  happy  days, 
So  full  of  dismal  terror  was  the  time ! 

Brak.  What  was  your  dream  ?     I  long  to  hear  you  tell  it. 

Clar,  Methoughts  that  I  had  broken  from  the  Tower, 
And  was  embark'd  to  cross  to  Burgundy :  lo 

And,  in  my  company,  my  brother  Gloucester ; 
Who  from  my  cabin  tempted  me  to  walk 
Upon  the  hatches:  thence  we  looked  toward  England, 
And  cited  up  a  thousand  fearful  times, 
During  the  wars  of  York  and  Lancaster 
That  had  befall'n  us.     As  we  paced  along 
Upon  the  giddy  footing  of  the  hatches, 
Methought  that  Gloucester  stumbled;  and,  in  falling, 
Struck  me,  that  thought  to  stay  him,  overboard, 
Into  the  tumbling  billows  of  the  main.  20 

Lord,  Lord !  methought,  what  pain  it  was  to  drown  1 
What  dreadful  noise  of  waters  in  mine  ears  1 
What  ugly  sights  of  death  within  mine  eyes  1 
Methought  I  saw  a  thousand  fearful  wrecks; 
Ten  thousand  men  that  fishes  gnaw'd  upon; 
Wedges  of  gold,  great  anchors,  heaps  of  pearl, 
Inestimable  stones,  unvalued  jewels. 
All  scattered  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea: 
Some  lay  in  dead  men's  skulls;  and,  in  those  holes 
Where  eyes  did  once  inhabit,  there  were  crept,  30 

As  't  were  in  scorn  of  eyes,  reflecting  gems, 
Which  woo'd  the  slimy  bottom  of  the  deep. 
And  mock'd  the  dead  bones  that  lay  scattered  by. 

Brak.  Had  you  such  leisure  in  the  time  of  death 
To  gaze  upon  the  secrets  of  the  deep.** 

Clar.  Methought  I  had:  and  often  did  I  strive 
To  yield  the  ghost:  but  still  the  envious  flood 
Kept  in  my  soul,  and  would  not  let  it  forth 
Xp  seekjhe  empty,  vast  and  wandering  air; 
But  smother'd  it  within  my  panting  bulk,  40 

Which  almost  burst  to  belch  it  in  the  sea. 

Brak.  Awaked  you  not  with  this  sore  agony? 

Clar.  O,  no,  my  dream  was  lengthen'd  after  life; 
O,  then  began  the  tempest  to  my  soul. 
Who  pass'd,  methought,  the  melancholy  flood, 
With  that  grim  ferryman  which  poets  write  of, 
Unto  the  kingdom  of  perpetual  night. 
TlTeliFst  that  there  did  greet  my  stranger  soul. 
Was  my  great  father-in-law,  renowned  Warwick; 
Who  cried  aloud,  '*What  scourge  for  perjury  5^ 


Scene  4.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD. 


70 


Can  this  dark  monarchy  afford  false  Clarence?" 
And  so  he  vanish'd:  then  came  wandering  by 
A  shadow  like  an  angel,  with  bright  hair 
Dabbled  in  blood;  and  he  squeak'd  out  aloud, 
"Clarence  is  come;  false,  fleeting,  perjured  Clarence, 
That  stabb'd  me  in  the  field  by  Tewksbury: 
Seize  on  him.  Furies,  take  him  to  your  torments !" 
With  that,  methoughts,  a  legion  of  foul  fiends 
Environ'd  me  about,  and  howled  in  mine  ears 
Such  hideous  cries,  that  with  the  very  noise 
I  trembling  waked,  and  for  a  season  after 
Could  not  believe  but  that  I  was  in  hell. 
Such  terrible  impression  made  the  dream. 

Brak.  No  marvel,  my  lord,  though  it  affrighted  you:' 
I  promise  you,  I  am  afraid  to  hear  you  tell  it.  / 

Clar.  O  Brakenbury,  I  have  done  those  things,        / 
Which  now  bear  evidence  against  my  soul. 
For  Edward's  sake:  and  see  how  he  requites  me! 

0  God  I  if  my  deep  prayers  cannot  appease  thee, 
But  thou  wilt  be  avenged  on  my  misdeeds, 
Yet  execute  thy  wrath  in  me  alone, 
O,  spare  my  guiltless  wife  and  my  poor  children  !       / 

1  pray  thee,  gentle  keeper,  stay  by  me;  / 
My  soul  is  heavy,  and  I  fain  would  sleep. 

Brak,  I  will,  my  lord:  God  give  your  grace  good  rest! 
^^-^  {Clarence  sleeps. 

Sorrow  breaks  seasons  and  reposing  hours. 
Makes  the  night  morning,  and  the  noon-tide  night. 
Princes  have  but  their  titles  for  their  glories, 
An  outward  honour  for  an  inward  toil; 
And,  for  unfelt  imagination, 
They  often  feel  a  world  of  restless  cares: 
So  that,  betwixt  their  titles  and  low  names, 
There 's  nothing  differs  but  the  outward  fame. 

Enter  the  two  Murderers. 

First  Murd.  Ho  !  who 's  here? 

Brak.  In  God's  name  what  are  you,  and  how 
hither? 

First  Murd.    I  would  speak  with    Clarence,  and  I  came 
hither  on  my  legs. 

Brak.  Yea,  are  you  so  brief? 

Sec.  Murd.  O  sir,  it  is  better  to  be  brief  than  tedious.  Show 
him  our  commission;  talk  no  more.        {Brakenbury  reads  it. 

Brak,  I  am,  in  this,  commanded  to  deliver  92 


\ 


80 


came  you 


42  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

The  noble  Duke  of  Clarence  to  your  hands: 

I  will  not  reason  what  is  meant  hereby, 

Because  I  will  be  guiltless  of  the  meaning. 

Here  are  the  keys,  there  sits  the  duke  asleep: 

I  '11  to  the  king;  and  signify  to  him 

That  thus  I  have  resign'd  my  charge  to  you.  98 

First  Murd,  Do  so,  it  is  a  point  of  wisdom;  fare  you  well. 

\Exit  Brakenbury, 

Sec,  Murd,  What,  shall  we  stab  him  as  he  sleeps.'* 

First  Murd,  No;  then  he  will  say  'twas  done  cowardly, 
when  he  wakes. 

Sec,  Murd,  When  he  wakes  !  why,  fool,  he  shall  never  wake 
till  the  judgment-day. 

First  Murd,  Why,  then  he  will  say  we  stabbed  him  sleep- 
ing. 

Sec,  Murd.  The  urging  of  that  word  "judgment"  hath  bred 
a  kind  of  remorse  in  me.  1 10 

First  Murd,  What,  art  thou  afraid.'* 

Sec,  Murd,  Not  to  kill  him,  having  a  warrant  for  it;  but  to 
be  damned  for  killing  him,  from  which  no  warrant  can  defend 
us. 

First  Murd.  I  thought  thou  hadst  been  resolute. 

Sec,  Murd,  So  I  am,  to  let  him  live. 

First  Murd.  Back  to  the  Duke  of  Gloucester,  tell  him  so. 

Sec,  Murd.  I  pray  thee,  stay  a  while:  I  hope  my  holy 
humour  will  change;  'twas  wont  to  hold  me  but  while  one 
would  tell  twenty. 

First  Murd,  How  dost  thou  feel  thyself  now? 

Sec,  Murd.  'Faith,  some  certain  dregs  of  conscience  are 
yet  within  me. 

First  Murd,  Remember  our  reward,  when  the  deed  is  done. 

Sec,  Murd,  'Zounds,  he  dies :  I  had  forgot  the  reward. 

First  Murd.  Where  is  thy  conscience  now.^  130 

Sec,  Murd,   In  the  Duke  of  Gloucester's  purse. 

First  Murd.  So  when  he  opens  his  purse  to  give  us  our 
reward,  thy  conscience  flies  out. 

Sec,  Murd.  Let  it  go ;  there 's  few  or  none  will  entertain  it. 

First  Murd.  How  if  it  came  to  thee  again? 

Sec.  Murd.  I  '11  not  meddle  with  it :  it  is  a  dangerous  thing : 
it  makes  a  man  a  coward :  a  man  cannot  steal,  but  it  accuseth 
him ;  he  cannot  swear,  but  it  checks  him ;  't  is  a  blushing 
shamefast  spirit  that  mutinies  in  a  man's  bosom ;  it  fills  one 
full  of  obstacles :  it  made  me  once  restore  a  purse  of  gold  that 
I  found ;  it  beggars  any  man  that  keeps  it :  it  is  turned  out  of 
all  towns  and  cities  for  a  dangerous  thing;  and  every  man 


Scene  40        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  43 

that  means  to  live  well  endeavours  to  trust  to  himself  and  to 
live  without  it. 

First  Murd,  'Zounds,  it  is  even  now  at  my  elbow,  per- 
suading me  not  to  kill  the  duke.  1 50 

Sec.  Murd.  Take  the  devil  in  thy  mind,  and  believe  him 
not :  he  would  insinuate  with  thee  but  to  make  thee  sigh. 

First  Murd.  Tut,  I  am  strong-framed,  he  cannot  prevail 
with  me,  I  warrant  thee. 

Sec,  Murd.  Spoke  like  a  tall  fellow  that  respects  his  repu- 
tation.    Come,  shall  we  to  this  gear? 

First  Murd.  Take  him  over  the  costard  with  the  hilts  of 
thy  sword,  and  then  we  will  chop  him  in  the  malmsey-butt  in 
the  next  room.  161 

Sec,  Murd.  O  excellent  device  !  make  a  sop  of  him. 

First  Murd.  Hark!  he  stirs:  shall  I  strike.'^ 

Sec.  Murd.  No,  first  let 's  reason  with  him. 

Clar.  Where  art  thou,  keeper.'*  give  me  a  cup  of  wine. 

Sec.  Murd,  You  shall  have  wine  enough,  my  lord,  anon. 

Clar,  In  God's  naMe,  what  art  th.ou? 

Sec,  Murd.  A  man,  as  you  are.  170 

Clar.  But  not,  as  I  am,  royal. 

Sec.  Murd,  Nor  you,  as  we  are,  loyal. 

Clar.  Thy  voice  is  thunder,  but  thy  looks  are  humble. 

Sec,  Murd,   My  voice  is  now  the  king's,  my  looks  mine 
own. 

Clar.  How  darkly  and  how  deadly  dost  thou  speak ! 
Your  eyes  do  menace  me :  why  look  you  pale.'* 
Who  sent  you  hither?    Wherefore  do  you  come? 

Both,  To,  to,  to — 

Clar,  To  murder  me? 

Both,  Ay,  ay. 

Clar.  You  scarcely  have  the  hearts  to  tell  me  so,  180 

And  therefore  cannot  have  the  hearts  to  do  it. 
Wherein,  my  friends,  have  I  offended  you? 

First  Murd.  Offended  us  you  have  not,  but  the  king. 

Clar.  I  shall  be  reconciled  to  him  again. 

Sec.  Murd.  Never,  my  lord ;  therefore  prepare  to  die. 

Clar.  Are  you  call'd  forth  from  out  a  world  of  men 
To  slay  the  innocent?    What  is  my  offence? 
Where  are  the  evidence  that  do  accuse  me? 
What  lawful  quest  have  given  their  verdict  up 
Unto  the  frowning  judge?  or  who  pronounced  190 

The  bitter  sentence  of  poor  Clarence'  death? 
Before  I  be  convict  by  course  of  law, 
To  threaten  me  with  death  is  most  unlawful. 


44  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

I  charge  you,  as  you  hope  to  have  redemption 
By  Christ's  dear  blood  shed  for  our  grievous  sins, 
That  you  depart  and  lay  no  hands  on  me : 
The  deed  you  undertake  is  damnable. 

First  Murd,  What  we  will  do,  we  do  upon  command. 

Sec,  Murd.  And  he  that  hath  commanded  is  the  king. 

Clar.  Erroneous  vassal !  the  great  King  of  kings  200 

Hath  in  the  tables  of  his  law  commanded 
That  thou  shalt  do  no  murder  :  and  wilt  thou,  then, 
Spurn  at  his  edict  and  fulfil  a  man's? 
Take  heed ;  for  he  holds  vengeance  in  his  hands, 
To  hurl  upon  their  heads  that  break  his  law. 

Sec.  Murd.  And  that  same  vengeance  doth  he  hurl  on  thee, 
For  false  forswearing  and  for  murder  too : 
Thou  didst  receive  the  holy  sacrament,   • 
To  fight  in  quarrel  of  the  house  of  Lancaster. 

First  Murd.  And,  like  a  traitor  to  the  name  of  God,      210 
Didst  break  that  vow ;  and  with  thy  treacherous  blade 
Unrip'dst  the  bowels  of  thy  sovereign's  son. 

Sec.  Murd.  Whom  thou  wert  sworn  to  cherish  and  defend. 

First  Murd.  How  canst  thou  urge  God's  dreadful  law  to 
us. 
When  thou  hast  broke  it  in  so  dear  degree? 

Clar.  Alas!  for  whose  sake  did  I  that  ill  deed? 
For  Edward,  for  my  brother,  for  his  sake : 
Why,  sirs. 

He  sends  ye  not  to  murder  me  for  this; 

For  in  this  sin  he  is  as  deep  as  I.  220 

If  God  will  be  revenged  for  this  deed, 
O,  know  you  yet,  he  doth  it  publicly : 
Take  not  the  quarrel  from  his  powerful  arm ; 
He  needs  no  indirect  nor  lawless  course 
To  cut  off  those  that  have  offended  him. 

First  Murd.  Who  made  thee,  then,  a  bloouy  minister, 
When  gallant-springing  brave  Plantagenet, 
o        That  princely  novice,  was  struck  dead  by  thee? 
-VI        Clar.  _My  brother's  love,  the  devil,  and  my  rage.  229 

Q^^   ^         First  Murd.  Thy  brother's  love,  our  duty,  and  thy  fault, 
N.       \     Provoke  us  hither  now  to  slaughter  thee. 

Clar.  Oh,  if  you  love  my  brother,  hate  not  me; 
I  am  his  brother,  and  I  love  him  well. 
If  you  be  hired  for  meed,  go  back  again, 
And  I  will  send  you  to  my  brother  Gloucester, 
Who  shall  reward  you  better  for  my  life 
Than  Edward  will  for  tidings  of  my  death. 


i 


Scene  4-]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  45 

Sec.  Murd.  You  are  deceived,   your  brother   Gloucester 
hates  you. 

Clar.  O,  no,  he  loves  me,  and  he  holds  me  dear : 
Go  you  to  him  from  me. 

Both,  Ay,  so  we  will.  240 

Clar,  Tell  him,  when  that  our  princely  father  York 
Bless'd  his  three  sons  with  his  victorious  arm, 
And  charged  us  from  his  soul  to  love  each  other, 
He  little  thought  of  this  divided  friendship : 
Bid  Gloucester  think  of  this,  and  he  will  weep. 

First  Murd.  Ay,  millstones ;  as  he  lesson'd  us  to  weep. 

Clar,  O,  do  not  slander  him,  for  he  is  kind. 

First  Murd,  Right, 
As  snow  in  harvest.     Thou  deceivest  thyself: 
'T  is  he  that  sent  us  hither  now  to  slaughter  thee. 

Clar,  It  cannot  be ;  for  when  I  parted  with  him, 
He  hugg'd  me  in  his  arms,  and  swore,  with  sobs, 
That  he  would  labour  my  delivery. 

Sec,  Murd,  Why,  so  he  doth,  now  he  delivers  thee 
From  this  world's  thraldom  to  the  joys  of  heaven. 

First  Murd,  Make  peace  with  God,  for  you  must  die,  my 
lord. 

Clar,  Hast  thou  that  holy  feeling  in  thy  soul, 
To  counsel  me  to  make  my  peace  with  God, 
And  art  thou  yet  to  thy  own  soul  so  blind. 
That  thou  wilt  war  with  God  by  murdering  me?  260 

Ah,  sirs,  consider,  he  that  set  you  on 
To  do  this  deed  will  hate  you  for  the  deed. 

Sec.  Murd.  What  shall  we  do? 

Clar.  Relent,  and  save  your  souls. 

First  Murd.  "Relent !  't  is  cowardly  and  womanish. 

Clar.  Not  to  relent  is  beastly,  savage,  devilish. 
Which  of  you,  if  you  were  a  prince's  son. 
Being  pent  from  liberty,  as  I  am  now. 
If  two  such  murderers  as  yourselves  came  to  you, 
Would  not  entreat  for  life  ? 

My  friend,  1  spy  some  pity  in  thy  looks ;  270 

O,  if  thine  eye  be  not  a  flatterer. 
Come  thou  on  my  side,  and  entreat  for  me, 
As  you  would  beg,  were  you  in  my  distress : 
A  begging  prince  what  beggar  pities  not? 

Sec,  Murd.  Look  behind  you,  my  lord. 

First  Murd,  Take  that,  and  that :  if  all  this  will  not  do, 

\Stabs  him, 
1 41  drown^you  in  the  malmsey-butt  within.  \Exit^  with  the  body. 


46  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  II. 

Sec,  Murd,  A  bloody  deed,  and  desperately  dispatch'd  1 
How  fain,  like  Pilate,  would  I  wash  my  hands 
Of  this  most  grievous  guilty  murder  done !  280 

Re-enter  Plrst  Murderer. 

First  Murd,    How  now!   what   meanest  thou,   that   thou 
help'st  me  not? 
By  heavens,  the  duke  shall  know  how  slack  thou  art ! 

Sec.  Murd,  I  would  he  knew  that  I  had  saved  his  brother  I 
Take  thou  the  fee,  and  tell  him  what  I  say ; 
For  I  repent  me  that  the  duke  is  slain.  \Exit. 

First  Murd.  So  do  not  I :  go,  coward  as  thou  art. 
Now  must  I  hide  his  body  in  some  hole, 
Until  the  duke  take  order  for  his  burial : 
And  when  I  have  my  meed,  I  must  away ; 
For  this  will  out,  and  here  I  must  not  stay.  290 


ACT   II. 
Scene  I.    London,     The  palace. 

Flourish,  Enter  King  Edward  sick.,  Queen  Elizabeth, 
Dorset,  Rivers,  Hastings,  Buckingham,  Grey,  and 
others. 

K.  Edw.  Why,  so :  now  have  I  done  a  good  day's  work  • 
You  peers,  continue  this  united  league: 
I  every  day  expect  an  embassage 
From  my  Redeemer  to  redeem  me  hence ; 
And  now  in  peace  my  soul  shall  part  to  heaven. 
Since  I  have  set  my  friends  at  peace  on  earth. 
Rivers  and  Hastings,  take  each  other's  hand ; 
Dissemble  not  your  hatred,  swear  your  love. 

Riv.  By  heaven,  my  heart  is  purged  from  grudging  hate ; 
And  with  my  hand  I  seal  my  true  heart's  love.  10 

Hast.  So  thrive  1,  as  I  truly  swear  the  like! 

K,  Edw.  Take  heed  you  dally  not  before  your  king ; 
Lest  he  that  is  the  supreme  King  of  kings 
Confound  your  hidden  falsehood,  and  award 
Either  of  you  to  be  the  other's  end. 

Hast.  So  prosper  I,  as  I  swear  perfect  love ! 

Riv,  And  I,  as  I  love  Hastings  with  my  heart ! 

K,  Edw,  Madam,  yourself  are  not  exempt  in  this, 


J) 


X 


Scene  !.•        KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  47 

Nor  your  son  Dorset,  Buckingham,  nor  you ; 

You  have  been  factious  one  against  the  other.  26 

Wife,  love  Lord  Hastings,  let  him  kiss  your  hand ; 

And  what  you  do,  do  it  unfeignedly. 

Q,  Eliz,  Here,  Hastings ;  I  will  never  more  remember 
Our  former  hatred,  so  thrive  I  and  mine ! 

K,  Edw.  Dorset,  embrace  him;  Hastings,  love  lord  mar- 
quess. 

Dor.  This  interchange  of  love,  I  here  protest, 
Upon  my  part  shall  be  unviolable. 

Hast.  And  so  swear  I,  my  lord.  \They  embrace, 

K.  Edw.  Now,  princely  Buckingham,  seal  thou  this  league 
With  thy  embracements  to  my  wife's  allies,  30 

And  make  me  happy  in  your  unity. 

Buck.  Whenever  Buckingham  doth  turn  his  hate 
On  you  or  yours  \to  the  Quee7i\  but  with  all  duteous  love 
Doth  cherish  you  and  yours,  God  punish  me 
With  hate  in  those  where  I  expect  most  love ! 
When  I  have  most  need  to  employ  a  friend, 
And  most  assured  that  he  is  a  friend. 
Deep,  hollow,  treacherous,  and  full  of  guile, 
Be  he  unto  me !  this  do  I  beg  of  God, 

When  I  am  cold  in  zeal  to  you  or  yours.  40 

{They  embrace, 

K.  Edw.  A  pleasing  cordial,  princely  Buckingham, 
Is  this  thy  vow  unto  my  sickly  heart. 
There  wanteth  now  our  brother  Gloucester  here, 
To  make  the  perfect  period  of  this  peace. 

Buck.  And,  in  good  time,  here  comes  the  noble  duke. 

Enter  Gloucester. 

Glou.  Good  morrow  to  my  sovereign  king  and  queen; 
And,  princely  peers,  a  happy  time  of  day ! 

K.  Edw.  Happy,  indeed,  as  we  have  spent  the  day. 
Brother,  we  have  done  deeds  of  charity ; 
Made  peace  of  enmity,  fair  love  of  hate,  50 

Between  these  swelling  wTong-incensed  peers. 

Glou.  A  blessed  labour,  my  most  sovereign  liege : 
Amongst  this  princely  heap,  if  any  here, 
By  false  intelligence,  or  wrong  surmise. 
Hold  me  a  foe; 

If  I  unwittingly,  or  in  my  rage. 
Have  aught  committed  that  is  hardly  borne 
By  any  in  this  presence,  I  desire 
To  reconcile  me  to  his  friendly  peace : 


48  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  II. 

'Tis  death  to  me  to  be  at  enmity;  60 

I  hate  it,  and  desire  all  good  men^s  love. 

First,  madam,  I  entreat  true  peace  of  you, 

Which  I  will  purchase  with  my  duteous  service; 

Of  you,  my  noble  cousin  Buckingham, 

If  ever  any  grudge  were  lodged  between  us ; 

Of  you,  Lord  Rivers,  and,  Lord  Grey,  of  you ; 

That  all  without  desert  have  frown'd  on  me ; 

Dukes,  earls,  lords,  gentlemen;  indeed,  of  all. 

I  do  not  know  that  Englishman  alive 

With  whom  my  soul  is  any  jot  at  odds  70 

More  than  the  infant  that  is  born  to-night : 

I  thank  my  God  for  my  humility. 

Q.  Eliz.  A  holy  day  shall  this  be  kept  hereafter; 
I  would  to  God  all  strifes  were  well  compounded. 
My  sovereign  liege,  I  do  beseech  your  majesty 
To  take  our  brother  Clarence  to  your  grace. 

Glou.  Why,  madam,  have  I  offer'd  love  for  this, 
To  be  so  flouted  in  this  royal  presence? 

Who  knows  not  that  the  noble  duke  is  dead.f^  \They  all  start. 
You  do  him  injury  to  scorn  his  corse.  80 

Riv.  Who  knows  not  he  is  dead!  who  knows  he  is? 

Q.  Eliz.  All-seeing  heaven,  what  a  world  is  this  1 

Buck.  Look  I  so  pale.  Lord  Dorset,  as  the  rest? 

Dor.  Ay,  my  good  lord ;  and  no  one  in  this  presence 
But  his  red  colour  hath  forsook  his  cheeks. 

K.  Edw.   Is  Clarence  dead?  the  order  was  reversed. 

Glou.  But  he,  poor  soul,  by  your  first  order  died, 
And  that  a  winged  Mercury  did  bear; 
Some  tardy  cripple  bore  the  countermand, 
That  came  too  lag  to  see  him  buried.  90 

God  grant  that  some,  less  noble  and  less  loyal. 
Nearer  in  bloody  thoughts,  but  not  in  blood. 
Deserve  not  worse  than  wretched  Clarence  did. 
And  yet  go  curren-t  from  suspicion ! 

Enter  Derby. 

Der.  A  boon,  my  sovereign,  for  my  service  done ! 

K.  Edw.  I  pray  thee,  peace :  my  soul  is  full  of  sorrow. 

Der.  I  will  not  rise,  unless  your  highness  grant. 

K.  Edw.  Then  speak  at  once  what  is  it  thou  demand'st. 

Der.  The  forfeit,  sovereign,  of  my  servant's  life ; 
Who  slew  to-day  a  riotous  gentleman  100 

Lately  attendant  on  the'Duke  of  Norfolk. 

K.  Edw.  Have  I  a  tongue  to  doom  my  brother^s  death. 


Scene  i.]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  49 

And  shall  the  same  give  pardon  to  a  slave? 
My  brother  slew  no  man ;  his  fault  was  thought, 
An&  yet  his  punishment  was  cruel  death. 
Who  sued  to  me  for  him?  who,  in  my  rage, 
Kneel'd  at  my  feet,  and  bade  me  be  advised? 
Who  spake  of  brotherhood?  who  spake  of  love  ? 
Who  told  me  how  the  poor  soul  did  forsake 
The  mighty  Warwick,  and  did  fight  for  me?  IIO 

Who  told  me,  in  the  field  by  Tewksbury, 
When  Oxford  had  me  down,  he  rescued  me, 
And  said,  '  Dear  brother,  live,  and  be  a  king'? 
Who  told  me,  when  we  both  lay  in  the  field 
Frozen  almost  to  death,  how  he  did  lap  me 
Even  in  his  own  garments,  and  gave  himself, 
All  thin  and  naked,  to  the  numb  cold  night? 
All  this  from  my  remembrance  brutish  wrath 
Sinfully  pluck'd,  and  not  a  man  of  you 

Had  so  much  grace  to  put  it  in  my  mind.  120 

But  when  your  carters  or  your  waiting-vassals 
Have  done  a  drunken  slaughter,  and  defaced 
The  precious  image  of  our  dear  Redeemer, 
You  straight  are  on  your  knees  for  pardon,  pardon ; 
And  I,  unjustly  too,  must  grant  it  you : 
But  for  my  brother  not  a  man  would  speak. 
Nor  I,  ungracious,  speak  unto  myself 
For  him,  poor  soul.     The  proudest  of  you  all 
Have  been  beholding  to  him  in  his  life ; 

Yet  none  of  you  would  once  plead  for  his  life.  130 

O  God,  I  fear  thy  justice  will  take  hold 
On  me,  and  you,  and  mine,  and  yours  for  this ! 
Come,  Hastings,  help  me  to  my  closet.     Oh,  poor  Clarence  ! 

[^Exeunt  some  with  Ki7ig  and  Queen, 

Glou.  This  is  the  fruit  of  rashness  !     Mark'd  you  not 
How  that  the  guilty  kindred  of  the  queen 
Look'd  pale  when  they  did  hear  of  Clarence'  death? 
O,  they  did  urge  it  still  unto  the  king ! 
God  will  revenge  it.     But  come,  let  us  in, 
To  comfort  Edward  with  our  company. 

Buck,  We  wait  upon  your  grace.  \Exeunt 


(M233) 


Sd  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  II. 

Scene  II.     The  palace. 

Enter  the  Duchess  of  York,  with  the  two  children  of 

Clarence. 

Boy,  Tell  me,  good  grandam,  is  our  father  dead? 

Duch.  No,  boy. 

Boy,  Why  do  you  wring  your  hands,  and  beat  your  breast, 
And  cry  *  O  Clarence,  my  unhappy  son  !' 

Girl.  Why  do  you  look  on  us,  and  shake  your  head, 
And  call  us  wretches,  orphans,  castaways. 
If  that  our  noble  father  be  alive? 

Duch.  My  pretty  cousins,  you  mistake  me  much  ; 
I  do  lament  the  sickness  of  the  king, 

As  loath  to  lose  him,  not  your  father's  death ;  lo 

It  were  lost  sorrow  to  wail  one  that 's  lost. 

Boy.  Then,  grandam,  you  conclude  that  he  is  dead. 
The  king  my  uncle  is  to  blame  for  this : 
God  will  revenge  it ;  whom  1  will  importune 
With  daily  prayers,  all  to  that  effect. 

Girl.  And  so  will  I. 

Duch.  Peace,  children,  peace  !  the  king  doth  love  you  well: 
Incapable  and  shallow  innocents, 
You  cannot  guess  who  caused  your  father's  death. 

Boy.  Grandam,  we  can  ;  for  my  good  uncle  Gloucester  20 
Told  me,  the  king,  provoked  by  the  queen, 
Devised  impeachments  to  imprison  him : 
And  when  my  uncle  told  me  so,  he  wept, 
And  hugg'd  me  in  his  arm,  and  kindly  kiss'd  my  cheek ; 
Bade  me  rely  on  him  as  on  my  father, 
And  he  would  love  me  dearly  as  his  child. 

Duch.  Oh,  that  deceit  should  steal  such  gentle  shapes, 
And  with  a  virtuous  vizard  hide  foul  guile ! 
He  is  my  son ;  yea,  and  therein  my  shame ; 
Yet  from  my  dugs  he  drew  not  this  deceit.  30 

Boy.  Think  you  my  uncle  did  dissemble,  grandam? 

Duch.  Ay,  boy. 

Boy.  I  cannot  think  it.     Hark!  what  noise  is  this? 

Enter  Queen  Elizabeth,  with  her  hair  about  her  ears; 
Rivers  and  Dorset  after  her, 

Q.  Eliz.  Oh,  who  shall  hinder  me  to  wail  and  weep. 
To  chide  my  fortune,  and  torment  myself? 
I  '11  join  with  black  despair  against  my  soul. 
And  to  myself  become  an  enemy. 


Scene  2.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  51 

Dtich.  What  means  this  scene  of  rude  impatience? 
Q,  Eliz.  To  make  an  act  of  tragic  violence : 
Edward,  my  lord,  your  son,  our  king,  is  dead.  40 

Why  grow  the  branches  now  the  root  is  wither'd? 
Why  wither  not  the  leaves,  the  sap  being  gone? 
If  you  will  live,  lament;  if  die,  be  brief 
That  our  swift-winged  souls  may  catch  the  king's ; 
Or,  like  obedient  subjects,  follow  him 
To  his  new  kingdom  of  perpetual  rest. 

Dicch.  Ah,  so  much  interest  have  I  in  thy  sorrow 
As  I  had  title  in  thy  noble  husband ! 
I  have  bewept  a  worthy  husband's  death, 
And  lived  by  looking  on  his  images :  50 

But  now  two  mirrors  of  his  princely  semblance 
Are  crack'd  in  pieces  by  malignant  death, 
And  I  for  comfort  have  but  one  false  glass. 
Which  grieves  me  when  I  see  my  shame  in  him. 
Thou  art  a  widow ;  yet  thou  art  a  mother. 
And  hast  the  comfort  of  thy  children  left  thee : 
But  death  hath  snatch'd  my  husband  from  mine  arms, 
And  pluck'd  two  crutches  from  my  feeble  limbs, 
Edward  and  Clarence.     O,  what  cause  have  I, 
Thine  being  but  a  moiety  of  my  grief,  60 

To  overgo  thy  plaints  and  drown  thy  cries ! 

Boy.  Good  aunt,  you  wept  not  for  our  father's  death ; 
How  can  we  aid  you  with  our  kindred  tears? 

Girl,  Our  fatherless  distress  was  left  unmoan'd; 
Your  widow-dolour  likewise  be  unwept ! 

Q.  Eliz.  Give  me  no  help  in  lamentation ; 
I  am  not  barren  to  bring  forth  complaints : 
All  springs  reduce  their  currents  to  mine  eyes, 
That  I,  being  govern'd  by  the  watery  moon. 
May  send  forth  plenteous  tears  to  drown  the  world  I  70 

Oh  for  my  husband,  for  my  dear  lord  Edward  ! 

Ckil.  Oh  for  our  father,  for  our  dear  lord  Clarence ! 

Duck.  Alas  for  both,  both  mine,  Edward  and  Clarence  1 

Q.  Eliz.  What  stay  had  I  but  Edward?  and  he's  gone. 

Chil.  What  stay  had  we  but  Clarence?  and  he's  gone. 

Duck.  What  stays  had  I  but  they?  and  they  are  gone.  \ 

Q.  Eliz.   Was  never  widow  had  so  dear  a  loss  1 

Chil.   Were  never  orphans  had  so  dear  a  loss  I 

Duck.  Was  never  mother  had  so  dear  a  loss  1 
Alas,  I  am  the  mother  of  these  moans  !  80 

Their  woes  are  parcelFd,  mine  are  general. 
She  for  an  Edward  weeps,  and  so  do  I ; 


B4 


52  KING   RICHARD  THE   THIRD.  [Act  IJ. 

I  for  a  Clarence  weep,  so  doth  not  she : 
These  babes  for  Clarence  weep,  and  so  do  I ; 
I  for  an  Edward  weep,  so  do  not  they: 
Alas,  you  three,  on  me,  threefold  distress'd, 
Pour  all  your  tears !  I  am  your  sorrow's  nurse, 
And  1  will  pamper  it  with  lamentations. 

Dor.  Comfort,  dear  mother :  God  is  much  displeased 
That  you  take  with  unthankfulness  his  doing:  90 

In  common  worldly  things,  't  is  call'd  ungrateful, 
With  dull  unwillingness  to  repay  a  debt 
Which  with  a  bounteous  hand  was  kindly  lent ; 
Much  more  to  be  thus  opposite  with  heaven. 
For  it  requires  the  royal  debt  it  lent  you. 

Riv.  Madam,  bethink  you.  like  a  careful  mother, 
Of  the  young  prince  your  son  :  send  straight  for  him ; 
Let  him  be  crown'd ;  in  him  your  comfort  lives : 
Drown  desperate  sorrow  in  dead  Edward's  grave, 
And  plant  your  joys  in  living  Edward's  throne.  100 

Enter  Gloucester,  Buckingham,  Derby,  Hastings, 
a7id  Ratcliff. 

,      Glou.  Madam,  have  comfort :  all  of  us  have  cause 
To  wail  the  dimming  of  our  shining  star ; 
But  none  can  cure  their  harms  by  wailing  them. 
Madam,  my  mother,  I  do  cry  you  mercy; 
I  did  not  see  your  grace :  humbly  on  my  knee 
I  crave  your  blessing. 

Duch.  God  bless  thee ;  and  put  meekness  in  thy  mind, 
Love,  charity,  obedience,  and  true  duty ! 

Glou.  [Aside.]  Amen  ;  and  make  me  die  a  good  old  man  I 
That  is  the  butt-end  of  a  mother's  blessing :  ^  no 

I  marvel  why  her  grace  did  leave  it  out. 

Buck.  You  cloudy  princes  and  heart-sorrowing  peers 
^That  bear  this  mutual  heavy  load  of  moan, 
Now  cheer  each  other  in  each  other's  love: 
Though  we  have  spent  our  harvest  of  this  king. 
We  are  to  reap  the  harvest  of  his  son. 
The  broken  rancour  of  your  high-swoln  hearts, 
But  lately  splinter'd,  knit,  and  join'd  together, 
Must  gently  be  preserved,  cherish'd,  and  kept : 
Me  seemeth  good,  that,  with  some  little  train,  120 

Forthwith  from  Ludlow  the  young  prince  be  fetch'd 
Hither  to  London,  to  be  crown'd  our  king. 

Ri'v.  Why  with  some  little  train,  my  Lord  of  Buckingham? 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  53 

Buck.   Marry,  my  lord,  lest,  by  a  multitude,  \ 

The  new-heard  wound  of  malice  should  break  out;\ 
Which  would  be  so  much  the  more  dangerous,         I 
By  how  much  the  estate  is  green  and  yet  ungovern/d : 
Where  every  horse  bears  his  commanding  rein,      i 
And  may  direct  his  course  as  please  himself,        / 
As  well  the  fear  of  harm,  as  harm  apparent,  I30 

In  my  opinion,  ought  to  be  prevented. 

Glou.  I  hope  the  king  made  peace  with  all  of  us ; 
And  the  compact  is  firm  and  true  in  me. 

Riv.  And  so  in  me ;  and  so,  I  think,  in  all : 
Yet,  since  it  is  but  green,  it  should  be  put 
To  no  apparent  likelihood  of  breach. 
Which  haply  by  much  company  might  be  urged : 
Therefore  I  say  with  noble  Buckingham, 
That  it  is  meet  so  few  should  fetch  the  prince. 

Hast.  And  so  say  I.  140 

Gloic.  Then  be  it  so ;  and  go  we  to  determine 
Who  they  shall  be  that  straight  shall  post  to  Ludlow. 
Madam,  and  you,  my  mother,  will  you  go 
To  give  your  censures  in  this  weighty  business? 

Duck    '  \  ^^^  ^  ^'^^  hearts. 

\Exeu7it  all  but  Buckingham  and  Gloucester, 

Buck.  My  Lord,  whoever  journeys  to  the  prince, 
For  God's  sake,  let  not  us  two  be  behind ; 
For,  by  the  way,  I'll  sort  occasion, 
As  index  to  the  story  we  late  talk'd  of. 
To  part  the  queen's  proud  kindred  from  the  king.  150 

Glou.  My  other  self,  my  counsel's  cdnsistory, 
My  oracle,  my  prophet !     My  dear  cousin, 
I,  like  a  child,  will  go  by  thy  direction. 
Towards  Ludlow  then,  for  we  '11  not  stay  behind.       {Exeunt, 


Scene  III.    Lo7idon.    A  street. 

E7tter  two.  Citizens,  meeting. 

First  Cit.  Neighbour,  well  met :  whither  away  so  fast? 

Sec.  Cit.   I  promise  you,  I  scarcely  know  myself: 
Hear  you  the  news  abroad? 

First  Cit.  Ay,  that  the  king  is  dead. 

Sec.  Cit.  Bad  news,  by V  lady;  seldom  comes  the  better; 
J  fear,  I  fear  't  will  prove  a  troublous  world. 


54  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  II. 

Enter  another  Citizen. 

Third  Cit,  Neighbours,  God  speed ! 

First  at.  Give  you  good  morrow,  sir. 

Third  at.  Doth  this  news  hold  of  good  King  Edward's 
death? 

Sec,  at.  Ay,  sir,  it  is  too  true ;  God  help  the  while ! 

Third  at.  Then,  masters,  look  to  see  a  troublous  world. 

First  at.  No,  no;   by  God's  good  grace  his  son  shall 
reign.  lo 

Third  at.  Woe  to  that  land  that 's  govern'd  by  a  child  1 

Sec,  at.  In  him  there  is  a  hope  of  government, 
That  in  his  nonage  council  under  him. 
And  in  his  full  and  ripen'd  years  himself. 
No  doubt,  shall  then  and  till  then  govern  well. 

First  at.  So  stood  the  state  when  Henry  the  Sixth 
Was  crown'd  in  Paris  but  at  nine  months  old. 

Third  at.  Stood  the  state  so?    No,  no,  good  friends,  God 
wot; 
For  then  this  land  was  famously  enrich'd 
With  politic  grave  counsel ;  then  the  king  20 

Had  virtuous  uncles  to  protect  his  grace. 

First  at.  Why,  so  hath  this,  both  by  the  father  and  mother. 

Third  at.  Better  it  were  they  all  came  by  the  father, 
Or  by  the  father  there  were  none  at  all ; 
For  emulation  now,  who  shall  be  nearest. 
Will  touch  us  all  too  near,  if  God  prevent  not. 
O,  full  of  danger  is  the  Duke  of  Gloucester ! 
And  the  queen's  sons  and  brothers  haught  and  proud: 
And  were  they  to  be  ruled,  and  not  to  rule. 
This  sickly  land  might  solace  as  before.  30 

First  at.  Come,  come,  we  fear  the  worst;  all  shall  be  well. 

Third  at.  When  clouds  appear,  wise  men  put  on  theii 
cloaks : 
When  great  leaves  fall,  the  winter  is  at  hand  ; 
When  the  sun  sets,  who  doth  not  look  for  night? 
Untimely  storms  make  men  expect  a  dearth. 
All  may  be  well ;  but,  if  God  sort  it  so, 
'T  is  more  than  we  deserve,  or  I  expect. 

Sec.  at.  Truly,  the  souls  of  men  are  full  of  dread : 
Ye  cannot  reason  almost  with  a  man 
That  looks  not  heavily  and  full  of  fear.  40 

Third  at.  Before  the  times  of  change,  still  is  it  so : 
By  a  divine  instinct  men's  minds  mistrust 
Ensuing  dangers ;  as,  by  proof,  we  see 


Scene  4.]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  55 

The  waters  swell  before  a  boisterous  storm. 
But  leave  it  all  to  God.     Whither  away? 

Sec.  Cit,  Marry,  we  were  sent  for  to  the  justices. 

Third  Cit,  And  so  was  I :  I  ^11  bear  you  company. 

{Exetmt 

Scene  IV.    London.     The  palace. 

Enter  the  Archbishop  of  York,  the  young  Duke  of  York, 
Queen  Elizabeth,  and  the  Duchess  of  York. 

Arch,  Last  night,  I  hear,  they  lay  at  Northampton; 
At  Stony-Stratford  will  they  be  to-night : 
To-morrow,  or  next  day,  they  will  be  here. 

Duch.  I  long  with  all  my  heart  to  see  the  prince : 
I  hope  he  is  much  grown  since  last  I  saw  him. 

Q.  Eliz.  But  I  hear,  no ;  they  say  my  son  of  York 
Hath  almost  overta'en  him  in  his  growth. 

York.  Ay,  mother ;  but  I  would  not  have  it  so. 

Duch.  Why,  my  young  cousin,  it  is  good  to  grow. 

York.  Grandam,  one  night,  as  we  did  sit  at  supper,  10 

My  uncle  Rivers  talk'd  how  I  did  grow 
More  than  my  brother:  *Ay,'  quoth  my  uncle  Gloucester, 
*  Small  herbs  have  grace,  great  weeds  do  grow  apace* ; 
And  since,  methinks,  I  would  not  grow  so  fast. 
Because  sweet  flowers  are  slow  and  weeds  make  haste. 

Duch,  Good  faith,  good  faith,  the  saying  did  not  hold 
In  him  that  did  object  the  same  to  thee : 
He  was  the  wretched'st  thing  when,  he  was  young. 
So  long  a-growing  and  so  leisurely. 
That,  if  this  rule  were  true,  he  should  be  gracious.  20 

Arch.  Why,  madam,  so,  no  doubt,  he  is. 

Duch.  I  hop6  he  is ;  but  yet  let  mothers  doubt. 

York.  Now,  by  my  troth,  if  I  had  been  remembered, 
I  could  have  given  my  uncle's  grace  a  flout. 
To  touch  his  growth  nearer  than  he  touch'd  mine. 

Duch.  How,  my  pretty  York?     I  pray  thee,  let  me  hear  it. 

York,  Marry,  they  say  my  uncle  grew  so  fast 
That  he  could  gnaw  a  crust  at  two  hours  old : 
'T  was  full  two  years  ere  I  could  get  a  tooth. 
Grandam,  this  would  have  been  a  biting  jest.  30 

Duch,  I  pray  thee,  pretty  York,  who  told  thee  this? 

York,  Grandam,  his  nurse. 

Duch.  His  nurse!  why,  she  was  dead  ere  thou  wert  bom. 
York.  If 'twere  not  she,  I  cannot  tell  who  told  me. 

Q,  Eliz.  A  parlous  boy :  go  to,  you  are  too  shrewd. 


56  KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.  [Actll.  Sc.4. 

Arch.  Good  madam,  be  not  angry  with  the  child. 
Q,  Eliz.  Pitchers  have  ears. 

Enter  a  Messenger. 

Arch,  Here  comes  a  messenger.     What  news? 

Mess,  Such  news,  my  lord,  as  grieves  me  to  unfold. 

Q.  Eliz.  How  fares  the  prmce? 

Mess.  Well,  madam,  and  in  health. 

Duch.  What  is  thy  news  then?  41 

Mess.  Lord  Rivers  and  Lord  Grey  are  sent  to  Pomfret, 
With  them  Sir  Thomas  Vaughan,  prisoners  ; 

Duch.  Who  hath  committed  them  ? 

Mess.  The  mighty  dukes 

Gloucester  and  Buckingham. 

Q.  Eliz.  For  what  offence? 

Mess.  The  sum  of  all  I  can,  I  have  disclosed ; 
Why  or  for  what  these  nobles  were  committed 
Is  all  unknown  to  me,  my  gracious  lady. 

Q.  Eliz.  Ay  me,  I  see  the  downfall  of  our  house ! 
The  tiger  now  hath  seized  the  gentle  hind ;  50 

/    Insulting  tyranny  begins  to  jet 
f     Upon  the  innocent  and  aweless  throne: 
Welcome,  destruction,  death,  and  massacre ! 
I  see,  as  in  a  map,  the  end  of  all. 

Duch.  Accursed  and  unquiet  wrangling  days, 
How  many  of  you  have  mine  eyes  beheld! 
My  husband  lost  his  life  to  get  the  crown ; 
And  often  up  and  down  my  s©ns  were  toss'd, 
For  me  to  joy  and  weep  their  gain  and  loss : 
And  being  seated,  and  domestic  broils  60 

Clean  over-blown,  themselves,  the  conquerors, 
Make  war  upon  themselves ;  blood  against  blood. 
Self  against  self:  O,  preposterous 
And  frantic  outrage,  end  thy  damned  spleen ; 
Or  let  me  die,  to  look  on  death  no  more  1 

Q.  Eliz.  Come,  come,  my  boy ;  we  will  to  sanctuary. 
Madam,  farewell. 

Duch.  I  '11  go  along  with  you. 

Q.  Eliz.  You  have  no  cause. 

Arch.  My  gracious  lady,  go ; 

And  thither  bear  your  treasure  and  your  goods. 
For  my  part,  I  '11  resign  unto  your  grace  70 

The  seal  I  keep :  and  so  betide  to  me 
As  well  I  tender  you  and  all  of  yours ! 
Come,  I  '11  conduct  you  to  the  sanctuary.  \Exeunt 


Act  III.  Sc.  I.]  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  57 

ACT    III. 
Scene  I.     London.    A  street. 

The  trumpets  sound.  Enter  the  young  Prince,  the  Dukes  of 
Gloucester  and  Buckingham,  Cardinal  Bour- 
CHIER,  Catesby,  and  others. 

Buck.  Welcome,  sweet  prince,  to  London,  to  your  chamber. 

Glou.  Welcome,  dear  cousin,  my  thoughts'  sovereign : 
The  weary  way  hath  made  you  melancholy. 

Prince,  No,  uncle ;  but  our  crosses  on  the  way 
Have  made  it  tedious,  wearisome,  and  heavy : 
I  want  more  uncles  here  to  welcome  me. 

Glou.  Sweet  prince,  the  untainted  vhtue  of  your  years 
Hath  not  yet  dived  into  the  world's  deceit : 
Nor  more  can  you  distinguish  of  a  man 

Than  of  his  outward  show  ;  w^hich,  God  he  knows,  lo 

Seldom  or  never  jumpeth  with  the  heart. 
Those  uncles  which  you  want  were  dangerous ; 
Your  grace  attended  to  their  sugar'd  words, 
But  look'd  not  on  the  poison  of  their  hearts  : 
God  keep  you  from  them,  and  from  such  false  friends ! 

Prince.  God  keep  me  from  false  friends!  but  they  were 
none. 

Glou,  My  lord,  the  mayor  of  London  comes  to  greet  you. 

Eriter  the  Lord  Mayor,  and  his  train. 

May.  God  bless  your  grace  with  health  and  happy  days ! 

Prince,  I  thank  you,  good  my  lord ;  and  thank  you  all. 
I  thought  my  mother,  and  my  brother  York,  20 

Would  long  ere  this  have  met  us  on  the  way : 
Fie,  what  a  slug  is  Hastings,  that  he  comes  not 
To  tell  us  whether  they  will  come  or  no ! 

Enter  LORD  Hastings. 

Buck.  And,  in  good  time,  here  comes  the  sweating  lord. 

Prince.  Welcome,  my  lord:  what,  will  our  mother  come? 

Hast.  On  what  occasion,  God  he  knows,  not  I, 
The  queen  your  mother,  and  your  brother  York, 
Have  taken  sanctuary:  the  tender  prince 
Would  fain  have  come  with  me  to  meet  your  grace, 
But  by  his  mother  was  perforce  withheld.  30 

Buck,  Fie,  what  an  indirect  and  peevish  course 
Is  this  of  hers  !     Lord  cardinal,  will  your  grace 


58  KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.         [Act  III. 

Persuade  the  queen  to  send  the  Duke  of  York 
Unto  his  princely  brother  presently? 
If  she  deny,  Lord  Hastings,  go  with  him, 
And  from  her  jealous  arms  pluck  him  perforce. 

Card.  My  Lord  of  Buckingham,  if  my  weak  oratory 
Can  from  his  mother  win  the  Duke  of  York, 
Anon  expect  him  here ;  but  if  she  be  obdurate 
To  mild  entreaties,  God  in  heaven  forbid  40 

We  should  infringe  the  holy  privilege 
Of  blessed  sanctuary !  not  for  all  this  land 
Would  I  be  guilty  of  so  deep  a  sin. 

Buck,  You  are  too  senseless-obstinate,  my  lord, 
Too  ceremonious  and  traditional : 
Weigh  it  but  with  the  grossness  of  this  age, 
You  break  not  sanctuary  in  seizing  him. 
The  benefit  thereof  is  always  granted 
To  those  whose  dealings  have  deserved  the  place, 
And  those  who  have  the  wit  to  claim  the  place :  50 

This  prince  hath  neither  claim'd  it  nor  deserved  it; 
And  therefore,  in  mine  opinion,  cannot  have  it: 
Then,  taking  him  from  thence  that  is  not  there, 
You  break  no  privilege  nor  charter  there. 
Oft  have  I  heard  of  sanctuary  men  ; 
But  sanctuary  children  ne'er  till  now. 

Card,  My  lord,  you  shall  o'er-rule  my  mind  for  once. 
Come  on.  Lord  Hastings,  will  you  go  with  me.^* 

Hast,  I  go,  my  lord. 

Prince,  Good  lords,  make  all  the  speedy  haste  you  may. 

[Exeunt  Cardinal  and  Hastings, 
Say,  uncle  Gloucester,  if  our  brother  come,  61 

Where  shall  we  sojourn  till  our  coronation? 

Glou.  W^here  it  seems  best  unto  your  royal  self. 
If  I  may  counsel  you,  some  day  or  two 
Your  highness  shall  repose  you  at  the  Tower : 
Then  where  you  please,  and  shall  be  thought  most  fit 
For  your  best  health  and  recreation. 

Prince.  I  do  not  like  the  Tower,  of  any  place. 
Did  Julius  Caesar  build  that  place,  my  lord? 

Buck.  He  did,  my  gracious  lord,  begin  that  place ;  ^o 

Which,  since,  succeeding  ages  have  re-edified. 

Prince.  Is  it  upon  record,  or  else  reported 
Successively  from  age  to  age,  he  built  it? 

Buck.  Upon  recdrd,  my  gracious  lord. 

Prince.  But  say,  my  lord,  it  were  not  registered, 
Methinks  the  truth  should  live  from  age  to  age, 


Scene  i.]        KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  59 

As  't  were  retail'd  to  all  posterity, 

Even  to  the  general  all-ending  day.  V  f^ 

Glou.  [Aside]  So  wise  so  young,  they  say,  do  never  live  I  jCTfrvW 
long.  Vi 

Prince.  What  say  you,  uncle?  80 

Glou.  I  say,  without  characters,  fame  lives  long. 
[Aside]  Thus,  like  the  formal  vice.  Iniquity, 
I  moralize  two  meanings  in  one  word. 

Prince.  That  Julius  Caesar  was  a  famous  man ; 
With  what  his  valour  did  enrich  his  wit. 
His  wit  set  down  to  make  his  valour  live : 
Death  makes  no  conquest  of  this  conqueror; 
Tornow  he  lives  in  fame,  though  not  in  life. 
I  '11  tell  you  what,  my  cousin  Buckingham, — 

Buck.  What,  my  gracious  lord?  90 

Prince.  An  if  I  live  until  I  be  a  man, 
I  '11  win  our  ancient  right  in  France  again, 
Or  die  a  soldier,  as  I  lived  a  king. 

Glou.    [Aside]    Short    summers    lightly   have    a   forward 
spring. 

Enter  young  Yo'R.K^  Hastings,  and  the  Cardinal. 

Buck,  Now,  in  good  time,  here  comes  the  Duke  of  York. 

Prince,  Richard  of  York!  how  fares  our  loving  brother? 

York.  Well,  my  dread  lord ;  so  must  I  call  you  now. 

Prince.  Ay,  brother,  to  our  grief,  as  it  is  yours : 
Too  late  he  died  that  might  have  kept  that  title, 
Which  by  his  death  hath  lost  much  majesty.  lOO 

Glou.  How  fares  our  cousin,  noble  lord  of  York? 

York.   I  thank  you,  gentle  uncle.     O,  my  lord, 
You  said  that  idle  weeds  are  fast  in  growth : 
The  prince  my  brother  hath  outgrown  me  far. 

Glou.  He  hath,  my  lord. 

York.  And  therefore  is  he  idle? 

Glou.  O,  my  fair  cousin,  I  must  not  say  so. 

York.  Then  is  he  more  beholding  to  you  than  I. 

Glou.  He  may  command  me  as  my  sovereign ; 
But  you  have  power  in  me  as  in  a  kinsman. 

York.  I  pray  you,  uncle,  give  me  this  dagger.  lio 

Glou.  My  dagger,  little  cousin  ?  with  all  my  heart. 

Prince.  A  beggar,  brother? 

York.  Of  my  kind  uncle,  that  I  know  will  give ; 
And  being  but  a  toy,  which  is  no  grief  to  give. 

Glou.  A  greater  gift  than  that  1  '11  give  my  cousin. 

York.  A  greater  gift !  O,  that 's  the  sword  to  it 


6o  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  III. 

Gloii,  Ay,  gentle  cousin,  were  it  light  enough. 

York,  O,  then,  I  see,  you  will  part  but  with  light  gifts ; 
In  weightier  things  you  '11  say  a  beggar  nay. 

Glou.   It  is  too  heavy  for  your  grace  to  wear.  120 

York,  I  weigh  it  lightly,  were  it  heavier. 

Glou,  What,  would  you  have  my  weapon,  little  lord? 

York,  I  would,  that  I  might  thank  you  as  you  call  me. 

Glou.  How? 

York,  Little. 

Prince,  My  Lord  of  York  will  still  be  cross  in  talk: 
Uncle,  your  grace  knows  how  to  bear  with  him. 

York.  You  mean,  to  bear  me,  not  to  bear  with  me : 
Uncle,  my  brother  mocks  both  you  and  me ; 
Because  that  I  am  little,  like  an  ape,  130 

He  thinks  that  you  should  bear  me  on  your  shoulders. 

Buck,  With  what  a  sharp-provided  wit  he  reasons ! 
To  mitigate  the  scorn  he  gives  his  uncle, 
He  prettily  and  aptly  taunts  himself: 
So  cunning  and  so  young  is  wonderful. 

Glou.  My  lord,  will't  please  you  pass  along? 
Myself  and  my  good  cousin  Buckingham 
Will  to  your  mother,  to  entreat  of  her 
To  meet  you  at  the  Tower  and  welcome  you. 

York,  What,  will  you  go  unto  the  Tower,  my  lord?        140 

Prince.  My  lord  protector  needs  will  have  it  so. 

York,  I  shall  not  sleep  in  quiet  at  the  Tower. 

Glou,  Why,  what  should  you  fear? 

York.  Marry,  my  uncle  Clarence'  angry  ghost : 
My  grandam  told  me  he  was  murder'd  there. 
V  Prince.   I  fear  no  uncles  dead. 

Glou,  Nor  none  that  live,  I  hope. 

Prince.  An  if  they  live,  I  hope  I  need  not  fear. 
But  come,  my  lord ;  and  with  a  heavy  heart, 
Thinking  on  them,  go  I  unto  the  Tower.  1 50 

\A  Sennet,    Exeu7it  all  but  Gloucester.,  Buckingham 

and  Catesby, 

Buck.  Think  you,  my  lord,  this  little  prating  York 
Was  not  incensed  by  his  subtle  mother 
To  taunt  and  scorn  you  thus  opprobriously? 

Glou,  No  doubt,  no  doubt :  O,  't  is  a  parlous  boy ; 
Bold,  quick,  ingenious,  forward,  capable : 
He  is  all  the  mother's,  from  the  top  to  toe. 

Buck.  Well,  let  them  rest.     Come  hither,  Catesby. 
Thou  art  sworn  as  deeply  to  effect  what  we  intend 
As  closely  to  conceal  what  we  impart : 


Scene  i.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  6i 

Thou  know'st  our  reasons  urged  upon  the  way ;  l6o 

What  think'st  thou?  is  it  not  an  easy  matter 
To  make  WiUiam  Lord  Hastings  of  our  mind, 
For  the  instalment  of  this  noble  duke 
In  the  seat  royal  of  this  famous  isle? 

Cate.  He  for  his  father's  sake  so  loves  the  prince, 
That  he  will  not  be  won  to  aught  against  him. 

Buck.  What  think'st  thou,  then,  of  Stanley?  what  will  he? 

Cate,  He  will  do  all  in  all  as  Hastings  doth. 

Buck.  Well,  then,  no  more  but  this :  go,  gentle  Catesby, 
And,  as  it  were  far  off,  sound  thou  Lord  Hastings,  170 

How  he  doth  stand  affected  to  our  purpose; 
And  summon  him  to-morrow  to  the  Tower, 
To  sit  about  the  coronation. 
If  thou  dost  find  him  tractable  to  us, 
Encourage  him  and  show  him  all  our  reasons : 
If  he  be  leaden,  icy-cold,  unwilling, 
Be  thou  so  too ;  and  so  break  off  your  talk. 
And  give  us  notice  of  his  inclination  : 
For  we  to-morrow  hold  divided  councils. 
Wherein  thyself  shalt  highly  be  employ'd.  180 

Glou.  Commend  me  to  Lord  William :  tell  him,  Catesby, 
His  ancient  knot  of  dangerous  adversaries 
To-morrow  are  let  blood  at  Pomfret-castle ; 
And  bid  my  friend,  for  joy  of  this  good  news, 
Give  Mistress  Shore  one  gentle  kiss  the  more. 

Buck.  Good  Catesby,  go,  effect  this  business  soundly. 

Cate.  My  good  lords,  both,  with  all  the  heed  I  may. 

Glou.  Shall  we  hear  from  you,  Catesby,  ere  we  sleep? 

Cate.  You  shall,  my  lord. 

Glou.  At  Crosby  Place,  there  shall  you  find  us  both.       190 

{Exit  Catesby. 

Buck.  Now,  my  lord,  what  shall  we  do,  if  we  perceive 
Lord  Hastings  will  not  yield  to  our  complots? 

Glou.  Chop  off  his  head,  man  ;  somewhat  we  will  do : 
And,  look,  when  I  am  king,  claim  thou  of  me 
The  earldom  of  Hereford,  and  the  moveables 
Whereof  the  king  my  brother  stood  possess'd. 

Buck.  I  '11  claim  that  promise  at  your  grace's  hands. 

Glou.  And  look  to  have  it  yielded  with  all  willingness. 
Come,  let  us  sup  betimes,  that  afterwards 
We  may  digest  our  complots  in  some  form.      [Exeunt.     200 


y 


\ 


/ 


62  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  III. 

Scene  II.    Before  Lord  Hastings' house. 

Enter  a  Messenger. 

Mess.  What,  ho  !  my  lord ! 

Hast,  \Within\  Who  knocks  at  the  door? 

Mess,  A  messenger  from  the  Lord  Stanley. 

Enter  Lord  Hastings. 

Hast,  What  is't  o'clock? 
Mess,  Upon  the  stroke  of  four. 

Hast,  Cannot  thy  master  sleep  these  tedious  nights? 
Mess,  So  it  should  seem  by  that  1  have  to  say. 
First,  he  commends  him  to  your  noble  lordship. 
Hast.  And  then? 

Mess,  And  then  he  sends  you  word  10 

He  dreamt  to-night  the  boar  had  razed  his  helm : 
Besides,  there  are  two  councils  held ; 
<^>>.^And  that  may  be  determined  at  the  one 
^'     Which  may  make  you  and  him  rue  at  the  other. 
^       Therefore  he  sends  to  know  your  lordship's  pleasure, 
^  If  presently  you  will  take  horse  with  him, 

And  with  all  speed  post  with  him  toward  the  north, 
To  shun  the  danger  that  his  soul  divines. 

Hast.  Go,  fellow,  go,  return  unto  thy  lord ; 
Bid  him  not  fear  the  separated  councils :  20 

His  honour  and  myself  are  at  the  one, 
And  at  the  other  is  my  servant  Catesby ; 
Where  nothing  can  proceed  that  toucheth  us 
Whereof  I  shall  not  have  intelligence. 
Tell  him  his  fears  are  shallow,  wanting  instance : 
And  for  his  dreams,  I  wonder  he  is  so  fond 
To  trust  the  mockery  of  unquiet  slumbers  ; 
To  fly  the  boar  before  the  boar  pursues, 
Were  to  incense  the  boar  to  follow  us. 
^x   1    And  make  pursuit  where  he  did  mean  no  chase.  30 

>  j     Go,  bid  thy  master  rise  and  come  to  me ; 
And  we  will  both  together  to  the  Tower, 
Where,  he  shall  see,  the  boar  will  use  us  kindly. 
Mess,  My  gracious  lord,  I  '11  tell  him  what  you  say. 

{Exit 
Enter  Catesby. 

