The dramatic works of William Shakspere, from the text of Johnson, Stevens [sic] & Reed, with glossarial notes, his life, etc. by N. Rowe

Re-enter Bishop of ELY.

Ely. Where is my lord protector? I have sent for these strawberries.

Hast. His grace looks cheerfully and smooth this morning;

There's some conceit or other likes him well, When he doth bid good morrow with such spirit.

I think, there's ne'er a man in Christendom, Can lesser hide his love, or hate, than he; For by his face straight shall ye know his heart.

Stan. What of his heart perceive you in his By any likelihood he show'd to-day? [face, Hast. Marry, that with no man here he is offended;

For, were he, he had shown it in his looks.

Re-enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM.

Glo. I pray you all, tell me what they deserve,

'That do conspire my death with devilish plots, Of damned witchcraft; and that have prevail'd Upon my body with their hellish charms? Hast. The tender love I bear your grace, my lord,

Makes me most forward in this noble presence
To doom the offenders: Whosoe'er they be,
I say, my lord, they have deserved death.

Glo. Then be your eyes the witness of their
evil,

Look how I am bewitch'd; behold mine arm
Is, like a blasted sapling, wither'd up:
And this is Edward's wife, that monstrous
witch,

Consorted with that harlot, strumpet Shore,
That by their witchcraft thus have marked me.
Hast. If they have done this deed, my noble
lord,-

Glo. If! thou protector of this damned strumpet, [tor:Talk'st thou to me of ifs?-Thou art a traiOff with his head:-now, by Saint Paul I

For I, too fond,t might have prevented this:
Stanley did dream, the boar did rase his helm;
But I disdain'd it, and did scorn to fly.
Three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did
stumble,

And startled, when he look'd upon the Tower,
As loath to bear me to the slaughter-house.
O, now I want the priest that spake to me:
1 now repent I told the pursuivant,
As too triumphing, how mine enemies,
To-day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd,
And I myself secure in grace and favour.
O, Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curse
Is lighted on poor Hastings' wretched head.
Cate. Despatch, my lord, the duke would be
at dinner;

Make a short shrift, he longs to see your head.
Hast. O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of

God!

Who builds his hope in air of your fair looks,
Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast;
Ready, with every nod, to tumble down
Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

• Thought of Richards (rest.)

Lov. Come, come, despatch; 'tis bootless to exclaim.

land!

Hast. O, bloody Richard!-miserable Eng prophesy the fearful'st time to thee,

That ever wretched age hath look'd upon.-
Come, lead me to the block, bear him my head;
They smile at me, who shortly shall be dead.
[Exeunt.

SCENE V.-The same.-The Tower-walls. Enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM, in rusty armour, marvellous ill-favour'd.

Glo. Come, cousin, canst thou quake, and change thy colour?

Murder thy breath in middle of a word,-
And then again begin, and stop again,
As if thou wert distraught, and mad with
terror?

Buck. Tut, I can counterfeit the deep trage

dian;

Speak, and look back, and pry on every side,
Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
Are at my service, like enforced smiles;
Intending deep suspicion: ghastly looks
At any time, to grace my stratagems.
And both are ready in their offices,
But what, is Catesby gone?

Glo. He is; and, see, he brings the mayor along.

Enter the LORD MAYOR and CATESBY.

Buck. Let me alone to entertain him.-Lord mayor,

Glo. Look to the draw-bridge there.
Buck. Hark, hark! a drum.
Glo. Catesby, o'erlook the walls.
Buck. Lord mayor, the reason we have sent
for you,-

Glo. Look back, defend thee, here are enemies.

Buck. God and our innocence defend and guard us!

Enter LovEL and RATCLIFF, with HASTINGS' head.

Glo. Be patient, they are friends; Ratcliff, and Lovel.

Lov. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor, The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.

Glo. So dear I lov'd the man, that I must

weep.

I took him for the plainest harmless't creature,
That breath'd upon the earth a Christian;
Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded
The history of all her secret thoughts: [virtue,
So smooth he daub'd his vice with show of
That, his apparent open guilt omitted,-
I mean, his conversation with Shore's wife,-
He liv'd from all attainder of suspect.

Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'st shelter'd traitor

That ever liv'd.-Look you, my lord mayor,
Would you imagine, or almost believe,
(Were't not, that by great preservation
We live to tell it you,) the subtle traitor
This day had plotted in the council-house,
To murder me, and my good lord of Gloster?
May. What! had he so?

