ACT I. SCENE I. London. A street. Enter RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, solus. 10 And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds 20 SIR JAMES TYRREL. SIR JAMES BLOUNT. SIR WALTER HERBERT. SIR ROBERT BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower. CHRISTOPHER URSWICK, a priest. Another Priest. TRESSEL and BERKELEY, gentlemen attending on the Lady Anne. Lord Mayor of London. Sheriff of Wiltshire. ELIZABETH, queen to King Edward IV. MARGARET, widow of King Henry VI. DUCHESS OF YORK, mother to King Edward IV. LADY ANNE, widow of Edward Prince of Wales, son to King Henry VI.; afterwards married to Richard. A young Daughter of Clarence (MARGARET PLANTAGENET). Ghosts of those murdered by Richard III., Lords and other Attendants; a Pursuivant, Scrivener, Citizens, Murderers, Messengers, Soldiers, &c. SCENE: England. 30 That dogs bark at me as I halt by them; comes. 40 Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY. yours; He should, for that, commit your godfathers: That you shall be new-christen'd in the Tower. 50 As yet I do not: but, as I can learn, women: But the queen's kindred and night-walking heralds Glou. Humbly complaining to her deity Brak. I beseech your graces both to pardon me; His majesty hath straitly given in charge Glou. Even so; an't please your worship, Brak. I beseech your grace to pardon me, and withal Forbear your conference with the noble duke. Clar. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey. Glou. We are the queen's abjects, and must obey. Brother, farewell: I will unto the king; I will deliver you, or else lie for you: Simple, plain Clarence! I do love thee so, Hast. No news so bad abroad as this at home; Glou. Now, by Saint Paul, this news is bad O, he hath kept an evil diet long, You may partake of any thing we say: And that the queen's kindred are made gentlefolks: How say you, sir? can you deny all this? Brak. With this, my lord, myself have nought to do. Glou Naught to do with Mistress Shore! I tell thee, fellow, He that doth naught with her, excepting one, 100 140 Glou. 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. 150 I'll in, to urge his hatred more to Clarence, Her husband, knave: wouldst thou The readiest way to make the wench amends Brak. What one, my lord? Glou. betray me? Is to become her husband and her father: Enter the corpse of KING HENRY the Sixth, Gentlemen with halberds to guard it; LADY ANNE being the mourner. Anne. Set down, set down your honourable load, If honour may be shrouded in a hearse, Lo, in these windows that let forth thy life, 20 May fright the hopeful mother at the view; Enter GLOUCESTER. 30 O God, which this blood madest, revenge his death! O earth, which this blood drink'st, revenge his death! Either heaven with lightning strike the murderer dead, Or earth, gape open wide and eat him quick, As thou dost swallow up this good king's blood, Which his hell-govern'd arm hath butchered! Glou. Lady, you know no rules of charity, Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses. Anne. Villain, thou know'st no law of God Some patient leisure to excuse myself. Anne. Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make No excuse current, but to hang thyself. Glou. By such despair, I should accuse myself. Anne. And, by despairing, shouldst thou stand excused; For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, 91 Why, then they are not dead: But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee. Glou. I did not kill your husband. Anne. Why, then he is alive. Glou. Nay, he is dead; and slain by Edward's hand. Anne. In thy foul throat thou liest: Queen Margaret saw Thy murderous falchion smoking in his blood; The which thou once didst bend against her breast, But that thy brothers beat aside the point. Glou. I was provoked by her slanderous tongue, Which laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders. Anne. Thou wast provoked by thy bloody mind. Glou. Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither; For he was fitter for that place than earth. Anne. And thou unfit for any place but hell. Glou. Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it. 110 Anne. Some dungeon. Glou. So will it, madam, till I lie with you. Glou. I know so. But, gentle Lady Anne, Anne. Thou art the cause, and most accursed effect. 120 Glou. These eyes could never endure sweet beauty's wreck; You should not blemish it, if I stood by: 130 Anne. Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life! Glou. Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both. Anne. I would I were, to be revenged on thee. Glou. It is a quarrel most unnatural, To be revenged on him that loveth you. Anne. It is a quarrel just and reasonable, To be revenged on him that slew my husband. Glou. He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband, Did it to help thee to a better husband. Anne. His better doth not breathe upon the earth. 140 Glou. He lives that loves thee better than he could. Anne. Never hung poison on a fouler toad. Out of my sight! thou dost infect my eyes. Glou. Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine. 150 Anne. Would they were basilisks, to strike thee dead! Glou. I would they were, that I might die at once; For now they kill me with a living death. Shamed their aspect with store of childish drops: I never sued to friend nor enemy; My tongue could never learn sweet smoothing words; 170 But, now thy beauty is proposed my fee, [He lays his breast open: she offers at it with his sword. Nay, do not pause; for I did kill King Henry, But 'twas thy beauty that provoked me. Nay, now dispatch; 'twas I that stabb'd young Edward, 181 But 'twas thy heavenly face that set me on. [Here she lets fall the sword. Take up the sword again, or take up me. Anne. Arise, dissembler: though I wish thy death, I will not be the executioner. Glou. Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it. Anne. I have already. Glou 191 Tush, that was in thy rage: Speak it again, and, even with the word, That hand, which, for thy love, did kill thy love, Shall, for thy love, kill a far truer love; To both their deaths thou shalt be accessary. Anne. I would I knew thy heart. Glou. 'Tis figured in my tongue. Anne. I fear me both are false. Glou. Then never man was true. Anne. Well, well, put up your sword. Glou. Say, then, my peace is made. Anne. That shall you know hereafter. Glou. But shall I live in hope? Anne. All men, I hope, live so. Glou. Vouchsafe to wear this ring. Anne. To take is not to give. 200 To see you are become so penitent. Tressel and Berkeley, go along with me. Bid me farewell. 220 Glou. Anne. 'Tis more than you deserve; But since you teach me how to flatter you, Imagine I have said farewell already. [Exeunt Lady Anne, Tressel, and Berkeley. And I nothing to back my suit at all, 240 251 Hath she forgot already that brave prince, 260 [Exit. Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort, And cheer his grace with quick and merry words. Q. Eliz. If he were dead, what would betide of me? Riv. No other harm but loss of such a lord. Q. Eliz. The loss of such a lord includes all harm. Grey. The heavens have bless'd you with a goodly son, To be your comforter when he is gone. Q. Eliz. Oh, he is young, and his minority Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloucester, A man that loves not me, nor none of you. Riv. Is it concluded he shall be protector? Q. Eliz. It is determined, not concluded yet: But so it must be, if the king miscarry. Enter BUCKINGHAM and DERBY. Grey. Here come the lords of Buckingham and Derby. Buck. Good time of day unto your royal grace! Der. God make your majesty joyful as you have been! Q. Eliz. The Countess Richmond, good my Lord of Derby, Το your good prayers will scarcely say amen. Yet, Derby, notwithstanding she's your wife, And loves not me, be you, good lord, assured I hate not you for her proud arrogance. 20 Der. I do beseech you, either not believe The envious slanders of her false accusers; Or, if she be accused in true report, Bear with her weakness, which, I think, proceeds From wayward sickness, and no grounded malice. Riv. Saw you the king to-day, my Lord of Derby? 30 Der. But now the Duke of Buckingham and I Are come from visiting his majesty. Q. Eliz. What likelihood of his amendment, lords? Buck. Madam, good hope; his grace speaks cheerfully. Q. Eliz. God grant him health! Did you confer with him? Buck. Madam, we did: he desires to make |