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Clar. And there's for twitting me with perjury.

[Clur. stabs him. [Offers to kill her.

Queen. Oh, kill me too!
Glo. Marry, and shall.
K.Edw. Hold, Richard, hold, for we have done 5
too much.

Glo. Why should she live, to fill the world with
words?
[her recovery.
K.Edw. What! doth she swoon? use means for

Glo. Clarence, excuse me to the king my 10
brother;

I'll hence to London on a serious matter:
Ere ye come there, be sure to hear more news.
Clar. What? what?

[Exit. 15

Glo. The Tower, nian, the Tower!
Queen. Oh, Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy

mother, boy!

20

Canst thou not speak?-O traitors! murderers!-
They, that stabb'd Cæsar, shed no blood at all,
Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,
If this foul deed were by, to equal it.
He was a man; this, in respect, a child;
And men ne'er spend their fury on a child.
What's worse than murderer, that I may name it?
No, no; my heart will burst, an if I speak :-
And I will speak, that so my heart may burst.-
Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals!
How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd!
You have no children, butchers; if you had,
The thought of them would have stirr'd up re-30

morse:

But, if you ever chance to have a child,
Look in his youth to have him so cut off,
As, deathsmen! you have rid this sweet young
prince.

25

[force. 35 K. Edu. Away with her; go, bear her hence by Queen. Nay, never bear nie hence, dispatch me here;

Here sheath thy sword, I'll pardon thee my death:
What! wilt thou not?-then, Clarence, do it thou. 40
Clar. By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease.
Queen. Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do
thou do it.

Clar. Didst thou not hear me swear, I would

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45

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The Tower of London.

Enter King Henry with a book, and Gloster wi
the Lieutenant, on the Tower walls.
Glo. Good day, my lord! What, at your bod
so hard?
[say rather
K.Henry. Ay, my good lord: My lord, I shoul
Tis sin to flatter, good was little better:
Good Gloster, and good devil, were alike,
And both preposterous; therefore, not good lor
Glo. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves: we mu
confer.
[Exit Lieutenan
K. Henry. So flies the reckless shepherd from
the wolf;

So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleec
And next his throat unto the butcher's knife.-
What scene of death hath Roscius now to act?
Glo. Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind
The thief doth fear each bush an officer.

K. Henry. The bird, that hath been limed in
bush,
With trembling wings misdoubteth' every bush
And I, the hapless male to one sweet bird,
Have now the fatal object in my eye, [kill'd
Where my poor young was lim'd, was caught, an
Glo. Why, what a peevish' fool was that
Crete,

That taught his son the office of a fowl ?
And yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd

K. Henry. I, Dædalus; my poor son, Icarus ;
Thy father, Minos, that deny'd our course;
The sun, that sear'd the wings of my sweet boy
Thy brother Edward; and thyself, the sea,
Whose envious gulph did swallow up his life.
Ah, kill me with thy weapon, not with words!
My breast can better brook thy dagger's point,
Than can my ears that tragic history.-
But wherefore dost thou come? is't for my life?
Glo. Think'st thou, I am an executioner?
K. Henry. A persecutor, I am sure, thou art;
If murdering innocents be executing,
Why, then thou art an executioner.

Glo. Thy son I kill'd for his presumption.
K. Henry. Hadst thou been kill'd, "when firs
thou didst presume,

Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a son of mine.
50 And thus I prophesy,-that many a thousand,
Which now mistrust no parcel of my fear;
And many an old man's sigh, and many a widow's
And many an orphan's water-standing eye,-
Men for their sons, wives for their husbands' fate,
And orphans for their parents' timeless death,—
Shall rue the hour that ever thou wast born.
The owl shriek'd at thy birth, an evil sign;
The night-crow cry'd, aboding luckless time;
Dogs howl'd, and hideous tempests shook down

Queen. So come to you, and yours, as to this 55
prince!
[Exit Queen.

K. Edw. Where's Richard gone?
Clar. To London, all in post; and, as I guess,
To make a bloody supper in the Tower. [head.
K. Edw. He's sudden, if a thing comes in his 60
Now march we hence: discharge the common sort
With pay and thanks, and let's away to London,

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trees;

The raven rook'd' her on the chimney's top,
And chattering pyes in dismal discords sung.

To rook, or rather to ruck, is a north-country

Not like the fruit of such a goodly tree.
Teeth hadst thou in thy head, when thou wast born,
To signify,-thou cam'st to bite the world:
And, if the rest be true which I have heard,
Thou cam'st into the world with thy legs forward.
Glo. I'll hear no more;-Die, prophet, in thy
speech.
[Stabs him.