Glo. What! think you we are Turks, or

infidels?

Or that we would, against the form of law, Proceed thus rashly in the villain's death; But that the extreme peril of the case.

• Pretending.

The peace of England, and our persons' safety, | Now will I in, to take some privy order
Enforc'd us to this execution?
To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight,
And to give notice, that no manner of person
Have, any time, recourse unto the princes.

May. Now, fair befall you! he deserv'd his death;

And your good graces both have well proceeded,
To warn false traitors from the like attempts.
I never look'd for better at his hands,
After he once fell in with mistress Shore.

Buck. Yet had we not determin'd he should
Until your lordship came to see his end; [die,
Which now the loving haste of these our
friends,
[ed:
Somewhat against our meaning, hath prevent-
Because, my lord, we would have had you heard
The traitor speak, and timorously confess
The manner and the purpose of his treasons;
That you might well have signified the same
Unto the citizens, who, haply, may
Misconstrue us in him, and wail his death.
May. But, my good lord, your grace's word

shall serve,

As well as I had seen, and heard him speak :
And do not doubt, right noble princes both,
But I'll acquaint our duteous citizens
With all your just proceedings in this case.
Glo. And to that end we wish'd your lordship
here,

To avoid the censures of the carping world. Buck. But since you came too late of our intent,

Yet witness what you hear we did intend: And so, my good lord mayor, we bid farewell. [Exit LORD MAYOR. Glo. Go after, after, cousin Buckingham. The mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post:

There, at your meetest vantage of the time,
Infer the bastardy of Edward's children:
Tell them, how Edward put to death a citizen,
Only for saying-he would make his son
Heir to the crown; meaning, indeed his house,
Which, by the sign thereof, was termed so.
Moreover, urge his hateful luxury,
And bestial appetite in change of lust;
Which stretch'd unto their servants, daughters,
wives,

son:

Even where his raging eye, or savage heart,
Without control, listed to make his prey.
Nay, for a need, thus far come near my per-
[child
Tell them, when that my mother went with
Of that insatiate Edward, noble York,
My princely father, then had wars in France;
And, by just computation of the time,
Found, that the issue was not his begot;
Which well appeared in his lineaments,
Being nothing like the noble duke my father:
Yet touch this sparingly, as 'twere far off;
Because, my lord, you know, my mother lives.
Buck. Doubt not, my lord; I'll play the
orator,

As if the golden fee, for which I plead,
Were for myself: and so, my lord, adieu.
Glo. If you thrive well, bring them to Bay-
nard's castle;
Where you shall find me well accompanied,
With reverend fathers, and well-learned
bishops.

Buck. I go; and, towards three or four o'clock,

ook for the news that the Guild-hall affords. [Exit BUCKINGHAM. Glo. Go, Lovel, with all speed to doctor Shaw,[both Go thou [To CATE.] to friar Penker;-bid them Meet me. within this hour, at Baynard's castle. [Exeunt LovEL and CATESBY.

SCENE VI.-A Street. Enter a SCRIVENER.

[Exit.

Eleven hours I have spent to write it over,
For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me ;
The precedent was full as long a doing:
And yet within these five hours Hastings liv'd
Untainted, unexamin'd, free, at liberty.
Here's a good world the while!-Who is so
That cannot see this palpable device? [gross,
Yet who so bold, but says he sees it not?
Bad is the world; and all will come to nought,
When such bad dealing must be seen in
thought.
[Exit.

SCENE VII.-The same.-Court of Baynard's
Castle.

Enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM, meeting. Glo. How now, how now? what say the citizens?

Buck. Now by the holy mother of our Lord, The citizens are mum, say not a word. Glo. Touch'd you the bastardy of Edward's children?

Buck. I did; with his contract with Lady
Lucy,

And his contract by deputy in France:
The insatiate greediness of his desires,
And his enforcement of the city wives;
His tyranny for trifles; his own bastardy,-
As being got, your father then in France;
And his resemblance, being not like the duke.
Withal, I did infer your lineaments,—
Being the right idea of your father,
Both in your form and nobleness of mind:
Laid open all your victories in Scotland,
Your discipline in war, wisdom in peace,
Your bounty, virtue, fair humility;
Indeed, left nothing, fitting for your purpose,
Untouch'd, or slightly handled, in discourse.
And, when my oratory grew to an end,

I bade them, that did love their country's good,
Cry-God save Richard, England's royal king!,
Glo. And did they so?

