Q. Mar.
So, now prosperity begins to mellow^{2 note}

And will to France; hoping, the consequence
Will prove as bitter, black, and tragical.
Withdraw thee, wretched Margaret! who comes here? Enter Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess of York.

Q. Eliz.
Ah, my poor princes! ah, my tender bades!
My unblown flowers, new-appearing sweets!
If yet your gentle souls fly in the air,
And be not fix'd in doom perpetual,
Hover about me with your airy wings,
And hear your mother's lamentation!

Q. Mar.
Hover about her; say, that right for right^{4 note}

Duch.
So many miseries have craz'd my voice,
That my woe-wearied tongue is still and mute,—
Edward Plantagenet, why art thou dead?

Q. Mar.
Plantagenet doth quit Plantagenet,
Edward for Edward pays a dying debt.

Q. Eliz.
Wilt thou, O God, fly from such gentle lambs,

And throw them in the entrails of the wolf?
When didst thou sleep^{5 note}

Q. Mar.
When holy Harry died, and my sweet son.

Duch.
Dead life, blind sight, poor mortal living ghost,
Woe's scene, world's shame, grave's due by life usurp'd,
Brief abstract and record of tedious days,
Rest thy unrest on England's lawful earth, [Siting down.
Unlawfully made drunk with innocent blood!

Q. Eliz.
Ah, that thou would'st as soon afford a grave,
As thou can'st yield a melancholy seat;
Then would I hide my bones, not rest them here!
Ah, who hath any cause to mourn, but we? [Sitting down by her.

Q. Mar.
If ancient sorrow be most reverent,
Give mine the benefit of seniory^{6 note}

And let my griefs frown on the upper hand^{7 note}

.
If sorrowcan admit society, [Sitting down with them.
Tell o'er your woes again by viewing mine:—
I had an Edward, till a Richard kill'd him;
I had a Henry^{8 note}

Duch.
I had a Richard too, and thou did'st kill him;
I had a Rutland too, thou holp'st to kill him.

Q. Mar.
Thou had'st a Clarence too, and Richard kill'd him,
From forth the kennel of thy womb hath crept
A hell-hound, that doth hunt us all to death:
That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes,
To worry lambs, and lap their gentle blood:
That foul defacer of God's handy-work;

That excellent grand tyrant of the earth,
That reigns^{9 note}

Duch.
O, Harry's wife, triumph not in my woes;
God witness with me, I have wept for thine.

Q. Mar.
Bear with me; I am hungry for revenge,
And now I cloy me with beholding it.
Thy Edward he is dead, that kill'd my Edward;
Thy other Edward dead, to quit my Edward;
Young York he is but boot^{3 note}, because both they

Match not the high perfection of my loss.
Thy Clarence he is dead that stabb'd my Edward;
And the beholders of this tragick play,
The adulterate Hastings^{4 note}

Q. Eliz.
O, thou didst prophecy, the time would come,
That I should wish for thee to help me curse
That bottled spider, that foul bunch-back'd toad,

Q. Mar.
I call'd thee then, vain flourish of my fortune;
I call'd thee then, poor shadow, painted queen;
The presentation of but what I was,
The flattering index of a direful pageant^{6 note},

One heav'd a high, to be hurl'd down below:
A mother only mock'd with two fair babes;
A dream of what thou wast; a garish flag* ^note

,
To be the aim of every dangerous shot^{7 note}
;
A sign of dignity, a breath, a bubble;
A queen in jest, only to fill the scene.
Where is thy husband now? where be thy brothers?
Where be thy two sons? wherein dost thou joy?
Who sues, and kneels, and says—God save the queen?
Where be the bending peers that flatter'd thee^{8 note}


?
Where be the thronging troops that follow'd thee?
Decline all this^{9 note}, and see what now thou art.
For happy wife, a most distressed widow;
For joyful mother, one that wails the name;
For one being sued to, one that humbly sues;
For queen, a very caitiff crown'd with care:
For one that scorn'd at me, now scorn'd of me;
[For one being fear'd of all, now fearing one;
For one commanding all, obey'd of none.* ^note]