Cate.  Many  good  morrows  to  my  noble  lord ! 
Hast.  Good  morrow,  Catesby  ;  you  are  early  stirring : 
What  news,  what  news,  in  this  our  tottering  state? 


Scene  2.]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD. 


«3 


Cate.  It  is  a  reeling  world,  indeed,  my  noble  lord ; 
And  I  believe  't  will  never  stand  upright 
Till  Richard  wear  the  garland  of  the  realm.  40 

Hast.  How  !  wear  the  garland !  dost  thou  mean  the  crown? 

Cate.  Ay,  my  good  lord. 

Hast.  I  '11  have  this  crown  of  mine  cut  from  my  shoulders 
Ere  I  will  see  the  crown  so  foul  misplaced. 
But  canst  thou  guess  that  he  doth  aim  at  it? 

Cate,  Ay,  on  my  life ;  and  hopes  to  find  you  forward 
Upon  his  party  for  the  gain  thereof: 
And  thereupon  he  sends  you  this  good  news, 
That  this  same  very  day  your  enemies, 
The  kindred  of  the  queen,  must  die  at  Pomfret.  50 

Hast,  Indeed,  I  am  no  mourner  for  that  news. 
Because  they  have  been  still  mine  enemies : 
But,  that  I  '11  give  my  voice  on  Richard's  side, 
To  bar  my  master's  heirs  in  true  descent, 
God  knows  I  will  not  do  it,  to  the  death. 

Cate,  God  keep  your  lordship  in  that  gracious  mind ! 

Hast.  But  I  shall  laugh  at  this  a  twelvemonth  hence. 
That  they  who  brought  me  in  my  master's  hate, 
/ 1  live  to  look  upon  their  tragedy. 
f  I  tell  thee,  Catesby,—  *  ■  60 

Cate.  What,  my  lord  ? 

Hast,  Ere  a  fortnight  make  me  elder, 
I  '11  send  some  packing  that  yet  think  not  on  it. 

Cate.  'T  is  a  vile  thing  to  die,  my  gracious  lord, 
When  men  are  unprepared  and  look  not  for  it. 

Hast,  O  monstrous,  monstrous !  and  so  falls  it  out 
With  Rivers,  Vaughan,  Grey:  and  so  'twill  do 
With  some  men  else,  who  think  themselves  as  safe 
As  thou  and  I ;  who,  as  thou  know'st,  are  dear 
To  princely  Richard  and  to  Buckingham.  lO 

Cate.  The  princes  both  make  high  account  of  you ; 
[Aside]  For  they  account  his  head  upon  the  bridge. 

Hast.  I  know  they  do ;  and  I  have  well  deserved  it. 

Enter  Lord  Stanley. 

Come  on,  come  on ;  where  is  your  boar-spear,  man? 
Fear  you  the  boar,  and  go  so  unprovided? 

Stan,  My  lord,  good  morrow;  good  morrow,  Catesby: 
You  may  jest  on,  but,  by  the  holy  rood, 
I  do  not  like  these  several  councils,  I. 

Hast.  My  lord, 
I  hold  my  life  as  dear  as  you  do  yours ;  80 


"^^\ 


64  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  III. 

And  never  in  my  life,  I  do  protest, 
Was  it  more  precious  to  me  than  't  is  now: 
Think  you,  but  that  I  know  our  state  secure, 
I  would  be  so  triumphant  as  I  am? 

Stan.  The  lords  at  Pomfret,  when  they  rode  from  London, 
Were  jocund,  and  supposed  their  state  was  sure, 
And  they  indeed  had  no  cause  to  mistrust ; 
But  yet,  you  see,  how  soon  the  day  o'ercast. 
This  sudden  stab  of  rancour  I  misdoubt : 
Pray  God,  I  say,  I  prove  a  needless  coward !  90 

What,  shall  we  toward  the  Tower?  the  day  is  spent. 

Hast.  Come,  come,  have  with  you.    Wot  you  what,  my  lord? 
To-day  the  lords  you  talk  of  are  beheaded. 

Stan.  They,  for  their  truth,  might  better  wear  their  heads 
Than  some  that  have  accused  them  wear  their  hats. 
But  come,  my  lord,  let  us  away. 

Enter  a  Pursuivant. 

Hast.  Go  on  before ;  I  '11  talk  with  this  good  fellow. 

{Exeunt  Stanley  and  Catesby, 
How  now,  sirrah!  how  goes  the  world  with  thee? 

Purs.  The  better  that  your  lordship  please  to  ask. 
j     Hast.  I  tell  thee,  man,  't  is  better  with  me  now  lOO 

I  Than  when  I  met  thee  last  where  now  we  meet: 
><    Then  was  I  going  prisoner  to  the  Tower, 
By  the  suggestion  of  the  queen^s  allies: 
But  now,  I  tell  thee — keep  it  to  thyself — 
This  day  those  enemies  are  put  to  death, 
And  I  in  better  state  than  e'er  I  was. 

Purs.  God  hold  it,  to  your  honour's  good  content ! 
Hast.  Gramercy,  fellow :  there,  drink  that  for  me. 

[Throws  him  his  purse. 
Purs.  God  save  your  lordship !  YExit, 

Enter  a  Priest. 

Priest.  Well  met,  my  lord ;  I  am  glad  to  see  your  honour. 

Hast.  I  thank  thee,  good  Sir  John,  with  all  my  heart.     1 1 1 
I  am  in  your  debt  for  your  last  exercise  ; 
Come  the  next  Sabbath  and  I  will  content  you. 

{He  whispers  in  his  ear. 

Enter  Buckingham. 

Buck,  What,  talking  with  a  priest,  lord  chamberlain? 
Your  friends  at  Pomfret,  they  do  need  the  priest ; 
Your  honour  hath  no  shriving  work  in  hand. 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  65 

Hast,  Good  faith,  and  when  I  met  this  holy  man, 
Those  men  you  talk  of  came  into  my  mind. 
What,  go  you  toward  the  Tower? 

Buck.  I  do,  my  lord;  but  long  I  shall  not  stay:  120 

I  shall  return  before  your  lordship  thence. 

Hast,  'T  is  like  enough,  for  I  stay  dinner  there. 

Buck.  [Aside]  And  supper  too,  although  thou  know'st  it 
not. 
Come,  will  you  go? 

Hast.  I  Ul  wait  upon  your  lordship.  [Exeunt. 


Scene  III.    Pomfret  Castle. 

Enter  Sir  Richard  Ratcliff,  with  halberds^  carrying 
Rivers,  Grey,  a7id  Vaughan  to  death. 

Rat.  Come,  bring  forth  the  prisoners. 

Riv.  Sir  Richard  Ratcliff,  let  me  tell  thee  this  : 
To-day  shalt  thou  behold  a  subject  die 
For  truth,  for  duty,  and  for  loyalty. 

Grey,  God  keep  the  prince  from  all  the  pack  of  you  I 
A  knot  you  are  of  damned  blood-suckers. 

Vaug.  You  live  that  shall  cry  woe  for  this  hereafter. 

Rat,  Dispatch;  the  limit  of  your  lives  is  out. 

Riv.  O  Pomfret,  Pomfret !  O  thou  bloody  prison, 
Fatal  and  ominous  to  noble  peers!  10 

Within  the  guilty  closure  of  thy  walls 
Richard  the  Second  here  was  hack'd  to  death ; 
And,  for  more  slander  to  thy  dismal  seat. 
We  give  thee  up  our  guiltless  blood  to  drink. 

Grey,  Now  Margaret's  curse  is  fall'n  upon  our  heads, 
For  standing  by  when  Richard  stabb'd  her  son. 

Riv,  Then  cursed  she  Hastings,  then  cursed  she  Bucking 
ham, 
Then  cursed  she  Richard.     O,  remember,  God, 
To  hear  her  prayers  for  them,  as  now  for  us ! 
And  for  my  sister  and  her  princely  sons,  20 

Be  satisfied,  dear  God,  with  our  true  blood, 
Which,  as  thou  know'st,  unjustly  must  be  spilt. 

Rat,  Make  haste  ;  the  hour  of  death  is  expiate. 

Riv.  Come,  Grey,  come,  Vaughan,  let  us  all  embrace : 
And  take  our  leave,  until  we  meet  in  heaven.  \Exeunt* 


Cm  233)  B 


66 


KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  IH. 


'■^1 


^ 


Scene  IV.     The  Tower  of  London, 

Enter  Buckingham,  Derby,  Hastings,  the  Bishop  of 
Ely,  Ratcliff,  Lovel,  with  others^  and  take  their  seats 
at  a  table. 

Hast,  My  lords,  at  once :  the  cause  why  we  are  met 
Is,  to  determine  of  the  coronation. 
In  God's  name,  speak:  when  is  the  royal  day.'* 

Buck,  Are  all  things  fitting  for  that  royal  time? 

Der,  It  is,  and  wants  but  nomination. 

Ely,  To-morrow,  then,  I  judge  a  happy  day. 

Buck,  Who  knows  the  lord  protector's  mind  herein? 
Who  is  most  inward  with  the  noble  duke? 

Ely.  Your  grace,  we  think,  should  soonest  know  his  mind. 

Buck.  Who,  I,  my  lord!  we  know  each  other's  faces,       lo 
But  for  our  hearts,  he  knows  no  more  of  mine, 
Than  I  of  yours; 

Nor  I  no  more  of  his,  than  you  of  mine. 
Lord  Hastings,  you  a«nd  he  are  near  in  love. 

Hast.  I  thank  his  grace,  I  know  he  loves  me  well; 
But,  for  his  purpose  in  the  coronation, 
I  have  not  sounded  him,  nor  he  deliver'd 
His  gracious  pleasure  any  way  therein: 
But  you,  my  noble  lords,  may  name  the  time; 
And  in  the  duke's  behalf  I  '11  give  my  voice,  2<? 

Which,  I  presume,  he  '11  take  in  gentle  part. 

Enter  Gloucester. 

Ely,  Now  in  good  time,  here  comes  the  duke  himself. 

Glou,  My  noble  lords  and  cousins  all,  good  morrow. 
I  have  been  long  a  sleeper ;  but,  I  hope. 
My  absence  doth  neglect  no  great  designs, 
Which  by  my  presence  might  have  been  concluded. 

Buck.  Had  not  you  come  upon  your  cue,  my  lord, 
William  Lord  Hastings  had  pronounced  your  part, — 
I  mean,  your  voice, — for  crowning  of  the  king. 

Glou.  Than  my  Lord  Hastings  no  man  might  be  bolder ; 
His  lordship  knows  me  well,  and  loves  me  well.  31 

Hast.  I  thank  your  grace. 

Glou.  My  lord  of  Ely ! 

Ely.  My  lord? 

Glou.  When  I  was  last  in  Holborn, 
I  saw  good  strawberries  in  your  garden  there : 
I  do  beseech  you  send  for  some  of  them. 


Scene  4.J        KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.  67 

Ely,  Marry,  and  will,  my  lord,  with  all  my  heart.       \Exit 

Glou.  Cousin  of  Buckingham,  a  word  with  you. 

\Drawing  him  aside, 
<!)atesby  hath  sounded  Hastings  in  our  business, 
And  finds  the  testy  gentleman  so  hot, 

As  he  will  lose  his  head  ere  give  consent  40 

His  master's  son,  as  worshipful  he  terms  it, 
Shall  lose  the  royalty  of  England's  throne. 

Buck,  Withdraw  you  hence,  my  lord,  I  '11  follow  you. 
^  \Exit  Gloucester^  Buckingham  following. 

Der,  We  have  not  yet  set  down  this  day  of  triumph. 
To-morrow,  in  mine  opinion,  is  too  sudden ; 
For  I  myself  am  not  so  well  provided 
As  else  I  would  be,  were  the  day  prolong'd. 

Re-e7iter  BiSHOP  OF  ELY. 

Ely,  Where  is  my  lord  protector?  I  have  sent  for  these 
strawberries. 

Hast,  His  grace  looks  cheerfully  and  smooth  to-day ;      50 
There 's  some  conceit  or  other  Hkes  him  well. 
When  he  doth  bid  good  morrow  with  such  a  spirit.        / 
I  think  there's  never  a  man  in  Christendom  c_/^  ' 

That  can  less  hide  his  love  or  hate  than  he ; 
For  by  his  face  straight  shall  you  know  his  heart. 

Der,  What  of  his  heart  perceive  you  in  his  face 
By  any  likelihood  he  show'd  to-day? 

Hast,  Marry,  that  with  no  man  here  he  is  offended ; 
For,  were  he,  he  had  shown  it  in  his  looks. 

Der,  I  pray  God  he  be  not,  I  say.  60 

Re-enter  Gloucester  and  Buckingham. 

Glou,  I  pray  you  all,  tell  me  what  they  deserve 
That  do  conspire  my  death  with  devilish  plots 
Of  damned  witchcraft,  and  that  have  prevail'd 
Upon  my  body  with  their  hellish  charms? 

Hast,  The  tender  love  I  bear  your  grace,  my  lord, 
Makes  me  most  forward  in  this  noble  presence 
To  doom  the  offenders,  whatsoever  they  be : 
I  say,  my  lord,  they  have  deserved  death. 

Glou.  Then  be  your  eyes  the  witness  of  this  ill : 
See  how  I  am  bewitch'd  ;  behold  mine  arm  70 

Is,  like  a  blasted  sapling,  wither'd  up : 
And  this  is  Edward's  wife,  that  monstrous  witch, 
Consorted  with  that  harlot  strumpet  Shore, 
That  by  their  witchcraft  thus  have  marked  me. 


68  ,  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  III. 

Hast,  If  they  have  done  this  thing,  my  gracious  lord, — 
Glou,   If!  thou  protector  of  this  damned  strumpet, 

Tellest  thou  me  of  '  ifs  ^^^     Thou  art  a  traitor : 

Off  with  his  head!     Now,  by  Saint  Paul  I  swear, 

I  will  not  dine  until  I  see  the  same. 

Lovel  and  Ratcliff,  look  that  it  be  done :  80 

The  rest,  that  love  me,  rise  and  follow  me. 

{Exeunt  all  but  Hastings^  Ratcliff^  and  Lovel, 
Hast,  Woe,  woe  for  England !  not  a  whit  for  me ; 

For  I,  too  fond,  might  have  prevented  this. 

Stanley  did  dream  the  boar  did  raze  his  helm; 

But  I  disdain'd  it,  and  did  scorn  to  fly : 

Three  times  to-day  my  foot-cloth  horse  did  stumble, 

And  startled  when  he  look'd  upon  the  Tower, 

As  loath  to  bear  me  to  the  slaughter-house. 

O,  now  I  want  the  priest  that  spake  to  me : 

I  now  repent  I  told  the  pursuivant,  90 

As  't  were  triumphing  at  mine  enemies, 

How  they  at  Pomfret  bloodily  were  butchered, 

And  I  myself  secure  in  grace  and  favour. 

0  Margaret,  Margaret,  now  thy  heavy  curse 
Is  lighted  on  poor  Hastings'  wretched  head! 

Rat,  Dispatch,  my  lord;  the  duke  would  be  at  dinner: 
Make  a  short  shrift ;  he  longs  to  see  your  head. 

Hast.  O  momentary  grace  of  mortal  men. 
Which  we  more  hunt  for  than  the  grace  of  God  I 
Who  builds  his  hopes  in  air  of  your  good  looks,  lOO 

Lives  like  a  drunken  sailor  on  a  mast. 
Ready,  with  every  nod,  to  tumble  down 
Into  the  fatal  bowels  of  the  deep. 

Lov.  Come,  come,  dispatch  ;  't  is  bootless  to  exclaim. 

Hast.  O  bloody  Richard  !  miserable  England  I 

1  prophesy  the  fearfuU'st  time  to  thee 
That  ever  wretched  age  hath  look'd  upon. 
Come,  lead  me  to  the  block  ;  bear  him  my  head : 

They  smile  at  me  that  shortly  shall  be  dead.  {Exeunt 

Scene  V.     The  Tower-walls, 

Enter  Gloucester  and  Buckingham,  in  rotten  armour^ 
marvellous  ill-favoured, 

Glou.  Come,  cousin,  canst  thou  quake,  and  change  thy 
colour. 
Murder  thy  breath  in  middle  of  a  word. 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  69 

And  then  begin  again,  and  stop  again, 

As  if  thou  wert  distraught  and  mad  with  terror? 

Buck.  Tut,  I  can  counterfeit  the  deep  tragedian ; 
Speak  and  look  back,  and  pry  on  every  side, 
Tremble  and  start  at  wagging  of  a  straw, 
Intending  deep  suspicion  :  ghastly  looks 
Are  at  my  service,  like  enforced  smiles ; 
And  both  are  ready  in  their  offices,  lO 

At  any  time,  to  grace  my  stratagems. 
But  what,  is  Catesby  gone.'^ 

Glou.  He  is ;  and,  see,  he  brings  the  mayor  along. 

Enter  the  Mayor  and  Catesby. 

Buck.  Lord  mayor, — 

Glou.  Look  to  the  drawbridge  there ! 

Buck.  Hark  !  a  drum. 

Glou.  Catesby,  overlook  the  walls. 

Buck.  Lord  mayor,  the  reason  we  have  sent— 

Glou.  Look  back,  defend  thee,  here  are  enemies. 

Buck.  God  and  our  innocency  defend  and  guard  us !        10 

Glotc.  Be  patient,  they  are  friends,  Ratcliff  and  Lovel. 

Enter  Lovel  and  Ratcliff,  with  Hastings'  head, 

Lov.  Here  is  the  head  of  that  ignoble  traitor, 
The  dangerous  and  unsuspected  Hastings. 

Glou.  So  dear  I  loved  the  man  that  I  must  weep. 
I  took  him  for  the  plainest  harmless  creature 
That  breathed  upon  this  earth  a  Christian ; 
Made  him  my  book,  wherein  my  soul  recorded 
The  history  of  all  her  secret  thoughts : 
So  smooth  he  daub'd  his  vice  with  show  of  virtue, 
That,  his  apparent  open  guilt  omitted,  30 

I  mean,  his  conversation  with  Shore's  wife, 
He  lived  from  all  attainder  of  suspect. 

Buck.  Well,  well,  he  was  the  covert'st  sheltered  traitor 
That  ever  lived. 

Would  you  imagine,  or  almost  believe. 
Were 't  not  that,  by  great  preservation, 
We  live  to  tell  it  you,  the  subtle  traitor 
This  day  had  plotted  in  the  council-house 
To  murder  me  and  my  good  lord  of  Gloucester.^ 

May.  What,  had  he  so.^  40 

Glou.  What,  think  you  we  are  Turks  or  infidels? 
Or  that  we  would,  against  the  form  of  law. 
Proceed  thus  rashly  to  the  villain's  death, 


yo  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  III, 

But  that  the  Extreme  peril  of  the  case, 

The  peace  of  England  and  our  persons*  safety, 

Enforced  us  to  this  execution? 

May,  Now,  fair  befall  you !  he  deserved  his  death ; 
And  you,  my  good  lords  both,  have  well  proceeded, 
To  warn  false  traitors  from  the  like  attempts. 
I  never  look'd  for  better  at  his  hands,  50 

After  he  once  fell  in  with  Mistress  Shore. 

Glou,  Yet  had  not  we  determined  he  should  die, 
Until  your  lordship  came  to  see  his  death ; 
Which  now  the  loving  haste  of  these  our  friends, 
Somewhat  against  our  meaning,  have  prevented : 
Because,  my  lord,  we  would  have  had  you  heard 
The  traitor  speak,  and  timorously  confess 
The  manner  and  the  purpose  of  his  treason ; 
That  you  might  well  have  signified  the  same 
Unto  the  citizens,  who  haply  may  60 

Misconstrue  us  in  him  and  wail  his  death. 

May,  But,  my  good  lord,  your  grace's  word  shall  serve, 
As  well  as  I  had  seen  and  heard  him  speak : 
And  doubt  you  not,  right  noble  princes  both. 
But  I  '11  acquaint  our  duteous  citizens 
With  all  your  just  proceedings  in  this  cause. 

Glou,  And  to  that  end  we  wish'd  your  lordship  here, 
To  avoid  the  carping  censures  of  the  world. 

Buck,  But  since  you  come  too  late  of  our  intents, 
Yet  witness  what  you  hear  we  did  intend ;  70 

And  so,  my  good  lord  mayor,  we  bid  farewell.    [Exit  Mayor. 

Glou.  Go,  after,  after,  cousin  Buckingham. 
The  mayor  towards  Guildhall  hies  him  in  all  post : 
There,  at  your  meet'st  advantage  of  the  time, 
Infer  the  bastardy  of  Edward's  children : 
Tell  them  how  Edward  put  to  death  a  citizen, 
Only  for  saying  he  would  make  his  son 
Heir  to  the  crown ;  meaning  indeed  his  house. 
Which,  by  the  sign  thereof,  was  termed  so. 
Moreover,  urge  his  hateful  luxury,  80 

And  bestial  appetite  in  change  of  lust ; 
Which  stretched  to  their  servants,  daughters,  wives, 
Even  where  his  lustful  eye  or  savage  heart, 
Without  control,  listed  to  make  his  prey. 
Nay,  for  a  need,  thus  far  come  near  my  person : 
Tell  them,  when  that  my  mother  went  with  child 
Of  that  unsatiate  Edward,  noble  York 
My  princely  father  then  had  wars  in  France ; 


Scene  6.]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  71 

And,  by  just  computation  of  the  time, 

Found  that  the  issue  was  not  his  begot ;  90 

Which  well  appeared  in  his  lineaments. 

Being  nothing  like  the  noble  duke  my  father : 

But  touch  this  sparingly,  as  'twere  far  off; 

Because  you  know,  my  lord,  my  mother  lives. 

Buck,  Fear  not,  my  lord,  I  '11  play  the  orator 
As  if  the  golden  fee  for  which  I  plead 
Were  for  myself:  and  so,  my  lord,  adieu. 

Glou.  If  you  thrive  well,  bring  them  to  Baynard's  Castle*-, 
Where  you  shall  find  me  well  accompanied 
With  reverend  fathers  and  well-learned  bishops.  100 

Buck,  I  go :  and  towards  three  or  four  o'clock 
Look  for  the  news  that  the  Guildhall  affords.  {Exit 

Glou.  Go,  Lovel,  with  all  speed  to  Doctor  Shaw : 
\To  Cafe.]  Go  thou  to  Friar  Penker;  bid  them  both 
Meet  me  within  this  hour  at  Baynard's  Castle. 

[Exeunl  all  but  Gloucester, 
Now  will  I  in,  to  take  some  privy  order, 
To  draw  the  brats  of  Clarence  out  of  sight ; 
And  to  give  notice,  that  no  manner  of  person 
At  any  time  have  recourse  unto  the  princes.  \Exit, 


Scene  VI.     The  same.    A  street. 

Enter  a  Scrivener,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand. 

Scriv.  This  is  the  indictment  of  the  good  Lord  Hastings; 
Which  in  a  set  hand  fairly  is  engross'd. 
That  it  may  be  this  day  read  over  in  Paul's. 
And  mark  how  well  the  sequel  hangs  together : 
Eleven  hours  I  spent  to  write  it  over. 
For  yesternight  by  Catesby  was  it  brought  me ; 
The  precedent  was  full  as  long  a-doing : 
And  yet  within  these  five  hours  lived  Lord  Hastings, 
Untainted,  unexamined,  free,  at  Hberty. 

Here's  a  good  world  the  while !     Why,  who's  so  gross,       10 
That  seeth  not  this  palpable  device? 
Yet  who's  so  blind,  but  says  he  sees  it  not? 
Bad  is  the  world  ;  and  all  will  come  to  nought, 
When  such  bad  dealing  must  be  seen  in  thought.  {Exit, 


72  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  III. 

Scene  VII     Baynard^s  Castle. 

Enter  Gloucester  and  Buckingham,  at  several  doors. 

Glou.  How  now,  my  lord,  what  say  the  citizens? 

Buck.  Now,  by  the  holy  mother  of  our  Lord, 
The  citizens  are  mum  and  speak  not  a  word. 

Glou.  Touched  you  the  bastardy  of  Edward's  children? 

Buck.  I  did ;  with  his  contract  with  Lady  Lucy, 
And  his  contract  by  deputy  in  France ; 
The  insatiate  greediness  of  his  desires, 
And  his  enforcement  of  the  city  wives ; 
His  tyranny  for  trifles  ;  his  own  bastardy, 
As  being  got,  your  father  then  in  France,  lo 

And  his  resemblance,  being  not  like  the  duke: 
Withal  I  did  infer  your  lineaments, 
Being  the  right  idea  of  your  father. 
Both  in  your  form  and  nobleness  of  mind ; 
Laid  open  all  your  victories  in  Scotland, 
Your  discipline  in  war,  wisdom  in  peace, 
Your  bounty,  virtue,  fair  humility; 
Indeed,  left  nothing  fitting  for  the  purpose 
Untouch'd,  or  slightly  handled,  in  discourse: 
And  when  mine  oratory  grew  to  an  end,  20 

I  bid  them  that  did  love  their  country's  good 
Cry  *God  save  Richard,  England's  royal  king  1' 

Glou.  Ah!  and  did  they  so? 

Buck.  No,  so  God  help  me,  they  spake  not  a  word; 
But,  like  dumb  statuas  or  breathing  stones, 
Gazed  each  on  other,  and  look'd  deadly  pale. 
Which  when  I  saw,  I  reprehended  them ; 
And  ask'd  the  mayor  what  meant  this  wilful  silence: 
His  answer  was,  the  people  were  not  wont 
To  be  spoke  to  but  by  the  recorder.  30 

Then  he  was  urged  to  tell  my  tale  again, 

*  Thus  saith  the  duke,  thus  hath  the  duke  inferr'd* ; 
But  nothing  spake  in  warrant  from  himself 
When  he  had  done,  some  followers  of  mine  own, 
At  the  lower  end  of  the  hall,  hurl'd  up  their  caps, 
And  some  ten  voices  cried  *  God  save  King  Richard!' 
And  thus  I  took  the  vantage  of  those  few, 

*  Thanks,  gentle  citizens  and  friends,'  quoth  I ; 
*This  general  applause  and  loving  shout 

Argues  your  wisdoms  and  your  love  to  Richard':  40 

And  even  here  brake  off,  and  came  away. 


Scene  70        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  73 

Glou.  What  tongueless  blocks  were  they !  would  they  not 
speak? 

Buck.  No,  by  my  troth,  my  lord. 

Gtou,  Will  not  the  mayor  then  and  his  brethren  come? 

Buck,  The  mayor  is  here  at  hand:  intend  some  fear; 
Be  not  you  spoke  with,  but  by  mighty  suit : 
And  look  you  get  a  prayer-book  in  your  hand, 
And  stand  betwixt  two  churchmen,  good  my  lord ; 
For  on  that  ground  I  ^11  build  a  holy  descant : 
And  be  not  easily  won  to  our  request :  50 

Play  the  maid's  part,  still  answer  nay,  and  take  it. 

Gcou.  I  go ;  and  if  you  plead  as  well  for  them 
As  I  can  say  nay  to  thee  for  myself. 
No  doubt  we'll  bring  it  to  a  happy  issue. 

Buck,  Go,  go,  up  to  the  leads ;  the  lord  mayor  knocks. 

[Exit  Gloucesier. 

Enter  the  Mayor  and  Citizens. 

Welcome,  my  lord :  I  dance  attendance  here ; 
I  'lihink  the  duke  will  not  be  spoke  withal. 

E7tter  Catesby. 

Here  '"omes  his  servant :  how  now,  Catesby, 
Wha.L  says  he? 

Cate,  My  lord,  he  doth  entreat  your  grace 
To  visit  him  to-morrow  or  next  day  :  60 

He  is  within,  with  two  right  reverend  fathers. 
Divinely  bent  to  meditation ; 
And  in  no  worldly  suit  would  he  be  moved. 
To  draw  him  from  his  holy  exercise. 

Buck.  Return,  good  Catesby,  to  thy  lord  again ; 
Tell  him,  myself,  the  mayor  and  citizens, 
In  deep  designs  and  matters  of  great  moment, 
No  less  importing  than  our  general  good, 
Are  come  to  have  some  conference  with  his  grace. 

Cate.  I'll  tell  him  what  you  say,  my  lord.  7a 

\ExiU 

Buck,  Ah,  ha,  my  lord,  this  prince  is  not  an  Edward! 
He  is  not  loUing  on  a  lewd  day-bed. 
But  on  his  knees  at  meditation ; 
Not  dallying  with  a  brace  of  courtezans,^ 
But  meditating  with  two  deep  divines ; 
Not  sleeping,  to  engross  his  idle  body. 
But  praying,  to  enrich  his  watchful  soul  : 
Happy  were  England,  would  this  gracious  prince 


74  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  III. 

Take  on  himself  the  sovereignty  thereof: 

But,  sure,  I  fear,  we  shall  ne'er  win  him  to  it.  80 

Mayl  Marry,  God  forbid  his  grace  should  say  us  nay! 

Buck,  I  fear  he  will. 

Re-enter  Catesby. 

How  now,  Catesby,  what  says  your  lord? 

Cate.  My  lord, 

He  wonders  to  what  end  you  have  assembled 
Such  troops  of  citizens  to  speak  with  him, 
His  grace  not  being  warn'd  thereof  before : 
My  lord,  he  fears  you  mean  no  good  to  him. 

Buck.  Sorry  I  am  my  noble  cousin  should 
Suspect  me,  that  I  mean  no  good  to  him : 
By  heaven,  I  come  in  perfect  love  to  him ;  90 

And  so  once  more  return  and  tell  his  grace.      \^Exit  Catesby, 
When  holy  and  devout  religious  men 
Are  at  their  beads,  't  is  hard  to  draw  them  thence. 
So  sweet  is  zealous  contemplation. 

Enter  Gloucester  aloft^  between  two  Bishops. 
Catesby  returns. 

May.  See,  where  he  stands  between  two  clergymen ! 

Buck.  Two  props  of  virtue  for  a  Christian  prince. 
To  stay  him  from  the  fall  of  vanity : 
And,  see,  a  book  of  prayer  in  his  hand, 
True  ornaments  to  know  a  holy  man. 

Famous  Plantagenet,  most  gracious  prince  100 

Lend  favourable  ears  to  our  request ; 
And  pardon  us  the  interruption 
Of  thy  devotion  and  right  Christian  zeal. 

Glou.  My  lord,  there  needs  no  such  apology : 
I  rather  do  beseech  you  pardon  me, 
Who,  earnest  in  the  service  of  my  God, 
Neglect  the  visitation  of  my  friends. 
But,  leaving  this,  what  is  your  grace's  pleasure? 

Buck.  Even  that,  I  hope,  which  pleaseth  God  above, 
And  all  good  men  of  this  ungovem'd  isle.  i  \( 

Glou.  I  do  suspect  I  have  done  some  offence 
That  seems  disgracious  in  the  city's  eyes, 
And  that  you  come  to  reprehend  my  ignorance. 

Buck,  You  have,  my  lord:    would   it  might  please  your 
grace. 
At  our  entreaties,  to  amend  that  fault ! 

Glou.  Else  wherefore  breathe  I  in  a  Christian  land? 


Scene  7.]        KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.  75 

Buck,  Then  know,  it  is  your  fault  that  you  resign 
The  supreme  seat,  the  throne  majestical, 
The  scepter'd  office  of  your  ancestors, 

Your  state  of  fortune  and  your  due  of  birth,  120 

The  hneal  glory  of  your  royal  house, 
To  the  corruption  of  a  blemish'd  stock  : 
Whilst,  in  the  mildness  of  your  sleepy  thoughts, 
Which  here  we  waken  to  our  country's  good, 
This  noble  isle  doth  want  her  proper  limbs; 
Her  face  defaced  with  scars  of  infamy, 
Her  royal  stock  graft  with  ignoble  plants, 
And  almost  shoulder'd  in  the  swallowing  gulf 
Of  blind  forgetfulness  and  dark  oblivion. 
Which  to  recure,  we  heartily  solicit  130 

Your  gracious  self  to  take  on  you  the  charge 
And  kingly  government  of  this  your  land; 
Not  as  protector,  steward,  substitute. 
Or  lowly  factor  for  another's  gain ; 
But  as  successively  from  blood  to  blood. 
Your  right  of  birth,  your  empery,  your  own. 
For  this,  consorted  with  the  citizens, 
Your  very  worshipful  and  loving  friends, 
And  by  their  vehement  instigation. 
In  this  just  suit  come  I  to  move  your  grace.  140 

Glou,  I  know  not  whether  to  depart  in  silence, 
Or  bitterly  to  speak  in  your  reproof. 
Best  fitteth  my  degree  or  your  condition : 
If  not  to  answer,  you  might  haply  think 
Tongue-tied  ambition,  not  replying,  yielded 
To  bear  the  golden  yoke  of  sovereignty. 
Which  fondly  you  would  here  impose  on  me ; 
If  to  reprove  you  for  this  suit  of  yours. 
So  season'd  with  your  faithful  love  to  me, 
Then,  on  the  other  side,  I  check'd  my  friends.  IS© 

Therefore,  to  speak,  and  to  avoid  the  first, 
And  then,  in  speaking,  not  to  incur  the  last, 
Definitively  thus  I  answer  you. 
Your  love  deserves  my  thanks ;  but  my  desert 
Unmeritable  shuns  your  high  request. 
First,  if  all  obstacles  were  cut  away, 
And  that  my  path  were  even  to  the  crown, 
As  my  ripe  revenue  and  due  by  birth ; 
Yet  so  much  is  my  poverty  of  spirit, 

So  mighty  and  so  many  my  defects,  160 

As  I  had  rather  hide  me  from  my  greatness. 


76  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  Ilr- 

Being  a  bark  to  brook  no  mighty  sea, 

Than  in  my  greatness  covet  to  be  hid, 

And  in  the  vapour  of  my  glory  smother'd. 

But,  God  be  thanked,  there 's  no  need  of  me, 

And  much  I  need  to  help  you,  if  need  were ; 

The  royal  tree  hath  left  us  royal  fruit. 

Which,  mellow'd  by  the  stealing  hours  of  time, 

Will  well  become  the  seat  of  majesty. 

And  make,  no  doubt,  us  happy  by  his  reign.  170 

On  him  I  lay  what  you  would  lay  on  me. 

The  right  and  fortune  of  his  happy  stars ; 

Which  God  defend  that  I  should  wring  from  him ! 

Buck,  My  lord,  this  argues  conscience  in  your  grace; 
But  the  respects  thereof  are  nice  and  trivial, 
All  circumstances  well  considered. 
You  say  that  Edward  is  your  brother's  son : 
So  say  we  too,  but  not  by  Edward's  wife ; 
For  first  he  was  contract  to  Lady  Lucy — 
Your  mother  lives  a  witness  to  that  vow —  1 80 

And  afterward  by  substitute  betroth'd 
To  Bona,  sister  to  the  King  of  France. 
These  both  put  by,  a  poor  petitioner, 
A  care-crazed  mother  of  a  many  children, 
A  beauty-waning  and  distressed  widow, 
Even  in  the  afternoon  of  her  best  days, 
Made  prize  and  purchase  of  his  lustful  eye, 
Seduced  the  pitch  and  height  of  all  his  thoughts 
To  base  declension  and  loathed  bigamy : 
By  her,  in  his  unlawful  bed,  he  got  190 

This  Edward,  whom  our  manners  term  the  prince. 
More  bitterly  could  I  expostulate, 
Save  that,  for  reverence  to  some  alive, 
I  give  a  sparing  limit  to  my  tongue. 
Then,  good  my  lord,  take  to  your  royal  self 
This  proffer'd  benefit  of  dignity ; 
If  not  to  bless  us  and  the  land  withal, 
Yet  to  draw  forth  your  noble  ancestry 
From  the  corruption  of  abusing  times, 
Unto  a  lineal  true-derived  course.  200 

May.  Do,  good  my  lord,  your  citizens  entreat  you. 

Buck.  Refuse  not,  mighty  lord,  this  proffer'd  love. 

Cate.  O,  make  them  joyful,  grant  their  lawful  suit  1 

Glou.  Alas,  why  would  you  heap  these  cares  on  me? 
I  am  unfit  for  state  and  majesty  : 
I  do  beseech  you,  take  it  not  amiss ; 


Scene  7.]        KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.  77 

I  cannot  nor  I  will  not  yield  to  you. 

Buck.  If  you  refuse  it, — as,  in  love  and  zeal, 
Loath  to  depose  the  child,  your  brother's  son; 
As  well  we  know  your  tenderness  of  heart  210 

And  gentle,  kind,  effeminate  remorse, 
Which  we  have  noted  in  you  to  your  kin, 
And  egally  indeed  to  all  estates,— 
Yet  whether  you  accept  our  suit  or  no, 
Your  brother's  son  shall  never  reign  our  king ; 
But  we  will  plant  some  other  in  the  throne. 
To  the  disgrace  and  downfall  of  your  house : 
And  in  this  resolution  here  we  leave  you. — 
Come,  citizens :  'zounds  !  I  '11  entreat  no  more. 

Glou,  O,  do  not  swear,  my  lord  of  Buckingham.  220 

\Exit  Buckingham  with  the  Citizens, 

Cate.  Call  them  again,  my  lord,  and  accept  their  suit. 

Another.  Do,  good  my  lord,  lest  all  the  land  do  rue  it. 

Glou,  Would  you  enforce  me  to  a  world  of  care? 
Well,  call  them  again.     I  am  not  made  of  stones, 
But  penetrable  to  your  kind  entreats. 
Albeit  against  my  conscience  and  my  soul. 

Re-enter  BUCKINGHAM  and  the  rest. 

Cousin  of  Buckingham,  and  you  sage,  grave  men, 

Since  you  will  buckle  fortune  on  my  back. 

To  bear  her  burthen,  whether  I  will  or  no, 

I  must  have  patience  to  endure  the  load :  230 

But  if  black  scandal  or  foul-faced  reproach 

Attend  the  sequel  of  your  imposition. 

Your  mere  enforcement  shall  acquittance  me 

From  all  the  impure  blots  and  stains  thereof; 

For  God  he  knows,  and  you  may  partly  see. 

How  far  I  am  from  the  desire  thereof 

May.  God  bless  your  grace !  we  see  it,  and  will  say  it. 

Glou.  In  saying  so,  you  shall  but  say  the  truth. 

Buck.  Then  I  salute  you  with  this  kingly  title: 
Long  live  Richard,  England's  royal  king !  240 

May.  ajtd  Cit.  Amen. 

Buck.  To-morrow  will  it  please  you  to  be  crown'd? 

Glou.  Even  when  you  please,  since  you  will  have  it  so. 

Buck.  To-morrow,  then,  we  will  attend  your  grace : 
And  so  most  joyfully  we  take  our  leave. 

Glou.  Come,  let  us  to  our  holy  task  again. 
Farewell,  good  cousin  ;  farewell,  gentle  friends.         {Exeunt. 


78  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 

ACT    IV. 
Scene  I.    Before  the  Tower. 

Enter,  on  one  side,  Queen  Elizabeth,  Duchess  of  York, 
and  Marquess  of  Dorset;  on  the  other,  Anne. 
Duchess  of  Gloucester,  leadmg  Lady  Margaret 
Plantagenet,  Clarence's  jK^^/;i;^  daughter, 

Duch.  Who  meets  us  here  ?  my  niece  Plantagenet, 
Led  in  the  hand  of  her  kind  aunt  of  Gloucester? 
Now,  for  my  life,  she's  wandering  to  the  Tower, 
On  pure  heart's  love  to  greet  the  tender  princes. 
Daughter,  well  met. 

Anne.  God  give  your  graces  both 

A  happy  and  a  joyful  time  of  day  ! 

Q.  Eliz.  As  much  to  you,  good  sister!     Whither  away? 

Anne.  No  farther  than  the  Tower ;  and,  as  I  guess, 
Upon  the  like  devotion  as  yourselves, 
To  gratulate  the  gentle  princes  there.  lo 

Q.  Eliz.  Kind  sister,  thanks :  we  '11  enter  all  together. 

Enter  Brakenbury. 

And,  in  good  time,  here  the  lieutenant  comes. 

Master  lieutenant,  pray  you,  by  your  leave, 

How  doth  the  prince,  and  my  young  son  of  York? 

Brak.  Right  well,  dear  madam.     By  your  patience, 
i  may  not  suffer  you  to  visit  them : 
The  king  hath  straitly  charged  the  contrary. 

Q.  Eliz.  The  king!  why,  who's  that? 

Brak.  I  cry  you  mercy :  I  mean  the  lord  protector. 

Q.  Eliz.  The  Lord  protect  him  from  that  kingly  title  1     20 
Hath  he  set  bounds  betwixt  their  love  and  me? 
I  am  their  mother;  who  should  keep  me  from  them? 

Duch.  I  am  their  father's  mother ;  I  will  see  them. 

Anne.  Their  aunt  I  am  in  law,  in  love  their  mother : 
Then  bring  me  to  their  sights ;  I  '11  bear  thy  blame 
And  take  thy  office  from  thee,  on  my  peril. 

Brak.   No,  madam,  no;  I  may  not  leave  it  so: 
I  am  bound  by  oath,  and  therefore  pardon  me.  \Exit. 

Enter  Lord  Stanley. 

Stan.  Let  me  but  meet  you,  ladies,  one  hour  hence. 
And  I  '11  salute  your  grace  of  York  as  mother,  30 


Scene  i.]        KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  79 

And  reverend  looker  on,  of  two  fair  queens. 

[To  Anne]  Come,  madam,  you  must  straight  to  Westminster, 

There  to  be  crowned  Richard's  royal  queen. 

Q.  Eltz.  O,  cut  my  lace  in  sunder,  that  my  pent  heart 

May  have  some  scope  to  beat,  or  else  I  swoon 

With  this  dead-killing  news  ! 
Anne,  Despiteful  tidings !     O  unpleasing  news !  ) 

Dor.  Be  of  good  cheer:  mother,  how  fares  your  grace?    '   v^f^jj^^ 
Q.  Eliz.  O  Dorset,  speak  not  to  me,  get  thee  hence !    j        j  U»^ 

Death  and  destruction  dog  thee  at  the  heels ;  40 

Thy  mother's  name  is  ominous  to  children. 

If  thou  wilt  outstrip  death,  go  cross  the  seas,  I 

And  live  with  Richmond,  from  the  reach  of  hell :  /  O  V      ^ 

Go,  hie  thee, -hie  thoa  from  this  slaughter-house,  /    V\  I  oV\ 

Lest  thou  increase  the  number  of  the  dead,  /  0 

And  make  me  die  the  thrall  of  Margaret's  curse,  /       />%(/yv>^ 

Nor  mother,  wife,  nor  England's  counted  queen.  /         ' 

Stan.  Full  of  wise  care  is  this  your  counsel,  madam. 

Take  all  the  swift  advantage  of  the  hours ; 

You  shall  have  letters  from  me  to  my  son  50 

To  meet  you  on  the  way,  and  welcome  you. 

Be  not  ta'en  tardy  by  unwise  delay. 
Duck.  O  ill-dispersing  wind  of  misery ! 

0  my  accursed  womb,  the  bed  of  death ! 

A  cockatrice  hast  thou  hatch'd  to  the  world, 
Whose  unavoided  eye  is  murderous. 

Stan.  Come,  madam,  come ;  I  in  all  haste  was  sent. 

Anne.  And  I  in  all  unwillingness  will  go. 

1  would  to  God  that  the  inclusive  verge 

Of  golden  metal  that  must  round  my  brow  60 

Were  red-hot  steel,  to  sear  me  to  the  brain ! 

Anointed  let  me  be  with  deadly  venom. 

And  die,  ere  men  can  say,  God  save  the  queen ! 

Q.  Eltz.  Go,  go,  poor  soul,  I  envy  not  thy  glory ; 
To  feed  my  humour,  wish  thyself  no  harm. 

Anne.  No!  why?     When  he  that  is  my  husband  now 
Came  to  me,  as  I  follow'd  Henry's  corse. 
When  scarce  the  blood  was  well  wash'd  from  his  hands 
Which  issued  from  my  other  angel  husband 
And  that  dead  saint  which  then  I  weeping  follow'd ;  70 

O,  when,* I  say,  I  look'd  on  Richard's  face, 
This  was  my  wish:  *  Be  thou',  quoth  I,  ^accursed. 
For  making  me,  so  young,  so  old  a  widow ! 
And,  when  thou  wed'st,  let  sorrow  haunt  thy  bed; 
And  be  thy  wife — if  any  be  so  mad — 


!^ 


8o  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 

As  miserable  by  the  life  of  thee 
As  thou  hast  made  me  by  my  dear  lord^s  death  1' 
Lo,  ere  I  can  repeat  this  curse  again, 
Even  in  so  short  a  space,  my  woman's  heart 
Grossly  grew  captive  to  his  honey  words  80 

And  proved  the  subject  of  my  own  soul's  curse, 
Which  ever  since  hath  kept  my  eyes  from  rest ; 
For  never  yet  one  hour  in  his  bed 
Have  I  enjoy'd  the  golden  dew  of  sleep, 
But  have  been  waked  by  his  timorous  dreams. 
A .  Y  Besides,  he  hates  me  for  my  father  Warwick ; 
y  (pr^   i  And  will,  no  doubt,  shortly  be  rid  of  me. 
^X  Q.  Eliz.  Poor  heart,  adieu !  I  pity  thy  complaining. 

^      Anite.  No  more  than  from  my  soul  I  mourn  for  yours. 
Q.  Eliz.  Farewell,  thou  woful  welcomer  of  glory !  90 

Anne.  Adieu,  poor  soul,  that  takest  thy  leave  of  it ! 
Duck.  [To  Dorset^  Go  thou  to  Richmond,  and  good  for- 
tune guide  thee  ! 
[To  Anne  ^  Go  thou  to  Richard,  and  good  angels  guard 

thee ! 
[To  Q.  Eliz.']  Go  thou  to  sanctuary,  and  good  thoughts 
w  possess  thee ! 

V<  I  to  my  grave,  where  peace  and  rest  lie  with  me ! 

f^  Eighty  odd  years  of  sorrow  have  I  seen, 

And  each  hour's  joy  wreck'd  with  a  week  of  teen. 

Q.  Eliz.  Stay,  yet  look  back  with  me  unto  the  Tower. 
Pity,  you  ancient  stones,  those  tender  babes 
Whom  envy  hath  immured  within  your  walls !  lOO 

Rough  cradle  for  such  little  pretty  ones ! 
Rude  ragged  nurse,  old  sullen  playfellow 
For  tender  princes,  use  my  babies  well ! 
So  foolish  sorrow  bids  your  stones  farewell.  [Exeunt 

Scene  II.     London.     The  palace. 

Sennet.   Enter  Richard,  in  po7np,  croumedj  Buckingham, 
Catesby,  a  Page,  and  others. 

K.  Rich,  Stand  all  apart.     Cousin  of  Buckingham ! 

Buck.  My  gracious  sovereign  ? 

K.  Rich.    Give   me   thy  hand.      [Here  he  ascendeth  his 
throne^  Thus  high,  by  thy  advice 
And  thy  assistance,  is  King  Richard  seated : 
But  shall  we  wear  these  honours  for  a  day? 
Or  shall  they  last,  and  we  rejoice  in  them? 


Scene  2.]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  8l 

Buck.  Still  live  they  and  for  ever  may  they  last ! 

K.  Rich,  O  Buckingham,  now  do  I  play  the  touch, 
To  try  if  thou  be  current  gold  indeed : 
Young  Edward  lives  :  think  now  what  I  would  say.  lo 

Buck.  Say  on,  my  loving  lord. 

K,  Rich,  Why,  Buckingham,  I  say,  I  would  be  king. 

Buck.  Why,  so  you  are,  my  thrice-renowned  liege. 

K,  Rich,  Ha!  am  I  king.^  'tis  so:  but  Edward  lives. 

Buck,  True,  noble  prince. 

K.  Rich,  O  bitter  consequence, 

That  Edward  still  should  live  true  noble  prince ! 
Cousin,  thou  wert  not  wont  to  be  so  dull : 
Shall  I  be  plain .'^    I  wish  the  bastards  dead; 
And  I  would  have  it  suddenly  perform'd. 
What  sayest  thou?  speak  suddenly;  be  brief.  20 

Buck.  Your  grace  may  do  your  pleasure. 

K.  Rich.  Tut^  tut,  thou  art  all  ice,  thy  kindness  freezeth  : 
Say,  have  I  thy  consent  that  they  shall  die.^^ 

Buck.  Give  me  some  breath,  some  little  pause,  my  lord, 
Before  I  positively  speak  herein : 
I  will  resolve  your  grace  immediately.  {Exit. 

Cate.  [Aside  to  a  stander  by\  The  king  is  angry :  see,  he 
bites  the  lip. 

K.  Rich.  I  will  converse  with  iron-witted  fools 
And  unrespective  boys  :  none  are  for  me 
That  look  into  me  with  considerate  eyes :  30 

High-reaching  Buckingham  grows  circumspect. 
Boy! 

Page.  My  lord? 

K,  Rich.  Know'st  thou  not  any  whom  corrupting  gold 
Would  tempt  unto  a  close  exploit  of  death? 

Page,  My  lord,  I  know  a  discontented  gentleman. 
Whose  humble  means  match  not  his  haughty  mind : 
Gold  were  as  good  as  twenty  orators, 
And  will,  no  doubt,  tempt  him  to  any  thing.  39 

K,  Rich,  What  is  his  name? 

Page.  His  name,  my  lord,  is  Tyrrel. 

K,  Rich,  I  partly  know  the  man :  go,  call  him  hither. 

{Exit  Page, 
The  deep-revolving  witty  Buckingham 
No  more  shall  be  the  neighbour  to  my  counsel : 
Hath  he  so  long  held  out  with  me  untired, 
And  stops  he  now  for  breath? 


(M233)  F 


82 


KING   RICHARD  THE   THIRD.         [Act  IV. 


.Vcl 


Enter  Stanley. 


How  now!  what  news  with  yoti? 

Stan,  My  lord,  I  hear  the  Marquis  Dorset's  fled 
To  Richmond,  in  those  parts  beyond  the  sea 
Where  he  abides. 

K.  Rich.  Catesby! 

Gate.  My  lord? 

K.  Rich.  Rumour  it  abroad 
That  Anne,  my  wife,  is  sick  and  like  to  die: 
I  will  take  order  for  her  keeping  close. 
Inquire  me  out  some  mean-born  gentleman, 
Whom  I  will  marry  straight  to  Clarence'  daughter: 
The  boy  is  foolish,  and  I  fear  not  him. 
Look,  how  thou  dream'st !  I  say  again,  give  out 
That  Anne  my  wife  is  sick  and  like  to  die : 
About  it ;  for  it  stands  me  much  upon, 
To  stop  all  hopes  whose  growth  may  damage  me. 


{Stands  apart. 


50 


60 


{Exit  Catesby, 
I  must  be  married  to  my  brother's  daughter, 
Or  else  my  kingdom  stands  on  brittle  glass. 
Murder  her  brothers,  and  then  marry  her! 
Uncertain  way  of  gain  1     But  I  am  in 
So  far  in  blood  that  sin  will  pluck  on  sin : 
Tear-falling  pity  dwells  not  in  this  eye. 

Re-enter  Page,  with  Tyrrel. 

Is  thy  name  Tyrrel? 

Tyr.  James  Tyrrel,  and  your  most  obedient  subject. 

K.  Rich.  Art  thou,  indeed? 

Tyr.  Prove  me,  my  gracious  sovereign. 

K.  Rich.  Darest  thou  resolve  to  kill  a  friend  of  mine?      'jo 

Tyr.  Ay,  my  lord  ; 
But  I  had  rather  kill  two  enemies. 

K.  Rich.  Why,  there  thou  hast  it :  two  deep  enemies, 
Foes  to  my  rest  and  my  sweet  sleep's  disturbers 
Are  they  that  I  would  have  thee  deal  upon : 
Tyrrel,  I  mean  those  bastards  in  the  Tower. 

Tyr.  Let  me  have  open  means  to  come  to  them, 
And  soon  I  '11  rid  you  from  the  fear  of  them. 

K.  Rich.  Thou  sing'st  sweet  music.     Hark,  come  hither, 
Tyrrel : 
Go,  by  this  token:  rise,  and  lend  thine  ear:      {Whispers.   80 
There  is  no  more  but  so :  say  it  is  done, 
And  I  will  love  thee,  and  prefer  thee  too. 


Scene  2.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  83 

Tyr.  'T  is  done,  my  gracious  lord. 

K.  Rich.  Shall  we  hear  from  thee,  Tyrrel,  ere  we  sleep? 

Tyr.  Ye  shall,  my  lord.  {Exit 

Re-enter  BUCKINGHAM. 

Buck,  My  lord,  I  have  consider'd  in  my  mind  ^M-i^ 

The  late  demand  that  you  did  sound  me  in.  ^^a 

K.  Rich.  Well,  let  that  pass.     Dors^et  is  fled  to  Richmond.      ^ 

Buck.  I  hear  that  news,  my  lord.  ^^___      - — - 

K.  Rich.  Stanley,  he  is  your  wafe's  son  :  well^  look  to  it.  90 

Buck.  My  lord,  I  claim  your  gift,  my  due  by  promise, 
For  which  your  honour  and  your  faith  is  pawn'd ; 
The  earldom  of  Hereford  and  the  moveables 
The  which  you  promised  I  should  possess. 

K.  Rich.  Stanley,  look  to  your  wife :  if  she  convey 
Letters  to  Richmond^  you  shall  answer  it. 

Buck.  V7!Tari5'SyS"your  highness  to  my  just  demand? 

K.  Rich.  As  I  remember,  Henry  the  Sixth 
Did  prophesy  that  Rictimond  should  be  king, 
When  Richmond  wSs^a  little^eevish  boy.  100 

A  king,  perhaps,  perhaps, — 

Buck.  My  lord ! 

K.  Rich,  How  chance  the  prophet  could  not  at  that  time 
Have  told  me,  I  being  by,  that  I  should  kill  him? 

Buck.  My  lord,  your  promise  for  the  earldom, — 

K.  Rich.  Richmond !     When  last  I  was  at  Exeter, 

he  mayor  uTcourfeiy^show'd  me  the  castle. 
And  call'd  it  Rougemon^^^t  which  name  I  started, 
Because  a  bard  of  Ireland  told-pie  once, 
I  should  not  live  long  after  I  saw^-Eichmond.  1 10 

Buck.  My  lord ! 

K.  Rich.  Ay,  what's  o'clock? 

Buck.  I  am  thus  bold  to  put  your  grace  in  mind 
Of  what  you  promised  me. 

K.  Rich.  Well,  but  what 's  o'clock? 

Buck.  Upon  the  stroke  of  ten. 

K.  Rich.  Well,  let  it  strike. 

Buck.  Why  let  it  strike? 

K.  Rich.  Because  that,  like  a  Jack,  thou  keep'st  the  stroke 
Betwixt  thy  begging  and  my  meditation. 
I  am  not  in  the  giving  vein  to-day. 

Buck.  Why,  then  resolve  me  whether  you  will  or  no.      120 

K.  Rich.  Tut,  tut, 
Thou  troublest  me ;  I  am  not  in  the  vein. 

{Exeunt  all  but  Buckingham. 


84  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 

Buck.  Is  it  even  so?  rewards  he  my  true  service 
^ith  such  deep  contempt?  made  I  him  king  for  this? 

,  let  me  think  on  Hastings,  and  be  gone 
To  Brecknock,  while  my  fearful  head  is  on !  \Exit, 

Scene  III.     The  same. 

Enter  Tyrrel. 

Tyr.  The  tyrannous  and  bloody  deed  is  done, 
The  most  arch  act  of  piteous  massacre 
That  ever  yet  this  land  was  guilty  of. 
Dighton  and  Forrest,  whom  I  did  suborn 
To  do  this  ruthless  piece  of  butchery, 
Although  they  were  flesh'd  villains,  bloody  dogs, 
Melting  with  tenderness  and  kind  compassion 
Wept  like  two  children  in  their  deaths'  sad  stories. 
*Lo,  thus',  quoth  Dighton,  May  those  tender  babes*: 
'Thus,  thus,'  quoth  Forrest,  *  girdling  one  another  lo 

Within  their  innocent  alabaster  arms : 
Their  lips  were  four  red  roses  on  a  stalk, 
Which  m  their  summer  beauty  kiss'd  each  other. 
A  book  of  prayers  on  their  pillow  lay ; 
Which  once',  quoth  Forrest,  *  almost  changed  my  mind; 
But  O  !  the  devil' — there  the  villain  stopp'd ; 
Whilst  Dighton  thus  told  on  :  'We  smothered 
The  most  replenished  sweet  work  of  nature. 
That  from  the  prime  creation  e'er  she  framed.' 
Thus  both  are  gone  with  conscience  and  remorse ;  20 

They  could  not  speak ;  and  so  I  left  them  both. 
To  bring  this  tidings  to  the  bloody  king. 
And  here  he  comes. 

Enter  King  Richard. 

All  hail,  my  sovereign  liege  I 

K.  Rich,  Kind  Tyrrel,  am  I  happy  in  thy  news? 

Tyr  If  to  have  done  the  thing  you  gave  in  charge 
Beget  your  happiness,  be  happy  then, 
For  it  is  done,  my  lord. 

K.  Rich,  But  didst  thou  see  them  dead? 

Tyr.   I  did,  my  lord. 

K.  Rich.  And  buried,  gentle  Tyrrel? 

Tyr.  The  chaplain  of  the  Tower  hath  buried  them ; 
But  how  or  in  what  place  I  do  not  know.  30 

K.  Rich,  Come  to  me,  Tyrrel,  soon  at  after  supper, 


Scene  4.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD. 


85 


And  thou  shalt  tell  the  process  of  their  death. 

Meantime,  but  think  how  I  may  do  thee  good, 

And  be  inheritor  of  thy  desire. 

Farewell  till  soon.  [Exit  Tyrrel. 

The  son  of  Clarence  have  I  pent  up  close ; 

His  daughter  meanly  have  I  match'd  in  marriage; 

The  sons  of  Edward  sleep  in  Abraham's  bosom, 

And_Anne  my  wife  hath  bid  the  world  good-night. 

'Now^for  1  know  the  Breton  Richmond  aims' 

At  young  Elizabeth,  my  b r ot terV dang IneTT^ 

And,  by  that  knot,  looks  proudly  o'er  the  crown, 

To  her  I  go,  a  jolly  thriving  wooer. 

Enter  Catesby.  / 

Gate.  My  lord! 

K,  Rich.  Good  news  or  bad,  that  thou  comest  in  so  bluntly? 

Gate.  Bad  news,  my  lord :  EIy^js  tied  to  Richmond,; 
And  Buckingham,  back'd  with  the  hardy  Welshmen, 
Is  in  the  field,  and  still  his  power  increaseth. 

K.  Rich.  Ely  with  Riclpiond  troubles  me  more  near 
Than  Buckingham  andms'lSsB^-levied  army 


-^^■a.W^^ 


Come,  I  have  heard  that  fearful  commenting 

Is  leaden  servitor  to  dull  delay; 

Delay  leads  impotent  and  snail-paced  beggary: 

Then  fiery  expedition  be  my  wing, 

Jove's  Mercury,  and  herald  for  a  king ! 

Come,  muster  men  :  my  counsel  is  my  shield  ; 

We  must  be  brief  when  traitors  brave  the  field. 


50 


[Exeunt, 


Scene  IV.     Before  the  palace. 

E7tter  Queen  Margaret. 

Q.  Mar.  So,  now  prosperity  begins  to  mellow 
And  drop  into  the  rotten  mouth  of  death. 
Here  in  these  confines  slily  have  I  lurk'd. 
To  watch  the  waning  of  mine  adversaries. 
A  dire  induction  am  I  witness  to, 
And  will  to  France,  hoping  the  consequence 
Will  prove  as  bitter,  black,  and  tragical. 
Withdraw  thee,  wretched  Margaret:  who  comes  here? 

Enter  Queen  Elizabeth  and  the  Duchess  of  York. 

Q.  Eliz.  Ah,  my  young  princes !  ah,  my  tender  babes  ! 
My  unblown  flowers,  new-appearing  sweets ! 


10 


/ 


/ 


U  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV, 

If  yet  your  gentle  souls  fly  in  the  air 
And  be  not  fix'd  in  doom  perpetual, 
Hover  about  me  with  your  airy  wings 
And  hear  your  mother's  lamentation ! 

Q.  Mar.  Hover  about  her;  say,  that  right  for  right 
Hath  dimm'd  your  infant  morn  to  aged  night. 

Duch.  So  many  miseries  have  crazed  my  voice, 
That  my  woe-wearied  tongue  is  mute  and  dumb. 
Edward  Plantagenet,  why  art  thou  dead? 

Q,  Mar,  Plantagenet  doth  quit  Plantagenet.  im> 

Edward  for  Edward  pays  a  dying  debt. 

Q.  Eliz,  Wilt  thou,  O  God,  fly  from  such  gentle  lambs, 
And  throw  them  in  the  entrails  of  the  wolf.'* 
When  didst  thou  sleep  when  such  a  deed  was  done? 

Q.  Mar,  When  holy  Harry  died,  and  my  sweet  son. 

Duch.  Blind  sight,  dead  life,  poor  mortal  living  ghost, 
Woe's  scene,  world's  shame,  grave's  due  by  life  usurp'd, 
Brief  abstract  and  recdrd  of  tedious  days. 
Rest  thy  unrest  on  England's  lawful  earth,        [Sitting  down. 
Unlawfully  made  drunk  with  innocents'  blood !  3« 

Q,  Eliz.  O,  that  thou  wouldst  as  well  afford  a  grave 
As  thou  canst  yield  a  melancholy  seat ! 
Then  would  I  hide  my  bones,  not  rest  them  here. 
O,  who  hath  any  cause  to  mourn  but  I  ?   [Sitting down  by  her. 