Buck. No, so God help me, they spake not a

word;

But, like dumb statues, or breathless stones,
Star'd on each other, and look'd deadly pale.
Which when I saw, I reprehended them;
And ask'd the mayor, what meant this wilful
silence:

His answer was,-the people were not us'd
To be spoke to, but by the recorder.
Then he was urg'd to tell my tale again:
Thus saith the duke, thus hath the duke inferr'd;
But nothing spoke in warrant from himself.
When he had done, some followers of mine

This general applause, and cheerful shout,
Argues your wisdom, and your love to Richard:
And even here broke off and came away.
Glo. What tongueless blocks were they;
Would they not speak? [come?
Will not the mayor then, and his brethren,
Buck. The mayor is here at hand; intend*
some fear;

Be not you spoke with, but by mighty suit:
And look you get a prayer-book in your hand,
And stand between two churchmen, good my
lord;

For on that ground I'll make a holy descant:
And be not easily won to our requests;
Play the maid's part, still answer nay, and

take it.

Glo. I go; And if you plead as well for
As I can say nay to thee for myself, [them,
No doubt we'll bring it to a happy issue.
Buck. Go, go, up to the leads; the lord
mayor knocks.
[Exit GLOSTER.
Enter the LORD MAYOR, Aldermen, and Citizens.
Welcome, my lord; I dance attendance here;
I think, the duke will not be spoke withal.-
Enter, from the Castle, CATESBY.

Now, Catesby! what says your lord to my re

quest?

Cate. He doth entreat your grace, my noble
To visit him to-morrow, or next day: [lord,
He is within, with two right reverend fathers,
Divinely bent to meditation;

And in no worldly suit would he be mov'd,
To draw him from his holy exercise.
Buck. Return, good Catesby, to the gracious
duke;

Tell him, myself, the mayor, and aldermen,
In deep designs, in matter of great moment,
No less importing than our general good,
Are come to have some conference with his

grace.

Cate. I'll signify so much unto him straight.
[Exit.
Buck. Ah, ha, my lord, this prince is not an
Edward!

He is not lolling on a lewd day-bed,t
But on his knees at meditation;
Not dallying with a brace of courtezans,
But meditating with two deep divines;
Not sleeping, to engross; his idle body,
But praying, to enrich his watchful soul:
Happy were England, would this virtuous
prince

Take on himself the sovereignty thereof:
But, sure, I fear, we shall ne'er win him to it.
May. Marry, God defend, his grace should
say us nay!

Buck. I fear, he will: Here Catesby comes
again;-

Re-enter CATESBY.

Now, Catesby, what says his grace?

Enter GLOSTER, in a Gallery above, between two
Bishops. CATESBY returns.

May. See, where his grace stands 'tween two
clergymen !

To stay him from the fall of vanity:
Buck. Two props of virtue for a Christian
And, see, a book of prayer in his hand;
[prince,
True ornaments to know a holy man.-
Lend favourable ear to our requests;
Famous Plantagenet, most gracious prince,
And pardon us the interruption

Of thy devotion, and right-Christian zeal.
Glo. My lord, there needs no such apology;
Who, earnest in the service of my God,
I rather do beseech you pardon me,
But, leaving this, what is your grace's pleasure?
Neglect the visitation of my friends.
Buck. Even that, I hope, which pleaseth God
And all good men of this ungovern'd isle.
above,

Glo. I do suspect, I have done some offence,
That seems disgracious in the city's eye;
And that you come to reprehend my ignorance.
Buck. You have, my lord; Would it might
please your grace,,

On our entreaties to amend your fault!
Glo. Else wherefore breathe I in a Christian
land?