Thus hath the course of justice wheel'd about^{1 note},
And left thee but a very prey to time;
Having no more but thought of what thou wert,
To torture thee the more, being what thou art.
Thou didst usurp my place, And dost thou not
Usurp the just proportion of my sorrow?
Now thy proud neck bears half my burden'd yoke;
From which even here I slip my wearied head,
And leave the burden of it all on thee.
Farewell, York's wife,—and queen of sad mischance,—
These English woes shall make me smile in France.

Q. Eliz.
O thou well skill'd in curses, stay a while,
And teach me how to curse mine enemies.

Q. Mar.
Forbear to sleep the night, and fast^{2 note} the day;
Compare dead happiness with living woe;
Think that thy babes were fairer^{3 note} than they were,
And he, that slew them, fouler than he is:
Bettering thy loss makes the bad-causer worse^{4 note}

Q. Eliz.
My words are dull, O, quicken them with thine!

Q. Mar.
Thy woes will make them sharp, and pierce like mine. [Exit Q. Margaret.

Duch.
Why should calamity be full of words?

Q. Eliz.
Windy attorneys to their client woes^{5 note}

Duch.
If so, then be not tongue-ty'd: go with me,
And in the breath of bitter words let's smother
My damned son, that thy two sweet sons smother'd. [Drum, within.
I hear his drum,—be copious in exclaims. Enter King Richard, and his Train, marching.

K. Rich.
Who intercepts me in my expedition?

Duch.
O, she* ^note, that might have intercepted thee,
By strangling thee in her accursed womb,
From all the slaughters, wretch, that thou hast done.

Q. Eliz.
Hid'st thou that forehead with a golden crown,
Where should be branded† ^note, if that right were right,
The slaughter of the prince that ow'd that crown^{8 note}
,
And the dire death of my poor sons, and brothers?
Tell me, thou villain-slave, where are my children?

Duch.
Thou toad, thou toad, where is thy brother Clarence?
And little Ned Plantagenet, his son?

Q. Eliz.
Where is the gentle Rivers, Vaughan, Grey?

Duch.
Where is kind Hastings?

K. Rich.
A flourish, trumpets!—strike alarum, drums!
Let not the heavens hear these tell-tale women
Rail on the Lord's anointed: Strike, I say.— [Flourish. Alarums.
Either be patient, and entreat me fair,
Or with the clamorous report of war
Thus will I drown your exclamations.

Duch.
Art thou my son?

K. Rich.
Ay; I thank God, my father, and yourself.

Duch.
Then patiently hear my impatience.

K. Rich.
Madam, I have a touch of your condition^{9 note}

[Duch.
O, let me speak.

K. Rich.
Do, then; but I'll not hear* ^note.]

Duch.
I will be mild and gentle in my words.

K. Rich.
And brief, good mother; for I am in haste.

Duch.
Art thou so hasty? I have staid for thee,
God knows, in torment and in agony.

K. Rich.
And came I not at last to comfort you?

Duch.
No, by the holy rood, thou know'st it well,
Thou cam'st on earth to make the earth my hell.
A grievous burden was thy birth to me;
Tetchy^{1 note}

K. Rich.
'Faith, none, but Humphrey Hour^{3 note}

To breakfast once, forth of my company.
If I be so disgracious in your sight,

Let me march on, and not offend you, madam* ^note.—
Strike up the drum.

[Duch.
I pr'ythee, hear me speak.

K. Rich.
You speak too bitterly.

Duch.
Hear me a word;
For I shall never speak to thee again.

K. Rich.
So† ^note

.]

Duch.
Either thou wilt die, by God's just ordinance,
Ere from this war thou turn a conqueror;
Or I with grief and extreme age shall perish,
And never look upon thy face again.
Therefore, take with thee my most heavy curse;
Which, in the day of battle, tire thee more,
Than all the cómplete armour that thou wear'st!
My prayers on the adverse party fight;
And there the little souls of Edward's children
Whisper the spirits of thine enemies,
And promise them success and victory.