Q.  Mar.  If  ancient  sorrow  be  most  reverend, 
Give  mine  the  benefit  of  seniory, 
And  let  my  woes  frown  on  the  upper  hand. 
If  sorrow  can  admit  society,  [Sitting  down  with  them. 

)  Tell  o'er  your  woes  again  by  viewing  mine : 
I  I  had  an  Edward,  till  a  Richard  kill'd  him ;  40 

I  had  a  Harry,  till  a  Richard  kill'd  him : 
Thou  hadst  an  Edward,  till  a  Richard  kill'd  him ; 
Thou  hadst  a  Richard,  till  a  Richard  kill'd  him. 

Duch.  I  had  a  Richard  too,  and  thou  didst  kill  him ; 
I  had  a  Rutland  too,  thou  holp'st  to  kill  him. 

Q.  Maf .  Thou  hadst  a  Clarence  too,  and  Richard  kill'd  him. 
From  forth  the  kennel  of  thy  womb  hath  crept 
A  hell-hound  that  doth  hunt  us  all  to  death : 
That  dog,  that  had  his  teeth  before  his  eyes, 
To  worry  lambs  and  lap  their  gentle  blood,  $• 

That  foul  defacer  of  God's  handiwxjrk. 
That  excellent  grand  tyrant  of  the  earth. 
That  reigns  in  galled  eyes  of  weeping  souls, 
Thy  womb  let  loose,  to  chase  us  to  our  graves. 
O  upright,  just,  and  true-disposing  God, 


'.  ^(jV^^ 


Scene  4.]        KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  87 

How  do  I  thank  thee,  that  this  carnal  cur 
Preys  on  the  issue  of  his  mother's  body, 
And  makes  her  pew-fellow  with  others'  moan ! 

Duck,  O  Harry's  wife,  triumph  not  in  my  woes ! 
God  witness  with  me,  I  have  wept  for  thine.  60 

Q,  Mar.  Bear  with  me ;  I  am  hungry  for  revenge, 
And  now  I  cloy  me  with  beholding  it. 
Thy  Edward  he  is  dead,  that  stabb'd  my  Edward ; 
Thy  other  Edward  dead,  to  quit  my  Edward ; 
Young  York  he  is  but  boot,  because  both  they 
Match  not  the  high  perfection  of  my  loss : 
Thy  Clarence  he  is  dead  that  kill'd  my  Edward ; 
And  the  beholders  of  this  tragic  play, 
The  adulterate  Hastings,  Rivers,  Vaughan,  Grey, 
Untimely  smother'd  in  their  dusky  graves.  f^ 

Richard  yet  lives,  hell's  black  intelligencer. 
Only  reserved  their  factor,  to  buy  souls 
And  send  them  thither :  but  at  hand,  at  hand, 
Ensues  his  piteous  and  unpitied  end : 
Earth  gapes,  hell  burns,  fiends  roar,  saints  pray^ 
To  have  him  suddenly  convey'd  away. 
Cancel  his  bond  of  life,  dear  God,  I  pray. 
That  I  may  live  to  say.  The  dog  is  dead ! 

Q.  Eliz.  O,  thou  didst  prophesy  the  time  would  come 
That  I  should  wish  for  thee  to  help  me  curse  80 

That  bottled  spider,  that  foul  bunch-back'd  toad ! 

g.  Mar,  I  call'd  thee  then  vain  flourish  of  my  fortune ; 
I  call'd  thee  then  poor  shadow,  painted  queen ; 
The  presentation  of  but  what  I  was ; 
The  flattering  index  of  a  direful  pageant ; 
One  heaved  a-high,  to  be  hurl'd  down  below ; 
A  mother  only  mock'd  with  two  sweet  babes ; 
A  dream  of  what  thou  wert,  a  breath,  a  bubble, 
A  sign  of  dignity,  a  garish  flag. 

To  be  the  aim  of  every  dangerous  shot ;  9^ 

A  queen  in  jest,  only  to  fill  the  scene. 
Where  is  thy  husband  now?  where  be  thy  brothers? 
Where  are  thy  children?  wherein  dost  thou  joy? 
Who  sues  to  thee  and  cries  *  God  save  the  queen '  ? 
Where  be  the  bending  peers  that  flatter'd  thee? 
Where  be  the  thronging  troops  that  follow'd  thee? 
Decline  all  this,  and  see  what  now  thou  art ; 
For  happy  wife,  a  most  distressed  widow ; 
For  joyful  mother,  one  that  wails  the  name ; 
For  queen,  a  very  caitiff  crown'd  with  care ;  lOO 


ss 


KING  RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 


I^ 


n\A 


liA 


For  one  being  sued  to,  one  that  humbly  sues ; 

For  one  that  scorn'd  at  me,  now  scorn'd  of  me ; 

For  one  being  fear'd  of  all,  now  fearing  one ; 

For  one  commanding  all,  obey'd  of  none. 

Thus  hath  the  course  of  justice  wheel'd  about, 

And  left  thee  but  a  very  prey  to  time ; 

Having  no  more  but  thought  of  what  thou  wert, 

To  torture  thee  the  more,  being  what  thou  art. 

Thou  didst  usurp  my  place,  and  dost  thou  not 

Usurp  the  just  proportion  of  my  sorrow?  no 

Now  thy  proud  neck  bears  half  my  burthen'd  yoke ; 

From  which  even  here  I  slip  my  weary  neck, 

And  leave  the  burthen  of  it  all  on  thee. 

Farewell,  York's  wife,  and  queen  of  sad  mischance : 

These  English  woes  will  make  me  smile  in  France. 

Q.  Eliz.  O  thou  well  skill'd  in  curses,  stay  awhile, 
And  teach  me  how  to  curse  mine  enemies ! 

Q.  Mar.  Forbear  to  sleep  the  nights,  and  fast  the  days ; 
Compare  dead  happiness  with  living  woe ; 
Think  that  thy  babes  were  fairer  than  they  were,  120 

And  he  that  slew  them  fouler  than  he  is : 
Bettering  thy  loss  makes  the  bad  causer  worse : 
Revolving  this  will  teach  thee  how  to  curse. 

Q.  Eliz.  My  words  are  dull ;  O,  quicken  them  with  thine! 

Q.  Mar.  Thy  woes  will  make  them  sharp,  and  pierce  Hke 
mine.  \Exit. 

Duch.  Why  should  calamity  be  full  of  words?  ^ 

Q.  Eliz.  Windy  attorneys  to  their  client  woes,  / 
Airy  succeeders  of  intestate  joys,  (/ 

Poor  breathing  orators  of  miseries ! 

Let  them  have  scope:  though  what  they  do  impart  130 

Help  not  at  all,  yet  do  they  ease  the  heart. 

Duch.  If  so,  then  be  not  tongue-tied :  go  with  me. 
And  in  the  breath  of  bitter  words  let  ^s  smother 
My  damned  son,  which  thy  two  sweet  sons  smother'd. 
I  hear  his  drum :  be  copious  in  exclaims. 

Enter  King  Richard,  marchings  with  drums  and  trumpets. 

K.  Rich.  Who  intercepts  my  expedition? 

Duch.  O,  she  that  might  have  intercepted  thee, 
By  strangling  thee  in  her  accursed  womb. 
From  all  the  slaughters,  wretch,  that  thou  hast  done ! 

Q.  Eliz.  Hidest  thou  that  forehead  with  a  golden  crown,   • 
Where  should  be  graven,  if  that  right  were  right,  141 

The  slaughter  of  the  prince  that  owed  that  crown, 


Scene  4.]         KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.  89 

And  the  dire  death  of  my  two  sons  and  brothers? 
Tell  me,  thou  villain  slave,  where  are  my  children? 

Duck.  Thou  toad,  thou  toad,  where  is  thy  brother  Clarence? 
And  little  Ned  Plantagenet,  his  son? 

Q.  Eliz,  Where  is  kind  Hastings,  Rivers,  Vaughan,  Grey? 

K.  Rich.  A  flourish,  trumpets  !  strike  alarum,  drums  I 
Let  not  the  heavens  hear  these  tell-tale  women 
Rail  on  the  Lord's  anointed :  strike,  I  say !  1 50 

{Flourish,    Alarums. 
Either  be  patient,  and  entreat  me  fair, 
Or  with  the  clamorous  report  of  war 
Thus  will  I  drown  your  exclamations. 

Duch.  Art  thou  my  son? 

K.  Rich.  Ay,  I  thank  God,  my  father,  and  yourself. 

Duch.  Then  patiently  hear  my  impatience. 

K.  Rich.  Madam,  I  have  a  touch  of  your  condition, 
Which  cannot  brook  the  accent  of  reproof. 

Duch.  O,  let  me  speak ! 

K.  Rich.  Do  then,  but  I  '11  not  hear. 

Duch.   I  will  be  mild  and  gentle  in  my  speech.  160 

K.  Rich.  And  brief,  good  mother ;  for  I  am  in  haste. 

Duch.  Art  thou  so  hasty?     1  have  stay'd  for  thee, 
God  knows,  in  anguish,  pain  and  agony. 

K.  Rich.  And  came  I  not  at  last  to  comfort  you? 

Duch.  No,  by  the  holy  rood,  thou  know'st  it  well, 
Thou  camest  on  earth  to  make  the  earth  my  hell. 
A  grievous  burthen  was  thy  birth  to  me ; 
Tetchy  and  wayward  was  thy  infancy ; 
Thy  school-days  frightful,  desperate,  wild,  and  furious, 
Thy  prime  of  manhood  daring,  bold,  and  venturous,  170 

Thy  age  confirm'd,  proud,  subtle,  bloody,  treacherous. 
More  mild,  but  yet  more  harmful,  kind  in  hatred : 
What  comfortable  hour  canst  thou  name. 
That  ever  graced  me  in  thy  company? 

K.  Rich.  Faith,  none,  but  Humphrey  Hour,  that  call'd  your 
grace 
To  breakfast  once  forth  of  my  company. 
If  I  be  so  disgracious  in  your  sight, 
Let  me  march  on,  and  not  offend  your  grace. 
Strike  up  the  drum. 

Duch.  I  prithee,  hear  me  speak. 

K.  Rich.  You  speak  too  bitterly. 

Duch.  Hear  me  a  word;        180 

For  I  shall  never  speak  to  thee  again. 

K,  Rich,  So. 


90  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 

Duch.  Either  thou  wilt  die,  by  God's  just  ordinance, 
Ere  from  this  war  thou  turn  a  conqueror, 
/Or  I  with  grief  and  Extreme  age  shall  perish 
I  And  never  look  upon  thy  face  again. 
Therefore  take  with  thee  my  most  heavy  curse ; 
Which,  in  the  day  of  battle,  tire  thee  more 
\  \Than  all  the  cdmplete  armour  that  thou  wear'st! 
■  ^      My  prayers  on  the  adverse  party  fight ;  190 

KAnd  there  the  little  souls  of  Edward's  children 
Whisper  the  spirits  of  thine  enemies 
And  promise  them  success  and  victory. 
Bloody  thou  art,  bloody  will  be  thy  end ; 
Shame  serves  thy  life  and  doth  thy  death  attend.  {Exit, 

Q.  Eliz,  Though  far  more  cause,  yet  much  less  spirit  to 
curse 
Abides  in  me ;  I  say  amen  to  all. 

K.  Rich,  Stay,  madam ;  I  must  speak  a  word  with  you. 

Q.  Eliz.  I  have  no  moe  sons  of  the  royal  blood 
For  thee  to  murder :  for  my  daughters,  Richard,  200 

They  shall  be  praying  nuns,  not  weeping  queens; 
And  therefore  level  not  to  hit  their  lives. 

K.  Rich.  You  have  a  daughter  call'd  Elizabeth, 
Virtuous  and  fair,  royal  and  gracious. 

Q.  Eliz.  And  must  she  die  for  this?     O,  let  her  live. 
And  I  '11  corrupt  her  manners,  stain  her  beauty ; 
Throw  over  her  the  veil  of  infamy : 
So  she  may  live  unscarr'd  of  bleeding  slaughter, 
I  will  confess  she  was  not  Edward's  daughter.  2lo 

K.  Rich.  Wrong  not  her  birth,  she  is  of  royal  blood. 

Q.  Eliz,  To  save  her  life,  I  '11  say  she  is  not  so. 

K,  Rich.  Her  life  is  only  safest  in  her  birth. 

Q.  Eliz.  And  only  in  that  safety  died  her  brothers. 

K.  Rich.  Lo,  at  their  births  good  stars  were  opposite. 

Q.  Eliz.  No,  to  their  lives  bad  friends  were  contrary. 

K.  Rich.  All  unavoided  is  the  doom  of  destiny. 

Q.  Eliz.  True,  when  avoided  grace  makes  destiny: 
My  babes  were  destined  to  a  fairer  death, 
If  grace  had  bless'd  thee  with  a  fairer  life.  220 

K.  Rich,  You  speak  as  if  that  I  had  slain  my  cousins. 

Q.  Eliz.  Cousins,  indeed  ;  and  by  their  uncle  cozen'd 
Of  comfort,  kingdom,  kindred,  freedom,  life. 
Whose  hand  soever  lanced  their  tender  hearts. 
Thy  head,  all  indirectly,  gave  direction : 
No  doubt  the  murderous  knife  was  dull  and  blunt 
Till  it  was  whetted  on  thy  stone-hard  heart, 


Scene  4.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  91 

To  revel  in  the  entrails  of  my  lambs. 

But  that  still  use  of  grief  makes  wild  grief  tame, 

My  tongue  should  to  thy  ears  not  name  my  boys  230 

Till  that  my  nails  were  anchor'd  in  thine  eyes ; 

And  I,  in  such  a  desperate  bay  of  death, 

Like  a  poor  bark,  of  sails  and  tackling  reft, 

Rush  all  to  pieces  on  thy  rocky  bosom. 

K,  Rich,  Madam,  so  thrive  I  in  my  enterprise 
And  dangerous  success  of  bloody  wars, 
As  I  intend  more  good  to  you  and  yours 
Than  ever  you  or  yours  were  by  me  wronged  ^ 

Q,  Eliz,  What  good  is  cover'd  with  the  face  of  heaven, 
To  be  discover'd,  that  can  do  me  good.'^  240 

K,  Rich.  The  advancement  of  your  children,  gentle  lady. 

Q.  Eliz,  Up  to  some  scaffold,  there  to  lose  their  heads? 

K.  Rich.  No,  to  the  dignity  and  height  of  honour, 
The  high  imperial  type  of  this  earth's  glory. 

Q.  Eliz.  Flatter  my  sorrows  with  report  of  it ; 
Tell  me  what  state,  what  dignity,  what  honour, 
Canst  thou  demise  to  any  child  of  mine? 

K.  Rich.  Even  all  I  have ;  yea,  and  myself  and  all. 
Will  I  withal  endow  a  child  of  thine ; 

So  in  the  Lethe  of  thy  angry  soul  250 

Thou  drown  the  sad  remembrance  of  those  wrongs 
Which  thou  supposest  I  have  done  to  thee. 

Q.  Eliz.  Be  brief,  lest  that  the  process  of  thy  kindness 
Last  longer  telling  than  thy  kindness'  date. 

K.  Rich.  Then  know,  that  from  my  soul  I  love  thy  daughter. 

Q.  Eliz.  My  daughter's  mother  thinks  it  with  her  soul. 

K.  Rich.  What  do  you  think.^ 

Q.  Eliz.  That  thou  dost  love  my  daughter  from  thy  soul : 
So  from  thy  soul's  love  didst  thou  love  her  brothers ; 
And  from  my  heart's  love  I  do  thank  thee  for  it.  260 

K.  Rich.  Be  not  so  hasty  to  confound  my  meaning: 
I  mean,  that  with  my  soul  I  love  thy  daughter. 
And  mean  to  make  her  queen  of  England. 

Q.  Eliz.  Say  then,  who  dost  thou  mean  shall  be  her  king? 

K.  Rich.  Even  he  that  makes  her  queen :  who  snould  be 
else  ? 

Q.  Eliz.  What,  thou  ? 

K.  Rich.  I,  even  I :  what  think  you  of  it,  madam? 

Q.  Eliz.  How  canst  thou  woo  her? 

K.  Rich.  That  would  I  learn  of  you, 

As  one  that  are  best  acquainted  with  her  humour. 

Q.  Eliz.  And  wilt  thou  learn  of  me? 


92  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 

K.  Rich,  Madam,  with  all  my  heart.     270 

Q,  Eliz,  Send  to  her  by  the  man  that  slew  her  brothers, 
A  pair  of  bleeding  hearts  ;  thereon  engrave 
Edward  and  York;  then  haply  she  will  weep: 
Therefore  present  to  her, — as  sometime  Margaret 
Did  to  thy  father,  steep'd  in  Rutland's  blood, — 
A  handkerchief;  which,  say  to  her,  did  drain 
The  purple  sap  from  her  sweet  brother's  body, 
And  bid  her  dry  her  weeping  eyes  therewith. 
If  this  inducement  force  her  not  to  love, 

Send  her  a  story  of  thy  noble  acts  ;  280 

Tell  her  thou  madest  away  her  uncle  Clarence, 
Her  uncle  Rivers ;  yea,  and,  for  her  sake, 
Madest  quick  conveyance  with  her  good  aunt  Anne. 

K.  Rich.  Come,  come,  you  mock  me ;  this  is  not  the  way 
To  win  your  daughter. 

Q,  Eliz,  There  is  no  other  way ; 

Unless  thou  couldst  put  on  some  other  shape. 
And  not  be  Richard  that  hath  done  all  this. 

K,  Rich.  Say  that  I  did  all  this  for  love  of  her. 

Q.  Eliz.  Nay,  then  indeed  she  cannot  choose  but  hate  thee, 
Having  bought  love  with  such  a  bloody  spoil.  290 

K.  Rich.  Look,  what  is  done  cannot  be  now  amended: 
Men  shall  deal  unadvisedly  sometimes, 
Which  after  hours  give  leisure  to  repent. 
If  I  did  take  the  kingdom  from  your  sons. 
To  make  amends,  I  '11  give  it  to  your  daughter. 
A  grandam's  name  is  little  less  in  love 

Than  is  the  doting  title  of  a  mother ;  300 

They  are  as  children  but  one  step  below, 
Even  of  your  mettle,  of  your  very  blood. 
Your  children  were  vexation  to  your  youth, 
But  mine  shall  be  a  comfort  to  your  age. 
The  loss  you  have  is  but  a  son  being  king. 
And  by  that  loss  your  daughter  is  made  queen. 
I  cannot  make  you  what  amends  I  would, 
Therefore  accept  such  kindness  as  I  can.  310 

Dorset  your  son,  that  with  a  fearful  soul 
Leads  discontented  steps  in  foreign  soil, 
This  fair  alliance  quickly  shall  call  home 
To  high  promotions  and  great  dignity : 
The  king,  that  calls  your  beauteous  daughter  wife, 
Familiarly  shall  call  thy  Dorset  brother; 
Again  shall  you  be  mother  to  a  king, 
And  all  the  ruins  of  distressful  times 


Scene  4.]        KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.  93 

Repair'd  with  double  riches  of  content. 

What !  we  have  many  goodly  days  to  see:  320 

The  liquid  drops  of  tears  that  you  have  shed 

Shall  come  again,  transform'd  to  orient  pearl, 

Advantaging  their  loan  with  interest 

Of  ten  times  double  gain  of  happiness. 

Go,  then,  my  mother,  to  thy  daughter  go ; 

Make  bold  her  bashful  years  with  your  experience  ; 

Prepare  her  ears  to  hear  a  wooer's  tale ; 

Put  in  her  tender  heart  the  aspiring  flame 

Of  golden  sovereignty ;  acquaint  the  princess 

With  the  sweet  silent  hours  of  marriage  joys :  33g 

And  when  this  arm  of  mine  hath  chdstisM 

The  petty  rebel,  dull-brain'd  Buckingham, 

Bound  with  triumphant  garlands  will  I  come 

And  lead  thy  daughter  to  a  conqueror's  bed ; 

To  whom  I  will  retail  my  conquest  won. 

And  she  shall  be  sole  victress,  Caesar's  Cassar. 

Q.  Eliz.  What  were  I  best  to  say?  her  father's  brother 
Would  be  her  lord?  or  shall  I  say,  her  uncle? 
Or,  he  that  slew  her  brothers  and  her  uncles? 
Under  what  title  shall  I  woo  for  thee,  340 

That  God,  the  law,  my  honour  and  her  love. 
Can  make  seem  pleasing  to  her  tender  years  ? 

K,  Rich.  Infer  fair  England's  peace  by  this  alliance. 

Q,  Eliz,  Which  she  shall  purchase  with  still  lasting  war. 

K.  Rich.  Say  that  the  king,  which  may  command,  entreats. 

Q.  Eliz.  That  at  her  hands  w^hich  the  king's  King  forbids. 

K.  Rich.  Say,  she  shall  be  a  high  and  mighty  queen. 

Q.  Eliz.  To  wail  the  title,  as  her  mother  doth. 

K.  Rich.  Say,  I  will  love  her  everlastingly. 

g.  Eliz.  But  how  long  shall  that  title  *ever'  last?  350 

K.  Rich.  Sweetly  in  force  unto  her  fair  life's  end. 

Q.  Eliz.  But  how  long  fairly  shall  her  sweet  life  last? 

K.  Rich,  So  long  as  heaven  and  nature  lengthens  it. 

Q.  Eliz.  So  long  as  hell  and  Richard  likes  of  it. 

K.  Rich.  Say,  I,  her  sovereign,  am  her  subject  love. 

Q.  Eliz.  But  she,  your  subject,  loathes  such  sovereignty. 

K.  Rich.  Be  eloquent  in  my  behalf  to  her. 

Q.  Eliz.  An  honest  tale  speeds  best  being  plainly  told. 

K.  Rich.  Then  in  plain  terms  tell  her  my  loving  tale. 

Q,  Eliz.  Plain  and  not  honest  is  too  harsh  a  style.  360      t'2 

K.  Rich.  Your  reasons  are  too  shallow  and  too  quick.        /      \-) 

Q.  Eliz.  O  no,  my  reasons  are  too  deep  and  dead  j 
Too  deep  and  dead,  poor  infants,  in  their  grave. 


B 


94 


KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 


^N 


'^- 


K,  Rich.  Harp  not  on  that  string,  madam ;  that  is  past. 

Q.  Eliz,  Harp  on  it  still  shall  I  till  heart-strings  break. 

K,  Rich,  Now,  by  my  George,  my  garter,  and  my  crown, — 

Q.  Eliz.  Profaned,  dishonour'd,  and  the  third  usurp'd. 

K,  Rich,  I  swear — 

Q,  Eliz,  By  nothing ;  for  this  is  no  oath : 

The  George,  profaned,  hath  lost  his  holy  honour ; 
The  garter,  blemish'd,  pawn'd  his  knightly  virtue;  370 

The  crown,  usurp'd,  disgraced  his  kingly  glory. 
If  something  thou  wilt  swear  to  be  believed, 
Swear  then  by  something  that  thou  hast  not  wronged. 

K,  Rich.  Now,  by  the  world — 

Q.  Eliz,  T  is  full  of  thy  foul  wrongs. 

K,  Rich,  My  father's  death— 

Q.  Eliz.  Thy  life  hath  that  dishonour'd. 

K,  Rich,  Then,  by  myself— 

Q.  Eliz.  Thyself  thyself  misusest. 

K.  Rich,  Why,  then,  by  God— 

Q,  Eliz.  God's  wrong  is  most  of  all. 

If  thou  hadst  fear'd  to  break  an  oath  by  Him, 
The  unity  the  king  thy  brother  made 

Had  not  been  broken,  nor  my  brother  slain :  380 

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

K,  Rich.  The  time  to  come. 

Q.  Eliz.  That  thou  hast  wronged  in  the  time  o'erpast ; 
For  I  myself  have  many  tears  to  wash 

Hereafter  time,  for  time  past  wrong'd  by  thee.  390 

The  children  live,  whose  parents  thou  hast  slaughter'd, 
Ungovern'd  youth,  to  wail  it  in  their  age ; 
The  parents  live,  whose  children  thou  hast  butcher' d, 
Old  wither'd  plants,  to  wail  it  with  their  age. 
Swear  not  by  time  to  come :  for  that  thou  hast 
Misused  ere  used,  by  time  misused  o'erpast. 

K.  Rich.  As  I  intend  to  prosper  and  repent, 
So  thrive  I  in  my  dangerous  attempt 
Of  hostile  arms  !  myself  myself  confound ! 
Heaven  and  fortune  bar  me  happy  hours !  400 

Day,  yield  me  not  thy  light ;  nor,  night,  thy  rest  I 
Be  opposite  all  planets  of  good  luck 


Scene  4]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  95 

To  my  proceedings,  if,  with  pure  heart's  love, 

Immaculate  devotion,  holy  thoughts, 

I  tender  not  thy  beauteous  princely  daughter ! 

In  her  consists  my  happiness  and  thine ; 

Without  her,  follows  to  this  land  and  me. 

To  thee,  herself,  and  many  a  Christian  soul, 

Death,  desolation,  ruin  and  decay : 

It  cannot  be  avoided  but  by  this ;  410 

It  will  not  be  avoided  but  by  this. 

Therefore,  good  mother, — I  must  call  you  so — 

Be  the  attorney  of  my  love  to  her : 

Plead  what  I  will  be,  not  what  I  have  been ; 

Not  my  deserts,  but  what  I  will  deserve : 

Urge  the  necessity  and  state  of  times. 

And  be  not  peevish-fond  in  great  designs. 

Q.  Eliz.  Shall  I  be  tempted  of  the  devil  thus? 

K.  Rich,  Ay,  if  the  devil  tempt  thee  to  do  good. 

Q.  Eliz,  Shall  I  forget  myself  to  be  myself.'*  420 

K,  Rich,  Ay,  if  yourself  s  remembrance  wrong  yourself. 

Q,  Eliz,  Shall  I  go  win  my  daughter  to  thy  will? 

K,  Rich,  And  be  a  happy  mother  by  the  deed. 

Q,  Eliz,  I  go.     Write  to  me  very  shortly. 
And  you  shall  understand  from  me  her  mind. 

K,  Rich,  Bear  her  my  true  love's  kiss ;  and  so,  farewell. 

{Exit  Queen  Elizabeth,  430 
Relenting  fool,  and  shallow,  changing  woman ! 

Enter  Rktciayf ',  QhT^^SWi  following. 

How  now!  what  news?  \  jU 

Rat,  My  gracious  sovereign,  on  the  western  coast     |  \\  /^/ 
gideth  a  puissant  navy;  to  the  shore  H^j± 

TTff bng  many  doubtful  hollow-hearted  friends,         ^  \  * 

Unarm'd,  and  unresolved  to  beat  them  back : 
'T  is  thought  that  Richmondjs  their  admiral ; 
And  there  they  hittiTTxpectTng  but  the  aid 
Of  Buckingham  to  welcome  them  ashore. 

K,  Rich,  Some  light-foot  friend  post  to  the  Duke  of  Nor- 
folk :  440 
Ratcliff,  thyself,  or  Catesby;  where  is  he? 

Cate.  Here,  my  lord. 

K,  Rich,  Fly  to  the  duke :  [To  Ratclif]  Post  thou  to  Salis- 
bury: 
When  thou  comest  thither,— [7b   Catesdy]  Dull,  unmindful 

villain,  j 

Why  stand'st  thou  still,  and  go'st  not  to  the  duke?  \ 


^' 


^i 


96  KING  RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 

Ca/e.  First,  mighty  sovereign,  let  me  know  your  mind, 
What  from  your  grace  I  shall  deliver  to  him. 

/C.  Rich.  O,  true,  good  Catesby :  bid  him  levy  straight 
The  greatest  strength  and  power  he  can  make, 
And  meet  me  presently  at  Salisbury.  450 

Cate,  I  go.  {Exit. 

Rat.  What  is 't  your  highness*  pleasure  I  shall  do  at  Salis- 
bury? 
K.  Rich.  Why,  what  wouldst  thou  do  there  before  I  go? 
O      I  Rat.  Your  highness  told  me  I  should  post  before. 

'  K.  Rich.  My  mind  is  changed,  sir,  my  mind  is  changed. 

Filter  Lord  Stanley. 

How  now,  what  news  with  you? 

Stan.  None  good,  my  lord,  to  please  you  with  the  hearing; 
Nor  none  so  bad,  but  it  may  well  be  told. 

K.  Rich.  Hoyday,  a  riddle!  neither  good  nor  bad!         460 
Why  dost  thou  run  so  many  mile  about, 
^When  thou  mayst  tell  thy  tale  a  nearer  way? 
'  Once  more,  what  news? 
V^^         Stan.  NEichmoniiis  on  the  seas. 

N^  K.  Rich.  There  let  him  sink,  and  be  the  seas  on  him! 

White-liver'd  runagate,  what  doth  he  there? 

Stan.   I  know  not,  mighty  sovereign,  but  by  guess. 

K.  Rich.  Well,  sir,  as  you  guess,  as  you  guess? 

Stan.  Stirr'd  up  by  Dorset,  Buckingham,  and  Ely, 
He  makes  for  England,  there  to  claim  the  crown. 

K.  Rich.  Is  the  chair  empty?  is  the  sword  unsway'd?    470 
Is  the  king  dead?  the  empire  unpossess'd? 
What  heir  of  York  is  there  alive  but  we? 
And  who  is  England's  king  but  great  York's  heir? 
Then,  tell  me,  what  doth  he  upon  the  sea? 

Stan.  Unless  for  that,  my  liege,  I  cannot  guess. 

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

Stan.  No,  mighty  liege ;  therefore  mistrust  me  not. 

K.  Rich.  Where  is  thy  power,  then,  to  beat  him  back?  480 
Where  are  thy  tenants  and  thy  followers? 
Are  they  not  now  upon  the  western  shore, 
Safe-c6nducting  the  rebels  from  their  ships? 

Stan.  No,  my  good  lord,  my  friends  are  in  the  north. 

K.  Rich.  Cold   friends   to  Richard :   what  do  they  in  the 
north. 
When  they  should  serve  their  sovereign  in  the  west? 


Scene  4.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  97 

Stan,  They  have  not  been  commanded,  mighty  sovereign : 
Please  it  your  majesty  to  give  me  leave>. 
I  '11  muster  up  my  friends,  and  meet  your  grace 
Where  and  what  time  your  majesty  shall  please.  490 

K.  Rich.  Ay,  ay,  thou  wouldst  be  gone  to  join  with  Rich- 
mond ; 
I  will  not  trust  you,  sir. 

Sta7t.  Most  mighty  sovereign, 

You  have  no  cause  to  hold  my  friendship  doubtful: 
I  never  was  nor  never  will  be  false. 

K,  Rich.  Well, 
Go  muster  men  ;  but,  hear  you,  leave  behind 
Your  son,  George  Stanley :  look  your  faith  be  firm, 
Or  else  his  head's  assurance  is  but  frail. 

Sta7t,  So  deal  with  him  as  I  prove  true  to  you.  \Exit, 

Enter  a  Messenger. 

Mess.  My  gracious  sovereign,  now  in  Devonshire,  5^^ 

As  I  by  friends  am  well  advertised. 

Sir  Edward  Courtney,  and  the  haughty  prelate         yy  '       [ 
Bishop  of  Exeter,  his  brother  there,  /  \  *  C  W\\  ^  j 

With  many  moe  confederates,  are  in  arms. 

Enter  another  Messenger.         / 

Sec.  Mess.  My  liege,  in  Kent  the  Guildfords  ^re  in  arms ; 
And  every  hour  more  competitors 
Flock  to  their  aid,  and  still  their  power  increaseth. 

Enter  ajtother  Messenger. 

Third  Mess.  My  lord,  the  army  of  the  Duke  of  Bucking- 
ham — 

K.  Rich.  Out  on  you,  owls!  nothing  but  songs  of  death? 

\He  striketh  him. 
Take  that,  until  thou  bring  me  better  news.  Sio 

Third  Mess.  The  news  I  have  to  tell  your  majesty 
-^s,  that  by  sudden  floods  and  fall  of  waters, 
Buckingham's  army  is  dispersed  and  scatter'd; 
And  he  himself  wander'd  away  alone, 
No  man  knows  whither. 

K.  Rich,  I  cry  thee  mercy : 

There  is  my  purse  to  cure  that  blow  of  thine. 
Hath  any  well-advised  friend  proclaim'd 
Reward  to  him  that  brings  the  traitor  in? 

Third  Mess,  Such  proclamation  hath  been  made,  my  liege. 

(  M  233  )  ^ 


98  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  IV.  Sc. 5. 

Enter  another  Messenger. 

/      Fourth  Mess,  Sir  Thomas  Lovel  and  Lord  Marquis  Dor- 
X     /       .       set,         ....  520 

*T  is  said,  my  liege,  in  Yorkshire  are  in  arms. 
Yet  this  good  comfort  bring  1  to  your  grace, 
The  Breton  navy  is  dispersed  by  tempest: 
Richmond,  in  Dorsetshire,  sent  out  a  boat 
Unto  the  shore,  to  ask  those  on  the  banks 
If  they  were  his  assistants,  yea  or  no ; 
Who  answer'd  him,  they  came  from  Buckingham 
Upon  his  party:  he,  mistrusting  them, 
Hoised  sail  and  made  away  for  Brittany. 

K.  Rich.  March  on,  march  on,  since  we  are  up  in  arms; 
If  not  to  fight  with  foreign  enemies,  531 

Yet  to  beat  down  these  rebels  here  at  home. 

Re-enter  Catesby. 

-^     '         Cate,  My  liege,  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  is  taken ; 
/     !     That  is  the  best  news :  that  the  Earl  of  Richmond 
\        Is  with  a  mighty  power  landed  at  Milfof37 
Is  colder  tidings,  yet  they  must  be  told. 

A".  Rich,  Away  towards  Salisbury !  while  we  reason  here, 
A  royal  battle  might  be  won  and  lost : 
Some  one  take  order  Buckingham  be  brought 
To  Salisbury;  the  rest  march  on  with  me.  540 

{Flourish,    Exeunt, 

Scene  V.    Lord  Derby s  house, 

1          Enter  Depjy  and  SiR  Christopher  Urswick. 

Der,  Sir  Christopher,  tell  Richmond  this  from  me: 
That  in  the  sty  of  this  most  bloo'Jy  boar 
,  My  son  George  Stanley  is  frank'd  up  in  hold: 
If  I  revolt,  off  goes  young  George's  head; 
The  fear  of  that  withholds  my  present  aid. 
But,  tell  me,  where  is  princely  Richmond  now.'* 

Chris,  At  Pembroke,  or  at  Ha'rford-west,  in  Wales. 

Der.  What  men  of  name  resort  to  him.^* 

Chris,  Sir  Walter  Herbert,  a  renowned  soldier; 
Sir  Gilbert  Talbot,  Sir  William  Stanley ;  lO 

Oxford,  redoubted  Pembroke,  Sir  James  Blunt, 
And  Rice  ap  Thomas,  with  a  valiant  crew ; 
And  many  moe  of  noble  fame  and  worth ; 


ActV.Sc.i.]  KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.  99 

And  towards  London  they  do  bend  their  course, 
If  by  the  way  they  be  not  fought  withal. 

Der,  Return  unto  thy  lord ;  commend  me  to  him :    ' 
Tell  him  the  queen  hath  heartily  consented  j 

He  shall  espouse  Elizabeth  her  daughter.  * 

These  letters  will  resolve  him  of  my  mind.  I 

Farewell.  \Exeunt,  20 


ACT  V. 

Scene  I.     Salisbury,    An  open  place. 

Enter  the  Sheriff,  and  Buckingham,  with  halberds^  led  to 

execution. 

Buck,  Will  not  King  Richard  let  me  speak  with  him? 

Sher.  No,  my  good  lord  ;  therefore  be  patient. 

Buck.  Hastings,  and  Edward's  children.  Rivers,  Grey, 
Holy  King  Henry,  and  thy  fair  son  Edward, 
Vaughan,  and  all  that  have  miscarried 
By  underhand  corrupted  foul  injustice. 
If  that  your  moody  discontented  souls 
Do  through  the  clouds  behold  this  present  hour. 
Even  for  revenge  mock  my  destruction  ! 
This  is  All-Souls'  day,  fellows,  is  it  not?  10 

Sher.   It  is,  my  lord. 

Buck.  Why,  then  All-Souls'  day  is  my  body's  doomsday. 
This  is  the  day  that,  in  King  Edward's  time, 
I  wish'd  might  fall  on  me,  when  I  was  found  | 

False  to  his  children  or  his  wife's  allies ;  I 

This  is  the  day  wherein  I  wish'd  to  fall 
By  the  false  faith  of  him  I  trusted  most; 
This,  this  All-Souls'  day  to  my  fearful  soul 
Is  the  determined  respite  of  my  wrongs : 
That  high  All-Seer  that  I  dallied  with  ^o 

Hath  turn'd  my  feigned  prayer  on  my  head 
And  given  in  earnest  what  I  begg'd  in  jest. 
Thus  doth  he  force  the  swords  of  wicked  men 
To  turn  their  own  points  on  their  masters'  bosoms : 
Now  Margaret's  curse  is  fallen  upon  my  head ; 
*When  he',  quoth  she,  'shall  split  thy  heart  with  sorrow. 
Remember  Margaret  was  a  prophetess'. 


loo  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  V. 

Come,  sirs,  convey  me  to  the  block  of  shame ; 
Wrong  hath  but  wrong,  and  blame  the  due  of  blame. 

[Exeun/. 

Scene  II.     T/ie  camp  near  Tamworth, 

En^er  Richmond,  Oxford,  Blunt,  UERBERTy  and ofAers^ 
with  drum  a7id  colours, 

.    Richm.  Fellows*  in  arms,  and  my  most  loving  friends, 

Bruised  underneath  the  yoke  of  tyranny, 

Thus  far  into  the  bowels  of  the  land 

Have  we  marched  on  without  impediment ; 

And  here  receive  we  from  our  father  Stanley 

Lines  of  fair  comfort  and  encouragement. 

The  wretched,  bloody,  and  usurping  boar, 

That  spoil'd  your  summer  fields  and  fruitful  vines, 

Swills  your  warm  blood  like  wash,  and  makes  his  trough 

In  your  embowell'd  bosoms,  this  foul  swine  lo 

LiesT  now  even  in  the  centre  of  this  isle, 

Near  to  the  town  of  Leicester  as  we  learn : 

From  Tamworth  thither  is  but  one  day's  march. 

In  God's  name,  cheerly  on,  courageous  friends, 

To  reap  the  harvest  of  perpetual  peace 

By  this  one  bloody  trial  of  sharp  war. 

Oxf,  Every  man's  cons'cience  is  a  thousand  swords, 
To  fight  against  that  bloody  homicide. 

Herb.   I  doubt  not  but  his  friends  will  fly  to  us. 

Blunt.   He  hath  no  friends  but  who  are  friends  for  fear,  20 
Which  in  his  greatest  need  will  shrink  from  him. 

Richm.  All  for  our  vantage.    Then,  in  God's  name,  march: 
True  hope  is  swift,  and  flies  with  swallow's  wings; 
Kings  it  makes  gods,  and  meaner  creatures  kings.    {Exeunt, 

Scene  III.    Bosworth  Field. 

Enter  King  Richard  in  ar7ns,  with  Norfolk,  the  Earl 
OF  Surrey,  and  others, 

K,  Rich.  Here  pitch   your  tents,  even  here  in  Bosworth 
field. 
My  Lord  of  Surrey,  why  look  you  so  sad? 

Sur.  My  heart  is  ten  times  lighter  than  my  looks. 

K.  Rich.  My  Lord  of  Norfolk,— 

Nor,  Here,  most  gracious  liege 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  loi 

K.  Rich.  Norfolk,  we  must  have  knocks ;  ha!  must  we  not? 

No7'.  We  must  both  give  and  take,  my  gracious  lord. 

K.  Rich.  Up  with  my  tent  there !  here  will  I  lie  to-night ; 
But  where  to-morrow?     Well,  airs  one  for  that. 
Who  hath  descried  the  number  of  the  foe  ? 

Nor.  Six  or  seven  thousand  is  their  utmost  power.  lo 

K.  Rich.   Why,  our  battalion  trebles  that  account ; 
Besides,  the  king's  name  is  a  tower  of  strength, 
Which  they  upon  the  adverse  party  want. 
Up  with  my  tent  there  !     Valiant  gentlemen, 
Let  us  survey  the  vantage  of  the  field ; 
Call  for  some  men  of  sound  direction : 
Let 's  want  no  discipline,  make  no  delay ; 
For,  lords,  to-morrow  is  a  busy  day.  [Exeunt, 

Enter.,  on  the  other  side  of  the  field,  RICHMOND,  SiR  WiLLIAM 
Brandon,  Oxford,  and  others,     Sojne  of  the  Soldiers 
^      pitch  Richmond'^s  tent, 

^  Richm,  The  weary  sun  hath  made  a  golden  set, 
And,  by  the  bright  track  of  his  fiery  car,  20 

Gives  signal  of  a  goodly  day  to-morrow. 
Sir  William  Brandon,  you  shall  bear  my  standard. 
Give  me  some  ink  and  paper  in  my  tent : 
I  '11  draw  the  form  and  model  of  our  battle, 
Limit  each  leader  to  his  several  charge, 
And  part  in  just  proportion  our  small  strength. 
My  Lord  of  Oxford,  you.  Sir  William  Brandon, 
And  you.  Sir  Walter  Herbert,  stay  with  me. 
The  Earl  of  Pembroke  keeps  his  regiment : 
Good  Captain  Blunt,  bear  my  good-night  to  him,  30 

And  by  the  second  hour  in  the  morning 
Desire  the  earl  to  see  me  in  my  tent: 
Yet  one  thing  more,  good  Blunt,  before  thou  go'st, 
Where  is  Lord  Stanley  quartered,  dost  thou  know? 

Blunt.  Unless  I  have  mista'en  his  colours  much, 
Which  well  I  am  assured  I  have  not  done, 
His  regiment  lies  half  a  mile  at  least 
South  from  the  mighty  power  of  the  king. 

Richm.   If  without  peril  it  be  possible, 
Good  Captain  Blunt,  bear  my  good-night  to  him,  40 

And  give  him  from  me  this  most  needful  scroll. 

Blunt.   Upon  my  life,  my  lord,  I  '11  undertake  it ; 
And  so,  God  give  you  quiet  rest  to-night  1 

Richm.  Good  night,  good  Captain  Blunt,     Come,  gentle- 


102  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  V. 

Let  us  consult  upon  to-morrow's  business : 
In  to  our  tent ;  the  air  is  raw  and  cold. 

[^They  withdraw  into  the  tent. 

EnteTy  to  his  tenty  King  Richard,  Norfolk,  Ratcliff, 
Catesby,  and  others. 

K.  Rich.  What  is't  o'clock? 

Cate.  It's  supper-time,  my  lord; 

It's  nine  o'clock. 

K.  Rich.  I  will  not  sup  to-night. 
Give  me  some  ink  and  paper. 

What,  is  my  beaver  easier  than  it  was?  50 

And  all  my  armour  laid  into  my  tent? 

Cate.  It  is,  my  liege ;  and  all  things  are  in  readiness. 

K.  Rich.  Good  Norfolk,  hie  thee  to  thy  charge; 
Use  careful  watch,  choose  trusty  sentinels. 

Nor.  I  go,  my  lord. 

K.  Rich.  Stir  with  the  lark  to-morrow,  gentle  Norfolk. 

Nor.  I  warrant  you,  my  lord.  [Exit. 

K.  Rich.  Catesby ! 

Gate,  My  lord? 

K.  Rich.  Send  out  a  pursuivant  at  arms 

To  Stanley's  regiment ;  bid  him  bring  his  power  60 

Before  sunrising,  lest  his  son  George  fall 
Into  the  blind  cave  of  eternal  night.  {Exit  Catesby. 

Fill  me  a  bowl  of  wine.     Give  me  a  watch. 
Saddle  white  Surrey  for  the  field  to-morrow. 
Look  that  my  staves  be  sound,  and  not  too  heavy. 
Ratclififl 

Rat.  My  lord? 

K.  Rich.  Saw'st  thou  the  melancholy  Lord   North-] 

umberland? 

Rat.  Thomas  the  Earl  of  Surrey,  and  himself, 
Much  about  cock-shut  time,  from  troop  to  troop  70 

Went  through  the  army,  cheering  up  the  soldiers. 

K.  Rich.  So,  I  am  satisfied.    Give  me  a  bowl  of  wine: 
I  have  not  that  alacrity  of  spirit. 
Nor  cheer  of  mind,  that  I  was  wont  to  have. 
Set  it  down.     Is  ink  and  paper  ready? 

Rat.  It  is,  my  lord. 

K.  Rich.  Bid  my  guard  watch ;  leave  me. 

Ratcliff,  about  the  mid  of  night  come  to  my  tent 
And  help  to  arm  me.     Leave  me,  I  say. 

{Exeunt  Ratcliff  and  the  other  Attendants. 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  103 

Enter  Derby  to  Richmond  in  his  tent^  Lords  and  others 

attending. 

Der,  Fortune  and  victory  sit  on  thy  helm ! 

Richm.  All  comfort  that  the  dark  night  can  afford  80 

Be  to  thy  person,  noble  father-in-law ! 
Tell  me,  how  fares  our  loving  mother? 

Der.  I,  by  attorney,  bless  thee  from  thy  mother, 
Who  prays  continually  for  Richmond's  good : 
So  much  for  that.     The  silent  hours  steal  on, 
And  flaky  darkness  breaks  within  the  east. 
In  brief, — for  so  the  season  bids  us  be, — 
Prepare  thy  battle  early  in  the  morning, 
And  put  thy  fortune  to  the  arbitrement 

Of  bloody  strokes  and  mortal-staring  war.  90 

I,  as  I  may — that  which  I  would  I  cannot, — 
With  best  advantage  will  deceive  the  time, 
And  aid  thee  in  this  doubtful  shock  of  arms : 
But  on  thy  side  I  may  not  be  too  forward. 
Lest,  being  seen,  thy  brother,  tender  George, 
Be  executed  in  his  father's  sight. 
Farewell :  the  leisure  and  the  fearful  time 
Cuts  off  the  ceremonious  vows  of  love 
And  ample  interchange  of  sweet  discourse, 
Which  so  long  sunder'd  friends  should  dwell  upon :  100 

God  give  us  leisure  for  these  rites  of  love ! 
Once  more,  adieu :  be  valiant,  and  speed  well ! 

Richm.  Good  lords,  conduct  him  to  his  regiment : 
I  '11  strive,  with  troubled  thoughts,  to  take  a  nap, 
Lest  leaden  slumber  peise  me  down  to-morrow, 
When  I  should  mount  with  wings  of  victory ; 
Once  more,  good  night,  kind  lords  and  gentlemen. 

[Exeunt  all  but  Richmond, 
O  Thou,  whose  captain  I  account  myself, 
Look  on  my  forces  with  a  gracious  eye ; 
Put  in  their  hands  thy  bruising  irons  of  wrath,  lio 

That  they  may  crush  down  with  a  heavy  fall 
The  usurping  helmets  of  our  adversaries  ! 
Make  us  thy  ministers  of  chastisement. 
That  we  may  praise  thee  in  the  victory  1 
To  thee  I  do  commend  my  watchful  soul, 
Ere  I  let  fall  the  windows  of  mine  eyes : 
Sleeping  and  waking,  O,  defend  me  still !  \Sleefs, 


104  KING    RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  V. 

Enter  the  Ghost  <?/  Prince  Edward,  son  to  Henry 

the  Sixth. 

Ghost.    [To  Richard'\    Let  me  sit  heavy  on  thy  soul  to- 
morrow ! 
Think,  how  thou  stab'dst  me  in  my  prime  of  youth 
At  Tewksbury  :  despair,  therefore,  and  die!  120 

\To  Richmond^  Be  cheerful,  Richmond;  for  the  wronged 

souls 
Of  butcher'd  princes  fight  in  thy  behalf: 
King  Henry's  issue,  Richmond,  comforts  thee. 

Enter  the  Ghost  ^/ HENRY  the  Sixth. 

Ghost,    [To  Richard]  When  I  was  mortal,  my  anointed 
body 
By  thee  was  punched  full  of  deadly  holes : 
Think  on  the  Tower  and  me :  despair,  and  die ! 
Harry  the  Sixth  bids  thee  despair  and  die ! 
[To  Richmond]  Virtuous  and  holy,  be  thou  conqueror  I 
Harry,  that  prophesied  thou  shouldst  be  king, 
Doth  comfort  thee  in  thy  sleep:  live,  and  flourish  1  130 

Enter  the  Ghost  ^/Clarence. 

Ghost.    [To  Richard]    Let  me  sit  heavy  on  thy  soul  to- 
morrow ! 
I,  that  was  wash'd  to  death  with  fulsome  wine. 
Poor  Clarence,  by  thy  guile  betrayed  to  death ! 
To-morrow  in  the  battle  think  on  me. 
And  fall  thy  edgeless  sword:  despair,  and  die! — 
[To  Rich77iond]  Thou  offspring  of  the  house  of  Lancaster, 
The  wronged  heirs  of  York  do  pray  for  thee : 
Good  angels  guard  thy  battle !  live,  and  flourish ! 

Enter  the  Ghosts  ^/Rivers,  Grey,  ^W  Vaughan. 

Ghost  of  R.  [To  Richard]  Let  me  sit  heavy  on  thy  soul  to- 
morrow. 
Rivers,  that  died  at  Pomfret !  despair,  and  die!  140 

Ghost  of  G.  [To  Richard]  Think  upon  Grey,  and  let  thy 

soul  despair! 
Ghost  of  V.  [To  Richard]  Think  upon  Vaughan,  and,  with 
guilty  fear, 
Let  fall  thy  lance  :  despair,  and  die ! 
All.  [To  Richmond]    Awake,   and  think   our  wrongs  in 
Richard's  bosom 
Will  conquer  him!  awake,  and  win  the  dayj 


Scenes-]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  105 

Enter  the  Ghost  ^Hastings. 

Ghost.  [To  Richard]  Bloody  and  guilty,  guiltily  awake, 
And  in  a  bloody  battle  end  thy  days ! 
Think  on  Lord  Hastings  :  despair,  and  die  ! 
[To  Richmond]  Quiet  untroubled  soul,  awake,  awake  1 
Arm,  fight,  and  conquer,  for  fair  England's  sake !  1 50 

Enter  the  Ghosts  of  the  two  young  PRINCES. 

Ghosts,  [To  Richard]  Dream  on  thy  cousins  smothered  in 
the  Tower : 
Let  us  be  lead  within  thy  bosom,  Richard, 
And  weigh  thee  down  to  ruin,  shame,  and  death ! 
Thy  nephews'  souls  bid  thee  despair  and  die ! 
[To  Rich7nond]  Sleep,  Richmond,  sleep  in  peace,  and  wake 

in  joy ; 
Good  angels  guard  thee  from  the  boar's  annoy ! 
Live,  and  beget  a  happy  race  of  kings ! 
Edward's  unhappy  sons  do  bid  thee  flourish. 

Enter  the  Ghost  of  I.ADY  Anne. 

Ghost.    [To  Richard]    Richard,  thy  wife,  that   wretched 
Anne  thy  wife. 
That  never  slept  a  quiet  hour  with  thee,  160 

Now  fills  thy  sleep  with  perturbations : 
To-morrow  in  the  battle  think  on  me. 
And  fall  thy  edgeless  sword :  despair,  and  die ! 
[To  Richmond]  Thou  quiet  soul,  sleep  thou  a  quiet  sleep; 
Dream  of  success  and  happy  victory ! 
Thy  adversary's  wife  doth  pray  for  thee. 

Enter  the  Ghost  of  BUCKINGHAM. 

Ghost,     [To  Richard]  The  first  was  I  that  help'd  thee  to 
the  crown ; 
The  last  was  I  that  felt  thy  tyranny : 
O,  in  the  battle  think  on  Buckingham, 

And  die  in  terror  of  thy  guiltiness  !  170 

Dream  on,  dream  on,  of  bloody  deeds  and  death: 
Fainting,  despair ;  despairing,  yield  thy  breath  ! 
[To  Richmond]  I  died  for  hope  ere  I  could  lend  thee  aid : 
But  cheer  thy  heart,  and  be  thou  not  dismay'd : 
God  and  good  angels  fight  on  Richmond's  side; 
And  Richard  falls  in  height  of  all  his  pride. 

[l^he  Ghosts  vanish,     Ki?tg  Richard  starts  out  of  his 

dream. 


){ 


/■'^ 


\ 


lo6  KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.  [Act  V. 

K.  Rich.  Give  me  another  horse:  bind  up  my  wounds. 
Have  mercy,  Jesu ! — Soft !  I  did  but  dream. 

0  coward  conscience,  how  dost  thou  afflict  me ! 

The  hghts  burn  blue.     It  is  now  dead  midnight.  1 80 

Cold  fearful  drops  stand  on  my  trembling  flesh. 

What  do  I  fear  1  myself  .f*  there 's  none  else  by : 

Richard  loves  Richard ;  that  is,  I  am  I. 

Is  there  a  murderer  here.'*     No.     Yes,  I  am: 

Then  fly.     What,  from  myself  .f*     Great  reason  why : 

Lest  I  revenge.     What,  myself  upon  myself? 

Alack,  I  love  myself.     Wherefore.''  for  any  good 

That  I  myself  have  done  unto  myself? 

O,  no !  alas,  I  rather  hate  myself 

For  hateful  deeds  committed  by  myself !  190 

1  am  a  villain :  yet  I  lie,  I  am  not. 

Fool,  of  thyself  speak  well:  fool,  do  not  flatter. 

My  conscience  hath  a  thousand  several  tongues, 

And  every  tongue  brings  in  a  several  tale, 

And  every  tale  condemns  me  for  a  villain. 

Perjury,  perjury,  in  the  high'st  degree ; 

Murder,  stern  murder,  in  the  direst  degree ; 

All  several  sins,  all  used  in  each  degree. 

Throng  to  the  bar,  crying  all,  Guilty  !  guilty  ! 

I  shall  despair.     There  is  no  creature  loves  me ;  200 

And  if  I  die,  no  soul  shall  pity  me : 

Nay,  wherefore  should  they,  since  that  I  myself 

Find  in  myself  no  pity  to  myself? 

Methought  the  souls  of  all  that  I  had  murder'd 

Came  to  my  tent ;  and  every  one  did  threat 

To-morrow's  vengeance  on  the  head  of  Richar^. 


Enter  Ratcliff. 

Rat  My  lord! 

K.Rich,     'Zounds!  who  is  there? 

Rat.  Ratcliff,  my  lord;  'tis  I.     The  early  village-cock 
Hath  twice  done  salutation  to  the  morn ;  210 

Your  friends  are  up,  and  buckle  on  their  armour. 

K.  Rich.  O  Ratcliff,  I  have  dream'd  a  fearful  dream ! 
What  thinkest  thou,  will  our  friends  prove  all  true? 

Rat.  No  doubt,  my  lord. 

K.  Rich.  O  Ratcliff,  I  fear,  I  fear,— 

Rat.  Nay,  good  my  lord,  be  not  afraid  of  shadows. 

K.  Rich.  By  the  apostle  Paul,  shadows  to-night 
Have  struck  more  terror  to  the  soul  of  Richard 
Than  can  the  substance  of  ten  thousand  soldiers 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  107 

Armed  in  proof,  and  led  by  shallow  Richmond. 

It  is  not  yet  near  day.     Come,  go  with  me ;  220 

Under  our  tents  I  '11  play  the  eaves-dropper, 

To  see  if  any  mean  to  shrink  from  me.  [Exeunt. 

Enter  the  Lords  to  Richmond,  sitting  in  his  tent. 

Lords.  Good  morrow,  Richmond  ! 

Richm.  Cry  mercy,  lords  and  watchful  gentlemen, 
That  you  have  ta^en  a  tardy  sluggard  here. 

Lords.   How  have  you  slept,  my  lord? 

Richm.  The  sweetest  sleep,  and  fairest-boding  dreams 
That  ever  enter'd  in  a  drowsy  head. 
Have  I  since  your  departure  had,  my  lords. 
Methought  their  souls,  whose  bodies  Richard  murder'd,    230 
Came  to  my  tent,  and  cried  on  victory: 
I  promise  you,  my  soul  is  very  jocund 
In  the  remembrance  of  so  fair  a  dream. 
How  far  into  the  morning  is  it,  lords .^ 

Lords.  Upon  the  stroke  of  four. 

Richm,  Why,  then  't  is  time  to  arm  and  give  direction. 

His  oration  to  his  Soldiers, 

More  than  I  have  said,  loving  countrymen, 

The  leisure  and  enforcement  of  the  time 

Forbids  to  dwell  upon :  yet  remember  this, 

God  and  our  good  cause  fight  upon  our  side ;  240 

The  prayers  of  holy  saints  and  wronged  souls. 

Like  high-rear'd  bulwarks,  stand  before  our  faces ; 

Richard  except,  those  whom  we  fight  against 

Had  rather  have  us  win  than  him  they  follow : 

For  what  is  he  they  follow.'*  truly,  gentlemen, 

A  bloody  tyrant  and  a  homicide ; 

One  raised  in  blood,  and  one  in  blood  establish'd ; 

One  that  made  means  to  come  by  what  he  hath. 

And  slaughtered  those  that  were  the  means  to  help  him ; 

A  base  foul  stone,  made  precious  by  the  foil  250 

Of  England's  chair,  where  he  is  falsely  set : 

One  that  hath  ever  been  God's  enemy  : 

Then,  if  you  fight  against  God's  enemy, 

God  will  in  justice  ward  you  as  his  soldiers ; 

If  you  do  sweat  to  put  a  tyrant  down. 

You  sleep  in  peace,  the  tyrant  being  slain ; 

If  you  do  fight  against  your  country's  foes. 

Your  country's  fat  shall  pay  your  pains  the  hire; 

If  you  do  fight  in  safeguard  of  your  wives, 


lo8  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  V. 

Your  wives  shall  welcome  home  the  conquerors ;  260 

If  you  do  free  your  children  from  the  sword, 

Your  children's  children  quit  it  in  your  age. 

Then,  in  the  name  of  God  and  all  these  rights, 

Advance  your  standards,  draw  your  willing  swords; 

For  me,  the  ransom  of  my  bold  attempt 

Shall  be  this  cold  corpse  on  the  earth's  cold  face; 

But  if  I  thrive,  the  gain  of  my  attempt 

The  least  of  you  shall  share  his  part  thereof. 

Sound  drums  and  trumpets  boldly  and  cheerfully ; 

God  and  St.  George !  Richmond  and  victory !     {Exeunt.  270 

Re-enter  King  Richard,  Ratcliff,  Attendants  and  Forces, 

K.  Rich.  What  said    Northumberland  as  touching  Rich- 
mond? 

Rat.  That  he  was  never  trained  up  in  arms. 

K.  Rich.  He  said  the  truth  :  and  what  said  Surrey  then? 

Rat.  He  smiled  and  said  *  The  better  for  our  purpose'. 

K.  Rich.  He  was  in  the  right ;  and  so  indeed  it  is. 

[Clock  striketk. 
Tell  the  clock  there.     Give  me  a  calendar. 
Who  saw  the  sun  to-day.'* 

Rat.  Not  I,  my  lord. 

K.  Rich.  Then  he  disdains  to  shine ;  for  by  the  book 
He  should  have  braved  the  east  an  hour  ago: 
A  black  day  will  it  be  to  somebody.  280 

Ratcliff! 

Rat.  My  lord 

K.  Rich.  The  sun  will  not  be  seen  to-day ; 

The  sky  doth  frown  and  lour  upon  our  army. 
I  would  these  dewy  tears  were  from  the  ground. 
Not  shine  to-day!     Why,  what  is  that  to  me 
More  than  to  Richmond?  for  the  selfsame  heaven 
That  frowns  on  me  looks  sadly  upon  him. 

Enter  NORFOLK. 

Nor.  Arm,  arm,  my  lord ;  the  foe  vaunts  in  the  field. 

K.  Rich.  Come,  bustle,  bustle ;  caparison  my  horse. 
Call  up  Lord  Stanley,  bid  him  bring  his  power:  290 

I  will  lead  forth  m.y  soldiers  to  the  plain. 
And  thus  my  battle  shall  be  ordered : 
My  foreward  shall  be  drawn  out  all  in  length, 
Consisting  equally  of  horse  and  foot ; 
Our  archers  shall  be  placed  in  the  midst : 
John  Duke  of  Norfolk,  Thomas  Earl  of  Surrey, 


Scenes.]        KING   RICHARD  THE   THIRD.  109 

Shall  have  the  leading  of  this  foot  and  horse. 

They  thus  directed,  we  will  follow 

In  the  main  battle,  whose  puissance  on  either  side 

Shall  be  well  winged  with  our  chiefest  horse.  300 

This,  and  Saint  George  to  boot !    What  think'st  thou,  Norfolk.? 

Nor.  A  good  direction,  warlike  sovereign. 
This  found  I  on  my  tent  this  morning. 

\He  sheweth  him  a  paper. 
K,  Rich,  [Reads]  *  Jockey  of  Norfolk,  be  not  too  bold, 
For  Dickon  thy  master  is  bought  and  sold.' 
A  thing  devised  by  the  enemy. 
Go,  gentlemen,  every  man  unto  his  charge : 
^;  Let  not  our  babbling  dreams  affright  our  souls: 
j.  Conscience  is  but  a  word  that  cowards  use, 
/  Devised  at  first  to  keep  the  strong  in  awe  :        /  /  310 

[    Our  strong  arms  be  our  conscience,  swords  our  law. 
March  on,  join  bravely,  let  us  to't  pell-mell; 
If  not  to  heaven,  then  hand  in  hand  to  hell. 