Buck. Know, then, it is your fault, that you

resign

The supreme seat, the throne majestical,
The sceptred office of your ancestors,
Your state of fortune, and your due of birth,
The lineal glory of your royal house,
To the corruption of a blemish'd stock:
Whilst, in the mildness of your sleepy thoughts
(Which here we waken to our country's good,
The noble isle doth want her proper limbs;
Her face defac'd with scars of infamy,
Her royal stock graft with ignoble plants,
And almost shoulder'd in the swallowing gaf
Of dark forgetfulness and deep oblivion.
Which to recure,t we heartily solicit
Your gracious self to take on you the charge
And kingly government of this your land:
Not as protector, steward, substitute,
Or lowly factor for another's gain:
But as successively from blood to blood,
Your right of birth, your empery, your own.
For this, consorted with the citizens,
Your very worshipful and loving friends,
And by their vehement instigation,
In this just suit come I to move your grace.
Glo. I cannot tell, if to depart in silence,
Or bitterly to speak in your reproof,
Best fitteth my degree, or your condition:
If not to answer,-you might haply think,
Tongue-tied ambition, not replying, yielded
To bear the golden yoke of sovereignty,
Which fondly you would here impose on me;
If to reprove you for this suit of yours,
So season'd with your faithful love to me,

Cate. He wonders to what end you have as- Then, on the other side, I check'd my friends.

sembled

Such troops of citizens to come to him,
His grace not being warn'd thereof before,
He fears, my lord, you mean no good to him.
Buck. Sorry I am, my noble cousin should
Suspect me, that I mean no good to him:
By heaven, we come to him in perfect love;
And so once more return and tell his grace.
[Exit CATESBY.
When holy and devout religious men
Are at their beads, 'tis hard to draw them
So sweet is zealous contemplation. [thence;
† A couch.

* Pretend,

+ Fatten.

Therefore, to speak, and to avoid the first;
And, then in speaking, not to incur the last,
Definitively thus I answer you.

Your love deserves my thanks; but my deser
Unmeritable, shuns your high request.
First, if all obstacles were cut away,
And that my path were even to the crown,
As the ripe revenue and due of birth;
Yet so much is my poverty of spirit,
So mighty, and so many, my defects, [ness,-
That I would rather hide me from my great-
Being a bark to brook no mighty sea,-
+ Recover.

*Thrust into.

+ Empire.

Than in my greatness covet to be hid,
And in the vapour of my glory smother'd,
But, God be thank'd, there is no need of me;
(And much I need to help you, if need
were;)

The royal tree hath left us royal fruit,
Which, mellow'd by the stealing hours of time,
Will well become the seat of majesty,
And make, no doubt, us happy by his reign.
On him I lay what you would lay on me,
The right and fortune of his happy stars,-
Which, God defend, that I should wring from

him!

Buck. My lord, this argues conscience in

your grace;

But the respects thereof are nicet and trivial, All circumstances well considered.

You say, that Edward is your brother's son; So say we too, but not by Edward's wife: For first he was contract to lady Lucy, Your mother lives a witness to his vow; And afterwards by substitute betroth'd' To Bona, sister to the king of France. These both put by, a poor petitioner, A care-craz'd mother to a many sons, A beauty-waning and distressed widow, Even in the afternoon of her best days, Made prize and purchase of his wanton eye, Seduc'd the pitch and height of all his thoughts To base declension and loath'd bigamy: By her, in his unlawful bed, he got This Edward, whom our manners call-the More bitterly could 1 expostulate, Save that, for reverence to some alive, I give a sparing limit to my tongue. Then, good iny lord, take to your royal self This proffer'd benefit of dignity: If not to bless us and the land withal, Yet to draw forth your noble ancestry From the corruption of abusing time, Unto a lineal true-derived course.

[prince.

May. Do, good my lord; your citizens entreat you.

Buck. Refuse not, mighty lord, this proffer'd love.

Cute. O, make them joyful, grant their lawful suit.

Glo. Alas, why would you heap those cares

on me?

I am unfit for state and majesty :-
I do beseech you, take it not amiss;
I cannot, nor I will not, yield to you.

Buck. If you refuse it,-as in love and zeal,
Loath to depose the child, your brother's son;
As well we know your tenderness of heart,
And gentle, kind, effeminate remorse,‡
Which we have noted in you to your kindred,
And equally, indeed, to all estates,-
Yet know, whe'r you accept our suit or no,
Your brother's son shall never reign our king;
But we will plant some other in your throne,
To the disgrace and downfal of your house.
And, in this resolution, here we leave you;
Come, citizens, we will entreat no more.

[Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and Citizens. Cate. Call them again, sweet prince, accept their suit;

If you deny them, all the land will rue it.
Glo. Will you enforce me to a world of

cares?