For this, amongst the rest, was I ordain'd.
K. Henry. Ay, and for much more slaughter
after this.

ther,

O God! forgive my sins, and pardon thee! [Dies.
Glo. What, will the aspiring blood of Lancaster
Sink in the ground? I thought, it would have
mounted.
[death
See, how my sword weeps for the poor king's
O, may such purple tears be always shed
From those that wish the downfall of our house
If any spark of life be yet remaining,
Down, down to hell; and say, I sent thee thi-
[Stabs him again.
I, that have neither pity, love, nor fear.-
Indeed, 'tis true, that Henry told me of;
For I have often heard my mother say,
I came into the world with my legs forward;
Had I not reason, think ye, to make haste,
And seek their ruin that usurp'd our right?
The midwife wonder'd, and the women cry'd,
O, Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth!""
And so I was; which plainly signify'd-
That I should snarl, and bite, and play
the dog.
Then, since the heavens have shap'd my body so,
Let hell make crook'd my mind, to answer it.
I had no father, I am like no father:

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I have no brother, I am like no brother: [vine,
And this word-love, which grey-beards call di-
Be resident in men like one another,
And not in me; I am myself alone.— ·
Clarence, beware; thou keep'st me from the light;
But I will sort a pitchy day for thee:
For I will buz abroad such prophecies,
That Edward shall be fearful of his life;
And then, to purge his fear, I'll be thy death.
King Henry, and the prince his son, are gone:
Clarence, thy turn is next; and then the rest;
Counting myself but bad, 'till I be best.-
I'll throw thy body in another room,
And triumph, Henry, in thy day of doom.
SCENE VII.

The Palace in London..

free dukes of Somerset, 5 For hardy and undoubted Two Cliffords, as the fathe And two Northumberlands Ne'erspurr'd theircoursers With them, the two brave Montague,

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10

15

20

That in their chains fetter'd
And made the forest tremb
Thus have we swept suspic
And made our footstool of
Come hither, Bess, and let

Young Ned, for thee, thine
Have in our armours watch
Went all afoot in summer's
That thou might'st repossess
And of our labours thou sha
Glo. I'll blast his harvest, if
For yet I am not look'd on
This shoulder was ordain'd
25 And heave it shall some
back:-

30

35

Work thou the way, and t

K. Edw. Clarence and Glo
queen;

And kiss your princely neph
Clar. The duty that I OW
I seal upon the lips of this sv
Queen. Thanks, noble Cla
ther, thanks.

Glo. And, that I love the tr

sprang'st, Witness the loving kiss I giv To say the truth,soJudas kiss' 40 And cry'd-All hail! when as All harm.

145

[Exit.50

Enter King Edward, the Queen, with the young Prince, Clarence, Gloster, Hastings, and Attendants.

K. Edw. Once more we sit in England's royal

throne,

K. Edw. Now am I seated
Having my country's peace,
Clar. What will your gra
Margaret?

Reignier, her father, to the l
Hath pawn'd the Sicils and J
And hither have they sent it
K. Edw. Away with her,
to France.
And now what rests, but tha
With stately triumphs, mirth
Such as befit the pleasures of
Sound,drums and trumpets! f
55 For here, I hope, begins our

1i, e. I will select or chuse such a day, whose gloom shall be as fatal to thee. he speaks this line, first touching his head, and then looking on his hand.

LIFE AND DEATH OF

KING RICH

RICHARD

ARD III.

King EDWARD IV.

EDWARD, Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward V. RICHARD, Duke of York,

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Sons to Edward IV.

GEORGE, Duke of Clarence, Brother to Edward IV.

A

young Son of Clarence.

RICHARD, Duke of Gloster, Brother to Edward IV.
afterwards King Richard III.

Cardinal BOURCHIER, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Archbishop of YORK.

Bishop of ELY.

Duke of BUCKINGHAM,

Duke of NORFOLK. Earl of SURRY,

Earl RIVERS, Brother to King Edward's Queen.
Marquis of DORSET,

Lord GREY,

Sons.

Earl of RICHMOND, afterwards King Henry VII.
Lord HASTINGS.

'Sir THOMAS VAUGHAN.

Sir RICHARD RATCLIFF.

Lord LovEL.

Sir WILLIAM CATESBY,
Sir JAMES TYRREL.
Lord STANLEY.

Earl of OxXFORD.

Sir JAMES BLOUNT.

Sir WALTER HERBERT.

Sir ROBERT BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the
Tower.

CHRISTOPHER URSWICK, a Priest.
Another Priest.
Lord Mayor..

ELIZABETH, Queen of Edward IV.
Queen MARGARET, Widow of Henry VI.
ANNE, Widow of Edward Prince of Wales, Son
to Henry VI. afterwards married to the Duke
of Gloster.

Dutchess of YORK, Mother to Edward IV. Cla
rence, and Richard III.

Sheriff, Pursuicant, Scrivener, Citizens, Ghosts, Soldiers, and other Attendants.

SCENE I.

England.

London. A Street.

A C T I.