Bloody thou art, bloody will be thy end;
Shame serves thy life^{4 note}, and doth thy death attend. [Exit.

Q. Eliz.
Though far more cause, yet much less spirit to curse
Abides in me; I say amen to her. [Going.

K. Rich.
Stay, madam^{5 note}

Q. Eliz.
I have no more sons of the royal blood,
For thee to murder: for my daughters, Richard,—
They shall be praying nuns, not weeping queens;
And therefore level not to hit their lives.

K. Rich.
You have a daughter call'd—Elizabeth,
Virtuous and fair, royal and gracious.

Q. Eliz.
And must she die for this? O, let her live,
And I'll corrupt her manners, stain her beauty;
Slander myself, as false to Edward's bed;
Throw over her the veil of infamy:
So she may live unscarr'd of bleeding slaughter,
I will confess she was not Edward's daughter.

K. Rich.
Wrong not her birth, she is of royal blood^{6 note}

Q. Eliz.
To save her life, I'll say—she is not so.

K. Rich.
Her life is safest only in her birth.

Q. Eliz.
And only in that safety died her brothers.

K. Rich.
Lo, at their births^{7 note} good stars were opposite.

Q. Eliz.
No, to their lives bad friends were contrary.

K. Rich.
All unavoided^{8 note}
is the doom of destiny.

Q. Eliz.
True, when avoided grace makes destiny.
My babes were destin'd to a fairer death,
If grace had bless'd thee with a fairer life.

[* ^noteK. Rich.
You speak, as if that I had slain my cousins.

Q. Eliz.
Cousins, indeed; and by their uncle cozen'd
Of comfort, kingdom, kindred, freedom, life.
Whose hands soever lanc'd their tender hearts,
Thy head, all indirectly, gave direction^{9 note}

To revel in the entrails of my lambs.
But that still use^{2 note}
of grief makes wild grief tame,
My tongue should to thy ears not name my boys,
Till that my nails were anchor'd in thine eyes;
And I, in such a desperate bay of death,
Like a poor bark, of sails and tackling reft,
Rush all to pieces on thy rocky bosom.]

K. Rich.
Madam, so thrive I in my enterprize,
And dangerous success of bloody wars,
As I intend more good to you and yours,
Than ever you or yours by me were harm'd!

Q. Eliz.
What good is cover'd with the face of heaven,
To be discover'd, that can do me good?

K. Rich.
The advancement of your children, gentle lady.

Q. Eliz.
Up to some scaffold, there to lose their heads?

K. Rich.
No, to the dignity and height of fortune,
The high imperial type^{3 note}

Q. Eliz.
Flatter my sorrows with report of it;
Tell me, what state, what dignity, what honour,
Canst thou demise^{4 note}

K. Rich.
Even all I have; ay, and myself and all.
Will I withal endow a child of thine;
So in the Lethe of thy angry soul
Thou drown the sad remembrance of those wrongs^{5 note}

,
Which, thou supposest, I have done to thee.

Q. Eliz.
Be brief, lest that the process of thy kindness
Last longer telling than thy kindness' date* ^note.

K. Rich.
Then know, that from my soul, I love thy daughter.

Q. Eliz.
My daughter's mother thinks it with her soul.

K. Rich.
What do you think?

Q. Eliz.
That thou dost love my daughter, from thy soul:
So, from thy soul's love, did'st thou love her brothers;
And, from my heart's love, I do thank thee for it.

K. Rich.
Be not so hasty to confound my meaning.
I mean, that with my soul I love thy daughter,
And do intend to make her queen of England.

