Ric.
How now, how now? what ^note say the citizens?

Buc.
Now by the holy mother of our Lord,
The citizens are mum, say not ^note a word.

Ric.
Touch'd you the bastardy of Edward's children?

Buc.
I did; with his contráct ^note with lady Lucy,
And his contráct by deputy in France:

The insatiate ^note greediness of his desire ^note,
And his enforcement of the city wives; ^note
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 ^note and nobleness of mind:
Lay'd open ^note all your victories in Scotland,
Your discipline in war, wisdom in peace,
Your bounty, virtue, fair humility;
Indeed, left nothing, fitting for your purpose ^note,
Untouch'd, or slightly handl'd, in discourse.
And, when my oratory ^note drew toward end ^note,
I bad ^note them, that did love ^note their country's good,
Cry—God save Richard, England's royal king!

Ric.
And did they so?

Buc.
No, so God help me, they spake not a word ^note;
But, like dumb statues, or unbreathing ^note stones,
Star'd each ^note on other, and look'd deadly pale.
Which when I saw, I reprehended them;
And ask'd the mayor, what meant ^note this wilful silence:
His answer was,—the people were not us'd ^note
To be spoke to, but by their own recorder.
Then he was urg'd to tell my tale again;—
Thus saith the duke,14Q0883 thus hath the duke infer'd;
But nothing spoke ^note in warrant from himself.
When he had done, some followers of mine own,
At lower ^note end the ^note hall, hurl'd up their caps,
And some ten voices cry'd, God save king Richard!
And thus I took the vantage of those few,— ^note
Thanks, gentle citizens ^note, and friends, quoth I;

This general applause, and chearful shout ^note,
Argues your wisdom ^note, and your love ^note to Richard:
And even here brake ^note off, and came away.

Ric.
What tongueless blocks were they; Would they not speak? ^note
Will not the mayor then, and his brethren, come?

Buc.
The mayor is here at hand ^note; Intend ^note some fear;
Be not you spoke with, but by mighty ^note suit:
And look you get a prayer-book in your hand,
And stand between ^note two churchmen, good my lord;
For on that ground I'll make a ^note holy descant:
And be not easily won to our requests ^note;
Play the maid's part, still answer nay, and take it. ^note

Ric.
I go; And if you plead ^note as well for them,
As I can say nay to thee for myself,
No doubt we ^note bring it to a happy issue. [Knock.

Buc.
Go, go, up to the leads; ^note the lord mayor knocks. [Exit Richard. Enter the Lord Mayor; with certain Aldermen, and Others.
Welcome, my lord: I dance attendance here;
I think, the duke will not be spoke ^note withal.— Enter Catesby.
Now, Catesby? what says your lord to my request? ^note

Cat.
He doth entreat your grace, my noble lord, ^note
To visit him to-morrow, or next day:
He is within, with two ^note right ^note reverend fathers,
Divinely bent to meditation;
And in no worldly suit ^note would he be mov'd,
To draw him from his holy exercise.

Buc.
Return, good Catesby, to the gracious duke; ^note
Tell him, myself, the mayor and aldermen ^note,

In deep designs, in matter ^note of great moment,
No less importing than ^note our general good,
Are come to have some conference with his grace.

Cat.
I'll signify so much unto him straight. ^note [Exit.

Buc.
Ah ha, my lord, this prince is not an Edward!
He is not lolling ^note on a lewd day-bed ^note,
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 ^note prince
Take on himself the ^note sov'reignty thereof; ^note
But, sure, I fear, we shall ne'er win ^note him to it.

May.
Marry, God defend ^note his grace should say us nay!

Buc.
I fear, he will: Here Catesby ^note comes again;— Re-enter Catesby.
What says your lord? ^note

Cat.
He ^note wonders to what end you have assembl'd
Such troops of citizens to come to him ^note,
His grace not being warn'd thereof before:
He fears, my lord, ^note you mean no good to him.

Buc.
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 ^note;
And so once more return and tell his grace. [Exit Cat.
When holy and devout religious men
Are at their beads, 'tis much to ^note draw them thence ^note;
So sweet is zealous contemplation. Enter Richard, in a Balcony, above, between two Bishops; Catesby again, below.

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

Buc.
Two props of virtue for a christian prince,
To stay him from the fall of vanity:
And, see, a book of prayer in his hand; ^note
True ornaments to know a holy man.—
Famous Plantagenet, most gracious prince,
Lend favourable ear to our requests ^note;
And pardon us the interruption
Of thy devotion, and right christian zeal.

Ric.
My lord, there needs no such apology;
I rather do beseech you ^note pardon me,
Who, earnest in the service of my God ^note,
Defer'd the ^note visitation of my friends.
But, leaving this, what is your grace's pleasure?

Buc.
Even that, I hope, which pleaseth God above,
And all good men of this ungovern'd isle.

Ric.
I do suspect, I have done some offence,
That seems ^note disgracious in the city's eye;
And that you come to reprehend my ignorance.