I/is  oration  to  his  Army, 

What  shall  I  say  more  than  I  have  inferr'd? 

Remember  whom  you  are  to  cope  withal ; 

A  sort  of  vagabonds,  rascals,  and  runaways, 

A  scum  of  Bretons,  and  base  lackey  peasants, 

Whom  their  o'er-cloyed  country  vomits  forth 

To  desperate  ventures  and  assured  destruction. 

You  sleeping  safe,  they  bring  to  you  unrest ;  320 

You  having  lands,  and  blest  with  beauteous  wives, 

They  would  restrain  the  one,  distain  the  other. 

And  who  doth  lead  them  but  a  paltry  fellow, 

Long  kept  in  Bretagne  at  our  mother's  cost.'* 

A  milk-sop,  one  that  never  in  his  life 

Felt  so  much  cold  as  over  shoes  in  snow? 

Let 's  whip  these  stragglers  o'er  the  seas  again ; 

Lash  hence  these  overweening  rags  of  France, 

These  famish'd  beggars,  weary  of  their  lives ; 

Who,  but  for  dreaming  on  this  fond  exploit,  330 

For  want  of  means,  poor  rats,  had  hang'd  themselves : 

If  we  be  conquer'd,  let  men  conquer  us. 

And  not  these  bastard  Bretons  ;  whom  our  fathers 

Have  in  their  own  land  beaten,  bobb'd,  and  thump'd, 

And  in  rec6rd,  left  them  the  heirs  of  shame. 

Shall  these  enjoy  our  lands. '^   {Drum  afar  off^   Hark!  I  hear 

their  drum. 
Fight,  gentlemen  of  England !  fight,  bold  yeomen  I 


no  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  V 

Draw,  archers,  draw  your  arrows  to  the  head ! 

Spur  your  proud  horses  hard,  and  ride  in  blood;  340 

Amaze  the  welkin  with  your  broken  staves ! 

Enter  a  Messenger. 

What  says  Lord  Stanley?  will  he  bring  his  power? 

Mess,  My  lord,  he  doth  deny  to  come. 

K.  Rich.  Off  with  his  son  George's  head  1 

Nor.  My  lord,  the  enemy  is  past  the  marsh : 
After  the  battle  let  George  Stanley  die. 

K.  Rich.  A  thousand  hearts  are  great  within  my  bosom : 
Advance  our  standards,  set  upon  our  foes ; 
Our  ancient  word  of  courage,  fair  Saint  George, 
Inspire  us  with  the  spleen  of  fiery  dragons !  350 

Upon  them  I     Victory  sits  on  our  helms.  [Exeunt, 

Scene  IV.    Another  part  of  the  field. 

Alarum:  excursions.     Enter  Norfolk  and  forces  fighting; 

to  him  Catesby. 

Cate.  Rescue,  my  Lord  of  Norfolk,  rescue,  rescue ! 
The  king  enacts  more  wonders  than  a  man, 
Daring  an  opposite  to  every  danger : 
His  horse  is  slain,  and  all  on  foot  he  fights, 
Seeking  for  Richmond  in  the  throat  of  death. 
Rescue,  fair  lord,  or  else  the  day  is  lost ! 

Alarums.    Enter  King  Richard. 

K.  Rich.  A  horse !  a  horse !  my  kingdom  for  a  horse  f 
Cate.  Withdraw,  my  lord ;   I  '11  help  you  to  a  horse. 
K.  Rich.  Slave,  I  have  set  my  life  upon  a  cast, 

And  I  will  stand  the  hazard  of  the  die  :  \o 

I  think  there  be  six  Richmonds  in  the  field; 

Five  have  I  slain  to-day  instead  of  him. 

A  horse !  a  horse !  my  kingdom  for  a  horse !  [Exeunt. 

Scene  V.     Another  part  of  the  field. 

Alarum.  Enter  Richard  and  Richmond/  they  fight. 
Richard  is  slain.  Retreat  and  flourish.  Re-enter 
Richmond,  Derby  bearing  the  crown,  with  divers  other 
Lords. 

Richm.  God  and  your  arms  be  praised,  victorious  friends ; 
The  day  is  ours,  the  bloody  dog  is  dead. 


Scenes.]        KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  ill 

Der,  Courageous  Richmond,  well  hast  thou  acquit  thee. 
Lo,  here,  this  long-usurped  royalty 
From  the  dead  temples  of  this  bloody  wretch 
Have  I  pluck'd  off,  to  grace  thy  brows  withal : 
Wear  it,  enjoy  it,  and  make  much  of  it. 

Richm.  Great  God  of  heaven,  say  Amen  to  all ! 
But,  tell  me,  is  young  George  Stanley  living? 

Der.  He  is,  my  lord,  and  safe  in  Leicester  town;  lO 

Whither,  if  it  please  you,  we  may  now  withdraw  us. 

Richm.  What  men  of  name  are  slain  on  either  side? 

Der,  John  Duke  of  Norfolk,  Walter  Lord  Ferrers, 
Sir  Robert  Brakenbury,  and  Sir  W^illiam  Brandon. 

Richm,  Inter  their  bodies  as  becomes  their  births  rjf 
Proclaim  a  pardon  to  the  soldiers  fled 
That  in  submission  will  return  to  us : 
And  then,  as  we  have  ta'en  the  sacrament, 
We  will  unite  the  white  rose  and  the  red : 
Smile  heaven  upon  this  fair  conjunction,  20 

That  long  have  frown'd  upon  their  enmity ! 
What  traitor  hears  me,  and  says  not  amen? 
England  hath  long  been  mad,  and  scarr'd  herself; 
The  brother  blindly  shed  the  brother's  blood, 
The  father  rashly  slaughter'd  his  own  son, 
The  son,  compell'd,  been  butcher  to  the  sire : 
All  this  divided  York  and  Lancaster, 
Divided  in  their  dire  division, 
O,  now,  let  Richmond  and  Elizabeth, 

The  true  succeeders  of  each  royal  house,  30 

By  God's  fair  ordinance  conjoin  together  1 
And  let  their  heirs,  God,  if  thy  will  be  so, 
Enrich  the  time  to  come  with  smooth-faced  peace, 
With  smiling  plenty  and  fair  prosperous  days ! 
Abate  the  edge  of  traitors,  gracious  Lord, 
That  would  reduce  these  bloody  days  again, 
And  make  poor  England  weep  in  streams  of  blood  I 
Let  them  not  live  to  taste  this  land's  increase 
That  would  with  treason  wound  this  fair  land's  peace ! 
Now  civil  wounds  are  stopp'd,  peace  lives  again :  40 

That  she  may  long  live  here,  God  say  amen !  \Exeunt, 


NOTES. 


In  the  Appendix  on  Prosody  an  attempt  has  been  made  to  discttss 
^all  lines  presenting  any  important  metrical  peculiarity.  A  separate 
index  of  such  lines  has  been  compiled  (pp.  200-2  j,  and^  in  view  of 
this^  comparatively  few  references  to  metrical  difficulties  will  be  found 
in  the  Notes. 


DRAMATIS    PERSONS, 

As  was  pointed  out  in  the  Lttroduction,  Shakespeare,  while  allow- 
ing himself  great  latitude  in  matters  of  chronology,  has  in  other 
respects  adhered  pretty  faithfully  to  the  narrative  of  his  historical 
authorities.  The  following  brief  summary  indicatei  the  main  facts 
to  be  borne  in  mind  by  readers  of  Richard  III. 

When  Edward  III.  died  in  1377,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  grand- 
son, Richard  II.,  son  of  the  Black  Prince.  Richard  proved  weak 
and  incompetent,  and  in  1399  was  easily  overthrown  by  his  cousin, 
Henry  of  Lancaster,  eldest  son  of  John  of  Gaunt,  who  again  had 
been  the  fourth  son  of  Edward  III.  The  victor,  who  took  the  title 
of  Henry  IV.,  reigned  until  his  death  in  141 3.  He  was  succeeded 
by  his  eldest  son,  Henry  V.,  whose  brilliant  reign  was  cut  short  by 
his  early  death  in  1422.  Henry  V.'s  only  child,  Henry  VI.,  who 
now  became  king,  was  a  mere  infant  when  his  father  died.  In  the 
latter  part  of  his  long  reign  (1422-1461)  the  Wars  of  the  Roses 
commenced,  the  standard  of  revolt  being  raised  in  145$  by  Richard 
Plantagenet,  Duke  of  York.  York  was  a  man  of  much  more  charac- 
ter and  ability  than  Henry,  and  he  based  his  claim  to  the  throne  on 
hereditary  right,  inasmuch  as  he  was  descended  both  from  the  third 
and  from  the  fifth  son  of  Edward  HI.,  while  his  rival  was  descended 
only  from  the  fourth.  At  first  the  Yorkists  carried  all  before  them, 
but  in  1460  the  Lancastrians  won  a  victory  at  Wakefield,  where  York 
himself  was  slain,  while  his  son,  the  Earl  of  Rutland,  was  cruelly 
murdered  after  the  battle. 

King  Edward  IV.,  eldest  son  of  the  Duke  of  York,  now  became 
head  of  the  Yorkist  party.  He  was  at  this  time  a  mere  youth, 
having  been  born  in  1442.  A  victory  at  Mortimer's  Cross  in  1461, 
even  though  followed  almost  immediately  by  a  Yorkist  defeat  at  St. 
Alban's  ("Margaret's  battle"),  led  to  his  being  offered  the  crown, 
and  on  March  4th  of  that  year  he  assumed  the  title  of  king.  The 
strife,  however,  still  continued,  and  it  was  not  until  1 47 1  that  the 
Lancastrians  were  finally  crushed  at  Tewkesbury.    In  this  last  battle 


NOTES.  113 

Prince  Edward,  only  child  of  Henry  VI.,  was  killed,  and  shortly 
afterwards  Henry  himself  was  murdered  in  the  Tower.  Henceforth 
Edward  reigned  as  an  absolute  monarch  till  his  death  in  April,  1483. 

Edward,  Prince  oj  Wales,  afterwards  King  Edward  V,,  was 
born  in  the  Sanctuary,  Westminster,  4th  November,  1470,  at  a 
very  critical  period  in  the  history  of  his  father,  who  had  just  been 
compelled  to  fly  from  his  kingdom  owing  to  a  formidable  rebellion 
headed  by  Warwick,  the  King  Maker.  After  his  fathers  death  in 
1483,  young  Edward  was  proclaimed  king.  But  the  council  which 
decided  on  this  step  was  rent  by  very  serious  divisions.  Glou- 
cester, the  new  king's  uncle,  treacherously  seized  Earl  Rivers  and 
Lord  Grey,  the  most  prominent  members  of  the  party  to  which 
Edward  HI.'s  widow  belonged.  At  the  same  time  he  got  his 
nephew  into  his  power.  The  widowed  queen,  with  the  rest  of  her 
children,  took  sanctuary  at  Westminster.  This  was  on  1st  M-ay. 
Three  days  later  Gloucester  brought  his  nephew,  who  was  now  little 
more  than  a  prisoner,  into  London,  when  he  was  lodged  in  the 
Tower,  and  his  uncle  appointed  Protector.  On  June  26th  Richard 
took  his  seat  on  the  throne  in  Westminster  Hall,  having  virtually 
elected  himself  king,  and  on  6th  July  following  he  was  crowned. 
Soon  afterwards  young  Edward  was  murdered  in  his  prison. 

Richard,  Duke  of  York,  second  son  of  Edward  IV.,  was  born 
in  1474.  It  is  pretty  certain  that  he  shared  the  fate  of  his  brother 
in  the  Tower,  although  the  bodies  were  never  found  (see  note  on 
iv.  3.  29  f. ).  But  for  a  long  time  some  doubt  existed  as  to  his 
death,  and  it  was  he  who  was  afterwards  personated  by  Perkin 
Warbeck. 

George,  Duke  of  Clarence,  a  younger  brother  of  Edward  IV. ,  was 
born  in  1449.  He  married  Isabella  Neville,  the  eldest  daughter  of 
the  King  Maker  and  the  sister  of  Lady  Anne  who  appears  in  this 
play.  His  connection  with  Warwick  was  no  doubt  partly  respon- 
sible for  the  vacillating  and  discreditable  part  played  by  Clarence  in 
the  Wars  of  the  Roses  (i.  4.  208  fif.).  His  wife  died  in  J476.  Two 
years  later  he  was  himself  impeached,  on  the  charge  of  high  treason, 
before  the  House  of  Lords.  A  very  plausible  indictment  was  framed 
against  him,  in  which  he  was  accused  of  aiming  at  the  next  succession 
to  the  crown  by  underhand  means.  He  was  condemned  and  put  to 
death  in  the  Tower  (1478).  The  story  that  he  was  drowned  in  a 
malmsey-butt  is  not  properly  authenticated ;  nor  is  it  certain  that  his 
end  was  in  any  way  due  to  Richard's  intrigues. 

Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  afterwards  King  Richard  III., 
another  brother  of  Edward  IV.,  was  born  in  1452.  The  manner  in 
which  he  made  his  way  to  the  throne  has  already  been  hinted  at, 
and  it  will  be  found  set  forth  in  detail  in  the  play.  In  spite  of 
his  cruelty  he  was  an  able  soldier  and  a  capable  statesman.  He 
reigned  for  only  two  years,  being  killed  at  the  battle  of  Bosworth  in 
August,  1485. 

(Jl233^  H 


114  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD. 

A  young  son  of  Clarence.  This  was  Edward  Plantagenet,  Earl 
of  Warwick,  the  strength  of  whose  hereditary  claim  to  the  crown 
roused  the  jealousy  first  of  his  uncle,  Richard  III.,  and  then  of 
Henry  VII.  He  spent  a  large  part  of  his  life  in  prison,  and  was 
ultimately  beheaded  by  Henry  in  1499.  In  1487  he  was  personated 
by  Lambert  Simnel. 

Henry ^  Earl  of  Richmond^  aftei'wards  King  Henry  VII.,  the 
grandson  of  Owen  Tudor  and  Katharine,  widow  of  Henry  V. ,  was 
descended  on  the  mother's  side  from  John  of  Gaunt  (see  note  on  i. 
3.  20),  and  so  claimed  the  crown  as  representative  of  the  House  of 
Lancaster.  He  had  been  born  in  1457,  and  had  spent  most  of  his 
early  life  as  a  refugee  at  the  court  of  Brittany.  After  his  victory  at 
Bosworth  in  1485  he  was  crowned  king,  and  a  few  months  later 
he  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  ot  Edward  IV.  and  heiress  of  the 
House  of  York,  a  union  which  ended  the  struggle  between  the 
rival  Roses.  He  reigned  till  his  death  in  1509.  It  is  difficult  to 
recognize  the  able  and  unscrupulous  Henry  VII.  of  history  in  Shake- 
speare's Richmond,  a  brave  and  chivalrous,  if  somewhat  colourless 
and  uninteresting,  hero. 

Cardinal  Botuxhier^  Archbishop  of  Canterbury^  became  Primate 
in  1454,  and  died  in  i486.  It  fell  to  him  to  crown  three  kings — 
Edward  IV.,  Richard  IIL,  and  Henry  VII.,  and  it  was  he  who 
married  Henry  VII.  to  Elizabeth  of  York. 

Thomas  Rotherharn,  Archbishop  of  York,  was  at  one  time  a  fellow 
of  King's  College,  Cambridge.    He  is  buried  in  the  Minster  at  York. 

Johii  Morton,  Bishop  of  Ely  (1420?-! 500),  at  one  time  a  member 
of  Balliol  College,  Oxford,  was  an  active  promoter  of  the  rebellions 
against  Richard  IIL,  who  evidently  regarded  him  as  a  dangerous 
foe  (iv.  3.  49).  After  the  victory  of  Bosworth  he  became  one  of 
the  most  influential  men  in  England,  being  promoted  to  the  see  of 
Canterbury  in  i486,  and  made  Lord  Chancellor  in  the  following 
year.  He  was  the  trusted  counsellor  of  Henry  VI L,  and  materially 
aided  him  in  devising  means  of  extortion.  His  connection  with  Sir 
Thomas  More  has  been  alluded  to  in  the  Int7'odziction  (p.  il). 

Duke  of  BuckinghajH.  This  was  Henry  Stafford,  who,  being 
descended  through  the  female  line  from  the  sixth  son  of  Edward  IIL, 
was  the  nearest  heir  to  the  crown  after  Richmond.  It  was  chiefly 
through  his  influence  and  active  co-operation  that  Richard  was 
able  to  usurp  the  throne.  Even  before  the  coronation,  however,  ill- 
feeling  seems  to  have  arisen  between  them,  and  after  the  murder 
of  the  young  princes  Buckingham  decided  to  support  Richmond's 
claims.  In  1483  he  headed  an  abortive  rebellion,  and  was  after- 
wards betrayed  to  Richard  and  promptly  executed. 

Duke  of  Norfolk.  This  was  Sir  John  Howard,  who  had  held 
many  important  posts  under  Edward  IV.,  but  who  afterwards  trans- 
ferred his  allegiance  from  Edward  V.  to  the  usurper  Richard  III. 


NOTES.  115 

He  proved  faithful  to  his  new  master,  and  fell  by  Richard's  side  at 
the  Battle  of  Bosworth. 

Earl  of  Surrey,  son  of  the  preceding,  led  Richard's  archers  at 
Bosworth.  After  Henry  VII. 's  accession  Surrey  was  imprisoned  in 
the  Tower  for  three  and  a  half  years,  but  was  subsequently  restored 
to  his  title  and  his  lands.  It  was  he  who  commanded  the  English 
army  at  Flodden  (15 13). 

Earl  Rivers,  brother  to  Elizabeth.  This  was  Antony  Woodville, 
Lord  Scales.  He  was  one  of  the  most  learned  men  of  his  time,  and 
a  patron  of  Caxton.  The  circumstances  that  led  to  his  execution  are 
fully  explained  in  the  play. 

Marquis  of  Dorset,  son  to  Elizabeth,  the  eldest  of  Edward  IV.'s 
stepsons,  narrowly  escaped  death  when  his  brother  and  his  uncle 
Rivers  were  seized  and  beheaded.  He  took  sanctuary  at  this  time 
and  subsequently  made  his  escape  to  Brittany.  He  returned  to 
England  after  the  battle  of  Bosworth,  but  never  played  any  consider- 
able part  in  history.     He  was  an  ancestor  of  Lady  Jane  Grey. 

Lord  Grey,  son  to  Elizabeth,  This  was  Lord  Richard  Grey.  The 
play  tells  how  he  shared  his  uncle's  fate. 

Earl  of  Oxford.  This  was  John  de  Vere,  who  held  an  important 
command  on  the  Lancastrian  side  at  the  battle  of  Barnet  (1471). 
He  surrendered  to  Edward  IV.  in  1473,  "^^^  was  imprisoned  for 
twelve  years  in  a  castle  in  Picardy.  In  1485  he  succeeded  in  escap- 
ing, joined  Richmond,  and  led  the  vanguard  of  the  Lancastrian 
army  at  Bosworth.      He  died  in  1513. 

Lord  Hastings  was  a  faithful  adherent  of  the  House  of  York. 
Although  he  appears  to  have  been  on  bad  terms  with  the  relatives 
of  Queen  Elizabeth,  yet  on  the  death  of  Edward  IV.  he  refused  to 
allow  Edward  V.  to  be  thrust  aside.  Richard  had  him  executed, 
without  any  form  of  trial,  on  June  13th,  1483. 

Lord  Stanley,  called  also  Earl  of  Derby.  This  was  Thomas 
Stanley  who  was  Steward  of  the  Household  to  Edward  IV.  He 
married  (i)  Helena  Neville,  a  sister  of  the  King  Maker;  (2)  the 
Countess  Richmond,  mother  of  Henry  VII.  (see  note  on  i.  3.  20). 
Richard  seems  to  have  distrusted  him  deeply,  but  he  never  took 
active  measures  against  him.  The  part  played  by  Stanley  at  Bos- 
worth is  described  in  Act  v. 

Lord  Lovel,  a  strong  partisan  of  Richard  III.  and  afterwards  a 
supporter  of  Lambert  Simnel,  was  a  person  of  some  importance 
during  Richard's  reign.  He  (with  Catesby  and  Ratcliff)  was  attacked 
in  the  lampoon  of  Collingbourne,  which  begins : — 

*'The  Cat,  the  Rat,  and  Lovel  our  Dog, 
Doe  rule  all  England,  under  the  Hog". 

Sir  Tho77ias  Vaughan,  a  constant  and  faithful  attendant  on,  Edward 
V.  almost  from  his  infancy,  was  executed  at  Pomfret  by  Richard's 
orders. 


Il6  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD. 

Si}'  Richard  Ratcliff,  one  of  Richard's  most  trusted  instruments, 
fell  by  his  master's  side  at  Bosworth. 

Sir  William  Cateshy^  who  was  really  only  an  esquire  of  the  body, 
never  a  knight,  held  several  important  offices  under  Richard,  includ- 
ing the  Speakership  in  Richard's  only  Parliament.  It  is  probable 
that  he  was  executed  after  the  battle  of  Bosworth.  It  was  one  of  his 
descendants  who  was  a  leader  in  the  Gunpowder  Plot. 

Sir  James  Tyri-el  was  afterwards  a  supporter  of  Perkin  Warbeck. 
He  was  arrested  for  his  treason,  and  confessed  that  both  the  princes 
had  been  murdered  in  1483.     He  was  executed  in  1502. 

Lord  Mayor  of  London.  This  was  Edmund  Shaw,  Lord  Mayor 
in  1483.  In  the  Chronicle  his  brother.  Doctor  Shaw,  figures  as 
preaching  at  St.  Paul's  Cross  a  sermon  in  which  the  children  of 
Edward  IV.,  as  well  as  Edward  himself,  were  denounced  as  illegiti- 
mate, his  text  being  "Bastard  plants  shall  take  no  deep  root,  nor  lay 
any  fast  foundation"  (IVisdof/i  of  Solomon^  iv.  3). 

Elizabeth^  queen  to  King  Edward  IV.^  was  born  in  1437.  She 
became  the  wife  of  Sir  John  Grey,  who  died  of  wounds  received  at 
St.  Albans  (see  note  on  i.  3.  128)  in  1 461.  In  1464  Edward  married 
her  in  spite  of  the  strong  opposition  of  his  mother  (see  on  iii.  7.  i8q). 
After  the  death  of  her  husband  and  the  passing  of  an  Act  declaring 
her  children  illegitimate,  she  opened  negotiations  with  Richmond, 
but  subsequently  accepted  Richard's  protection.  Finally  she  retired 
to  Bermondsey,  where  she  died  in  1492. 

Margaret^  widow  of  Kittg  Llenry  F/.,  was  the  daughter  of  Rene, 
Duke  of  Anjou.  She  was  married  to  Henry  VI.  in  1445.  Being  a 
woman  of  great  energy  and  ability  she  was  for  many  years  the  real 
head  of  the  Lancastrian  party.  After  the  decisive  defeat  of  Tewkes- 
bury (1471)  she  was  captured,  and  remained  a  prisoner  till  1476. 
In  that  year  she  was  ransomed  for  50,000  gold  crowns,  and  returned 
to  P>ance.  She  died  in  1482,  and  her  appearances  in  this  play  are 
therefore  quite  unhistorical  (see  Introduction^  p.  12). 

Duchess  of  York.,  mother  to  King  Edward  /F.,  died  in  1495. 
Her  age  is  purposely  exaggerated  in  the  play  (see  note  on  iv.  I.  96). 

Lady  Anne.  This  was  Anne  Neville,  youngest  daughter  of  the 
KinjL,^  Maker.  She  was  born  in  1456,  and  in  1470  she  was  betrothed 
to  Edward,  eldest  son  of  Plenry  VI.  The  marriage  was  never 
actually  solemnized  (see  note  on  i.  I.  154),  and  Edward  was  killed 
at  Tewkesbury  in  the  following  year.  Anne  subsequently  married 
Richard  (1473),  ^^'^^  is  said  to  have  been  attached  to  her  in  early 
life.  She  had  one  son,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten  (1484),  after  he 
had  been  created  Prince  of  Wales.  She  only  survived  her  bereave- 
ment a  few  months,  dying  in  1485.  There  is  no  reason  to  suppose 
that  Richard  made  away  with  her,  as  is  suggested  by  Shakespeare, 
But  he  certainly  lost  no  time  in  seeking  another  wife  (iv.  4). 

A  young  Daughter  of  Clarence.     See  note  on  iv.  3.  37. 


Act  I.  Sc.  I.]  NOTES.  117 

Act  I. — Scene  I. 

This  scene  does  more  than  merely  start  the  action.  It  is  at  once 
a  guide  to  the  course  the  play  is  to  take,'  and  an  epitome  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  principal  figure.  In  the  soliloquies  we  are  frankly  let 
into  the  secret  of  Richard's  designs,  and  are  shown  what  manner  of 
man  he  is — bold  in  action,  unscrupulous,  a  stranger  to  ordinary 
human  sympathy  ;  in  the  interviews  with  Clarence  and  with  Hastings 
we  see  the  means  by  which  he  is  to  work  out  his  ends — above  all, 
his  hypocrisy  and  his  consummate  power  of  dissimulation.  The 
simplicity  of  this  method  of  opening  is  quite  in  keeping  with  the 
general  character  of  the  play :  Shakespeare  had  not  yet  reached  the 
fulness  of  his  powers.  It  should  be  compared  with  the  more  artistic 
methods  employed  in  beginning  the  greater  dramas. 

1.  Now:  i.e.  after  the  Battle  of  Tewkesbury,  and  the  murder  of 
Henry  VI. 

2.  sun  of  York:  an  allusion  to  Edward  IV. 's  device  of  a  blazing 
sun.     For  the  obvious  word-play  cf.  i.  3.  266-7. 

6.  bruised  :  pronounced  here  brtds-ed,  Richard  III,  is  remark- 
able for  the  number  of  cases  in  which  the  metre  requires  us  to  give 
syllabic  value  to  the  -ed  of  a  past  indicative  or  past  participle,  that 
is  not  usually  sounded  as  a  separate  syllable.  The  ear  is  a  safe 
guide. 

monuments,  memorials.  So  in  Lucrece  (1.  798)?  **  tears"  and 
**  groans"  are  called  **poor  wasting  monuments  oflasting  moans". 
Notice  how  many  words  in  this  and  the  two  following  lines  begin 
with  the  letter  7n.     Such  alliteration  is  common  in  the  play. 

7.  alarums.     See  Glossary. 

8.  measures:  either  'dances'  or  *  music  for  dances'.  Observe 
the  twofold  alliteration  in  this  line. 

9.  front,  forehead. 

10.  barbed,  armed  for  battle  (of  horses).     See  Glossary. 

12.  He,  i.e.  **grim-visaged  war".  Probably,  however,  there  is 
an  indirect  allusion  to  the  "  evil  diet"  of  the  king,  which  is  openly 
spoken  of  in  11.  73  ff.  and  139  ff. 

13.  pleasing:  used  here  in  the  sense  of  'good  pleasure',  'will'. 

14.  Observe  how  Richard  dwells  upon  his  personal  deformity  and 
seeks  in  it  a  justification  for  the  line  of  action  he  is  going  to  adopt. 
Cf.  Third  Part  of  Henry  VI.  (v.  6.  78)— 

"  Then,  since  the  heavens  have  shaped  my  body  so, 
Let  hell  make  crook'd  my  mind  to  answer  it". 
According  to  Holinshed,  Richard  was  "litle  of  stature,  ill-featured 
of  limmes,  crooke  backed,  his  left  shoulder  much  higher  than  his 
right,  hard  favoured  of  visage ".  There  is  good  reason  to  believe 
that  much  of  this  description  is  Lancastrian  exaggeration.  (Cf. 
Introduction^  p.  1 1.) 


Il8  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  Act  I.] 

15.  amorous  looking-glass.  Schmidt  explains  this  to  mean 
**a  looking-glass  which  reflects  a  face  fond  of  itself".  But  perhaps 
the  phrase  will  hardly  bear  such  definite  analysis.  Rather  it  is  one 
of  those  cases — not  uncommon  in  Shakespeare — in  which  the  influ- 
ence of  the  adjective,  instead  of  being  confined  to  the  word  it  qualifies 
grammatically,  makes  itself  felt  throughout  the  sentence.  Other 
instances  in  the  play  are,  *'  ^omQ  patient  leisure"  (i.  2.  82);  **  I  lay 
unto  the  grievous  charge  of  others"  (i.  3.  326).  There  is  a  good 
example  in  Macbeth^  i.  3.  155 — 

**let  us  speak 
Owx  free  hearts  each  to  other". 

x6.  stamped.  The  metaphor  is  probably  from  striking  a  coin* 
See  on  i.  3.  256. 

Icve's  majesty:  the  dignity  of  bearing  that  the  ** nymph" 
would  look  for  in  her  lover. 

17.  ambling.  *  Amble'  is  used  in  the  first  instance  of  the  easy 
gait  (ambulare)  of  a  horse  or  mule ;  then  it  comes  to  mean  *  to  walk 
in  an  affected  way'. 

18.  this,  i,e,  the  **  proportion"  that  is  required  for  success  in  such 
affairs. 

19.  feature.     See  Glossary. 

dissembling,  deceitful,  fraudulent.     Cf.  i.  2.  185;  ii.  2.  31. 

21.  breathing  world,  world  of  life. 

22.  unfashionable.  When  two  adverbs  are  closely  united,  it  is 
not  uncommon  to  find  the  termination  of  one  of  them  omitted.  Cf. 
iii.  4.  50. 

23.  halt,  limp. 

24.  piping  time.  "The  spirit-stirring  drum"  and  **the  ear- 
piercing  fife"  were  appropriate  to  war  (Othello^  iii.  3.  352);  the  tabor 
and  the  pipe  to  peace  (Muck  Ado,  ii.  3.  15). 

27.  descant :  here  used  in  its  ordinary  sense.     But  see  Glossary. 

29.  entertain.     See  Glossary. 

well-spoken  days,  days  when  fair  speeches  and  smooth  words 
were  in  vogue. 

32  if.  There  is  no  reliable  evidence  that  Richard  was  responsible 
for  the  quarrel  between  the  King  and  Clarence.  Holinshed  lays  the 
whole  blame  upon  Edward's  jealousy.  He  says,  indeed,  that  "some 
wise  men  also  weene"  that  Richard's  policy  "  lacked  not  in  helping 
foorth  his  brother  of  Clarence  to  his  death  " :  but  immediately  adds 
that  **of  all  this  point  is  there  no  certeintie,  and  whoso  divineth 
upon  conjectures,  may  as  well  shoot  too  farre  as  too  short ".  This, 
then,  is  one  of  the  matters  in  which  Shakespeare  goes  beyond  his 
authorities.  (Cf.  Introduction,  p.  12.)  And  the  dramatic  motive  is 
obvious.  To  make  the  death  of  Clarence  part  of  Richard's  scheme 
for  gaining  the  crown  was  a  distinct  advance  in  the  direction  of 


Scene  i.]  NOTES.  119 

unity  of  action — the  only  one  of  the  *  three  unities '  that  has  any 
real  validity. 

32.   inductions,  introductions,  beginnings.     Cf.  iv.  4.  5. 

36.  So  in  Lear  (i.  2.  195)  Edmund  speaks  of  having 

**a  brother  noble, 
Whose  nature  is  so  far  from  doing  harms. 
That  he  suspects  none :  on  whose  foolish  honesty 
My  practices  ride  easy". 

38.   mew'd  up.     See  Glossary. 

39  f.  Holinshed  alludes  to  this  story  of  the  *' prophecy",  but  is 
evidently  sceptical  as  to  its  authenticity.  He  adds  that  those  v^^ho 
believed  in  its  genuineness  were  able  to  point  out  that  it  had  actually 
been  fulfilled:  *'G"  is  the  first  letter  of  *  Gloucester'  as  well  as  of 

*  George '. 

44.  Tendering^,  setting  a  high  value  on.  Cf.  ii.  4.  72,  and  iv.  4. 
405.     The  verb  is  derived  from  the  adjective. 

45.  conduct,  escort.  The  word  is  obsolete  in  this  sense  except 
in  the  phrase  *  safe-conduct'. 

49.  belike,  in  all  likelihood.     See  Glossary. 

50.  new-christen'd.  Richard's  sarcastic  phrase  undoubtedly 
contains  an  allusion  to  the  manner  of  Clarence's  death.  As,  how- 
ever, the  decision  to  **chop  him  in  the  malmsey  butt"  (i.  4.  161) 
was  arrived  at  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  and  could  not  have 
been  known  beforehand  to  Richard,  the  allusion  is  an  instance  of 

*  tragic  irony',  for  which  see  note  on  i.  2.  26  ff. 

55.  cross -row,  the  alphabet.  In  the  old  hornbooks  the  figure 
of  a  cross  was  prefixed  to  the  alphabet,  which  thus  came  to  be  called 
*the  Christ-cross-row'. 

58.  for,  because.     Cf.  ii.  2.  95,  and  other  instances. 

60.  toys,  silly  thoughts.  Cf.  Othello,  iii.  4.  156,  **No  jealous 
toy  concerning  you".  In  iii.  I.  114  of  our  play  the  word  has  a 
slightly  different  sense. 

62.   this  it  is,  this  is  what  happens. 

65.  tempers  him  to  this  extremity,  persuades  him  to  take  such 
harsh  measures.     See  Glossary  {temper). 

66.  worship,  position,  dignity.  Cf.  the  adjective  *  worshipful', 
and  the  phrase  '  Your  worship'  as  a  form  of  address. 

67.  Woodville:  a  trisyllable  here.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody^ 
p.  179,  1.  18. 

73.  Jane  Shore  was  the  most  famous  of  Edward  IV.'s  mistresses. 
She  was  the  wife  of  a  London  citizen,  to  whom  she  had  been 
married  when  a  mere  girl.     Holinshed  says  she  had  great  personal 


I20  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  L 

attractions.  *' Yet  delighted  men  not  so  much  in  hir  beautie,  as  in 
hir  pleasant  behaviour.  For  a  proper  wit  had  she,  and  could  both 
read  well  and  write,  merrie  in  companie,  readie  and  quicke  of 
answer."  After  Edward's  death  she  accepted  the  protection  first  of 
Lord  Hastings,  and  subsequently  of  the  Marquess  of  Dorset.  More 
tells  us  she  was  alive  when  he  wrote  his  history. 

78.   our  way,  the  way  for  us. 

81.  o'erworn  widow.  The  queen  was  a  widow  when  Edward 
married  her  (cf.  iii.  7.  183  ff.).  Hence  the  contemptuous  use  of  the 
word  here  and  in  1.  109.  The  epithet  o'erworn  has  a  similar 
significance.  It  can  hardly  refer  to  Elizabeth's  age;  she  was  borrl 
in  1437. 

82.  dubb'd  them  gentlewomen.  Jane  Shore  was  never  in  any 
way  ennobled,  and  the  queen  was  a  *  gentlewoman'  to  begin  with. 
But  doubtless  their  association  with  the  king  gave  them  great  influ- 
ence, and  Richard  need  mean  no  more  than  this. 

83.  gossips.     See  Glossary. 

85.  given  in  charge,  ordered,  charged. 

92.  struck.  See  Glossary.  For  the  scansion  see  Appendix  on 
Prosody,  p.  183,  1.  25. 

103.   withal.     See  Glossary. 

106.  abjects.     See  Glossary.     Probably  the  word  is  intended  to 

suggest  *  subjects'  here. 

no.   enfranchise,  set  free.     See  Glossary. 

115.  lie,  be  imprisoned.  Mr.  Wright  suggests  that  a  play  upon 
words  is  intended.  Cf.  Ha)nlet^  v.  I.  131  ff.,  and  the  famous 
epigram  on  the  Tichborne  claimant  ("He  that  lied  in  court,  still 
lies  in  jail"). 

122.  time  of  day.  *  To  pass  the  time  of  day'  is  still  used  col- 
loquially of  a  casual  salutation.  The  general  expression  is,  however, 
no  longer  employed  as  a  greeting ;  we  say  '  Good  morning ',  '  Good 
afternoon  ',  or  '  Good  evening ',  as  the  case  may  be.  The  full  form 
of  the  phrase  occurs  in  iv.  i,  5,  6.  For  other  abl^reviations  see  on 
ii.  3.  6. 

131.  on,  against. 

132.  Delius  says  that  "the  eagle"  is  Hastings.  But  is  it  not 
rather  Clarence?  (Cf.  i.  3.  264.)  The  "  kites  and  buzzards"  are 
obviously  the  queen's  kindred,  who,  as  a  new  aristocracy,  were  un- 
popular with  those  who  felt  their  growing  power. 

137.  fear  him,  are  anxious  about  him.  This  sense  is  common  in 
.  Shakespeare,  being  found  even  in  the  passive  voice,  e.g.  First  Part 

of  King  Henry  IV.  (iv.  I.  24),  "  He  was  much  feared  by  his  phy- 
sicians". 

138.  by  Saint  Paul :  Richard's  favourite  oath. 


Scene  2.]  NOTES.  I2i 

139.   diet,  manner  of  life.     (Greek,  Siatra.) 
148.   steel'd,  made  firm  and  strong. 

153.  Warwick's  youngest  daughter,  Lady  Anne.  Her  be- 
trothed, Prince  Edward  of  Lancaster,  was  slain  at  Tewkesbury,  and 
her  father  at  Barnet.  According  to  Holinshed,  Clarence,  Richard, 
Grey,  Dorset,  and  Hastings  had  all  a  hand  in  the  murder  of  Edward. 
Cf.  i.  2.  240;  4.  56;  and  iii.  3.  16. 

154.  husband.  Anne  and  Edward  were  never  actually  married. 
Shakespeare  follows  the  common  tradition  in  always  speaking  of  them 
as  husband  and  wdfe. 

158.  secret  close  intent.  His  ultimate  end  was  the  crown; 
Anne's  wealth  would  help  him  to  gain  this. 

Scene  2. 

This  scene  has  produced  a  great  variety  of  criticism,  the  larger 
proportion  of  which  has  been  distinctly  adverse.  In  considering  the 
question  of  its  dramatic  propriety  we  must  remember  that  Anne  did 
not  possess  the  clue  to  Richard's  character,  which  the  opening  scene 
has  given  to  us ;  she  knew  him  to  be  bold  and  cruel,  but  she  had  no 
reason  to  suspect  him  of  double-dealing.  Further,  Richard's  mar- 
riage with  Prince  Edward's  *  widow'  was  a  point  in  his  career  which 
Shakespeare  could  hardly  pass  over.  Dramatic  necessities  led  him 
to  place  it  immediately  after  Edward's  death  (1.  240,  and  cf.  Iniro- 
diutioii^  p.  12).  To  bridge  over  the  inherent  improbability  of  Anne's 
so  soon  consenting  to  the  union,  some  such  scene  as  this  was  ab- 
solutely necessary,  a  scene  where  Richard's  strong  personality,  com- 
manding intellect,  and  masterly  hypocrisy  should  bear  down  all 
opposition.  No  doubt  Shakespeare  might  have  made  use  of  the 
story  that  Richard  and  Anne  were  old  lovers.  This,  however, 
would  not  have  served  his  purpose  so  well.  It  would  have  excited 
our  sympathy  with  Richard ;  whereas  the  method  actually  adopted 
increases  our  admiration  for  his  qualities  without  making  us  feel  more 
kindly  towards  him. 

2.  hearse :  not  used  in  the  ordinary  sense,  as  is  clear  from  the 
context.     The  body  is  brought  in  upon  a  bier. 

3.  obsequiously,  in  a  manner  becoming  funeral  obsequies.  See 
Glossary. 

5.  key-cold  =  cold  as  a  key.  Steevens  reminds  us  that  a  key 
A^as  often  used  to  stop  bleeding. 

holy.  Cf.  iv.  I.  70;  4.  25;  v.  Ift  4.  There  was  actually  an  effort 
made  to  have  him  canonized.  He  was  the  founder  of  Eton  College, 
and  of  King's  College,  Cambridge. 

8.  invocate:  a  *  doublet'  of  'invoke',  the  longer  form  having 
come  into  English  direct  from  Latin,  the  shorter  through  the  medium 
of  French. 


122  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

10.  Wife.     See  on  i.  i.  154. 

12.  in  =  '  into',  as  very  frequently,  e.g,  11.  259  and  261. 

windows.  Schmidt  connects  this  passage  with  the  notion  of  a 
window  as  an  indirect  or  unnatural  means  of  exit  and  entrance,  for 
which  cf.  King  John,  i.  I.  171.  Surely  it  is  better  to  interpret  it  in 
the  light  of  the  old  custom  of  opening  the  windows  and  doors  in  a 
house  in  order  that  the  soul  of  a  dying  person  may  pass  out  freely. 
To  those  familiar  with  such  a  superstition  the  expression  in  the  text 
would  seem  in  no  way  strange;  and  that  Shakespeare  knew  of  it 
appears  certain  from  King  John,  v.  7.  29  (also  misunderstood  by 
Schmidt).  There  the  dying  monarch,  when  he  has  been  carried  out 
into  the  orchard  to  the  open  air,  exclaims — 

*' Ay,  marry,  now  my  soul  hath  elbow-room; 
It  would  not  out  at  windows  nor  at  doors  '*. 

13.  helpless:  not  'without  help',  but  *  without  the  power  to 
help'.  'Help'  in  Shakespeare  has  the  sense  of  *cure'.  See  on 
iv.  4.  131. 

15.  the  heart.  At  first  sight  it  seems  unnatural  for  Anne  to 
indulge  in  word-play  when  under  the  stress  of  such  strong  emotion. 
But  this  is  one  of  those  cases  where  '*  misery  makes  sport  to  mock 
itself".  The  classic  instance  in  Shakespeare  is  Gaunt  punning  on 
his  own  name,  as  he  lies  on  his  death-bed  {Richard  II.,  ii.  i.  73- 
84,  where  see  Prof.  Herford's  note  in  the  Warwick  Ed.).  Cf.  also 
V.  I.  12  of  this  play.  With  regard  to  the  whole  question,  it  should 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Elizabethans,  like  the  Athenians  of  the 
Fifth  Century  B.C.,  found  in  word-play  a  charm  that  it  is  difficult  for 
us  to  appreciate.  It  recalls  the  deHght  that  children  at  a  certain 
stage  of  mental  development  often  take  in  puns.  Possibly  in  both 
cases  the  ultimate  explanation  is  the  same.  The  tendency  may  be 
due  to  the  growing  sense  of  a  mastery  over  language,  and  to  the 
desire  to  give  expression  to  it. 

16.  the  blood.  Mr.  Wright  suggests  that  blood  has  here  (as  fre- 
quently in  Shakespeare)  the  sense  of  '  passion'  or  '  temper'. 

17.  hap,  fortune — whether  bad,  as  here,  or  good,  as  in  i.  3.  84. 

20.  venom'd.  Both  the  toad  and  the  spider  were  popularly 
believed  to  be  poisonous.  The  former  in  particular  is  often  alluded 
to  by  Shakespeare  as  venomous,  e.g,  i.  2.  143;  3.  246;  As  You  Like 
It,  ii,  I.  13;  Macbeth,  iv.  I.  6,  &c.  For  the  spider,  cf.  Richard  11,^ 
iii.  2.  14. 

22.  Prodigious,  of  the  nature  of  a  prodigy,  monstrous. 

23.  aspect,  look.     Cf.  i.  2.  155. 

25.  unhappiness,  wickedness,  power  for  mischief.  *  Unhappy* 
is  sometimes  used  in  the  sense  of  mischievous,  e.g,  *'A  shrewd 
knave  and  an  unhappy"  (Airs  Well,  iv.  5.  66). 


Scene  2.]  NOTES.  123 

26  ff.  The  audience  would  read  into  this  curse  a  significance  of 
which  Anne  did  not  dream.  The  play  abounds  in  such  instances  of 
*  tragic  irony'.  This  dramatic  device  was  familiar  to  the  Greeks; 
Sophocles,  for  instance,  employs  it  with  great  effect  in  the  CEdipus 
Tyran^ms.  It  consists  of  putting  into  the  mouth  of  a  speaker  words 
that  in  addition  to  the  sense  he  intends  them  to  bear,  have  an  alto- 
gether different  signification  for  those  who  appreciate  the  situation 
and  are  familiar  with  the  way  in  which  events  are  to  shape  them- 
selves. The  second  signification  transforms  the  speech  into  an  un- 
conscious prophecy  of  impending  evil.  Granted,  then,  that  the 
audience  have  a  knowledge  of  what  is  to  come,  the  skilful  use  of 
'tragic  irony'  may  go  far  to  produce  'pity'.  And  in  Greek  plays 
the  subject-matter  of  the  plot  was  invariably  a  familiar  legend. 
That  Shakespeare  did  not  always  think  of  the  immediate  effect 
the  words  would  have,  is  clear  from  a  striking  example  of  this 
sort  of  'irony'  in  Macbeth  (iii.  i.  28).  For  it  is  only  in  the  light  of 
the  subsequent  scene  at  the  banquet  that  we  realize  the  grim  horror 
that  lurked  beneath  Macbeth's  last  interview  with  his  victim  in  the 
flesh— 

^^  Macb,  Fail  not  our  feast. 
Ba7iq.   My  lord,  I  will  not." 

28.  The  form  of  expression  is  condensed.     For  the  sense  see  iv. 

I.  77. 

29.  Chert sey,  a  market  town  in  Surrey,  25  miles  w.s.w.  of 
London. 

31.  as,  as  often  as. 

32.  whiles.     See  Glossary. 

35.  devoted.  In  sense  this  adjective  belongs  not  to  "  deeds",  but 
to  the  'charity'  contained  in  "charitable".  The  phrase  really 
means  'deeds  of  devoted  charity'.     Cf.  i.  4.  4,  280;  ii.  4.  55. 

40.  Advance:  not  'move  forward',  but  'move  upward',  i,e. 
'raise'.     Cf.  v.  3.  264. 

46.   Avaunt.     See  Glossary. 

49.  curst,  perverse,  shrewish.  This  sense  of  the  word  survives 
only  in  slang. 

52.   exclaims,  exclamations.    The  word  occurs  again  in  iv.  4.  135. 

54.  pattern,  sample. 

55.  The  allusion  is  to  the  familiar  superstition  that  a  murdered 
man's  wounds  bled  afresh  if  the  murderer  approached  his  victim's 
body.  Effective  use  is  made  of  this  belief  by  Scott  in  The  Fair 
Maid  of  Perth ^  and  by  Hawthorne  in  Transformation. 

58.   exhales.     See  Glossary. 

62.  revenge  his  death.  Note  the  effect  of  iteration,  particularly 
in  curses  and  lamentations.     Cf.  ii.  2.  7 1  ff.;  iv.  4.  40  ff.,  &c. 


r  r 


124  KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD.  [Act  I. 

65.   quick,  living. 

68.  One  of  the  legacies  which  the  Elizabethan  drama  inherited 
from  Euripides  through  Seneca  was  a  fondness  for  the  rapid  inter- 
change of  studied  repartee.  The  dialogue  that  follows  is  one  of  the 
most  marked  Shakespearian  examples  of  this  '  stichomuthia',  as  it 
was  called  by  the  Greeks;  and  other  notable  instances  will  be  found 
in  the  conversation  between  Richard  and  Elizabeth  in  Act  iv. ,  Scene 
4.  In  their  own  way  these  scenes  are  effective,  but  to  a  modern  ear 
the  straining  after  parallelism,  which  is  characteristic  of  the  Eliza- 
bethan 'stichomuthia',  and  is  akin  to  punning,  seems  tasteless,  and 
as  a  matter  of  fact  often  results  in  something  perilously  near  to 
nonsense.  The  encounter  is  interesting  as  an  illustration  of  Shake- 
speare's use  of  *thou'  and  'you'.  Anne,  whose  feelings  are  stirred 
to  their  depths,  uses  the  'thou'  of  contempt  until  1.  196,  when  she 
finally  relents.  Richard,  on  the  other  hand,  is  cool  and  collected 
throughout,  and  invariably  uses  'you',  except  where  he  simulates 
deep  feeUng  (1.  81  and  11.  132  ff.). 

^'j.  By  circumstance    in  a  detailed  or  circumstantial  manner. 

78.  defused  infection.  We  must  not  press  too  strongly  for  a 
meaning;  the  phrase  is  obviously  used  mainly  for  the  jingle  with 
*'  divine  perfection  ".     But  see  Glossary  for  both  words. 

82.   patient.     See  on  i.  i.  15. 

84.   current,  accepted  as  genuine.     Cf.  ii.  i.  94;  iv.  2.  9. 

87.  worthy,  well-deserved. 

89.   Say  that  I  slew  them  not  ?  =  *  Suppose  I  did  not  kill  them  ?' 

92.     Cf.  on  i.  I.  153. 

95.  bend,  aim.  The  word  in  this  sense  was  in  the  first  instance 
used  of  a  bow.  Here  it  is  applied  to  a  falchion,  and  we  even  find 
*'our  cannon  shall  be  bent"  (Kingjoht,  ii.  i.  37). 

98.   their  guilt,  the  guilt  of  my  brothers. 

102.  grant  me.  Note  the  word-play.  In  the  first  instance  ^^r^;// 
has  the  sense  of  '  admit  to  be  true ' ;  in  the  second  it  has  its  ordinary 
meaning.  In  both  instances  7ne  is  in  the  dative,  as  is  the  "ye"  of 
the  preceding  line. 

117.   timeless,  untimely. 

120.  effect.  If  the  word  has  any  very  definite  sense  here,  it 
probably  means  '  efficient  cause ',  as  Schmidt  thinks.      But  see  on 

1.78. 

133.  Anne  implies  that,  if  Richard's  assertion  were  true,  then  she 
had  it  in  her  power  to  make  him  miserable. 

142.  The  Yorkist  Richard  and  the  Lancastrian  Edward  were 
both  Plantagenets.  The  word  was  originally  the  nickname  (Plante- 
geneste)  of  Geoffrey,   Count  of  Anjou,  father  of  Henry  II.      The 


Scene  2.]  NOTES.  125 

explanation  of  how  it  came  to  be  applied  to  him  is  uncertain. 
There  is  no  reliable  authority  for  the  story  that  he  had  a  habit  of 
wearing  a  sprig  of  broom  [plajita  genista)  in  his  cap. 

149.  infect,  pollute.  In  the  next  line  Richard  catches  up  the 
word  and  applies  it  to  love-sickness. 

151.  basilisks.  The  basilisk  or  "cockatrice"  (iv.  I.  55)  was  a 
fabulous  reptile  which  could  slay  by  a  look.  According  to  Pliny,  it 
had  a  mark  like  a  crown  upon  its  head.  Hence  its  name,  which  is 
derived  from  a  diminutive  of  ^acriXevs,  a  king. 

153.  living  death.  The  figure  that  results  from  the  combination 
of  two  contradictory  ideas  is  known  as  Oxymoron,  literally  *  some- 
thing pointedly  foolish'  (Greek,  o^vs,  sharp, +/xa>yo6s,  foolish).  It 
was  familiar  to  the  Greeks  and  to  the  Romans  {splendide  niendax^ 
stremta  inertia).  An  accumulation  of  instances  will  be  found  in  iv. 
4.  26  ff. 

155.  shamed  their  aspect,  disgraced  their  appearance. 

156.  These  eyes.  At  first  sight  this  looks  like  an  anacolouthon. 
But  there  is  no  real  break  in  the  construction,  the  word  eyes  being 
in  apposition  to  "mine  [eyes]"  in  1.  154. 

156.  remorseful  —  '  full  of  pity '.  '  Remorse '  in  Shakespeare 
often  means  'pity',  e.g.  iii.  7.  211.  In  i.  4.  110  and  iv.  3.  20  it 
has  its  ordinary  sense. 

157  ff.  These  lines  refer  to  the  incidents  described  in  Third 
Part  of  Henry  VI,  (ii.  i).  There,  however,  the  account  of  York's 
death  is  not  put  into  the  mouth  of  Anne's  "warlike  father",  Warwick, 
but  into  the  mouth  of  a  messenger. 

163.   That  =* so  that'  (as  frequently  in  Shakespeare). 

166.   exhale.     Cf.  1.  58. 

169.   smoothing,  making  smooth  by  flattery,  i.e.  flattering. 

179.  the  death.  The  article  gives  something  of  the  force  of 
judicial  formality,  as  in  the  phrase  '  to  die  the  death '. 

182.  dispatch.  Schmidt  takes  this  =' put  to  death'.  But  it 
need  mean  no  more  than  *  make  haste',  as  in  i.  3.  356;  iii.  3.  8;  4. 
96,  104.  In  i.  3.  341  and  i.  4.  278  it  is  used  transitively  =' do 
quickly '. 

185.   dissembler,  hypocrite.     Cf.  i.  i.  19. 

203.  This  line  must  mean :  *  Although  I  accept  your  ring,  I  give 
you  no  pledge  of  troth  in  return '.     It  is  omitted  in  the  Folios. 

213.   presently.     See  on  iv.  5.  5. 

Crosby  Place:  Richard's  house  in  Bishopsgate  Street.  It  was 
built  by  Sir  John  Crosby  in  1466,  and  bought  by  Richard  in  1475. 
At  one  time  it  was  occupied  by  Sir  Thomas  More.  Part  of  it  still 
survives,  and  is  used  as  a  restaurant  under  the  name  of  Crosby  Hall. 


126  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  I.  j 

217.  expedient  duty,  swift  respect.  For  the  various  meanings  | 
of  duty  see  Glossary. 

220.     That  Anne's  assent  was  genuine,  is  clear  from  iv.  I.  79  ff. 

222  ff.  Anne  has  not  altogether  forgotten  herself.  To  please 
( *'  flatter  " )  Richard  she  allows  him  to  have  the  pleasure  of  imagin- 
ing that  she  has  bid  him  a  lover's  farewell.  Had  she  conceded 
anything  beyond  this,  the  scene  would  have  been  even  more  impro- 
bable than  it  really  is,  and  it  would  have  been  more  difficult  for  us 
to  sympathize  with  her  in  iv.  I. 

227.  White -Friars.  *'  The  house  of  the  Carmelite  or  White- 
Friars  stood  on  the  south  side  of  Fleet  Street  between  the  Temple 
and  Salisbury  Court.  .  .  .  The  Carmelites  were  commonly  desig- 
nated White  Friars  from  the  white  cloak  and  scapular  which  they 
wore  over  their  brown  habit."     (Marshall.) 

230.  I  w^ill  not  keep  her  long:  the  first  hint  of  the  fate  in  store 
for  Anne.      Richard  only  wanted  her  wealth. 

235.  these  bars.  He  probably  refers  to  his  personal  deformities, 
since  his  crimes  are  covered  by  the  earlier  half  of  the  line. 

237.  plain,  mere.     Cf.  '*a  plain  knave"  (Lear,  ii.  2.  118). 

241.  three  months  since.  There  was  really  less  than  three 
weeks  of  an  interval  between  the  death  of  Edward  and  the  funeral  of 
Henry  VI.     But  the  change  makes  the  scene  less  wildly  improbable, 

244.  Cf.  Love's  Labour  ^s  Lost,  ii.  i.  9  ff. — 

**  Be  now  as  prodigal  of  all  dear  grace 
As  nature  was  in  making  graces  dear, 
When  she  did  starve  the  general  world  beside, 
And  prodigally  gave  them  all  to  you  ". 

247.  debase... on  me,  lower  to  my  level. 

248.  prime.     Cf.  iv.  3.  19;  4.  170;  v.  3.  119. 

250.  moiety,  from  Lat.  mediatatem  (medius),  means  literally  *a 
half.  It  then  came  to  be  used  loosely  for  any  fraction,  and  so 
here. 

252.  denier.  Steevens  says:  ''A  denier  is  the  twelfth  part  of  a 
French  sou,  and  seems  to  have  been  the  regular  request  of  a  beggar". 
The  word  comes  from  Lat.  denarius.  For  the  sense  of  the  line  cf. 
**  All  the  world  to  nothing"  in  1.  238. 

255.  proper,  handsome.  So  Moses  is  called  ''a  proper  child"  in 
Hebrews,  xi.  23. 

256.  at  charges  for,  at  the  expense  of. 

257.  entertain.     See  Glossary. 

259.  Richard  ironically  suggests  that  he  has  grown  proud  of  his 
personal  appearance,  and  must  spend  some  money  in  keeping  it  up. 

262.  lamenting,  ue.  professing  contrition  for  his  evil  deeds. 
Cf.  i.  2.  216. 


Scene  3.]  NOTES.  127 

Scene  3. 

In  this  scene  Richard  shows  himself  boldly  defiant  of  the  queen 
and  her  relatives.  Hypocrisy  of  the  ordinary  kind  would  hardly 
have  served  his  purpose,  for  Elizabeth  already  saw  through  his 
designs  (1.  13).  On  the  other  hand,  the  new  aristocracy  whom  he 
had  to  sweep  from  his  path,  must  in  the  nature  of  things  have  made 
themselves  many  enemies  among  the  representatives  of  the  old  order. 
He  could  thus  reckon  on  abundant  support  in  his  attitude  of  open 
hostility,  and  it  is  worth  noting  how  he  endeavours  throughout  to 
increase  their  unpopularity  by  casting  on  them  the  obloquy  of 
Clarence's  death  and  Hastings's  imprisonment.  But  this  openness 
is  not  true  frankness :  it  is  only  a  more  dangerous  form  of  hypocrisy. 
The  picture  he  gives  of  himself  as  **a  plain  man"  full  of  '* simple 
truth"  (1.  51)  recalls  Lear^  ii.  2.  104 — 

*'  he  cannot  flatter,  he, 
An  honest  mind  and  plain,  he  must  speak  truth ! 
An  they  will  take  it,  so;  if  not,  he 's  plain. 
These  kind  of  knaves  I  know,  which  in  this  plainness 
Harbour  more  craft  and  more  corrupter  ends 
Than  twenty  silly  ducking  observants 
That  stretch  their  duties  nicely  ". 

4.  entertain.     See  Glossary. 

5.  quick,  lively. 

6.  betide  of,  happen  to. 

13.  nor  none.  Such  double  negatives  —  strengthening,  not 
destroying,  one  another — abound  in  Shakespeare. 

15.   concluded,  formally  decided. 

17.  Derby:  called  also  Lord  Stanley,  e,g.  in  iii.  2  and  iv,  4.  See 
note  on  1.  20. 

19.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  181,  1.  25. 

20.  Countess  Richmond.  Margaret,  great  granddaughter  of 
John  of  Gaunt,  married  Edmund  Tudor,  Earl  of  Richmond,  the 
head  of  a  great  Welsh  family.  Her  son  by  this  union  was  the 
Richmond  of  our  play,  who  became  Henry  VH.  of  England.  A 
year  or  two  before  the  battle  of  Bosworth  she  was  married  (for  a 
third  time)  to  Lord  Stanley,  Earl  of  Derby,  a  widower  with  three 
sons,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  **  young  George  Stanley"  (v.  5.  9). 

25.  not  believe.  The  position  of  the  negative  seems  odd  to  us. 
We  should  say  either  'believe  not'  or  *do  not  believe'.  Cf.  "not 
equals  "  in  i.  2.  250. 

26.  envious,  malicious.  C£  i.  4.  37.  So  *envy'  has  the  sense 
of  'malice',  e,g.  iv.  i,  100. 


128  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

2g.  wayward  sickness:  i.e,  weakness  that  shows  itself  in  way- 
wardness. Cf.  **  wayward  sickliness"  in  a  very  similar  context  in 
Richard  II. y  ii.  I.  142. 

33.  amendment,  recovery.  Cf.  Macbeth ^  iv.  3.  145,  where  the 
doctor,  speaking  of  the  *  touching '  of  those  affected  with  king's  evil, 
says  that  "they  presently  amend".  In  iii.  7.  115  of  our  play 
"amend"  is  used  transitively  in  the  sense  of  *  cure ',  with  which 
cf.  iv.  4.  291. 

36.  atonement,  reconciliation,  agreement.     See  Glossary. 

39.  warn,  call.  In  some  country  districts  of  Scotland  people  are 
still  *  warned '  to  weddings  and  funerals. 

46.  dissentious,  seditious  (Schmidt). 

48.  smooth.     Cf.  i.  2.  169. 
cog,  cheat.     See  Glossary. 

49.  French  nods.  Steevens  says:  **An  importation  of  foreign 
manners  seems  to  have  afforded  our  ancient  poets  a  never-failing 
topic  of  invective  ".     The  spirit  is  by  no  means  dead  yet. 

53.  Jacks.  'Jack*  was  at  one  time  the  commonest  of  names. 
(Cf.  * Jack-in-the-Box ',  *Jack  Frost*,  'Jack  o'  Lantern',  'Jack 
and  Gill',  and  see  on  iv.  2.  117.)  Hence  it  came  to  be  used  con- 
temptuously for  the  commonest  of  men.  Shakespeare  uses  it  fre- 
quently in  this  way,  as  here  and  in  11.  72,  73.  Cf.  First  Part  of 
King  Henry  IV,,  v.  4.  142:  "  If  I  be  not  Jack  Falstaff,  then  am 
I  a  Jack  ". 

54.  presences:*  the  persons  here  present'.     Cf.  ii.  i.  58. 
60.   Cannot . . .  scarce  = '  can  hardly '. 

6i.  lewd,  vulgar.     See  Glossary. 

64.  else  =  ' besides  himself.  The  word  is  therefore  unmeaning^ 
if  taken  strictly,  for  the  word  "suitor"  expressly  excludes  the  king* 
Mr.  Wright  illustrates  the  idiom  by  the  well-known  lines  in  Paradise 
Lost  (iv.  323)— 

*'Adam  the  goodliest  man  of  men  since  born 
His  sons :  the  fairest  of  her  daughters,  Eve  ". 

See  also  on  v.  3.  243  ft. 

