Richard III, Q1, (1597), p.3-94

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Enter Richard Duke of Glocester solus.

NOw is the winter of our discontent,
Made glorious summer by this Son of Yorke   
And all the cloudes that lowrd vpon our house,
In the deepe bosome of the Ocean buried.
Now are our browes bound with victorious wreathes,
Our bruised armes hung vp for monuments,
Our sterne alarmus changd to merry meetings,
Our dreadfull Marches to delightfull measures.
Grim-visagd Warre, hath smoothd his wrinkled front,
And now in stead of mounting barbed steeds,
To fright the soules of fearfull aduersaries,
He capers nimbly in a Ladies chamber,
To the lasciuious pleasing of a lute.
But I that am not shapd for Sportiue trickes,
Nor made to court an amorous Looking- glasse,
I that am rudely stampt and want loues maiesty,
To strut before a wonton ambling Nymph   
I that am curtaild of this faire proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deformd, vn-finishd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world scarce halfe made vp,
And that so lamely and vnfashionable,
That dogges barke at me as I halt by them   
Why I (in this weake piping time of peace)
Haue no delight to passe away the time,
Vnlesse to see my shadow in the sunne,
And descant on mine owne deformity   
And therefore since I cannot proue a louer
To entertaine these faire well spoken dayes.

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I am determined to proue a villaine,
And hate the idle pleasures of these dayes   
Plots haue I laide inductions dangerous,
By drunken Prophesies, libels and dreames,
To set my brother Clarence and the King
In deadly hate the one against the other.
And if King Edward be as true and iust,
As I am subtle, false, and treacherous   
This day should Clarence closely be mewd vp,
About a Prophesie which sayes that G.
Of Edwards heyres the murtherer shall be.
Diue thoughts downe to my soule,

Enter Clarence with a gard of men.

Heere Clarence comes,
Brother, good dayes, what meanes this armed gard
That waites vpon your grace?
   Clar.   His Maiesty tendering my persons safety hath appointed
This conduct to conuay me to the tower.
   Glo.   Vpon what cause?
   Cla.   Because my name is George.
   Glo.   Alacke my Lord that fault is none of yours,
He should for that commit your Godfathers   
O belike his Maiesty hath some intent
That you shalbe new christened in the Tower.
But vvhats the matter Clarence may I know?
   Cla.   Yea Richard when I know; for I protest
As yet I doe not, but as I can learne,
He harkens after Prophecies and dreames,
And from the crosse-rowe pluckes the letter G   
And saies a wisard told him that by G,
His issue disinherited should be.
And for my name of George begins with G,
It followes in his thought that I am he.
These as I learne and such like toies as these,
Haue moued his highnes to commit me now.
   Glo.   Why this it is when men are rulde by women,
Tis not the King that sends you to the tower,
My Lady Gray his wife, Clarence tis she,

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That tempers him to this extremity,
Was it not she and that good man of worshippe
Anthony Wooduile her brother there,
That made him send Lord Hastings to the tower;
From whence this present day he is deliuered?
We are not safe Clarence, we are not safe.
   Cla.   By heauen I thinke there is no man securde,
But the Queenes kindred and night-walking Heralds,
That trudge betwixt the King and Mistresse Shore,
Heard ye not what an humble suppliant
Lord Hastings was to her for his deliuery.
   Glo.   Humbly complaining to her deity,
Got my Lord Chamberlaine his liberty.
Ile tell you what, I thinke it is our way,
If we will keepe in fauour with the King,
To be her men and weare her liuery.
The iealous oreworne widdow and her selfe,
Since that our brother dubd them gentlewomen,
Are mighty gossips in this monarchy.
   Bro.   I beseech your Graces both to pardon me   
His Maiesty hath streightly giuen in charge,
That no man shall haue priuate conference,
Of what degree soeuer with his brother.
   Glo.   Euen so and please your worship Brokenbury,
You may pertake of any thing we say   
We speake no treason man, we say the King
Is wise and vertuous, and his noble Queene
Well stroke in yeres, faire and not iealous.
We say that Shores wife hath a prety foote,
A cherry lippe, a bonny eie, a passing pleasing tongue   
And that the Queenes kindred are made gentlefolks.
How say you sir, can you deny all this?
   Bro.   With this (my Lord) my selfe haue nought to do.
   Glo.   Naught to do with Mistris Shore, I tell thee fellow,
He that doth naught with her, excepting one
Were best he doe it secretly alone.
   Bro.   What one my Lord?
   Glo.   Her husband knaue, wouldst thou betray me?
   Bro.   I beseech your Grace to pardon me, and withal forbeare
Your conference with the noble Duke

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   Cla.   We know thy charge Brokenbury and will obey,
   Glo.   We are the Queenes abiects and must obey.
Brother farewell, I will vnto the King,
And whatsoeuer you will imploy me in,
Were it to call King Edwards widdow sister,
I will performe it to enfranchise you,
Meane time this deepe disgrace in brotherhood,
Touches me deeper then you can imagine.
   Cla.   I know it pleaseth neither of vs well   
   Glo.   Well, your imprisonment shall not be long,
I will deliuer you or lie for you,
Meane time haue patience.
   Cla.   I must perforce; farewell.

Exit Clar.

   Glo.   Go treade the path that thou shalt nere returne,
Simple plaine Clarence I doe loue thee so,
That I will shortly send thy soule to heauen,
If heauen will take the present at our hands   
But who comes here the new deliuered Hastings?

Enter Lord Hastings.

   Hast.   Good time of day vnto my gratious Lord   
   Glo.   As much vnto my good Lord Chamberlaine   
Well are you welcome to the open aire,
How hath your Lordship brookt imprisonment?
   Hast.   With patience (noble Lord) as prisoners must   
But I shall liue my Lord to giue them thankes
That were the cause of my imprisonment.
   Glo.   No doubt, no doubt, and so shal Clarence too,
For they that were your enemies are his,
And haue preuaild as much on him as you.
   Hast.   More pitty that the Eagle should be mewed,
While keihts and bussards prey at liberty.
   Glo.   What newes abroad?
   Hast.   No newes so bad abroad as this at home   
The King is sickly, weake and melancholy,
And his Phisitions feare him mightily.
   Glo.   Now by Saint Paul this newes is bad indeede,
Oh he hath kept an euill diet long,
And ouermuch consumed his royall person,

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Tis very grieuous to be thought vpon   
What is he in his bed?
   Hast.   He is.
   Glo.   Go you before and I will follow you.

Exit Hast.

He cannot liue I hope, and must not die,
Till George be packt with post horse vp to heauen.
Ile in to vrge his hatred more to Clarence,
With lies well steeld with weighty arguments,
And if I faile not in my deepe intent,
Clarence hath not an other day to liue
Which done, God take King Edward to his mercy,
And leaue the world for me to bussell in,
For then Ile marry Warwicks yongest daughter   
What though I kild her husband and her father,
The readiest way to make the wench amends,
Is to become her husband and her father   
The which will I, not all so much for loue,
As for another secret close intent.
By marrying her which I must reach vnto.
But yet I run before my horse to market   
Clarence still breathes, Edward still liues and raignes,
When they are gone then must I count my gaines.

Exit.

Enter Lady Anne with the hearse of Harry the 6.

   Lady An.   Set downe set downe your honourable lo
If honor may be shrowded in a hearse,
Whilst I a while obsequiously lament
The vntimely fall of vertuous Lancaster   
Poore kei-cold figure of a holy King,
Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster,
Thou bloudlesse remnant of that royall bloud,
Be it lawfull that I inuocate thy ghost,
To heare the lamentations of poore Anne,
Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughtered sonne,
Stabd by the selfesame hands that made these holes,
Lo in those windowes that let foorth thy life,
I powre the helplesse balme of my poore eies,
Curst be the hand that made these fatall holes,
Curst be the heart that had the heart to doe it.

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More direfull hap betide that hated wretch,
That makes vs wretched by the death of thee   
Than I can wish to adders, spiders, toades,
Or any creeping venomde thing that liues.
If euer he haue child abortiue be it,
Prodigious and vntimely brought to light   
Whose vgly and vnnaturall aspect,
May fright the hopefull mother at the view.
If euer he haue wife, let her be made
As miserable by the death of him,
As I am made by my poore Lord and thee.
Come now towards Chertsey with your holy loade,
Taken from Paules to be interred there   
And still as you are weary of the waight,
Rest you whiles I lament King Henries corse.

Enter Glocester.

   Glo.   Stay you that beare the corse and set it downe.
   La.   What blacke magitian coniures vp this fiend,
To stop deuoted charitable deedes.
   Glo.   Villaine set downe the corse, or by S. Paule,
Ile make a corse of him that disobeies.
Gent.
My Lord, stand backe and let the coffin passe.
   Glo.   Vnmanerd dog, stand thou when I command,
Aduance thy halbert higher than my brest,
Or by Saint Paul Ile strike thee to my foote,
And spurne vpon thee begger for thy boldnes.
   La.   What doe you tremble, are you all afraid?
Alas, I blame you not, for you are mortall,
And mortall eies cannot endure the diuell.
Auaunt thou dreadfull minister of hell,
Thou hadst but power ouer his mortall body,
His soule thou canst not haue, therefore be gone.
   Glo.   Sweete Saint, for Charity be not so curst.
   La.   Foule Diuell, for Gods sake hence & trouble vs not,
For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell   
Fild it with cursing cries and deepe exclaimes.
If thou delight to view thy hainous deedes,
Behold this patterne of thy butcheries.

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Oh gentlemen see, see dead Henries woundes,
Open their congeald mouthes and bleede a fresh.
Blush blush thou lumpe of foule deformity,
For tis thy presence that exhales this bloud,
From cold and empty veines where no bloud dwells.
Thy deed inhumane and vnnaturall,
Prouokes this deluge most vnnaturall.
Oh God which this bloud madest, reuenge his death,
Oh earth which this bloud drinkst, reuenge his death   
Either heauen with lightning strike the murtherer dead,
Or earth gape open wide and eate him quicke.
As thou doest swallow vp this good Kings bloud,
Which his hell-gouernd arme hath butchered.
   Glo.   Lady you know no rules of charity,
Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses.
   Lady   Villaine thou knowest no law of God nor man   
No beast so fierce but knowes some touch of pitty.
   Glo.   But I know none, and therefore am no beast.
   Lady.   Oh wonderfull when Diuels tell the troth.
   Glo.   More wonderfull when Angels are so angry
Voutsafe deuine perfection of a woman,
Of these supposed euils to giue me leaue,
By circumstance but to acquite my selfe.
   La.   Vouchsafe defused infection of a man,
For these knowne euils but to giue me leaue,
By circumstance to curse thy cursed selfe.
   Glo.   Fairer then tongue can name thee, let me haue
Some patient leisure to excuse my selfe.
   La.   Fouler then heart can thinke thee thou canst make
No excuse currant but to hang thy selfe.
   Glo.   By such despaire I should accuse my selfe.
   Lad.   And by despairing shouldst thou stand excusde,
For doing worthy vengeance on thy selfe,
Which didst vnworthy slaughter vpon others.
   Glo.   Say that I slew them not.
   La.   Why then they are not dead,
But dead they are, and diuelish slaue by thee.
   Glo.   I did not kill your husband.

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   La.   Why then he is aliue.
   Glo.   Nay, he is dead, and slaine by Edwards hand.
   La.   In thy foule throat thou liest, Queene Margaret saw
Thy bloudy faulchion smoking in his bloud,
The which thou once didst bend against her brest,
But that thy brothers beat aside the point.
   Glo.   I was prouoked by her slaunderous tongue,
Which laid their guilt vpon my guiltlesse shoulders.
   La.   Thou wast prouoked by thy bloudy minde,
Which neuer dreamt on ought but butcheries,
Didst thou not kill this King.   Glo.   I grant yea.
   La.   Doest grant me hedghogge then god grant me too
Thou maiest be damnd for that wicked deede,
Oh he was gentle, milde, and vertuous.
   Glo.   The fitter for the King of Heauen that hath him.
   La.   He is in heauen where thou shalt neuer come.
   Glo.   Let him thanke me that holpe to send him thither,
For he was fitter for that place then earth,
   La.   And thou vnfit for any place but hell.
   Glo.   Yes one place els if you will heare me name it.
   La.   Some dungeon.     Glo.   Your bedchamber.
   La.   Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest.
   Glo.   So will it Madame till I lie with you.
   La.   I hope so.
   Glo.   I know so, but gentle Lady Anne,
To leaue this keen incounter of our wits,
And fall somewhat into a slower methode   
Is not the causer of the timeles deaths,
Of these Plantagenets Henry and Edward,
As blamefull as the executioner.
   La.   Thou art the cause and most accurst effect.
   Glo.   Your beauty was the cause of that effect,
Your beauty which did haunt me in my sleepe   
To vndertake the death of all the world
So I might rest one houre in your sweete bosome.
   La.   If I thought that I tell thee homicide,
These nailes should rend that beauty from my cheekes.
   Glo.   These eies could neuer indure sweet beauties wrack,

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You should not blemish them if I stood by   
As all the world is cheered by the sonne,
So I by that, it is my day, my life.
   La.   Blacke night ouershade thy day, and death thy life.
   Glo.   Curse not thy selfe faire creature, thou art both.
   La.   I would I were to be reuenged on thee.
   Glo.   It is a quarrell most vnnaturall,
To be reuengd on him that loueth you.
   La.   It is a quarrell iust and reasonable,
To be reuengd on him that slew my husband.
   Glo.   He that bereft thee Lady of thy husband,
Did it to helpe thee to a better husband.
   La.   His better doth not breath vpon the earth.
   Glo.   Go to, he liues that loues you better then he could.
   La.   Name him.
   Glo.   Plantagenet.
   La.   Why what was hee.
   Glo.   The selfesame name but one of better nature.
   La.   Where is he.
Shee spitteth at him.
   Glo.   Heere.
Why doest thou spitte at me.
   La.   Would it were mortall poison for thy sake.
   Glo.   Neuer came poison from so sweete a place.
   La.   Neuer hung poison on a fouler toade,
Out of my sight thou doest infect my eies.
   Glo.   Thine eies sweete Lady haue infected mine.
   La.   Would they were basiliskes to strike thee dead.
   Glo.   I would they were that I might die at once,
For now they kill me with a liuing death   
Those eies of thine from mine haue drawen salt teares,
Shamd their aspect with store of childish drops   
I neuer sued to friend nor enemy,
My tongue could neuer learne sweete soothing words   
But now thy beauty is proposde my fee   
My proud heart sues and prompts my tongue to speake,
Teach not thy lips such scorne, for they were made
For kissing Lady not for such contempt.
If thy reuengefull heart cannot forgiue,
Lo here I lend thee this sharpe pointed sword   

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Which if thou please to hide in this true bosome,
And let the soule forth that adoreth thee   
I laie it naked to the deadly stroke,
And humbly beg the death vpon my knee.
Nay, doe not pawse, twas I that kild your husband,
But twas thy beauty that prouoked me   
Nay now dispatch twas I that kild King Henry   
But twas thy heauenly face that set me on   
Here she lets fall
the sword.
Take vp the sword againe or take vp me.
   La.   Arise dissembler, though I wish thy death,
I will not be thy executioner.
   Glo.   Then bid me kill my selfe, and I will doe it.
   La.   I haue already.
   Glo.   Tush that was in thy rage   
Speake it againe, and euen with the word,
That hand which for thy loue did kill thy loue,
Shall for thy loue, kill a farre truer loue   
To both their deaths shalt thou be accessary.
   La.   I would I knew thy heart.
   Glo.   Tis figured in my tongue.
   La.   I feare me both are false.
   Glo.   Then neuer was man true.
   La.   Well, well, put vp your sword.
   Glo.   Say then my peace is made.
   La.   That shall you know hereafter.
   Glo.   But shall I liue in hope.
   La.   All men I hope liue so.
   Glo.   Voutsafe to weare this ring.
   La.   To take is not to giue.
   Glo.   Looke how this ring incompasseth thy finger,
Euen so thy breast incloseth my poore heart.
Weare both of them for both of them are thine,
And if thy poore deuoted suppliant may
But beg one fauour at thy gratious hand,
Thou doest confirme his happines for euer.
   La.   What is it?
   Glo.   That it would please thee leaue these sad designes,
To him that hath more cause to be a mourner,

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And presently repaire to Crosbie place,
Where after I haue solemnly interred
At Chertsie monastery this noble King,
And wet his graue with my repentant teares,
I will with all expedient dutie see you   
For diuers vnknowne reasons, I beseech you
Grant me this boone.
   La.   With all my heart, and much it ioies me too,
To see you are become so penitent   
Tressill and Barkley go along with me.
   Glo.   Bid me farewell.
   La.   Tis more then you deserue   
But since you teach me how to flatter you,
Imagine I haue said farewell already.

Exit.

   Glo.   Sirs take vp the corse.
Ser.
Towards Chertsie noble Lord.
   Glo.   No, to white Friers there attend my comming.
Was euer woman in this humor woed,

Exeunt. manet Gl.

Was euer woman in this humor wonne   
Ile haue her, but I will not keepe her long.
What I that kild her husband and his father,
To take her in her hearts extreamest hate   
With curses in her mouth, teares in her eies,
The bleeding witnesse of her hatred by,
Hauing God, her conscience, and these bars against me   
And I nothing to backe my suite at all,
But the plaine Diuell and dissembling lookes,
And yet to win her all the world to nothing. Hah
Hath she forgot already that braue Prince
Edward, her Lord whom I some three months since,
Stabd in my angry moode at Tewxbery,
A sweeter and a louelier gentleman,
Framd in the prodigality of nature   
Young, valiant, wise, and no doubt right royall,
The spacious world cannot againe affoord   
And will she yet debase her eyes on me
That cropt the golden prime of this sweete Prince,
And made her widdow to a wofull bed,

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On me whose all not equals Edwards moity,
On me that halt, and am vnshapen thus.
My Dukedome to a beggerly denier.
I doe mistake my person all this while,
Vpon my life she findes, although I cannot
My selfe, to be a merueilous proper man.
Ile be at charges for a looking glasse,
And entertaine some score or two of taylers,
To study fashions to adorne my body,
Since I am crept in fauour with my selfe,
I will maintaine it with some little cost   
But first Ile turne yon fellow in his graue,
And then returne lamenting to my loue.
Shine out faire sunne till I haue bought a glasse,
That I may see my shadow as I passe.

Exit.

Enter Queene, Lord Riuers, Gray.

   Ri.   Haue patience Madame, theres no doubt his Maiestie
Will soone recouer his accustomed health.
   Gray   In that you brooke it, ill it makes him worse,
Therefore for Gods sake entertaine good comfort,
And cheere his grace quick and mery words,
   Qu.   If he were dead what would betide on me.
   Gray.   No other harme but losse of such a Lord.
   Qu.   The losse of such a Lord includes all harmes.
   Gray.   The heauens haue blest you with a goodly sonne,
To be your comforter when he is gone.
   Qu.   Ah! he is young, and his minority
Is put vnto the trust of Richard Glouster,
A man that loues not me nor none of you.
   Riu.   Is it concluded he shall be protector?
   Qu.   It is determinde, not concluded yet,
But so it must be if the King miscarry.

Enter Buckingham and Derby

   Gray.   Here comes the Lord of Buckingham and Derby.
   Buc.   Good time of day vnto your royall grace.
   Der.   God make your Maiesty ioyfull as you haue been.
   Qu.   The Countesse Richmond good my L. of Derby,
To your good prayer will scarcely say, Amen   
Yet Derby notwithstanding, shees your wife,

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And loues not me, be you good Lord assurde
I hate not you for her proud arrogance.
   Der.   I doe beseech you either not beleeue
The enuious slaunders of her false accusers,
Or if she be accusde in true report,
Beare with her weakenes which I thinke proceedes
From wayward sicknesse, and no grounded malice.
   Qu.   Saw you the King to day, my Lord of Derby?
   Der.   But now the Duke of Buckingham and I
are come from visiting his Maiesty.
   Qu.   What likelihood of his amendment Lords?
   Buc.   Madame good hope, his Grace speakes cheerfully.
   Qu.   God grant him health, did you confer with him.
   Buc.   I Madame,he desires to make attonement
Betweene the Duke of Glouster and your brothers,
And betweene them and my Lord chamberlaine,
And sent to warne them to his royall presence.
   Qu.   Would all were well, but that will neuer be.
I feare our happines is at the height.