Q. Eliz.
Well then, who dost thou mean shall be her king?

K. Rich.
Even he that makes her queen: Who else should be?

Q. Eliz.
What, thou?

K. Rich.
I, even I: What think you of it, madam^{6 note}

Q. Eliz.
How canst thou woo her?

K. Rich.
That I would learn of you,
As one being best acquainted with her humour.

Q. Eliz.
And wilt thou learn of me?

K. Rich.
Madam, with all my heart^{7 note}

Q. Eliz.
Send to her, by the man that slew her brothers,
A pair of bleeding hearts; thereon engrave,
Edward and York; then, haply, will she weep:
Therefore present to her,—as sometime Margaret^{8 note}
Did to thy father, steep'd in Rutland's blood,—
A handkerchief; [which, say to her, did drain
The purple sap from her sweet brother's body,]
And bid her wipe her weeping eyes withal.
If this inducement move her not to love,
Send her a letter of thy noble deeds† ^note;
Tell her thou mad'st away her uncle Clarence,
Her uncle Rivers; ay, and, for her sake,
Mad'st quick conveyance with her good aunt Anne.

K. Rich.
You mock me, madam; this is not the way
To win your daughter. ^note

Q. Eliz.
There is no other way;
Unless thou could'st put on some other shape,
And not be Richard that hath done all this.

K. Rich.
Say, that I did^{9 note} all this for love of her?

Q. Eliz.
Nay, then indeed, she cannot choose but hate thee^{1 note}

K. Rich.
Look, what is done cannot be now amended:
Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes,
Which after-hours give leisure to repent.
If I did take the kingdom from your sons,
To make amends, I'll give it to daughter.
If I have kill'd the issue of your womb,
To quicken your increase, I will beget
Mine issue of your blood upon your daughter.
A grandam's name is little less in love,
Than is the doting title of a mother;
They are as children, but one step below,

Even of your mettle, of your very blood^{3 note}

The liquid drops of tears that you have shed,
Shall come again, transform'd to orient pearl;
Advantaging their loan, with interest
Of ten-times-double gain of happiness^{6 note}

Q. Eliz.
What were I best to say? her father's brother
Would be her lord? Or shall I say, her uncle?
Or, he that slew her brothers, and her uncles?
Under what title shall I woo for thee,
That God, the law, my honour, and her love,

Can make seem pleasing to her tender years?

K. Rich.
Infer fair England's peace by this alliance.

Q. Eliz.
Which she shall purchase with still lasting war.

K. Rich.
Tell her, the king, that may command, entreats.

Q. Eliz.
That at her hands, which the king's King forbids^{8 note}

K. Kich.
Say, she shall be a high and mighty queen.

Q. Eliz.
To wail the title, as her mother doth.

K. Rich.
Say, I will love her everlastingly.

Q. Eliz.
But how long shall that title, ever, last^{9 note}

?

K. Rich.
Sweetly in force unto her fair life's end.

Q. Eliz.
But how long fairly shall her sweet life last?

K. Rich.
As long as heaven, and nature, lengthens it.

Q. Eliz.
As long as hell, and Richard, likes of it.

K. Rich.
Say, I, her sov'reign, am her subject low^{1 note}
.

Q. Eliz.
But she, your subject, loaths such sov'reignty.

K. Rich.
Be eloquent in my behalf to her.

Q. Eliz.
An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told.

K. Rich.
Then, in plain terms tell her my loving tale^{2 note}
.

Q. Eliz.
Plain and not honest, is too harsh a style.

K. Rich.
Your reasons are too shallow and too quick.

Q. Eliz.
O, no, my reasons are too deep and dead;—
Too deep and dead, poor infants, in their graves.

K. Rich.
Harp not^{3 note}

Q. Eliz.
Harp on it still shall I, till heart-strings break.

K. Rich.
Now, by my George, my garter, and my crown,—

Q. Eliz.
Profan'd, dishonour'd, and the third usurp'd.

K. Rich.
I swear.

Q. Eliz.
By nothing; for this is no oath.
Thy George, profan'd, hath lost his holy honour;
Thy garter^{4 note}
, blemish'd, pawn'd his knightly virtue;
Thy crown, usurp'd, disgrac'd his kingly glory:
If something thou would'st swear to be believ'd,
Swear then by something that thou hast not wrong'd.