Enter Richard Duke of Gloster,

Glo. NOW is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun2 of
York;

And all the clouds, that lowr'd upon our house,
In the deep bosom of the ocean bury'd.

Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths,
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarums chang'd to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
5 Grim-visag'dwar hath smooth'd hiswrinkled front;
And now,-instead of mounting barbed 3 steeds,
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,-
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber,
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.
10 But I,-that am not shap'd for sportive tricks,

2

This tragedy, though it is call'd the Life and Death of this prince, comprizes, at most, but the last eight years of his time; for it opens with George duke of Clarence being clapp'd up in the Tower, which happen'd in the beginning of the year 1477; and closes with the death of Richard at Bosworth Field, which battle was fought on the 22d of August, in the year 1485. Alluding to the cognizance of Edward IV. which was a sun, in memory of the three suns, which are said to have appear'd at the battle which he gain'd over the Lancastrians at Mortimer's Cross. 3 i. e. steeds furnished with armour, or warlike trappings.

Nor

Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;
I,that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty,
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling' nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionably,
That dogs bark at me, as I halt by them;--
Why I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time;
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun,
And descant' on mine own deformity:
And therefore,-since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,-
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions' dangerous,
By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams,
To set my brother Clarence, and the king,
In deadly hate the one against the other:
And, if king Edward be as true and just,
As I am subtle, false, and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up;
About a prophecy, which says-that G
Of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be.
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul! here Clarence

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Tendering my person's safety, hath appointed This conduct to convey me to the Tower. Glo. Upon what cause?

Clar. Because my name is-George.

That made him send lord Hastings to the Tower;
From whence this present day he is deliver❜d?
We are not safe, Clarence, we are not safe.

Clar. By heaven, I think, there is no man secure,
5 But the queen's kindred, and night-walking heralds
That trudge betwixt the king and mistress Shore.
Heard you not, what an humble suppliant
Lord Hastings was to her for his delivery?
Glo. Humbly complaining to her deity
10 Got my lord chamberlain his liberty.
I'll tell you what,-I think, it is our way,
If we will keep in favour with the king,
To be her men, and wear her livery:
The jealous o'er-worn widow, and herself,
15 Since that our brother dubb'd them gentlewomen,
Are mighty gossips in this monarchy.

Brak. I beseech your graces both to pardon me; His majesty hath straitly given in charge, That no man shall have private conference, 20 Of what degree soever, with his brother. [bury, Glo. Even so? an please your worship, BrakenYou may partake of any thing we say: We speak no treason, man;-We say, the king Is wise, and virtuous; and his noble queen 25 Well struck in years; fair, and not jealous:We say, that Shore's wife hath a pretty foot, A cherry lip, a bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue;

That the queen's kindred are made gentle-folks: 30 How say you, sir? can you deny all this?

Brak. With this, my lord, myself have nought to do. [thee, fellow, Glo. Nought to do with mistress Shore? I tell He that doth naught with her, excepting one, 33 Were best to do it secretly, alone.

Glo. Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours;
He should, for that, commit your godfathers:-
O, belike, his majesty hath some intent,
That you should be new christen'd in the Tower. 40
But what's the matter, Clarence? may I know?|
Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know; for I pro-
test,

As yet I do not: But, as I can learn,
He hearkens after prophecies, and dreams;
And from the cross-row plucks the letter G,
And says-a wizard told him, that by G
His issue disinherited should be;
And, for my name of George begins with G,
It follows in his thought, that I am he:
These, as I learn, and such like toys as these,
Have mov'd his highness to commit me now.

4

Glo. Why, this it is, when men are rul'd by

Women:

Brak. What one, my lord? [tray me? Glo. Her husband, knave :-Would'st thou be Brak. I beseech your grace to pardon me; and,

withal,

Forbear your conference with the noble duke. Clar. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and Lobey.

will obey.

Glo. We are the queen's abjects, and must Brother, farewell: I will unto the king;

45 And whatsoe'er you will employ me in,-
Were it, to call King Edward's widow-sister,-
I will perform it, to enfranchise you.
Mean time, this deep disgrace in brotherhood
Touches me deeper than you can imagine.

50

'Tis not the king, that sends you to the Tower; 55
My lady Grey his wife, Clarence, 'tis she,
That tempts him to this harsh extremity.
Was it not she, and that good man of worship,
Anthony Woodeville, her brother there,

Clar. I know, it pleaseth neither of us well. Glo. Well, your imprisonment shall not be long: I will deliver you, or else lye for you: Mean time, have patience.

Clar. I must perforce; farewell.