65.  Aiming... at,  having  in  view. 

68.  Makes  him  to  send.  The  grammatical  structure  of  the 
sentence  is  hopelessly  confused;  but  the  general  sense  is  tolerably 
clear.  Abbott  {Shak.  Gram.  §  376)  suggests  that  "the  king  .  .  . 
aiming,  &c.  ",  which  is  properly  a  nominative  absolute,  is  treated  as 
equivalent  to  'the  fact  that  the  king  aims,  &c.',  and  is  employed 
as  a  subject  to  "  makes". 

70  ff.  The  drift  of  Gloucester's  speech  is  made  plain  by  Elizabeth's 
reply. 


Scene  3.]  NOTES.  129 

72.  Jack.     See  on  i.  3.  53. 

73.  gentle,  of  gentle  birth. 

75.   friends'.     Notice  that  this  is  possessive  case. 

82.  noble,  a  coin  worth  about  6s.  Sd.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
draw  attention  to  the  pun. 

83.  careful,  full  of  care.  It  was  in  this  sense  that  Martha  was 
*' careful  about  many  things"  (Lu/^e,  x.  41). 

84.  hap.     See  on  i.  2.  17. 

89.  suspects,  suspicions.  Cf  ''entreats"  (iii.  7.  225),  and  "ex- 
claims" (iv.  4.  135). 

90.  For  the  double  negative  cf.  1.  13.  Note  how  the  meaning 
of  the  word  "  may"  varies  in  the  mouths  of  the  different  speakeis. 

100.  marry.  There  is,  of  course,  a  play  upon  the  exclamation 
and  the  verb.     For  the  exclamation  see  Glossary. 

102.   I  wis.     See  Glossary. 

worsen     See  Glossary. 

no.  At  this  point  a  new  and  important  motive  of  the  play 
appears.  Queen  Margaret,  whom  a  critic  has  called  "the  most 
supernatural  conception  in  Shakespeare ",  comes  upon  the  stage. 
Until  1.  158  she  remains  in  the  background,  her  speeches  till  then 
being  'asides'.  Though  at  first  her  denunciations  merely  expose 
Gloucester's  wickedness,  she  subsequently  includes  the  whole  Yorkist 
connection  in  the  curse  which  she  pronounces,  and  thus  gives  us 
the  first  hint  we  get,  that  Richard  is  the  unwitting  avenger  of  the 
wrongs  of  Lancaster.     (Cf.  Introdtcctioit^  p.  10.) 

112.   due  to  me,  my  due,  mine  by  right. 

117.  my  pains:  i.e.  the  trouble  he  took  to  get  the  throne  for 
Edward.     Cf.  121  fif. 

128.  factious  for,  on  the  side  of.  See  on  ii.  I.  20.  Sir  John 
Grey  was  a  Lancastrian,  although  in  Thh'd  Hemy  VI.  (iii.  2.  6)  it 
is  erroneously  said  that  he  fell  "  in  quarrel  of  the  House  of  York  ". 

130.  Margaret's  battle:  either  'Margaret's  army'  (for  which 
sense  of  the  word  cf.  v.  3.  299),  or  '  the  battle  which  Margaret 
won',  i.e.  the  second  battle  of  St.  Albans  (1461). 

135.  father^' father-in-law',  as  "  sister  "  =  ' sister-in-law'  in  iii. 
7.  182.  Cf  i.  4.  48  ff.  and  Third  Hettry  VI.  (v.  i.  81),  where  this 
scene  is  described. 

137.  Do  not  forget  that  Margaret  is  still  speaking  in  'asides'. 

138.  party,  side.     Cf.  iii.  2.  47;  iv.  4.  190,  528;  v.  3.  13. 

139.  meed.     Notice  the  word-play. 

142.   childish-foolish,  childishly  simple.     The  audience  would 
appreciate  the  irony  of  this  and  much  else  in  Richard's  speeches  {e.g, 
r  M  233 )  I 


I30  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  CAct  I. 

1.   149).     Such   intentional   irony  must   not  be  confused  with  the 
'  tragic  irony '  discussed  in  the  note  to  i.  2.  26. 

144.   cacodemon.     See  Glossary. 

155.  A  little  joy.  If  the  reading  is  correct  (and  here  Quartos 
and  Folios  agree),  the  *'  little  joy"  must  be  the  satisfaction  she  feels 
at  her  rival's  misery.  But  the  phrase  is  inconsistent  with  the  "alto- 
gether joyless"'  of  the  succeeding  line.  Various  emendations  have 
been  suggested,  such  as  ''As  little",  "^;/^/ little "  ''A/i,  little". 

159.  pill'd,  robbed.     See  Glossary. 

162.  by  you  deposed.  To  complete  the  grammatical  construc- 
tion (nominative  absolute),  "I  being"  must  be  supplied  v^ith  this 
participle  from  the  preceding  line.     Cf.  v.  3.  95. 

163.  gentle  villain.  For  the  oxymoron  see  on  i.  2.  153.  John- 
son finds  a  further  opposition  between  ^^^/^//^  =' highborn '  (cf.  i.  3.  73), 
and  vi//at»  —  '  a  low-born  wretch'. 

164.  makest.  Richard  uses  *  make '  in  the  sense  of  '  do'.  Mar- 
garet, while  joining  it  with  "repetition"  (==*  repeat'.  Cf.  "make 
prey",  1.  7 1),  plays  also  upon  its  other  meaning  by  introducing  the 
word  "  mar  ".  The  sense  of  the  line  is  that  she  is  going  to  recount 
his  misdeeds. 

169.  abode  =  the  act  of  abiding. 

170.  thou:  addressed  to  Richard.  The  first  half  of  the  next  line 
is  addressed  to  Queen  Elizabeth. 

174.  This  scene  is  described  in  Third  Henry  VL  (i.  4). 

178.  faultless,  innocent. 

181.  plagued,  punished.  So  "plagued  and  chastened"  in  Psalms y 
Ixxiii.  14. 

183.  that  babe.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Rutland  was  older  than 
either  Clarence  or  Richard.  He  was,  of  course,  a  mere  boy  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  But  he  is  deliberately  represented  as  a  child  com- 
pared to  Richard  (cf.  Third  Henry  VI.,  i.  2  and  3)  in  order  to 
make  his  death  more  pathetic. 

190.  all  belongs  to  "  you  ",  not  to  "  hatred  ",  as  is  clear  from  the 
"all"  of  1.  188. 

194.  Could  all  but  answer  for,  all  taken  together  could  do  no 
more  than  atone  for. 

197  ff.  Notice  how  each  of  Margaret's  curses  finds  fulfilment  in 
the  course  of  the  play,  and  how  each  victim  who  heard  them,  recalls 
their  import  when  his  hour  comes.  When  she  next  appears  (Act  iv. 
Sc.  4),  it  is  to  exult  over  the  vengeance  that  has  descended  on  her 
foes. 

201.  untimely.     See  on  i.  i.  15. 

ao6.  stall'd^ installed'. 


Scene  3.]  NOTES.  I3I 

212.  him.     For  the  redundant  pronoun  cf.  iii.  I.  10,  26;  7.  235. 

Abbott  points  out  (§  243)  that  this  idiomatic  insertion  of  the  pronoun 
rarely  takes  place  (as  here)  after  an  object.  It  is  much  more  frequent 
after  a  subject^  particularly  if  that  subject  be  a  proper  name. 

214.   But.     Note  the  ellipsis  after  this  word. 

unlook'd,  unexpected. 

2ig.  them.  Here,  as  in  v.  5.  20,  *^  Heaven"  is  treated  as  a 
plural.     Similarly  "Hell"  in  iv.  4.  72. 

222.   still,  constantly. 

begnaw.  The  prefix  be-  has  in  this  word  the  force  of  *  round 
about',  *all  over'.  Cf.  'bespatter',  etc.  For  the  metaphor  cf. 
Mark,  ix.  44:  ''Where  their  worm  dieth  not". 

228.  elvish-mark'd:  as  if  the  spirits  of  evil  had  marked  him 
as  their  own  at  his  birth.  The  allusion  seems  to  be  to  his  personal 
deformity. 

rooting  hog:  a  contemptuous  reference  to  Richard's  device  of  a 
white  boar.     Cf.  iii.  2.  1 1 ;  v.  2.  7. 

229,  230.  seard...The  slave  of  nature.  Warburton  suggests  that 
there  may  be  an  allusion  to  the  practice  of  "masters  branding  their 
profligate  slaves".  The  phrase  would  then  mean  that  nature,  by 
marking  Richard  as  she  had  done  at  his  birth,  had  made  him  the 
most  degraded  of  her  servants. 

234.  Ha !  This  word  is  the  Shakespearian  equivalent  of  the 
modern  'eh'  (  =  'what  do  you  say?').  Another  example  will  be 
found  in  v.  3.  5.  The  dramatic  point  of  the  passage  is  therefore  to 
be  explained  as  follows.  The  Queen's  exclamation  of  "Richard  !"  is 
intended  to  complete  her  unfinished  sentence.  Gloucester,  however, 
professes  to  regard  it  as  the  beginning  of  a  fresh  remark  addressed  to 
him,  as  if  he  had  already  '  made  the  period  to'  her  curse  by  his  in- 
terruption of  "  Margaret ".  That  this  is  the  force  of  his  cry  of  Ha  ! 
is  clear  from  the  reply,  "I  call  thee  not", — a  reply  which  he  pre- 
1;ends  to  understand  in  a  different  sense  (1.  236). 

235.  See  on  ii.  2.  104. 

238.  make  the  period  to,  round  off,  complete.     Cf.  ii.  I.  44. 

241.  painted,  unreal. 

vain  flourish,  empty  show\ 

242.  bottled,  round  like  a  bottle. 
246.   bunch -back'd,  hump-backed. 
251.  serve  ...  well.     Note  the  word-play. 

duty.     There  is  also  a  play  on  the  different  senses  of  this  word, 
for  which  see  Glossary. 
255.  malapert.     See  Glossary. 


132  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  1. 

256.  Grey  had  been  made  Marquis  of  Dorset  in  1475.  Hence 
his  patent  of  nobility  was  brand-new  compared  with  older  titles. 
The  metaphor  is  from  a  coin  (  "  stamp")  fresh  from  the  mint  (  "  fire- 
new").  For  stamp  in  the  sense  of  'coin',  i,e.  'thing  stamped',  cf. 
the  ''stamp  of  gold"  King  Edward  hangs  round  the  necks  of  those 
whom  he  touches  for  king's  evil  {Macbeth^  iv.  3.  1 53). 
current.     Cf.  i.  2.  84. 

263.  much  more.  Gloucester  means  that  his  rank  is  much 
higher  than  Dorset's.  He  goes  on  to  say  it  is  "  so  high  "  that  he  is 
out  of  all  danger  of  a  fall. 

264.  aery  means  first  a  nest,  and  then  the  brood  in  the  nest. 
The  phrase  "  an  aery  of  children  "  occurs  in  Ha7nlety  ii.  2.  354.  For 
the  metaphor  cf.  i.  3.  71. 

267.   son.     See  on  i.  i.  2. 

275.  If  1.  273  is  rightly  assigned  to  Buckingham  (which  some 
editors  have  doubted),  only  the  first  line  of  Margaret's  reply  can  be 
addressed  to  him.  For  in  her  next  speech  she  expressly  exempts  him 
from  her  denunciations. 

277.  This  line  is  difficult.  Definiteness  of  meaning  has  been 
sacrificed  to  the  temptation  to  play  upon  words.  The  general  sense 
appears  to  be ;  *  Outrage  is  the  only  charity  1  have  known,  life  is  the 
deepest  shame  I  can  endure '. 

282.  fair  befall.  The  grammar  of  such  sentences  is  most  simply 
explained  by  taking  befall  as  an  impersonal  verb,  and  making  y^/r 
an  adverb. 

291.  venom:  noun  used  as  an  adjective. 

296.  respect,  regard,  pay  heed  to.  So  "the  man  that  respecteth 
not  the  proud  "  (Psalms^  xl.  4). 

298.   soothe,  speak  smooth  words  to.     See  Glossary. 

311.   hot,  eager. 

314.  frank'd  up  to  fatting,  shut  up  in  a  frank  or  sty  with  a 

view  to  fattening.     For  fraji^'d  sqq  Glossary. 
317.   scathe,  injury.     vSee  Glossary. 

324.  This  soliloquy  of  Richard's  sums  up  the  situation  with  admir- 
able clearness.  It  provides  a  good  illustration  of  the  simplicity  of 
the  dramatic  methods  employed  in  the  play.     See  note  on  i.  I. 

brawl,  raise  an  outcry. 

325.  set  abroach,  let  loose.  The  metaphor  is  taken  from  open- 
ing a  barrel  or  jar  of  liquor.     See  abroach  in  Glossary. 

326.  grievous.     See  on  i.  i.  15. 

333.   Vaughan :  always  to  be  pronounced  as  a  dissyllable  in  the 
play.      See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  1 79,  1.  6. 
340.  Stout  resolved,  of  stout  resolution. 


I 


Scene  4.]  NOTES.  133 

346.  sudden,  swift.     Cf.  ** sudden  and  quick  in  quarrel". 

348.  well-spoken,  eloquent.     Cf.  *  fair-spoken '. 

352.   doers,  men  of  action. 

354.  drop.  That  this  is  a  command  is  clear  from  1.  246  of  the 
following  scene. 

millstones.      So   Shelley   in   his   Mask  of  Anarchy  says   of 
Fraud — 

**  His  big  tears,  for  he  wept  well. 
Turned  to  millstones  as  they  fell ". 

Perhaps  the  notion  that  hard-hearted  people  wept  millstones,  had 
its  origin  in  some  saying  to  the  effect  that  millstones  were  as  likely  to 
come  from  their  eyes  as  tears. 

356.  dispatch.     See  on  i.  2.  182. 

Scene  4. 

While  this  scene  introduces  a  strong  element  of  *  pity '  or  pathos 
into  the  tragedy,  it  also  serves  another  purpose.  Clarence's  awakened 
conscience  leads  him  to  make  confessions  that  show  us  how  just  is 
his  punishment  (cf.  Introduction,  p.  9).  The  fact  that  his  dream 
was  of  drowning  has  doubtless  reference  to  the  actual  manner  of  his 
death.  Style  and  versification  alike  are  here  worthy  of  Shakespeare 
at  his  best.  (In  {he  prose  portion  of  this  scene  the  numbering  of 
lines  follows  the  Globe  text.  It  seemed  better  to  be  consistent,  and 
in  no  case  is  the  difference  sufficiently  great  to  cause  any  practical 
difficulty. ) 

4.  Christian  faithful  =  *  full  of  Christian  faith '.     See  on  i.  2.  35. 

9.  Methoughts.  The  presence  of  the  s  (cf.  1.  58)  is  due  to  false 
analogy  with  '  methinks ',  for  which  see  Glossary. 

10.  Burgundy.  Margaret,  sister  of  Clarence  and  Richard,  had 
married  Charles  the  Bold,  Duke  of  Burgundy. 

13.  hatches,  deck. 

27.  unvalued,  invaluable.  So  ''una'voided"  for  *  unavoidable ' 
in  iv.  I.  '56;  4.  217. 

30.  inhabit.  In  Shakespeare  this  verb  is  more  commonly  in- 
transitive than  transitive. 

40.  bulk,  body.     See  Glossary. 

41.  Note  the  effect  of  the  alliterative  b  in  this  and  the  preceding 
line. 

45.  Who.     The  antecedent  is  contained  in  *' my". 

melancholy  flood,  gloomy  river.     What  poets  had  written  ot 
Charon  and  the  Styx? 
50.  perjury.     For  Clarence's  treachery  qf,  i.  3.  135. 


134  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  I. 

53.  For  Clarence's  share  in  the  murder  of  Prince  Edward  see  on 
i.  I.  153. 

54.  squeak'd.  Nowadays  the  stage-ghost  speaks  in  a  hollow, 
sepulchral  tone.  In  Shakespeare's  time  he  probably  pitched  his 
voice  in  a  high,  shrill  key.  In  Hamlet  (i.  I.  116)  we  are  told  that 
ghosts  "squeak  and  gibber",  and  in  Julius  CcEsar  (ii.  2.  24)  that 
they  ** shriek  and  squeal". 

55.  fleeting,  inconstant. 

59.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody,  p.  184,  1.  30. 

72.  As  a  matter  of  history,  Clarence's  wife  had  already  been  dead 
some  time.  Why  does  Shakespeare  speak  of  her  as  still  alive?  See 
note  on  1.  183  of  the  preceding  scene. 

78  if.  for.  Note  that  this  word  has  three  distinct  senses  in  three 
successive  lines: — (l)  *as',  (2)  *in  return  for',  (3)  *  instead  of. 

80.  unfelt  imagination,  happiness  which  they  imagine  will  be 
theirs,  but  which  is  never  realized. 

84  ff.  Notice  how  clearly  marked  is  the  difference  between  the 
characters  of  the  two  Murderers.  The  first  is  the  chief  speaker  both 
here  and  in  the  previous  interview  with  Richard  (i.  3.  342  ff.);  he 
is  the  more  hardened  villain  of  the  two,  and  it  is  he  who  actually 
executes  the  deed  of  blood;  conscience  troubles  him  but  slightly 
(1.  154),  though  he  is  not  without  a  certain  rudd  sense  of  honour 
(1.  102).  The  Second  Murderer  is  a  type  of  another  kind  of  villain; 
while  more  avaricious  than  his  companion  (1.  129),  he  is  less  con- 
stant in  his  evil  purposes  and  more  open  to  compassion  (1.  270).  It 
should  be  observed,  that  while  the  murder  is  committed  in  sight  of 
the  audience,  the  horror  of  the  scene  is  softened  (i)  by  our  know- 
ledge of  Clarence's  guilt,  (2)  by  the  fact  that  one  of  the  Murderers 
relents,  (3)  by  the  semi-humorous  prose  dialogue  that  precedes  the 
awakening  of  Clarence  and  temporarily  relieves  the  tension  of  feeling. 

89,  90.  brief... tedious.  This  was  a  stock  antithesis  among  the 
Elizabethans.  It  occurs  again  in  iv.  4.  28.  In  All's  Well,  ii.  3.  34, 
Parolles  uses  **  the  brief  and  the  tedious  of  it "  for  *  the  long  and  the 
short  of  it '. 

95.  I  will  be  guiltless  of,  I  wish  to  be  ignorant  of.  Cf.  **  Be 
innocent  of  the  knowledge,  dearest  chuck"  {Macbeth,  iii.  2.  45). 

99.  a  point  of  wisdom,  i,e,  a  procedure  which  shows  wisdom. 

122.  tell,  count. 

123.  now.     We  must  imagine  the  speaker  to  have  made  a  short 

pause. 

128.  *Zounds.     See  Glossary. 

131.  purse.  So  in  Richard  II,,  ii.  2.  130,  the  love  of  the 
**  wavering  commons  "  is  said  to  lie  *  *  in  their  purses  ", 


Scene  40  NOTES.  135 

135.  entertain.     See  Glossary. 

142.  shamefast :  the  proper  form  of  the  word.  See  Glossary. 
The  spelling  '  shamefaced '  is  due  to  a  false  etymology.  So  *  sovran ' 
has  come  to  be  spelt  *  sovereign ',  because  it  was  erroneously  sup- 
posed to  be  connected  with  *  reign  '. 

149  ff.  Apparently  there  is  the  same  antagonism  here  between  con- 
science and  the  fiend  as  in  Launcelot  Gobbo's  humorous  monologue 
{Merchant  of  Venice^  ii.  2).  The  devil  (or  evil  purpose)  is  already  in 
the  First  Murderer's  mind,  conscience  is  outside  ('*at  my  elbow"), 
striving  to  make  his  way  in  ('* insinuate  with  thee").  The  Second 
Murderer  urges  his  comrade  to  choose  ('*take")  the  former,  and 
disbelieve  the  latter.  This  explanation  is  a  modification  of  that 
given  by  Warburton.  Wright  identifies  "the  devil"  with  ** con- 
science ",  and  interprets  '*  take... in  thy  mind  "  as  =:; 'seize  hold  of  in 
thy  imagination'. 

156.  tall,  bold.     See  Glossary. 

158.  gear,  business. 

159.  costard,  head.     See  Glossary. 

hilts.     This  form  is  more  common  in  Shakespeare  than  *  hilt*. 

160.  chop,  throw  suddenly.     See  Glossary. 

161.  malmsey.     See  Glossary. 

162.  sop:  originally  the  piece  of  bread  or  cake  put  into  a  cup  of 
wine.     See  Glossary. 

165.  reason:  not  'argue',  but  simply  'talk'.  The  Second 
Murderer  is  anxious  to  postpone  the  moment  of  action. 

166.  As  soon  as  Clarence  awakes,  the  atmosphere  of  the  scene 
changes,  and  the  heightened  feeling  is  appropriately  marked  by 
the  transition  from  prose  to  blank  verse.  We  have  here  a  good 
illustration  of  one  of  the  most  important  principles  that  guided 
Shakespeare  in  his  use  of  prose  in  his  plays. 

172.  loyal.     The  rhyme  gives  point  to  the  antithesis. 

175.  Notice  the  change  from  "thou"  to  "you"  at  this  point.  He 
now  addresses  both. 

188.  evidence:  here  in  the  sense  of  '  a  body  of  witnesses',  as  is 
shown  by  the  plural  verb.  The  transition  from  abstract  to  concrete 
is  aptly  illustrated  by  the  word  '  witness ' — originally  (as  the  suffix 
shows)  an  abstract  substantive  —  '  knowledge '. 

189.  quest,  a  body  of  jurymen. 

192.  convict  =  convicted.  Cf.  "contract"  for  'contracted'  (iii. 
7.  179),  "acquit"  for  'acquitted'  (v.  5.  3).  See  "expiate"  in 
Glossary. 

206.  Note  that  as  soon  as  the  Murderers  begin  to  reproach 
Clarence  solemnly,  they  adopt  the  *  thou  '  of  heightened  feeling. 


136  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  II. 

212.   See  on  i.  4.  53. 

215.   dear,  extreme.     Cf.  ii.  2.  77. 

227.  gallant -springing.  The  metaphor  is  the  same  as  that 
impHed  in  the  word  *  scion'  (  =  'a  young  shoot',  literally  *a  cut- 
ting'). 

229.  My  brother's  love.  The  possessive  is  here  objective,  and 
means:  *  the  love  I  bore  my  brother  '. 

230.  Thy  brother's  love.  There  is  a  complicated  piece  of 
word-play  here.  The  phrase  may  mean  either  (i)  '  the  love  we  bear 
thy  brother' — and  so  Clarence  understands  it,  or  (2)  *  the  love  of 
thy  brother  for  thee ' — and  this  irony  the  audience  would  appreciate. 
Further,  while  the  Murderer  speaks  of  Richard,  Clarence  is  thinking 
of  Edward. 

240.  Here  again  there  is  equivocation.  Clarence  supposes  that 
the  Murderers  are  acceding  to  his  request;  really  they  are  only 
referring  to  the  instructions  given  them  in  1.  345  of  the  preceding 
scene. 

246.  Cf.  i.  3.  354. 

247.  kind.  The  reply  seems  to  show  that  (as  Mr.  Wright 
suggests)  the  First  Murderer  understands  *'  kind"  in  the  sense  of 

*  natural '. 

253.  labour,  work  out. 
255.   Cf.  i.  I.  118. 

270.  This  appeal  is  addressed  to  the  Second  Murderer,  who  once 
more  begins  to  relent  as  the  time  for  action  approaches. 

271.  i.e.  *  unless  you  are  more  more  hardened  than  your  looks 
lead  me  to  believe '. 

273.  you  refers  to  both. 

275.   The  First  Murderer  makes  at  Clarence  from  behind. 
280.   grievous  guilty.     See  on  i.  2.  35. 

288.  take  order,  make  arrangements.  Cf.  iii.  5.  106;  iv.  2.  53; 
4.  539. 


Act  II.— Scene  1.  ^ 

This  scene  well  illustrates  the  free  way  in  which  Shakespeare 
handled  his  materials.  The  Chj-onicle  speaks  only  of  Dorset  and 
Hastings  as  being  present  at  the  reconciliation.  The  other  nobles 
here  introduced  were  widely  scattered  at  the  time  (cf  Introduction^ 
p.  12).  Again,  the  interview  with  Derby  is  elaborated  out  of  a 
single  sentence  in  Holinshed,  who— speaking  of  Edward's  remorse 


Scene  i.]  NOTES.  I37 

for  Clarence's  death — says:  **  When  anie  person  sued  to  him  for  the 
pardon  of  malefactors  condemned  to  death,  he  would  accustomablie 
saie,  and  openlie  speake,  *  Oh  unfortunate  brother,  for  whose  life 
not  one  wold  make  sute  '  ".     (Cf.  Introduction^  p.  12.) 

3.  embassage,  embassy. 

5.  part  =  depart.  The  shorter  form  is  very  common  in  Shake- 
speare, e.g.  of  the  death  of  young  Siward,  *'They  say  he  parted  well" 
{Macbeth,  v.  8.  52). 

8.  *  Tet  your  outward  signs  of  friendship  be  no  mask  of  hatred, 
but  an  expression  of  love  warranted  by  your  oath.' 

12.  dally,  trifle. 

20.  have  been  factious,  have  taken  sides.  Cf  i.  3.  128.  The 
present  example  shows  how  easy  is  the  transition  to  the  modern 
meaning. 

29.  princely.  The  epithet  is  not  an  empty  compliment;  Buck- 
ingham was  the  nearest  heir  to  the  throne  after  Richmond. 

33,34.  but...Doth=:z'and  does  not'.  See  Abbott,  Shak,  Gr,^ 
§  125. 

37.  most  assured:  most  simply  explained  as  an  ellipsis. 
39.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody,  p.  179,  1.  38. 

43.  Notice  the  *  tragic  irony '. 

44.  Cf  i.  3.  238. 

51.   swelling,  full  of  anger.     For  the  metaphor  cf  ii.  2.  117. 

wrong-incensed,  perversely  enraged. 

59.  friendly.     See  on  i.  i.  15. 

64.  cousin.  Richard's  mother  and  Buckingham's  grandmother 
were  sisters  (cf  on  1.  29).  But  cotisin  was  used  loosely  to  denote 
almost  any  kinsman  or  kinswoman.  It  means  '  grandchild '  in  ii.  2. 
8,  and  4.  9,  and  'nephew  '  in  iii.  I.  117,  and  iv.  4.  221.  Occasion- 
ally it  is  a  mere  title  of  courtesy. 

70.   at  odds,  out  of  agreement  with. 

79.  The  announcement  of  Clarence's  death  is  made  strikingly 
effective  by  being  put  into  Richard's  mouth. 

88.  winged  Mercury.  Cf  iv.  3.  55.  So  in  He^try  F.,  ii. 
Prol.  7,  the  youth  of  England  are  described  as — 

**  Following  the  mirror  of  all  Christian  kings, 
With  winged  heels,  as  English  Mercuries  ". 

90.  lag,  late. 

92.  in  blood,  in  kinship.  Steevens  appropriately  cites  Macbeth^ 
ii.  3.  146— 

**  The  near  in  blood, 
The  nearer  bloody". 


i3S  KING   RIGHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  II. 

Richard  is  hinting  at  the  queen's  relatives,  on  whom  he  is  anxious 
to  cast  the  suspicion  of  having  hurried  on  the  execution  of  Clarence. 
Cf.  11.  134  ff. 

94.  current.     Cf.  i.  2.  84. 

from  has  here  the  sense  of  *  free  from ',  as  in  iii.  5.  32. 

96.     See  in  ii.  i.  131. 

99.  forfeit... of  my  servant's  life,  my  servant's  life  which  has 
fallen  forfeit. 

104.  w^as  thought,  i.e.  never  passed  into  action. 

107.  be  advised,  be  careful.  Cf.  ** unadvisedly "  =  * carelessly', 
iv.  4.  292. 

115.  lap,  wrap  up. 

117.  thin,  i.e.  thinly  clad. 

120.  to  =  as  to.     Cf.  iii.  2.  27. 

121.  i.e.  when  any  of  the  humblest  of  your  retainers. 

122.  123.  defaced... image.  Cf.  **That  foul  defacer  of  God's 
handiwork"  (iv.  4.  51);  and  Genesis^  i.  27:  **God  created  man  in 
His  own  image  ". 

129.  beholding^* beholden'.     See  Glossary. 

131.  This  outburst  of  remorse  fitly  marks  the  king's  final  exit:  he, 
too,  deserves  the  death  that  is  impending. 

133.  Hastings  was  lord  chamberlain.  Cf.  i.  I.  77.  For  the 
scansion,  see  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  184,  1.  14. 

134.  This,  i.e.  this  agony  of  remorse. 
137.  still.     Cf.  i.  3.  222. 

Scene  2. 

The  extent  to  which  children  are  introduced  into  this  play  19 
quite  remarkable.  It  almost  seems  as  if  Shakespeare  had  been  bent 
on  exploring  every  available  source  of  *  pity  and  terror '.  From  the 
point  of  view  of  pathos  the  experiment  is  very  successful,  as  it  is  also 
in  the  case  of  Prince  Arthur  in  King  Joh^t.  Yet  it  was  seldom 
repeated ;  and,  when  we  come  to  Coriolanns^  we  find  young  Marcius 
used  practically  as  a  lay  figure.  Possibly  the  explanation  lies  in  the 
difficulty  of  getting  children's  parts  effectively  acted.  A  picture  of  a 
very  different  side  of  child-life  is  given  in  the  inimitable  interview 
between  Sir  Hugh  Evans  and  William  in  the  Merry  Wives  (iv.  i. 
14  ff.). 

7.  If  that.  For  the  that  cf.  v.  3.  202,  and  see  Abbott,  Shah 
Gr.,  §§  287-8. 

8.  cousins.     See  on  ii.  i.  64. 


Scene  2.]  NOTES.  139 

18.   Incapable,  unable  to  understand. 

28.  vizard:  another  form  of  *  visor'.     The  d  is  'excrescent  and 

unoriginal'  (Skeat). 

31.  dissemble,  act  deceitfully.     Cf.  i.  i.  19;  2.  185. 

38  f.  Observe  the  metaphor  from  the  theatre.  In  the  1 6th  and 
17th  centuries  *' scene"  has  always  a  direct  reference  to  the  stage.  It 
is  only  in  18th-century  'poetic  diction'  that  the  vaguer  sense  becomes 
current. 

43.  brief,  speedy. 

51.  two  mirrors:  his  children,  Edward  and  Clarence.  For  the 
metaphor  cf.  Sonnet  iii. — 

**  Thou  art  thy  mother's  glass,  and  she  in  thee 
Calls  back  the  lovely  April  of  her  prime". 

60.  moiety.  See  on  i.  2.  250.  Here  the  word  has  something 
like  its  literal  sense. 

61.  overgo,  pass  beyond,  exceed. 

62.  The  children  still  cherish  the  belief  with  which  their  uncle  had 
inspired  them  (1.  21). 

64.  i,e,  '  No  one  sympathized  with  our  grief  at  our  father's  death'. 

67.  complaints:  means  here  '  utterances  of  grief '  (cf.  *  plaints'), 
not  *  utterances  of  a  grievance '. 

68.  reduce :  used  here  in  its  literal  sense  of  '  lead  back'  {reducd), 
Cf.  v.  5.  36.     It  is  in  the  imperative  mood. 

69.  watery  moon:  so  called  because  of  its  influence  on  the  tides. 
Hyperbole,  such  as  we  have  here,  is  only  justified  when  the  feelings 
of  the  hearer  (or  reader)  are  moved  to  their  very  depths.  In  this 
case  the  picture  of  a  woman's  tears  producing  a  second  deluge  strikes 
us  as  a  mere  *  conceit' — i.e.  an  image  which  through  extravagance  or 
exaggeration  misses  the  quality  of  true  poetry.  As  an  illustration, 
read  the  scene  where  Hamlet  grapples  with  Laertes  in  the  grave  of 
Ophelia  {Hamlet,  v.  i.  269  ff.). 

71  ff.  See  on  i.  2.  62. 

76.  but  they.  We  should  naturally  expect  *but  them\  Cf.  iv. 
4-  34. 

77.  dear.     Cf.  i.  4.  215. 

94.  opposite,  at  enmity.  Cf.  iv.  4.  215,  402.  In  v.  4.  3  the  word 
is  used  as  a  noun=  '  opponent'. 

95.  For.     See  on  i.  i.  58. 

104.  cry  you  mercy,  ask  your  pardon.  Cry  has  the  sense  of 
'entreat',  and  j^//  is  the  indirect  object.    Cf.  iv.  4.  515;  v.  3.  224. 

112.  cloudy,  with  looks  darkened  by  grief. 

113.  mutual:  because  the  weight  presses  on  all  alike, 
moan,  grief. 


I40  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.  [Act  II. 

115.   spent^  exhausted,  finished. 

118.  splinter'd,  joined  by  splints.  It  is,  of  course,  this  union 
that  is  to  be  "preserved,  cherish'd,  and  kept":  the  subject  to 
*'must"  is  not  "  rancour"  merely,  but  *' broken  rancour... splintered, 
knit,  and  join'd  together". 

120.  What  is  the  subject  to  "seemeth"? 

121.  from  Ludlow.  Ludlow  Castle,  in  Shropshire,  was  formerly 
a  royal  residence.  It  was  there  that  Edward  VI.  was  proclaimed 
king.  There,  too,  that  Milton  wrote  his  Comiis,  The  young  prince 
had  been  sent  to  Ludlow  under  the  guidance  of  Lord  Rivers. 

Observe  how  Richard  allows  Buckingham  to  play  the  man  of  action 
here.  The  hypocritical  plea  that  the  escort  should  be  small,  was 
really  put  forward  in  order  that  Rivers  might  be  easily  seized.  The 
suggestion  that  this  was  Richard's  motive  for  insisting  that  the  King 
should  not  "come  up  strong",  is  taken  from  Holinshed.  The  inter- 
vention of  Buckingham,  however,  is  a  feature  introduced  by  Shake- 
speare. Modern  historians  are  more  than  doubtful  of  the  truthfulness 
of  the  narrative  in  the  Chronicle.  Mr.  Gairdner  in  his  article  on 
Edward  V.  in  the  Dictionary  of  Natiojtal  Biography  says :  "Probably 
there  would  have  been  a  pitched  battle,  but  that  the  council  in  London 
had  strongly  resisted  a  proposal  of  the  queen  dowager  that  the  young 
King  should  come  up  with  a  very  strong  escort.  As  it  was,  a  good 
deal  of  armour  was  found  in  the  baggage  of  the  royal  suite,  which, 
taken  in  connection  with  some  other  things,  did  not  speak  well  for 
the  intentions  of  the  Woodville  party." 

127.  estate,  commonwealth. 

128.  bears,  manages,  directs. 

136.  apparent  likelihood,  clear  prospect. 

137.  by  much  company,  i.e,  by  a  large  escort. 

141.  go  we:  jussive. 

144.  censures,  opinions.  It  occurs  in  the  modern  sense  in  iii.  5. 
68. 

148.  sort,  contrive.     See  Glossary. 

149.  index.     See  Glossary. 

151.  consistory,  now  usually  applied  to  an  ecclesiastical  assembly, 
has  here  the  sense  of  '  council-chamber',  used  figuratively.  Observe 
how  completely  Buckingham  is  fooled  by  the  use  of  the  very  weapon 
he  had  himself  been  handling. 

Scene  3. 

From  a  mechanical  point  of  view  the  scene  is  necessary,  in  order 
to  allow  time  for  the  arrest  of  Rivers.  But  it  also  serves  another 
purpose :  it  reminds  us  of  the  great  current  of  ordinary  life  that  is 
only   indirectly   affected    by    the   storm   raging  round   the   throne. 


Scenes.]  NOTES.  141 

Modern  stage  managers  would  omit  this  scene,  just  as  they  omit  the 
last  forty  lines  of  Ha?jilet,  Shakespeare's  instinct  was  far  truer.  If 
the  drama  is  to  be  a  mirror  of  the  world,  such  scenes  are  essential. 
Note  that  each  Citizen  has  a  distinct  and  well-marked  character,  the 
Third  being  most  pessimistic. 

4.  seldom  comes  the  better:  a  proverbial  expression,  implying 
distrust  of  all  change.     Better  is  here  used  as  a  substantive. 

6.  Givie  you.  For  the  full  form  of  the  phrase  cf.  iv.  I.  5.  Some- 
times the  subject  was  inserted  and  the  verb  omitted,  e.g,  Romeo  and 
Juliet^  ii.  4.  115:  '*God  ye  good  morrow,  gentlemen". 

8.  the  while.  See  Glossary.  The  construction  here  is  of  the 
same  type  as  in  phrases  like  '  Woe  worth  the  while '. 

II.  Cf.  Ecclesiastes,  x.  16.  Its  use  here  is  doubtless  suggested  by 
the  fact  that  in  Holinshed  Buckingham  quotes  it  at  the  Guildhall  as 
an  argument  in  favour  of  setting  aside  Edward  V. 

13.   in  his  nonage,  so  long  as  he  is  under  age. 

15.  The  language  is  compressed,  but  the  sense  is  clear. 

16.  Henry.     See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  179,  1.  16. 
18.  wot.     See  Glossary. 

20.  counsel,  advice. 

21.  virtuous  uncles.  These  were  John,  Duke  of  Bedford,  and 
Humphrey,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  both  of  whom  figure  in  King  Henry 
VI, 

26.  Will  touch  us  all  too  near:  because  it  was  the  common 
people  who  would  suffer  most.     Quicquid  deli^-ant  reges,  plectunttir 
Achivi.     (Horace,  Epist.^  i.  2.  14). 
prevent.     See  Glossary. 

28.  haught  =  haughty.  This  short  form  is  found  only  in  the  early 
plays. 

30.  solace,  find  comfort.  Shakespeare  uses  this  word  three  times 
intransitively  ( —  *  take  comfort ' ),  and  only  once  transitively  ( =  ''give 
comfort '). 

31.  we  fear  the  worst,  we  are  looking  at  the  darkest  side. 
36.  sort.     See  Glossary. 

39.  cannot...almost  =  *  can... hardly'.     Cf.  i.  3.  60. 
reason.     Cf.  i.  4.  165. 
'     41.  still.     Cf.  i.  3.  222. 

42,43.  mistrust  Ensuing  dangers,  are  apprehensiveof  approach- 
ing dangers.     Cf.  iii.  2.  87.     See  also  on  "  misdoubt"  (iii.  2.  89). 

43.  by  proof,  through  the  knowledge  that  comes  from  experience. 
The  illustration  is  taken  almost  verbally  from  Holinshed. 

46.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody ^  p.  180,  1.  19. 


142  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  II.  Sc.4. 

Scene  4. 

York's  instinctive  dislike  of  his  uncle  Gloucester  is  brought  out 
even  more  strongly  in  the  next  scene  (iii.  I.  loi  ff.).  Here  the  ex- 
pression of  it  forms  an  appropriate  prelude  to  the  news  that  Richard 
has  struck  his  first  blow  against  the  doomed  princes. 

2.  Stony -Stratford,  a  market  town  in  Buckinghamshire, 
situated  on  Watling  Street.  It  was  a  stage  nearer  London  than 
Northampton.  The  young  king  and  his  escort  got  thus  far  before 
they  were  overtaken  by  Gloucester  and  Buckingham.  The  arrest  of 
Rivers,  however,  took  place  at  Northampton.     The  Folios  read — 

**  Last  night  I  heard  they  lay  at  Stony-Stratford 
And  at  Northampton  do  they  rest  to-night ". 

Possibly  the  transposition  of  the  names  of  the  towns  may  be  due  to 
a  confused  knowledge  of  what  actually  took  place.  But  the  main 
motive  was  probably  a  desire  to  mend  the  metre.  For  the  scansion 
of  1.  I  see  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  185,  1.  39. 

g.  cousin.     See  on  ii.  i.  64. 

14.  since.     What  part  of  speech  ? 

20.  gracious,  full  of  grace.  Notice  the  play  upon  "  grace"  in  1. 13 
and  1.  24. 

23.  had  been  remembered.  For  the  construction  cf.  Macbeth^ 
i.  4.  8— 

*Mie  died 
As  one  that  had  been  studied  in  his  death 
To  throw  away  the  dearest  thing  he  owed, 
As  'twere  a  careless  trifle". 

28.  According  to  popular  rumour  Richard  had  all  his  teeth  when 
he  came  into  the  world:  it  is  to  this  that  York's  "biting"  jest  refers. 
Cf.  iv.  4.  49. 

35.   A  parlous  boy,  an  enfant  terrible.     See  Glossary. 

I         shrewd,  mischievous.     See  Glossary. 

37.  It  looks  as  if  the  queen  suspected  that  her  boy  had  overheard 
the  remark  from  herself. 

51.  jet,  encroach.     See  Glossary. 

52.  aweless,  i.e.  'without  the  power  of  inspiring  awe*.  Cf. 
"helpless",  i.  2.  13. 

55.  unquiet  belongs  to  ''wrangling"  rather  than  to  "days". 
Cf.  i.  2.  35. 

59.  The  first  infinitive  governs  the  first  noun,  the  second  the 
second. 

63.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  1 79,  1.  29. 


J 


Act  III.  Scene  i.]  NOTES.  143 

66.  sanctuary.  A  good  account  of  the  custom  of  *  taking  sanc- 
tuary' will  be  found  in  Chambers'  EncydopcBdia  (1892), — article, 
*  Sanctuary'. 

71.  The  seal,  Le.  the  Great  Seal,  of  which  the  Archbishop  was 
the  keeper. 

so  betide.     See  on  i.  3.  282. 

72.  tender.     Cf.  i.  i.  44. 


Act  III.— Scene  I. 

From  his  very  first  appearance  on  the  stage  young  Edward  is 
depressed  and  melancholy,  as  if  he  were  already  conscious  of  the 
shadow  cast  by  the  approaching  catastrophe.  Richard's  attitude 
should  be  noted  carefully.  (See  on  I.  loi.)  Holinshed  says: 
**  The  duke  of  Glocester  bare  him  in  open  sight  so  reverentlie  to  the 
prince,  with  all  semblance  of  lowlinesse,  that  from  the  great  obloquie 
in  which  he  was  so  late  before,  he  was  suddenlie  fallen  in  so  great 
trust,  that  at  the  councell  next  assembled  he  was  made  the  onelie 
man,  chosen  and  thought  most  meet  to  be  the  protector  of  the  King 
and  his  realme,  so  that  (were  it  destinie  or  were  it  follie)  the  lambe 
was  betaken  [handed  over]  to  the  woolfe  to  keepe  ". 

1.  chamber:  used  here  in  the  (obsolete)  sense  of  *  royal  residence', 
*  capital ',  '  camera  regis '. 

2.  cousin.     See  on  ii.  i.  64. 
sovereign.     See  on  i.  4.  142. 

4.  crosses,  troubles.  He  refers  mainly  to  the  anrest  of  his 
mother's  relatives,  especially  his  uncle  Rivers.     Cf.  1.  6. 

9.  distinguish,  discern,  understand. 

10.  he.     See  on  i.  3.  212. 

11.  jumpeth  with,  moves  along  with,  Le,  agrees  with.  "Jump" 
was  used  as  an  adverb  =*  exactly ',  e.g,  **jump  at  this  dead  hour". 
{Hamlet^  i.  i.  65). 

22.   slug,  sluggard. 

31.  indirect:  i.e.  not  straightforward. 

32.  Cardinal  Bourchier  headed  a  deputation  of  the  Council  sent  by 
the  Protector  to  visit  the  Queen  in  sanctuary,  and  persuade  her  to 
give  up  the  Duke  of  York  to  bear  his  brother  company  in  the  Tower. 
Holinshed  tells  us  that  Richard  proposed  him  for  this  duty  as  being 
an  ''honourable  trustie  man,  such  as  both  tendereth  the  king's  weale 
and  the  honour  of  his  councell,  and  is  also  in  favour  and  credence 
with  hir  ". 

37.     See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p,  1 81,  1.  33. 


144  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.        [Act  III. 

44.  senseless-obstinate.     For  a  similar  compound  cf.  i.  iii.  142. 

45.  ceremonious  and  traditional,  scrupulous  about  forms  and 
ready  to  be  influenced  by  custom. 

46.  This  line  is  difficult,  and  has  been  variously  explained.  It 
seems  simplest  to  take  *'  weigh"  in  the  sense  of  '  consider',  and  *'  of 
this  age"  as  opposed  to  **  traditional"  in  1.  45.  We  should  then 
naturally  expect  something  to  balance  "ceremonies";  and  **gross- 
ness"  might  well  have  the  meaning  of  'bluntness',  'disregard  for 
nice  distinctions'.  (Cf.  Hamlet^  i.  i.  68;  *'in  the  gross  and  scope 
of  my  opinion".)  The  line  might  then  be  paraphrased  thus :  '  Look 
at  the  question  broadly,  as  people  do  nowadays'.  The  point  of 
Buckingham's  argument  is  that  York  had  no  right  to  the  protection 
afforded  by  a  sanctuary — partly  because  he  was  too  innocent  to 
require  it,  partly  because  he  was  too  young  to  understand  what  it 
meant.     Shakespeare  is  here  following  Holinshed  closely. 

50.  wit,  understanding.     See  **wot"  in  Glossary. 

60.  speedy.     See  on  i.  i.  15. 

68.  Abbott  (Shak.  Gram.  §.  409)  explains  this  as  a  confusion  of 
two  constructions,  **  I  dislike  the  tower  more  than  any  place  ^\  and 
**  7nost  of  all  places  ". 

69.  The  Tower  was  not  begun  until  the  time  of  William  the  Con- 
queror. In  Richard  II.  (v.  I.  2)  it  is  called  '*  Julius  Caesar's  ill- 
erected  tower".  Tradition  has  a  tendency  to  associate  any  work 
whose  history  is  obscure,  with  some  well-known  name.  The  editor 
has  heard  a  modern  Greek  attribute  the  Parthenon  to  Alexander  the 
Great. 

71.  re-edified,  rebuilt,  i.e.  repaired  from  time  to  time. 

77.  retail'd,  recounted.     Cf.  iv.  4.  335.     See  Glossary. 

79.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  180,  1.  9. 

81.  without  characters:  i.e.  even  without  a  written  record. 

82.  the  formal  vice,  Iniquity.  In  the  Moralities  one  of  the 
conventional  ("formal")  characters  was  the  Vice,  whose  struggles 
with  the  Devil  were  the  occasion  of  a  great  deal  of  comic  '  business'. 
The  allusion  here  shows  that  he  was  given  to  punning.  From  other 
passages  we  learn  that  he  carried  a  wooden  sword  with  which  he 
used  to  belabour  his  adversary  {Twelfth  Nighty  iv.  2.  134).  It  is  to 
him  that  Hamlet  refers  when  he  calls  his  uncle  *'a  vice  of  kings" 
{Hamlet^  iii.  4.  98),  i.e.  a  caricature  of  royalty. 

83.  moralize,  comment  upon,  explain,  interpret.  The  **one 
word"  is  *Mive  long" — the  only  part  of  Gloucester's  remark  that 
might  have  reached  the  Prince's  ear.  Mr.  Marshall  in  the  Henry 
Irving  Shakespeare  thinks  the  play  lies  in  "without  characters". 
The  suggestion  is  tempting.  But,  according  to  the  New  English 
Dictionary^  *  character'  is  not  used  in  the  sense  of  'strongly  de- 
veloped moral  qualities'  until  the  eighteenth  century. 


\ 


Scene  i.]  NOTES.  145 

84.  Attention  has  often  been  drawn  to  Shakespeare's  many 
references  to  Julius  Caesar.  Apart  altogether  from  the  play  that 
bears  his  name,  he  is  more  frequently  alluded  to  than  any  other  his- 
torical personage. 

85.  The  position  of  **  with  "  makes  the  line  a  little  difficult :  in 
prose  it  would  follow  **wit".  P'or  wit  see  on  iii.  i.  50.  The  ela- 
borate and  somewhat  forced  antithesis  between  "wit"  and  "valour** 
is  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  *  chiasmus  ',  i.e.  of  the  four  terms  the 
first  and  last  form  one  pair,  the  second  and  third  another. 

86.  The  allusion  is  of  course  to  Caesar's  Co77ime7ttaries. 

87  f.  In  Sonnet  Ixxxi.  Shakespeare  expresses  similar  faith  in  the 
immortality  his  own  pen  can  confer : — 

"  Your  monument  shall  be  my  gentle  verse, 
Which  eyes  not  yet  created  shall  o'er-read, 
And  tongues  to  be  your  being  shall  rehearse 
"When  all  the  breathers  of  this  world  are  dead ; 
You  still  shall  live — such  virtue  hath  my  pen — 
"Where  breath  most  breathes,  even  in  the  mouths  of  men" 

91.   An  if.     See  Glossary. 

94.  lightly,  readily,  commonly.  The  line  means:  *When  the 
spring  comes  too  soon,  the  summer  is  apt  to  be  short '. 

99.  late,  recently.     Cf.  ii.  2.  149. 

loi.  cousin.  See  on  ii.  i.  64.  The  difference  between  the 
character  of  the  two  Princes  should  be  noted,  as  well  as  the  differ- 
ence Richard  makes  in  his  manner  of  treating  them.  The  elder  is 
grave  and  thoughtful,  as  if  he  were  weighed  down  with  a  sense  of 
the  responsibility  that  rested  on  him.  The  intellect  of  the  younger 
is  keener:  he  is  "bold,  quick,  ingenious,  forward,  capable".  Both 
have  their  suspicions,  if  not  with  regard  to  their  own  fate,  at  least 
with  regard  to  the  fate  of  their  relatives.  But  the  Prince  is  content 
to  hint  at  his  fears  (1.  148),  while  York  makes  no  secret  of  his  feel- 
ings, Richard  is  studiously  polite  to  his  elder  nephew;  with  the 
younger  he  bandies  words  full  of  grim,  tragic  irony  (1.  in).  On 
the  audience,  who  knew  the  death  that  was  in  store  for  the  children, 
this  scene  would  leave  the  impression  of  a  tiger  playing  with  his 
victims. 

103.  idle,  unprofitable.     Cf.  i.  I.  31. 

107.  beholding.     Cf.  ii.  i.  129.     See  Glossary. 

i     109.  in  me,  over  me. 

1 10.  Note  the  tragic  irony  that  pervades  York's  speeches.  Richard's 
irony,  on  the  other  hand,  is  deliberate,  for  he  had  already  decided 
to  make  away  with  his  nephews. 

114.  And  being.  The  syntax  is  somewhat  loose  here.  Cf.  iii. 
5-  92. 

Cm  233)  K 


146  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  III. 

1 1 8.   York  plays  upon  the  word  *' light",  using  it  in  the  sense  of 

*  valueless  \ 

126.  will  still  be,  always  insists  on  being. 

128  ff.  York  likens  himself  to  a  monkey,  that  he  may  have  a  chance 
of  referring  to  the  shape  of  his  uncle's  shoulders.  Johnson  sees  a 
further  allusion.  He  says:  **At  country  shows  it  was  common  to 
set  the  monkey  on  the  back  of  some  other  animal,  as  a  bear.  The 
Duke,  therefore,  in  calling  himself  ape  calls  his  uncle  bear.''''  This 
is  possible.  For  that  the  bear  and  the  apes  were  often  associated  is 
clear  from  Much  Ado,  ii.  I.  42:  *' I  will  even  take  sixpence  in 
earnest  of  the  bear-ward,  and  lead  his  apes  into  hell "  (i.e..y  *  I  '11 
die  an  old  maid'). 

148.   He  is  thinking  of  Rivers. 

150.  Stage '  direction.  Mr.  Wright  has  shown  (Clar.  Press  Ed. 
of  King  Lear,  i.  I.  35)  that  a  *' sennet"  is  a  set  of  notes  upon  a 
trumpet,  marking  the  entrance  or  exit  of  a  procession. 

152.  incensed,  stirred  up. 

154.  parlous.     See  on  ii.  4.  35. 

155.  capable,  intelligent,  able.     Cf.  ^Mncapable"  in  ii.  2.  18. 

157  ff.  Note  that  Richard  allows  Buckingham  to  take  the  initiative 
in  instructing  Catesby.  Here,  as  in  ii.  2.  112  ff.,  it  suits  his  purpose 
to  let  him  play  the  leader.  But  it  is  Richard  himself  who  authorizes 
Catesby  to  announce  the  impending  execution  of  the  queen's  relatives; 
and  it  is  he  who  in  his  short,  sharp,  decisive  fashion  pronounces  the 
doom  of  Hastings. 

159.  closely:  possibly  to  be  taken  (like  ** deeply  ")  with  ** sworn'*, 
in  the  sense  of  '  secretly  \  It  is  more  natural,  however,  to  suppose 
that  it  modifies  "conceal",  in  which  case  the  expression  is  a  little 
confused — unless,  indeed,  we  take  "deeply"  with  "effect",  in  the 
sense  of  *  cleverly'  (cf  iii.  5.  5). 

164.  seat  royal.  The  position  of  the  adjective  points  to  the  time 
when  French  was  the  language  of  the  governing  class  in  England, 
and  particularly  of  the  law-courts.      Similar  phrases  still  survive — 

*  blood  royal ',  '  heir  apparent ',  *  letters  patent '. 

165.  his  father's  sake,  i.e.  the  Prince's  father's  sake.  Holinshed 
expressly  mentions  the  loyalty  of  Hastings  to  Edward.     Cf  iii.  2.  53. 

169.  no  more  but  this.     Cf.  iv.  2.  82. 

173.   sit  about,  attend  a  council  about. 

177.  your  talk.  Dr.  Abbott  points  out  that  the  number  of  the 
possessive  adjective  changes,  because  j^^/zr  talk—^ihe.  talk  between 
thee  and  him '. 

179.  divided  councils.  Two  separate  meetings  were  held,  one 
known  to  be  loyal,  the  other  composed  of  Richard's  adherents. 

183.   blood  must  be  parsed  as  the  *  retained  '  object. 


I 


Scene  2.]  NOTES.  147 

183.  Pomfret-castle.  The  castle  of  Pontefract  (in  the  West 
Riding  of  Yorkshire)  was  built  in  1080,  and  dismantled  by  Lambert, 
the  Parliamentary  general,  in  1649.  It  was  here  that  Richard  II. 
was  murdered.     Cf.  iii.  3.  1 1  f. 

185.  Hastings  took  Jane  Shore  under  his  protection  after  Edward's 
death.  Delius  sees  an  allusion  to  'their  intimacy  in  i.  I.  75,  where 
see  note. 

188.  Richard  repeats  the  same  question  in  iv.  2.  84,  when  he  sends 
Tyrrel  on  his  murderous  errand.  The  coincidence  can  hardly  be 
accidental.     Cf.  iv.  i.  85;  v.  3.  118  ff. 

191.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  182,  1.  8. 

192.  complots,  plots.  Cf.  "complaints  "  in  the  sense  of  *  plaints' 
in  ii.  2.  67. 

195.     See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  179,  1.  19. 

200.  digest,  arrange.  So  in  Hamlet^  ii.  2.  460,  we  have  **an 
excellent  play,  well  digested  in  the  scenes  ". 

Scene  2. 

This  scene,  the  material  for  which  is  very  ^argely  drawn  from 
Holinshed,  brings  out  clearly  the  combined  weakness  and  wicked- 
ness of  Hastings,  and  so  prepares  us  to  acquiesce  in  his  death  as  well 
deserved.  His  conceit  and  overweening  self-confidence  are  con- 
trasted with  the  subtlety  and  hypocrisy  of  Catesby,  who  is  Richard's 
real  understudy,  and  whom  Hastings  misjudges  as  much  as  he  did 
his  master  (1.  22).  The  amount  of  '  tragic  irony '  in  his  speeches  is 
remarkable,  e.g.  11.  33,  43,  55,  68,  122. 

II.  boar.  See  on  i.  3.  228.  The  dream,  like  so  much  else  in 
the  scene,  comes  direct  from  the  Chronicle, 

razed.     See  Glossary.  • 

25.  wanting  instance,  without  any  motive,  groundless. 

26.  fond,  foolish.     See  Glossary. 

27.  To.     See  on  ii.  i.  120. 

30.  make  pursuit.     See  on  i.  3.  164. 

33.  kindly.  Besides  its  ordinary  sense,  the  word  here  is  meant  to 
suggest  its  opposite.  For  "kindly"  might  be  interpreted  'after  his 
kind  ',  '  according  to  his  nature  ',  i.e.  '  cruelly  '.     See  on  i.  4.  247. 

43.  crown.  Shakespeare  often  plays  on  the  different  meanings  of 
this  word. 

47.  party.     Cf.  i.  3-138. 

52.  still  =  *  always ' — as  so  frequently. 

55.  the  death.     Cf.  i.  2.  179. 


148  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  III. 

58  f.  The  grammar  of  these  two  lines  is  difficult.  They  are  in- 
tended to  explain  the  "this"  of  1.  57;  and  *'their  tragedy... who" 
seems  to  be  equivalent  to  "the  tragedy  of  those  who",  so  that  "they" 
is  superfluous. 

62.  Hastings's  confidence  in  his  own  ability  to  do  harm  grows  with 
characteristic  rapidity.  The  "twelvemonth"  of  1.  57  has  shrunk 
into  a  "fortnight". 

71.  The  princes  both:  i.e.  Richard  and  Buckingham.  See  on 
ii.  I.  29. 

72.  the  bridge:  London  Bridge,  where  the  heads  of  traitors  were 
exposed. 

76.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  179,  1.  1 5. 

77.  rood,  cross.     See  Glossary. 

78.  several,  separate. 
83.  state,  position. 

87.  mistrust,  be  apprehensive.     Cf.  ii.  3.  42. 

8g.  misdoubt,  suspect.  The  simple  verb  is  used  in  a  similar 
sense,  e.g.  "  I  doubt  some  foul  play"  {Hamlet.,  i.  2.  256). 

91.  shall  we  toward.  Such  omissions  of  the  verb  of  motion  are 
frequent,  e.g.  i.  2.  29. 

the  day  is  spent.  Attention  has  been  drawn  to  the  apparent 
inconsistency  between  this  and  1.  5,  where  we  are  told  it  is  early 
morning.  But  after  all  the  phrase  need  not  mean  that  the  day  is  ''far 
spent'.     It  was  not  yet  dinner-time;  see  1.  122. 

92.  have  with  you  =  *  let  me  have  (i.e.  keep)  with  you ',  *  come 
along '. 

Wot.     See  Glossary. 
94.   truth,  loyalty.     *  True  '  is  still  used  —  ^  loyal '. 

^  97.   Pursuivant:    properly    the    attendant    or    follower    {pour- 
suivre)  of  a  herald. 

98.   sirrah.     See  Glossary. 

103.   By  the  suggestion,  at  the  instigation.     See  Glossary. 

107.  hold,  continue. 

108.  Gramercy.     See  Glossary. 

111.  Sir.  Priests  who  had  taken  a  bachelor's  degree,  went  by 
this  title.  Cf.  Sir  Oliver  Martext  in  As  You  Like  It,  Sir  Nathaniel 
in  Lovers  Labour'' s  Lost.,  &c. 

112.  exercise:  used  technically  in  the  sense  of  *  religious  duty'. 
Cf.  iii.  7.  64.  Here  the  reference  seems  to  be  to  the  sermon. 
Prayers  are  still  called  *  devotional  exercises '  in  Scotland. 

113.  content,  satisfy. 

115.  they.     See  on  i.  3.  219. 


Scene  3.]  NOTES. 


149 


116.  The  latter  part  of  this  scene  is  adapted  with  but  little  altera- 
tion from  Holinshed,  where,  however,  it  is  not  Buckingham  but 
*  a  knight '  who  meets  Hastings.  To  the  remark  here  quoted  the 
Chronicle  adds  the  following  explanation — "and  therewith  he  laughed 
upon  him,  as  though  he  would  say,  Ye  shall  have  soone  ". 

Scene  3. 

Ratcliff  is  a  character  of  much  the  same  type  as  Catesby.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  again  to  draw  attention  to  the  stress  laid  upon  the 
guilt  of  the  victims  (11.  15,  16),  and  upon  the  fulfilment  of  Margaret's 
curse. 

4.  truth,  faithfulness.     Cf.  iii.  2.  94. 
8.  Dispatch.     See  on  i.  2.  182. 

II.   closure,  enclosure. 

13.  slander=* scandal'.  The  two  words  have  the  same  deriva- 
tion. 

21.  true.     See  on  iii.  2.  94. 

23.  expiate,  finished,  fully  come.     See  Glossary. 

Scene  4. 

The  young  king  had  entered  London  on  May  4th.  Hastings  was 
arrested  at  a  meeting  of  Council  on  June  13th.  In  the  details,  and 
even  in  the  language,  of  this  scene  Shakespeare  is  reproducing 
Holinshed  very  closely.  The  most  notable  difference  is  the  pro- 
minent part  here  assigned  to  Buckingham  as  Gloucester's  confidant. 
In  Holinshed's  description  the  Protector,  when  he  withdraws,  makes 
no  pretence  of  consulting  anyone. 

I.   at  once,  to  come  straight  to  the  point. 

5.  wants  but  nomination:  i,e,  'the  day  only  requires  to  be 
named '. 

8.  inward,  intimate. 

10.  The  contrast  between  this  speech  of  Buckingham's  and  the  one 
of  Hastings  that  follows,  should  be  noted  carefully.  Buckingham 
is  some  degrees  nearer  Richard  in  ability.  His  duplicity  is  more 
than  a  match  for  the  self-confidence  and  presumption  of  Hastings; 
and  yet  the  audience,  with  their  fuller  knowledge,  would  feel  that 
Buckingham  unwittingly  uttered  what  was  profoundly  true  in  1.  1 3, 
and  what  was  profoundly  untrue  in  11.  11,  12. 

25.  neglect,  cause  to  be  neglected. 

