came into the world with my legs forward.
Had I not reafon, think ye, to make hafte,
And feek their ruin that ufurp d our right?
The midwife wonder'd, and the women cry'd,
O, Jefus blefs us, he is born with teeth!
And fo I was; which plainly fignify'd

That I fhould fnarl, and bite, and play the dog.
Then, fince the heav'ns have fhap'd my body fo,
Let hell make crook'd my mind, to answer it.
I had no father, I am like no father;

I have no brother, I am like no brother;

And this word love, which grey-beards call divine,
Be refident in men like one another,
And not in me! I am myfelf alone.-

Clarence, beware; thou keep'ft me from the light;
But I will fort a pitchy day for thee:
For I will buzz abroad fuch prophecies,
That Edward fhall be fearful of his lite,
And then to purge his fear, I'll be thy death.
King Henry, and the Prince his fon, are gone;
Clarence, thy turn is next, and then the reft;
Counting myself but bad, till I be best,
Ill throw thy body in another room;
And triumph, Henry in the day of doom.

[Exit.

SCENE VIII. The Palace in London.

Enter King Edward, Queen, Clarence, Gloucester, Haftings, Nurfe, and Attendants.

K. Edw. Once more we fit on England's royal throne, Repurchas'd with the blood of enemies.

What valiant foemen, like to autumn's corn,
Have we mow'd down in top of all their pride?
Three Dukes of Somerfet, threefold renown'd

For hardy and undoubted champions.

Two Cliffords, as the father and the fon;
And two Northumberlands, two braver men

Ne'er fpurr'd their courfers at the trumpet 's found;

With them the two brave bears, Warwick and Mon-
That in their chains fetter'd the kingly lion,

And made the foreft tremble when they roar'd.
Thus have we iwept Sufpicion from our feat,

[tague,

And made our footstool of Security.

Come hither, Bess, and let me kiss my boy.
Young Ned, for thee, thine uncles and myfelf
Have in our armours watch'd the winter-night,
Went all a-foot in fummer's fcalding heat,
That thou might'ft repoffefs the crown in peace;
And of our labours thou fhalt reap the gain.
Glo. I'll blast his harvest, if your head were]
laid,

For yet I am not look'd on in the world.

This fhoulder was ordain'd fo thick, to heave; Afide. And heave it fhall fome weight, or break my

back;

Work thou the way, and that shall execute.

[Pointing to his head. K. Edw. Clarence and Glo'fter, love my lovely Queen; And kifs your princely nephew, brothers both. . Clar. 1 he duty that I owe your Majesty,

I feal upon the lips of this sweet babe.

Queen. Thanks, Noble Clarence; worthy brother, thanks.

Glo. And that I love the tree from whence thou fprang'ft,

Witnefs the loving kiss I give the fruit.

To fay the truth, fo Judas kifs'd his master,
And cry'd, All hail! when as he meant all

harm.

Afide.

K. Edw. Now am I feated as my foul delights, Having my country's peace and brothers' loves. Cla. What will your grace have done with Marga Reignier her father, to the King of France Hath pawn'd the Sicils and Jerufalem,

And hither have they fent it for her ranfom.

[ret?

K. Edw. Away with her, and waft her hence to

France.

And now what refts, but that we spend the time
With stately triumphs, mirthful comic shows,
Such as bent the pleasure of the court?

Sound drums and trumpets; farewel, four Annoy!
For here I hope begins our lafting joy.

[Exeunt omnes.

KING RICHARD III.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

The SCENE in Englana.

P

Glo.

ACTI. SCENE I.

The court.

Enter Richard Duke of Gloucefter folus.

N

OW is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious fummer by this fun of York;
And all the clouds that lowr'd upon our
[house,

In the deep bofom 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.

Grim vifag'd War hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds
To fright the fouls of fearful adversaries,
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber,
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.

But I, that am not fhap'd for fportive tricks,
Nor made to court an am'rous looking-glafs ;-
I, that am rudely ftamp'd, and want love's majesty,
To ftrut before a wanton, ambling nymph;
1, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by diffembling * Nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, fent before my time
Into this breathing world, fcarce half made up;
And that fo 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 país away the time,
Unleis to ipy my fhadow in the fun,
And defcant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, fince I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain thefe fair well-fpoken days.
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleatures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophefies, libels, and dreams,

By diffembling is not meant hypocritical nature, that pretends one thing and does another; but nature that puts together things of a diffimilar kind, as a brave soul and a deformed body.

To fet my brother Clarence and the King
In deadly hate, the one against the other:
And if King Edward be as true and juft,
As I am fubtle, falfe, and treacherous,
This day fhould Clarence clofely be mew'd up,
About a prophecy, which fays, that G

Of Edward's heirs the murtherer fhall be,

Dive thoughts, down to my foul! here Clarence comes.
Enter Clarence guarded,' and Brakenbury.

Brother, good day; what means this armed guard
That waits upon your Grace?

Clar. His Majefty,

Tend'ring my perfon's fafety, hath appointed

This conduct to convey me to the Tower,

Glo. Upon what cause?

Clar. Because my name is George.

Glo Alack, my Lord, that fault is none of yours: He fhould for that commit your godfathers.

Belike his Majefty hath fome intent,

That you fhould be new chriftened in the Tower.
But what's the matter, Clarence, may I know?
Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know; for I protest
As yet I do not; but, as I can learn,

He hearkens after prophecies and dreams,
And from the cross-row plucks the letter G ;
And fays a wizard told him, that by G
His iffue difinherited fhould be.

And for my name of George begins with G,
It follows in his thought that I am he.

Thefe, as I learn, and fuch like toys as thefe,
Have mov'd his Highness to commit me now.

Glo. Why, this it is, when men are rul'd by women Fis not the King that fends you to the Tower;

My Lady Gray his wife, Clarence, 'tis fhe

That tempts him to this harsh extremity.
Was it not fhe, and that good man of worship,
Anthony Woodvil her brother there,

That made him fend Lord Haftings to the Tower ?
From whence this day he is delivered.

We are not fafe; Clarence, we are not fafe.

Clar. By Heav'n, I think there is no man fecure.