No more fhall be the neighbour to my counfels,
Hath he fo long held out with me untir'd,
And ftops he now for breath? well, be it fo.

Enter Stanley.

How now, Lord Stanley, what's the news?
Stan. My Lord,

The Marquis Dorfet, as I hear, is fled

To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.

K. Rich. Come hither, Catesby; rumour it abroad, That Anne my wife is fick, and like to die. I will take order for her keeping close.

Inquire me out fome mean-born gentleman, Whom I will marry ftrait to Clarence' daughter.(The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.)

Look, how thou dream'ft I fay again, give out,
That Anne my Queen is fick, and like to die.
About it; for it ftands me much upon

To ftop all hopes, whofe growth may damage me.
I must be married to my brother's daughter,
Or elfe my kingdom ftands on brittle glafs :
Murder her brothers and then marry her!
Uncertain way of gain! but I am in
So far in blood, that fin will pluck on fin.
Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.

Is thy name Tirrel?

Enter Tirrel.

Tir. James Tirrel, and your moft obedient fubject. K. Rich. Art thou, indeed ?

[He takes him afide.

Tir. Prove me, my gracious Lord.

K. Rich. Dar'ft thou refolve to kill a friend of mine? Tir. Pleafe you, I'd rather kill two enemies.

K. Rich. Why, then thou haft it; two deep enemies, Foes to my reft, and my fweet fleep's difturbers, Are they, that I would have thee deal upon; Tirrel, I mean those baftards in the Tower.

Tir. Let me have open means to come to them,
And foon I'll rid you from the fear of them.
K. Rich. Thou fing'ft sweet mufick.
hither, Tirrel;

Hark, come

Go, by this token-rife, and lend thine ear-[Whispers.
There is no more but fo-fay, it is done,

And I will love thee and prefer thee for it.
Tir. I will dispatch it strait.

Re-enter Buckingham.

Buck. My Lord, I have confider'd in my mind That late demand, that you did found me in.'

[Exit.

K. Rich. Well, let that reft; Dorfet is fled to Richmond. Buck. I hear the news, my Lord.

K. Rich. Stanley, he is your wife's fon; well, look to it. Buck. My Lord, I claim the gift, my due by promife, For which your honour, and your faith, is pawn'd; Th' Earldom of Hereford, and the moveables, Which you have promised I fhall poffefs.

K. Rich. Stanley, look to your wife; if the convey Letters to Richmond, you fhall answer it.

Buck. What fays your Highnefs to my juft request? K. Rich. I do remember me- Henry the fixth Did prophefy, that Richmond should be King, When Richmond was a little peevish boy. A King, perhaps

Buck. My Lord,

K.Rich. How chance, the Prophet could not at that time Have told me, I being by, that I fhould kill him? Buck. My Lord, your promife for the EarldomK. Rich. Richmond! when i was laft at Exeter, The Mayor in curt'fy fhewed me the castle, And call'd it Rouge-mont, at which name I started; Because a bard of Ireland told me once,

I should not live long after I faw Richmond.

Buck. My Lord,

K. Rich. Ay, what's o' clock ?

Buck. I am thus bold to put your Grace in mind Of what you promis'd me?

M 4

K. Rich.

K. Rich. But what's o'clock.
Buck. Upon the ftroke of ten.
K. Rich. Well, let it ftrike.
Buck. Why, let it ftrike.

K.Rich. Becaufe, that, like a Jack, thou keep'ft the stroke Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.

I am not in the giving vein to-day.

Buck. Why, then refolve me whe'er you will, or no. K. Rich. Thou troubleft me, I am not in the vein. [Exit. Buck. Is it ev'n fo? repays he my deep fervice. With fuch contempt ? made I him King for this? O, let me think on Haftings, and be gone To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on.

Enter Tirrel.

[Exit.