27.  cue.  See  Glossary.  For  other  theatrical  metaphors  cf.  ii.  2. 
38,  39;  iv.  4.  68,  91. 

33.  This  incident  of  the  strawberries  comes  from  Holinshed^ 
and  ultimately  from  More,  to  whom  it  was  probably  communicated 


ISO  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.        [Act  III. 

by  Ely  himself  (see  Introduction^  p.  ii).  It  has  no  real  connec- 
tion with  the  course  of  the  play,  for  the  temporary  withdrawal  of 
Ely  is  quite  unnecessary.  At  the  same  time  there  is  no  doubt 
that  it  brings  Richard's  dissimulation  and  self-control  into  greater 
prominence,  while  it  also  provides  a  dramatic  contrast  to  the  scene 
that  follows  Gloucester's  re-entrance. 

36.  and  will.  Such  omissions  of  the  subject,  where  it  can  be 
easily  supplied,  are  not  uncommon  in  Shakespeare. 

41.  worshipful.     See  on  iii.  7.  138. 

44.  triumph:  used  here  for  *  ceremonial '  in  a  general  sense. 

47.  prolonged,  postponed.  So  in  Ezekiel^  xii.  22:  **The  days 
are  prolonged"  is  contrasted  with  *'The  days  are  at  hand"  of  the 
following  verse.     (Cf.  verse  25  of  the  same  chapter.) 

50.  cheerfully  and  smooth.    See  on  i.  i.  22. 

51.  conceit,  idea.     See  Glossary. 

likes,  pleases.  Dr.  Abbott  (Skak,  Gram.  §  297)  draws  atten* 
tion  to  the  great  number  of  impersonal  verbs  used  in  Elizabethan 
English. 

57.  likelihood,  [outward]  sign. 

58.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  180,  1.  19. 

61.  Holinshed  tells  us  that  when  Richard  re-entered  on  this 
occasion,  he  was  **  changed  with  a  wonderfull  soure  angrie  coun- 
tenance, knitting  the  browes,  frowning  and  fretting,  and  gnawing 
on  his  lips  ". 

66.  presence:  collective,  not  abstract.     Cf.  i.  3.  54. 

70.  *  *  And  therwith  he  plucked  up  his  dublet  sleeve  to  his  elbow 
upon  his  left  arme,  when  he  shewed  a  weerish,  withered  arme,  and 
small ;  as  it  was  never  other. " 

73.  Consorted  with,  in  league  with.  The  word  occurs  in  a 
good  sense  in  iii.  7.  137. 

80.  Ratcliff.  The  appearance  of  RatclifF  here  is  due  to  confusion 
of  some  kind  with  Catesby.  The  two  fulfil  much  the  same  sort  of 
function  in  the  play,  and  it  is  possible  that  (as  has  been  suggested) 
both  were  played  by  the  same  actor.  At  all  events  it  should  obvi- 
ously be  Catesby  who  is  present  now;  for  in  the  preceding  scene — 
which  is  supposed  to  take  place  on  the  same  day — we  find  Ratcliff 
at  Pomfret,  of  which  castle  he  was  governor. 

83.  *  Had  I  not  been  so  foolish,  I  might  have  taken  precautions 
against  this.'     See  **  fond  "  and  **  prevented  "  in  Glossary. 

86.  foot-cloth  horse.  The  *  foot-cloth'  was  a  rich  covering 
that  hung  over  the  sides  of  a  horse:  it  was  only  used  when  the  horse 
was  not  required  to  proceed  at  more  than  a  walking  pace. 

87.  startled,  started. 


Scene  5.]  NOTES.  151 

89.  want  the  priest.     He  has  ''  shriving  work  on  hand  "  now. 

94.   See  on  i.  3.  197. 

96.   Dispatch,  make  haste.     See  on  i.  2.  182. 

98.  momentary,  lasting  but  a  moment,  transitory. 

100.  in  air  of  your  good  looks:  i.e.  on  the  airy  foundation  of 
men's  friendly  looks. 

104.  bootless.     See  "  boot "  in  Glossary. 

109.  i.e.  *Some  of  those  that  are  now  smiling  at  me,  will  soon 
meet  the  same  fate'. 

Scene  5. 

The  stage- direction  ^' in  rotten  armour^  marvellous  ill-favoured''^ 
is  best  explained  by  Holinshed,  who  says  that  it  was  armour  "  such 
as  no  man  would  wene  that  they  would  have  vouchsafed  to  have 
put  on  their  backes,  excepte  some  sodeyne  necessitie  had  con- 
straigned  them".  The  cue  of  Richard  and  Buckingham  was  to 
pretend  that  they  were  in  momentary  expectation  of  a  sudden  attack 
from  conspirators. 

5.  deep,  experienced,  skilful.  Cf.  iii.  7.  75.  For  another  de- 
scription of  acting,  see  Hamlet's  advice  to  the  players  (Hamlet,  iii.  2). 

8.   Intending,  pretending.     Cf.  iii.  7.  45. 

■      10.  offices,  special  functions,  places.     Cf  "the  tongue's  office " 
in  Richard  11.^  i.  3.  256,  and,  again,  in  the  same  play  (ii.  I.  47): — 

**  This  precious  stone  set  in  the  silver  sea, 
Which  serves  it  in  the  office  of  a  wall ". 

25.  plainest  harmless :  best  taken  together,  the  superlative  being 
treated  as  an  adverb.     Cf.  1.  33* 
q       27.  book,  note-book — as  is  clear  from  the  context. 
"      30.  apparent,  obvious. 

31.  conversation,  connection. 

32.  from,  away  from,  free  from.  This  sense  of  the  preposition  is 
very  common  in  Shakespeare.     See  on  iv.  4.  255. 

attainder  of  suspect,  taint  of  suspicion.     Cf.  i.  3.  89.     For 
attainder  see  Glossary. 

33.  covert'st  sheltered.     See  on  1.  25. 

P      35.  almost.     The  effect  of  the  word  here  is  to  intensify  the  force 
of  the  rhetorical  question.     The  New  English  Dictionary  compares 
*quis  fere^  in  Latin. 
47.  fair  befall.     See  on  i.  3.  282. 
55.  have:  attracted  into  the  plural  hy  friends, 
prevented,  anticipated.     See  Glossary. 


252  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  III. 

56.  heard:  probably  the  participle  is  due  to  a  confusion.  Dr. 
Abbott  suggests  (Shaks.  Gr.,  §  411)  that  there  is  an  ellipsis  of  '  to 
have  '  before  ' '  heard  ". 

61.  Misconstrue  us  in  him,  misinterpret  our  action  in  his  case. 

63.  As  well  as:=:*as  well  as  if. 

69.  of  our  intents,  for  our  plans. 

70.  witness,  i.e.  attest  to  others. 

73.  post,  haste.     Cf.  i.  I.  146. 

74.  your  meet'st  advantage  of  the  time,  the  most  advanta- 
geous moment  you  can  find. 

75.  Infer,  bring  forward — of  an  argument  rather  than,  as  now,  of 
a  conclusion.  Cf.  iii.  7.  12,  32;  iv.  4.  343;  v.  3.  314.  When  Edward 
was  about  to  marry  Lady  Elizabeth  Grey,  his  mother,  who  objected 
strongly  to  the  match,  tried  to  prevail  upon  Lady  Elizabeth  Lucy  to 
come  forward  and  say  that  she  had  been  priv^ately  married  to  the 
king.  When,  however,  Lady  Lucy  *' was  solemnlie  sworn  to  sale 
the  truth,  she  confessed  that  they  were  never  ensured".  In  his 
speech  to  the  citizens  Buckingham  set  this  denial  aside,  and  declared 
that  *'  the  children  of  King  Edward  the  fourth  were  never  lawfullie 
begotten,  for  so  much  as  the  king  (leaving  his  verie  wife  dame 
Elizabeth  Lucie)  was  never  lawfullie  married  unto  the  queene  their 
mother".     Cf.  iii.  7.  5,  179. 

76.  a  citizen:  a  man  named  Burdet,  a  merchant  who  dwelt  at 
the  'sign  of  the  crown'  in  Cheapside.  Hall  says:  **This  man 
merely  in  ye  rufflyng  tyme  of  King  Edwarde  ye  iiij.,  his  rage,  saied 
to  his  awne  sonne  that  he  would  make  hym  in  heritor  of  ye  croune, 
meanyng  his  awne  house:  but  these  wordes  King  Edward  made  to 
be  mysconstrued  and  interpreted  that  Burdet  meant  the  croune  of 
the  realme  ". 

79.  sign.  In  those  days  houses  other  than  taverns  were  marked 
by  signs.  The  custom  of  numbering  is  of  comparatively  recent 
origin.  It  was  only  in  1 762  that  the  general  use  of  signs  was  given 
up  in  London. 

80.  luxury,  sensuality.     See  Glossary. 
85.  for  a  need,  at  a  pinch. 

92.  Being.  The  construction  is  a  Httle  loose:  being  3,gxQes  not 
with  *Mineaments"  but  with  'he',  supplied  from  the  "his"  of  the 
preceding  line.     Cf  iii.  7.  ii,  1 3. 

96.  the  golden  fee,  the  crown. 

98.  Baynard's  Castle.  This  castle  "gave  its  name  to  one  of 
the  wards  of  the  City  of  London.  It  took  its  name  from  one  Bay- 
nard^  a  nobleman  who  came  over  with  the  Conqueror  and  died  in 
the  reign  of  William  Rufus.  ...  In  142S  it  was  entirely  destroyed 
by  fire,  and  was  rebuilt  by  Humphrey,  Duke  of  Gloucester ;  on  whose 
death,  1446,  while  under  attainder,  it  came  into  the  possession  of 


Scene  6.]  NOTES.  153 

Henry  VI. ,  and  was  given  by  him  as  a  residence  to  Richard,  Duke 
of  York.  ...  It  was  from  here  that  Edward  IV.  set  out  in  proces- 
sion, when  he  went  to  be  crowned  at  Westminster.  .  .  .  BaynarcTs 
Castle  was  totally  destroyed  in  the  Great  Fire,  1666"  (Marshall). 
IX.  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  Thames,  not  far  from  St.  Paul's. 

100.  Ho.Hnshed,  speaking  of  the  efforts  made  by  Richard  and 
.Buckingham  to  win  the  people  to  their  side,  says:  "Of  spiritual! 
men  they  tooke  such  as  had  wit,  and  were  in  authoritie  among  the 
people  for  opinion  of  their  learning,  and  had  no  scrupulous  con- 
science. Among  these  had  they  lohn  Shaw  clearke  brother  to  the 
maior,  and  frier  Penker,  provinciall  of  the  Augustine  friers  both 
doctors  of  divinitie,  both  great  preachers,  both  of  more  learning  than 
virtue,  of  more  fame  than  learning."  The  *' bishops"  here  spoken 
of,  are  those  who  appear  after  iii.  7.  94.  Their  introduction  there  is, 
as  Mr.  Wright  points  out,  due  to  Hall.  Holinshed  does  not  mention 
them  at  all.      (Cf.  Introduction^  p.  1 1.) 

103.  Doctor  Shaw.  See  preceding  note,  and  also  the  Notes  on 
the  Dramatis  Personce  (*'  Lord  Mayor  of  London  "). 

106.  take. ..order.  Cf.  i.  4.  288.  The  arrangements  he  had  in 
view  are  more  fully  explained  in  iv.  2.  55  ff.  It  is  to  be  noted  that 
Buckingham  is  not  admitted  into  the  darkest  recesses  of  Richard's 
confidence.  The  Protector  seems  to  have  known  instinctively  that 
there  was  a  point  of  cruelty  beyond  which  his  companion  would  not 
go.  He  does  not  therefore  divulge  his  ultimate  intentions  until  he 
thinks  he  has  reached  a  position  whence  he  can  despise  the  co-oper- 
ation of  Buckingham  (iv.  2.  8). 

Scene  6. 

A  Scrivener  (Lat  scriba)  was  one  whose  business  it  was  to  copy 
documents. 

This  short  scene  is  inserted  in  order  to  provide  an  interval  during 
which  Buckingham  may  be  supposed  to  make  his  speech  at  the  Guild- 
hall. The  corresponding  passage  in  Plolinshed  runs  as  follows: 
*'  Now  was  this  proclamation  made  within  two  houres  after  that 
[Hastings]  was  beheaded,  and  it  was  so  curiouslie  indicted,  and  so 
faire  written  in  parchment,  in  so  well  a  set  hand,  and  therewith  of  it 
selfe  so  long  a  processe,  that  everie  child  might  well  perceive  that  it 
was  prepared  before.  ...  So  that  upon  the  proclaiming  thereof,  one 
that  was  schoolemaister  of  Powles  of  chance  standing  by,  and  com- 
paring the  shortness  of  the  time  with  the  length  of  the  matter,  said 
unto  them  that  stood  about  him ;  Here  is  a  gaie  goodlie  cast  foule 
cast  awaie  for  hast." 

2.  engross'd,  written  out  large.  The  word  is  used  particularly 
of  a  type  of  handwriting  peculiar  to  legal  documents.  Hence  it  has 
come  to  mean  '  put  into  legal  form  '. 

4.  the  sequel:  i.e.  what  follows  from  this. 


154  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.        [Act  III. 

7.  precedent,  original. 

g.   Untainted,  free  from  any  stigma. 

10.  the  while,  in  the  meantime, 
gross,  stupid. 

12.  blind:  i.e,  blind  to  his  own  danger. 

14.  seen  in  thought:  i.e,  he  who  sees  it,  must  not  betray  his 
feelings  by  any  outward  manifestation. 

Scene  7. 

The  arrest  and  execution  of  Hastings  had  taken  place  on  June 
13th.  Buckingham's  Guildhall  speech  was  delivered  on  June  17th, 
and  on  the  following  day  the  deputation  appeared  at  Baynard's 
Castle.  Shakespeare  brings  all  these  events  into  the  space  of  a  few 
hours.     (Cf.  Introduction^  p.  12.) 

^^  several  doors '^\     Cf.  iii.  2.  78. 
3.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody,  p.  180,  1.  43. 

5.  Lady  Lucy.     See  on  iii.  5.  75. 

6.  deputy  in  France.  Warwick  went  to  France,  ana  arranged 
a  marriage  between  Edward  and  Bona,  sister-in-law  to  the  King  of 
France  (cf.  Third  Part  of  Henry  VI.  iii.  3.  43  ff.).  This  contract 
Edward  declined  to  fulfil. 

11.  being.     See  on  iii.  5.  92. 

12.  infer.     Cf.  iii.  5.  75. 

13.  right  idea,  true  image. 

15.  Richard  was  an  able  general,  and  had  held  command  of  an 
army  despatched  by  Edward  IV.  to  attack  James  III.  of  Scotland 
in  the  interests  of  the  Duke  of  Albany  (1482).*  His  most  notable 
achievement  was  the  capture  of  Berwick. 

16.  discipline,  training,  experience.     Cf.  v.  3.  17. 

25.  statuas  appears  elsewhere  as  a  trisyllable,  e.g,  twice  \n  Julius 
CcBsar  (ii.  2.  76;  iii.  2.  192). 

breathing  stones:  i.e.  things  with  life  but  without  animation. 
Cf.  ^'tongueless  blocks"  (1.  42). 

32.  inferred.     Cf.  iii.  5.  75. 

33.  in  warrant  from  himself,  on  his  own  responsibility. 

37.  took  the  vantage  of,  took  advantage  of,  i.e.  seized  the 
opportunity  offered  by. 

40.  Argues,  proves. 
wisdoms.    The  plural  is  used  because  the  quality  is  shared  by 
several  persons.     Cf.  ** sights"  in  iv.  I.  25. 

45.  intend.     Cf.  iii.  5.  8. 


I 


Scene  7.]  NOTES.  155 

46.  by  mighty  suit,  on  urgent  request. 

48.  churchmen,  ecclesiastics.  This  is  the  regular  sense  of  the 
word  in  Shakespeare.  It  is  only  towards  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century  that  'churchman'  comes  to  mean  *  member  or  supporter  of 
the  church '. 

49.  descant.     The  metaphor  is  a  musical  one.     See  Glossary. 
52  f.    *  If  you  play  your  part  as  well  as  I  can  play  mine.' 

55,  leads :  the  flat  roof  of  a  house,  covered  with  lead. 

57.  withal :  an  emphatic  form  of  *  with ' ;  it  is  generally  placed 
at  the  end  of  the  sentence.  Cf.  Abbott,  Shaks*  Gr,^  §  196.  See 
Glossary. 

62.   Divinely,  devoutly. 

64.  exercise.     See  on  iii.  2.  112. 

72.  day-bed,  couch,  sofa. 

75.  deep.     Cf.  iii.  5.  5. 

76.  engross,  make  gross,  fatten. 

89.  me:  redundant  pronoun.  Cf.  **  L  know  thee  who  thou  art" 
(Mark^  i.  24). 

93.  beads,  prayers.  This  is  the  original  meaning  of  the  word  (cf. 
German  beten).  The  name  was  afterwards  transferred  to  the  parts 
of  the  rosary. 

95.     See  on  iii.  5'  lOO* 

97.  the  fall  of  vanity:  i.e,  the  fall  that  awaits  vanity. 

107.  Neglect  the  visitation,  &c.,  neglect  the  friends  who  come 
to  visit  me. 

112.  disgracious,  ungracious.  Cf.  **  discover"  for  'uncover'  in 
iv.  4.  240. 

115.  amend.     See  on  i.  3.  33. 

120.  *  The  rank  to  which  fortune  has  raised  you,  and  to  which 
your  birth  entitles  you.'  There  is  an  antithesis  between  '*  fortune" 
and  "  birth  "  ;  and  in  each  case  '*  your  "  applies  to  the  whole  phrase 
that  follows  it,  as  in  **your  cause  of  grief". 

125.  proper,  suitable. 

127.  graft.  The  pre^nt  was  originally  *graff',  so  that  this 
form  is  quite  correct.  The  participle  afterwards  came  to  be  used  as  a 
present,  and  to  have  the  -ed  inflection.  Similarly  the  original  form 
of  '  hoist '  was  '  hoise  '  (iv.  4.  529). 

129.  blind.     See  on  v.  3.  62.  , 

130.  recure,  set  right  again. 

133  ff.  The  syntax  is  again  a  Httle  loose.  The  words  introduced 
by  the  first  **as"  ('*  protector ",  &c.)  are  in  apposition  to  *'your 
gracious  self",  and  are  therefore  not  strictly  parallel  to  the  words 


156  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act  III. 

introduced  by  the  second  **as"  (**your  right",  &c.),  which  are  in 
apposition  to  *'  the  charge  and  kingly  government  ". 

134.  factor,  one  who  acts  on  behalf  of  another,  an  agent.  Cf.  iv. 
4.  72. 

135.  successively,  in  succession. 

136.  empery.     See  Glossary. 

137.  consorted  with.     See  on  iii.  4.  73. 

138.  worshipful.  Schmidt  explains  this  as  if  it  meant  'worthy 
to  be  reverenced';  but  here  and  in  iii.  4.  41  the  word  seems  rather 
to  imply  *full  of  reverence '. 

144.  The  predicate  to  **  If  not  to  answer  "  must  be  supplied  from 
the  verb  in  the  preceding  line. 

147.  fondly.     Cf.  iii.  2.  26. 

148.  See  on  1.  144. 

150.  check'd  =  should  check. 
153.  Definitively,  decidedly. 
155.  tJnmeritable,  devoid  of  merit. 

157.  that  =  *  if  [that] '.     Cf.  in  French  *  si. .  .et  que  \ 
even,  smooth. 

158.  my  ripe  revenue:  i.e.  *  something  which  I  have  a  right  to, 
and  which  the  time  has  come  for  me  to  enjoy'. 

159.  much:  an  adjective  here. 

162.   For  the  metaphor  cf.  iv.  4,  233. 

166.  *I  lack  many  of  the  qualities  necessary  for  helping  you,  if 
you  should  require  help.' 

168.   stealing.     For  the  sense  cf.  v.  3.  85. 

174.  argues.     Cf.  1.  40. 

175.  the  respects  thereof,  the  considerations  that  have  deter- 
mined your  attitude. 

nice,  over  subtle. 

179.   contract.     See  on  i.  4.  192. 

181.  See  on  1.  5. 

182.  sister.     She  was  really  his  sister-in-law. 

183.  petitioner.  Edward  first  made  the  acquaintance  of  Lady 
Grey  when  she  came  to  sue  for  her  husband's  lands.  The  scene  is 
described  in  Third  Part  of  Henry  VI.  (iii.  2). 

184.  a  many.     We  still  say  *  a  few '  and  *  a  good  many'. 
187.  purchase,  capture.     See  Glossary. 

i88.  pitch.  The  metaphor  is  taken  from  falconry,  ihe  pitch  being 
the  highest  point  the  bird  reached. 


Scene  7.]  »  NOTES.  157 

189.  declension,  deterioration,  decline. 

bigamy.  According  to  the  law  of  the  church  bigamy  included 
marriage  with  a  widow.  And  it  is  probably  to  this  and  not  to  his 
alleged  marriage  to  Lady  Lucy  that  reference  is  here  made.  For  we 
read  in  Holinshed  that  Edward's  mother,  before  bringing  forward 
Lady  Lucy  at  all,  urged  on  her  son  that  the  mere  fact  that  Lady 
Elizabeth  Grey  was  a  widow,  should  prevent  him  from  marrying  her. 
*'The  onlie  widowhead  of  Elizabeth  Greie,  though  she  were  in  all 
other  things  convenient  for  you,  should  yet  suffice  (as  me  seemeth) 
to  refraine  you  from  hir  mariage,  sith  it  is  an  unfitting  thing,  and 
a  verie  blemish  and  high  disparagement  to  the  sacred  majestic  of  a 
prince,  that  ought  as  nigh  to  approach  priesthood  in  cleannesse  as  he 
dooth  in  dignitie,  to  be  defiled  with  bigamie  in  his  first  mariage." 

191:  as  if  Edward  were  but  a  prince  *  by  courtesy'. 

192.  The  more  telling  argument  which  he  professes  to  have  in 
reserve  is  the  one  set  forth  in  iii.  5.  85. 

196.  benefit:  used  here  with  something  of  a  legal  force,  in  the 
sense  of  benefaction  or  bestowal  of  rights.  Cf.  First  Part  of  Henry 
VI.,  V.  4.  152. 

197.  withal.     See  Glossary. 

198.  draw  forth,  rescue. 

210.  As.  A  parenthesis  of  this  sort  would  now  be  introduced  by 
*for'.     See  Abbott,  Shaks.  Gr.,  §  no. 

211.  effeminate  remorse,  woman-like  compassion.  See  on 
i.  2.  156. 

213.   egallyrz  equally.     See  Glossary. 
estates,  ranks. 

219.  'zounds!  I '11  entreat.  The  Folio  reads  ^* we  will  entreat", 
and  consequently  omits  the  next  line.  This  is  a  good  instance  of 
one  type  of  changes — those  made  to  avoid  the  penalties  imposed  by 
Act  of  Parliament  (1606)  upon  the  use  of  blasphemous  language. 
(Cf.  Introduction,  p.  17.)  For  'zounds  see  Glossary. 
,  229.     See  Appendix  on  Prosody,  p.  180,  1.  10. 

232.  your  imposition,  what  you  put  upon  me. 

233.  Your  mere  enforcement,  the  simple  fact  that  you  have 
compelled  me. 

acquittance,  acquit. 

235.  he.     See  on  i.  3.  212. 


f58  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.        [Act  IV. 

Act  IV.— Scene  I. 

The  curtain  fell  on  Richard  hypocritically  withdrawing  to  his 
**  holy  task  ".  It  rises  on  a  group  of  those  who  have  suffered,  or  are 
yet  to  suffer,  most  severely  from  his  cruel  schemes.  They  know 
nothing  of  what  had  happened  at  Baynard's  Castle. 

I.  niece:  here  used  for  *  grand -daughter'.  Cf.  Latin  neptis^  from 
which  the  English  word  is  derived. 

3.  for  my  life.     We  should  say  *  upon '. 
7.     See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  1 80,  1.  10. 

24.  in  law:  through  her  marriage  with  Richard. 

25.  sights.     For  the  plural  see  on  iii.  7.  40. 

26.  thy  office.     Brakenbury  was  keeper  of  the  Tower. 

27.  leave  it  so,  abandon  my  office  in  that  way. 
31.  reverend,  venerable. 

looker  on,  beholder. 

two  fair  queens:   her  two  daughters-in-law,  Elizabeth  and 
Anne. 

41.   His  brother.  Lord  Grey,  had  already  been  put  to  death. 
43.  with  Richmond.    After  the  battle  of  Tewkesbury  Richmond 
had  taken  refuge  in  Brittany.     Cf.  iv.  3.  40;  4.  523;  v.  3.  324. 
from.     See  on  iii.  5.  32. 

46.  See  on  i.  3.  197.  ^ 

47.  counted,  acknowledged. 

49.  swift.  See  on  i.  i.  15.  Or  possibly  it  may  mean 'swiftly 
passing '. 

50.  my  son :  Richmond,  who  was  Stanley's  stepson.  See  on  i. 
3.  20. 

53.  ill-dispersing,  *  scattering  friends  miserably' (Schmidt). 

55.  cockatrice.     See  on  i.  2.  150. 

56.  unavoided.     See  on  i.  4.  27. 

59.  inclusive  verge,  encircHng  rim, — an  allusion  to  **  the  ancient 
mode  of  punishing  a  regicide  or  any  other  egregious  criminal,  viz.  by 
placing  a  crown  of  iron,  heated  red-hot,  upon  his  head  "  (Steevens). 
This  is  the  form  of  torture  Goldsmith  refers  to  in  his  Traveller^ 
when  he  speaks  of  *'  Luke's  iron  crown". 

60.  round :  probably  a  verb  ( =  *  surround ' ).  Dr.  Abbott,  how- 
ever, regards  it  as  a  preposition. 

65.  To  feed  my  humour,  to  please  me. 

66  ff.  Anne,  like  the  rest  of  Richard's  victims,  before  her  final 
exit  openly  acknowledges  the  justice  of  the  fate  she  foresaw  to  be 
awaiting  her. 


Scene  2.]  NOTES.  159 

70.  dead  saint.     See  on  i.  2.  5. 

73.  so  old  a  widow.  As  she  was  young  at  the  time  of  her 
*  husband's'  death,  she  would  have  a  long  *  widowhood'  in  prospect. 

76.  life.  It  is  worth  noting  that  in  the  corresponding  passage 
(i.  2.  27)  she  says  **  death".     And  so  the  Quartos  read  here. 

80.   Grossly.     For  the  sense  cf,  *' gross"  in  iii.  6.  10. 

84.  Why  is   sleep   called   ** golden"  here  and   ** leaden"  in  v. 

3.  105? 

95.  lie  :  expresses  a  wish. 

96.  Eighty  odd.  The  Duchess  was  only  sixty-eight  at  this  time. 
Shakespeare  purposely  exaggerates  her  age  to  increase  the  pathos  of 
her  situation.     Cf.  his  treatment  of  Rutland.     (See  on  i.  3.  183.) 

97.  teen.  See  Glossary.  For  the  significance  of  the  rhyme  see 
Appendix  on  Prosody,  p.  187,  1.  6. 

98  ff.  This  touching  farewell  fitly  prepares  us  for  the  revelation  of 
Richard's  cruel  purpose,  which  we  have  given  us  in  the  next  scene.   • 
100.   envy.     See  on  i.  3.  26. 

102.  ragged,  rough.   So  in  As  You  Like  It^  ii,  5.  15 :  "  My  voice 

is  ragged  ". 

Scene  2. 

In  this  scene  the  climax  of  the  play  is  reached.  Richard  attains  to 
the  summit  of  his  ambition.  But  the  consciousness  that  he  is  after  all 
a  usurper  leads  him  to  meditate  the  foulest  of  his  crimes — the  murder 
of  his  innocent  nephews.  Buckingham,  who  had  followed  him  so  far, 
hesitates  now  and  refuses  to  be  his  accomplice.  Richard  casts  him 
off,  and  for  the  moment  seems  to  stand  alone.  But  even  in  his  final 
interview  with  the  tool  which  he  discards,  we  can  discern  the  first 
signs  of  apprehension  and  of  loss  of  self-command,  the  first  indica- 
tions that  the  tide  of  fortune  was  to  turn  against  him. 

5.  a=:one.     See  Glossary. 

8.  play  the  touch,  act  the  part  of  touchstone.  A  touchstone  was 
a  stone  used  to  test  the  amount  of  alloy  gold  or  silver  contains.  The 
fineness  of  the  metal  was  guaged  by  the  colour  left  when  the  touch- 
stone was  passed  over  it.  In  classical  times  the  best  touchstone  came 
from  Lydia ;  now  it  comes  from  India. 

9.  current.     Cf.  i.  2.  84. 

15.  Richard  is  not  satisfied  to  understand  Buckingham's  words  in 
the  sense  in  which  they  were  spoken.  He  professes  to  regard  them 
not  as  a  reply  to,  but  as  a  '* consequence"  [i.e.  continuation.    Cf.  iv. 

4.  6)  of  what  he  himself  has  just  said.  (The  punctuation  of  the 
Cambridge  edition,  which  is  that  of  the  Quartos  and  Folios,  has  been 
adopted  in.  1.  16,  as  bringing  out  this  point  more  clearly.)  He  mis- 
interprets Stanley  in  a  somewhat  similar  way  in  iv.  4.  476.  A  good 
parallel  will  be  found  in  Kingjohn^  iv.  i.  10. 


f6o  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 

19.  suddenly.     Cf.  i.  3.  346. 

23.  The  details  regarding  the  murder  of  the  Princes  come  from 
Holinshed,  but  the  idea  of  Buckingham  being  consulted  is  Shake- 
speare's own. 

23.  resolve,  inform.     See  Glossary. 

27.  the  lip.  The  article  is  here  used  for  the  possessive  adjective 
pronoun,  as  in  French  and  Greek. 

28.  iron-witted,  *  unfeeling' (Schmidt). 

29.  unrespective,  thoughtless.     Cf.  i.  3.  296. 

30.  considerate,  watchful,  searching. 
35.  close.     Cf.  i.  I.  158. 

37.  Note  the  double  alliteration. 

42.  witty,  artful.     Cf.  iii.  i.  50.     See  **  wot"  in  Glossary. 

51.  Holinshed  says:  ** After  this  [Richard]  procured  a  common 
rumor  (but  he  would  not  have  the  author  knowne)  to  be  pubUshed 
and  spread  abroad  among  the  common  people,  that  the  queene  was 
dead;  to  the  intent  that  she  taking  some  conceit  of  this  strange 
fame,  should  fall  into  some  sudden  sicknesse  or  greevous  maladie ; 
and  to  proove  if  afterwards  she  should  fortune  by  that  or  anie  other 
waies  to  lease  her  life,  whether  her  people  would  impute  hir  death 
to  the  thought  or  sicknesse,  or  thereof  would  laie  the  blame  to  him." 

53.  *  I  will  make  arrangements  for  her  being  detained  indoors.' 

56.  According  to  Holinshed,  Clarence's  son  had  spent  so  much  of 
his  life  in  prison  that  he  was  quite  different  from  other  children. 

57.  Even  Catesby  is  staggered  for  a  moment  at  the  nature  of  the 
orders  he  receives. 

59.  it  stands  me  much  upon,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
me.  The  grammar  of  the  phrase  is  difficult.  Abbott  (SAak.  Gr., 
§  204)  makes  fne  the  dative  case  and  upon  an  adverb,  comparing 
with  this  sense  of  it  stands  upon  the  Latin  instate  and  the  Greek 
ir/)0(T77/cet. 

64  f.  Cf.  Macbeth^  iii.  4.  136  ff.— 

"  I  am  in  blood 
Stepped  in  so  far  that,  should  I  wade  no  more, 
Returning  were  as  tedious  as  go  o'er  ", 

65.  pluck  on,  draw  after  it. 

66.  Tear-falling,  making  tears  fall.  In  this  compound  the  verb 
is  transitive  and  governs  the  noun.     Cf.  v.  iii.  135,  163. 

75.  deal  upon,  deal  with. 

77.  open  means  to  come,  free  access. 

81.  There  is  no  more  but  so,  that  is  all.     Cf.  iii.  i.  169. 

82.  prefer  thee,  give  thee  preferment. 


Scene  3.]  NOTES.  161 

84.  See  on  iii.  i.  188. 

85.  Ye:  sounds  a  little  strange  and  formal,  but  is  obviously  an 
echo  of  the  royal  *'we"  of  the  preceding  line. 

98.  This  prophecy  is  again  referred  to  in  v.  3.  129.  It  occurs  in 
Third  Part  of  Henry  VI.,  iv.  6.  68. 

Henry.     See  Appendix  on  P^vsody,  p.  179,  1.  16. 

103.  chance.     *  How  chance  (it)  ? '  is  frequent  in  the  sense  of 

*  How  does  it  happen  that?' 

108.  Rougemont.  This  anecdote  is  one  of  the  incidents  men- 
tioned in  Hqlinshed,  but  not  in  Hall. 

117.  Jack.  On  old  clocks  the  hours  were  struck  by  a  little  figure 
with  a  hammer,  who  was  known  as  the  *  Jack-o'-the-clock\  (Cf. 
note  on  i.  3.  53. )  Richard  is  answering  somewhat  at  random,  and 
we  should  therefore  perhaps  refrain  from  pressing  the  sense  too 
closely.  The  general  idea,  however,  seems  to  be  that  Buckingham's 
persistency  in  breaking  in  at  regular  intervals  upon  his  master's 
meditation  with  his  repeated  request,  is  like  the  action  of  a  *Jack' 
striking  the  hours  upon  a  bell.  Richard  expresses  the  wish  that  the 
hour  might  strike  and  be  done  with  it,  as  if  that  would  carry  with  it 
the  consequence  that  Buckingham  would  be  done  with  it  too.  In 
this  case  '^keep'st  the  stroke"  will  mean  *  keepest  on  striking' 
rather  than  *  keepest  back  the  stroke '.  Mr.  Wright  gives  the 
former  meaning,  Schmidt  the  latter. 

120.  resolve.     See  Glossary. 

126.  Brecknock:  where  Buckingham  had  a  manor. 

Scene  3. 

While  the  beauty  of  the  language  softens  the  mere  physical  horror 
of  the  murder  (cf.  Introduction,  p.  14),  it  deepens  the  pathos  of 
the  children's  fate.  The  remorse  of  the  murderers  has  a  similar 
effect. 

2.  arch,  chief,  supreme.  The  adjective  is  now  generally  associ- 
ated (as  here)  with  words  that  have  a  sinister  sense — *  arch  foe ', 

*  arch  villain  *,  &c. 

6.  flesh'd:  a  hunting  metaphor.  *To  '* flesh"  a  dog  or  falcon 
was  to  reward  it  with  a  portion  of  the  first  game  which  it  killed ' 
(Wright).     See  Glossary. 

8.  deaths'... stories.     For  the  plurals  see  on  iii.  7.  40. 

12.  a.     See  Glossary. 

18.  replenished,  finished. 

19.  prime,  first  (in  order  of  time).  It  is  used  as  a  noun  in  the 
sense  of  *  first  part'  in  iv.  4.  170. 


l62  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 

20.  gone,  overcome. 

25.  gave  in  charge.     Cf.  i.  i.  85. 

29  f.  According  to  Holinshed  the  priest  who  buried  the  children 
died  soon  afterwards,  carrying  with  him  to  the  grave  the  secret 
of  their  resting-place.  In  1674  during  alterations  at  the  White 
Tower  some  workmen  discovered  the  bones  of  two  children.  It  was 
at  once  concluded  that  these  were  the  remains  of  the  young  Princes, 
and  by  Charles  the  Second's  orders  they  were  placed  in  Henry  the 
Seventh's  chapel  at  Westminster. 

31.  at  after  supper.  It  seems  simplest  to  regard  after  supper 
as  a  compound  noun,  meaning  the  lighter  meal  that  followed  supper. 
Cf.  Midsujiimer-Night^s  Dream,  v.  I.  34. 

32.  process,  tale,  story.     Cf.  iv.  4.  253. 

37.  As  a  matter  of  history  this  scheme  for  the  marriage  of  Clar- 
ence's daughter  was  not  carried  out.  She  subsequently  became 
Countess  of  Salisbury.  Many  years  afterwards  (1541)  she  was 
cruelly  beheaded  by  Henry  VIII.,  who  was  enraged  at  the  strong 
position  her  son,  Cardinal  Pole,  had  taken  up  on  the  Divorce  ques- 
tion. In  recording  her  death  Holinshed  says  that  she  was  *'the 
last  of  the  Plantagenets". 

39.  Anne  died  on  March  16,  1485. 

40.  the  Breton.     See  on  iv.  i.  43. 

42.  looks  proudly  o'er  the  crown:  as  if  he  already  regarded  it 
as  his  own. 

46.  Ely  had  been  put  into  Buckingham's  custody  at  Brecknock. 

48.  power,  army.     We  use  '  force  '  in  this  sense. 

51  ff.  *  I  have  heard  that  anxious  discussion  serves  only  to  pro- 
duce delay:  delay  brings  in  its  train  helpless  and  sluggish  inactivity: 
speedy  action  must  carry  me  through  my  troubles.'  Notice  the  fine 
personifications.  The  same  feverish  desire  for  instant  action  is  very 
strongly  marked  in  Macbeth  at  the  corresponding  stage  in  his  career — 

"  The  flighty  purpose  never  is  o'ertook 
Unless  the  deed  go  with  it:  from  this  moment 
The  very  firstlings  of  my  heart  shall  be 
The  firstlings  of  my  hand".     {Macbeth,  iv.  I.  145.) 

Attention  has  already  been  drawn  (iv.  2.  65)  to  a  striking  parallel 
between  the  two  plays,  and  others  will  readily  suggest  themselves. 
A  comparison  of  these  will  show  that  there  is  much  in  Richard's 
character  that  recalls  the  more  mature  study  embodied  in  Macbeth. 
(Cf.  Introduction^  p.  9). 

56.  my  counsel  is  my  shield,  Le.  *  Deliberation  is  useless;  we 
must  fight  \ 


Scene  4.]  NOTES.  163 

Scene  4. 

The  style  of  this  scene  is  markedly  inferior  to  that  of  the  one 
immediately  preceding.  The  language  is  more  strained,  and  fre- 
quently falls  short  of  the  highest  level  of  tragic  dignity.  From  the 
point  of  view  of  dramatic  construction,  too,  the  scene  is  crude.  The 
picture  of  the  noble  ladies  seating  themselves  upon  the  ground  and 
giving  way  to  lamentation  and  woe  has  in  it  a  7idiveti  that  seems 
to  belong  to  the  infancy  of  the  drama.  It  is  this  inequality  of  work- 
manship that  has  led  to  such  hypotheses  as  that  of  Mr.  Fleay  {In' 
trodtiction^  pp.  15,  16). 

In  his  endeavour  to  win  Elizabeth's  consent  to  his  marriage  with 
her  daughter,  Richard  shows  much  of  his  former  power.  But  in 
the  end  his  growing  apprehension  and  weakness  of  nerve  manifest 
themselves  in  the  outbursts  of  temper  to  which  he  gives  way,  as  suc- 
cessive items  of  bad  news  crowd  in  upon  him.  This  latter  part  of 
the  scene  should  be  compared  with  Macbeth^  v.  3.  1 1  fF. 

I  f.  The  figure  here  is  somewhat  complicated.  To  begin  with, 
we  have  the  idea  of  fruit  falling  through  being  over-ripe.  C£ 
Macbeth,  iv.  3.  237 — 

"Macbeth 
Is  ripe  for  shaking". 

Further,  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  death — represented  as  a  skeleton — 
is  waiting  to  devour  it  as  it  falls. 

2.  rotten  mouth  of  death.  The  point  of  this  has  been  ex- 
plained in  the  preceding  note.  Cf.  "the  hollow  eyes  of  death" 
{Richard  IL,  ii.  I.  270),  and  "  the  carrion  Death"  {i,e.  skull)  which 
the  Prince  of  Morocco  finds  in  his  casket  [Merchant  of  Venice,  ii.  7. 
63).     We  still  call  a  skull  *  a  death's  head'. 

5.  induction.     Cf.  i.  i.  32. 

6.  consequence.     Cf.  iv.  2.  15. 

15.  right  for  right,  ^justice  answering  to  the  claim  of  justice' 
(Johnson).  For  the  sense,  cf.  Introduction^  p.  10,  and  for  the  col- 
location of  words  cf.  "  Wrong  hath  but  wrong"  (v.  I.  29).  For  the 
rhyme  see  Appendix  on  Prosody,  p.  187,  1.  35. 

16.  aged  night.  Schmidt  explains  =* night  of  old  age'.  This 
is  hardly  adequate.  "Hath  dimmed  your  infant  morn  to  night" 
would  naturally  mean  *  hath  slain  you  in  your  infancy  ' ;  and  that  is 
the  sense  required  by  the  context.  Some  confusion,  however,  is 
caused  by  the  epithet  aged,  which  is  introduced  for  the  sake  of  the 
antithesis  to  infant.  The  two  do  not  really  balance  one  another. 
Your  infaitt  morn  means  '  your  bright  young  liyes ' ;  aged  night 
might  be  paraphrased  as  *  the  darkness  that  death  brings  upon  the 
aged '. 

20.  quit,  requite.     See  Glossary. 


i64  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD.         [Act   IV. 

21.  a  dying  debt:  i.e,  a  debt  that  can  only  be  paid  by  death. 
How  would  you  parse  *'  dying  "  here  ? 

24.  *  Surely  never  before  has  Providence  permitted  such  a  foul 
crime.'  So  M«cduff,  when  he  hears  of  the  death  of  his  wife  and 
children  {Macbeth^  iv.  3.  223) — 

*'  Did  heaven  look  on, 
And  would  not  take  their  part  ?  " 

26.   Blind  sight.     See  on  i.  2.  153. 
mortal.     For  the  sense  cf.  v.  3.  124. 

28.  Brief:  used  for  the  sake  of  the  contrast  with  **  tedious".  See 
on  i.  4.  89  f.  The  Duchess,  who  is  addressing  herself,  means  that 
in  her  person  she  sums  up  the  experience  of  many  weary  years  of 
life. 

29.  lawful.  The  epithet  seems  to  have  no  special  significance 
here,  but  to  be  used  mainly  for  the  oxymoron.  How  many  instances 
of  this  figure  can  you  find  in  these  few  lines? 

31.  thou:  /.^.  *' England's  lawful  earth". 

34.  but  I.    Cf.  ii.  2.  76. 

35.  reverend.     Cf.  iv.  i.  31. 

36.  seniory,  seniority.     **The  benefit  of  seniory"  is  priority. 

37.  frown  on  the  upper  hand,  take  precedence  over  yours. 

40.  Cf.  Third  Henry  VI. ^  v.  5.     For  the  iteration  see  on  i.  2.  62. 

41.  Ci.  Third  Henry  VI.,  v.  6. 
42  f.  Cf.  iv.  3. 

44.  Cf.  Third  Henry  VI,  i.  4. 

45.  Cf.  Third  Henry  VI. ,  i.  3. 

51.  See  on  ii.  i.  122. 

52.  grand  here  has  almost  a  sinister  sense,  such  as  now  attaches 
to  '*arch"  (iv.  3.  2).  Cf.  Paradise  lost,  iv.  192:  **So  clomb  this 
first  grand  Thief  into  God's  fold  ". 

53.  galled,  made  painful  by  weeping.     See  Glossary. 

56.  carnal  =:  carnivorous,  i.e.  cruel.  No  other  instance  ot  this 
sense  is  quoted  in  the  New  English  Dictionary. 

58.  pew-fellow,  companion :  properly  one  who  shares  the  same 
pew. 

65.  but  boot:  i.e.  he  may  be  thrown  in  over  and  above.  For 
hoot,  see  Glossary. 

68.   For  the  metaphor  see  on  iii.  4.  27. 
6g.  adulterate  =  adulterous. 

71.  intelligencer,  agent. 

72.  their.     For  the  plural  see  on  i.  3.  219. 


\ 

Scene  4.]  NOTES.  165 

72.  factor.     See  on  iii.  7.  134. 

75.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody y  p.  186,  1.  21. 

77.  For  the  legal  metaphor  of.  11.  127  f. 

79.  Cf.  i.  3.  245. 

84.  presentation,  show,  semblance. 

85.  index.     See  Glossary. 

86.  a-high  =  on  high. 

89.  A  sign:  i,e.  a  mere  sign  and  nothing  more. 

90.  Steevens  points  out  that  the  image  suggested  is  that  of  a 
standard-bearer  with  a  showy  flag  which  draws  the  enemy's  fire. 

91.  A  queen  in  jest:  as  Hamlet's  uncle  was  "a  vice  of  kings". 
See  on  iii.  I.  82. 

97.  Decline,  go  right  through  from  beginning  to  end. 

100.  caitiff.     See  Glossary. 

103.  fearing  one :  Le,  living  in  dread  of  Richard. 

107.  no  more  but  thought,  nothing  but  the  recollection.  "  A 
sorrow's  crown  of  sorrow  is  remembering  happier  things." 

III.  burthen'd,  heavy. 

115.  For  the  significance  of  the  rhyme  see  Appendix  on  Prosoay^ 
p.  187,  1.  6. 

118.  fast:  imperative  mood. 
122.   Bettering,  exaggerating. 

127.  attorneys.  The  word  attorney  means  properly  'one  who 
acts  on  behalf  of  another'.     (Cf.  1.  413;  v.  3.  83.) 

128.  intestate  joys.  T\i^  joys  are  dead,  and  they  have  died 
intestate  because  they  have  left  no  joys  to  succeed  them. 

129.  Poor:  adverb  here. 

131.  Help  not  at  all,  are  of  no  real  use.  For  the  sense  oihelp^ 
see  on  i.  2.  13. 

135.  exclaims.     See  on  i.  2.  52. 

136.  expedition,  march. 
142.  owed,  owned.     See  Glossary. 

151.  entreat  me  fair,  treat  me  fairly. 

152.  clamorous  report,  noisy  sounds. 

157.  a  touch  of  your  condition,  *a  spice  or  particle  of  your 
temper  or  disposition'  (Johnson).  For  condition  in  this  sense  cf. 
Othello,  ii.  I.  255,  where  Roderigo  says  of  Desdemona:  **  She's 
full  of  most  blessed  condition  ".  We  still  speak  of  an  *  ill-conditioned 
fellow'. 

x68.  Tetchy,  peevish     See  Glossary. 


i66  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV, 

170.  prime.     See  on  iv.  3.  19. 

171.  age  confirm'd,  maturity. 

172.  kind  in  hatred:  ue,  he  added  hypocrisy  to  his  cruelty. 
Possibly  there  is  also  a  play  on  the  double  sense  of  kind,    Cf.  i.  4.  247. 

175.  No  very  satisfactory  explanation  of  this  line  has  been  sug- 
gested. Some  suppose  it  to  be  a  mere  ludicrous  phrase  for  'hour', 
like  'Tom  Troth'  for  'truth'.  Others  see  in  it  an  allusion  to 
*  dining  with  Duke  Humphrey' — a  euphemism  for  not  dining  at  all. 

176.  forth  of,  out  of.  "  Furth  of  Scotland"  is  still  regularly  used 
in  Scottish  legal  documents. 

177.  disgracious.  See  on  iii.  7.  112.  Observe  the  repeated 
plays  on  the  word  "grace". 

183.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  180,  1.  13. 

188.  tire:  expresses  a  wish,  as  do  "fight"  (1.  190),  "whisper" 
(1.  192),  and  "promise"  (1.  193). 

190.  on  the  adverse  party.     Cf.  i.  3.  138. 
192.  spirits :  indirect  object. 

195.  serves,  follows.  ^ 

attend,  wait  for. 

198  if.  The  interview  that  follows  recalls  in  many  of  its  features 
the  wooing  of  Anne  (Act  i. ,  Scene  2). 

199.  moe.  See  Glossary.  Dorset,  one  of  her  sons  by  her  first 
husband,  was  still  alive. 

202.  level,  aim. 

210.   So,  on  condition  that. 

215.  opposite.     See  on  ii.  2.  94. 

217.  unavoided.     See  on  i.  4.  27. 

218.  avoided  grace,  goodness  deliberately  set  aside,  i,e,  wicked- 
ness. 

222.  cozen*d.  It  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  this  word  is 
derived  from  "  cousin"  (consobrimis),  and  that  it  meant  originally  '  to 
treat  one  freely  as  if  one  were  a  cousin',  hence  'to  deceive'. 

225.  indirectly.     Cf.  iii.  i.  31. 

226  f.  Steevens  points  out  that  this  figure  was  a  'great  favourite' 
with  Shakespeare.  There  is  a  well-known  instance  in  the  trial  scene 
in  The  Merchant  &f  Venice,     Cf.  Second  Henry  /F.,  iv.  5.  108. 

229.  still,  constant,  continuous. 

232.  For  the  metaphor,  cf.  Romeo  and  Juliet^  v.  3.  117 — 
"Thou  desperate  pilot,  now  at  once  run  on 
The  dashing  rocks  thy  sea-sick  weary  bark". 

234.  Rush.     The  strict  sequence  of  tenses  is  not  preserved. 


Scene  4.]  NOTES.  167 

236.  dangerous  success,  'hazardous  result'  (Marshall). 

240.  discover'd.     See  on  iii.  7.  112. 

244.  type,  emblem,  sign.  The  whole  line  therefore  means  *  the 
crown '. 

247.  demise,  assign.     See  Glossary. 

249.  withal.  See  Glossary.  Here  the  word  governs  "myself 
and  all".  Its  position  is  peculiar,  and  is  probably  due— as  Dr.  Abbott 
suggests — to  the  fact  that  the  preceding  Une  ends  with  '*all". 
Otherwise,  it  would  naturally  have  followed  "thine". 

250.  So.     See  on  1.  209. 

Lethe :  the  river  of  forgetfulness. 

253.  process.     Cf.  iv.  3.  32. 

254.  telling:  Le,  m  telling. 

date,  limit.     So  **  dateless"  means  *  eternal',  e.g.  "a  dateless 
bargain  to  engrossing  death"  {Romeo  and  Juliet,  v.  3.  115). 

255.  from.  The  word-play  here  depends  upon  the  ambiguity 
between  the  ordinary  meaning  oifrom^  and  that  spoken  of  in  the  note 
to  iii.  5.  32.  The  Old  Testament  Revisers  have  taken  advantage  of 
this  ambiguity  in  rendering yi?!^,  xix.  26,  ^^Yti  from  my  flesh  shall 
I  see  God". 

274  ff.     Cf.  i.  3.  177. 

283.  Madest  quick  conveyance  with,  quickly  made  away 
with. 

290.  spoil,  prize.  Johnson,  however,  takes  it  as  'waste  or 
havock'. 

291.  amended.     See  on  i.  3.  33. 

292.  shall  deal  unadvisedly,  cannot  help  acting  thoughtlessly. 
Shall  here  retains  its  original  force  of  obligation  ( —  *  are  bound 
to'),  still  preserved  in  the  German  sollen,  Cf.  Abbott,  Shak,  Gr.y 
§315. 

293.  Which.     The  antecedent  is  implied  in  the  preceding  line, 
300.  doting,  fond. 

302.  mettle.     See  Glossary.     Malone  quotes  Macbeth,  i.  7.  73 — 

"  Thy  undaunted  mettle  should  compose 
Nothing  but  males". 

307.  but  a  son  being  king,  only  with  regard  to  your  son  being 
a  king. 

322.  orient,  bright  (literally  *  coming  from  the  East').  Cf.  ComuSy 
I  65— 

* '  Offering  to  every  weary  traveller 
His  orient  liquor  in  a  crystal  glass". 


l68  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.         [Act  IV. 

323.   Advantaging,  increasing  by  interest.     *  Advantage'  is  used 
as  a  noun  ( =  *  interest '),  e.g.  Merchant  of  Venice^  i.  3.  71 — 
"  Methought  you  said  you  neither  lend  nor  borrow 
Upon  advantage". 

335.  retail,  recount.  Cf.  iii.  i.  77.  Others  take  it  in  the  sense 
of  *  hand  over'. 

337.  were  I  best.  According  to  Abbott  {Shak.  Gr.,  §  230)  the 
correct  form  of  the  phrase  *  I  were  best'  is  *  (for)  me  (it)  were  best', 
the  substitution  of  /  for  me  being  due  to  a  misunderstanding  of  the 
construction. 

340.  She  means  that  under  whatever  title  Richard  claimed  her 
daughter's  hand,  the  match  could  not  appear  otherwise  than  impious, 
illegal,  dishonourable  to  herself,  and  hateful  to  her  daughter. 

343.  Infer.  Cf.  iii.  5.  75.  In  the  *  stichomuthic '  passage  which 
follows  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  close  connection  between  one 
line  and  another. 

351.  For  the  antithesis,  see  on  iii.  I.  85f.     Cf.  11.  355  f.  infra, 

354.  likes  of  it.  Abbott  suggests  that  the  use  of  of  in  such 
phrases  is  due  to  the  impersonal  verb  *  it  likes  me'.  Cf.  *  it  repents 
me'  and  '  I  repent  of  (Shak.  Gr.^  §  177). 

361.  quick.  Richard  means  'ready';  Anne  interprets  it  in  the 
sense  of  *  living'. 

366.  my  George.  The  figure  of  St.  George  and  the  Dragon 
was  not  added  to  the  insignia  of  the  Garter  till  Henry  VII. 's  reign. 
The  anachronism  is  of  no  importance. 

367.  Profaned,  dishonour'd.  The  end  of  the  line  shows  that 
the  first  of  these  participles  qualifies  *' George",  the  second  "garter". 
A  somewhat  similar  arrangement  of  words  was  noted  in  ii.  4.  59. 

369.  his  :  the  regular  neuter  possessive  in  Shakespeare. 

370.  pawn'd  his  knightly  virtue,  i.e.  *  forfeited  the  efficacy 
that  attached  to  it  as  a  symbol  of  knighthood'. 

379.  unity,  union,  reconciliation  (Act  ii..  Scene  l). 

388  ff.  Richard  had  already  *'  wronged  "  the  future :  for  it  would 
be  filled  with  the  lamentations  of  those  who  had  suffered  from  his 
cruelty. 

392.   Ungovern'd:  2.^.  with  none  to  guide  it. 
in  their  age,  when  they  grow  old. 

394.  with,  along  with. 

402.  opposite.     Cf.  ii.  2.  94. 

405.  tender.     Cf.  i.  i.  44. 

413.   attorney.     See  on  1.  127. 

417.   peevish -fond,  childishly  foolish. 


I 


Scene  4.]  NOTES.  169 

425  ff.  Elizabeth's  consent  to  the  marriage  of  her  daughter  with 
Richard  is  quite  inconsistent  with  the  announcement  Derby  makes 
in  1.  17  of  the  following  scene — that  she  had  agreed  to  the  betrothal 
with  Richmond.  In  Gibber's  version  Elizabeth  is  at  this  point  made 
to  say  in  an  *  aside'  that  she  will  make  a  show  of  giving  way  in  order 
to  circumvent  Richard.  Oechelhaeuser  {Essay  uber  Konig  Richard 
III,)  attempts  at  great  length  to  prove  upon  aesthetic  grounds  that 
the  hypothesis  underlying  Gibber's  interpolation  is  the  proper 
solution  of  the  difficulty.  He  finds  in  this  scene  the  exact  counter- 
part of  the  interview  with  Anne  (i.  2):  there  Richard  was  advancing 
triumphantly  on  his  career  of  villainy,  and  succeeded  even  where 
success  seemed  impossible;  here  he  is  moving  surely  towards  his 
doom,  and  is  easily  outwitted  by  the  most  transparent  of  devices. 
The  main  objection  to  Oechelhaeuser's  theory  is  that  there  is  no 
reason  to  suppose  that  Shakespeare  constructed  his  historical  plays 
on  such  a  symmetrical  system.  Further,  in  the  Chronicle  Queen 
Elizabeth  is  represented  as  a  woman  of  the  most  unstable  character, 
and  no  hint  is  given  of  her  having  practised  upon  Richard  any 
deception  of  the  sort  that  Oechelhaeuser  would  have  us  believe  in, 
the  success  of  Richard's  suit  being  expressly  attributed  to  the 
** glorious  promises  and  flattering  words"  with  which  he  **  pleased 
and  appeased  the  mutable  mind  of  Queen  Elizabeth".  The  obvious 
interpretation  of  the  passage  is  that  Elizabeth  did  give  way.  That 
she  subsequently  changed  her  mind  is  only  another  instance  of 
the  **  inconstancie "  for  which  the  chronicler  gives  her  credit. 
Had  Shakespeare  so  far  departed  from  his  authority  as  to  allow  her 
to  defeat  Richard  with  his  own  weapons,  he  would  in  all  probability 
have  taken  pains  to  make  her  stratagem  perfectly  clear  to  the 
audience. 

438.  hull,  float  about  with  sails  furled,  Le*  lie  to. 

449.  power.     Gf.  iv.  3.  48. 

453.  The  incomplete  lines  in  this  passage  (432,  457,  467,  &c.) 
serve  to  bring  Richard's  impatience  more  vividly  home  to  us. 

465.  White -liver' d.  The  liver  was  supposed  to  be  the  seat  of 
courage.  Lack  of  blood  would  make  it  white.  Gf.  *  lily-livered'. 
The  best  commentary  on  the  word  is  Merchant  of  Venice^  iii.  2.  83 — 

**  How  many  cowards,  whose  hearts  are  all  as  false 
As  stairs  of  sand,  wear  yet  upon  their  chins 
The  beards  of  Hercules  and  frowning  Mars, 
Who,  inward  searched,  have  livers  white  as  milk", 
runagate.     See  Glossary. 
467.   See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  1 79,  1.  31, 
470.  the  sword, :  Le,  the  sword  of  state. 

472.  Richard  had  been  declared  the  legitimate  heir  of  York, 
Edward's  daughter  being  pronounced  illegitimate,  and  the  heirs  oi 
Clarence  being  debarred  owing  to  their  father's  attainder. 


ryo  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.     [ActIV.Sc.5, 

476.  See  on  iv.  2.  15.  Richard  has  a  thorough  distrust  of  Stanley, 
and  is  endeavouring  throughout  to  browbeat  him  into  an  admission 
of  disloyalty. 

477.  the  Welshman.     See  on  i.  3.  20. 

492.  you.  Abbott  points  out  {Shak.  Gr.,  §  232)  that  the  change 
from  ''  thou"  to  '*  you"  is  here  significant  of  a  tone  of  sharp  reproof. 

498.   assurance,  security. 

501.  advertised,  advised,  informed. 

504.  moe.     See  Glossary. 

506.  competitors,  persons  seeking  the  same  end.  The  word  is 
used  here  without  any  notion  of  rivalry. 

509.  owls.  The  cry  of  the  owl  was  regarded  as  a  portent  of 
death.     Editors  quote  Macbeth^  ii.  2.  3 — 

**  It  was  the  owl  that  shriek'd,  the  fatal  bellman, 
Which  gives  the  stern'st  good-night". 

512.  fall  of  waters,  rainfall. 

515.  I  cry  thee  mercy.     Cf.  ii.  2.  104. 

523.  Breton.     See  on  iv.  i.  43. 

528.  Upon  his  party.     Cf.  i.  3.  138. 

mistrusting  them.  According  to  the  Chronicle  this  distrust 
was  well  founded.  The  story  told  by  **  those  on  the  banks"  was  a 
mere  stratagem. 

529.  Hoised.     See  on  iii.  7.  127. 

533.  Buckingham's  abortive  rising  took  place  in  1483,  Rich- 
mond's successful  landing  in  1485.  Shakespeare  for  obvious  reasons 
brings  the  two  close  together.     Cf.  Itiiroduction^  p.  12. 

537.  reason.     Cf.  i.  4.  165. 

538.  A  royal  battle :  i.e,  one  that  will  decide  who  is  to  be  king. 

539.  take  order.     Cf.  i.  4.  288. 

Scene  5. 

The  character  of  Stanley  (Derby)  is  worth  some  study.  Holinshed 
calls  him  a  '*  wilie  fox  ",  And  the  part  he  played  was  certainly  one 
that  called  for  great  caution  and  self-restraint.  All  his  sympathies 
were  with  Richmond,  whose  step-father  he  was,  and  yet  he  lived  in 
the  midst  of  his  enemies  without  once  giving  Richard  a  plausible 
excuse  for  laying  hands  on  him. 

I.  Sir  Christopher:  a  clerical  title  here.  Cf.  iii.  2.  III.  In 
this  case  it  is  applied  erroneously,  as  Urswick  was  more  than  a 
Bachelor  of  Arts.     The  detail,  however,  is  of  no  importance. 


Act  V.  Scene  i.]  NOTES.  171 

3.  frank'd.     Cf.  i.  3.  314. 

5.  present,  immediate.     For  the  adverb  see  i.  2.  213. 

10.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  179,  1.  1 7. 
15.  withal.     See  Glossary. 
17  ff.  See  on  iv.  4.  426  ff. 


Act  v.— Scene  I. 

Buckingham's  execution,  which  is  here  represented  as  taking  place 
immediately  before  the  battle  of  Bosworth  Field,  was  really  carried 
out  in  1483.  (Cf.  note  on  iv.  4.  533.)  In  making  Salisbury  the 
scene  of  his  death,  Shakespeare  is  following  Hall;  Holinshed  says 
he  was  beheaded  at  Shrewsbury. 

5.     See  Appendix  on  Prosody^  p.  179,  1.  4. 

12.     For  the  word-play  see  on  i.  2.  15. 

19.  the  determined  respite  of  my  wrongs:  i.e,  the  appointed 
time  to  which  the  punishment  of  his  wrong-doing  has  been  deferred. 

21.  my  feigned  prayer.     See  ii.  i.  32. 