Enter Richard.

   Rich.   They doe me wrong and I will not endure it,
Who is it that complaines vnto the King,
That I forsooth am sterne and loue them not   
By holy Paul they loue his grace but lightly,
That fill his eares with such discentious rumors   
Because I cannot flatter and looke faire,
Smile in mens faces, smoothe, deceiue and cog,
Ducke with french nods and apish courtesie,
I must be held a rankerous enimy.
Cannot a plaine man liue and thinke no harme,
But thus his simple truth must be abusde,
With silken slie insinuating iackes?
   Grey.   To who in all this presence speakes your Grace?
   Rich.   To thee that hast nor honesty nor grace,
When haue I iniured thee, when done thee wrong,
Or thee or thee or any of your faction   
A plague vpon you all. His royall Grace
(Whom God preserue better then you would wish)
Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing while,

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But you must trouble him with lewd complaints.
   Qu.   Brother of Glouster, you mistake the matter   
The King of his owne royall disposition,
And not prouokt by any suiter else,
Ayming belike at your interiour hatred,
That in your outward actions shewes it selfe,
Against my children, brother, and my selfe   
Makes him to send that he may learn the ground
   Rich.   I cannot tell, the world is growen so bad
That wrens make pray where Eagles dare not pearch,
Since euery Iacke became a Gentleman   
Theres many a gentle person made a Iacke.
   Qu.   Come come, we know your meaning brother Gl.
You enuy my aduancement and my friends,
God graunt we neuer may haue neede of you.
   Rich.   Meane time God grants that I haue neede of you,
Our brother is imprisoned by your meanes,
My selfe disgract, and the nobility
Held in contempt, whilst great promotions,
Are daily giuen to enoble those
That scarce some two daies since were worth a noble.
   Qu.   By him that raisde me to this carefull height,
From that contented hap which I enioyd,
I neuer did incense his Maiesty
Against the Duke of Clarence    but haue beene,
An earnest aduocate to pleade for him.
My Lord you doe me shamefull iniury,
Falsely to draw me in these vile suspects.
   Rich.   You may deny that you were not the means,
Of my Lord Hastings late imprisonment.
   Ryu.   She may my Lord.
   Rich.   She may Lo    Ryuers, why who knowes not so?
She may doe more Sir then denying that   
She may helpe you to many faire preferments,
And then deny her ayding hand therein,
And lay those honours on your high deserts,
What may she not, she may, aye marry may she.

Page 17

   Ry.   What mary may she.
   Glo.   What mary may she, marry with a King,
A batchelor, a handsome stripling too.
Iwis your Grandam had a worser match.
   Qu.   My Lo    of Glocester, I haue too long borne
Your blunt vpbraidings and your bitter scoffes,
By heauen I will acquaint his Maiesty
Of those grose taunts I often haue endured   
I had rather be a countrey seruant maid,
Then a great Queene with this condition,
To be so baited, scorned, and stormed at   

Enter Qu. Margaret.

Small ioy haue I in being Englands Queene.
   Qu. Mar.   And lesned be that smal, God I beseech him,
Thy honour, state, and seate is due to me.
   Rich.   What? threat you me with telling of the King,
I will auouch in presence of the King   
I dare adventure to be sent to the Towre,
Tis time to speake, my paines are quite forgot.
   Qu. Mar.   Out diuell I do remember them too well,
Thou kill'st my husband Henry in the tower,
And Edward my poore sonne at Teuxbery.
   RIch.   Ere you were Queene, yea or your husband King.
I was a packhorse in his great affaires,
A weeder out of his proud aduersaries,
A liberall rewarder of his friends   
To royalize his bloud I spilt mine owne.
   Qu. Mar.   Yea and much better bloud then his or thine.
   Glo.   In all which time you and your husband Gray,
Were factious for the house of Lancaster   
And Ryuers, so were you, was not your husband
In Margarets battaile at Saint Albones slaine   
Let me put in your mindes, if yours forget
What you haue beene ere now, and what you are.
Withall, what I haue been, and what I am.
   Qu. Ma.   A murtherous villaine, and so still thou art.
   Glo.   Poore Clarence did forsake his father Warwicke,
Yea and forswore himselfe (which Iesu pardon.)
   Qu. Ma.   Which God reuenge.

Page 18

   Glo.   To fight on Edwards party for the crowne,
And for his meede poore Lo    he is mewed vppon   
I would to God my heart were flint like Edwards,
Or Edwards soft and pittifull like mine,
I am too childish, foolish for this world.
   Qu. Ma.   Hie thee to hell for shame and leaue the world
Thou Cacodemon, there thy kingdome is.
   Ry.   My Lo    of Glocester in those busie daies,
Which here you vrge to proue vs enemies,
We followed then our Lo    our lawfull King,
So should we you if you should be our King.
   Glo.   If I should be? I had rather be a pedler,
Farre be it from my heart the thought of it.
   Qu.   As little ioy my Lord as you suppose
You should enioy, were you this countries King,
As little ioy may you suppose in me,
That I enioy being the Queene thereof.
   Qu. M.   A little ioy enioies the Queene thereof,
For I am she and altogether ioylesse.
I can no longer hold me patient   
Heare me you wrangling Pyrats that fall out,
In sharing that which you haue pild from me   
Which of you trembles not that lookes on me?
If not, that I being Queene you bow like subiects,
Yet that by you deposde you quake like rebels   
O gentle villaine doe not turne away.
   Glo.   Foule wrinckled witch what makst thou in my sight?
   Q. Ma.   But repetition of what thou hast mard,
That will I make before I let thee go   
A husband and a son thou owest to me,
And thou a kingdome, all of you allegeance   
The sorrow that I haue by right is yours,
And all the pleasures you vsurpe are mine.
   Glo.   The curse my noble father laid on thee,
When thou didst crowne his warlike browes with paper,
And with thy scorne drewst riuers from his eies,
And then to drie them gau’st the Duke a clout,
Steept in the faultlesse bloud of pretty Rutland   

Page 19

His curses then from bitternes of soule
Denounst, against thee, are all fallen vpon thee,
And God, not we, hath plagde thy bloudy deede.
   Qu.   So iust is God to right the innocent.
   Hast.   O twas the foulest deede to slaie that babe,
And the most mercilesse that euer was heard of.
   Riu.   Tyrants themselues wept when it was reported.
   Dors.   No man but prophecied reuenge for it.
   Buck.   Northumberland then present wept to see it.
   Qu. M.   What? were you snarling all before I came,
Ready to catch each other by the throat,
And turne you all your hatred now on me?
Did Yorkes dread curse preuaile so much with heauen,
That Henries death my louely Edwards death,
Their kingdomes losse, my wofull banishment,
Could all but answere for that peeuish brat?
Can curses pierce the clouds and enter heauen?
Why then giue way dull cloudes to my quicke curses   
Though not by Warre, by surfet die your King,
As ours by murder to make him a King.
Edward thy sonne that now is Prince of Wales,
For Edward my sonne that was Prince of Wales,
Die in his youth by like vntimely violence,
Thy selfe a Queene, for me that was a Queene,
Outliue thy glory like my wretched selfe   
Long maiest thou liue to waile thy childrens death,
And see another as I see thee now
Deckt in thy rights, as thou art stald in mine   
Long die thy happy daies before thy death,
And after many lengthened houres of griefe,
Die neither mother, wife, nor Englands Queene   
Riuers and Dorset you were standers by,
And so wast thou Lord    Hastings when my sonne
Was stabd with bloudy daggers, god I pray him,
That none of you may liue your naturall age,
But by some vnlookt accident cut off.
   Rich.   Haue done thy charme thou hatefull withred Hagge.
   Q. M.   And leaue out the stay dog for thou shalt hear me

Page 20

If heauen haue any grieuous plague in store,
Exceeding those that I can wish vpon thee   
O let them keepe it till thy sinnes be ripe,
And then hurle downe their indignation
On thee the troubler of the poore worlds peace   
The worme of conscience still begnaw thy soule,
Thy friends suspect for traitors while thou liuest,
And take deepe traitors for thy dearest friends   
No sleepe, close vp that deadly eye of thine,
Vnlesse it be while some tormenting dreame
Affrights thee with a hell of vgly Deueills.
Thou eluish markt abortiue rooting Hogge,
Thou that wast seald in thy natiuity
The slaue of nature, and the sonne of hell,
Thou slaunder of thy heavie mothers wombe,
Thou lothed issue of thy fathers loynes,
Thou rag of honour, thou detested, &c.
   Rich.   Margaret.
   Qu. M.   Richard.    Rich.   Ha.
   Qu. M.   I call thee not.
   Rich.   I crie thee mercy then: for I did thinke
That thou hadst cald me all these bitter names.
   Qu. M.   Why so I did, but lookt for no reply,
O Let me make the period to my curse.
   Rich.   Tis done by me, and ends in Margaret.
   Qu.   Thus haue you breathed your curse against yourselfe.
   Qu. M.   Poore painted Queene, vaine flourish of my fortune
Why strewest thou suger on that bottled spider,
Whose deadly web ensnareth thee about?
Foole foole, thou whetst a knife to kill thy selfe,
The day will come that thou shalt wish for me,
To helpe thee curse that poisenous bunchbackt toade.
   Hast.   False boading woman, end thy frantike curse,
Lest to thy harme thou moue our patience.
   Q. M.   Foule shame vpon you, you haue all mou’d mine,
   Ri.   Were you well seru’d you would be taught your duty.
   Q. M.   To serue me well, you all should doe me duty,
Teach me to be your Queene, and you my subiects   

Page 21

O serue me well, and teach your selues that duty.
   Dors.   Dispute not with her, she is lunatique.
   Q. M.   Peace Master Marques you are malapert,
Your fire-new stampe of honour is scarse currant   
O that your young nobility could iudge,
What twere to loose it and be miserable   
They that stand high haue many blast to shake them,
And if they fall they dash themselues to pieces.
   Rich.   Good counsell mary, learne it learne it Marques.
   Dor.   It toucheth you my Lord asmuch as me.
   Rich.   I and much more, but I was borne so high,
Our aiery buildeth in the Cedars top,
And dallies with the winde, and scornes the sunne.
   Qu. M.   And turnes the sun to shade, alas, alas,
Witnes my son, now in the shade of death,
Whose bright outshining beames, thy cloudy wrath
Hath in eternall darkenes foulded vp   
You aiery buildeth in our aieries nest,
O God that seest it, doe not suffer it   
As it was wonne with bloud, lost be it so.
   Buck.   Peace, peace for shame, if not for charity.
   Qu. M.   Vrge neither charity nor shame to me,
Vncharitably with me haue you dealt,
And shamefully my hopes (by you) are butcherd,
My charity is outrage, life my shame,
And in my shame, still liue my sorrowes rage.
   Buck.   Haue done, have done.
   Q. M.   O Princely Buckingham, I will kisse thy hand
In signe of league and amity with thee   
Now faire befall thee and thy Noble house,
Thy garments are not spotted with our bloud,
Nor thou within the compasse of my curse.
   Buc.   Nor no one here, for curses neuer passe
The lips of those that breath them in the aire.
   Q. M.   I will not think but they ascend the skie,
And there awake gods gentle sleeping peace.
O Buckingham take heede of yonder dog,
Looke when he fawnes, he bites, and when he bites,

Page 22

His venome tooth will rackle thee to death,
Haue not to doe with him, beware of him   
Sinne, death and hell, haue set their markes on him,
And all their ministers attend on him.
   Rich.   What doth she say my Lord of Buckingham?
   Buck.   Nothing that I respect my gratious Lord.
   Qu. M.   What doest thou scorne me for my gentle counsell,
And sooth the diuell that I warne thee from   
O but remember this another day,
When he shall split thy very heart with sorrow,
And say (poore Margaret) was a prophetesse   
Liue each of you the subiects of his hate,
And he to your, and all of you to Gods.

Exit.

   Buc.   My haire doth stand on end to heare her curses.
   Ryu.   And so doth mine, I wonder shees at liberty.
   Rich.   I cannot blame her by gods holy mother,
She hath had too much wrong, and I repent
My part thereof that I haue done.
   Qu.   I neuer did her any to my knowledge.
   Rich.   Yet you haue all the vantage of this wrong.
I was too hoat to doe some body good,
That is too cold in thinking of it now   
Marry as for Clarence he is well repaid,
He is franckt vp to fatting for his paines,
God pardon them that are the cause of it.
   Ryu.   A vertuous and a Christianlike conclusion,
To pray for them that haue done scathe to vs.
   Rich.   So doe I euer being well aduisde,

Speaker to himself.

For had I curst, now I had curst my selfe.

Enter Catesby.

   Cates.   Madam his Maiesty doth call for you,
And for your Grace, and you my gracious Lord   
   Qu.   Catesby I come, Lords will you go with mee.
   Ry.   We wait upon your Grace.

Exeunt

man. Ri.

   Glo.   I doe the wrong, and first began to braule
The secret mischiefes that I set abroach,
I lay vnto the grieuous charge of others   
Clarence whom I indeed haue cast in darkenes,
I doe beweepe to many simple Gulles   

Page 23

Namely to Hastings, Darby, Buckingham,
And tell them 'tis the Queene and her allies,
That stirre the King against the Duke my brother.
Now they beleeue me, and withall whet me,
To be reuenged on Rivers, Dorset, Grey   
But then I sigh, and with a piece of scripture,
Tell them that God bids vs doe good for euill   
And thus I clothe my naked villany,
With odde old ends stolne forth of holy writ,
And seeme a Saint when most I play the Diuell   
But soft here come my executioners.

Enter Executioners.

How now my hardy stout resolued mates,
Are you now going to dispatch this thing?
   Exec.   We are my Lord, and come to haue the warrant,
That we may be admitted where he is.
   Glo.   Well thought vpon, I haue it here about me,
When you haue done repaire to Crosby place;
But sirs; be sodaine in the execution,
Withall, obdurate, doe not heare him pleade,
For Clarence is well spoken, and perhaps,
May, moue your harts to pitty if you marke him.
   Exec.   Tut, tut, my Lord    we will not stand to prate,
Talkers are no good doers be assured   
We go to vse our hands, and not our tongues.
   Gl.   Your eies drop milstones when fooles eies fall tears,
I like you lads, about your busines straight. Go, go, dispatch.
We will my Noble Lord.

Exeunt.

Enter Clarence, Brokenbury.

   Brok.   Why lookes your grace so heauily to day?
   Clar.   Oh I haue past a miserable night,
So full of fearfull Dreames, of ugly fights,
That as I am a christian faithfull man,
I would not spend another such a night,
Though twere to buy a world of happy daies,
So full of dismall terror was the time.
   Brok.   What was your dreame my Lord, I pray you tel me.
   Cla.   Me thoughts that I had broken from the Tower, and was imbarkt to croffe to Burgundy,
And in my company my brother Glocester,
Who from my cabbine tempted me to walke,

Page 24

Vpon the hatches thence we lookt toward England,
And cited vp a thousand fearefull times,
During the warres of Yorke and Lancaster   
That had befalne vs, as we pac'd along,
Vpon the giddy footing of the hatches   
Me thought that Glocester stumbled, and in falling,
Strooke me (that thought to stay him) ouer-boord,
Into the tumbling billowes of the maine.
O Lord, me thought what paine it was to drowne,
What dreadfull noise of water in mine eares,
What fights of vgly death within mine eyes   
Me thoughts I saw a thousand fearfull wrackes,
A thousand men, that fishes gnaw'd vpon,
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heapes of pearle,
Inestimable stones, vnualued Iewels,
All scattred in the bottom of the Sea,
Some lay in dead-mens sculles, and in the holes,
Where eyes did once inhabite, there were crept
(As' twere in scorne of eyes) reflecting gemmes,
That woo'd the slimy bottome of the deepe,
And mock'd the dead bones that lay scattered by.
   Keep.   Had you such leisure in the time of death,
To gaze vpon these secrets of the deepe?
   Clar.   Me thought I had, and often did I flriue
To yeeld the Ghost: but still the enuiouis Flood ,
Stop'd in my soule, and would not let it sorth,
To find the empty, vaft, and wand'ring ayre,
But smother'd it within my panting bulke,
Who almost burst, to belch it in the sea.
   Keep.   Awak'd you not with this sore agony?
   Cla.   No, no, my dreame was lengthen'd after life.
O then began the tempest to my soule,
I past (me thought) the melancholly flood,
With that sowre Ferry-man, which Poets write of,
Vnto the kingdome of perpetuall night   
The first that there did greet my stranger-soule,
Was my great father-in-law renowmed Warwicke,
Who spake alowd what: scourge for periurie.
Can this darke monarchy affoord false Clarence,
And so he vanish'd. then came wand'ring by,

Page 25

A shadow like an angell, with bright hayre,
Dabble'd in blood, and he shrick'd out alowd,
Clarence is come, false, fleeting, periur'd Clarence,
That stabb'd me in the field by Tewkesbery   
Seize on him furies, take him unto torment.
With that (me thought) a legion of foule fiends
Inuiron'd me, and howled in mine eares
Such hiddeous cries, that with the very noise
I (trembling), wak'd, and for a season after
Could not beleeue but that I was in hell,
Such terrible impression made my dreame.
   Keep.   No maruelle Lord    though it affrighted you,
I am afraid( me thinkes) to heare you tell it.
   Cla.  Ah Keeper, Keeper I haue done these things,
( That now giue euidence against my soule)
For Edwards sake, and see how he requits mee.
O God! if my deepe prayres cannot appeale thee,
But thou wilt be aueng'd on my misdeeds,
Yet execute thy wrath in me alone:
O spare my guiltlesse Wife, and my poore children.
Keeper, I prythee fit by me a-while,
My soule is heauy, and I faine would sleepe.
   Keep.   I will my Lord    God giue your Grace good rest,
     Enter Brakebury the Lieutenant
   Bra.  Sorrow breakes seasons    and reposing houers,
Makes the night morning, and the noone-tide night:
Princes haue but their Titles for their Glories,
An outward Honour, for an inward Toyle,
And for vnfelt Imaginations,
They often feele a world of restlesse Cares   
So that betweene their Titles, and low Names,
There's nothing differs, but the outward fame.

Enter two Murtherers.

   1. Mur.   Ho, who's heere?
   Bra.   What would'st thou Fellow? And how camm'st thou hither?
   2. Mur.   I would speake with Clarence, and I came hither on my Legges.
   Bra.   What so breefe.
   2 Mur.   Tis better (Sir) then to be tedious:
Let him see our Commission, and talke no more.

Reads.

   Bra.   I am in this, commanded to deliuer
The Noble Duke of Clarence to your hands.
I will not reason what is meant heereby,
Because I will be guiltlesse from the meaning.   
There lies the Duke asleepe, and there the Keyes.

Page 26

Ile to the King, and signifie to him,
That thus I haue resign'd to you my charge.
   1.   You may sir, 'tis a point of wisedom:
Far you well.
   2   What shall we stab him as he sleepes.
   1   No hee'l say 'twas done cowardly, when he wakes
   2   Why he shall neuer wake, vntill the great Iudgement day.
   1   Why then hee'l say, we stab'd him sleeping.
   2   The vrging of that word Iudgement, hath bred a kinde of remorse in me.
   1   What? art thou affraid.
   2   Not to kill him, hauing a Warrant,
But to be damn'd for killing him, from the which
No Warrant can defend me.
   1   I thought thou had'st bin resolute.
   2   So I am, to let him liue.
   1   Ile backe to the Duke of Glouster, and tell him so.
   2   Nay I prythee stay a little:
I hope this passionate humor of mine, will change,
It was wont to hold me but while one tels twenty.
   1   How do'st thou feele thy selfe now?
   2   Some certaine dregges of conscience are yet within mee.
   1   Remember our Reward when the deed's done.
   2   Come, he dies:I had forgot the Reward.
   1   Where is thy conscience now.
   2   O, in the Duke of Glousters purse.
   1   When hee opens his purse to giue vs our Reward,
thy Conscience flyes out.
   2   'Tis no matter, let it goe: There's few or none will entertaine it.
   1   What if it come to thee againe?
   2   Ile not meddle with it, it makes a man a Coward:
A man cannot steale, but it accuseth him: A man cannot
Sweare, but it Checkes him: A man cannot lye with his
Neighbours Wife, but it detects him.'Tis a blushing
shamefac'd spirit, that mutinies in a mans bosome: It
filles a man full of obstacles. It made me once restore a
Pursse of Gold that (by chance)I found: It beggars any
man that keepes it: It is turn'd out of Townes and Cit
ties for a dangerous thing, and euery man that means to
liue well, endeuours to trust to himselfe, and liue with-
out it.