K. Rich.
Now by the world,—

Q. Eliz.
'Tis full of thy foul wrongs.

K. Rich.
My father's death,—

Q. Eliz.
Thy life hath that dishonour'd.

K. Rich.
Then, by myself,—

Q. Eliz.
Thyself is self-mis-us'd* ^note.

K. Rich.
Why then, by heaven,—

Q. Eliz.
God's wrong is most of all.
If thou had'st fear'd to break an oath by him^{5 note}

If thou had'st fear'd to break an oath by him,
The imperial metal, circling now thy head,
Had grac'd the tender temples of my child;
And both the princes had been breathing here,
Which now, two tender bed-fellows for dust^{7 note}

K. Rich.
By the time to come^{9 note}.

Q. Eliz.
That thou hast wronged in the time o'er-past;
For I myself have many tears to wash
Hereafter time, for time past, wrong'd by thee.
The children live, whose parents thou hast slaughter'd,
Ungovern'd youth, to wail it in their age^{1 note}:
The parents live, whose children thou hast butcher'd,
Old barren plants, to wail it with their age.
Swear not by time to come; for that thou hast
Misus'd ere used, by times ill-us'd o'er-past.

K. Rich.
As I intend to prosper, and repent!
So thrive I in my dangerous attempt^{2 note}
Of hostile arms! myself myself confound!

Heaven, and fortune, bar me happy hours^{3 note}!
Day, yield me not thy light; nor, night, thy rest!
Be opposite all planets of good luck
To my proceeding, if, with pure heart's love,
Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,
I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter!
In her consists my happiness and thine;
Without her, follows to myself, and thee,
Herself, the land, and many a christian soul,
Death, desolation, ruin, and decay:
It cannot be avoided, but by this;
It will not be avoided, but by this.
Therefore, dear mother, (I must call you so,)
Be the attorney of my love to her.
Plead what I will be, not what I have been;
Not my deserts, but what I will deserve:
Urge the necessity and state of times,
And be not peevish^{4 note}

Q. Eliz.
Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?

K. Rich.
Ay, if the devil tempt thee to do good.

Q. Eliz.
Shall I forget myself, to be myself?

K. Rich.
Ay, if your self's remembrance wrong yourself.

Q. Eliz.
But thou did'st kill my children.

K. Rich.
But in your daughter's womb I bury them:
Where in that nest of spicery, they shall breed^{5 note}

Q. Eliz.
Shall I go win my daughter to thy will?

K. Rich.
And be a happy mother by the deed.

Q. Eliz.
I go.—Write to me very shortly^{6 note},
And you shall understand from me her mind,

K. Rich.
Bear her my true love's kiss, and so farewell. [Kissing her. Exit Q. Elizabeth.
Relenting fool, and shallow, changing—woman^{7 note}!
How now? what news? Enter Ratcliff; Catesby following.

Rat.
Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast
Rideth a puissant navy; to the shore
Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends,
Unarm'd, and unresolv'd to beat them back:
'Tis thought that Richmond is their admiral;
And there they hull, expecting but the aid
Of Buckingham, to welcome them ashore.

K. Rich.
Some light-foot friend post to the duke^{8 note} of Norfolk:—

Ratcliff, thyself,—or Catesby; where is he?

Cate.
Here, my good lord.

K. Rich.
Catesby, fly to the duke.

Cate.
I will, my lord, with all convenient haste.

K. Rich.
Ratcliff, come hither^{9 note}: Post to Salisbury;
When thou com'st thither,—Dull, unmindful villain, [To Catesby.
Why stay'st thou here, and go'st not to the duke?

Cate.
First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure
What from your grace I shall deliver to him.

K. Rich.
O, true, good Catesby;—Bid him levy straight
The greatest strength and power he can make,
And meet me suddenly at Salisbury.

Cate.
I go. [Exit.

