K. RICH. Give me thy hand. [He ascends the throne.
Thus high, by thy advice

And thy assistance, is King Richard seated:
But shall we wear these glories for a day?
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?

BUCK. Still live they, and for ever let them last!
K. RICH. Ah! Buckingham, now do I play 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 say, I would be king,
BUCK. Why, so you are, my thrice-renowned liege.

K. RICH. Ha! am I king? 'Tis so but Edward lives BUCK. True, noble prince.

K. RICH.

O bitter consequence,

That Edward still should live! "True, noble prince!"
Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull:

Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
And I would have it suddenly perform'd.

What sayst thou now? speak suddenly, be brief.
BUCK. Your Grace may do your pleasure.

K. RICH. Tut, tut! thou art all ice, thy kindness freezes : Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?

BUCK. Give me some little breath, some pause, dear lord, Before I positively speak in this :

I will resolve you herein presently.

[Exit.

CATE. (Aside to another). The king is angry: see, he gnaws his lip.

K. RICH. (Descends from his throne). I will converse with iron-witted fools

And unrespective boys: none are for me

That look into me with considerate eyes.
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
Boy!

PAGE. My lord!

K. RICH. Know'st thou not any whom corrupting gold. Will tempt unto a close exploit of death?

PAGE. I know a discontented gentleman,

Whose humble means match not his haughty spirit:

Gold were as good as twenty orators,

And will, no doubt, tempt him to anything.

K. RICH. What is his name?

PAGE.

His name, my lord, is Tyrrell.

K. RICH. I partly know the man: go, call him hither.

[Exit Page.

The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
No more shall be the neighbour to my counsel.
Hath he so long held out with me untir'd,
And stops he now for breath? well, be it so.
Enter STANLEY.

How now, Lord Stanley! what's the news?
STAN. Know, my loving lord,

The Marquess Dorset, 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 very grievous sick;

I will take order for her keeping close.
Inquire me out some mean poor gentleman,
Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter :
The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.

Look, how thou dream'st! I say again, give out
That Anne my queen is sick, and like to die:
About it; for it stands me much upon,
To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me.
[Exit CATESBY.

I must be married to my brother's daughter,
Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass.
Murder her brothers, and then marry her!
Uncertain way of gain! But I am in
So far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin :
Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.

Re-enter Page, with TYRRELL.

Is thy name Tyrrell ?

TYR. James Tyrrell, and your most obedient subject.
K. KING. Art thou, indeed?
TYR.

Prove me, my gracious lord.
K. RICH. Dar'st thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?
TYR. Please you; but I had rather kill two enemies.
K. RICH. Why, then thou hast it: two deep enemies,
Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleep's disturbers,
Are they that I would have thee deal upon.

Tyrrell, I mean those bastards in the Tower.

TYR. Let me have open means to come to them, And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them.

K. RICH. Thou sing'st sweet music. Hark, come hither,

Tyrrell :

Go, by this token: rise, and lend thine ear.
There is no more but so; say it is done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee for it.
TYR. I will dispatch it straight.

[Whispers.

[Exit.

Re-enter BUCKINGHAM.

BUCK. My lord, I have consider'd in my mind The late demand that you did sound me in.

K. RICH. Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to Richmond. BUCK. I hear the news, my lord.

K. RICH. Stanley, he is your wife's son: well, look to it. BUCK. My lord, I claim the gift, my due by promise, For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd; The earldom of Hereford and the moveables Which you have promised I shall possess.

K. RICH. Stanley, look to your wife: if she convey
Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

BUCK. What says your highness to my just request?
K. RICH. I do remember me, Henry the Sixth

Did prophesy 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 should kill him?

BUCK. My lord, your promise for the earldom,-
K. RICH. Richmond! When last I was at Exeter,
The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle,
And call'd it Rougemont: at which name I started,
Because a bard of Ireland told me once

I should not live long after I saw 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.

K. RICH. Well, but what is 't o'clock ?

BUCK.

K. RICH. Well, let it strike.

BUCK.

Upon the stroke of ten.

Why let it strike?

K. RICH. Because that, like a Jack, thou keep'st the

stroke

Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.

I am not in the giving vein to-day.

BUCK. Why, then resolve me whether you will, or no. K. RICH.

Thou troublest me: I am not in the vein. [Exeunt KING RICHARD and Train. BUCK. And is it thus ? repays he my deep service With such contempt ? made I him king for this? O, let me think on Hastings, and be gone To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on.

[Exit.

THE FAMOUS HISTORY OF THE LIFE OF KING HENRY THE EIGHTH

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

ACT II.

Scene I.-Westminster. A Street.

Enter BUCKINGHAM from his arraignment; Tipstaves before him; the axe with the edge towards him; halberds on each side with him SIR THOMAS LOVELL, SIR NICHOLAS VAUX, SIR WILLIAM SANDS, and common people.

BUCK.

All good people,

You that thus far have come to pity me,

Hear what I say, and then go home and lose me.

I have this day receiv'd a traitor's judgment,

And by that name must die: yet, heaven bear witness,
And if I have a conscience, let it sink me,

Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful!
The law I bear no malice for my death,
'T has done upon the premises but justice;

But those that sought it I could wish more Christians:
Be what they will, I heartily forgive 'em.

For further life in this world I ne'er hope,

Nor will I sue, although the king have mercies

More than I dare make faults. You few that lov'd me, And dare be bold to weep for Buckingham,

His noble friends and fellows, whom to leave

Is only bitter to him, only dying,

Go with me, like good angels, to my end;

And, as the long divorce of steel falls on me,

Make of your prayers one sweet sacrifice,

And lift my soul to heaven. Lead on, o' God's name.
Lov. I do beseech your Grace, for charity,

If ever any malice in your heart

Were hid against me, now to forgive me frankly.
BUCK. Sir Thomas Lovell, I as free forgive you
As I would be forgiven: I forgive all.

There cannot be those numberless offences

'Gainst me that I cannot take peace with no black envy
Shall mark my grave. Commend me to his Grace;
And, if he speak of Buckingham, pray, tell him
You met him half in heaven. My vows and prayers
Yet are the king's; and, till my soul forsake,
Shall cry for blessings on him: may he live
Longer than I have time to tell his years!
Ever belov'd and loving may his rule be !
And when old times shall lead him to his end,
Goodness and he fill up one monument!

All good people,
Pray for me! I must now forsake ye: the last hour
Of my long weary life is come upon me.

Farewell:

And when you would say something that is sad,

Speak how I fell. I have done; and God forgive me!

[Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and Train.

Scene IV.-A Hall in Black-Friars.

SCRIBE. Say, Henry King of England, come into the court.

CRIER. Henry King of England, come into the court.

K. HEN. Here.

SCRIBE. Katharine Queen of England, come into the

court.

CRIER. Katharine Queen of England, come into the court.

[The QUEEN makes no answer, rises out of her chair, goes about the court, comes to the KING, and kneels at his feet; then speaks.

Q. KATH. Sir, I desire you do me right and justice; And to bestow your pity on me; for

I am a most poor woman, and a stranger,

Born out of your dominions; having here
No judge indifferent, nor no more assurance
Of equal friendship and proceeding. Alas! sir,
In what have I offended you? what cause
Hath my behaviour given to your displeasure,
That thus you should proceed to put me off

And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness,
I have been to you a true and humble wife,