Page 27

   1   Zounds it is euen now at my elbowe perswading me
Not to kill the Duke.
   2   Take the diuell in thy minde, and beleeue him not,
He would insinuate with thee to make thee sigh.
   1   Tut, I am strong in fraud, he cannot preuaile with me,
I warrant thee.
   2   Spoke like a tall fellow that respects his reputation.
Come shall we to this geere.
   1   Take him ouer the costard with the hilts of thy sword,
And then we wil chop him in the malmsey But in the next roome
   2   Oh excellent deuice, make a sop of him.
   1   Harke he stirs, shall I strike.
   2   No, first lets reason with him.
   Cla.   Where art thou keeper, giue me a cup of wine.
   1   You shall haue wine enough my Lo    anon.
   Cla.   In Gods name what art thou.
   2   A man as you are.
   Cla.   But not as I am, royall.
   2   Nor you as we are, loyall.
   Cla.   Thy voice is thunder, but thy lookes are humble.
   2   My voice is now the Kings, my lookes mine owne.
   Cla.   How darkly, and how deadly doest thou speake   
Tell me who are you, wherefore come you hither?
   Am.   To, to, to.
   Cla.   To murther me.    Am.   I.
   Cla.   You scarcely haue the hearts to tell me so,
And therefore cannot haue the hearts to doe it.
Wherein my friends haue I offended you?
   1   Offended vs you haue not, but the King.
   Cla.   I shal be reconcild to him againe.
   2   Neuer my Lo    therfore prepare to die.
   Cla.   Are you cald foorth from out a world of men
To slay the innocent? what is my offence.
Where are the euidence that doe accuse me   
What lawfull quest haue giuen their verdict vp
Vnto the frowning Iudge, or who pronounst
The bitter sentence of poore Clarence death,
Before I be conuict by course of law?

Page 28

To threaten me with death, is most vnlawfull   
I charge you as you hope to haue redemption,
By Christs deare bloud shed for our grieuous sinnes,
That you depart and lay no hands on me,
The deede you vndertake is damnable.
   1   What we will doe, we doe vpon command.
   2   And he that hath commanded, is the King.
   Clar.   Erronious Vassaile, the great King of Kings,
Hath in the tables of his law commanded,
That thou shalt doe no murder, and wilt thou then
Spurne at his edict, and fulfill a mans?
Take heede, for he holds vengeance in his hands,
To hurle vpon their heads that breake his law.
   2   And that same vengeance doth he throw on thee,
For false forswearing, and for murder too   
Thou didst receiue the holy sacrament,
To fight in quarell of the house of Lancaster.
   1   And like a traitor to the name of God,
Didst breake that vowe, and with thy trecherous blade,
Vnript the bowels of thy soueraignes sonne.
   2   Whom thou wert sworne to cherish and defend.
   1   How canst thou vrge Gods dreadfull Law to vs,
When thou hast broke it in so deare degree?
   Cla.   Alas, for whose sake did I that ill deede,
For Edward, for my brother, for his sake   
Why sirs, he sends ye not to murder me for this,
For in this sinne he is as deepe as I   
If God will be reuenged for the deede,
O know you yet, he doth it publiquely, Take not the quarrell from his powerfull arme,
He needes no indirect, nor lawlesse course,
To cut off those that haue offended him.
   1   Who made thee then a bloudy minister,
When gallant springing braue Plantagenet,
That Princely Nouice was stroke dead by thee?
   Cla.   My brothers loue, the diuell, and my rage.
   1   Thy brothers loue, our duty and thy fault
Prouke vs hither now to slaughter thee.
   Cla.   Oh if you do loue my brother, hate not me,

Page 29

I am his brother, and I loue him well   
If you be hirde for meede, go backe againe,
And I will send you to my brother Glocester,
Who shall reward you better for my life,
Then Edward will for tydings of my death.
   2   You are deceiu’d, your brother Glocester hates you.
   Cla.   Oh no, he loues me, and he holds me deare,
Go you to him from me.
   Am.   I, so we will.
   Cla.   Tell him, when that our princely father Yorke,
Blest his three sonnes with his victorious arme   
And chargd vs from his soule, to loue each other,
He little thought of this divided Friendship:
Bid Glocester thinke of this, and he will weepe.
   Am.   I, milstones as he lessond vs to weepe.
   Cla.   O doe not slaunder him for he is kind.
   1   Right as snow in haruest, come you deceive yourself,
Tis he hath sent vs to destroy you heere,
   Cla.   It cannot be, for he bewept my Fortune,
And hugged me in his armes, and swore with sobs,
That he would labour my deliuery.
   2   Why so he doth, when he deliuers you,
From this earths thraldome, to the ioies of heauen,
   1   Makes peace with God, for you must die my Lo   
   Cla.   Hast you that holy feeling in your soules,
To counsell me to make my peace with God;
And are you yet to your owne soule so blinde,
That you will warre with God, by murdring me?
Ah sirs, consider,they that set you on
To doe this deede, will hate you for the deede.
   2   What shall we doe?
   Cla.   Relent, and saue your soules.
Which of you, if you were a Princes Sonne,
Bening pent from Liberty, as I am now,
If two such murtherers as your selves came to you,
Would not intreat for life, as you would begge
Were you in my distresse.
   1   Relent? no, tis cowardly and womanish.
   Cla.   Not to relent, is beastly, sauage, diuelish,
My friend, I spie some pitty in thy lookes   
Oh if thine eye be not a flatterer,
Come thou on my side, and intreat for me,
A begging Prince, what begger pitties not?
Looke behinde you, my Lord.

Page 30

   1 &nbs Take that, and that, is all this will not do,
He stabs him.
Ile drown you in the malmesey But, within.
   2   A bloudy deede, and desperately dispatcht,
How faine like Pilate would I wash my hand,
Of this most grieuous murder.
   1   How now? what means thou that thou helped me not?
By heauens the Duke shall know how slacke you have beene.
   2   I would he knew that I had saued his brother.
Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say,
For I repent me that the Duke is slaine.

Exit.

   1   So doe not I, go coward as thou art   
Now must I hide his body in some hole,
Vntill the Duke take order for his buriall   
And when I haue my meede I must away,
For this will out, and here I must not stay.

Exeunt.

Enter King, Queene, Hastings, Ryuers, Dorcet, &c.

   Kin.   So, now I haue done a good daies worke,
You peeres continue this vnited league,
I euery day expect an Embassage
From my redeemer to redeeme me hence   
And now in peace my soule shall part from heauen,
Since I haue set my friends at peace on earth   
Riuers and Hastings, take each others hand,
Dissemble not your hatred, sweare your loue.
   Riu.   By heauen, my heart is purgd from grudging hate,
And with my hand I seale my true hearts loue.
   Hast.   So thriue I as I truely sweare the like.
   Kin.   Take heede you dally not before your King,
Least he that is the supreme King of Kings,
Confound your hidden falshood and award
Either of you to be the others end.
   Hast.   So prosper I, as I sweare perfect loue.
   Riu.   And I, as I loue Hastings with my heart.
   Kin.   Madame, your selfe are not exempt in this,
Nor your son Dorset, Buckingham nor you,
You haue beene factious one against the other   
Wife, loue Lo    Hastings, let him kisse your hand,
And what you doe, doe it vnfainedly.
   Q.   Here Hastings I willneuer more remember

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Our former hatred so thriue I and mine.
   Dor.   This enterchange of loue, I here protest,
Vpon my part, shal be vnuiolable.
   Hast.   And so sweare I my Lord.
   Kin.   Now princely Buckingham seale thou this league
With thy embracements to my wiues allies,
And make me happy in your vnity.
   Buc.   When euer Buckingham doth turne his hate,
On you or yours, but with all duteous loue
Doth cherish you and yours, God punish me
With hate, in those where I expect most loue,
When I haue most neede to imploy a friend,
Deepe, hollow, trecherous, and full of guile
Be he vnto me, this doe I begge of God,
When I am cold in zeale to you or yours.
   Kin.   A pleasing cordiall Princely Buckingham,
Is this thy vow vnto my sickly heart   
There wanteth now our brother Glocester here,
To make the perfect period of this peace.

Enter Glocest.

   Buc.   And in good time here comes the noble Duke.
   Glo.   Good morrow to my soueraigne King & Queene,
And Princely peeres, a happy time of day.
   Kin.   Happy indeede as we haue spent the day   
Brother we haue done deedes of charity   
Made peace of enmity, faire loue of hate,
Betweene these swelling wrong insenced peeres.
   Glo.   A blessed labour, my most soueraigne liege,
Amongst this princely heape, if any here
By false intelligence or wrong surmise,
Hold me a foe, if I vnwittingly or in my rage,
Haue ought committed that is hardly borne
By any in this presence, I desire
To reconcile me to his friendly peace,
Tis death to me to be at enmity.
I hate it, and desire all good mens loue.
First Madam I intreate true peace of you,
Which I will purchase with my dutious seruice.

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Of you my noble Coosen Buckingham,
If euer any grudge were logde betweene vs.
Of you Lo    Riuers, and Lord Gray of you,
That all without desert haue frownd on me,
Dukes, Earles, Lords, gentlemen, indeed of all   
I doe not know that English man aliue,
With whom my soule is any iotte at oddes,
More then the infant that is borne to night   
I thanke my God for my humility.
   Qu.   A holy day shall this be kept hereafter,
I would to God all strifes were well compounded,
My soueraigne liege I doe beseech your Maiesty,
To take our brother Clarence to your Grace.
   Glo.   Why Madame, haue I offred loue for this,
To be thus scorned in this royall presence?
Who knowes not that the noble Duke is dead,
You doe him iniury to scorne his corse.
   Ryu.   Who knowes not he is dead? who knowes he is?
   Qu.   All seeing heauen, what a world is this?
   Buck.   Looke I so pale Lo    Dorset as the rest?
   Dor.   I my good L    and no one in this presence,
But his red couler hath forsooke his cheekes.
   Kin.   Is Clarence dead, the order was reuerst.
   Glo.   But he poore soule by your first order died,
And that a wingled Mercury did beare,
Some tardy cripple bore the countermaund,
That came too lag to see him buried   
God grant that some lesse noble, and lesse loyall,
Neerer in bloudy thoughts, but not in blo[u]d   
Deserue not worse then wretched Clarence did,
And yet go currant from suspition.

Enter Darby.

   Dar.   A boone my soueraigne for my seruice done.
   Kin.   I pray thee peace, my soule is full of sorrow.
   Dar.   I will not rise vnlesse your highnesse grant.
   Kin.   Then speake at once, what is it thou demaundst.
   Dar.   The forfeit soueraigne of my seruants life,
Who slew to day a riotous gentleman,
Lately attendant on the Duke of Norfolke.

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   Kin.   Haue I a tongue to doome my brothers death,
And shall the same giue pardon to a slaue?
My brother slew no man, his fault was thought,
And yet his punishment was cruell death.
Who sued to me for him? who in my rage,
Kneeld at my feete and bad me be aduisde?
Who spake of Brotherhood? who of loue?
Who told me how the poore soule did forsake
The mighty Warwicke, and did fight for me   
Who tolde me in the field by Teuxbery,
When Oxford had me downe, he rescued me,
And said deare brother, liue and be a King?
Who told me when we both lay in the field,
Frozen almost to death, how he did lappe me
Euen in his owne garments, and gaue himselfe
All thin and naked to the numbcold night?
All this from my remembrance brutish wrath
Sinfully pluckt, and not a man of you
Had so much grace to put it in my minde.
But when your carters, or your waighting vassailes
Haue done a drunken slaughter, and defaste
The pretious image of oure deare Redeemer,
You straight are on your knees for pardon pardon,
And I vniustly too, must grant it you   
But for my brother, not a man would speake,
Nor I vngratious speake vnto my selfe,
For him poore soule    The proudest of you all
Haue beene beholding to him in his life   
Yet none of you would once pleade for his life   
Oh God I feare thy Iustice will take hold
On me, and you, and mine, and yours for this.
Come Hastings help me to my closet, oh poore Clarence,

Exit.

   Glo.   This is the fruit of rashnes    markt you not
How that the guilty kindred of the Queene,
Lookt pale when they did heare of Clarence death?
Oh they did vrge it still vnto the King,
God will reuenge it. But come lets in
To comfort Edward with our company.

Page 34

Exeunt.

Enter Dutches of Yorke, with Clarence Children.

   Boy.   Tell me good Granam, is our father dead?
   Dut.   No boy.
   Boy.   Why doe you wring your hands, and beate your breast,
And crie, Oh Clarence my vnhappy sonne?
   Gerl.   Why doe you looke on vs and shake your head,
And call vs wretches, Orphanes, castawaies,
If that our noble father be aliue?
   Dut.   My prety Cosens, you mistake me much,
I doe lament the sicknesse of the King   
As loth to loose him, not your fathers death   
It were lost labour, to weepe for one thats lost.
   Boy.   Then Granam you conclude that he is dead,
The King my Vnckle is too blame for this   
God will reuenge it, whom I will importune
With daily praiers, all to that effect.
   Dut.   Peace children, peace, the King doth loue you wel,
Incapable and shallow innocents,
You cannot guesse who causde your fathers death.
   Boy.   Granam we can    For my good Vnckle Glocester
Tould me, the King prouoked by the Queene,
Deuisd impeachments to imprison him   
And when he tould me so, he wept,
And hugd me in his arme, and kindly kist my cheeke,
And bad me rely on him as in my father,
And he would loue me dearely as his child.
   Dut.   Oh that deceit should steale such gentle shapes,
And with a vertuous visard hide foule guile   
He is my sonne, yea, and therein my shame   
Yet from my dugs he drew not this deceit.
   Boy.   Thinke you my Vnckle did dissemble Granam?
   Dut.   I boy.
   Boy.   I cannot thinke it, hark what noise is this.

Enter the Quee.

   Qu.   Oh who shall hinder me to waile and weepe?
   To chide my fortune, and torment my selfe?
Ile ioine with blacke despaire against my soule,
And to my selfe become an enemy.
   Dut.   What meanes this sceane of rude impatience.
   Qu.   To make an act of tragicke violence   

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Edward, my Lord, your sonne our King is dead.
Why grow the branches, now the roote is witherd?
Why wither not the leaues, the sap being gone?
If you will liue, lament    if die, be briefe   
That our swiftwinged soules may catch the Kings,
Or like obedient subiects, follow him
To his new kingdome of perpetuall rest.
   Dut.   Ah so much interest haue I in thy sorrow,
As I had title in thy noble husband   
I haue bewept a worthy husbands death,
And liu’d by looking on his images.
But now two mirrours of his Princely semblance,
Are crackt in pieces by malignant death   
And I for comfort haue but one false glasse,
Which grieues me when I see my shame in him.
Thou art a widdow, yet thou art a mother,
And hast the comfort of thy children left thee   
But death hath snatcht my children from mine armes,
And pluckt two crutches from my feeble limmes,
Edward and Clarence, Oh what cause haue I
Then, being but moity of my griefe,
To ouergo thy plaints and drowne thy cries?
   Boy.   Good Aunt, you wept not for our fathers death,
How can we aide you with our kindreds teares.
   Gerl.   Our fatherlesse distresse was left vnmoand,
Your widdowes dolours likewise be vnwept.
   Qu.   Giue me no help in lamentation,
I am not barren to bring foorth laments   
All springs reduce their currents to mine eies,
That I being gouernd by the watry moone,
May send foorth plenteous teares to drowne the world   
Oh for my husband, for my eire Lo    Edward.
   Ambo   Oh for our father, for our deare Lo    Clarence.
   Dut.   Alas for both, both mine Edward and Clarence.
   Qu.   What stay had I but Edward, and he is gone?
   Am.   What stay had we but Clarence, and he is gone?
   Dut.   What staies had I but they, and they are gone?
   Qu.   Was neuer Widdow, had so deare a losse.

Page 36

   Ambo.   Was neuer Orphanes had a dearer losse.
   Du.   Was neuer mother had a dearer losse   
Alas, I am the mother of these mones,
Their woes are parceld, mine are generall   
She for Edward weepes, and so doe I   
I for a Clarence weepe, so doth not she   
These babes for Clarence weepe, and so doe I   
I for an Edward weepe, so doe not they.
Alas, you three on me threefold distrest,
Poure all your teares, I am your sorrowes nurse,
And I will pamper it with lamentations.

Enter Glocest. with others.

   Gl.   Madame haue comfort, al of vs haue cause,
To waile the dimming of our shining starre   
But none can cure their harmes by wailing them,
Madame my mother, I doe crie you mercy,
I did not see your Grace, humbly on my knee
I craue your blessing.
   Du.   God blesse thee, and put meekenes in thy minde,
Loue, charity, obedience, and true duety.
   Glo.   Amen, and make me die a good old man,
Thats the butt end of a mothers blessing   
I maruell why her Grace did leaue it out.
   Buck.   You cloudy Princes, and hart-sorrowing peeres
That beare this mutuall heauy lode of moane   
Now cheare each other, in each others loue   
Though we haue spent our haruest of this King,
We are to reape the haruest of his sonne   
The broken rancour of your high swolne hearts,
But lately splinterd, knit, and ioynde together,
Must gently be preseru’d, cherisht and kept,
Me seemeth good that with some little traine,
Forthwith from Ludlow the yong Prince be fetcht
Hither to London, to be crownd our King.
   Glo.   Then it be so; and go we to determine,
Who they shalbe that straight shall post to Ludlow   
Madame, and you my mother will you go,
To giue your censures in this waighty busines,
   Ans.   With all our hearts.

Exeunt man, Glo. Buck.

Page 37

   Buck.   My Lord who euer iourneies to the Prince,
For Gods sake let not vs two stay behinde   
For by the way Ile sort occasion,
As index to the story we late talkt of,
To part the Queenes proud kindred from the King.
   Glo.   My other selfe, my counsels consistory   
My Oracle, my Prophet, my deare Cosen   
I like a childe will go by thy direction   
Towards Ludlow then, for we will not stay behinde.

Enter two Cittizens.

1 Cit.   Neighbour well met, whither away so fast?
2 Cit.   I promise you, I scarcely know my selfe.
   1   Heare you the newes abroad?
   2   I, that the King is dead.
   1   Bad newes birlady, seldome comes the better,
I feare, I feare, twill prooue a troublous world.
Ent. another Citt.
   3 Cit.   Good morrow neighbours.
Doth this newes hold of good King Edwards death?
   1   It doth.
   3   Then masters looke to see a troublous world
   1   No no, by Gods good grace his sonne shall raigne.
   3   Woe to that land thats gouernd by a childe.
   2   In him there is a hope of gouernement,
That in his nonage counsell vnder him,
And in his full and ripened yeres himselfe,
No doubt shall then, and till then gouerne well.
   1   So stoode the state when Harry the sixt
Was crownd at Paris, but at ix. moneths olde.
   3   Stoode the state so? no good my friend not so
For then this land was famously enricht
With pollitike graue counsell    then the King
Had vertuous Vnckles to protect his Grace.
   2   So hath this, both by the father and the mother.
   3   Better it were they all came by the father,
Or by the father there were none at all   
For emulation now, who shall be neerest   
Will touch vs all too neare, if God preuent not.
Oh full of danger is the Duke of Glocester,
And the Queenes kindred hauty and proud,

Page 38

And were they to be rulde, and not to rule,
This sickly land might solace as before.
   2   Come come, we feare the worst, all shalbe well.
   3   When cloudes appeare, wise men put on their clokes   
When great leaues fall, the winter is at hand   
When the sunne sets, who doth not looke for night   
Vntimely stormes, make men expect a darth   
All may be well    but if God sort it so,
Tis more then we deserue or I expect.
   1   Truely the soules of men are full of bread   
Yee cannot almost reason with a man
That lookes not heauily, and full of feare.
   3   Before the times of change still is it so   
By a diuine instinct mens mindes mistrust
Ensuing dangers, as by proofe we see.
The waters swell before a boistrous storme   
But leaue it all to God    whither away?
   2   We are sent for to the Iustice.
   3   And so was I, Ile beare you company.