[Exeunt Clarence and Brakenbury. Glo. Go, tread the path that thou shalt ne'er

return,

Simple, plain Clarence!-I do love thee so, That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven,

'i. e. deceitful. 2 Sir John Hawkins observes, that descant is a term in music, signifying in general that kind of harmony wherein one part is broken and formed into a kind of paraphrase on the other. I prefer the common acceptation-to consider or ruminate on. i. e. mischief. The induction is preparatory to the action of the play. 4 i. e. fancies. the queen's subjects, whom she might protect, but her abjects, whom she drives away. to the proverb, "Patience perforce is a medicine for a inad dog."

preparations for That is, not ⚫ Alluding

If heaven will take the present at our hands.
But who comes here? the new-deliver'd Hastings?
Enter Hastings.

Hast. Good time of day unto my gracious lord!
Glo. As much unto my good lord chamberlain!
Well are you welcome to this open air.
How hath your lordship brook'd imprisonment i
Hast. With patience, noble lord, as prisoners

must:

But I shall live, my lord, to give them thanks,
That were the cause of my imprisonment.

Glo. No doubt, no doubt; and so shall Clarence
too;

For they, that were your enemies, are his,
And have prevail'd as much on him, as you.
Hast. More pity, that the eagle should be mew'd',
While kites and buzzards play at liberty.
Glo. What news abroad?

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

Glo. Now, by saint Paul, that news is bad, in-
O, he hath kept an evil diet long, [deed.
And over-much consum'd his royal person;
'Tis very grievous to be thought upon.
What, is he in his bed?

Hast. He is.

Glo. Go you before, and I will follow you.
[Exit Hastings.
He cannot live, I hope; and must not die,
'Till George be pack'd with post-horse up to
heaven.

I'll in, to urge his hatred more to Clarence,
With lies well steel'd with weighty arguments;
And, if I fail not in my deep intent,
Clarence hath not another day to live:
Which done, God take king Edward to his mercy,
And leave the world for me to bustle in!
For then I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter:

5

Poor key-cold3 figure of a holy king!
Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster!
Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood!
Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost,
To hear the lamentations of poor Anne,
Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughter'd son,
Stabb'd by the self-same hand that made these
wounds!

Lo, in these windows, that let forth thy life,
10 pour the helpless balm of my poor eyes:—
O, cursed be the hand, that made these holes!
Cursed the heart, that had the heart to do it!
Cursed the blood, that let this blood from hence!
More direful hap betide that hated wretch,
15 That makes us wretched by the death of thee,
Than I can wish to adders, spiders, toads,
Or any creeping venom'd thing that lives!
If ever he have child, abortive be it,
Prodigious, and untimely brought to light,
20 Whose ugly and unnatural aspect

May fright the hopeful mother at the view;
And that be heir to his unhappiness!
If ever he have wife, let her be made
More miserable by the death of him,
25 Than I am made by my young lord, and thee !-
Come, now,toward Chertsey with your holy load,
Taken from Paul's to be interred there;
And, still as you are weary of the weight,
Rest you, whiles I lament king Henry's corse.

30

Enter Gloster.

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Advance thy halberd higher than my breast,

What though I kill'd her husband, and her father: 40 Or, by saint Paul, I'll strike thee to my foot,

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 love,
As for another secret close intent,

By marrying her, which I must reach unto.
But yet I run before my horse to market:
Clarence still breathes; Edward still lives, and
reigns;

When they are gone, then must I count my gains.

SCENE II.

Another Street.

And spurn upon thee, beggar, for thy boldness.
Anne. What, do you tremble? are you all afraid!
Alas, I blame you not; for you are mortal,
And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil.-
45 Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell!
Thou had'st but power over his mortal body,
His soul thou canst not have; therefore, be gone.
Glo. Sweet saint, for charity, be not so curst.
Anne. Foul devil, for God's sake, hence, and
trouble us not;

[Exit. 50

For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell,
Fill'd it with cursing cries, and deep exclaims.
If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds,
Behold this pattern of thy butcheries:-

4

Enter the Corse of Henry the Sixth, with halberds 55 Oh, gentlemen, see, see! dead Henry's wounds

to guard it; Lady Anne being the mourner. Anne. Set down, set down your honourable

load,

If honour may be shrouded in a hearse,—
Whilst I awhile obsequiously lament
The untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster.—

Open their congeal'd mouths, and bleed afresh'!-
Blush, blush, thou lump of foul deformity;
For 'tis thy presence that exhales this blood
From cold and empty veins, where no blood
60 Thy deed, inhuman, and unnatural, [dwells!
Provokes this deluge most unnatural.-

A mew was the place of confinement where a hawk was kept till he had moulted. 2 Obsequious, in this instance, means funereal. A key, on the account of the coldness of the metal of which it is composed, was anciently employed to stop any slight bleeding. i. e. instance or example. It is a tradition very generally received, that the murdered body bleeds on the touch of the murderer. Mr. Tollet observes, that this opinion seems to be derived from the ancient Swedes, or Northern nations from whom we descend; for they practised this method of trial in dubious cases. O God,

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