Enter the Lieutenant.

And in good time here the Lieutenant comes.
Malter Lieutenant, pray you, by your leave,
How doth the Prince, and my young fon of York?
Lieut. Right well, dear Madam; by your patience,
I may not fuffer you to vifit them;

The King hath ftrictly charg'd the contrary.
Queen. The King? who's that?

Lieut. I mean the Lord Protector.

Queen. The Lord protect him from that Kingly title! Hath he fet bounds between their love and me? I am their mother, who fhall bar me from them? Duch. I am their father's mother, I will fee them. Anne. Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother: Then bring me to their fights, I'll bear thy blame, And take thy office from thee on my peril.

Lieut. No, Madam, no, I may not leave it fo: I'm bound by oath, and therefore pardon me.

Enter Stanley,

[Exit Lieut.

Stan. Let me but meet you, Ladies, one hour hence, And I'll falute your Grace of York as mother

And rev'rend looker on of two fair Queens.

Come, Madam, you must strait to Westminster,
There to be crowned Richard's Royal Queen.
Queen. Ah, cut my lace asunder,

That my pent heart may have fome fcope to beat,
Or elfe I fwoon with this dead killing news!

Anne. Defpiteful tidings, O unpleafing news!
Dorf. Be of good cheer: mother, how fares your

Grace !

Queen. O. Dorfet, fpeak not to me, get thee hence, Death and deftruction dog thee at thy heels; Thy mother's name is ominous to children, If thou wilt outftrip death, go cross the feas; And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell.. Go, hie thee, hie thee from this flaughter-house, Left thou increase the number of the dead, And make me die the thrall of Margret's curfe; Nor mother, wife, nor England's counted Queen.. Stan. Full of wife care,, is this your counfel, Madam

Take all the swift advantage of the time;
You fhall have letters from me to my fon
In your behalf to meet you on the way:
Be not ta'en tardy by unwife delay.

Duch. O ill-difperfing wind of misery!
O my accurfed womb, the bed of death!
A cockatrice haft thou hatch'd to the world,
Whofe unavoided eye is murtherous.

Stan. Come, Madam, come, I in all hafte was fent.
Anne. And I with all unwillingness will go.
O, would to God, that the inclusive verge
Of golden metal that must round my brow,
Were red-hot fteel, to fear me to the brain!
Anointed let me be with deadly venom,

And die, ere men can fay, God fave the Queen!
Queen. Go, go, poor foul I envy not thy glory;
To feed my humour, with thy felf no harm.

Anne. No! why?. When he that is my husband
Came to me, as I follow'd Henry's corfe ;

[now, When scarce the blood was well wafh'd from his hands, Which iffu'd from my other angel husband,

And that dear faint which then I weeping follow'd:
O when, I fay, I look'd on Richard's face,.

This was my with,

66

Be thou, quoth I, accurs'd,
For making me, fo young, fo old a widow!
And when thou wed'ft; let forrow haunt thy bed;
And be thy wife, if any be fo mad,

• More miferable by the life of thee,

⚫ Than thou haft made me by my dear Lord's death!" Lo, ere I can repeat this curie again,

Within fo fmall a time, my woman's heart

Grofsly grew captive to his honey-words,

And prov'd the fubject of mine own foul's curfe:
Which ever fince hath held mine eyes from reft.
For never yet one hour in his bed

Did I enjoy the golden dew of fleep,

But with his tim'rous dreams was till awak'd.
Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick;
And will, no doubt, thortly be rid of me.

Queen Poor heart, adieu, I pity thy complaining.
Anne. No more than with my foul I mourn for your's.
Dorf. Farewel, thou woful welcomer of glory!

1

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Anne. Adieu, poor foul, that tak'ft thy leave of it! Duch. Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide

thee!

[To Dorfet.

Go thou to Richard, and good angels tend thee!

[To Anne.

Go thou to fanctuary, good thoughts poffefs thee!

[To the Queen.