Exeunt.

Enter Cardinall, Dutches of Yorke, Quee. young Yorke.

   Car.   Last night I heare they lay at Northhampton.
At Stonistratford will they be to night,
To morrow or next day, they will be here.
   Dut.   I long with all my heart to see the Prince,
I hope he is much growen since last I saw him.
   Qu.   But I heare no, they say my sonne of Yorke
Hath almost ouertane him in his growth.
   Yor.   I mother, but I would not haue it so.
   Dut.   Why my young Cosen it is good to growe.
   Yor.   Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper,
My Vnckle Riuers talkt how I did grow
More then my brother. I quoth my Nnckle Glocester,
Small herbes haue grace, great weedes grow apace,
And since me thinkes I would not grow so fast   
Because sweete flowers are slow, and weedes make haste.
   Dut.   Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold
In him that did obiect the same to thee   
He was the wretchedst thing when he was young,

Page 39

So long a growing, and so leisurely,
That if this were a true rule, he should be gratious.
   Car.   Why Madame, so no doubt he is.
   Dut.   I hope so too, but yet let mothers doubt.
   Yor.   Now by my troth if I had beene remembred,
I could haue giuen my Vnckles grace a flout,
That should haue neerer toucht his growth then he did mine.
   Dut.   How my prety Yorke? I pray thee let me heare it.
   Yor.   Mary they say, my Vnckle grew so fast,
That he could gnaw a crust at two houres olde   
Twas full two yeares ere I could get a tooth.
Granam this would haue beene a biting iest.
   Dut.   I pray thee prety Yorke who tolde thee so.
   Yor.   Granam his nurse.
   Dut.   His nurse    why she was dead ere thou wert borne.
   Yor.   If twere not she, I cannot tell who tolde me.
   Qu.   A perilous boy, go to, you are too shrewde.
   Car.   Good Madame be not angry with the childe.
   Qu.   Pitchers haue eares.

Enter Dorset.

   Car.   Here comes your sonne, Lo    M. Dorset.
What newes Lo    Marques?
   Dor.   Such newes my Lo    as grieues me to vnfolde.
   Qu.   How fares the Prince?
   Dor.   Well Madame, and in health.
   Dut.   What is thy newes then?
   Dor.   Lo    Riuers and Lo    Gray are sent to Pomfret,
With them, Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.
   Dut.   Who hath committed them?
   Dut.   The mighty Dukes, Glocester and Buckingham.
   Car.   For what offence.
   Dor.   The summe of all I can, I haue disclosed   
Why, or for what, these nobles were committed,
Is all vnknowen to me my gratious Lady.
   Qu.   Ay me I see the downfall of our house,
The tyger now hath ceazd the gentle hinde   
Insulting tyranny beginnes to iet,
Vpon the innocent and lawlesse throane   
Welcome destruction, death and massacre,

Page 40

I see as in a mappe the ende of all.
   Du.   Accursed and vnquiet wrangling daies,
How many of you haue mine eies beheld?
My husband lost his life to get the crowne,
And often vp and downe my sonnes were tost   
For me to ioy and weepe their gaine and losse,
And being seated and domestike broiles,
Cleane ouerblowne themselues, the conquerours
Make warre vpon themselues, bloud against bloud,
Selfe against selfe, O preposterous
And frantike outrage, ende thy damned spleene,
Or let me die to looke on death no more.
   Qu.   Come come my boy, we will to sanctuary.
   Dut.   Ile go along with you.
   Qu.   You haue no cause.
   Car.   My gratious Lady go,
And thither beare your treasure and your goods,
For my part, Ile resigne vnto your Grace
The seale I keepe, and so betide to me,
As well I tender you and all of yours   
Come Ile conduct you to the sanctuary.

Exeunt.

The Trumpets sound. Enter young Prince, the Dukes of Glocester, and Buckingham, Cardinall, &c.

   Buc.   Welcome sweete Prince to London to your chamber.
   Glo.   Welcome deare Cosen my thoughts soueraigne,
The weary way hath made you melancholy.
   Prin.   No Vnckle, but our crosses on the way
Haue made it tedious, wearisome, and heauy   
I want more Vnckles here to welcome me.
   Glo.   Sweete Prince, the vntainted vertue of your yeres,
Hath not yet diued into the worlds deceit   
Nor more can you distinguish of a man,
Then of his outward shew, which God he knowes,
Seldome or neuer iumpeth with the heart   
Those Vnckles which you want, were dangerous,
Your Grace attended to their sugred words,
But lookt not on the poison of their hearts   
God keepe you from them, and from such false friends.

Page 41

   Pri.   God keepe me from false friends, but they wer none.
   Glo.   My Lo, the Maior of London comes to greete you.

Enter Lord Maior.

   Lo   M.   God blesse your grace with health and happy daies.
   Prin.   I thanke you good my Lo    and thanke you all   
I thought my mother, and my brother Yorke,
Would long ere this haue met vs on the way   
Fie, what a slug is Hastings that he comes not
To tell vs whether they will come, or no.

Enter L. Hast.

   Buck.   And in good time, here comes the sweating Lo   
   Pri.   Welcome my Lo    what will our mother come?
   Hast.   On what occasion, God he knowes, not I   
The Queene your mother and your brother Yorke
Haue taken sanctuary    The tender Prince
Would faine haue come with me, to meete your Grace,
But by his mother was perforce withheld.
   Buc.   Fie, what an indirect and peeuish course
Is this of hers? Lo    Cardinall will your grace
Perswade the Queene to send the Duke of Yorke
Vnto his Princely brother presently?
If she deny, Lo    Hastings go with him,
And from her iealous armes plucke him perforce.
   Car.   My Lo    of Buckingham, if my weake oratory
Can from his mother winne the Duke of Yorke,
Anone expect him here    but if she be obdurate
To milde entreaties, God forbid
We should infringe the holy priuiledge
Of blessed sanctuary, not for all this land,
Would I be guilty of so great a sinne.
   Buck.   You are too sencelesse obstinate my Lo   
Too ceremonious and traditionall   
Weigh it but with the grossenes of this age,
You breake not sanctuary in seazing him   
The benefit thereof is alwaies granted
To those whose dealings haue deserude the place,
And those who haue the wit to claime the place.
This Prince hath neither claimed it, nor deserued it,
And therefore in mine opinion, cannot haue it.

Page 42

Then taking him from thence that is not there,
You breake no priuiledge nor charter there   
Oft haue I heard of sanctuary men,
But sanctuary children neuer till now.
   Car.   My Lo    you shall ouerrule my minde for once   
Come on Lo    Hastings will you go with me?
   Hast.   I go my Lord.
Exit Cardinall and Hastings    Prin.   Good Lords make all the speedy hast you may   
Say Vnckle Glocester, if our brother come,
Where shall we soiourne till our coronation?
   Glo.   Where it think`st best vnto your royall selfe   
If I may counsail you, some day or two,
Your highnes shall repose you at the tower   
Then where you please, and shalbe thought most fit
For your best health and recreation.
   Prin.   I doe not like the tower of any place   
Did Iulius Caesar build that place my Lord?
   Buc.   He did, my gratious Lo    begin that place,
Which since succeeding ages haue reedified.
   Prin.   Is it vpon record, or els reported
Successiuely from age to age he built it?
   Buc.   Vpon record my gratious Lo   
   Pri.   But say my Lo    it were not registred,
Me thinkes the truth should liue from age to age,
As twere retailde to all posterity,
Euen to the generall ending day.
   Glo.   So wise, so young, they say doe neuer liue long.
   Pri.   What say you Vnckle?
   Glo.   I say without characters fame liues long   
Thus like the formall vice iniquity,
I morallize two meanings in one word.
   Pri.   That Iulius Cesar was a famous man,
With what his valour did enrich his wit,
His wit set downe to make his valure liue   
Death makes no conquest of this conquerour,
For now he liues in fame though not in life   
Ile tell you what my Cosen Buckingham.
   Buc.   What my gratious Lord?

Page 43

   Prin.   And if I liue vntill I be a man,
Ile winne our auncient right in France againe,
Or die a souldier as I liude a King.
   Glo.   Short summers lightly haue a forward spring.

Enter young Yorke, Hastings, Cardinall.

   Buc.   Now in good time here comes the Duke of Yorke.
   Pri.   Rich. of Yorke how fares our louing brother?
   Yor.   Well my dread Lo    so must I call you now.
   Pri.   I brother to our griefe as it is yours   
Too late he died that might haue kept that title,
Which by his death hath lost much maiesty.
   Glo.   How fares our Cosen noble Lo    of Yorke?
   Yor.   I thanke you gentle Vnckle. O my Lo   
You said that idle weedes are fast in growth   
The Prince my brother hath outgrowen me farre.
   Glo.   He hath my Lo   
   Yor.   And therfore is he idle?
   Glo.   Oh my faire Cosen, I must not say so.
   Yor.   Then he is more beholding to you then I.
   Glo.   He may command me as my soueraigne,
But you haue power in me as in a kinseman.
   Yor.   I pray you Vnckle giue me this dagger.
   Glo.   My dagger little Cosen, withall my heart.
   Pri.   A begger brother?
   Yor.   Of my kind Vnckle that I know will giue,
And being but a toy, which is no griefe to giue.
   Glo.   A greater gift then that, Ile giue my Cosen.
   Yor.   A greater gift, O thats the sword to it.
   Glo.   I gentle Cosen, were it light enough.
   Yor.   O then I see you will part but with light gifts,
In weightier things youle say a begger nay.
   Glo.   It is too heauy for your Grace to weare.
   Yor.   I weigh it lightly were it heauier.
   Glo.   What would you haue my weapon little Lord?
   Yor.   I would, that I might thanke you as you call me.
   Glo.   How?
   Yor.   Little.
   Pri.   My Lo    of Yorke will still be crosse in talke   
Vnckle your grace knowes how to beare with him.

Page 44

   Yor.   You meane to beare me, not to beare with me   
Vnckle, my brother mockes both you and me,
Because that I am little like an Ape,
He thinkes that you should beare me on your shoulders.
   Buck.   With what a sharpe prouided wit he reasons,
To mittigate the scorne he giues his Vnckle   
He pretely and aptly taunts himselfe,
So cunning and so young is wonderfull.
   Glo.   My Lo    wilt please you passe along,
My selfe and my good Coosen Buckingham,
Will to your mother, to entreate of her,
To meete you at the tower, and welcome you.
   Yor.   What will you go vnto the tower my Lo?
   Prin.   My Lo    protector needes will haue it so.
   Yor.   I shall not sleepe in quiet at the tower.
   Glo.   Why, what should you feare?
   Yor.   Mary my Vnckle Clarence angry ghost   
My Granam tolde me he was murdred there.
   Pri.   I feare no Vnckles dead.
   Glo.   Nor none that liue, I hope.
   Pri.   And if they liue, I hope I neede not feare   
But come my Lo    with a heauy heart
Thinking on them, go I vnto the tower.

Exeunt Prin. Yor. Hast. Dors.

manet. Rich. Buck.

   Buc.   Thinke you my Lo    this little prating Yorke,
Was not incensed by his subtile mother,
To taunt and scorne you thus opprobriously?
   Glo.   No doubt, no doubt, Oh tis a perillous boy,
Bold, quicke, ingenious, forward, capable,
He is all the mothers, from the top to toe.
   Buc.   Well, let them rest    Come hither Catesby,
Thou art sworne as deepely to effect what we intend,
As closely to conceale what we impart.
Thou knowest our reasons vrgde vpon the way   
What thinkest thou? is it not an easie matter
To make William Lo    Hastings of our minde,
For the instalement of this noble Duke,
In the seate royall of this famous Ile?

Page 45

   Cates.   He for his fathers sake so loues the Prince,
That he will not be wonne to ought against him.
   Buck.   What thinkest thou then of Stanley what will he?
   Cat.   He will doe all in all as Hastings doth.
   Buck.   Well then no more but this   
Go gentle Catesby, and as it were a farre off,
Sound thou Lo    Hastings, how he stands affected
Vnto our purpose, if he be willing,
Encourage him, and shew him all our reasons   
If he be leaden, icie, cold, vnwilling,
Be thou so too    and so breake off your talke,
And giue vs notice of his inclination   
For we to morrow hold deuided counsels,
Wherein thy selfe shalt highly be emploied.
   Glo.   Commend me to Lo    William, tell him Catesby,
His auncient knot of dangerous aduersaries
Tomorrow are let bloud at Pomfret Castle,
And bid my friend for ioy of this good newes,
Giue Mistresse Shore, one gentle kisse the more.
   Buck.   Good Catesby effect this busines soundly.
   Cat.   My good Lo    both, with all the heede I may.
   Glo.   Shall we heare from you Catesby ere we sleepe?
   Cat.   You shall my Lord.
   Glo.   At Crosby place there shall you finde vs both.
   Buc.   Now my Lo    what shall we doe, if we perceiue
William Lo    Hastings will not yeeld to our complots?
   Glo.   Chop of his head man, somewhat we will doe,
And looke when I am King, claime thou of me
The Earledome of Hereford and the moueables,
Whereof the King my brother stood possest.
   Buc.   Ile claime that promise at your Graces hands.
   Glo.   And looke to haue it yeelded with all willingnes   
Come let vs suppe betimes, that afterwards
We may digest our complots in some forme.

Exeunt.

Enter a Messenger to Lo   Hastings.

   Mes.   What ho my Lord.
   Hast.   Who knockes at the dore.
   Mess.   A messenger from the Lo   Stanley.

Enter L. Hast.

Page 46

   Hast.   Whats a clocke?
   Mess.   Vpon the stroke of foure.
   Hast.   Cannot thy Master sleepe these tedious nights?
   Mess.   So it should seeme by that I haue to say   
First he commends him to your noble Lordship.
   Hast.   And then.
   Mes.   And then he sends you word.
He dreamt to night the beare had raste his helme   
Besides, he saies there are two councels held,
And that may be determined at the one,
Which may make you and him to rewe at the other,
Therefore he sends to know your Lordships pleasure   
If presently you will take horse with him,
And with all speede post into the North,
To shun the danger that his soule diuines.
   Hast.   Go fellow go, returne vnto thy Lord,
Bid him not feare the seperated counsels   
His honour and my selfe are at the one,
And at the other, is my seruant Catesby   
Where nothing can proceede that toucheth vs,
Whereof I shall not haue intelligence.
Tell him his feares are shallow, wanting instance.
And for his dreames, I wonder he is so fond,
To trust the mockery of vnquiet slumbers,
To flie the boare, before the boare pursues vs,
Were to incense the boare to follow vs,
And make pursuite where he did meane no chase   
Go bid thy Master rise and come to me,
And we will both together to the tower,
Where he shall see the boare will vse vs kindely.
   Mess.   My gratious Lo    Ile tell him what you say.

Enter Cates.

   Cat.   Many good morrowes to my noble Lo   
   Hast.   Good morrow Catesby, you are early stirring,
What newes what newes, in this our tottering state?
   Cat.   It is a reeling world indeede my Lo   
And I beleeue it will neuer stand vpright,
Till Richard weare the garland of the Realme.
   Hast.   Howe? weare the garland? doest thou meane the crowne?
   Cat.   I my good Lord.

Page 47

   Hast.   Ile haue this crowne of mine, cut from my shoulders
Ere I will see the crowne so foule misplaste   
But canst thou guesse that he doth aime at it.
   Cat.   I on my life and hopes to find you forward
Vpon his party for the gaine thereof,
And thereupon he sends you this good newes,
That this same very day, your enemies,
The kindred of the Queene must die at Pomfret.
   Hast.   Indeede I am no mourner for that newes,
Because they haue beene still my adversaries    
But that Ile giue my voice on Richards side,
To barre my Masters heires in true discent,
God knowes I will not doe it to the death.
   Cat.   God keepe your Lordship in that gratious minde.
   Hast.   But I shall laugh at this a tweluemonth hence,
That they which brought me in my Masters hate,
I liue to looke vpon their tragedy   
Well Catesby, ere a fortnight make me elder,
Ile send some packing, that yet thinke not on it.
   Cat.   Tis a vile thing to die my gratious Lord,
When men are vnprepard and looke not for it.
   Hast.   O Monstrous monstrous, and so fals it out
With Riuers, Vaughan, Gray, and so twill doe
With some men els, who thinke themselues as safe
As thou, and I, who (as thou knowest) are deare
To Princely Richard, and to Buckingham.
   Cat.   The Princes both make high account of you,
For they account his head vpon the bridge.
   Hast.   I know they doe, and I haue well deserued it.

Enter Lord Stanley.

Come on, come on, where is your boare-speare man?
Feare you the boare and go so vnprouided?
   Stan.   My Lord good morrow, good morrow Catesby   
You may iest on    but by the holy roode.
I doe not like these seuerall councels I.
   Hast.   My Lord I hould my life as deare as you doe yours,
And neuer in my dayes I doe protest,

Page 48

Was it so pretious to me, as it is now   
Thinke 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 iocund, and supposde their states were sure,
And they indeed had no cause to mistrust   
But yet you see how soone the day ouercast,
This sudden scab of rancour I misdoubt,
Pray God, I say, I proue a needelesse coward   
What, shall we toward the tower? the day is spent.
   Hast.   come, come, have with you:
What you what, my Lord,
Today the Lords you talkt of, are beheaded.
   Sta.   They for their truth might better weare their heads,
Then some that haue accusde them weare their hats   
But come my Lord, let`s away.

Enter Hastin. a Purßuant.

   Hast.   Go on before, Ile talke with this good fellow.
   Exit Lord Stanley, and Catesby  
how, now, Sirrha? how goes the world with thee?
   Pur.   The better that your Lordship please to aske.
   Hast.   I tell thee man tis better with me now.
Then when thou met me last where now we meete   
Then was I going prisoner to the tower,
By the suggestion of the Queenes allies   
But now I tell thee (keepe it to thy selfe.)
This day those enemies are put to death,
And I in better state then euer I was.
   Pur.   God hold it to your honors good content.
   Hast.   Gramercie fellow: there, drinke that for me.

Throwes him his purse.

   Pur.   I thanke your Honor.

Enter a priest.

   Priest.   Well met, my Lord, I am glad to see your Honor.
   Hast.   I thanke thee, good Sir Iohn, with all my heart.
I am in your debt, for your last exercise:   
Come the next sabaoth and I will content you.
   Priest.   Ile wait vpon your Lordship.

Enter Buckingham.

   Buc.   What, talking with a Priest, Lord Chamberlaine?
Your friends at Pomfret they doe need the priest
Your honour hath no shriuing worke in hand.
   Hast.   Good faith and when I met this holy man,
Those men you talke of came into my minde   
What, goe you toward the Tower?

Page 49

   Buck.   I doe, my Lord, but long I cannot stay there
I shall returne before your Lordship thence.
   Hast.   Nay like enough, for I stay dinner there.
   Buck.   And supper too, although thou knowest it not   
Come, will you goe?
   Hast.   Ile wait vpon your Lordship.

Exeunt.

Enter Sir Richard Ratliffe, with Halberds, carring the Nobles to death at Pomfret.

   Ryu.   Sir Richard Ratliffe let me tell thee this   
To day shalt thou behold a subiect die,
For truth, for duty, and for loyalty.
   Gray.   God blesse the Prince from all the packe of you   
A knot you are of damned bloudsuckers.
   Vaugh.   You liue, that shall cry woe for this heereafter.
   Rat.   Dispatch, the limit of your Liues is out.
   Ryu.   O Pomfret Pomfret, Oh thou bloudy prison,
Fatall and ominous to noble peeres.
Within the guilty closure of thy wals
Richard the second here was hackt to death   
And for more slander to thy dismall Seat,
Wee giue to thee our guiltlesse blood to drinke.
   Gray.   Now Margarets curse is falne vpon our heads   
When shee exclaim'd on Hastings, you, and I,
For standing by, when Richard stabd her sonne.
   Riu.   Then curs'd shee Richard, then curs'd shee Buckingham   
Then curs'd shee Hastings. Oh remember God,
To heare her praiers for them as now for vs,
And for my sister, and her princely sonnes   
Be satisfied deare God with our true blood,
Which as thou knowest vniustly must be spilt.
   Rat.   Make haste, the houre of death is expiate.
   Ryu.   Come Gray, come Vaughan, let vs all embrace
Farewell, vntill we meet againe in heauen.