Buc.
You have, my lord; 'Would, it might ^note please your grace,
On our entreaties, to amend your fault ^note!

Ric.
Else wherefore breath I in a christian land?

Buc.
Know, then ^note, it is your fault, that you resign
The supream seat, the throne majestical,
The scepter'd ^note office of your ancestors,
Your state of fortune, and your due of birth, ^note
The lineal glory of your royal house,
To the corruption of a blemish'd stock:
Whilst ^note, in the mildness of your sleepy thoughts,
(Which here we waken to our ^note country's good)
The noble ^note isle doth want her proper ^note limbs;
Her face ^note defac'd with scars ^note of infamy,
Her ^note royal stock graft with ignoble plants, ^note

And almost shoulder'd in the swallowing ^note gulf
Of dark forgetfulness and deep oblivion ^note.
Which to recure ^note, we heartily sollicit
Your gracious self to take on you the charge ^note
And kingly government of this your land:
Not as protector, steward, substitute,
Or lowly ^note 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 ^note come I to move your grace.

Ric.
I cannot tell, if to ^note depart in silence,
Or bitterly to speak in your reproof,
Best fitteth ^note my degree, or your condition:
For, not to answer, you might haply think, ^note
Tongue-ty'd ambition, not replying, yielded
To bear the golden yoke of sov'reignty,
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,
Then, on the other side, I check'd my friends:
Therefore,—to speak, and to avoid the first;
And then, in speaking, not incur ^note the last,—
Definitively thus I answer you.
Your love deserves my thanks; but my desert,
Unmeritable, shuns your high request.
First, if all obstacles were cut away,
And that my path were even to the crown,
As the ripe ^note revenue and due of birth ^note;
Yet so much is my poverty of spirit,

So mighty, and so many, my defects,
That I would rather ^note hide me from my greatness,—
Being a bark to brook no mighty sea,—
Than in my greatness covet to be hid,
And in the vapour of my glory smother'd.
But, God be thank'd, there is ^note no need of me ^note;
(And much I need to help you, if need were ^note)
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 ^note, happy by his reign:
On him I lay that ^note you would lay on ^note me,
The right and fortune of his happy stars,—
Which, God defend, that I should wring from him!

Buc.
My lord, this argues conscience in your grace;
But the respects thereof are nice 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 ^note contract ^note to lady Lucy,
Your mother lives a witness to his vow ^note;
And afterwards by substitute betroth'd
To Bona, sister to the king of France:
These both put by, a ^note poor petitioner,
A care-craz'd mother to a many sons ^note,
A beauty-waining and distressed widow,
Even in the afternoon of her best days,
Made prize and purchase of his wanton eye ^note,
Seduc'd ^note the pitch and height of his degree ^note
To base declension and ^note loath'd bigamy;
By her, in his ^note unlawful bed, he got
This Edward, whom our manners call—the ^note prince.

More bitterly could I ^note expostulate,
Save that, for reverence to some alive,
I give a sparing limit to my tongue.
Then, good my 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, ^note
From the corruption of abusing ^note time ^note,
Unto a lineal true-derived course.

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

Buc.
Refuse not, mighty lord, this proffer'd love. ^note

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

Ric.
Alas, why would ^note you heap those cares ^note on me?
I am unfit for state and majesty ^note:—
I do beseech you, take it not amiss;
I cannot, nor I will not yield to you.

Buc.
If you refuse it,—as, in love and zeal,
Loth 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 ^note,
And equally ^note (indeed) to all estates,—
Yet know, whe'r ^note you accept ^note our suit, or no,
Your brother's son shall never reign our king;
But we will plant some other in the throne,
To the disgrace and downfal of your house.
And, in this resolution, here we leave you;—
Come, citizens, we will entreat no more. ^note [Exit, with the Citizens.

Cat.
Call them again, sweet prince, accept ^note their suit;
If you deny them, all the land will rue it. ^note

Ric.
Will you enforce me to a world of cares? ^note

Well ^note, Call them again; [Exit Cat.] I am not made of stone ^note,
But penetrable to your kind entreaties ^note,
Albeit against my conscience and my soul.— Re-enter Buckingham, and the rest.
Cousin of Buckingham,—and sage ^note grave men,—
Since you will buckle fortune on my back,
To bear her burthen, whether I ^note will, or no,
I must have patience to endure the load:
But if black scandal, or foul-fac'd ^note reproach,
Attend the sequel of your imposition,
Your meer enforcement shall acquittance me
From all the impure blots and stains thereof;
For God he knows ^note, and you may partly see,
How far I am from the desire of ^note this.

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

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

Buc.
Then I salute you with this royal title ^note,—
Long live king Richard, England's worthy king ^note!

all.
Amen. ^note

Buc.
To-morrow may it ^note please you to be crown'd?

Ric.
Even when you please, for you ^note will have it so.

Buc.
To-morrow then we will attend your grace;
And so, most joyfully, we take our leave. ^note

Ric.
Come, let us to our holy work again ^note:—
Farewel, good cousin; ^note—farewel, gentle friends. [Exeunt.

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