25.  See  on  i.  3.  197. 

29.  Wrong  hath  but  wrong:  i.e,  *the  wrong  I  have  done  has 
brought  upon  me  the  wrong  I  now  suffer'.  It  is  like  the  Greek 
*  dpdaavTi  7rad€ip\ 

Scene  2. 

The  advent  of  Richmond,  the  *  minister  of  chastisement',  is  a  sign 
that  the  play  has  entered  on  its  final  stage.  So  strongly  did  Johnson 
feel  this  to  be  the  transition  point  that  he  proposed  to  begin  the  Act 
here,  tacking  the  preceding  scene  on  to  the  end  of  Act  iv. 

3.   the  bowels  of  the  land.     We  say  '  the  heart  of  the  country'. 

5.  our  father  Stanley.     See  on  i.  3.  20. 

7.  boar.     Cf.  iii.  2.  11. 

g.  wash,  refuse  gathered  from  washing  of  various  vessels,  and 
used  as  food  for  hogs. 

10.   swine :  singular  here.     See  Glossary. 

14.  cheerly  =  cheerily. 

17.  r.  thousand  swords.     See  on  v.  3.  193. 

Scene  3. 

This  scene  illustrates  the  simphcity  of  stage  arrangements  in  Shake- 
speare's time.  The  headquarters  of  the  two  armies  are  represented 
as  lying  close  together.     The  leaders  on  either  side  enter  alternately, 


172  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  V. 

and  discuss  their  plans  on  precisely  the  same  spot,  while  from  1.  79 
to  1.  no  Richard  is  visible  to  the  audience  as  he  lies  asleep  in  his 
tent  within  a  few  feet  of  where  Richmond  and  Derby  are  conversing. 
Again,  in  the  passage  where  the  ghosts  appear,  the  couches  of  the 
rival  generals  are  both  in  full  view  at  one  and  the  same  time.  The 
people  for  whose  entertainment  the  play  was  written,  were  quite 
content  to  accept  this  naive  method  of  representation,  which  is  after 
all  an  advance  on  the  old  Moralities,  where  the  scenery  made  much 
greater  demands  on  the  imagination.  Modern  audiences  are  more 
exacting,  and  from  Gibber's  time  onwards  stage-managers  have 
lacked  the  courage  to  present  the  scene  as  it  was  written.  Various 
changes  are  made,  the  boldest  being  the  entire  omission  of  Rich- 
mond's dream.  That  Shakespeare  was  quite  sensible  of  his  limita- 
tions, and  of  the  only  way  to  overcome  them,  is  clear  from  the 
Prologue  to  Henry  F.,  Act  i.  It  is  sometimes  forgotten  that 
precisely  similar  limitations  still  exist.  Stage  scenery  must  always 
be  accepted  for  something  that  it  really  is  not. 

5.  ha!     See  on  i.  3.  234. 

II.   battalion,  host.     Ci.  Hamlet,  iv.  5.  79. 

trebles  that  account,  amounts  to  three  times  that  number. 

13.  upon  the  adverse  party.     Gf.  i.  3.  138. 

15.  the  vantage:  i.e.  the  conditions  likely  to  further  success. 

16.  sound  direction,  approved  skill  in  arranging.  **  Direction'* 
is  used  in  the  sense  of  '  tactical  arrangement'  in  1.  235,  and  again  in 
1.  302.     The  verb  occurs  in  a  similar  connection  in  1.  298. 

17.  discipline.     Gf.  iii.  7.  16. 
25.   Limit,  appoint,  assign. 
29.   keeps,  remains  beside. 

38.  mighty  power.     Gf.  iv.  3.  48. 

49.  See  Appendix  on  Prosody,  p.  182,  1.  10. 

50.  beaver,  the  front  part  of  the  helmet,  here  put  for  the  whole. 

See  Glossary. 

59.  pursuivant,  messenger.     CL  iii.  2.  97. 

f2.  blind,  obscure,  dark.  Gf.  iii.  7.  129.  A  precisely  similar 
transference  of  meaning  takes  place  in  the  case  of  Lat.  caecus  and 
Gr.  TV(p\6s. 

63.  watch:  usually  explained  as  a  *  watch-light'  or  candle,  the 
burning  of  which  would  indicate  how  time  was  passing. 

65.  staves,  handles  of  lances.  It  was  usual  for  knights  to  carry 
two  or  three  spare  lances  into  the  field. 

68.  melancholy,  gloomy.  Malone  says  Richard  called  North- 
umberland me/anc/io/y,  ''  because  he  did  not  join  heartily  in  his 
cause".  Richard  was  certainly  suspicious  of  his  loyalty  (1.  271) — 
and  with  reason  ;  for  Northumberland  held  aloof  from  the  battle,  and 
was  rewarded  by  Richmond  after  his  victory. 


Scene  3.]  NOTES.  i73 

70.  cock-shut  time,  twilight.     See  Glossary. 

75.   it:  i.e.  the  bowl  of  wine,  which  Ratcliff  brings  in. 

81.  father-in-law:  i.e.  stepfather.  The  expression  is  still  in 
common  use  in  this  sense.     (Cf.  Sam  Weller's  "  mother-in-law".) 

83.   attorney.     Cf.  iv.  4.  127. 

86.   flaky,  because  now  streaked  with  light. 

88.  battle,  army.     Cf.  1.  292  and  1.  299. 

90.  mortal- staring:  i.e.  *  having  a  deadly  stare,  grim-looking' 
(Schmidt). 

92.  With  best  advantage,  to  the  best  of  my  opportunity.  Cf. 
iii.  5-  74. 

deceive  the  time,  play  with  the  time,  temporize.   Cf.  Macbeth^ 

i.  7.  81— 

*'Away,  and  mock  the  time  with  fairest  show ". 

95.  being  seen.     See  on  i.  3.  162. 

tender  George.     Stanley's  son  was  at  this  time  a  married  man. 
In  representing  him  as  a  boy,  Shakespeare  follows  his  authorities. 

97.  leisure,  the  time  at  our  disposal.     Cf.  I.  238. 
105,  peise.     See  Glossary. 

no.  bruising  irons.  He  is  thinking  of  the  heavy  maces  used 
in  battle. 

112.  usurping  helmets.  The  epithet  is  transferred  from  the 
wearers. 

115.  wratchful,  wakeful. 

116.  windows:  a  common  metaphor  with  Shakespeare,  e.g. 
Romeo  and  Juliet ^  iv.  i.  100 — 

* '  The  roses  in  thy  lips  and  cheeks  shall  fade 
To  paley  ashes,  thy  eyes'  windows  fall ". 

The  ghosts  of  Richard's  victims  appear  in  the  precise  order  in 
which  they  met  their  deaths.  Holinshed's  account  of  the  dream  is 
very  brief.  '*It  seemed  to  him  being  asleepe,  that  he  did  see 
diverse  images  like  terrible  divels,  which  pulled  and  haled  him,  not 
suffering  him  to  take  anie  quiet  or  rest." 

124.  mortal.     Cf.  iv.  4.  26. 

125.  punched,  pierced. 

129.  prophesied.     Cf.  iv.  2.  99. 

132.  wash*d  to  death  with  fulsome  wine,  drowned  with  an 
excess  of  wine.  Malone  explains  ftihofue  as  'unctuous',  and 
Schmidt  as  *  nauseous'.  Neither  explanation  seems  quite  adequate. 
The  word  meant  originally  '  full'.  (Cf.  "  fulsome  ewes",  Merchant 
of  Veftice^  i.  3.  87.)  The  signification  of  'nauseous',  which  the 
word  now  has,  must  have  come  through  an  intermediate  sense  of 


174  KING  RICHARD  THE  THIRD.  [Act  V. 

*  overmuch'  (*  too  full'),  *  cloying  with  excess',  and  this  intermediate 
sense  best  suits  the  context  here.  Cf.  what  the  Second  Murderer 
says  (i.  4.  168):  **You  shall  have  wine  enough,  my  lord,  anon". 
In  both  passages  there  is  something  of  the  same  sort  of  irony  as  in 
Hamlet,  iv.  7.  186:  *'  Too  much  of  water  hast  thou,  poor  Ophelia". 

135.  fall  =  let  fall.     See  on  iv.  2.  66. 

156.  annoy.     See  Glossary. 

148.   See  Appendix  on  Prosody,  p.  182,  1.  29. 

173.  for  hope.  According  to  Shakespearian  idiom  this  might 
mean  (as  Mr.  Wright  and  others  say  it  does)  *  for  want  of  hope ', 
i.e,  *from  despair'.  But  this  does  not  appear  to  accord  with  facts: 
Buckingham  was  executed  for  high  treason.  The  sense  of  the  pas- 
sage seems  rather  to  be :  *  I  was  put  to  death  on  account  of  the  hope 
I  entertained  of  lending  thee  aid, — a  hope  I  was  not  suffered  to 
realize ;  but  do  not  let  this  precedent  dismay  thee :  God  and  good 
angels  are  on  thy  side '. 

177.  Richard  is  dreaming  of  ** bloody  deeds  and  death". 

180.  The  reference  is  to  the  superstition — alluded  to  also  in 
Jtilius  CcBsar,  iv.  3.  275 — that  the  presence  of  a  ghost  caused  lights 
to  burn  blue. 

193.  Cf.  Conscientia  milk  testes,  probably  referred  to  also  in 
V.  2.  17. 

several.     Cf.  iii.  2.  78. 

198.  used,  habitually  practised. 

219.  in  proof,  in  armour  that  has  been  proved  or  tested. 

221,  222.  This  is  a  stage  device  to  make  room  for  Richmond's 
soldiers. 

224.  Cry  mercy.  See  on  ii.  2.  104.  For  the  omission  of  the 
personal  pronoun  cf.  such  phrases  as  *  Pray,  tell  me '. 

231.  cried  on,  called  out. 

236.  direction.     Cf  1.  16. 

238.  leisure.     Cf.  1.  97. 

enforcement,  constraint.     Cf  iii.  7.  233. 

243.  except  may  be  either  a  past  participle  or  a  preposition. 
The  sentence  will  not  bear  too  close  logical  analysis.  For  ''  Richard 
except"  is  not  consistent  with  *'  him  they  follow".  A  good  parallel 
will  be  found  in  Paradise  Lost,  ii.  678 — 

**  God  and  His  Son  except, 
Created  thing  naught  valued  he  nor  shunned  ". 

248.  made  means,  contrived  a  way — with  a  suggestion  of  un- 
fairness. 

250.  foil,  the  leaf  {L.3.t.  folium)  of  gold  in  which  a  jewel  was  sett 

251.  set  has  thus  a  double  sense. 


Scene  3.]  NOTES.  175 

254.  ward  ~  *  guard ' — another  form  of  the  same  word. 
258.  fat,  richness. 

262.  quit  =  *  requite':  subjunctive  mood  expressing  a  wish.  See 
Glossary, 

age  :  t.e.  old  age.     Cf.  iv.  4.  394. 

263.  all  these  rights:  i.e.  country,  wives,  children. 

264.  Advance.     Cf.  i.  2.  40. 

265.  ransom:  t,e,  the  price  to  be  paid  in  the  event  of  failure. 

268.  thereof.  The  first  part  of  this  word  is  redundant,  as  ^  is 
required  to  govern  *  *  gain  ". 

271  ff.  When  Richard  and  Ratcliff  return,  they  are  discussing  a 
remark  they  had  overheard  during  their  eaves-dropping  (cf.  1.  221). 
They  had  been  listening  to  the  conversation  of  Northumberland, 
whose  loyalty  was  suspected  (see  on  1.  68).  For  it  is  with  Richard 
as  with  Macbeth — 

'*  Those  he  commands  move  only  in  command, 
Nothing  in  love  "  {Macbeth^  v.  2.  19). 

276.  Tell.     Cf.  i.  iv.  22. 

278.  by  the  book,  according  to  the  calendar. 

279.  braved:  i.e,  made  brave  (glorious).  For  this  sense  of  the 
adjective  cf.  the  Scots  word  '  braw '. 

284.  from,     Cf.  iii.  v.  32. 

293.  fore  ward,  vanguard. 

298.  directed.     See  on  1.  16. 

299.  battle.     Cf.  1.  88  and  1.  292. 
puissance,  force. 

301.  This:  i,e,  *Such  is  my  plan', 
to  boot.     See  Glossary. 

302.  direction.     Cf.  1.  298. 

308.   Contrast  Richard's  words  now  with  11.  179-206. 

314,   Richard's  *  oration  to  his  army'  is  full  of  dash  and  spirit. 
There  is  a  ring  about  it  that  we  miss  in  Richmond's.    Both  are  taken 
substantially  from  Holinshed^s  Chronicle, 
inferr'd.     Cf.  iii.  5.  75. 

316.  sort,  set.     See  Glossary. 

runaways.      The  word  does  not  mean  here  *  one  who  runs 
away ',  but  *  one  who  runs  in  the  ways ',  i.e.  *  a  vagabond '. 

317.  Bretons.     See  on  iv.  i.  43. 

322.  restrain,  *  lay  restrictions  on  the  possession  of  (Malone). 

324.  our  mother's  cost.  It  was  Richard's  brother-in-law,  the 
Duke  of  Burgundy,  who  supported  Richmond  in  exile.  Hall  in  his 
version   of  Richard's  speech   has  **by  my  brother's  meanes,  and 


176  KING  RICHARD   THE  THIRD.     [Act  V.  Sc.  4. 

mine  ".  In  the  second  edition  of  Holinshed  we  find,  by  a  printer's 
error,  **by  my  mother's  meanes,  and  mine".  This  makes  it  clear 
how  Shakespeare  was  misled.     Cf .  Introduction^  p.  1 1 . 

328.  rags.     Cf.  i.  3.  233. 

330.  fond.     Cf.  iii.  2.  26. 

334.  bobb*d,  drubbed.     See  Glossary. 

341.  welkin,  sky.  See  Glossary.  For  the  metaphor  cf.  Kin^ 
Henry  K,  Prologue  to  Act  i.  1.  13 — 

**  the  very  casques 
That  did  affright  the  air  at  Agincourt ". 
Staves.     See  on  v.  3.  65. 
343.   deny,  refuse. 

345.  past  the  marsh.  Richmond  manoeuvred  so  as  to  keep  his 
right  flank  covered  by  a  marsh  while  he  was  advancing.  As  soon  as 
he  had  got  past  it,  Richard  attacked  him. 

348.  Advance.     Cf.  i.  2.  40. 

350.  the  spleen,  regarded  as  the  seat  of  anger. 

Scene  4. 

Richard  is  a  greater  monster  ot  cruelty  than  Macbeth,  but  he  gOes 
to  his  death  in  a  much  more  courageous  spirit.  He  trusts  in  his  own 
good  sword,  and  not  in  the  promises  of  "juggling  fiends".  Read 
Macbeth,  v.  8.  The  later  picture  shows  a  far  deeper  knowledge  of 
human  nature  than  the  earlier  one. 

3.  Daring  an  opposite,  defying  an  opponent.      See  on  ii.  2.  94. 

7.  Mr.  Wright  {X>ints  out  that  in  the  old  play  of  The  Trtte  Tra- 
gedie  of  Richard  the  Third  (published  in  1594),  almost  the  only  line 
having  anything  in  common  with  Shakespeare  is  Richard's  exclama- 
tion, "A  horse,  a  horse,  a  fresh  horse". 

Scene  5. 

Unlike  Macbeth,  Richard  is  killed  upon  the  stage. 

With  Richmond's  concluding  speech  cf.  Introduction^  p.  lo, 

3.  acquit.     See  on  i.  4.  192. 

4.  royalty  =r  emblem  of  royalty,  i.e.  crown. 
18.   ta'en  the  sacrament:  i.e.  sworn. 

21.   That... have.     Cf.  i.  3.  219. 

35.  Abate,  beat  down,  blunt. 

36.  reduce.     Cf.  ii.  2.  68. 


APPENDIX 

'  ON 

THE  PROSODY  OF   RICHARD   HI. 


"  Cel.  Did'st  thou  hear  these  verses? 
Ros.  O,  yes,  I  heard  them  all,  and  more  too ;  for  some  of  them  had  in  them 

more  feet  than  the  verses  would  bear. 
CeL  That's  no  matter:  the  feet  might  bear  the  verses." 

As  You  Like  It,  iii.  2.  172. 

If  language  is  to  be  rhythmical,  it  must  have  a  certain  regularity 
of  movement.  In  Latin  and  Greek  verse,  tliis  regularity  of  move- 
ment is  indicated  to  the  ear  by  quantity;  in  English,  as  in  French 
and  German,  it  is  indicated  to  the  ear  by  accent  -  that  is,  by  the  com- 
parative emphasis  which  we  naturally  put  upon  certain  syllables  when 
we  pronounce  a  consecutive  series  of  words  intelligibly.  This  does 
not,  of  course,  mean  that  we  should  read  verse  precisely  as  we  read 
prose.  But  it  does  mean  that  when  a  good  line  is  read  properly,  its 
metrical  effect  should  be  apparent  to  the  ear  without  any  departure 
from  the  ordinary  rules  of  pronunciation. 

If  we  attempt  to  analyse  that  metrical  effect  more  particularly,  we 
nnd  that  it  depends  mainly  upon  three  things: — 

1.  The  Number  and  Grouping  of  the  Syllables.  The 
syllables  falls  into  sets  of  two  or  three,  each  set  forming  what  is  called 
a  foot  (dissyllabic  or  trisyllabic).  The  feet  are  in  their  turn  grouped 
into  lines. 

2.  The  Character  of  the  Feet.  It  has  been  already  said  that 
in  English  verse  the  regularity  of  movement  is  indicated  to  the  ear 
by  the  verbal  accent,  or,  as  it  may  be  more  correctly  called,  the  voice 
stress.  It  follows  that  the  rhythmical  character  of  any  particular  foot 
is  determined  by  the  position  and  number  of  the  stressed  syllables  it 
may  contain. 

3.  The  Distribution  of  the  Pauses.  It  is  impossible  to  read  a 
piece  of  verse  intelligently  without  making  a  certain  number  of  longer 
or  shorter  pauses.  These  pauses  ought  to  correspond  to  a  natural 
break  either  in  the  metre  or  in  the  sense.  They  are  thus  within  the 
poet's  control,  and  their  due  arrangement  is  almost  as  essential  an 
element  of  his  art  as  is  the  proper  management  of  the  individual  feet 
and  lines. 

(M233)  M 


178  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD. 

Turning  now  to  the  line — 

"  My  manly  eyes  did  scorn  an  humble  tear", 

we  find  (i)  that  there  afre  in  it  ten  syllables,  forming  five  dissyllabic 
feet;  (2)  that  in  each  foot  there  is  one  stressed  syllable,  that  syllable 
being  in  every  case  the  second  ;  (3)  that  the  only  important  pause  is 
at  the  end  of  the  line.  To  indicate  the  scansion  to  the  eye  we  should 
print  as  follows : — 

**  My  m'an  |  ly  ey'es  |  did  sc'orn  |  an  hu'm  I  ble  te'ar". 

This  gives  us  the  simplest  and  most  regular  form  of  Shakespearian 
verse.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the  bulk  of  Shakespeare's  lines 
are  not  framed  precisely  after  this  pattern.  If  they  were,  the  effect 
would  be  monotonous  in  the  extreme.  Rather  the  poet  has  taken  it 
as  the  groundwork  of  his  metre.  Sometimes  he  presents  it  to  us 
plain  and  unadorned.  More  freqiiently,  like  a  skilled  musician  im- 
provising on  a  melody,  he  introduces  some  of  the  numberless  variations 
it  is  capable  of  receiving,  without,  however,  allowing  us  for  a  moment 
to  forget  the  rhythmical  character  of  his  original  theme.  The  more 
obvious  of  these  vaniations  admit  of  being  classified.  In  discussing 
them  it  will  be  best  to  follow  the  order  already  laid  down,  and  to 
treat  of  them  so  far  as  they  affect  (i)  the  number  and  grouping  of  the 
syllables,  (2)  the  character  of  the  feet,  (3)  the  distribution  of  the 
pauses. 

Three  preliminary  observations,  however,  ought  to  be  made: — (l) 
The  pronunciation  of  English  has  altered  somewhat  since  Shake- 
speare's time.  Consequently  the  accent  or  stress  occasionally  falls 
outside  of  what  seems  to  us  its  natural  place.  In  the  text  of  this 
edition  such  differences  have  been  indicated  by  a  mark  over  the 
accented  syllable.  (2)  The  manner  in  which  Shakespeare's  plays 
were  published,  makes  it  impossible  for  us  to  be  certain  that  we 
always  have  the  words  as  he  wrote  them.  But  it  seemed  better  for 
our  purpose  to  regard  the  text  as  fixed  and  to  refrain  from  su<:gesting 
changes,  even  where  an  obvious  emendation  would  simplify  the 
metre.  (3)  Many  lines  are  capable  of  being  read  rhythmically  in 
more  ways  than  one.  It  follows  that  in  not  a  few  of  the  cases  now 
to  be  discussed  the  line  admits  of  a  different  scansion  from  that  here 
given. 

Variation  in  the  Number  of  Syllables. 

I.   Unbroken  Lines  of  Five  Feet. 

Such  lines  may  deviate  from  the  normal  type  either  through  defect 
or  through  excess ;  in  other  words,  they  may  appear  to  have  eithei 
two  few  syllables  or  too  many.  With  regard  to  cases  of  defe^'^^ 
observe : — 

(l)  In  by  far  the  larger  number  of  instances  the  deficiency  is  only 
apparent,  and  may  be  made  to  disappear  either  by  pronouncing  as  a 
dissyllable  some  word  that  is  usually  a  monosyllable,  or  by  making 


APPENDIX.  179 

an  extra  syllable  out  of  some  sound  that  does  not  now  usually  have 
syllabic  value  at  all.     Examples  abound,  as — 

"Who  In  I  tercepts  |  my  ex  |  pedit  j  i-onV^  (iv,  4.  136). 

*^  Vaiigh-aUy  \  and  all  |  that  have  |  miscarr  |  i-ed*^  (v.  i.  5). 

Note  by  the  way  that  *  Vaughan '  is  always  a  dissyllable  in  Richard 
I^^'  (i.  3.  333;  ii-  4-  43;  iii-  2.  67;  3.  24;  iv.  4.  69,  147;  v.  3.  142), 
and  with  *  miscarried'  compare  'buried'  in  ii.  i.  90.  As  a  rule,  the 
ear  is  for  practical  purposes  an  adequate  guide,  readily  indicating  for 
instance  that  Miour'  is  dissyllabic  (  — 'hou-^r')  in  iv.  4.  506,  and 
earidom  '  trisyllabic  (  -  *  ear-^/1-dom  ')  in  iv.  2.  106.  Proper  names, 
however,  require  special  care,  for  in  dealing  with  these  Shakespeare 
uses  great  freedom,  and  indeed  seems  sometimes  to  disregard  met- 
rical considerations  altogether.  Thus  '  Catesby  ',  which  has  usually 
only  two  syllables,  must  be  scanned  with  three  (=1  *Cat-es-by')  in  iii. 
I.  157;  2.  76;  7.  58.  Again,  *  Henry  '  is  trisyllabic  (  =  ' Hen-^-ry') 
in  ii.  3.  16  and  iv.  2.  98;  while  similar  treatment  must  be  applied  to 
*  Stanley'  in  iii.  2.  3  and  iv.  5.  10,  to  'England'  in  iv.  4.  263,  and 
even  to  *Woodville'  (= 'Wood-^-ville')  in  i.  1.67.  '  Hereford',  on 
the  other  hand,  has  only  two  syllables  (iii.  I.  195;  iv.  2.  93).-^ 

(2)  Very  occasionally  the  place  of  a  syllable  is  taken  by  a  brief 
pause,  as — 

"And  help  |  to  arm  |  me.       |  Leave  me,  |  I  say"  (v.  3.  78). 
"But,  tell  I  me,  |  is  yomig  |  George  Stan  |  ley  liv  |  ing?"  (v.  5.  9). 

The  extra  syllable  at  the  end  of  the  latter  of  these  two  lines  will  be 
spoken  of  presently.      Meanwhile,  for  the  pause  cf.  v.  3.  75,  148. 

(3)  Closely  allied  to  (2)  are  those  rare  cases  where  the  voice  dwells 
so  long  or  so  strongly  on  the  stressed  syllable  that  the  ear  is  content 
to  dispense  with  the  unstressed  one  that  ought  to  accompany  it,  as — 

"  Self  a  I  gainst  self:  |  O,  \  prepost  |  erous"  (ii.  4.  63). 

**  Long  I  live  Rich  {  ard,  Eng  |  land's  roy  |  al  king ! "  (iii.  7.  240). 

Perhaps  in  iv.  4.  467  the  sarcastic  emphasis  laid  on  the  word  'guess', 
which  Richard  catches  up  from  Stanley  and  twice  repeats,  gives  it 
the  full  force  of  a  foot : — 

*'  Well,  sir,  ]  as  you  |  guess,  \  as  you  \  gnesst" 

It  is,  however,  better  to  regard  this  as  an  incomplete  line. 

Cases  of  excess  in  the  number  of  syllables  are  at  once  more  com- 
mon and  more  complex  than  cases  of  defect.  The  following  classifi- 
cation will  be  helpful : — 

(i)  When  the  superfluous  syllables  fall  withijt  the  feet  they  may 
frequently  be  elided  or  slurred  over.     In  many  cases  the  ear  at  once 

1  To  have  elntered  upon  any  discussion  of  the  phonetic  aspects  of  syllabic  varia- 
tion would  have  been  inconsistent  with  the  plan  of  this  Appendix,  which — it  may 
be  said— was  originally  suggested  by  Mayor's  Chapters  oji  English  Metre.  Stu- 
dents are  referred  to  Professor  Herford's  valuable  Appendix  to  the  Warwick 
Edition  of  Richard  II.  Those  who  read  German  will  find  Konig's  Der  Vers  in 
Shaksperes  Dramen  (Strassburg,  1888)  a  most  thorough  and  careful  piece  of  work. 


i8o  KING  RICHARD   THE   THIRD. 

suggests  a  solution  of  the  difficulty.  Thus,  to  quote  but  a  single 
example,  'conference'  has  three  syllables  in  i.  I.  86,  but  readily 
becomes  a  dissyllable  in  i.  I.  104.  Nor  will  there  be  any  hesitation 
about  treating  as  single  syllables  such  phrases  as  *I  had',  'what  is', 
*  you  will',  'he  is',  'I  am  ',  and  the  like,  even  where  the  spelling 
gives  no  indication  that  elision  is  required,  as  in  i.  3.  107;  4.  187, 
&c.  &c.  Sometimes  it  is  a  consonant  that  disappears.  We  are 
familiar  with  this  in  words  like  '  ee^en ',  '  ez/er ',  'nez/er'  (i.  2.  127; 
iii.  I.  79).  More  difficult  are  Me^'il',  'ez/ils'  (i.  2.  50,  76),  and 
*ei//^er',  'whe///er',  'whi//zer'  (i.  2.  64;  iii.  7.  229;  iv.  i.  7;  2.  1 20; 
V.  5.  11).  In  iv.  4.  183  there  seems  to  be  a  choice;  but  the  context 
shows  that  we  must  scan — 

"  Either  thou  |  wilt  die,  |  by  God's  |  just  ord  |  inance  ". 

The  exclamation  '  marry'  calls  for  remark.  That  'marry  as'  (i.  3. 
313)  should  form  a  single  foot  is  natural  enough.  Cf.  'many  a* 
(iv.  4.  408),  'humbly  on'  (ii.  2.  105),  &c.  But  it  is  strange  to  find 
in  iii.  7.  81, 

**  Marry,  God  |  forbid  |  his  grace  |  should  say  |  us  nay". 

Here,  as  in  ii.  3.  46  and  iii.  4.  58,  *  Marry'  has  but  the  value  of  a 
single  syllable,  although  the  word  which  follows  it  begins  with  a 
consonant. 

(2)  Whatever  be  the  correct  phonetic  account  of  the  matter,  the 
process  of  slurring  is  often  far  from  agreeable  to  the  modern  ear. 
In  the  cases  covered  by  the  preceding  section  it  is  always  a  possible 
and  sometimes  a  preferable  way  of  putting  it  to  say  that  the  super- 
fluous syllables  should  be  pronounced,  but  pronounced  rapidly,  the 
result  being  a  trisyllabic  foot.^  In  reading  aloud  this  is  certainly  the 
principle  to  be  followed.  Feet  of  three  syllables  abound  in  the  blank 
verse  of  Browning  and  Swinburne.  In  Scott's  Rosabelle  the  normal 
metre  is  a  line  of  four  dissyllabic  feet,  but  in  the  following  verse 
all  the  lines  save  one  deviate  from  the  type  : — 

"There  are  twen  |  ty  of  Ros  |  lin's  bar  |  ons  bold 
Lie  bur  |  ied  witnin  |  that  fair  |  chapelle  ; 
Each  one  |  the  ho  |  ly  vault  |  doth  hold. 
But  the  sea  |  holds  love  |  ly  Ros  |  abe.le  ". 

In  view,  then,  of  the  freedom  accorded  to  modern  poets,  it  is  hard 
to  see  why  we  should  refuse  to  allow  Shakespeare  a  similar  license. 
The  following  examples  from  Richard  111.  seem  clear: — 

^^  Having  God,  \  her  con  |  science,  and  [  these  bars  |  against  |  me"  (i.  2.  235). 
**  As  one  |  that  arc  best  \  acquain  |  ted  with  |  her  hum  |  our"  (iv.  4.  269). 
"  Madam,  |  we  did:  |  he  desires  \  to  make  |  atone  |  ment"  (i.  3.  36). 
"  In  God's  I  name  what  |  are  you,  |  and  how  came  I  you  hith  |  er?"  (i.  4.  85). 
**The  cit  I  izens  |  are  mum  |  and  speak  |  7iot  a  word''''  (iii.  7.  3). 

Cf.  ii.  I.  39;  iii.  7.  21 ;  v.  3.  239,  &c. 

1  It  is  a  suggestive  fact  that,  while  'superfluous'  syllables  of  this  sort  abound 
in  the  dramas  (where  rapid  pronunciation  is  often  natural;,  they  hardly  ever  occur 
in  \\i^  Sonnets  at  all. 


I 


APPENDIX.  l8l 

(3)  So  far  we  have  been  speaking  of  superfluous  syllables  that  fall 
witlun  the  feet.  More  remarkable  is  the  occurrence  of  such  syllables 
apparently  outside  of  the  metrical  system  proper.  The  commonest 
case  of  the  kmd  is  when  the  fifth  foot  is  followed  by  an  unstressed 
or  lightly  stressed  syllable,   forming  what  is  called  a  *  double'  or 

*  feminine'  ending  to  the  line.  The  first  four  of  the  lines  just 
quoted  will  furnish  examples,  and  others  may  be  found  on  any  page 
of  the  text.  This  was  a  variation  of  which  Shakespeare  giew  in- 
creasingly fond  as  his  powers  matured ;  and  it  provides  one  of  the 

*  metrical  tests '  which  scholars  have  applied  to  assist  ^em  in 
determining  the  chronological  order  of  his  dramas.  The  rule  is  not 
absolute,  especially  as  regards  his  earlier  works;  but,  generally 
speaking,  the  presumption  is  that  the  greater  the  number  of  such 
endings  in  any  play,  the  later  its  date.^  In  Richard  III.  about 
670  lines,  or  I  in  every  5  or  6,  end  in  this  way.  Further,  the 
feminine  ending  may  consist  of  two  syllables,  as — 

**To  fight  I  in  quarr  |  el  of  |  the  house  |  of  Lan  j  caster^'  (i.  4.  209). 
**I  was ;  !  but  I  |  do  find  |  more  pain  [  in  ban  j  ishment''''  (i.  3.  168). 

In  such  cases  the  line  concludes  either  with  a  proper  name  (ii.  2. 
123;  iv.  4.  508;  v.  3.  68),  or  with  a  word  the  last  two  syllables 
of  which,  taken  together,  can  be  pronounced  with  peculiar  light- 
ness, as  *maj^^/j|/'  (i.  I.  16;  3.  I;  ii.  I.  75),  Mib^r/j/'  (i.  3.  305;  iii. 
6.  9),  *gent/m^;/*  (iv.  2.  36;  v.  3.  245).  Cf.  iii.  I.  71,  198;  5. 
76;  7.  9,  113;  iv.  3.  53;  4.  170,  217. 

(4)  A  similar  extra-metrical  syllable  may  occur  after  {a)  the  second 
or  (/>)  the  third  foot  of  a  line,  if  there  be  a  decided  break  or  pause  at 
that  point,  as — 

{a)  '•  My  lord,  1  good  morr  \  ow^X  good  morr  [  ow,  (2at  |  esby"  (iii.  2.  76). 
[b]  ** Rivers,  ]  that  died  |  at  Pom  \fret\  \  despair,  |  and  die"  (v.  3.  140). 

The  following  may  be  scanned  on  this  principle,  though  in  several 
instances  a  trisyllabic  foot  would  dispose  of  the  difficulty  equally 
well:— (.z)  i.  4.  165;  iii.  3.  17;  iv.  4.  485;  5.  10;  v.  3.  7,  289,  and 
{h)  i.  4.  202;  iv.  I.  34.  In  i.  i.  105  and  iii.  I.  37  there  are  two 
extra  syllables  inserted  in  this  way  in  the  line,  the  words  concerned 
being  *  Bracken^z^r^/'  and  '  ^\xQk.ingham  \  There  is  nothing  to 
prevent  one  and  the  same  line  having  extra-metrical  syllables  in  both 
places — at  the  end  and  in  the  middle.     So  (ii.  4.  12) — 

"More  than  |  my  broth  \  er\\  *Ay',  quoth  |  my  unc  |  le  Glouoe  |  ster", 

Cf.  iv.  I.  19. 

(5)  A  much  rarer  variation  is  the  insertion  of  an  extra-metrical 
syllable  at  the  beginning  of  a  line.     Thus  (iii.  7.  224) — 

**  IVett,)  call  them  |  again.  |  I  am  |  not  made  |  of  stones  ". 
1  See  Dowden's  Shakespeare  f  rimer ^  pp.  39-46. 


l82  KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD. 

Here  the  sense  of  the  line  suggests  that  **WeH"  should  be  taken  by 
itself  rather  than  that  one  of  the  feet  should  be  trisyllabic.  In  this 
and  the  other  cases,  cited  below  the  extra  syllable  forms  a  separate 
word  that  might  be  omitted  without  serious  detriment  to  the  mean- 
ing. For  phrases  like  *'Cry  mercy''  in  v.  3.  224,  show  that  **I" 
might  be  dispensed  with  in  i.  i.  103 — 

**  /)  beseech  |  your  grace  |  to  par  |  don  me,  and  1  withal ". 
Cf.  i.  I.  49,  84,  95;  ii.  4.  26;  iii.  I.  191. 

2.  Incomplete  and  Broken  Lines. 

An  *  incomplete'  line  is  one  that  contains  fewer  feet  tha«  five; 
a  *  broken '  line  is  one  that  is  divided  between  two  or  more  speakers. 
These  lines  deserve  careful  attention,  for  many  of  them  fall  more 
readily  into  the  rhythmical  system  than  might  be  at  first  supposed. 
The  different  forms  they  assume^  is  one  of  the  chief  means  of  lending 
variety  to  the  dialogue,  and  hence  they  are  more  numerous  in  the 
later  plays  than  in  the  earlier  ones.  The  more  thorough  Shake- 
speare's mastery  over  his  metre  became,  the  more  freedom  did  he 
use  in  handling  it.  Incomplete  lines  may  be  arranged  in  the  follow- 
ing classes : — 

(i)  Lines  which  consist  of  brief  exclamations,  such  as  **Tush*' 
(i-  3-  35o)»  "Right"  (i.  4.  248),  **Boy"  (iv.  2.  32),  and  so  on. 
Where  they  do  not  stand  by  themselves,  they  usually  occur  at  the 
beginning  or  end  of  a  speech ;  occasionally,  however,  they  occur  in 
the  middle  (i.  2.  239;  4.  218). 

(2)  Lines  that  contain  short  questions,  answers,  commands,  or 
phrases  expressing  assent.  Instances  are  numerous,  some  standing 
by  themselves,  others  forming  part  of  a  longer  speech.  Sometimes 
they  begin  with  an  extra-metrical  syllable  (iii.  I.  90,  143;  3.  i;  7. 

23). 

(3)  Lines  which  are  completed  not  by  words,  but  by  a  significant 
pause,  or  by  some  action  performed  upon  the  stage,  as  in  v.  3.  49. 
The  most  common  case  is  the  occurrence  of  such  a  line  before  an 
exit  or  an  entrance,  as  iii.  4.  60;  7.  70;  iv.  3.  35.  Usually  it  is 
the  end  of  the  line  that  is  left  incomplete.  But  the  break  may  b<s 
in  the  middle.     Thus  in  iv.  4.  428 — 

**  I  go.  I I  Write  to  |  me  ve  I  ry  short  |  l}' ", 

we  may  suppose  that  Elizabeth  begins  her  exit  after  the  first  foot, 
but  turns  back  to  give  expression  to  an  afterthought. 

Lines  that  are  apparently  incomplete  will  often  turn  out  to  be 
parts  of  broken  lines.  Of  broken  lines ^  two  main  varieties  may  be 
distinguished — 

(l)  The  parts  may,  when  united,  form  an  ordinary  line  o{ five  feet 
This  may  be  perfectly  simple  and  regular,  as  i.  I.  43,  or  it  may  be 
varied.    The  limits  of  variation  are  wider  than  in  the  unbroken  five- 


APPENDIX.  183 

feet  line.  Thus  a  *  feminine  ending'  may  occur  not  merely  after 
the  second,  third,  or  fifth  foot,  but  at  any  point  in  the  line,  as — 

**  What  says  I  y^^? 

My  lord,  he  doth  entreat  your  grace  "  (iii.  7.  59). 
"  I  thank  |  your  grace.  | 

My  lord  I  of  E  |  /j! 

I  My  lord?"  (iii.  4.32). 

Again,  in  a  broken  line  an  extra-metrical  syllable  is  admissible 
not  merely  at  the  beginning  of  the  whole  line  (i.  2.  226),  but  also  at 
the  beginning  of  the  second  part  of  it,  as  in  iv.  2.  114 — 

"  Of  what  I  you  pro  |  mised  me.  I 

IV ell,)  but  what's  o'clock?" 

Cf.  V.  3.  214.  This  is  the  explanation  of  v.  3.  186,  which  is  really 
a  broken  line,  as  Richard's  soliloquy  becomes  a  dialogue  with 
himself. 

"  Lest  I  i  revenge.  |  What,  )  myself  j  upon  |  myself?" 

Sometimes  an  interruption  is  disregarded,  as  in  v.  3.  281 — 
**  Ratcliff !  I 

\My  lord?^ 

The  sun  |  will  not  |  be  seen  1  to-day  ". 

Occasionally  different  speakers  provide  alternative  endings  for  a 
line,  as  if  both  spoke  together.     So  i.  3.  136,  137 — 

"Yea,  arid  |  forswore  1  himself,  ]  —which  Je  \  su par  \  don! 
Q,  Mar.  Which  God  \  revenge!" 

Lastly,  sometimes  the  same  set  of  words  may  be  taken  either  as 
the  end  of  one  line  or  as  the  beginning  of  another,  forming  what  is 
called  a  *  common  section '.     Thus  in  ii.  4.  40 — 

**  How  fares  j  the  prince?  | 

]Vell,  ma  \  dam,  and  \  in  health. 
What  is  I  thy  news  |  then?" 

Similar  instances  of  verses  running,  as  it  were,  into  each  other 
will  be  found  in  iii.  2.  1 19-120;  5.  12,  13;  iv.  2.  2,  3,  &c, 

(2)  The  parts  of  the  broken  line  may,  when  united,  form  a  line  of 
six  feet.  The  most  important  case  of  the  kind  is  where  such  a  line 
is  equally  divided  between  two  speakers.  In  i.  2.  193-203,  when 
the  dialogue  between  Richard  and  Anne  becomes  very  rapid,  we 
have  in  succession  eleven  lines  of  three  feet  each. 

In  iii.  5.  15,  both  parts  of  the  couplet  are  uttered  by  one  speaker, 
who  is  interrupted  in  the  middle — 

"  Look  to  j  the  draw  [  bridge  there !  | 

[Hark!  a  drum.'] 

Catesby,  |  o'erlook  |  the  walls." 


l84  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD. 

In  iv.  ii.  45  the  interruption  is  not  verbal — 

"And  stops  I  he  now  |  for  breath?  | 

{Enter  Stanley.] 

**  How  now  !  I  what  news  |  with  you?" 

Even  where  there  is  no  actual  interruption,  a  decided  internal 
sense-pause  may  give  rise  to  a  line  of  six  feet,  as  v.  3.  187 — 

"Alack,  1  I  love  |  myself.  |  Wherefore?  |  for  a  |  ny  good". 
Perhaps  v.  3.  72  and  209  may  be  similarly  explained. 

3.   Unbroken  Lines  of  more  than  Five  Feet. 

In  Richard  III.  we  have  one  line  of  seven  feet  (i.  I.  94) ;  but  this 
is  altogether  exceptional,  and  may  be  due  to  a  corruption  of  the 
text,  or  possil)ly  it  is  a  quotation — it  reads  like  the  catch  of  a  song. 
Genuine  '  Alexandrines  ',  as  lines  of  six  feet  are  called,  are  also 
exceedingly  rare  (perhaps  ii.  I.  133;  iii.  i.  39),  although  apparent 
ones  are  fairly  common.  Some  of  the  latter  have  already  been 
dealt  with  in  discussing  broken  lines  and  dissyllabic  feminine  endings. 
The  remainder  may  be  accounted  for  in  one  or  other  of  two  ways. 

(i)  The  superfluity  of  syllables  may  be  due  to  a  corresponding 
deficiency  in  the  preceding  or  the  following  line,  the  ear  accepting 
the  one  as  compensation  for  the  other.     So  v.  iii.  298,  299 — 

**  They  thus  |  direct  |  ed,  we  I  will  foil  |  ow 
In  the  I  main  batt  |  le,  whose  j  puissance  1  on  eith  |  er  side", 

and  perhaps  v.  3.  52,  53. 

(2)  Apparent  Alexandrines  may  often  be  scanned  as  lines  of  five 
feet,  some  of  the  syllables  lending  themselves  naturally  to  rapid 
pronunciation.  Objection,  however,  was  early  taken  to  such  lines, 
as  is  clear  from  the  fact  that  in  the  Folio  text  (see  Introduction^  p. 
17)  an  attempt  is  usually  made  to  mend  the  metre.  The  following 
are  the  more  important  instances: — 

"  En)viron'd  |  me  about,  |  and  howl  |  ed  in  I  mine  ears"  (i.  4.  59). 

"  I  pro  I  mise  you,  I  am  |  afraid  1  to  hear  |  you  tell  |  it "  (i.  4.  65). 

"And  hugg'd  |  me  in  his  arm,  i  and  kind  ]  ly  kiss'd  |  my  cheek"  (ii.  2.  24). 

"And  being  |  but  a  toy,  |  which  is  |  no  grief  |  to  give"  (iii.  i.  114). 

"Thou  art  sworn  |  as  deep  |  ly  to  effect  |  what  we  |  intend"  (iii.  i.  158). 

Dr  Abbott  (Shak.  Gr.,  §498)  scans  i.  4.  250  in  a  similar  way; 
but  perliaps  the  momentous  character  of  the  announcement  there 
made  justifies  an  Alexandrine. 

Variation  in  the  Character  of  the  Feet. 

This  will  naturally  depend  upon  variation  in  the  stress,  and  for 
stress  variation  no  definite  rules  can  be  laid  down.  Its  principles  are 
part  of  the  secret  of  the  poet's  art.  The  student  ought  to  select  one 
or  two  passages,  and  go  through  them  carefully,  noticing  for  himself 


APPENDIX.  i8s 

the  incidence  and  strength  of  the  stresses  in  each  line.  To  go  this 
will  always  help  him  to  a  juster  appreciation  of  the  music  of  the  Vv'irse, 
and  will  often  throw  new  light  upon  the  meaning.  In  v.  iii.  130,  for 
instance, 

"  Doth  com  I  fort  thee  |  in  thy  |  sleep:  live,  [  and  flour  |  ish", 

the  emphasis  on  'thee'  and  *thy'  is  important  for  the  sense.  It 
may  be  useful  to  direct  attention  to  one  or  two  particular  points. 

(i)  The  stress  varies  in  position.  Instead  of  falling  on  the  second 
syllable  it  sometimes  falls  on  the  first,  giving  the  foot  a  *  trochaic' 
rather  than  an  *  iambic  '  rhythm.  Stress  inversion  of  this  sort  is  very 
frequent,  and  may  occur  more  than  once  in  the  same  line.  It  is 
commonest  in  the  first  foot,  and  is  more  common  in  the  third  and 
fuurth  feet  than  in  the  second.  It  is  often  preceded  by  a  pause,  but 
there  is  no  necessary  connection  between  the  two.  In  the  following 
examples  no  pause  precedes: — 

**Sha'll  we  !  he'arfrom  \  you,  Ca'tes  [  by,  e're  |  we  sle'ep?"  (ill.  i.  188). 
**  A  co'ck  I  atr'ice  |  hast  th'ou  I  hatcJid  to  \  the  wo'rld"  (iv.  i.  55). 

In  the  fifth  foot  the  stress  is  very  rarely  inverted.  And  for  an 
obvious  reason.  On  the  metrical  character  of  the  last  foot  depends 
to  a  large  extent  the  impression  which  the  whole  line  leaves  upon  the 
ear.  Here  then,  if  anywhere,  the  stress  ought  to  fall  in  its  natural 
position.  So  unmetiical  does  an  inverted  stress  in  the  last  foot 
appear  that  some  refuse  to  admit  its  occurrence.  The  following  are 
the  most  likely  instances  of  it  in  Richard  IIL — 

*'Well  str'uck  [  in  ye'ars,  I  fa'-ir,  [  and  n'ot  \je'alous"  (I.  i.  92). 
"  I  pr'ay  |  you,  un'c  |  le,  gi've  |  me  th'is  |  da'gger"  (iii.  1.  no). 

Some,  however,  would  scan  the  first  of  these  lines  thus — 

'*Well  str'uck  |  in  ye'-  |  ars,  fa'  |  -ir,  a'nd  ]  not  je'al  |  ous^"; 

and  the  second  thus  (Abbott,  SJiak.  Gr.^  §  478) — 

"  I  pra'y  |  you,  u'nc  [  le,  |  gi've  me  [  this  da'g  |  ge'r  ", 

where  the  second  syllable  of  *  uncle'  is  analogous  to  the  feminine 
ending,  and  the  last  syllable  of  *  dagger'  is  somehow  prolonged  so  as 
to  have  the  full  force  of  a  foot.  A  note  of  warning  is  required  about 
lines  ending  with  compound  words.  The  following  are  not  instances 
of  inverted  stress  in  the  last  foot : — 

"A  knot  !  you  are  I  of  damn  1  ed  blood-  |  suckers"  (iii.  3.  6). 
"Under  |  our  tents  1  I'll  play  |  the  eaves  1  -dropper"  (v.  3.  221). 

What  happens  is  that  the  stress  on  the  second  syllable  is  overwhelmed 
by  the  stronger  stress  on  the  one  that  precedes  it.  Cf.  i.  I.  48;  ii.  4, 
I,  and — 

"  The  shepherd  swains  shall  dance  and  sing 
For  thy  delight  each  May-ifior7iing'\ 

"^  The  Folio  prints  the  last  word  as  a  trisyllable — jealious.  How  would  this  be 
scanned  ? 


l86  KING   RICHARD   THE  THIRD. 

(2)  The  stresses  may  vary  in  strength.  There  is  almost  no  limit 
to  the  number  of  classes  into  which  they  might  be  divided.  For 
practical  purposes,  however,  two  suffice.  But  so  subtle  are  the 
gradations  that  it  is  not  possible  always  to  determine  whether  a 
particular  stress  is  '  strong'  (')  or  '  weak'  (^).  A  weak  stress  is  more 
common  in  tlie  last  foot  than  anywhere  else ;  and  Shakespeare's 
increasing  fondness  for  ending  the  line  with  a  *  weak  '  or  *  light ' 
monosyllable  has  provided  another  of  the  metrical  tests  to  which 
allusion  has  already  been  made.  The  only  absolute  rule  by  which 
the  poet  is  guided  is  that  he  should  not  carry  variation  in  the  position 
and  strength  of  stresses  so  far  as  to  make  us  forget  the  normal  form 
of  his  line. 

(3)  The  stresses  may  vary  in  number .  The  same  foot  may  contain 
two  stressed  syllables,  and  the  same  line  may  contain  more  than 
five.  (The  same  foot  cannot,  however,  contain  two  stresses  of  pre- 
cisely equal  strength.  The  beat  of  the  rhythm  must  be  distinctly 
perceptible,  if  the  line  is  to  be  metrical.)  Perhaps  the  following 
represent  the  two  extremes: — 

**  Wo'e's  scene,  |  wo'rld's  sha'me,  |  gra've's  d'ue  |  by  li'fe  |  us'urped "  (iv.  4.  27). 
*'  An'd  for  j  unfe'lt  |  im'ag  |  in'at  j  i-'on  "  (i.  4.  80). 

In  iv.  4.  75  the  number  and  strength  of  the  stresses  is  such  that  the 
ear  is  satisfied  with  a  line  of  four  feet — 

"  Ea'rth  ga'pes,  |  he'll  bu'rns,  |  fie'nds  ro'ar,  |  sa'ints  pr'ay  ". 

Variation  in  the  Distribution  of  the  Pauses. 

This  is  a  very  important  and  effective  form  of  variation.  But  it 
is  so  subtle  that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  lay  down  general  principles. 
Here  again  the  student  should  use  his  own  powers  of  observation 
on  particular  passages.  All  sense  pauses  of  importance  are  indicated 
by  punctuation  marks.  Notice  carefully  how  the  position  of  these 
pauses  varies,  and  how  much  of  the  effect  depends  upon  their  dura- 
tion. The  one  metrical  pause  that  forces  itself  on  the  attention  is 
that  which  comes  at  the  end  of  the  line.  There  are  not  wanting 
indications  that  Shakespeare  was  influenced  sometimes  by  the  recol- 
lection of  the  *  caesura ',  or  regular  break  in  the  middle  of  the  line, 
which  #as  characteristic  of  the  verse  from  which  his  metre  was 
developed.  The  most  striking  of  these  is  the  occurrence  of  a  syl- 
lable analogous  to  the  feminine  ending  after  the  second  or  third  foot, 
— a  point  to  which  attention  was  drawn  in  the  proper  place  (p.  181). 
But  so  many  lines  contain  no  trace  of  this  caesura  that  we  cannot 
regard  it  as  a  normal  feature  of  the  Shakespearian  verse.  The  only 
point,  then,  at  which  we  have  any  right  to  look  for  the  coincidence 
of  an  important  sense  pause  with  an  important  metrical  pause  is  the 
end  of  the  line.  And  just  because  we  do  look  for  it  there,  its  non- 
occurrence provides  an  effective  variation,  —  a  variation  which  admits 
of  different  degrees  of  intensity,  and  which,  as  we  might  expect,  is 
much  more  frequent  in  the  later  plays  than  in  the  earlier  (see  Dow- 


APPENDIX.  187 

den's  Primer^  p.  39).  Closely  connected  with  this  is  Shakespeare's 
constantly-increasini;  fondness  for  ending  his  speeches  with  a  broken 
line.  Konig  {op.  cit.,  p.  134)  shows  that,  while  the  percentage  of 
such  endings  in  Richard  J II.  is  only  29,  it  rises  steadily  in  the 
various  plays  till  it  reaches  87  '6  in  llie  Winter'' s  7 ale. 

RHYME, 

Another  and  an  altogether  different  kind  of  variation  remains  to 
be  noticed.  Rhyme  is  very  frequent  in  Shakespeare's  early  comedies, 
the  percentage  of  rhymed  lines  in  Lovers  Labour'' s  Lost  being  62*2.^ 
In  his  later  plays  it  occurs  more  and  more  rarely,  until  in  The  Win- 
ter's Tale  not  a  single  example  is  found.  These  represent  the  two 
extremes;  and  with  regard  to  what  lies  between,  it  is,  on  the  whole, 
true  to  say  that  his  fondness  for  rhyme  decreased  in  proportion  as  his 
skill  in  the  management  of  blank  verse  grew  greater.  At  the  same 
time  this  *  rhyme-test '  cannot  be  rigorously  applied  to  determine  the 
chronological  order  of  the  intermediate  plays,  inasmuch  as  certain 
conditions  that  suggest  the  use  of  rhyme  may  quite  naturally  pre- 
vail in  one  play  rather  than  in  another.  To  take  an  obvious  instance, 
rhyme  seems  singularly  appropriate  to  anything  approaching  the 
lyric  mood,  and  accordingly  in  A  Alidsiwivier  Night's  Dream ^  where 
we  breathe  the  atmosphere  of  fairyland,  the  percentage  of  rhymed 
lines  rises  as  high  as  43.  In  Richard  I  11.^  on  the  other  hand,  where 
Shakespeare  was,  as  we  have  seen,  writing  under  the  influence  of 
Marlowe,  the  earliest  master  of  blank  verse,  only  3*5  per  cent  of  the 
lines  are  rhymed.  In  the  great  majority  of  the  plays  the  percentage 
lies  between  I  and  10,  and  in  many  cases  it  is  possible  to  account 
definitely  for  the  appearance  of  the  rhymed  lines.  The  general  effect 
of  the  occasio7ial  tcsc  of  rhyme  in  bla7ik  verse  is  to  draw  special  atten- 
tion to  the  passage  where  it  occurs.  Some  particular  applications  of 
this  principle  may  be  noted,  (i)  Rhyme  often  marks  the  end  of  a 
scene,  as  in  i.  i.  162,  163;  2.  263,  264,  &c.  (2)  It  may  even  mark 
the  conclusion  of  a  speech,  particularly  where  an  important  exit 
follows,  as  in  iv.  4.  194-5;  v.  3.  149-50,  165-6,  &c.  In  iv.  i.  96,  97, 
and  iv.  4.  114,  115  it  indicates  a  *  false  exit'.  (3)  Sometimes  it  is 
used  to  add  point  to  a  statement  or  emphasis  to  an  argument,  as  in 
i.  I.  55  ff. ;  iv.  4.  15-16,  20-21,  24-25.  (4)  Occasionally  it  indi- 
cates an  '  aside  ',  as  iii.  i.  94. 

1  My  figures  are  taken  from  Konig  [op.  cit.y  p.  131). 


GLOSSARY 


A,  the  indefinite  article,  is  a 
worn-down  form  of  the  A.-S.  an  — 
'  one  '.  Occasionally  it  retains  its 
original  numerical  force,  particu- 
larly in  prepositional  phrases  (iv. 
2.  5;  iv.  3.  12).  Cf.  "  Doth  not 
rosemary  and  Romeo  both  begin 
with  a  letter?"  [Romeo  and  Juliet, 
ii.  4.  220). 

abject  (i.  I.  106),  a  person  cast 
out  (Lat.  abject um),  one  who  is 
despised  or  of  no  account.  The 
word  occurs  in  Psalms,  xxxv.  15. 

abroach  (i.  3.  325).  'To  set 
abroach '  is  'to  tap  a  barrel  of 
liquor  by  piercing  it'.  From  a  = 
'in  a  state  of,  and  broach,  which 
comes  from  Low  Lat.  brocca,  '  a 
spike',  through  the  Fr.  broche. 
Another  form  of  the  latter  word  is 
brooch,  properly  *apin'. 

aiarum  (i.  i.  7;  iv.  4.  148),  call 
to  arms.  From  the  Italian  '  alV 
arme '  -  '  alle  arme'  —  '  to  arms '. 
Skeat  suggests  that  the  experience 
of  the  Crusades  may  have  made 
the  phrase  familiar  to  Englishmen. 

an  (iii.  I.  91),  if.  Originally  the 
same  as  the  common  connective 
aftd.  It  is  uncertain  whether  the 
meaning  //"was  introduced  through 
the  corresponding  Scandinavian 
word  (enda),  or  whether  it  devel- 
oped independently  in  English. 
The  dropping  of  the  final  d  was 
due  to  a  wish  to  prevent  confusion 
between  the  two  meanings.  An 
if  IS  simply  if -if. 

annoy  (v.  3.  156),  annoyance. 
In  origin  it  is  the  same  as  the 
French  ennui.  Both  are  from  the 
Old  Fr.  auoi,  which  is  probably 
from  Lat.  in  odio. 


atonement  (i.  3.  36),  reconciii- 
ation.  To  'atone'  means  literally 
'to  set  at  one\  The  pronuncia- 
tion of  the  Mid.  Eng.  oon  ( — '  one ' ) 
has  survived  in  this  word,  as  in 
'alone '  and  'only'. 

attainder  (iii.  5.  32),  dishonour- 
able stam.  It  was  properly  a  legal 
term,  applied  to  the  loss  of  all 
civil  rights  consequent  upon  a  sen- 
tence of  death  or  outlawry.  It  is 
derived  from  a  .substantival  use  of 
the  Old  Fr.  ateindre  (Lat.  attin- 
gere)  -  '  to  attain  ',  '  to  reach  ',  and 
so  '  to  convict ' .  Dr.  Murray  points 
out  that  its  meaning  was  "subse- 
quently warped  by  association  with 
Fr.  teindre,  'to  stain'",  the  past 
part,  of  which  has  given  us  '  taint'. 
Etymologically  the  two  words  are 
quite  distinct,  coming  respectively 
from  Lat.  ta7ige7-e  and  tingere. 

avaunt  (i.  2.  46),  begone,  from 
Lat.  ab  and  ante  ( Vx.  avant),  means 
literally  '  forward  ',  '  move  on  '. 

Barbed  (i.  i.  10),  a  form  of 
'  barded  '  =  '  armed  with  a  barb  or 
bard'.  From  Fr.  ^flr^^= 'horse- 
armour  ',  which  is  perhaps  ulti- 
mately an  Arabic  word  (Murray). 
The  '  ba?'de'  was  the  covering  that 
protected  the  chest  and  sides  of 
the  horse  when  caparisoned  for 
battle. 

beaver  (v.  3.  50),  the  lower  part 
or  face-guard  of  the  helinet,  used 
also  of  the  whole  helmet.  The 
French  word  is  baviere,  originally 
=  '  a  child's  bib  ',  from  baver,  '  to 
slaver '. 

beholding  (ii.  i.  129;  iii.  i.  107), 
indebted.     Dr.  Murray  says  that 


GLOSSARY. 


189 


this  unusual  sense  evidently  origi- 
nated in  an  error  for  beholden,  the 
past  part,  of  Mid,  Eng.  beholden 
(A.-S.  be-healdan),  *  to  obtain', 
'hold' — "either  through  confusion 
of  the  endings  or  more  probably 
after  beholden  was  shortened  to 
beholde,  behold,  and  its  grammati- 
cal character  obscured  ". 

belike  (i.  i.  49),  in  all  likelihood. 
From  the  preposition  '  by  '  and  lik 
(A.-S.  lie),  'like',  used  either  as 
adjective  or  substantive.  The  New 
Eng.  Diet,  suggests  that  it  simply 
=  '  by  what  is  likely '. 

bobb'd  (v.  3.  334),  struck.  From 
Mid.  Eng.  boben  or  bobben—'  X.o 
strike  with  the  fist ',  which  appears 
in  the  13th  century.  Ultimate 
origin  uncertain.  Dr.  Murray  says 
it  is  "perhaps  onomatopoeic,  ex- 
pressing the  effect  of  a  sudden, 
but  not  very  weighty,  blow  ". 

boot  (iv.  4.  65),  good,  advan- 
tage. The  word  has  also  a  secon- 
dary meaning,  '  help  '.  Thus,  in 
V.  3.  301,  "St.  George  to  boot" 
means  '  St.  George  to  our  aid '. 
From  the  Anglo-Sa xon  bdt, '  profit ' , 
which  is  connected  with  better, 
best.     Cf.  the  derivative  bootless. 

bulk  (i.  4.  40),  body.  The  word 
is  so  spelt  through  a  confusion 
(which  set  in  very  early)  with  the 
word  ^2//y^  =  size.  The  proper  form 
is  bouk,  which  is  cognate  with  the 
German  Bauch= '  the  belly '. 

Cacodemon  (i.  3.  144).  A  very 
rare  word.  This  is  one  of  the  earli- 
est instances  of  its  use  recorded  by 
the  Nezv  English  Dictionary.  It 
is  properly  a  transcription  of  the 
Greek  xocxo^otif^cajv,  'unfortunate'. 
But  Shakespeare  uses  the  word  as 
if  he  understood  it  to  mean  '  evil 
spirit  *. 

caiMfif,  properly  a  doublet  of  cap- 
tive. From  Lat.  captivum,  through 
the  Norman  French  (cf.  French 
ch^tif).  The  word  now  means  a 
cowardly  or  poor-spirited  person. 