Well, call them again; I am not made of stone,
But penetrable to your kind entreaties,
[Exit CATESBY.
Albeit against my conscience and my soul.-

Re-enter BUCKINGHAM and the rest. Cousin of Buckingham,-and sage, grave

men,

Since you will buckle fortune on my back,
To bear her burden, whe'r I will, or no,
But if black scandal, or foul-fac'd reproach,
I must have patience to endure the load:
Attend the sequel of your imposition,
Your mere enforcement shall acquittance me
From all the impure blots and stains thereof;
How far I am from the desire of this.
For God he knows, and you may partly see,

May. God bless your grace! we see it, and will say it.

Glo. In saying so, you shall but say the truth.

Buck. Then I salute you with this royal title,Long live king Richard, England's worthy [king!

All. Amen!

Buck. To-morrow may it please you to be crown'd?

Glo. Even when you please, since you will have it so.

Buck. To-morrow then we will attend your grace;

And so, most joyfully we take our leave. Glo. Come, let us to our holy work again :-[To the Bishops. Farewell, good cousin ;-farewell, gentle [Exeunt.

friends.

Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloster?
Now, for my life, she's wand'ring to the Tower,
On pure heart's love, to greet the tender
prince.-
Daughter, well met.

Anne. God give your graces both
A happy and a joyful time of day!

Q. Eliz. As much to you, good sister! Whi

ther away?

Anne. No further than the Tower; and, as
I guess,

To gratulate the gentle princes there.
Upon the like devotion as yourselves,

Q. Eliz. Kind sister, thanks; we'll enter all
together:

Enter BRAKENBURY, And, in good time, here the lieutenant comes.Master lieutenant, pray you, by your leave, How doth the prince, and my young son of York?

Bruk. Right well, dear madam: By your patience,

The king hath strictly charg'd the contrary.
may not suffer you to visit them;
Q. Eliz. The king! who's that?
Brak. I mean, the lord protector.

Q. Eliz. The Lord protect him from that kingly title!

[me? Hath he set bounds between their love, and I am their mother, who shall her me from

them?

Duch. I am their father's mother, I will see | More miserable by the life of thee,

them.

Anne. Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother:

[blame, Then bring me to their sights; I'll bear thy And take thy office from thee, on thy peril. Brak. No, madam, no, I may not leave it

I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me. [Exit BRAKENBURY. Enter STANLEY.

Stan. Let me but meet you, ladies, one hour hence,

And I'll salute your grace of York as mother, And reverend looker-on of two fair queens.Come, madam, you must straight to West

minster. [To the Duchess of GLOSTER. There to be crowned Richard's royal queen.

Q. Eliz. Ah, cut my lace asunder! [beat, That my pent heart may have some scope to Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news. Anne. Despiteful tidings! O unpleasing

Than thou hast made me by my dear lord's death?
Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again,
Even in so short a space, my woman's heart
Grossly grew captive to his honey words,
And prov'd the subject of mine own soul's

curse:

Which ever since hath held mine eyes from
For never yet one hour in his bed [rest;
Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep,
But with his timorous dreams was still awak'd.
Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick;
And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me,

Q. Eliz. Poor heart, adieu; I pity thy complaining.

Anne. No more than with my soul I mourn for yours.

Dor. Farewell, thou woeful welcomer cf glory!

Anne. Adieu, poor soul, that tak'st thy leave

of it!

Duch. Go thou to Richmond, and good for. tune guide thee!- [TO DORSET. Go thou to Richard, and good angels tend thee![TO ANNE. Go thou to sanctuary, and good thoughts pos[To Q. ELIZABETH.

sess thee!

I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen, [me. And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen.*

Q. Eliz. Stay yet; look back, with me, unto the Tower.

Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes,
Whom envy hath immur'd within your walls!
Rough cradle for such little pretty ones!
Rude ragged nurse! old sullen play-fellow
For tender princes, use my babies well!
So foolish sorrow bids your stones farewell.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.—A Room of State in the Palace. Flourish of Trumpets. RICHARD, as King upon his Throne; BUCKINGHAM, CATESBY, a PAGE, and others.

K. Rich. Stand all apart.-Cousin of Buckingham,

Buck. My gracious sovereign.

K. Rich. Give me thy hand. 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,t

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'a.

« Previous Continue »

Books

The dramatic works of William Shakspere, from the text of Johnson, Stevens ...