Exeunt.

Enter Buckingham, Darby, Hastings, Bishop of Ely, Norfolke, Ratcliffe, Lonell, with others, at a table.

Hast. Now Noble Peeres, the cause why we are met,

      Is to determine of the coronation   
      In Gods name speake, when is this royall day?

Buc. Are all things ready for that royall time? Dar. It is, and wants but nomination. Ryu. To morrow then, I judge a happy day. Buc. Who knowes the Lord protectors mind herein? Benina Knothe 21:08, 12 May 2007 (CEST)

Page 50

Who is most inward with the noble Duke?

  Bi   You Grace, we thinke, should soonest know his mind.
  Buc   We know each others faces: 

For our harts, he knowes no more of mine, Then I of yours, or I of his, my Lord, then you of mine: Lord Hastings, you and he are neere in loue.

  Hast.   I thanke his Grace, I know he loues me well   

But for his purpose in the coronation I haue not sounded him nor he deliuerd His Graces pleasure any way therein But you, my Honorable Lords, may name the time, And in the Dukes behalfe, Ile giue my voice, Which I presume he will take in Gentle part. Enter Gloucester

  Bish.   In happy time here comes the Duke himselfe.
  Glo.   My noble L. and Cosens all, good morrow,

I haue beene long a sleeper, but I trust My absence doth neglect no great designe, Which by my presence might haue been concluded.

  Buc.   Had not you come vpon your kew my Lord,

William, Lord Hastings had pronounst your part I meane your voice for crowning of the King.

  Glo.   Than my Lord Hastings no man might be bolder,

His Lordship knowes me well, and loues me well.

  Glo.   My Lo    of Elie,

When I was last in Holborne I saw good strawberries in your garden there, I doe beseech you send for some of them.

  Bish.  Mary and will, my Lord, with all my heart.

Exit Bishop

  Glo.   Cosen of Buckingham, a word with you   

Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our busines, And findes the testy Gentleman so hoat, That he will loose his head eare giue consent, His Masters child as worshipfull he termes it, Shall loose the roialty of Englands throane.

  Buc.   Withdraw your selfe a while, Ile goe with you.

Exeunt.

  Dar.   We haue not yet set downe this day of triumph,

To morrow in my judgement is too sodaine Benina Knothe 21:29, 12 May 2007 (CEST)

Page 51

For I my selfe am not so well prouided, As els I would be, were the day prolonged. Enter Bishop. of Ely.

  By.   Where is my Lord, the Duke of Glouster?
I haue sent for these strawberies.
  Ha.   His Grace lookes cheerfully and smooth this morning,

Benina Knothe 21:31, 12 May 2007 (CEST)

Theres some conceit or other likes him well,
When he bids good morrow with such spirit.
I thinke there's neuer a man in christendome,

Can lesser hide his loue or hate then hee   

For by his face straight shall you know his heart.
   Dar.   What of his heart perceiue you in his face,
By any likelihood he shew'd to day?
   Hast.   Mary, that with no man here he is offended.
For were he , he had shewne it in his lookes.

Enter Glocester.

   Glo.   I pray you all, tell me what they deserue,
That doe conspire my death with diuelish plots,
Of damned witchcraft, and that haue preuail'd,
Vpon my body with their hellish charmes?
   Hast.   The tender loue I beare your grace ,my Lord,
Makes me most forward in this pricely presence,
To doome t' offenders whatsoeuer they be   
I say my Lord,    they haue deserued death.
   Glo.   Then be your eyes the witnesse of their evill,
Looke how I am bewitch'd: behold mine arme
Is like a blasted sapling wither'd vp.
And this is that Edwards wife, that monstrous witch,
Consorted with that harlot strumpet Shore,
That by their witchcraft, thus haue marked me.
   Hast.   If they haue done this deed, my noble Lord   
   Glo.   If, thou protector of this damned strumpet,
Talk'st thou to me of ifs? thou art a traytor.
Off with his head. Now by Saint Paule I sweare,
I will not dine to day ,
Vntill I see the same,
   Rat.  Looke that it be done,

Exeunt.

The rest that loue me, rise, and follw me,

manet Cat with Ha.

   Ha.   Woe woe for England, not a whit for me   
For I too fond might haue preuented this   
Stanley did dreame the bore did rowse our helmes,

Page 52

And I scorne it, and disdaine to flye,
Three times to day, my foot-cloth-horse did stumble,
And started when he look'd vpon the tower,
As loath to beare me to the slaughter-house.
Oh, now I need the Priest that spake to me,
I now repent I told the Pursuiuant,
As too triumphing how mine enemies   
To day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd,
And I my selfe secure in grace and fauour   
Oh Margaret Margaret    now thy heauie curse,
Is lighted on poore Hastings wretched head.
   Ra.   Come, come, Dispatch     the Duke would be at dinner   
Make a short shrift, he longs to see your head.
   Hast.   O momentary grace of mortall men,
Which we more hunt for, then the grace of God   
Who builds his hope in ayre of your good lookes,
Liues like a drunken sayler on a mast,
Ready with euery nod to tumble downe
Into the fatall bowels of the deepe.
   Hast.   O bloody Richard, misearable England,
I prophecie the fearfull'st time on thee,
That euer wretched Age hath look'd vpon,
Come leade me to the blocke, beare him my head,
They smile at me that shortly shalbe dead.

Exeunt.

Enter Duke of Glocester and Buckingham in armour.

   Glo.   Come Cosen, canst thou quake and change thy colour?
Murther thy breath in middle of a word,
And then beginne againe, and stop againe,
As if thou wert distraught and mad with terror.
   Buc.   Tut feare not me.
I can counterfait the deepe Tragedian   
Speake, and looke backe, and prie on euery side   
Intending deepe suspition, gastly lookes
Are at my seruice like inforced smiles,
And both are ready in their offices
To grace my stratagems.

Enter Maior.

   Glo.   Here comes the Maior.
   Buc.   Let me alone to entertaine him. Lo    Maior,
   Glo.   Looke to the drawbridge there.
   Buc.   The reason we haue sent for you.
   Glo.   Catesby ouerlooke the wals.

Page 53

   Buck.   Harke, I heare a drumme.
   Glo.   Looke backe, defend thee, here are enemies.
   Buc.   God and our innocence defend vs.

Enter Catesby with Hast. head.

   Glo.   O, O, be quiet, it is Catesby.
   Cat.   Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
The daungerous and vnsuspected Hastings.
   Glo.   So deare I lou’d the man, that I must weepe   
I tooke him for the plainest harmelesse man,
That breathed vpon this earth a christian,
Looke ye my Lo    Maior.
Made him my booke, wherein my soule recorded,
The history of all her secret thoughts   
So smoothe he daubd his vice with shew of vertue,
That his apparant open guilt omitted   
I meane his conuersation with Shores wife,
He laid from all attainder of suspect.
   Buck.   Well well, he was the couertst sheltred traitor
That euer liu’d, would you haue imagined,
Or almost beleeue, wert not by great preseruation
We liue to tell it you? The subtile traitor
Had this day plotted in the councell house,
To murder me, and my good Lord of Glocester.
   Maior.   What, had he so?
   Glo.   What thinke you we are Turkes or Infidels,
Or that we would against the forme of lawe,
Proceede thus rashly to the villaines death,
But that the extreame perill of the case,
The peace of England, and all our persons safety
Inforst vs to this execution.
   Ma.   Now faire befall you, he deserued his death,
And you my good Lords both, haue well proceeded
To warne false traitours from the like attempts   
I neuer lookt for better at his hands,
After he once fell in with Mistresse Shore.
   Dut.   Yet had not we determined he should die,
Vntill your Lordship came to see his death,
Which now the longing haste of these our friends,
Somewhat against our meaning haue preuented,

Page 54

Because, my Lord, we would haue had you heard
The traitor speake, and timerously confesse
The maner, and the purpose of his treason,
That you might well haue signified the same
Vnto the Citizens, who happily may
Misconster vs in him, and wayle his death.
   Ma.   But my good Lord, your graces word shall serue
As well as I had seene or heard him speake,
And doe not doubt, right noble Princes both,
But Ile acquaint your dutious citizens,
With all your iust proceedings in this cause.
   Glo.   And to that end we wisht your Lordship here
T'avoid the censures of the carping world.
   Buc.   Which since you come too late of our intents,
Yet witnesse what you heare we did intend:
And so, my good Lord Maior, we bid farwell.
   Glo.   Goe after, after, coosin Buckingham,

Exit Maior.

The Maior towards Guildhall hies him in all post,
There at your meetst aduantage of the time,
Inferre the bastardy of Edwards children   
Tell them how Edward put to death a Cittizen,
Onely for saying he would make his sonne
Heire to the Crowne, meaning (indeede) his house,
Which by the signe thereof was termed so.
Moreouer, vrge his hatefull luxurie,
And bestiall appetite in change of lust,
Which stretched to theyr seruants, daughters, wiues,
Euen where his raging eye, or sauage heart
Without controll listed to make his prey   
Nay for a neede thus farre, come neere my person.
Tell them, when that my mother went with childe
Of that vnsatiate Edward, noble Yorke
My princely father then had warres in Fraunce,
And by true computation of the tyme
Found, that the issue was not his begot,
Which well appeared in his lineaments,
Being nothing like the noble Duke my father   
But touch this sparingly as it were farre off,
Because my Lord, you know my mother liues.

Page 55

   Buck.   Doubt not, my Lord, Ile play the Orator,
As if the golden fee for which I pleade
Were for my selfe; and so, my Lord, adue.
   Glo.   If you thriue well, bring them to Baynards castle,
Where you shall finde me well accompanyed,
Wyth reuerend fathers and well learned Bishops.
   Buc.   I goe, and towards three or foure a clocke
Looke for the Newes that the Guildhall affoords.

Exit Buc.

   Glo.   Goe Lovell with all speed to Doctor Shaw,
Goe thou to Fryer Peuker, bid them both
Meet me within this houre at Baynards Castle.

Exit.

Now will I goe to take some priuy order,
To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight,
And to giue order, that no maner person
Have any tyme recourse vnto the Princes.

Exeunt.

Enter a Scriuener with a paper in his hand.

This is the indictment of the good Lord Hastings,
Which in a set hand fairely is engrosst,
That it may be to day read ouer in Paules   
And marke how well the sequele hangs together,
Eleuen houres I spent to wryte it ouer,
For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me,
The president was full as long a doyng,
And yet within these fiue houres Hastings liv'd,
Vntaynted, vnexamined, free, at liberty   
Heeres a good world, the while.
Who is so grosse, that cannot see this palpable deuice?
Yet who so bold but sayes he sees it not?
Bad is the world, and all will come to naught,
When such ill dealing must be seene in thought.

Exit

Enter Glocester at one doore, Buckingham at another.

   Glo.   How now, how now, what say the Citizens?
   Buc.   Now by the holy mother of our Lord,
The Citizens are mum, fay not a word.
   Glo.   Toucht you the bastardy of Edwards children?
   Buck.   I did, with his contract with Lady Lucie, and his contract by deputie in France Th'unsatiate greedinesse of his desire,
His tyranny for trifles, his owne bastardy,
As beyng got, your father then in France   
Withall I did inferre your lineaments,
Beyng the right Idea of your father,
Both in your forme and noblenesse of minde,

Page 56

Layd open all your Victories in Scotland   
Your Discipline in Warre, Wisdome in Peace   
Your bounty, vertue, faire humility   
Indeed left nothing fitting for your purpose
Vntoucht, or sleightly handled in discourse   
And when mine oratorie grew toward end.
I bid them that did loue their countries good,
Cry, God saue Richard, Englands royall King.
   Glo.   And did they so?
   Buc.   No so God helpe me,they spake not a word,
But like dumbe statues or breathing stones,
Star'd each on other and look'd deadly pale   
Which when I saw, I reprehended them,
And ask'd the Maior, what meant this wilfull silence?
His answere was, the people were not wont
To be spoke to, but by the Recorder.
Then he was vrgde to tell my tale again   
Thus, saith the Duke, thus hath the Duke inferd   
But nothing spoke in warrant from himselfe   
When he had done, some followers of mine owne
At the lower end of the Hall, hurld vp their caps,
And some tenne voices cry'd, God saue King Richard. And thus I took the vantage of those few.
Thankes gentle Citizens and friends quoth I,
This generall applause and cheerful shoute,
Argues your wisedome and your loue to Richard   
And even here brake off and came away.
   Glo.   What tonglesse blockes were they, would they not speake?<br    Glo.   Will not the Maior then, and his brethren come.
   Buc.   The Maior is here at hand, and intend some feare,
Be not you spoke with, but by mighty suite   
And looke you get a prayer booke in your hand,
And stand between two churchmen, good my Lord   
For on that ground Ile build a holy descant   
Be not easily wonne to our request   
Play the maides part, still andwer nay, and take it.
   Glo.   I go, and if you canst plead as well for them,
As I can say nay to thee, for my selfe,

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No doubt we bring it to a happie issue.
   Buck.   Go,go vp to the leads, the Lord Maior knocks

Enter the Maior and Citizen

Welcome my Lord, I dance attendance here,
I think the Duke will not be spoke withall.

Enter Catesby.

Here coms his seruant     how now Catesby what saies he.
   Cates.   He doth intreat your grace
, my Noble Lord, To visit him to morrow or next daie,
He is within with two right reuerend fathers,
Diuinely bent to meditation,
And in no worldly suite would he be mou’d,
To draw him from his holy exercise.
   Buck.   Returne good Catesby to gracious Duke,
Tell him my selfe, the Maior and Aldermeu,
In deepe designes and matters of great moment,
No lesse importing then our generall good,
Are come to haue some conference with his grace.
   Cates.   Ile signifie so much vnto him straight.

Exit.

   Buck.   Aha my Lord this prince is not an Edward    
He is not lulling on a lewd Loue-bed,
But on his knees at meditation   
Not dalying with a brace of Curtizans,
But meditating with two deepe Diuines   
Not sleeping to ingrosse his idle body,
But praying to inrich his watchfull soule.
Happy were England, would this gracious prince
Take on his Grace the Soueraigntie thereof,
But sure I feare we shall neuer winne him to it.
   Maior.   Marry God defend his grace should say vs nay.
   Buck.   I feare he will: here Catesby comes againe.

Enter Cates.

Now Catesby, what sayes his Grace?
   Cates.   he wonders to what end, you haue assembled
Such troupes of Cittizens to come to him,
His grace not being warnd thereof before,
he feares, my Lord, you meane no good to him.
   Buck.   Sorrie I am my noble Cosen should
Suspect me that I meane no good to him.
By heauen we come to him in perfit loue,
And so once more returne and tell his grace   

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Exit Catesby.

When hollie and deuout religious men,
Are at their beads, tis hard to draw them thence,
So sweet is zealous contemplation.

Enter Rich. with two bishops a lofte.

   Maior.   See where he stands between two clergie men.
   Buck.   Two props of vertue for a christian Prince,
To staie him from the fall of vanitie,
Famous Plantaganet, most gracious prince,
Lend fauorable eares to our request,
And pardon vs the interruption
Of thy deuotion and right Christian zeale.
   Glo.   My Lord, there needs no such apologie,
I rather do beseech you pardon me,
Who earnest in the seruice of my God,
Neglect the visitation of my friends,
But leauing this, what is your graces pleasure?
   Buck.   Euen that I hope which pleaseth God aboue,
And all good men of this vngouerned Ile.
   Glo.   I do suspect I haue done some offence,
That seemes disgracious in the Citties eies,
And that you come to reprehend my ignorance.
   Buck.   You haue my Lord, would it might please your grace
On our entreaties to amend your fault.
   Rick.   Else wherefore breath I in a Christian land.
   Buck.   Know then it is your fault that you resigne
The supreame seat, the throne maiesticall,
The sceptred office of your auncestors,
Your State of Fortune, and your Royall House,
The lineall glorie of your roiall house,
To the corruption of a blemisht stocke   
Whilst in the mildnesse of your sleepie thoughts,
Which here we waken to our countries good,
This noble Ile doth want her proper limbes,
Her face defac’t with scars of infamie,
His Royal Stock gasst with ignoble Plants,
And almost shouldred in the swallowing gulph,
Of darke forgetfulnesse and deepe obliuion,
Which to recure we hartily solicit,
Your gratious selfe to take on you the charge
And Kingly Government of this your land:
Not as Protector steward substitute,

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Or lowlie factor for anothers gaine   
But as successiuelie from bloud to bloud,
Your right of birth, your Emperie, your owne   
For this consorted with the Citizens
Your verie worshipfull and louing frinds,
And by their vehement instigation,
In this iust suite come I to moue your grace.
   Rich.   I cannot tell if to depart in silence,
Or bitterlie to speake in your reproofe,
Best fitteth my degree or your condition   
If not to answer you might haply thinke,
Tongue-ty'ed Ambition, not replying, yeelded
To beare the Golden Yoarke of Soueraignitie,
Which fondly you would here impose on me.
If to reproue you fo this fuit of yours,
So seasoned with your faithful love to me,
Then on the other side I checked my friends,
Therefore to speak and to avoid the first,
And then in speaking not to incurre the last,
Definately thus I answer you.
Your loue deserues my thanks, but my desert
Vnmeritable shunes your high request,
First if all obstacles were cut awaie,
And that my path were euen to the crown,
As my ripe reuenew and dew by birth,
Yet so much is my pouerty of spirit,
So mightie and so many my defects,
As I had rather hide me from my greatnes,
Beeing a Barke to brooke no mightie sea,
Then in my greatnes couet to be hid,
And in the vapour of my glorie smotherd   
But God be thanked there’s no need of me,
And much I need to helpe you if need were,
The roiall tree hath left vs roiall fruit,
Which mellowed by the stealing houres of time,
Will well become the seat of maiestie,
And make no doubt vs happie by his raigne,
On him I laie what you would laie on me   
The right and fortune of his happie 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 triuiall,
All circumstances well considered   
You saie that Edward is your brothers sonne,
So saie we to, but not by Edwards wife,
For first he was contract to lady Lucy,
Your mother liues a witnesse to that vowe,
And afterward by substitute betrothed

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To Bona sister to the king of Fraunce,
These both put by a poore petitioner
A care-crazd mother of a many children,
A beauty-waining and distressed widow,
Euen in the afternoone of her best daies
Made prise and purchase of his lustfull eye,
Seduc’t the pitch and height of al his thoughts,
To base declension and loathd bigamie,
By her in his vnlawfull bed he got.
This Edward whom our maners terme the prince,
More bitterlie could I expostulate,
Saue that for reuerence to some aliue
I giue a sparing limit to my tongue   
Then good my Lord, take to your royall selfe,
This proffered benefit of dignitie   
If not to blesse vs and the land withall,
Yet to draw out your royall stocke,
From the corruption of abusing time,
Vnto a lineall true deriued course.
   Maior.   Do good my Lord, your Cittizens entreat you.
   Cates.   O make them ioifull grant their lawful suite.
   Glo.   Alas, why would you heape these cares on me,
I am vnfit for state and dignitie,
I do beseech you take it not amisse,
I cannot nor I will not yeeld to you.
   Buck.   If you refuse it as in loue and zeale,
Loath to depose the child your brothers sonne,
As well we know your tendernes of heart,
And gentle kind effeminate remorse,
Which wee haue noted in you to your kin,
And egallie indeed to all estates,
Yet whether you accept our suite or no,
Your brothers sonne shall neuer raigne our king,
But we will plant some other in the throane,
To the disgrace and downfall of your house   
And in this resolution here we leaue you.
Come Citizens, zounds ile intreat no more.
   Glo.   O do not sweare my Lord of Buckingham.