Formerly,  however,  it  had  also  the 

sense  of  'miserable'  or  'unhappy', 
without  any  suggestion  of  cowar- 
dice.    So  in  iv.  4.  100. 

chop  (i.  4.  t6o),  throw  suddenly. 
It  meant  originally  '  to  cut  with  a 
sharp  blow '  (Mid.  Eng.  choppen)^ 
hence  '  thrust  quickly  '. 

cock-shut  time  (v.  3.  70),  twi- 
light. Derivation  uncertain.  Dr. 
Murray  [New  Eng.  Diet.)  inclines 
to  the  opinion  that  it  meant  simply 
the  time  for  shutting  up  the  fowls. 

cog  (i.  3.  48),  to  cheat.  Origin 
uncertain.  The  instances  in  the 
New  Eng.  Diet,  show  that  the 
word  was  at  first  used  of  a  form  of 
cheating  practised  in  playing  dice. 

conceit  (iii.  4.  51),  idea.  Ori- 
ginally = 'anything  conceived  in 
the  mind  ',  from  Lat.  conceptum, 
through  Old  Fr.  conceit.  In  Shake- 
speare the  word  has  never  by  itself 
the  modern  sense  of  'vanity'. 

costard,  properly  a  large  apple. 
It  then  came  to  be  used  as  a  slang 
term  for  the  head  (i.  4.  159).  De- 
rivation doubtful.  The  New  Eng. 
Diet,  suggests  that  it  may  be  from 
the  O.Fr.  coste,  'a  rib',  and  may 
have  originally  meant  '  a  promi- 
nently ribbed  apple'. 

cue  (iii.  4.  27),  properly  a  word 
or  phrase  which  marks  the  end  of 
a  speech  or  scene,  and  serves  as  a 
signal  to  another  actor  to  begin. 
Skeat  gives  as  the  derivation  Fr. 
queue,  'a  tail',  but  Dr.  Murray 
points  out  that  queue  is  never  used 
in  French  in  the  sense  of  the  Eng- 
lish cue.  In  old  copies  the  word 
is  written  Q  or  q,  and  this  has 
given  rise  to  the  conjecture  that  it 
may  be  the  first  letter  of  qualis  or 
quando,  used  to  indicate  when  the 
new  speaker  should  begin. 

Defused  (i.  2.  78),  shapeless. 
From  Lat.  dcfusus,  past  part,  of 
deftindere.  In  our  play  it  is  used 
with  nn  obvious  reference  to  Rich- 
ard's deformity.     In  Henry  K,  v. 


I90 


KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD. 


2.  6i  ("  defused  attire"),  it  has  the 
sense  of  'disordered'.  Cf.  Lea^'y 
i.  4.  2. 

demise  (iv.  4.  247),  make  trans- 
ference of.  The  word  is  more 
famihar  as  a  substantive— 'trans- 
ference', 'death',  from  Old  Fr. 
de(s)mis{e),  past  part,  oi  desmettrCy 
'to  displace'  (Lat.  dunittere). 

descant,  originally  a  musical 
term.  From  French  deschanter 
(Lat.  cantare).  The  substantive 
meant  a  part  added  by  way  of  vari- 
ation to  a  simple  melody.  (In  The 
Two  Gentlemen  (i.  2.  94)  it  is  con- 
trasted with  the  '  bass '  as  if  it  were 
the  '  treble '. )  In  Richard  III.  we 
have  it  used  metaphorically  (iii.  7. 
49)  for  a  discourse  upon  a  theme. 
The  verb  meant  to  add  a  variation 
to  a  melody.  In  i.  i.  27  it  is  used 
much  as  we  should  use  it  now, 
though  doubtless  (as  Mr.  Wright 
says)  with  a  play  upon  its  musical 
significance. 

duty.  According  to  Schmidt 
this  word  occurs  in  three  distinct 
senses  in  our  play  :  (i)  with  its 
ordinary  meaning  of  'what  is  due' 
(as  i.  3.  250);  (2)  in  the  sense  of 
'homage'  (as  i.  3.  251);  (3)  in  the 
sense  of  '  reverence ',  '  respect '  (as 
ii.  2.  108).  As  to  its  derivation, 
Skeat  says  it  is  "a  coined  word, 
formed  by  analogy  with  English 
words  in  -/v(of  Fr.  origin)  from  adj. 
due'\  which  in  turn  comes  from 
Old  Fr.  deue,  feminine  of  past  part, 
of  devoir  (Lat.  debere). 

Egally  (iii.  7.  21^),  equally. 
From  Old  Fr.  egal {Mod.  Fr.  i^al\ 
'  equal '.  The  corresponding  form 
of  the  adjective  occurs  in  Titus 
Andronicus,  iv.  4.  4. 

empery,  dominion,  sway  (Lat. 
imperium).  Hence  'possessions' 
(iii.  7.  136). 

enfranchise  (i.  i.  no),  set  free. 
This  is  very  nearly  the  literal  sense 
of  the  word,  which  conies  from  en 


and  Old  ¥r.  franchise— ' ^rWxXeged 
liberty'.  The  Old  Yr.  franc  (Low 
'L^.i.  francus),  'free',  is  "derived 
from  Old  High  German  franko,  a 
free  man,  a  Frank.  The  Franks 
were  a  Germanic  people  "  (Skeat). 
entertain  (Old  Fr.  entretenir. 
Low  Lat.  inter-tenere)  has  in 
Richard  III.  three  senses  that 
should  be  noted:  (i)  'while  away', 
'pass',  in  i.  i.  29;  (2)  'take  into 
service '  in  i.  2.  257  (cf.  '  to  retain 
a  barrister');  (3)  'harbour'  (gf 
feelings)  in  i.  3.  4,  and  i.  4.  135. 

exhale  (i.  2.  58,  166),  draw  out. 
According  to  the  New  Eng.  Diet. 
this  is  not  a  mere  misunderstand- 
ing of  the  ordinary  exhale  (Lat. 
exhalare),  due  to  a  false  etymo- 
logy, but  a  distinct  word  from  Lat. 
ex  and  English  hale,  '  to  draw '. 
This  is  the  earliest  instance  quoted. 

expiate  (iii.  3.  23).  In  his  very 
interesting  article  on  the  suffix  -ate 
in  the  New  Eng.  Diet. ,  Dr.  Murray 
clears  up  the  history  of  such  forms 
in  the  following  way.  About  1400, 
English,  following  French  analogy, 
began  to  form  participial  adjectives 
directly  from  Latin  by  dropping 
the  termination  of  the  past  parti- 
ciple. (Cf.  '  convict '  [i.  4.  192] 
from  convict-US,  '  contract '  [iii.  7. 
179]  from  ^<?«/r<z^/-Mj,  &c.)  From 
the  first  Latin  conjugation  came 
'  desolate  ',  '  expiate  ',  '  separate  ', 
&c.,  the  e  being  added  for  phon- 
etic reasons.  Subsequently  many 
of  these  participial  adjectives  gave 
rise  to  causative  verbs,  the  infini- 
tives of  which  were  identical  with 
the  adjectives  from  which  they  were 
formed.  For  some  time  they  con- 
tinued to  be  used  as  past  parti- 
ciples of  the  new  verbs.  But  at 
length  regular  past  participles  with 
-ed  began  to  be  formed,  and  then 
the  original  words  either  became 
obsolete  (as  ' expiate ' )  or  continued 
in  use  as  adjectives  (as  'deso- 
late', 'separate',  'moderate',  &c. ). 
The  only  surviving  participle  of 
this  type  is  '  situate '. 


GLOSSARY. 


191 


Feature  (i.  1.  19),  not  'face', 
but  '  form ',  '  figure ',  '  make '. 
From  Old  Fr.  faiture  (Lat.  fac- 
tura), 

flesh'd  (iv.  3.  6),  hardened.  For 
the  technical  sense  see  Notes.  The 
literal  meaning  of  the  word  is  '  to 
feed  with  flesh  '  (A.-S.  flcesc).  So 
in  Second  Part  of  Henry  IV.,  iv. 

5-  133— 

' '  the  wild  dog 

Shall  flesh  his  tooth  on  every  in- 
nocent ". 
In  King  John,  v.  i.  71,  we  have, 
by  a  singularly  bold  metaphor, 
"Shall  a  beardless  boy  .  .  .  flesh 
his  spirit  in  our  warHke  fields?" 
The  sense  of  '  initiate '  is  predomi- 
nant in  First  Part  of  Henry  IV., 
V.  4.  133— 
"Come,  brother  John;  full  bravely 

hast  thou  flesh'd 
Thy  maiden  sword  ", 

fond  (iii.  2.  26;  4.  83),  foolish. 
From  Mid.  Eng.  fonn-ed,  past 
participle  oi  fonnen—*\.o  behave 
like  a  fool'.  Professor  Herford 
says:  *'The  modern  sense  arose 
from  the  association  of  warm  feel- 
ing with  intellectual  feebleness". 
He  compares  the  inverse  transi- 
tion in  the  case  of  the  modern 
English  word  'silly',  which  origi- 
nally meant  'happy',  'blessed' 
(German  selig). 

frank'd  (i.  3.  314;  iv.  5.  3).  See 
Notes.  A  '  frank '  (Old  Fr.  franc) 
was  a  pen  for  fattening  cattle,  pigs, 
or  fowls.  The  word  occurs  in 
Second  Part  of  Henry  IV.,  ii.  2. 
160:  '  •  Doth  the  old  boar  feed  in 
the  old  frank?" 

Gall  (iv.  4.  53),  irritate  by  rub- 
bing. From  Old  Fr.  galle,  'an 
itching'  (Lat.  callus— 2i  piece  of 
hard  skin). 

gossip,  properly  a  godfather 
or  godmother.  From  god-sib, 
'related  in  God'.  It  afterwards 
came  to  mean  a  crony,  and  to 
convey  a  suggestion  of  contempt. 


Schmidt  says  that  in  i.  i.   83  it 

simply  means  talkative  women. 
Mr.  Wright,  however,  in  his  note, 
explains  it  as  "persons  who  are 
on  intimate  terms,  and  therefore 
supposed  to  be  possessed  of  influ- 
ence with  each  other".  If  Mr. 
Wright's  view  is  correct,  the  irony 
is  bitter  indeed. 

gramercy  (iii.  2.  108),  an  excla- 
mation =Fr.  grand  merci. 

Index  (ii.  2.  149),  introduction, 
prologue.  In  iv.  4.  85  it  has  been 
supposed  to  refer  to  a  programme 
of  the  pageant  or  dumb  show,  that 
was  distributed  beforehand  among 
the  audience. 

infection,  used  in  the  concrete 
sense  of  'plague'  (i.  2.  78).  See 
Notes.  In  i.  2.  150  "infected" 
occurs  in  the  sense  of  'affected 
with  love-sickness ',  with  which  cf. 
Loves  Labour 's  Lost,  ii.  i.  230, 
and  the  corresponding  use  of  the 
substantive  in  Muck  Ado,  ii.  3. 126. 

i-wis  (i.  3.  102),  certainly.  Cf. 
German  gewiss. 

Jet  (ii.  4.  51),  the  original  form 
oi  jut.  (Skeat  compares  the  old 
use  of  jutty  for  jetty. )  It  comes 
from  Old  Fr.  jetter,  'to  throw 
foTih'  {hat.  jactare).  Formerly  it 
meant  'to  strut',  e.g  Cymbeline, 
iii.  3.  5— 

*'  the  gates  of  monarchs 
Are  arched  so  high  that  giants  may 
jet  through". 

For  the  sense  of  'encroach*,  cf. 
Titus  Andronicus,  ii.  i.  64. 

Lewd  (i.  3.  61),  rude,  vulgar. 
The  word  originally  meant  '  igno- 
rant*, from  A.-S.  Icewed,  the  origin 
of  which  is  doubtful.  (Professor 
Herford  inclin.es  to  Lat.  laicus  or 
laicatus,  'a  layman'.)  In  iii.  7. 
72  it  is  used  in  its  modern  sense. 

luxury  (iii.  5.  80),  sensuality. 
This  is  the  usual  meaning  of 
the  word  in  Elizabethan  English 


192 


KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD. 


Luxuria,  from  which  it  is  derived, 
has  a  similar  force  in  theological 
Latin. 

Malapert  (i.  3-  255),  saucy. 
From  Old  Fr.  mal,  'ill'  (Lat. 
male),  and  apert,  '  skilful ',  '  expert ' 
(Lat.  apert  us).  The  literal  sense 
will  then  be  *  ill-behaved'. 

malmsey  (i.  4.  161),  a  corrup- 
tion of  Mid.  Eng.  malvesie  from 
Old  Fr.  malvoisie.  The  name  is 
derived  from  the  town  of  Malvasia 
on  the  E.  coast  of  the  Morea. 

marry  (i.  3.  98),  a  common  ex- 
clamation. From  the  name  of  the 
Virgin  Mary. 

methinks,  it  seems  to  me.  From 
A.-S.  \>yncan,  'to  seem',  which  is 
quite  distinct  from  \>encan,  'to 
think '.  For  the  form  '  methoughts' 
see  on  i.  4.  9. 

mettle  (iv.  4.  302),  the  same 
word  as  metal.  Schmidt  mentions 
that  the  old  texts  of  Shakespeare 
do  not  distinguish  the  two  words 
by  spelling.  Mettle  has  come  to 
have  its  present  sense  of  '  spirit ' 
through  a  metaphor  from  the  qua- 
lity of  a  sword  blade. 

mew'd  up  (i.  1.  38),  shut  up. 
Literally  it  means  '  shut  up  in  a 
mew\  The  word  mue  (Latin 
mutare,  to  change)  in  Middle  Eng- 
lish meant  a  cage  where  falcons 
were  kept  while  moulting.  Stables 
have  come  to  be  called  mews,  be- 
cause in  A.D.  1534  "the  royal 
stables  were  rebuilt  in  a  place 
where  the  royal  falcons  had  been 
kept". 

moe  (iv.  4.  199,  504),  more. 
The  two  words  are  from  the  same 
root,  but  7noe  is  not  a  positive,  as 
is  sometimes  supposed.  It  comes 
from  the  adverb  ma,  while  more 
comes  from  the  corresponding  ad- 
jective. Moe  was  often  used  as  a 
neuter  substantive  followed  by  a 
genitive  plural.  By  and  by  'the 
force  of  the  genitive  was  lost,  but 
moe  continued  to  be  followed  by  a 


plural  and  thus  came  to  be  re- 
garded as  the  proper  comparative 
oimany,  the  word  more  being  used 
as  the  comparative  of  muck. 

Obsequiously  (i.  2.  3).    With 

the  force  of  the  adverb  m  this  pas- 
sage cf.  the  use  of  the  adjective 
in  Sonnets  xxxi.  5:  "  Many  a  holy 
and  obsequious  tear ' ',  and  Hamlet^ 
i.  2.  92,  • '  obsequious  sorrow  ".  This 
sense  came  from  association  with 
Lat.  obsequies  ( '  obsequies ' )  rather 
than  obsequiu?n  ('complaisance'), 
both  of  which  are  formed  from 
obsequi. 

owe  (iv.  4.  142),  possess.  This 
sense  is  very  common  in  Eliza- 
bethan Eng.  From  MM.  Eng. 
aweft,  owen  (A.-S.  dgan),  '  to 
possess',  the  Mod.  Eng.  'own' 
being  formed  from  the  past  parti- 
ciple of  the  A.-S.  verb.  The  word 
is  used  in  the  modern  sense  in  i.  3. 
170.  A  parallel  to  the  double 
sense  may  be  found  in  the  occa- 
sional occurence  of  Fr.  avoirs 
'owe'.  'J'ai  a  vous  huit  mille 
francs'  (Bouvier,  Colette,  26). 

Parlous  (ii.  4.  35 ;  iii.  i.  154),  a 
corruption  of  '  perilous  ',  frequent 
in  Shakespeare  in  a  half-humorous 
sense.  As  soon  as  the  i  dropped 
out,  '  perlous '  would  necessarily 
become  parlous,  owing  to  the 
operation  of  the  phonetic  law  of 
the  i6th  century  by  which  '  er-^ 
consonant'  became  '  ^r-f- conson- 
ant '.  Other  examples  are  '  Harry  * 
for  '  Henry',  ' parson' for  'person', 
'  far '  from  Mid.  Eng.  ferre.  (Cf. 
'  'Varsity '  for  '  University '  and 
'  tarble '  for  '  terrible '. ) 

peise  (v.  3.  105),  weigh.  The 
word  (which  is  the  same  as  poise) 
comes  from  the  Old  French  peiser 
=peser  (Lat.  pensare). 

piird  (i.  3.  159),  plundered. 
From  Mid.  Eng.  pillen,  '  to  rob ' 
{French  piller,  hat.  pilare).  The 
derivative  '  pillage '  is  still  in  com- 
mon use. 


GLOSSARY. 


193 


prevent,  literally  '  to  go  before ', 
'  to  anticipate ',  from  Lat.  prae 
and  venioy  as  in  "  Prevent  us,  oh 
Lord,  in  all  our  doings,  with  Thy 
most  gracious  favour  ".  The  word 
occurs  in  this  literal  sense  in  iii.  5. 
55.  In  Shakespeare,  even  where 
it  approaches  the  modern  meaning 
most  nearly  (ii.  3.  26;  iii.  4.  83), 
the  notion  of  taking  precautions 
beforehand  seems  to  be  implied. 

purchase  (iii.  7.  187),  capture. 
The  word  is  derived  from  Old  Fr. 
pur  (Lat.  pro)  and  chacer  (Lat. 
captare,  '  to  catch'),  and  was  origi- 
nally applied  to  acquisition  of  any 
kind  {John,  iii.  i.  205).  Sometimes 
it  definitely  means  '  booty '  {First 
Part  of  King  Henry  IV.,'\\.i.  loi ). 
In  ii.  I.  63  of  our  play  the  verb  is 
used  very  much  as  it  might  be  now. 

Quit  (iv.  4.  20;  V.  3.  262),  repay, 
requite.      From   Old    Fr.    gutter, 

*  to   settle '    (Lat.    quietare,    from 
quietus). 

Raze  (iii.  2.  11),  scrape.  From 
French  raser,  Low  Lat.  rasare, 
formed  from  the  supine  of  radere. 
It  is  sometimes  spelt  rase.  The 
sense  of  '  demolish '  comes  from 
the  idea  of  scraping  out  a  thing. 

reft  (iv.  4.  233),  participle  of 
reave, '  to  rob '  (A.-S.  redjian,  Mid. 
Eng.  reuen).  Derivative,  'bereave'. 

resolve  has  the  sense  of  'in- 
form '  in  iv.  5.  19.  In  iv.  2.  26  and 
120  it  might  almost  be  rendered 

*  answer '. 

retail  (iii.  i.  'j'j)^  recount.  For 
iv.  4.  335  see  Notes.  The  word 
comes  from  Old  Fr.  re,  'again', 
and  tailler,  '  to  cut '  (taille,  '  an 
incision ',  from  Lat.  ta/ea,  '  a  thin 
rod'  or  'shp'). 

rood  (iii.  2.  77 ;  iv.  4.  165),  the 
cross,  from  A.-S.  rdd,  a  cross.  It 
is  the  same  word  as  'rod',  and 
its  use  as  a  name  for  a  measure  of 
land  comes  from  the  use  of  a  rod 
in  measuring,  with  which  cf.  '  pole ' 
and  '  perch '. 


runagate  (iv.  4.  465),  properly 
a  doublet  of  renegade.  The  Middle 
English  renegat  (Lat.  renegatum) 
means  an  apostate.  The  spelling 
was  changed  owing  to  a  supposed 
connection  with  run,  and  gate, 
'way'  (cf.  note  on  shamefast,  i.  4. 
142).  it  almost  seems  aS  if  Shake- 
speare understood  it  in  the  sense  of 
'  runaway  '.  For  Richard  nowhere 
accuses  Richmond  of  treachery, 
though  he  does  accuse  him  of  cow- 
ardice in  taking  refuge  in  Brittany. 
The  form  renegade  was  introduced 
through  Spanish. 

Scathe  (i.  3.  317),  harm.  De- 
rived from  the  A.-S.  verb  scea^an, 
'  to  harm  '  (cf.  Ger.  Schade).  De- 
rivative, *  scatheless '. 

shamefast  (i.  4.  142).  See 
Notes.  Literally  it  means  fixed 
(fast)  in  modesty  (shame).     A.-S. 

scamfcBst. 

shrewd  (ii.  4.  35),  mischievous.  ' 
In  Richard  II.  (iii.  2.  59)  we 
have  ' '  shrewd  steel "  =  '  destruc- 
tive steel '.  The  modern  meaning 
of  'clever'  comes  through  the  in- 
termediate sense  of  '  cunning  '. 
Derived  from  Mid.  Eng.  schrewed, 
past  participle  of  schrewen  '  to 
curse',  from  the  adj.  schrewe, 
'  evil '.  Prof.  Flerford  says :  ' '  The 
O.E.  scredwa  has  only  the  sense 
'shrew-  (or  barn-)  mouse',  but 
this  w^as  doubtless  the  same  word, 
meaning  'the  destructive  one'. 
The  word  mouse  itself  means 
'stealer'." 

sirrah,  a  form  of  address  used 
in  anger  or  contempt.  It  is  con- 
nected with  sir. 

soothe  (i.  3.  298),  flatter.  From 
A.-S.  sd'^,  "The  original  sense 
was  assent  to  as  being  true,  hence 
to  say  yes  to,  humour,  flatter, 
approve  of"  (Skeat). 

sop  (i.  4.  162),  a  piece  of  bread 
dipped  in  wine.  So  the  Franke- 
leyn  in  Chaucer's  Prologue  (334) 
loved  "a  sop  in  wyn  ".  Mid.  Eng. 


194 


KING   RICHARD  THE  THIRD. 


soppe,  from  A.-S.  sup-an,  'to  sup '. 
The  derivative  "milk-sop"  occurs 
in  V.  3.  325.  The  Mod.  P'r.  soupe 
properly  means  the  slice  of  bread 
put  into  the  so\x'p{'  metireune  soupe 
dans  le  bouillon '),  though  it  is  now 
the  ordinary  expression  for  soup 
of  all  kinds,  potage  being  the  more 
polite  term. 

sort  (verb:  t.  2.  148;  3.  36), 
arrange,  cause  to  fall  out.  Through 
Fr.  from  Lat.  sorl-etn,  'a  lot'. 

sort  (substantive:  v.  3.  316),  set. 
Literally  'a  chance  collection', 
*  lot ',  from  so7'l-e?n,  as  above. 

struck  (i.  I.  92),  advanced.  Cf. 
Luke,  i.7:  "  well  stricken  in  years  ". 
From  Mid.  Eng.  striken,  A.-S. 
strican,  '  to  proceed  ',  '  move  for- 
ward '.  Skeat  quotes  pier's  Plow- 
man (Prologue,  183):  "A  mouse 
.  .  .  stroke  forth  boldly",  as  an 
illustration  of  the  original  sense  of 
the  word. 

suggestion  (iii.  2.  103),  instiga- 
tion. Always  in  Shakespeare  with 
the  notion  of  prompting  to  evil. 
Cf.  Macbeth,  i.  3.  134 — 

"  that  suggestion 
whose  horrid  image  doth  unfix  my 
hair  ". 

swine  (v.  2.  10),  both  singular 
and  plural,  as  were  swin  in  Mid. 
Eng.,  and  swin  in  A.-S. 

Tall,  excellent  of  itskind.  Hence, 
when  applied  to  a  fighting  man 
(i.  4.  156),  'valiant'.  (Cf.  our  use 
of  'stout '.)  From  Mid.  Eng.  tal, 
'seemly'.  Though  the  applica- 
tion of  the  word  is  now  limited 
almost  entirely  to  size,  a  survival 
of  the  old  use  is  found  in  the 
phrase  'a  fine  tall  copy',  which 
is  still  current  in  booksellers'  cata- 
logues. 

teen  (iv.  i.  95),  sorrow,  vex- 
ation. It  comes  from  the  Mid. 
Eng.  tene,  A.-S.  tedna,  vexation. 
(Skeat.) 


temper  (i.  i.  65),  properly  to 
adjust  by  mixing,  to  regulate,  and 
hence  to  influence.  From  Lat. 
temper  are.  Another  form  of  the 
same  word  is  tamper. 

tetchy  (iv.  4.  168),  peevish. 
Properly  'full  of  tetches,  i.e.  bad 
habits,  caprices ' .  From  M id .  Eng. 
tecche  or  tacke,  'a  (bad)  habit'. 
(Cf.  Fr.  tache,  'a  stain'.)  Skeat 
points  out  that  this  is  the  word 
now  corrupted  to'  touchy ',  through 
a  supposed  connection  with  'touch'. 
Cf.  Notes  (i.  4.  142). 

Welkin,  sky.  From  A.-S. 
wolcfiu,    '  clouds '.      Cf.    German 

wo  I  ken. 

whiles  (i.  2.  32),  properly  the 
genitive  case  of  the  substantive 
while  ( = '  time ' )  used  as  an  adverb. 
Skeat  compares  'twice'  [  —  twi-es). 
He  points  out,  however,  that  in 
A.-S.  the  genitive  of  this  substan- 
tive, which  is  feminine,  was  the 
same  as  the  nominative  (hwile). 

withal  has  two  distinct  uses  in 
Shakespeare:  (i)  as  an  adverb  = 
'moreover';  (2)  as  an  emphatic 
form  of  the  preposition  with.  In 
the  latter  case  it  is  generally  placed 
at  the  end  of  the  sentence.  It  is 
compounded  from  the  preposition 
with  and  the  dative  of  al,  all. 

worser  (i.  3.  102),  a  double 
comparative.  In  Middle  English 
werse^^.s  dissyllabic  (A.-S.  wirsa), 
whence  probably  the  double  com- 
parative form. 

wot  (ii.  3.  18),  third  singular 
present  indicative  of  the  verb  wit, 
'to  know'  (A.-S.  witan).  The 
second  plural  occurs  in  iii.  2.  92. 
Cf.  the  force  of  the  substantive 
'wit'  in  iii.  i.  50,  and  of  the  ad- 
jective '  witty '  in  iv.  2.  42. 

Zounds,  an  oath=''s  wounds', 
i.e.  'God's  wounds'.  See  on  iii. 
7.  219. 


INDEX  OF  WORDS. 


a,  iv.  2.  5. 

abate,  v.  5.  35. 

abode,  i.  3.  169. 

acquittance,  iii.  7.  233, 

adulterate,  iv.  4.  69. 

advance,  i.  2.  40;  v.  3.  264;  v. 

3-  348.. 
advantaging,  iv.  4.  323. 
advertised,  iv.  4.  501. 
aery,  i.  3.  264. 
after  supper,  iv.  3.  31. 
age,  iv.  4.  394;  v.  3.  262. 
,,    confirmed,  iv.  4.  171. 
a  high,  iv.  4.  86. 
aiming  at,  i.  3.  65. 
ahnost,  iii.  5*  35- 
a  many,  iii.  7.  184. 
ambling,  i.  I.  17. 
amendment,  i.  3.  33. 
amorous  looking-glass,  i.  I.  1 5. 
apparent,  iii.  5.  30. 
arch,  iv.  3.  2. 
argues,  iii.  7.  40,  174. 
as,  i.  2.  31;  iii.  7.  210. 
aspect,  i.  2.  23. 
at  odds,  ii.  I.  70. 
atonement,  i.  3.  36. 
attend,  iv.  4.  195. 
attorneys,  iv.  4.  1 27,  413;  v.  3. 

83. 

aweless,  ii.  4.  52. 

barbed,  i.  I.  10. 
basilisks,  i.  2.  151. 
battalion,  v.  3.  11. 
battle,  V.  3.  88,  299. 
beads,  iii,  7.  93. 
bears,  ii.  2.  128. 
beaver,  v.  3.  50. 
belike,  i.  I.  49. 


bend,  i.  2.  95. 

benefit,  iii.  7.  196. 

betide  of,  i.  3.  6. 

bettering,  iv.  4.  122. 

blind,  iii.  6.  12. 

blood,  i.  2.  16. 

boar,  iii.  2.  Il;  v.  2.  7» 

bobb'd,  V.  3.  334. 

book,  iii.  5.  27. 

bottled,  i.  3.  242. 

braved,  v.  3.  279. 

brawl,  i.  3.  324. 

Bretons,  iv.  I.  43;  v.  3.  317. 

bridge,  the,  v.  2.  72. 

brief,  ii.  2.  43;  iv.  4.  28. 

bulk,  i.  4.  40. 

bunch-backed,  i.  3.  246. 

burthened,  iv.  4.  ill. 

capable,  iii.  i.  155. 
careful,  i.  3.  83. 
carnal,  iv.  4.  58. 
censures,  ii.  2.  144. 
chamber,  iii.  i.  i. 
chance,  iv.  2.  103. 
characters,  iii.  I.  81. 
cheerly,  v.  2.  14. 
childish-foolish,  i.  3.  142. 
chop,  i.  4.  160. 
Christian  faithful,  i.  4.  4. 
circumstance,  by,  i.  2.  77. 
clamorous,  iv.  4.  152. 
close,  V.  2.  35. 
closure,  iii.  3.  ii. 
cloudy,  ii.  2.  112. 
cockatrice,  i.  2.  1 50;  iv.  I.  5S^ 
cog,  i.  3.  48. 
competitors,  iv.  4.  506. 
complaints,  ii.  2.  67. 
complots,  iii.  I.  192. 


196 


KING    RICHARD   THE   THIRD. 


conceit,  iii.  4.  51. 
concluded,  i.  3.  15. 
conduct,  i.  I.  45. 
conscience,  v.  3.  193. 
consequence,  iv.  2.  15;  4.  6. 
considerate,  iv.  2.  30. 
consistory,  ii.  2.  151. 
consorted  with,  iii.  4.  73;  7.  137. 
content,  iii.  2.  113. 
conversation,  iii.  5.  31. 
counsel,  ii.  3.  20. 
counted,  iv.  i.  47. 
cousin,  ii.  I.  64;  2.  8;  4.  9;  iii. 

I.  2.   lOI. 
cozened,  iv.  4.  222. 
crosses,  iii.  I.  4. 
cross-row,  i.  i.  55. 
cry,  i.  3.  235;  ii.  2.  104;  iv.  4. 

515;  V.  3.  224. 
current,  i.  2.  84;  3.  256;  ii.  I. 

94;  iv.  2.  9. 
curst,  i.  2.  49. 

dally,  ii.  I.  12. 
date,  iv.  4.  254. 
day-bed,  iii.  7.  72. 
deal  upon,  iv.  2.  75. 
dear,  i.  4.  215;  ii.  2.  77. 
death,  the,  i.  2.  179;  iii.  2.  55. 
debase  on  me,  i.  2.  247. 
declension,  iii.  7.  189. 
decline,  iv.  4.  97. 
deep,  iii.  5.  5;  7.  75. 
definitively,  iii.  7.  153. 
defused-infection,  i.  2.  78, 
demise,  iv.  4.  247. 
denier,  i.  2.  252. 
deny,  v.  3.  334. 
devoted,  i.  2.  35. 
diet,  i.  I.  139. 

direction,  v.  3.  16,  236,  298,  302. 
discipline,  iii.  7.  16;  v.  3.  17. 
discovered,  iv.  4.  240. 
disgracious,  iii.  7.  112;  iv. 4.  177. 
dispatch,  i.  2.  182;  iii.  4.  96. 
dissemble,  ii.  2.  31. 
dissembling,  i.  I.  19. 
dissentious,  i.  3.  46. 
distinguish,  iii.  I.  9. 


divided  councils,  iii.  I.  179. 
divinely,  iii.  7.  62;  v.  3.  1 7. 
doers,  i.  3.  352. 
doting,  iv.  4.  300. 
draw  forth,  iii.  7.  198. 
dying,  iv,  4.  21. 

efifect,  i.  2.  120. 
egally,  iii.  7.  213. 
else,  i.  3.  64. 
elvish-marked,  i.  3.  228. 
embassage,  ii.  i.  3. 
enforcement,  v.  3.  238. 
enfranchise,  i.  I.  no. 
engross,  iii.  7.  76. 
engrossed,  iii.  6.  2. 
envious,  i.  3.  26. 
estate,  ii.  2.  127. 
estates,  iii.  7.  213. 
even,  iii.  7.  157. 
evidence,  i.  4.  188. 
exclaims,  i.  2.  52. 
exercise,  iii.  2.  112;  7.  64^ 
expedition,  iv.  4.  136. 
expiate,  iii.  3.  23. 

factious,  i.  3.  128;  ii.  I.  20. 

factor,  iii.  7.  134. 

fall,  V.  3.  135;  iv.  2.  66. 

fat,  V.  3.  258. 

father,  i.  3.  135. 

father-in-law,  v.-  3.  81. 

faultless,  i.  3.  178. 

feature,  i.  I.  19. 

flaky,  V.  3.  86. 

fleeting,  i.  4.  55. 

flesh'd,  iv.  3.  6. 

foil,  V.  3.  250. 

fond,  iii.  2.  26;  7.  147;  v.  3.  330. 

foot-cloth,  iii.  4.  86. 

fore  ward,  v.  3.  293. 

frank'd,  i.  3.  314;  iv.  5.  3. 

from,  ii.  I.  94;  iii.  5.  32;  iv.  I* 

43;  V.  3.  284. 
front,  i.  I.  9. 
fulsome,  V.  3.  132. 

gallant-springing,  i.  4.  227. 
galled,  iv.  4.  53. 


INDEX  OF  WORDS, 


197 


gear,  i.  4.  158. 
gentle,  i.  3.  73. 
given  in  charge,  i.  I.  85. 
golden  fee,  iii.  5.  96. 
gone,  iv.  3.  20. 
gracious,  ii.  4.  20. 
grand,  iv.  4.  52. 
gross,  iii.  6.  10. 
grossly,  iv.  i.  80, 

ha!  i.  3.  234;  V.  3,  S. 
halt,  i.  I.  23. 
hap,  i.  2.  17. 
hatches,  i.  4.  13. 
haught,  ii.  3.  28. 
hearse,  i.  2.  2. 
helpless,  i.  2.  13. 
hoised,  iv.  4.  529. 
hold,  iii.  2.  107. 
hot,  i.  3.  311. 
hull,  iv.  4.  438. 

idea,  right,  iii.  7.  13. 
idle,  iii.  I.  103. 
ill-dispersing,  iv.  I.  53. 
incapable,  ii.  2.  18. 
incensed,  iii.  I.  152. 
indirect,  iii.  I.  31. 
indirectly,  iv.  4.  25. 
induction,  i.  i.  32;  iv.  4.  5. 
infer,  iii.  5.  75;  7.  12. 
inferr'd,  iii.  7.  32;  v.  3.  314. 
infest,  i.  2.  149. 
instance,  iii.  2.  25. 
intelligencer,  iv.  4.  71. 
intending,  iii.  5.  8. 
intents,  iii.  5.  69. 
intestate,  iv.  4.  128. 
invocate,  i.  2.  8. 
inward,  iii.  4.  8. 
iron-witted,  iv.  2.  28. 

Jack,  iv.  2.  117. 
Jacks,  i.  3.  53. 
jet,  ii.  4.  51. 
jumpeth,  iii.  I.  11. 

keeps,  V.  3.  29. 
key-cold,  i.  2.  5. 


kind,  i.  4.  247. 
kindly,  iii.  2.  33. 

labour,  i.  4.  253. 

lag,  ii.  I.  90. 

lamenting,  i.  2.  262. 

lap,  ii.  I.  115. 

late,  iii.  I.  99. 

leads,  iii.  7.  55. 

leisure,  v.  3.  97,  238. 

Lethe,  iv.  4.  250. 

level,  iv.  4.  202. 

lewd,  i.  3.  61. 

lie,  i.  I.  115;  iv.  I.  95. 

lightly,  iii.  I.  94. 

likelihood,  ii.  2.  136;  iii.  4.  S7» 

likes,  iii.  4.  51. 

limit,  v.  3.  25. 

looker-on,  iv.  I.  31. 

luxury,  iii.  5.  80. 

made  means,  v.  3.  248. 
makest,  i.  3.  164. 
measures,  i.  I.  8. 
meet'st,  iii.  5.  74. 
melancholy,  v.  3.  68. 
misdoubt,  iii.  2.  89. 
moan,  ii.  2.  113. 
moiety,  i.  2.  250. 
momentary,  iii.  4.  98. 
monuments,  i.  I.  6, 
moralize,  iii.  I.  83. 
mortal,  iv.  4.  26;  v.  3.  124. 
mortal-staring,  v.  3.  90. 
mutual,  ii.  2.  113. 

need,  iii.  5.  85. 
neglect,  iii.  4.  25. 
nice,  iii.  7.  175. 
niece,  iv.  I.  I. 
nomination,  iii.  4.  5» 
nonage,  ii.  3.  13. 

obsequiously,  i.  2.  3. 
odds,  at,  ii.  I.  70. 
o'er  worn,  i.  I.  81. 
offices,  iii.  4.  10. 
opposite,  ii.  2.  94;  iv.  4.  215, 
402;  V.  4.  3. 


KING  RICHARD   THE  THIRD. 


orient,  iv.  4.  322. 
overgo,  ii.  2.  61. 
owed,  iv.  4.  142. 
owls,  iv.  4.  509. 

painted,  i.  3.  241. 

parlous,  ii.  4.  35;  iii.  i.  154. 

part,  ii.  i.  5. 

party,  i.  3.   138;  iii.  2.  47;  iv. 

4.  190,  528;  V.  3.  13. 
patient,  i.  2.  82. 
pattern,  i.  2.  54. 
peevish-fond,  iv,  4.  417. 
period,  to  make,  i.  3.  238. 
pew-fellow,  iv.  4.  58. 
piird,  i.  3.  159. 
plagued,  i.  3.  181. 
plain,  i.  2.  237. 
pleasing,  i.  I.  13. 
pluck-on,  iv.  2.  65. 
post,  iii.  5.  73. 

power,  iv,  3. 48;  4. 449;  v.  3.  38, 
precedent,  iii.  6.  7. 
presence,  i.  3.  54. 
present,  iv.  5.  5. 
presentation,  iv.  4.  84. 
presently,  i.  2.  213. 
prime,  iv.  3.  19;  4.  170. 
process,  iv.  3.  32. 
prodigious,  i.  2.  22. 
profaned,  iv.  4.  367. 
prolonged,  iii.  4.  47. 
proof,  in,  v.  3.  219. 
proper,  i.  2.  255;  iii.  7,  125. 
prophesied,  iv.  2.  99;  v.  3.  129. 
puissance,  v.  3.  299. 
punched,  v.  3.  125. 
pursuivant,  iii.  2.  97;  v.  3.  59. 

quest,  i.  4.  1 89. 

quick,  i.  2.  5,  65;  iv.  4.  361. 

quit,  iv.  4.  20;  V.  3.  262. 

rag,  V.  3.  328. 
ragged,  iv.  i.  102. 
ransome,  v.  3.  265. 
reason,  i.  4.  165;  iv.  4.  537. 
recure,  iii.  7.  130. 
reduce,  ii.  2.  68;  v.  5.  36. 


re-edified,  iii.  i.  71, 
remorse,  iii.  7.  211. 
remorseful,  i.  2.  156. 
replenished,  iv.  3.  18. 
report,  iv.  4.  152, 
resolve,  iv.  2.  26. 
respect,  i.  3.  296. 
restrain,  v.  3.  322. 
retail,  iv.  4.  335. 
retailed,  iii.  I.  77. 
reverend,  iv.  I.  3 1. 
rood,  iii.  2.  77. 
round,  iv.  I.  60. 
royal,  iv.  4.  539. 
royalty,  v.  5.  4. 
runaways,  v.  3.  316. 

sanctuary,  ii.  4.  66. 

scathe,  i.  3.  317. 

scrivener,  iii.  6.  int. 

seniory,  iv.  4.  36. 

senseless-obstinate,  iii.  I,  44. 

serves,  iv.  4.  195. 

set,  V.  3.  251. 

several,  iii.  2.  78;  v.  3.  93. 

shamefast,  i.  4.  142. 

shrewd,  ii.  4.  35. 

sign,  iii.  5.  79;  iv.  4.  89. 

slander,  iii.  3.  13. 

slug,  iii.  I.  22. 

smooth,  i.  3.  48. 

smoothing,  i.  2.  169. 

so,  iv.  4.  210. 

solace,  ii.  3.  30. 

soothe,  i.  3.  298. 

sop,  i.  4.  162. 

sort,  ii.  2.  148;  3.  36;  V.  3.  3t^ 

spent,  ii.  2.  115. 

spleen,  v.  3.  350. 

splintered,  ii.  2.  118. 

spoil,  iv.  4.  290. 

stall'd,  i.  3.  206. 

stamped,  i.  I.  16;  i.  3.  256, 

startled,  iii.  4.  87. 

state,  iii.  2.  83. 

statuas,  iii.  7.  25. 

staves,  V.  3.  65. 

stealing,  iii.  7.  168, 

steeled,  i.  i.  148. 


INDEX  OF  WORDS. 


199 


still,  i.  3.  222;  ii.  I.  137;  3.41; 

iii.  2.  52;  iv.  4.  229. 
stout-resolved,  i.  3.  340. 
successively,  iii.  7.  135. 
sudden,  i.  3.  346;  iv.  2.  1 9. 
suspects,  i.  3.  89. 
svi^elling,  ii.  i.  51. 
swift,  i.  I.  15;  iv.  I.  49. 
sword,  iv.  4.  470. 

ta'en  the  sacrament,  iv.  5*  18. 

tall,  i.  4.  156. 

tear-falling,  iv.  2.  66. 

tell,  i.  4.  122;  V.  3.  276. 

telling,  iv.  4.  254. 

tendering,  i.  i.  44;  ii.  4.  72;  iv. 

4.  405. 
tetchy,  iv.  4.  1 68. 
that,  i.  2.  163. 
thin,  ii.  i.  117. 
this,  v.  3.  201. 
timeless,  i.  2.  117. 
to  =  as  to,  ii.  I.  20;  iii.  2.  27. 
touch,  iv.  2.  8. 
toys,  i.  I.  60. 
triumph,  iii.  4.  44. 
truth,  iii.  2.  94. 
type,  iv.  4.  244. 

unavoided,  i.  4.  27;   iv.  I.  56; 

4.  217. 
unfelt  imagination,  i.  4.  80. 


ungoverned,  iv.  4.  392. 
unhappiness,  i.  2.  25. 
unity,  iv.  4.  379. 
unmeritable,  iii.  7.  I55» 
unquiet,  ii.  4.  55. 
unrespective,  iv.  2.  29. 
untainted,  iii.  6.  9. 
unvalued,  i.  4.  27. 
used,  V.  3.  198. 

vain  flourish,  i.  3.  241. 
vantage,  iii.  7.  37;  v.  3.  15. 
vizard,  ii.  2.  28. 

ward,  V.  3.  254. 

warn,  i.  3.  39. 

wash,  V.  2.  9. 

watch,  V.  3.  63. 

watchful,  V.  3.  115. 

welkin,  v.  3.  341. 

vi^hile,  the,  ii.  3.  8;  iii.  6.  10, 

white-livered,  iv.  4.  465. 

windows,  i.  2.  12. 

wit,  iii.  I.  50. 

with,  iv.  4.  394. 

withal  =  with,  iii.  7«  57» 

witness,  iii.  v.  70. 

witty,  iv.  2.  42. 

worship,  i.  I.  66. 

worshipful,  iii.  4.  4I;  7'  I3^» 

worthy,  i.  2.  87. 

wrong-incensed,  ii.  i.  S'* 


INDEX  TO  THE  APPENDIX   ON   PROSODY. 

The  mimbey  opposite  each  reference  gives  the  page  to  which  to  turn; 
the  number  following  within  parentheses  gives  the  line  of  the  page. 


Act  I. 

Sc. 

Line 

Page 

iv. 

187 

180 

(6). 

Sc. 

Line 

Page 

iv. 

202 

181 

(33). 

i. 

i6 

181 

(22). 

iv. 

209 

181 

(17). 

i. 

43 

182 

(43). 

iv. 

218 

182 

(24). 

i. 

48 

^^5 

(39). 

iv. 

248 

182 

(21). 

i. 

49 

182 

(8). 

iv. 

250 

184 

(35). 

i. 
i. 

55 

187 
179 

(35). 
(18). 

Act  IL 

i. 

84 

182 

(8). 

i. 

75 

181 

(22). 

i. 

86 

180 

(2). 

i. 

133 

184 

(14). 

i. 

92 

'^5 

(25). 

ii. 

24 

184 

(32). 

i. 

94 

184 

(10). 

ii. 

105 

180 

(16). 

i. 

95 

182 

(8). 

ii. 

123 

181 

(19). 

i. 

103 

182 

(7). 

iii. 

16 

179 

(16). 

i. 

104 

180 

(3). 

iii. 

46 

180 

(19). 

i. 

105 

181 

(33). 

iv. 

I 

185 

(39). 

i. 

162,  163 

187 

(31). 

iv. 

12 

181 

(38). 

ii. 

50 

180 

(9). 

iv. 

26 

182 

(8). 

ii. 

64 

180 

(10). 

iv. 

40 

183 

(21). 

ii. 

76 

180 

(9). 

iv. 

43 

179 

(6). 

ii. 

127 

180 

(8). 

iv. 

63 

179 

(29). 

ii. 
ii. 

164 
193-203 

178 
183 

(8). 
(28}. 

Act  hi. 

ii. 

226 

183 

(6). 

i. 

37 

181 

(33). 

ii. 

235 

180 

(39). 

i. 

39 

184 

(14). 

ii. 

239 

182 

(24). 

i. 

71 

181 

(23). 

ii. 

263,  264 

187 

(30. 

i. 

79 

180 

(9). 

iii. 

I 

181 

(22). 

i. 

90 

182 

(28). 

iii. 

36 

180 

(41). 

i. 

94 

187 

(36). 

iii. 

107 

180 

(6). 

i. 

no 

185 

(26). 

iii. 

136,  137 

183 

(17). 

i. 

114 

184 

(33). 

iii. 

168 

181 

(18). 

i. 

143 

182 

(28). 

iii. 

305 

181 

(22). 

i. 

157 

179 

(15). 

iii. 

313 

180 

(15). 

i. 

158 

184 

(34). 

iii. 

333 

179 

(6). 

i. 

188 

185 

(16). 

iii. 

350 

182 

(II). 

i. 

191 

182 

(8). 

iv. 

59 

184 

(30). 

i. 

195 

179 

(19). 

iv. 

65 

184 

(31). 

i. 

181 

(23). 

iv. 

80 

186 

(20). 

ii. 

3 

179 

(17). 

iv. 

85 

180 

(42). 

ii. 

67 

179 

(6). 

iv. 

165 

181 

(32). 

ii. 

76 

179 

(15). 

INDEX  TO  APPENDIX  ON  PROSODY. 


201 


Sc. 

Line 

Page 

Sc. 

Line 

Page 

ii. 

76 

181 

(28). 

iv. 

69 

179 

(6). 

ii. 

119, 120 

183 

(25). 

iv. 

75 

186 

(21). 

iii. 

I 

182 

(28). 

iv. 

136 

179 

(3). 

iii. 

6 

185 

(36). 

iv. 

147 

179 

(6). 

iii. 

7 

182 

(28). 

iv. 

170 

181 

(24). 

iii. 

17 

181 

(32). 

iv. 

183 

180 

(13). 

iii. 

23 

182 

(28). 

IV, 

194,  195 

187 

(33). 

iii. 

24 

179 

(6). 

iv. 

217 

181 

(24). 

iv. 

32 

183 

(4). 

iv. 

263 

179 

(13). 

iv. 

58 

180 

(19). 

iv. 

269 

180 

(40). 

iv. 

60 

182 

(33). 

iv. 

408 

180 

(16). 

V. 

12,  13 

183 

(25). 

iv. 

428 

182 

(36). 

V. 

15 

183 

(31). 

iv. 

467 

179 

(31). 

V. 

76 

181 

(24). 

iv. 

485 

181 

(32). 

vi. 

9 

181 

(23). 

iv. 

506 

179 

(9). 

vii. 

3 

180 

(43). 

iv. 

509 

180 

(20). 

vii. 

9 

181 

(24). 

V. 

10 

179 

(17). 

vii. 

21 

180 

(44). 

V. 

10 

181 

(32). 

vii. 

58 

179 

(15). 

vii. 

59 

183 

(3).  • 

Act 

V. 

vii. 
vii. 
vii. 
vii. 
vii. 
vii. 

70 
81 

"3 
224 
229 
240 

182 
180 
181 
181 
180 
179 

(33). 
(18). 

(24). 
(42). 
(10). 

(30). 

i. 

iii. 
iii. 
iii. 
iii. 
iii. 

5 

7 

52,53 
68 

72 

75 

179 
181 

184 
181 
184 
179 

(4). 
(32). 
(23). 
(20). 

(7). 
(25). 

Act  IV. 

iii. 

78 

179 

(22). 

iii. 

130 

185 

(5). 

i. 

7  . 

180 

(10). 

iii. 

140 

181 

(29). 

i. 

19 

181 

(39). 

iii. 

142 

179 

(6). 

i. 

34 

181 

(33). 

iii. 

148 

182 

(39). 

i. 

55 

185 

(17). 

iii. 

149,  150 

187 

(33). 

ii. 

2,3 

183 

(25). 

iii. 

165,  166 

187 

(33). 

ii. 

32 

182 

(21). 

iii. 

186 

183 

(9). 

ii. 

36 

181 

(23). 

iii. 

187 

184 

(6). 

ii. 

45 

184 

(24). 

iii. 

209 

184 

(7). 

ii. 

93 

179 

(19). 

iii. 

214 

183 

(9). 

ii. 

98 

179 

(16). 

iii. 

221 

^^5 

(37). 

ii. 

106 

179 

(10). 

iii. 

224 

182 

(5). 

ii. 

114 

183 

(7). 

iii. 

239 

180 

(44). 

ii. 

120 

180 

(10). 

iii. 

245 

181 

(23). 

iii. 

35 

182 

(35). 

iii. 

281 

183 

(13). 

iii. 

55 

181 

(24). 

iii. 

289 

181 

(32). 

iv. 

15,  16 

187 

(35). 

iii. 

298 

184 

(20). 

iv. 

20,  21 

187 

(35). 

iii. 

299 

184 

(20). 

iv. 

24,25 

187 

(35). 

V. 

9 

179 

(23). 

iv. 

27 

186 

(19). 

V. 

II 

180 

(II). 

GENERAL   INDEX. 


Abbott. — Shakespearian  Gram- 
mar^ i.  3.  68,  212;  iii.  i.  68; 
iii.   I.  177;   iii.  4.  51;   iv.  4. 

292,  337»  354,  492. 

abstracts  used  in  plural,  iii.  7. 
40;  iv.  I.  25;  3.  8. 

adjective,  use  of,  i.  i.  15,  29; 
i.  2.  35;  i.  3.  29. 

adverb,  i.  i.  22;  iii.  4.  50. 

alliteration,  i.  I.  6,  8;  i.  4.  41; 
(double)  iv.  2.  37. 

anachronism,  iv.  4.  366. 

Anne,  i.  I.  153;  iv.  i.  66,  73. 

antithesis,  i.  4.  89,  172;  iii.  i.  85; 
iii.  7.  120;  iv.  4.  351. 

article,  use  of,  i.  2.  179. 

Baynard's  Castle,  iii.  5.  98. 

**be",  force  of  prefix,  i.  3.  222. 

Bedford,  Duke  of,  ii.  3.  21. 

bigamy,  iii.  7.  189. 

Bourchier,  Cardinal,  iii.  I.  32. 

Buckingham,  i.  3.  275;  ii.  I.  29, 
64. 

Burgundy,  i.  4.  10. 

"but'*,  use  of,  ii.  i.  33. 

Caesar,  references  to  in  Shake- 
speare, iii.  I.  84. 

Caesar's  Commentaries,  iii.  I.  86. 

''character",  use  of,  iii.  I.  83. 

characters,  confusion  of,  iii.  4. 80. 

Chertsey,  i.  ii.  29. 

chiasmus,  iii.  I.  85. 

Clarence,  i.  I.  50;  i.  4.  53;  ii.  I. 
79;  2.  51. 

Clarence's  children,  ii.  2.  62. 

clocks,  old,  iv.  2.  117. 

cockatrice,  superstition  regard- 
ing, i.  2.  150;  iv.  I.  55. 

compounds,  iii.  I.  44. 

connectives,  iii.  5.  63;  7.  157. 

construction,  confused,  i.  3.  68. 


contemporary  events  referred  to, 
i.  I.  I,  24,  62,  67,  68,  &c. 

Crosby  Place,  i.  2.  213. 

Delius,  i.  I.  132. 

*'do",  omission  of,  i.  3.  25. 

double  negatives,  i.  3.  13,  90, 

doublets,  i.  2.  8. 

-ed,  syllabic  value  of,  i.  1.6. 

Ed  Vizard  IV.,  King,  i.  i.  137  ; 
ii.  2.  51;  iii.  5.  75;  7.  5,  6;— 
hts  device,  i.  I.  2. 

Edward,  Prince,  i.  I.  153,  154; 

2.  92,  241. 
ellipsis,  ii.  i.  37. 

epithet,  transferred,  v.  3.  112. 

equivocation,  i.  4.  240. 

French  forms  in  English,  iii,  I. 

164. 
ghosts,  1.  4.  54;  v.  3.  180. 
Gloucester,  Duke  of,  ii.  3.  21. 
Goldsmith's  Traveller,  reference 

to,  iv.  I.  59. 
graft,    from   older  **graff",   iii. 

7.  127. 
grammar,  structure  explained,  i. 

3.  68,  162,  190,  282,  291,  354; 

4.  45,  273;  ii.  I.  134;  2.  76, 
104,  118;  4.  59;  iii.  I.  159, 
177,  183;  2.  58,  92,  115;  4. 
66;  5.25,  35,  47,  55,  56,  92; 
7.  144,  150,  159;  iv.  2.  59; 
4.  34,  118,  188,  192,234,254, 
293,369;  y.  2.  10;  3.  243,268. 

Great  Seal,  ii.  4.  *]\. 

Grey,  Lord,  i.  3.  256;  iv.  i.  141. 

Hall's    Chronicle,    reference   to, 

iii.  5.  76;  iv.  2.  108;  V.  I.    , 
Hamlet,  ii.  2.  69. 
Hastings,  ii.  I.  133;  iii.  I.  165; 

2.  62. 
Hawthorne,  i.  2.  55. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


203 


"heaven",  treated  as  plural,  i.  3. 

219;  V.  5.  21. 
**hell",  treated  as  plural,  iv.  4.  72. 
Henry  VI.,  King,  i.  2.  5. 
I  Henry  VI.,  i.  2.   157;  3.   174, 

183;  iii.  7.  183;  IV.  2.  98. 
historical  error,  v.  3.  324. 
Holinshed's  Chronicle^  reference 

to,  i.   I.  32,  39;  iii.  I.  46;  2. 

116;  4.  33,  61,  70;  5.  100;  7. 

189;  iv.  2.  23,  51,  56,  108;  3. 

29,  37;  4.    52;  V.   I.  3,  314, 

324. 
hyperbole,  ii.  2.  69. 
indirect  object,  ii.  2.  104. 
irony,  i.  2.  259;  3.  142;  v.  3.  132. 
h'ony,  tragic,  i.  I.  50;  2.  26;  ii. 

I.  43;    iii.  I.  no;    2.  33,  43, 

55,  68,  122;  4.  13. 
iteration,  iv.  4.  40. 
Johnson,  iv.  4.  290. 
jussive  use  of  verb,  ii.  2.  I41. 
Kiri^Johft^  iv.  2.  15. 
King  Lear,  i.  3.  intro. 
language,  note  on,  ii.  3.  15. 
Ludlow,  ii.  I.  21. 
Macbeth,   ii.  4.  23;   iv.  2.  64;  3. 

51;  4.  24;  v.  3.  92. 
Malone,  v.  3.  68. 
manners,  foreign,  i.  3.  49. 
marriage  laws,  iii.  7.  189. 
Marshall,  iii.  I.  83. 
Merchant  of  Venice,   i.  4.   149; 

iv.  4.  2. 
Mercury,  winged,  ii.  I.  80. 
metaphor,  1.  i.  16,  in,  256,  325; 

ii.  2.  38,  51;  iii.  4.  27;  7.  49, 

162,  188;  iv.  3.  6,  51 ;  4.  1,68, 

77,  226,  232;  V.  3.  n6. 
Midsumjner-JVight^ s  Dream,  iv. 

3-31. 

miracle  plays,  iii.  I.  82. 

More,  Sir  T.,  iii.  4.  33. 

motion,  verb  of,  omitted,  iii.  2.  91. 

murdered,     superstition    regard- 
ing, i.  2.  55. 

Murderers,  character  of,  i.  4.  81. 

negative,  position  of,  i.  3.  25. 

noun  for  adjective,  i.  3.  291. 


oaths,  Richard's,  i.  I.  1 38. 

Othello,  iv.  4.  157. 

owls,  superstition  regarding,  iv. 

4.  509. 
oxymoron,  i.  2.  1 53;  3.  1 63;  iv. 

4.  26. 
Paradise  Lost,  iv.  4.  52. 
parenthesis,  iii.  7.  210. 
participle,  (a)  use  of  pres.  in  t  for 

past  part.,  i.  4.  192;  iii.  7.  127, 

^79>  V.  5.  3.     [d)  Use  of  form 

in  ing  for  en,  ii.  i.  129;  iii.  I. 

107. 
pathos,    how    heightened,    i.    3, 

183;  ii.  2.  intro.;  iv.  3.  intro. 
persons,  confusion  of,  iii.  4.  80. 
Plantagenet,  origin  of  name,  i.  2. 

142. 
plural,  use  of,  iii.  7.  40;  iv.  I. 

25;  iv.  3.  8. 
plural  for  singular,  i.  4.  1 59. 
Pomfret  Castle,  iii.  I.  183. 
possessive,  i.  3.  75;  objective,  i.  4. 

229;   The,  as,  iv.  2.  27. 
preposition,    uses   of,    i.    I.    58; 

ii.  2.  95;  iii.  1.9,  109;  5.  32; 

iv.  I.  3. 
pronoun,  repetition  of,  i.  3.  219; 

iii.  2.   115;  iv.  3.  lO; — super' 

Hnous,  i.   3.   212;    iii.   7.  89, 

235;  they  for  them,  ii.  2.  76; 

thou  and  you,  use  of,  i.  2.  68; 

4.  175;  omission  of,  ii.  2.  104; 

V.  3.  204. 
prose  and  blank  verse,  use  of, 

i.  4.  166. 
proverbial  expressions,  ii.  3.  4. 
punctuation,  iv.  2.  15. 
puns  or  word-play,  i.  I.  I15;  2. 

15,   102;  ii.  4.  20;  iii.  3.  82, 

100,   139,   251;    4.  230,   240; 

iii.  I.  n8;  2.  43;  iv.  4.  172, 

"177,  255,  361. 
Queen  Elizabeth,  i.   I.  81,  82; 

character,  iv.  4.  426. 
Queen  Margaret,  i.  3.  no,  197. 
redundancy,  v.  3.  268. 
regicides,    mode    of    punishing, 

IV.  1.  59- 


204 


KING   RICHARD   THE   THIRD. 


rhyme,  use  of,  i.  4.  172. 
Ricliard,   infancy  of,  ii.  4.  28; — 

device,  i.  3.  228; — cognizance, 

iii.  2.   II  ;  V.  2.  7 ;  deformity, 

i.  I.  14. 
Richard  II.,  iv.  4.  2. 
Richmond,  iv.  1.43,  50;  4.  477, 

523,   525;  —  Stanleys  t^elation 


to. 


3.  20;  V.  2.  5. 


Richmond,  Countess  of,  i.  3.20. 
Romeo  and  Juliet,  iv.  4.  232. 
Rutland,  death  of,  i.  3.  183. 
St.  Albans,  second  battle  of,  i.  3. 

130. 
salutations,  ii.  3.  6. 
Scotland,  wars  in,  iii.  7.  15. 
Scott,  i.  2.  55. 
Scripture,  references  to,  i.  3.  81; 

ii.  I.  122;    3.  II;    iii.  4.  47; 

7.  89;  iv.  4.  255. 
Shelley,  Mask  0}  Anarchy,  i.  3. 

354. 
Shore,  Jane,  i.  i.  73,  82;  iii.  I. 

185. 

**Sir",  use  of,  iii.  2.  1 11. 
slaves,  branding  of,  i.  3.  229. 
Sonnet,  iii.  i.  87. 


stage,    arrangement    in    Shak^* 

speare's  time,  v.  3.  intro. 
stage  device,  v.  3.  211. 
Steevens,   i.  3.  252;    iv.   I.  59; 

4.  90,  226. 
'stichomuthia',  i.2.  68;  iv.  4.  343. 
Stony -Stratford,  ii.  4.  2. 
subject,  omission  of,  iii.  4.  36. 
superstition  regarding  owls,  iv. 

4.  509. 
text,    notes  on,   i.  i.  i ;    3.  155, 

275;  4.  9;  iii.  7.  219;  iv.  1.76. 
time,  indications  of,  iii.  2.  91. 
"to",  ii.  I.  120. 
toad,  belief  regarding,  i.  2.  20. 
touchstone,  iv.  2.  8. 
Tower,  the,  iii.  I.  69. 
verb  of  motion,  omission  of,  iii. 

2.  91. 
Vice  in  the  Moralities,  iii.  I.  82. 
Warburton,  i.  3.  229;  4.  149. 
Warwick,  Earl  of,  i.  I.  1 53. 
White-Friars,  i.  2.  227. 
Wright,   i.  3.  64;   4.   149,  247; 

ii.  4.  51;  iii.  I.  150. 
York,  age  of  Duchess  of,  iv.  I. 

96. 


V 


V  ^'V'-^' 


\\\c.Uvn<?>vA. 


v.- 


Q 


^ 


BRIGHAM  YOUNG  UNIVERSITY 

"''3  1 197  20268  401 2 

Date  Due 

All  libraiy  items  are  subject  to  recall  3  weeks  from 
the  original  date  stamped. 


iiiN  n  ti  ?fln: 


im  0  /  li 


St 


1 


n?-rTT7|e 


-il 


CI_2JUMia 


PR  18  2036 


MAI?  0  7  ?m 
FEB  0  8  ?nn? 


%^, 


M«p  ^  a  ?i)n7 


MA^ji^^m 


#■ 


liffmTTlF 


?9e^ 


Brigham  Young  University