Tir. The tyrannous and bloody act is done;
The most arch deed of piteous maffacre,
That ever yet this land was guilty of!
Dighton and Forrest, whom I did fuborn
To do this piece of ruthlefs butchery,
Albeit they were flefht villains, bloody dogs,
Melting with tenderness and mild compaffion,
Wept like two children, in their death's fad ftory.
O thus, (quoth Dighton,) lay the gentle babes;
Thus, thus, (quoth Foreft,) girdling one another
Within their innocent alabafter arms:

Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,
And in their fummer beauty kiss'd each other.
A book of prayers on their pillow lay,

Which once, (quoth Forrest,) almost chang'd my mind:
But, oh! the Devil-there the villain ftopt:
When Dighton thus told on we fmothered
The most replenished sweet work of nature,
That from the prime creation e'er fhe framed.-
Hence both are gone with confcience and remorfe;
They could not fpeak, and fo I left them both,
To bear thefe tidings to the bloody King.

Enter

Enter King Richard.

And here he comes. All health, my fovereign Lord! K. Rich. Kind Tirrel-am I happy in thy news ? Tir. If to have done the thing you gave in charge Beget your happiness, be happy then;

For it is done.

K. Rich. But didft thou fee them dead?
Tir. I did, my Lord.

K. Rich. And buried, gentle Tirrel?

Tir. The Chaplain of the Tower hath buried them, But where, to fay the truth, I do not know.

K. Rich. Come to me, Tirrel, foon, foon after fupper, When thou shalt tell the procefs of their death. Mean time but think, how I may do thee good, And be inheritor of thy defire.

Farewel, till then.

Tir. I humbly take my leave.

[Exit. K. Rich. The fon of Clarence have I pent up clofe His daughter meanly have I match'd in marriage: The fons of Edward fleep in Abraham's bofom : And Anne my wife hath bid this world good night. Now, for I know the Briton Richmond aims At young Elizabeth, my brother's daughter; And by that knot looks proudly on the crown; To her go I, a jolly thriving wooer.

Catf. My Lord,

Enter Catesby.

R. Rich. Good or bad news, that thou com'ft in fo bluntly?

Catef. Bad news, my Lord; Morton is fled to Richmond.. And Buckingham, back'd with the hardy Welshmen, Is in the field, and still his power encreaseth.

K. Rich. Ely with Richmond troubles me more near, Than Buckingham and his rafh-levied army. Come, I have learn'd, that fearful commenting Is leaden fervitor to dull delay;

M 3

Delay

Delay leads impotent and fnail-pac'd beggary,
Then fiery Expedition be my wing,

Jove's Mercury, and herald for a King!
Go, mufter men; my Counsel is my fhield,

We must be brief, when traitors brave the field. [Exit.
Enter Queen Margaret.

Q. Mar. So now Profperity begins to mellow,
And drop into the rotten mouth of death:
Here in these confines flily have I lurk'd
To watch the waining of mine enemies.
A dire induction am I witness to;

And will to France, hoping, the confequence
Will prove as bitter, black and tragical.

Withdraw thee, wretched Margʼret! who comes here ?
Enter the Dutchess of York and Queen.

Queen. Ah, my poor Princes! ah, my tender babes! My unblown flowers, new-appearing fweets!

If

yet your gentle fouls fly in the air,

And be not fixt in doom perpetual,
Hover about me with your airy wings,
And hear your mother's lamentation.

Q. Mar. Hover about her; fay, that right for right
Hath dimm'd your infant-morn to aged night.
Dutch. So many miseries have craz❜d my voice,
That my woe-wearied tongue is ftill and mute.
Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead?

Q. Mar. Plantagenet doth quit Plantagenet, Edward for Edward pays a dying debt.

Queen. Wilt, thou, O God, fly from fuch gentle lambs, And throw them in the intrails of the wolf?

Why didft thou fleep, when fuch a deed was done?
Q. Mar When holy Henry dy'd, and my sweet fon.
Dutch. Dead life, blind fight, poor mortal living ghoft,
Woe's fcene, world's fhame, grave's due, by life ufurp'd.
Brief abstract and record of tedious days.
Reft thy unreft on England's lawful earth,
Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood.

Queen