I to my grave, where peace and reft lie with me!
Eighty odd years of forrow have I feen,
And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen.
Queen. Stay; yet look back with me unto the Tower.
Pity, you ancient ftones, thofe tender babes,
Whom Envy aath immur'd within your walls!
Rough cradle for fuch little pretty ones!
Rude ragged nurfe! old fullen play-fellow
For tender princes, ufe my babies well!
So foolish Sorrow bids your ftones farewel.

[Exeunt

SCENE II. Changes to the court.

Flourish of trumpets. Enter Gloucefter as King, Buckingham, Catefby.

K. Rich. Stand all apart-cousin of Buckingham,-
Buck. My gracious Sovereign!

[vice,

K. Rich. Give me thy hand. Thus high, by thy adAnd thy affiftance, is King Richard feated: But shall we wear these glories for a day? Or fhall they laft, and we rejoice in them? Buck. Still live they, and for ever let them laft! K. Rich. Ab, Buckingham! now do I ply the touch To try if thou be current gold indeed :

Young Edward lives-think now what I would speak.
Buck. Say on, my loving Lord.

K. Rich. Why, Buckingham, I fay I would be King.
Buck. Why, fo you are, my thrice-renowned Liege.
K. Rich. Ha! am I King?tis fo but Edward
lives-

Buck. True, Noble Prince.

K. Rich. O bitter confequence !

That Edward still should hive-True, Noble Prince. Coulin, thou wert not wont to be fo dull.

i. . Apply the touchstone,

Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
And I would have it fuddenly perform'd.
What fay'st thou now? fpeak fuddenly, be brief.
Buck. Your Grace may do your pleasure.

K. Rich. Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness Say, have I thy confent that they fhall die? [freezes ; Buck. Give me some breath, fome little pause, dear Before I politively speak in this :

I will refolve your Grace immediately.

[Lord, [Exit Buck.

Catef. The King is angry; fee, he gnaws his lip.

[Afide.

K. Rich. I will converfe with iron-witted fools,
And unrespective boys; none are for me
That look into me with confid rate eyes.
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumfpect.
Boy,-

Page. My Lord,

K. Rich. Know ft thou not any whom corrupting gold Would tempt unto a clofe exploit of death?

Page. I know a difcontented gentleman,

Whofe humble means match not his haughty fpirit: Gold were as good as twenty orators,

And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.

K. Rich. What is his name?

Page. His name, my Lord, is Tyrrel.

K. Rich. I partly know the man; go call him hither.

The deep-revolving witty Buckingham

[Exit Boy.

No more fhall be the neighbour to my counfels.
Hath he fo long held out with me untir'd,
And Itops 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, Catefby; rumor it abroad, That Anne my wife is fick, and like to die. I will take order for her keeping clole. Inquire me out fome mean-born gentleman, Unrefpective for unheeding,

Whom I will marry ftrait to Clarence' daughter.(The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.)

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

To stop all hopes, whofe growth may damage me.
I must be married to my brother's daughter,
Or elfe my kingdom stands on brittle glass :
Murther 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 Tyrrel?

Enter Tyrrel.

Tyr. James Tyrrel, and your most obedient fubject. K. Rich. Art thou indeed?

[He takes him afite.

Tyr. Prove me, my gracious Lord.

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

K. Rich. Why, then thou haft it; two deep enemies, Foes to my rest, and my sweet fleep's disturbers, Are they that I would have thee deal upon; Tyrrel, I mean those baftards in the Tower. Tyr. 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 fweet mufic. Hark, come hither, Tyrrel;

Go, by this token-rife, and lend thine ear

There is no more but fo- fay it is done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee for it.
Tyr. I will dispatch it trait.

Re-enter Buckingham.

[Whispers.

[Exit.

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

K. Rich Well let that reft, Doriet is fled to RichBuck. I hear the news, my Lord

[mond. K. Rich. Stanley, he is your wife's fon; well, look. to it.

Buck. My Lord, I claim the gift, my due by promife,

• Uncertain here used for unconftant,