Rat.
What, may it please you shall I do at Salisbury?

K. Rich.
Why, what would'st thou do there, before I go?

Rat.
Your highness told me, I should post before. Enter Stanley.

K. Rich.
My mind is chang'd.—Stanley, what news with you?

Stan.
None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing;
Nor none so bad, but well may be reported.

K. Rich.
Heyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad!

What need'st thou run so many miles about,
When thou may'st tell thy tale the nearest way?
Once more, what news?

Stan.
Richmond is on the seas.

K. Rich.
There let him sink, and be the seas on him!
White-liver'd runagate^{1 note}
, what doth he there?

Stan.
I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess.

K. Rich.
Well, as you guess?

Stan.
Stirr'd up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton,
He makes for England, here, to claim the crown.

K. Rich.
Is the chair empty? is the sword unsway'd?
Is the king dead? the empire unpossess'd?
What heir of York^{2 note}

Stan.
Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess.

K. Rich.
Unless for that he comes to be your liege,

You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes.
Thou wilt revolt, and fly to him I fear.

Stan.
No, mighty liege^{3 note}; therefore mistrust me not.

K. Rich.
Where is thy power then, to beat him back?
Where be thy tenants, and thy followers?
Are they not now upon the western shore,
Safe-cónducting the rebels from their ships.

Stan.
No, my good lord, my friends are in the north.

K. Rich.
Cold friends to me: What do they in the north,
When they should serve their sovereign in the west?

Stan.
They have not been commanded, mighty king:
Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave,
I'll muster up my friends; and meet your grace,
Where, and what time, your majesty shall please.

K. Rich.
Ay, ay, thou would'st be gone to join with Richmond:
I will not trust you, sir^{4 note}.

Stan.
Most mighty sovereign,
You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful.
I never was, nor never will be false.

K. Rich.
Well, go, muster men. But, hear, you leave behind
Your son, George Stanley; look your heart befirm,
Or else his head's assurance is but frail.

Stan.
So deal with him, as I prove true to you. [Exit Stanley.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess.
My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire,
As I by friends am well advértised,
Sir Edward Courtney, and the haughty prelate,
Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother,
With many more confederates, are in arms. Enter a Messenger.

2 Mess.
In Kent, my liege, the Guildfords are in arms;
And every hour more competitors^{5 note}

3 Mess.
My lord, the army of great Buckingham—

K. Rich.
Out on ye, owls! nothing but songs of death? [He strikes him.
There, take thou that, till thou bring better news.

3 Mess.
The news I have^{6 note}



to tell your majesty,
Is,—that, by sudden floods and fall of waters,
Buckingham's army is dispers'd and scatter'd;
And he himself wander'd away alone,
No man knows whither.

K. Rich.
O, I cry you mercy:
There is my purse, to cure that blow of thine.
Hath any well-advised friend proclaim'd
Reward to him that brings the traitor in?

3 Mess.
Such proclamation hath been made, my liege. Enter another Messenger.

4 Mess.
Sir Thomas Lovel, and lord marquis Dorset,
'Tis said, my liege, in Yorkshire are in arms.
But this good comfort bring I to your highness,—
The Bretagne navy is dispers'd by tempest:
Richmond, in Dorsetshire, sent out a boat
Unto the shore, to ask those on the banks,
If they were his assistants, yea, or no;
Who answer'd him, they came from Buckingham
Upon his party: he, mistrusting them,
Hois'd sail, and made his course again for Bretagne^{7 note}.

K. Rich.
March on, march on, since we are up in arms;
If not to fight with foreign enemies,
Yet to beat down these rebels here at home. Enter Catesby.

Cate.
My liege, the duke of Buckingham is taken,
That is the best news; That the earl of Richmond
Is with a mighty power landed at Milford^{8 note},
Is colder news, but yet they must be told^{9 note}

K. Rich.
Away towards Salisbury; while we reason here^{1 note},
A royal battle might be won and lost^{2 note}

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