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   Cates.   Call them againe, my lord, and accept their sute.
   Ano.   Doe, good my lord, least all the land do rew it.
   Glo.   Would you inforce me to a world of care   
Well, call them againe, I am not made of stones,
But penetrable to your kind intreates,
Albeit against my conscience and my soule,
Coosin of Buckingham, and you sage graue men,
Since you will buckle fortune on my backe,
To beare her burthen whether I will or no,
I must haue patience to indure the lode,
But if blacke scandale or foule-fac’t reproch
Attend the sequell of your imposition,
Your meere inforcement shall acquittance mee
From all the impure blots and staines thereof,
For God he knowes, and you may partly see,
How farre I am from the desire thereof.
   Mayor.   God blesse your grace, we see it, and will say it.
   Glo.   In saying so, you shall but say the truth.
   Buck.   Then I salute you with this kingly title   
Long liue Richard, Englands royall king.
   Mayor.   Amen.
   Buck.   To morrow than we will attend your Grace
      And so most joyfully we take out teave.
   Rich.   Come, let us to our holy Worke againe.
   Glo.   Come, let vs to our holy taske againe    
Farewel good cousins, farwel gentle friends.

Exeunt.

Enter The Queen.Artue Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Yorke, and Dorses.

   Duch.   Who meets vs heere, my neece Plantagenet?
Led in the hand of her kind Aunt of Gloster?
Now, for my Life, shee's wandring to the Tower,
On pure hearts love, to greet the tender Prince.
Daughter, well met.
   Anne.   God give cour Graces both, a happie
and joyfull time of day.
   Qu.   As much to you, good Sister: withher a way?
   Anne.   No farther then the Tower,and as I guesse,
Upon the like devotion as your felues,
To gratulate the gentle Princes there.
   Qu.   Kind sister thanks, weele enter al togither,

Enter Lieutenant.

And in good time here the Lieutenant comes.
M. Lieutenant, pray you by your leaue,
How doth the Prince and my young Sonne of York?
   Lieu.   Right well, deare madame: by your patience,

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I may not suffer you to visit them,
The King hath strictly charged the contrarie.
   Qu.   The King? whose that?
   Lieu.   I meane the Lord protector.
   Qu.   The Lord protect him from that Kinglie title   
Hath he set boundes betweene their loue and me   
I am their mother, who should barre me from them?
   Du.yor.   I am their Fathers, Mother, I will see them.
   Anne.   Their aunt I am in law, in loue their mother   
Then bring me to their fights, Ile beare thy blame,
And take thy office from thee on my perill.
   Lieu.   No, Madame, no; I may not leave it so:
I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me.

Exit Luitenant

Enter L. Stanlie.

   Stan.   Let me but meete you Ladies an houre hence,
And Ile salute your grace of Yorke, as Mother    
And reuerente looker on, of two faire Queenes.
Come Madam, you must straight to Westminster,
There to be crowned, Richards royall Queene.
   Qu.   Ah cut my lace aunder,
that my pent heart may haue some scope to beate,
or else I swoone with this deak-killing newes.
   Anne.   Despightfull tidings, O unpleasing newes.
   Dors.   Be of good cheare: Mother, how fares your grace?
   Qu.   O Dorset speake not to me, get thee gone,
Death and destruction dogge thee at thy heeles,
Thy Mothers name is ominous to children,
If thou wilt outstrip death, go crosse the seas,
And liue with Richmond, from the reach of hell,
Go hie thee, hie thee from this slaughter house,
Least thou increase the number of the dead,
And make me die the thrall of Margarets cursse,
Nor Mother, Wife, nor Englands counted Queene.
   Stan.   Full of wise care is this your counsell Madam,
Take all the swift aduantage of the time,
You shall haue letters from me to my sonne,
To meete you on the way, and welcome you,
Be not tane tardie, by vnwise delaie   
   Duch. Yor.   O ill dispersing winde of miserie,
O my accursed wombe, the bed of death,

Page 63

A Cocatrice hast thou hatcht to the world,
Whose vnauoided eye is murtherous.
   Stan.   Come Madam, I in all hast was sent.
   Duch.   And I in all vnwillingnes will go,
I would to God that the inclusiue verge,
Of golden mettall that must round my browe,
VVere red hotte steele to seare me to the braine,
Annointed let me be with deadlie poyson,
And die, ere men can say, God saue the Queene.
   Qu.   Alas poore soule, I enuie not thy glorie,
To feede my humor, wish thy selfe no harme.
   Duch.Glo.   No, when he that is my husband now,
Came to me as I followed Henries course,
When scarse the bloud was well washt from his handes,
Which issued from my other angel husband,
And that dead saint, which then, I weeping followed,
O, when I say, I lookt on Richards face,
This was my wish, be thou quoth I accurst,
For making me so young, so olde a widow,
And when thou wedst, let sorrow haunt thy bed,
And be thy wife, if any be so madde,
As miserable by the death of thee,
As thou hast made me by my deare Lordes death,
Loe, eare I can repeate this curse againe,
Euen in so short a space, my womans hart,
Grosselie grewe captiue to his honie wordes,
And prou’d the subiecte of my owne soules curse,
Which euer since hath kept my eyes from sleepe,
For neuer yet, one houre in his bed,
Haue I enioyed the golden dew of sleepe,
For neuer yet, one houre in his bed,
Besides, he hates me for my father Warwicke,
And will no doubt, shortlie be rid of me.
   Qu.   Alas poore soule, I pittie thy complaints.
Duch. glo.
No more then from my soule I mourne for yours.
   Dor.   Farewell, thou wofull welcomer of glorie.
   Duch.glo.   Adew poore soule, thou takst thy leaue of it.
   Du.yor.   Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee.

Page 64

Go thou to Richard, and good Angels garde thee,
Go thou to sanctuarie, good thoughts possesse thee,
I to my graue where peace and rest lie with me,
Eightie odde yeares of sorrow haue I seene,
And each houres ioy wrackt with a weeke of teene.

The Trumpets sound,

Enter Richard crownd, Buckingham, Catesby with other Nobles.

   King   Stand al apart. Coosin of Buckingham,
Buc: my gracious soueraigne

Rich: Giue me thy hand   
Thus high by thy aduice
And thy assistance is king Richard seated   
But shal we weare these glories for a day?
Or shall they last, and we reioice in them.
   Buc.   Stil liue they, and for euer let they last.
   Rich.   O Buckingham, now do I plaie the touch,
To trie if thou be currant gold indeed   
Young Edward liues    thinke now what I would say.
   Buc.   Saie on my gracious soueraigne.
   Rich   Whie Buckingham, I saie I would be king.
   Buc.   Whie so you are my thrice renowned lord.
   Rich   Ha    am I king? tis so, but Edward liues.
   Buc.   True noble prince.
   Rich   O bitter consequence,
That Edward stil should liue true noble prince.
Coosin, thou wert not wont to be so dul   
Shal I be plaine? I wish the bastards dead,
And I would haue it suddenlie performde.
What saist thou? speake suddenlie, be briefe.
   Buc.   Your grace may doe your pleasure.
   King   Tut, tut, thou art all yce, thy kindnesse freezeth,
Saie, haue I thy consent that they shal die?
   Buc.   Giue me some breath, some pawl, my lord,
Before I positiuelie speake in this   
I wil resolue your grace immediatlie.

Exit.

   Cates.   The king is angrie, see, he bites the lip.
   King   I wil conuerse with iron witted fooles
And vnrespectiue boies, none are for me
That looke into me with considerate eies   

Page 65

Boy, high reaching Buckingham growes circumspect.
   Boy.   My Lord.
   King.   Knowst thou not any whom corrupting gold
Would tempt vnto a close exploit of death.
   Boy.   My lord, I know a discontented gentleman,
Whose humble meanes match not his haughtie mind,
Gould were as good as twentie Orators,
And will no doubt tempt him to any thing.
   King.   What is his name.
   Boy.   His name my Lord is Tirrell.
   King.   Go call him hither presentlie,
The deepe reuoluing wittie Buckingham,
No more shall be the neighbour to my counsell,
Hath he so long held out with me vntirde
And stops he nowe for breath?

Enter Darby.

How now, what neewes with you?
   Darby.   My Lord, I heare the Marques Dorset
Is fled to Richmond, in those partes beyond the seas where he abides.
   King.   Catesby.    Cat.   My Lord.
   King.   Rumor it abroad
That Anne my wife is sicke and like to die,
I will take order for her keeping close   
Enquire me out for some meane poor gentleman,
Whom I will marrie straight to Clarence daughter,
The boy is foolish, and I feare not him   
Looke how thou dreamst    I say againe giue out
That Anne my queen is sicke and like to die.
About it, for it stands me much vpon
To stop all hopes vvhose growth may damadge me,
I must be married to my brothers daughter,
Or else my kingdome stands on brittle glasse,
Murther her brothers, and then marrie her,
Vncertaine vvaie of gaine, but I am in
So far in bloud that sinne vvill plucke on sin,
Teare falling pittie dwels not in this eie.

Enter Tirrel.

Is thy name Tirrill?
   Tyr.   Iames Tirrell and your most obedient subiect.

Page 66

   King   Art thou indeed?
   Tir.   Proue me my gracious soueraigne,
   King   Darst thou resolue to kill a friend of mine?
   Tir.   I my Lord, but I had rather kill two enemies.
   King   Why there thou hast it two deepe enemies,
Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleepes disturbs,
Are they that I would haue thee deale vpon   
   Tirrel   I meane those bastards in the tower.
   Tir.   Let me haue open meanes to come to them,
And soone ile rid you from the feare of them.
   King   Thou singst sweet musicke. Come hither Tirrel,
Go by that token, rise and lend thine eare,

he wispers in his eare.

Tis no more but so, saie is it done,
And I will loue thee and prefer thee too.
   Tir.   Tis done my gracious lord.
King Shal we heare from thee Tirrel ere we sleep?

Enter Buc.

   Tir.   Ye shall my lord,
   Buck.   My lord, I haue considered in my mind,
The late demand that you did sound me in.
   King   Well, let that passe, Dorset is fled to Richmond.
   Buck.   I heare that newes my lord.
   King   Stanley he is your wifes sonnes. Wel looke to it.
   Buck.   My lord, I claime your gift, my dew by promise,
For which your honor and your faith is pawnd,
The Earledome of Herford and the moueables,
The which you promised I should possesse.
   King   Stanley looke to your wife, if she conuay
Letters to Richmond you shall answere it.
   Buck.   What saies your highnes to my iust demand.
   King   As I remember, Henrie the sixt
Did prophecie that Richmond should be king,
When Richmond was a little peeuish boy   
A king perhaps, perhaps.
   Buck.   My lord.
   King   How chance the prophet could not at that time,
Haue told me I being by, that I should kill him.
   Buck.   My lord, your promise for the Earledome.
   King   Richmond, when last I was at Exeter,
The Maior in curtesie showd me the Castle,

Page 67

And called it Ruge-mount, at which name I started,
Because a Bard of Ireland told me once
I should not liue long after I saw Richmond.
   Buck.   My lord.
I, whats a clocke?
   Buck.   I am thus bold to put your grace in mind
Of what you promisd me.
   King.   Wel, but whats a clocke?
   Buck.   Vpon the stroke of ten.
Well, let it strike.
   Buck.   Whie let it strike?
   King.   Because that like a Iacke thou keepst the stroke
Betwixt thy begging and my meditation,
I am not in the giuing vaine to day.
   Buck.   Whie then resolue me whether you wil or no?
   King.   Tut, tut, thou troublest me, I am not in the vain.

Exit.

   Buck.   Is it euen so, rewardst he my true seruice
With such deepe contempt, made I him king for this?
O let me thinke on Hastings and be gone
To Brecnock while my fearefull head is on.

Exit.

Enter Sir Francis Tirrell.

   Tyr.   The tyrranous and bloudie deed is done,
The most arch-act of pitteous massacre,
That euer yet this land was guiltie of,
Dighton and Forrest whom I did suborne,
To do this ruthles peece of butcherie,
Although they were flesht villains, bloudie dogs,
Melting with tendernes and kind compassion,
Wept like two children in their deaths sad stories   
Lo thus quoth Dighton laie those tender babes,
Thus thus quoth Forrest girdling on another,
Within their innocent alablaster armes,
Their lips were foure red Roses on a stalke,
Which in their summer beautie kist each other,
A booke of praiers on their pillow laie,
Which once quoth Forrest almost changd my mind,
But ô the Diuell their the villaine stopt,
Whilst Dighton thus told on we smothered

Page 68

The most replenished sweet worke of nature,
That from the prime creation euer he framed,
Thus both are gone with conscience and remorse,
They could not speake and so I left them both,
To bring this tidings to the bloudie king.

Enter Ki. Richard.

And here he comes, all haile my soueraigne leige.
   King.   Kind Tirrell am I happie in thy newes.
   Tyr.   If to haue done the thing you giue in charge,
Beget your happinesse, be happie then
For it is done my Lord.
   King.   But didst thou see them dead?
   Tir.   I did my Lord.
   King.   And buried gentle Tirrell?
   Tir.   The Chaplaine of the tower hath buried them,
But how or in what place I do not know.
   Tir.   Come to me Tirrel soone at after supper,
And thou shalt tell the processe of their death,
Meane time but thinke how I may do thee good.
And be inheritor of thy desire,

Exit Tirrel.

Farewel til soone.
The sonne of Clarence haue I pent vp close,
His daughter meanelie haue I matcht in mariage,
The sonnes of Edward sleepe in Abrahams bosome,
And Anne my wife hath bid the world godnight,
Now for I know the Brittaine Richmond aimes
At young Elizabeth, my brothers daughter,
And by that knot lookes proudly ore the crowne,
To her I go a iollie thriuing wooer,

Enter Catesby.

   Cat.   My Lord.
   King.   Good newes or bad that thou comst in so bluntly?
   Cates.   Bad newes my lord, Ely is fled to Richmond,
And Buckingham backt with the hardie Welchmen,
Is in the field, and still his power increaseth.
   King.   Ely with Richmond troubles me more neare
Then Buckingham and his rash leuied armie   
Come I haue heard that feareful commenting,
Is leaden seruitor to dull delaie,
Delaie leades impotent and snaile-pact beggerie,
Then fierie expedition be my wing,

Page 69

Ioues Mercurie and Herald for a king    
Come muster men, my counsaile is my shield,
We must be briefe when traitors braue the field.

Exeunt.

Enter Queene Margaret sola.

   Q.Mar.   So now prosperitie begins to mellow
And drop into the rotten mouth of Death   
Here in these confines slilie haue I lurkt,
To watch the waining of mine enemies   
A dire induction am I witnesse to,
And wil to Fraunce, hoping the consequence
Wil prooue as bitter, blacke and tragical.
Withdraw thee wretched Margaret, who comes here?

Enter the Qu. and the Dutchesse of Yorke.

   Qu.   Ah my poore princes, ah my tender babes!
My vnblowne flowers, new appearing sweets,
If yet your gentle soules flie in the ayre
And be not fixt in doome perpetual,
Houer about me with your aierie winges,
And heare your mothers lamentation.
   Qu.Mar.   Houer about her, saie that right for right,
Hath dimd your infant morne, to aged night.
Dut. So many miseries have craz'd my voice, that my woe-wearied tongue is still my mute. Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead? Mar. Plantagenent doth quit Plantagenent, Edward for Edward, payes a dying debt.    Quee.   Wilt thou, O God, flie from such gentle lambes,
And throw them in the intrailes of the Wolfe   
When didst thou sleepe when such a deed was done?
   Q.Mar.   When holie Harry died, and my sweet sonne.
Dutch.
Blind sight, dead life, poore mortal liuing ghost,
Woes sceane, worlds shame, graues due by life vsurpt,
Breefe abstract and recor of tendious dayes, Rest thy vnrest on Englands lawful earth,
Vnlawfullie made drunke with innocents bloud.
   Qu.   O that thou wouldst assoone affoord a graue,
As thou canst yeeld a melancholie seate,
Then would I hide my bones, not rest them here   
O who hath anie cause to mourne but wee?
   Qu.Mar.   If ancient sorrow be most reuerent,
Giue mine the benefite of signorie,

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And let my woes frowne on the vpper hand,
If sorrow can admitte societie,
I had an Edward, till a Richard kild him   
I had a husband, till a Richard kild him   
Thou hadst an Edward, till a Richard kild him   
Thou hadst a Richard, till a Richard kild him.
   Duch.   I had a Richard to, and thou didst kill him   
I had a Rutland to, thou hopst to kill him.
   Qu.Mar.   Thou hadst a Clarence to, and Richard kild him   
From forth the kennell of thy wombe hath crept,
A hel-hound that doeth hunt vs all to death,
That dogge, that had his teeth before his eyes,
To worrie lambes, and lap their gentle blouds,
That foule defacer of Gods handie worke,
That reigns in a gauled eyes of weeping soules: That excellent Tyrant of the earth, Thy wombe let loose, to chase vs to our graues,
O vpright, iust, and true disposing God,
How doe I thanke thee, that this carnal curre,
Praies on the issue of his mothers bodie,
And makes her puefellow with others mone.
   Duch.   O, Harries wifes triumph not in my woes,
God witnes with me, I haue wept for thine.
   Qu.Mar.   Beare with me, I am hungrie for reuenge,
And now I cloie me with beholding it,
Thy Edward, he is dead, that stabd my Edward,
Thy other Edward dead, to quitte my Edward,
Yong Yorke, he is but boote because both they
Match not the high perfection of my losse,
Thy Clarence he is dead, that kild my Edward,
And the beholders of this tragicke plaie,
The adulterate Hastings, Riuers, Vaughan, Gray,
Vntimelie smothred in their duskie graues,
Richard yet liues, hels blacke intelligencer,
Onely reserued their factor to buie soules,
And send them thether, but at hand at handes,
Ensues his piteous, and vnpittied end,
Earth gapes, hell burnes, fiendes roare, saintes praie,
To haue him suddenly conueied away.

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Cancell his bond of life, deare God I pray,
That I may liue to say, the dog is dead.
   Qu.   O thou didst prophecie the time would come,
That I should wish for thee to helpe me cursse,
That botteld spider, that foule bunch-backt toade.
   Qu.Mar.   I cald thee then, vaine floorish of my fortune,
I cald thee then, poore shadow, painted Queene,
The presentation of, but what I was,
The flattering Index of a direfull pageant,
One heaued a high, to be hurld downe belowe,
A mother onelie, mockt with two sweete babes,
A dreame of which thou wert a breath, a bubble,
A signe of dignitie, a garish flagge,
To be the aime of euerie dangerous shot,
A Queene in ieast onelie to fill the sceane,
Where is thy husband now, where be thy brothers?
Where are thy children, wherein doest thou ioye?
Who sues to thee, and cries God saue the Queene?
Where be the bending peeres that flattered thee?
Where be the thronging troopes that followed thee?
Decline all this, and see what now thou art,
For happie wife, a most distressed widow,
For ioyfull Mother, one that wailes the name,
For Queene, a verie caitiue crownd with care,
For one being sued to, one that humblie sues,
For one commaunding all, obeyed of none,
For one that scornd at me, now scornd of me,
Thus hath the course of iustice whe’eld about,
And left thee but, a verie praie to time,
Hauing no more, but thought of what thou wert,
To torture thee the more, being what thou art,
Thou didst vsurpe my place, and doest thou not,
Vsurpe the iust proportion of my sorrow,
Now thy proud necke, beares halfe my burthened yoke,
From which, euen here, I slippe my wearie necke,
And leaue the burthen of it all on thee    
Farewell Yorkes wife, and Queene of sad mischance,
These English woes, will make me smile in France.

Page 72

   Qu.   O thou wel skild in curses, staie a while,
And teach me how to curse mine enemies.
   Qu.Mar.   Forbeare to sleepe the night, and fast the daie,
Compare dead happinesse with liuing woe,
Thinke that thy babes were sweeter then they were,
And he that slew them fouler then he is,
Bettring thy losse makes the bad causer worse,
Reuoluing this, wil teach thee how to curse.
   Qu.   My words are dul, O quicken them with thine.
   Q.Mar.   Thy woes wil make them sharp, & pierce like mine.
   Du.   Why should calamitie be ful of words?

Exit Mar.

   Qu.   Windie atturnies to their Client woes
Aerie succeeders of intestate ioies,
Poore breathing Orators of miseries,
Let them haue scope, though what they will impart,
Helpe nothing else, yet do they ease the hart.
   Duch.   If so, then be not toong-tide, go with me,
And in the breath of bitter words lets smother
My damned sonne, that thy two sweet sons smotherd,
The trumpet sounds be copious in exclaimes.

Enter K. Richard marching with Drummes and Trumpets.

   King   Who intercepts my expedition?
   Duch.   O she, that might haue intercepted thee
By strangling thee in her accursed wombe,
From al the slaughters wretch, that thou hast done.
   Qu.   Hidst thou that forehead with a golden crowne
Where should be branded, if that right were right,
The slaughter of the Prince that owed that Crowne,
And the dire death of my poore sonnes, and brothers   
Tel me thou villaine slaue, where are my children?
   Duch.   Thou tode, thou tode, where is thy brother Clarence?
And little Ned Plantagenet, his sonne?
   Qu.   Where is the gentle Riuers, Vaughan, Gray?
   Duch.   Where is kinde Hastings?    King   A flourish trumpets, strike alarum drummes,
Let not the heauens heare these tel-tale women
Raile on the Lords annointed. Strike I saie.

Flourish Alarums

Either be patient, and intreat me faire,

Page 73

Or with the clamorus report of war   
Thus will I drowne your exclamations.
   Du.   Art thou my son?
   King.   I, I thanke God, my father and your selfe,
   Du.   Then patiently here my impatience.
   King.   Madam I haue a touch of your condition,
That cannot brooke the accent of reproofe.
   Du.   I will be mild and gentle in my words.
   King.   And briefe good mother for I am in hast.
   Du.   Art thou so hastie I haue staid for thee,
God knowes in torment and in agonie,
   King.   And came I not at last to comfort you?
   Du.   No by the holie roode thou knowst it well,
Thou camst on earth to make the earth my hell,
A greuous burthen was thy berth to me,
Techie and waiward was thy infancie,
Thy schoele-daies frightful, desperate, wild, and furious.
Thy prime of manhood, daring, bold and venturous,
Thy age confirmed, proud, subtile, flye and bloudie,
More milde, but yet more harmfull; Kinde in hatred:
What comfortable houre canst thou name
That euer grac’t me in thy companie?
   King.   Faith none but Humphrey houre, that cald your grace
To breake fast once forth of my companie,
If I be so disgracious in your eye,
Let me march on, and not offend you Madam.
Strike up the Drumme.
   Du.   I prythee heare me speake for I shal neuer see thee more.
   King.   Come, come, you art too bitter.
   Du.   Either thou wilt die by Gods iust ordinance,
Eeare from this war thou turne a conqueror,
Or I with griefe and extreame age shall perish,
And neuer looke vpon thy face againe,
Therefore take with thee my most heauy curse,
Which in the daie of battaile tire thee more
Then all the compleat armor that thou wearst,
My praiers on the aduerse partie fight,
And there the little soules of Edwards children,
Whisper the spirits of thine enemies,
And promise them successe and victoric,

Page 74

Bloudie thou art, bloudie wil be thy end,
Shame serues thy life, and doth thy death attend.

Exit.

   Qu.   Though far more cause, yet much lesse spirit to curse
Abides in me, I saie Amen to all.
   King.   Staie Maddam, I must speake a word with you.
   Qu.   I haue no moe sonnes of the royall bloud,
For thee to murther for my daughters Richard,
They shalbe praying nunnes not weeping Queenes,
And therefore leuell not to hit their liues.
   King   You have a daughter cald Elizabeth,
Vertuous and faire, roiall and gracious.
   Qu   And must she die for this? O let her liue!
And ile corrupt her maners, staine her beautie,
Slander my selfe as false to Edwards bed
Throw ouer her the vale of infamie,
So she may liue vnskard from bleeding slaughter,
I will confesse she was not Edwards daughter.
   King   Wrong not her birth, she is of roiall bloud.
   Qu.   To saue her life, ile saie she is not so.
   King   Her life is onlie safest in hir birth.
   Qu.   And onlie in that safetie died her brothers.
   King   Lo at their births good stars were opposite.
   Qu.   No to their liues bad friends were contrarie,
   King   All unauoided is the doome of destinie,
   Qu.   True when auoided grace makes destinie,
My babes were destinde to a fairer death,
If grace had blest thee with a fairer life.
   King   Madam, so thriue I in my dangerous attempt of hostile armes
As I intend more good to you and yours,
Then euer you or yours were by me wrongd.
   Qu.   What good is couerd with the face of heauen,
To be discouerd that can do me good,
   King   The aduancement of your children mightie Ladie.
   Qu.   Vp to some scaffold, there to loose their heads.
   King   No to the dignitie and height of honor,
The high imperial tipe of this earths glorie.
   Qu.   Flatter my sorrowes with report of it,
Tell me what state, what dignitie, what honor?

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Canst thou demise to anie child of mine.
   Richard   Euen all I haue, yea and my selfe and all,
Will I withal endow a child of thine,
So in the Lethe of thy angrie soule,
Thou drown the sadd remembrance of those wrongs
Which thou supposest I haue done to thee.
   Qu.   Be briefe, least that the processe of thy kindnes,
Last longer telling then thy kindnes date.
   King.   Then know that from my soule I loue thy daughter.
   Qu.   My daughters mother thinkes it with her soule.
   King.   What do you thinke?
   Qu.   That thou dost loue my daughter from thy soule,
So from thy soules loue didst thou loue her brothers,
And from my harts loue I do thanke thee for it.
   King.   Be not so hastie to confound my meaning,
I meane that with my soule I loue thy daughter,
And do intend to make her Queene of England.
   Qu.   Well then, who dost thou meane shal be her king?
   King.   Euen he that makes her Queen, who else should be?
   Qu.   What thou?
   King   Even so, how thinke you of it?
   Qu.   How canst thou wooe her?
   King   That I would learne of you.
As one being best acquainted with her humor.
   Qu.   And wilt thou learn of me?
   King   Madam with al my hart.
   Qu.   Send to her by the man that slew her brothers,
A paire of bleeding harts thereon ingraue,
Edward and Yorke, then happelie she wil weepe,
Therefore present to her as sometimes Margaret
Did to thy father,steept in Rutlands bloud,a handkercher.
which say to her did dreyne
The purple sappe from her sweet Brothers body,
And bid her wipe her weeping eies withall,
If this inducement moue her not to loue,
Send her a Letter of thy noble deeds:
Tel her thou madst awaie her Vncle Clarence,
Her Vncle Riuers, yea, and for her sake
Madst quicke conueiance with her good Aunt Anne.
   King   you mocke me,Madam, this not the waie

Page 76

To win your daughter.
   Qu.   There is no other waie
Vnlesse thou couldst put on some other shape,
And not be Richard that hath done all this.
"Rich.": Say that I did all this for loue of her. "Qu.": Nay then indeed she cannot choose but hate thee Hauing bougtloue, with such a bloody spoyle. "Rich.": Look what is done, cannot be now amended: Men (hall seale vnaduiseldy sometimes, Which after-houres giues leysure to repent. If I did take the King dome from your Sonnes, To make amends, Ile give it to your daughter: If I have kill'd the issue of your wombe, To quicken your encrease, I will beget Mine issue of your blood, upon your Daughter: A Grandams name is little less in love, Then is doting Tirle of a Mother: There are as Children but one steppe below, Even of your merrall, of your blood: Of all one paine, save for a night of groaries Endur'd of her, for whom you bid liek sorrow. Your Children were vexaction to you youth,    King   Infer faire Englands peace by this alliance.
   Qu.   Which she shall purchase with still lasting war.
   King   Saie that the king which may command intreats.
   Qu.   That at her hands which the kings king forbids.
   King   Saie she shalbe a high and mightie Queene.
   Qu.   To waile the title as her mother doth.
   King   Saie I wil loue her euerlastinglie.
   Qu.   But how long shall that title euer last.
   King   Sweetlie inforce vnto her faire lyues end.
   Qu.   But how long farely shall her sweet life last?
   King   So long as heauen and nature lengthens it.
   Qu.   So long as hell and Richard likes of it.
   King   Saie I her soueraign am her subiect loue.
   Qu.   But she your subiect loaths such soueraintie.
   King   Be eloquent in my behalfe to her.
   Qu.   An honest tale speeds best being plainlie told.
   King   Then in plaine termes tell her my louing tale.
   Qu.   Plaine and not honest is to harsh a stile.
   King   Madame your reasons are too shallow & too quicke
   Qu.   O no my reasons are to deepe and dead.
Too deepe and dead poore infants in their graue.
   King   Harpe not one that string Madam that is past.
   Qu.   Harpe on it still shall I till hartstrings breake.
   King   Now by my George, my Garter and my crown.
   Qu.   Prophand, dishonerd, and the third vsurped.
   King   I sweare by nothing.
   Qu.   By nothing, for this is no oath.
The George prophand hath lost his holie honor,
The Garter blemisht pawnd his knightlie vertue,
The crown vsurpt disgrac’t his kinglie dignitie,
If something thou wilt sweare to be beleeude,
Sweare then by something that thou hast not wrongd.
   King   Now by the world.
   Qu.   Tis ful of thy foule wrongs.

Page 77

   King.   My Fathers death.
   Qu.   Thy life hath that dishonord.
   King.   Then by my selfe.
   Qu.   Thy selfe, thy selfe misusest.
   King.   Whie, then by God.
   Qu.   Gods wrong is most of all,
If thou hadst feard, to breake an oath by him,
The vnitie the king my brother made,
Had not bene broken, nor my brother slaine.
If thou hadst feard to breake an oath by him,
The emperiall mettall circling now thy brow,
Had grast the tender temples of my childe,
And both the princes had bene breathing heere,
Which now, two tender plaie-fellowes for dust,
Thy broken faith, had made a praie for wormes.
   King.   By the time to come.
   Qu.   That thou hast wrongd in time orepast,
For I my selfe, haue manie teares to wash,
Hereafter time, for time, by the past wrongd,
The children liue, whose parents thou hast slaughterd,
Vngouernd youth, to waile it in their age,
The parents liue, whose children thou hast butcherd,
Olde withered plantes, to waile it with their age,
Sweare not by time to come, for that thou hast,
Misused, eare vsed, by time misused orepast.
   King.   As I intend to prosper and repent,
So thriue I in my dangerous attempt,
Of hostile armes, my selfe, my selfe confound,
Daye yeeld me not thy light, nor night thy rest,
Be opposite, all planets of good lucke,
To my proceedings, if with pure heartes loue,
Immaculate deuocion, holie thoughtes,
I tender not thy beauteous princelie daughter,
In her consistes my happines and thine,
Without her followes to this land and me,
To thee her selfe, and manie a Christian soule,
Sad desolation, ruine, and decaie,
It cannot be auoided but by this,

Page 78

It will not be auoided but this   
Therefore good mother (I must call you so,)
Be the atturney of my loue to her.
Pleade what I will be, not what I haue bene,
Not by desertes, but what I will deserue,
Vrge the necessitie and state of times,
And be not pieuish, fond in great designes.
   Qu.   Shall I be tempted of the diuell thus.
   King.   I, if the diuell tempt thee to doe good.
   Qu.   Shall I forget my selfe, to be my selfe.
   King.   I, if your selfes remembrance, wrong your selfe.
   Qu.   But thou didst kill my children.
   King.   But in your daughters wombe, I buried them,
Where in that nest of spicerie they shall breed,
Selfes of themselues, to your recomfiture.
   Qu.   Shall I go winne my daughter to thy will.
   King.   And be a happie mother by the deede,
   Qu.   I goe, write to me verie shortlie.
   King.   Beare her my true loues kisse, farewell.

Exit.

Relenting foole, and shallow changing woman.

Enter Rat.

   Rat.   Most mighty Soueraigne on the westerne coast,
Rideth a puissant Nauie. To the shore,
Throng manie doubtfull hollow harted friendes,
Vnarmd, and vnresolud to beate them backe   
Tis thought that Richmond is their admirall,
And there they hull, expecting but the aide,
Of Buckingham, to welcome them a shore.
   King.   Some light-foote friend, post to the Duke of Norff.
Ratcliffe thy selfe, or Catesbie, where is hee?
   Cat.   Here my Lord.
   King.   Flie to the Duke, Cat: I will, my lord, with all convenient haste

King: post thou to Salisburie,
When thou comst there, dull vnmindfull villaine,
Whie standst thou still? and goest not to the Duke.
   Cat.   First mightie Soueraigne, let me know your minde,
What, from your grace, I shall deliuer them.
   King.   O, true good Catesbie, bid him leuie straight,
The greatest strength, and power he can make,
And meete me presentlie at Salisburie. Cat: I goe Exit

Page 79

   Rat.   What is it your highnes pleasure, I shall do at Salisbury,
   King.   Whie? what wouldst thou doe there before I goe?
   Rat.   Your highnes told me I should post before.
   King.   My mind is changd sir, my minde is changd.
How now, what newes with you?

Enter Darbie.

   Dar.   None my good Lord, to please you with the hearing,
Nor none so bad, but it may well be reported.
   King.   Hoiday, a riddle, neither good, nor bad   
Why doest thou runne so many mile about,
When thou maist tell thy tale a neerer way.
Once more, what newes?
   Dar.   Richmond is on the Seas.
   King.   There let him sinke, and be the seas on him,
White liuerd runnagate, what doeth he there?
   Dar.   I know not mightie Soueraigne, but by guesse.
   King.   Well sir, as you guesse, as you guesse.
   Dar.   Sturd vp by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton,
He makes for England, there to claime the crowne.
   King.   Is the chaire emptie? is the sword vnswaied?
Is the king dead? the Empire vnpossest?
What heire of Yorke is there aliue but we?
And who is Englands King, but great Yorkes heire,?
Then tell me, what doeth he vpon the sea?
   Dar.   Vnlesse for that my liege, I cannot guesse.
   King   Vnlesse for that, he comes to be your liege,
You cannot guesse, wherefore the Welshman comes,
Thou wilt reuolt, and flie to him I feare.
   Dar.   No mightie liege, therefore mistrust me not.
   King   Where is thy power then? to beate him backe,
Where are thy tennants? and thy followers?
Are they not now vpon the Westerne shore?
Safe conducting, the rebels from their ships.
   Dar.   No my good Lord, my friendes are in the North.
   King.   Cold friends to Richard, what doe they in the North?
When they should serue, their Soueraigne in the West.
   Dar.   They haue not bin commaunded, mightie soueraigne.
Please it your Maiestie to giue me leaue,

Page 80

And let my woes frowne on the vpper hand,
If sorrow can admitte societie,
Tell ouer your woes againe by vewing mine,
I had an Edward, till a Richard kild him   
I had a Richard, till a Richard kild him   
Thou hadst an Edward, till a Richard kild him   
Thou hadst a Richard, till a Richard kild him.
   Duch.   I had a Richard to, and thou didst kill him   
I had a Rutland to, thou hopst to kill him.
   Qu.Mar.   Thou hadst a Clarence to, and Richard kild him   
From forth the kennell of thy wombe hath crept,
A hel-hound that doeth hunt vs all to death,
That dogge, that had his teeth before his eyes,
To worrie lambes, and lap their gentle blouds,
That foule defacer of Gods handie worke,
Thy wombe let loose, to chase vs to our graues,
O vpright, iust, and true disposing God,
How doe I thanke thee, that this carnal curre,
Praies on the issue of his mothers bodie,
And makes her puefellow with others mone.
   Duch.   O, Harries wifes triumph not in my woes,
God witnes with me, I haue wept for thine.
   Qu.Mar.   Beare with me, I am hungrie for reuenge,
And now I cloie me with beholding it,
Thy Edward, he is dead, that stabd my Edward,
Thy other Edward dead, to quitte my Edward,
Yong Yorke, he is but boote because both they
Match not the high perfection of my losse,
Thy Clarence he is dead, that kild my Edward,
And the beholders of this tragicke plaie,
The adulterate Hastings, Riuers, Vaughan, Gray,
Vntimelie smothred in their duskie graues,
Richard yet liues, hels blacke intelligencer,
Onely reserued their factor to buie soules,
And send them thether, but at hand at handes,
Ensues his piteous, and vnpittied end,
Earth gapes, hell burnes, fiendes roare, saintes praie,
To haue him suddenly conueied away.

Page 71

Cancell his bond of life, deare God I pray,
That I may liue to say, the dog is dead.
   Qu.   O thou didst prophecie the time would come,
That I should wish for thee to helpe me cursse,
That botteld spider, that foule bunch-backt toade.
   Qu.Mar.   I cald thee then, vaine floorish of my fortune,
I cald thee then, poore shadow, painted Queene,
The presentation of, but what I was,
The flattering Index of a direfull pageant,
One heaued a high, to be hurld downe belowe,
A mother onelie, mockt with two sweete babes,
A dreame of which thou wert a breath, a bubble,
A signe of dignitie, a garish flagge,
To be the aime of euerie dangerous shot,
A Queene in ieast onelie to fill the sceane,
Where is thy husband now, where be thy brothers?
Where are thy children, wherein doest thou ioye?
Who sues to thee, and cries God saue the Queene?
Where be the bending peeres that flattered thee?
Where be the thronging troopes that followed thee?
Decline all this, and see what now thou art,
For happie wife, a most distressed widow,
For ioyfull Mother, one that wailes the name,
For Queene, a verie caitiue crownd with care,
For one being sued to, one that humblie sues,
For one commaunding all, obeyed of none,
For one that scornd at me, now scornd of me,
Thus hath the course of iustice whe’eld about,
And left thee but, a verie praie to time,
Hauing no more, but thought of what thou wert,
To torture thee the more, being what thou art,
Thou didst vsurpe my place, and doest thou not,
Vsurpe the iust proportion of my sorrow,
Now thy proud necke, beares halfe my burthened yoke,
From which, euen here, I slippe my wearie necke,
And leaue the burthen of it all on thee    
Farewell Yorkes wife, and Queene of sad mischance,
These English woes, will make me smile in France.

Page 72

   Qu.   O thou wel skild in curses, staie a while,
And teach me how to curse mine enemies.
   Qu.Mar.   Forbeare to sleepe the nights, and fast the daies,
Compare dead happinesse with liuing woe,
Thinke that thy babes were fairer then they were,
And he that slew them fouler then he is,
Bettring thy losse makes the bad causer worse,
Reuoluing this, wil teach thee how to curse.
   Qu.   My words are dul, O quicken them with thine.
   Q.Mar.   Thy woes wil make them sharp, & pierce like mine.
   Du.   Why should calamitie be ful of words?

Exit Mar.

   Qu.   Windie atturnies to your Client woes
Aerie succeeders of intestate ioies,
Poore breathing Orators of miseries,
Let them haue scope, though what they do impart,
Helpe not at al, yet do they ease the hart.
   Duch.   If so, then be not toong-tide, go with me,
And in the breath of bitter words lets smother
My damned sonne, which thy two sweet sons smotherd,
I heare his drum, be copious in exclaimes.

Enter K. Richard marching with Drummes and Trumpets.

   King   Who intercepts my expedition?
   Duch.   A she, that might haue intercepted thee
By strangling thee in her accursed wombe,
From al the slaughters wretch, that thou hast done.
   Qu.   Hidst thou that forehead with a golden crowne
Where should be grauen, if that right were right,
The slaughter of the Prince that owed that Crowne,
And the dire death of my two sonnes, and brothers   
Tel me thou villaine slaue, where are my children?
   Duch.   Thou tode, thou tode, where is thy brother Clarence?
And little Ned Plantagenet, his sonne?
   Qu.   Where is kind Hastings, Riuers, Vaughan, Gray?
   King   A flourish trumpets, strike alarum drummes,
Let not the heauens heare these tel-tale women
Raile on the Lords annointed. Strike I saie.

The trumpets

Either be patient, and intreat me faire,

Page 73

Or with the clamorus report of war   
Thus will I drowne your exclamations.
   Du.   Art thou my son?
   King.   I, I thanke God, my father and your selfe,
   Du.   Then patiently here my impatience.
   King.   Madam I haue a touch of your condition,
Which cannot brooke the accent of reproofe.
   Du.   I will be mild and gentle in my speach.
   King.   And briefe good mother for I am in hast.
   Du.   Art thou so hastie I haue staid for thee,
God knowes in anguish, paine and agonie,
   King.   And came I not at last to comfort you?
   Du.   No by the holie roode thou knowst it well,
Thou camst on earth to make the earth my hell,
A greuous burthen was thy berth to me,
Techie and waiward was thy infancie,
Thy schoele-daies frightful, desperate, wild, and furious.
Thy prime of manhood, daring, bold and venturous,
Thy age confirmed, proud, subtile, bloudie, trecherous,
What comfortable houre canst thou name
That euer grac’t me in thy companie?
   King.   Faith none but Humphrey houre, that cald your grace
To breake fast once forth of my companie,
If I be so disgracious in your sight,
Let me march on, and not offend your grace.
   Du.   O heare me speake for I shal neuer see thee more.
   King.   Come, come, you art too bitter.
   Du.   Either thou wilt die by Gods iust ordinance,
Eeare from this war thou turne a conqueror,
Or I with griefe and extreame age shall perish,
And neuer looke vpon thy face againe,
Therefore take with thee my most heauy curse,
Which in the daie of battaile tire thee more
Then all the compleat armor that thou wearst,
My praiers on the aduerse partie fight,
And there the little soules of Edwards children,
Whisper the spirits of thine enemies,
And promise them successe and victoric,

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Bloudie thou art, bloudie wil be thy end,
Shame serues thy life, and doth thy death attend.

Exit.

   Qu.   Though far more cause, yet much lesse spirit to curse
Abides in me, I saie Amen to all.
   King.   Staie Maddam, I must speake a word with you.
   Qu.   I haue no moe sonnes of the royall bloud,
For thee to murther for my daughters Richard,
They shalbe praying nunnes not weeping Queenes,
And therefore leuell not to hit their liues.
   King   You have a daughter cald Elizabeth,
Vertuous and faire, roiall and gracious.
   Qu   And must she die for this? O let her liue!
And ile corrupt her maners, staine her beautie,
Slander my selfe as false to Edwards bed
Throw ouer her the vale of infamie,
So she may liue vnskard from bleeding slaughter,
I will confesse she was not Edwards daughter.
   King   Wrong not her birth, she is of roiall bloud.
   Qu.   To saue her life, ile saie she is not so.
   King   Her life is onlie safest in hir birth.
   Qu.   And onlie in that safetie died her brothers.
   King   Lo at their births good stars were opposite.
   Qu.   No to their liues bad friends were contrarie,
   King   All unauoided is the doome of destinie,
   Qu.   True when auoided grace makes destinie,
My babes were destinde to a fairer death,
If grace had blest thee with a fairer life.
   King   Madam, so thriue I in my dangerous attempt of hostile armes
As I intend more good to you and yours,
Then euer you or yours were by me wrongd.
   Qu.   What good is couerd with the face of heauen,
To be discouerd that can do me good,
   King   The aduancement of your children mightie Ladie.
   Qu.   Vp to some scaffold, there to loose their heads.
   King   No to the dignitie and height of honor,
The high imperial tipe of this earths glorie.
   Qu.   Flatter my sorrowes with report of it,
Tell me what state, what dignitie, what honor?

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Canst thou demise to anie child of mine.
   King.   Euen all I haue, yea and my selfe and all,
Will I withal endow a child of thine,
So in the Lethe of thy angrie soule,
Thou drown the sadd remembrance of those wrongs
Which thou supposest I haue done to thee.
   Qu.   Be briefe, least that the processe of thy kindnes,
Last longer telling then thy kindnes doe.
   King.   Then know that from my soule I loue thy daughter.
   Qu.   My daughters mother thinkes it with her soule.
   King.   What do you thinke?
   Qu.   That thou dost loue my daughter from thy soule,
So from thy soules loue didst thou loue her brothers,
And from my harts loue I do thanke thee for it.
   King.   Be not so hastie to confound my meaning,
I meane that with my soule I loue thy daughter,
And meane to make her Queene of England.
   Qu.   Saie then, who dost thou meane shal be her king?
   King.   Euen he that makes her Queen, who should be else?
   Qu.   What thou?
   King   I euen I, what thinke you of it Maddame?
   Qu.   How canst thou wooe her?
   King   That would I learne of you.
As one that are best acquainted with her humor.
   Qu.   And wilt thou learn of me?
   King   Madam with al my hart.
   Qu.   Send to her by the man that slew her brothers,
A paire of bleeding harts thereon ingraue,
Edward and Yorke, then happelie she wil weepe,
Therefore present to her as sometimes Margaret
Did to thy father, a handkercher steept in Rutlands bloud,
And bid her drie her weeping eies therewith,
If this inducement force her not to loue,
Send her a storie of thy noble acts,
Tel her thou madst awaie her Vncle Clarence,
Her Vncle Riuers, yea, and for her sake
Madst quicke conueiance with her good Aunt Anne.
   King   Come, come, you mocke me, this is not the waie

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To win your daughter.
   Qu.   There is no other waie
Vnlesse thou couldst put on some other shape,
And not be Richard that hath done all this.
   King   Infer faire Englands peace by this alliance.
   Qu.   Which she shall purchase with still lasting war.
   King   Saie that the king which may command intreats.
   Qu.   That at her hands which the kings king forbids.
   King   Saie she shalbe a high and mightie Queene.
   Qu.   To waile the title as her mother doth.
   King   Saie I wil loue her euerlastinglie.
   Qu.   But how long shall that title euer last.
   King   Sweetlie inforce vnto her faire lyues end.
   Qu.   But how long farely shall her sweet life last?
   King   So long as heauen and nature lengthens it.
   Qu.   So long as hell and Richard likes of it.
   King   Saie I her soueraign am her subiect loue.
   Qu.   But she your subiect loaths such soueraintie.
   King   Be eloquent in my behalfe to her.
   Qu.   An honest tale speeds best being plainlie told.
   King   Then in plaine termes tell her my louing tale.
   Qu.   Plaine and not honest is to harsh a stile.
   King   Madame your reasons are too shallow & too quicke
   Qu.   O no my reasons are to deepe and dead.
Too deepe and dead poore infants in their graue.
   King   Harpe not one that string Madam that is past.
   Qu.   Harpe on it still shall I till hartstrings breake.
   King   Now by my George, my Garter and my crown.
   Qu.   Prophand, dishonerd, and the third vsurped.
   King   I sweare by nothing.
   Qu.   By nothing, for this is no oath.
The George prophand hath lost his holie honor,
The Garter blemisht pawnd his knightlie vertue,
The crown vsurpt disgrac’t his kinglie dignitie,
If something thou wilt sweare to be beleeude,
Sweare then by something that thou hast not wrongd.
   King   Now by the world.
   Qu.   Tis ful of thy foule wrongs.

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   King.   My Fathers death.
   Qu.   Thy life hath that dishonord.
   King.   Then by my selfe.
   Qu.   Thy selfe, thy selfe misusest.
   King.   Whie, then by God.
   Qu.   Gods wrong is most of all,
If thou hadst feard, to breake an oath by him,
The vnitie the king my brother made,
Had not bene broken, nor my brother slaine.
If thou hadst feard to breake an oath by him,
The emperiall mettall circling now thy brow,
Had grast the tender temples of my childe,
And both the princes had bene breathing heere,
Which now, two tender plaie-fellowes for dust,
Thy broken faith, had made a praie for wormes.
   King.   By the time to come.
   Qu.   That thou hast wrongd in time orepast,
For I my selfe, haue manie teares to wash,
Hereafter time, for time, by the past wrongd,
The children liue, whose parents thou hast slaughterd,
Vngouernd youth, to waile it in their age,
The parents liue, whose children thou hast butcherd,
Olde withered plantes, to waile it with their age,
Sweare not by time to come, for that thou hast,
Misused, eare vsed, by time misused orepast.
   King.   As I intend to prosper and repent,
So thriue I in my dangerous attempt,
Of hostile armes, my selfe, my selfe confound,
Daye yeeld me not thy light, nor night thy rest,
Be opposite, all planets of good lucke,
To my proceedings, if with pure heartes loue,
Immaculate deuocion, holie thoughtes,
I tender not thy beauteous princelie daughter,
In her consistes my happines and thine,
Without her followes to this land and me,
To thee her selfe, and manie a Christian soule,
Sad desolation, ruine, and decaie,
It cannot be auoided but by this,

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It will not be auoided but this   
Therefore good mother (I must call you so,)
Be the atturney of my loue to her.
Pleade what I will be, not what I haue bene,
Not by desertes, but what I will deserue,
Vrge the necessitie and state of times,
And be not pieuish, fond in great designes.
   Qu.   Shall I be tempted of the diuell thus.
   King.   I, if the diuell tempt thee to doe good.
   Qu.   Shall I forget my selfe, to be my selfe.
   King.   I, if your selfes remembrance, wrong your selfe.
   Qu.   But thou didst kill my children.
   King.   But in your daughters wombe, I buried them,
Where in that nest of spicerie they shall breed,
Selfes of themselues, to your recomfiture.
   Qu.   Shall I go winne my daughter to thy will.
   King.   And be a happie mother by the deede,
   Qu.   I goe, write to me verie shortlie.
   King.   Beare her my true loues kisse, farewell.

Exit.

Relenting foole, and shallow changing woman.

Enter Rat.

   Rat.   My gracious Soueraigne on the westerne coast,
Rideth a puissant Nauie. To the shore,
Throng manie doubtfull hollow harted friendes,
Vnarmd, and vnresolud to beate them backe   
Tis thought that Richmond is their admirall,
And there they hull, expecting but the aide,
Of Buckingham, to welcome them a shore.
   King.   Some light-foote friend, post to the Duke of Norff.
Ratcliffe thy selfe, or Catesbie, where is hee?
   Cat.   Here my Lord.
   King.   Flie to the Duke, post thou to Salisburie,
When thou comst there, dull vnmindfull villaine,
Whie standst thou still? and goest not to the Duke.
   Cat.   First mightie Soueraigne, let me know your minde,
What, from your grace, I shall deliuer them.
   King.   O, true good Catesbie, bid him leuie straight,
The greatest strength, and power he can make,
And meete me presentlie at Salisburie.

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   Rat.   What is it your highnes pleasure, I shall do at Salisbury,
   King.   Whie? what wouldst thou doe there before I goe?
   Rat.   Your highnes told me I should post before.
   King.   My mind is changd sir, my minde is changd.
How now, what newes with you?

Enter Darbie.

   Dar.   None my good Lord, to please you with the hearing,
Nor none so bad, but it may well be told.
   King.   Hoiday, a riddle, neither good, nor bad   
Why doest thou runne so many mile about,
When thou maist tell thy tale a neerer way.
Once more, what newes?
   Dar.   Richmond is on the Seas.
   King.   There let him sinke, and be the seas on him,
White liuerd runnagate, what doeth he there?
   Dar.   I know not mightie Soueraigne, but by guesse.
   King.   Well sir, as you guesse, as you guesse.
   Dar.   Sturd vp by Dorset, Buckingham, and Elie,
He makes for England, there to claime the crowne.
   King.   Is the chaire emptie? is the sword vnswaied?
Is the king dead? the Empire vnpossest?
What heire of Yorke is there aliue but we?
And who is Englands King, but great Yorkes heire,?
Then tell me, what doeth he vpon the sea?
   Dar.   Vnlesse for that my liege, I cannot guesse.
   King   Vnlesse for that, he comes to be your liege,
You cannot guesse, wherefore the Welshman comes,
Thou wilt reuolt, and flie to him I feare.
   Dar.   No mightie liege, therefore mistrust me not.
   King   Where is thy power then? to beate him backe,
Where are thy tennants? and thy followers?
Are they not now vpon the Westerne shore?
Safe conducting, the rebels from their ships.
   Dar.   No my good Lord, my friendes are in the North.
   King.   Cold friends to Richard, what doe they in the North?
When they should serue, their Soueraigne in the West.
   Dar.   They haue not bin commaunded, mightie soueraigne.
Please it your Maiestie to giue me leaue,

Page 80

Me thought their soules, whose bodies Richard murtherd,
Came to my tent, and cried on victorie,
I promise you, my soule is verie Iocund,
In the remembrance of so faire a dreame.
How farre into the morning is it Lordes?
   Lo.   Vpon the stroke of foure.
   Rich.   Whie, then tis time to arme, and giue direction.
His oration to his souldiers.
More then I haue said, louing countriemen,
The leasure and inforcement of the time,
Forbids to dwell vpon, yet remember this,
God, and our good cause, fight vpon our side,
The praiers of holy Saints and wronged soules,
Like high reard bulwarkes, stand before our faces,
Richard, except those whome we fight against,
Had rather haue vs winne, then him they follow   
For, what is he they follow? truelie gentlemen,
A bloudie tirant, and a homicide.
One raisd in bloud, and one in bloud established,
One that made meanes to come by what he hath,
And slaughtered those, that were the meanes to helpe him.
A base foule stone, made precious by the soile,
Of Englands chaire, where he is falsely set,
One that hath euer bene Gods enemie.
Then if you fight against Gods enemie,
God will in iustice, ward you as his souldiers,
If you doe sweate to put a tyrant downe,
You sleepe in peace, the tyrant being slaine,
If you doe fight against your countries foes,
Your countries fat, shall paie your paines the hire.
If you doe fight in safegard of your wiues,
Your wiues shall welcome home the conquerors.
If you doe free your children from the sword,
Your childrens children quits it in your age   
Then in the name of God and all these rightes,
Aduaunce your standards, drawe your willing swordes,
For me, the raunsome of my bold attempt,
Shall be this could corps on the earths cold face   

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But if I thriue, the gaine of my attempt,
The least of you, shall share his part thereof.
Sound drummes and trumpets boldlie, and cheerefullie,
God, and Saint George, Richmond, and victorie.

Enter King Richard, Rat. &c.

   King.   What said Northumberland, as touching Richmond.
   Rat.   That he was neuer trained vp in armes.
   King   He said the trueth, and what said Surrey then.
   Rat.   He smiled and said, the better for our purpose,
   King.   He was in the right, and so in deede it is   
Tell the clocke there.

The clocke striketh.

Giue me a calender, who saw the Sunne to day?
   Rat.   Not I my Lord.
   King.   Then he disdaines to shine, for by the booke,
He should haue braud the East an hower agoe,
A blacke day will it be to some bodie Rat.
   Rat.   My Lord.
   King.   The Sunne will not be seene to day,
The skie doeth frowne, and lowre vpon our armie,
I would these dewie teares were from the ground,
Not shine to day    whie, what is that to me?
More then to Richmond, for the selfe-same heauen,
That frownes on me, lookes sadlie vpon him.

Enter Norffolke

   Norff.   Arme, arme, my Lord, the foe vaunts in the field.
   King.   Come, bustle, bustle, caparison my horse,
Call vp Lord Standlie, bid him bring his power,
I will leade forth, my souldiers to the plaine,
And thus my battaile shall be ordered.
My foreward shall be drawen out all in length,
Consisting equallie of horse and foote,
Our Archers shall be placed in the midst,
Iohn, Duke of Norffolke, Thomas Earle of Surrey,
Shall haue the leading of this foote and horse,
They thus directed, we will follow,
In the mat ne battle, whose puissance on either side,
Shall be well winged with our chiefest horse   
This, and Saint George to bootes what thinkst thou Norffolke?

Page 92

   Nor.   A good direction warlike soueraigne,

he sheweth him a paper.

This found I on my tent this morning.

Iocky of Norfolke be not so bould,

For Dickon thy master is bought and sould.

   King   A thing deuised by the enemie.
Go gentlemen euery man vnto his charge,
Let not our babling dreames affright our soules   
Conscience is but a word that cowards vse,
Deuisd at first to keepe the strong in awe,
Our strong armes be our conscience swords, our law.
March on, ioine brauelie, let vs to it pell mell,
If not to heauen then hand in hand to hell.
His Oration to his army.
What shal I saie more then I haue inferd?
Remember whom you are to cope withall,
A sort of vagabonds, rascols and runawaies,
A scum of Brittains and base lacky pesants,
Whom their orecloied country vomits forth,
To desperate aduentures and assurd destruction,
You sleeping safe they bring to you vnrest,
You hauing lands and blest with beauteous wifes,
They would restraine the one, distaine the other,
And who doth lead them but a paltrey fellow,?
Long kept in Brittaine at our mothers cost,
A milkesopt, one that neuer in his life
Felt so much colde as ouer shooes in snow   
Lets whip these stragglers ore the seas againe,
Lash hence these ouerweening rags of France,
These famisht beggers wearie of their liues,
Who but for dreaming on this fond exploit,
For want of means poore rats had hangd themselues,
If we be conquered, let men conquer vs,
And not these bastard Brittains whom our fathers
Haue in their own land beaten bobd and thumpt,
And in record left them the heires of shame.
Shall these enioy our lands, lie with our wiues?
Rauish our daughters, harke I heare their drum,
Fight gentlemen of England, fight bold yeomen,

Page 93

Draw archers draw your arrowes to the head,
Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in bloud,
Amaze the welkin with your broken staues,
What saies lord Stanley, wil he bring his power?
   Mes.   My lord, he doth deny to come,
   King   Off with his sonne Georges head.
   Nor.   My lord, the enemie is past the marsh,
After the battaile let George Stanley die.
   King   A thousand harts are great within my bosome,
Aduance our standards, set vpon our foes,
Our ancient word of courage, faire saint George
Inspire vs with the spleene of fierie Dragons,
Vpon them victorie sits on our helmes.

Exeunt.

Alarum, excursions, Enter Catesby.

   Cates.   Rescew my lord of Norffolke, rescew, rescew,
The king enacts more wonders then a man,
Daring an opposite to euerie danger,
His horse is slaine, and all on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death,
Rescew faire lord, or else the daie is lost.

Enter Richard.

   King   A horse, a horse, my kingdome for a horse.
   Cates.   Withdraw my lord, ile helpe you to a horse.
   King   Slaue I haue set my life vpon a cast,
And I will stand the hazard of the die,
I thinke there be sixe Richmonds in the field,
Fiue haue I slaine to daie in stead of him,
A horse, a horse, my kingdome for a horse.

Alarum, Enter Richard and Richmond, they fight, Richard is slain then retrait being sounded. Enter Richmond, Darby, bearing the crowne, with other Lords, &c.

   Ri.   God and your armes be praisd victorious freends,
The daie is ours, the bloudie dog is dead.
   Dar.   Couragious Richmond, wel hast thou acquit thee,
Loe here this long vsurped roialtie.
From the dead temples of this bloudie wretch,
Haue I pluckt off to grace thy browes withall,
Weare it, enioy it, and make much of it.

Page 94

   Rich.   Great God of heauen saie Amen to all,
But tell me, is yong George Stanley liuing.
   Dra.   He is my lord, and safe in Leicester towne,
Whether if it please you we may now withdraw vs.
   Rich.   What men of name are slaine on either side?

Iohn Duke of Norffolke, Water Lord Ferris, sir

Robert Brookenbury, & sir William Brandon.

   Rich.   Inter their bodies as become their births,
Proclaime a pardon to the soldiers fled,
That in submission will returne to vs,
And then as we haue tane the sacrament,
We will vnite the white rose and the red,
Smile heauen vpon this faire coniunction,
That long haue frownd vpon their enmitie,
What traitor heares me and saies not Amen?
England hath long been madde and scard herselfe,
The brother blindlie shed the brothers bloud,
The father rashlie slaughterd his owne sonne,
The sonne compeld ben butcher to the sire,
All this deuided Yorke and Lancaster,
Deuided in their dire deuision.
O now let Richmond and Elizabeth,
The true succeeders of each royall house,
By Gods faire ordinance conioine together,
And let their heires (God if thy will be so)
Enrich the time to come with smooth-faste peace,
With smiling plentie and faire prosperous daies,
Abate the edge of traitors gracious Lord,
That would reduce these bloudy daies againe,
And make poore England weepe in streames of bloud,
Let them not liue to tast this lands increase,
That would with treason wound this faire lands peace,
Now ciuill wounds are stopt, peace liues againe,
That she may long liue heare, God saie Amen.

FINIS.