Ric.
Stand all apart.—Cousin of Buckingham,—

Buc.
My gracious sovereign: ^note

Ric.
Give me thy hand. Thus high, by thy advice,
And ^note thy assistance, is king Richard seated:—
But shall we wear these glories ^note for a day?
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?

Buc.
Still live they, and for ever let them last ^note!

Ric.
Ah, Buckingham ^note, now do I 'ply ^note the touch,14Q0885
To try if thou be current gold indeed:—
Young Edward lives;—Think now what I would speak. ^note

Buc.
Say on, my loving lord. ^note

Ric.
Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be king.

Buc.
Why, so you are, my thrice renowned ^note liege ^note.

Ric.
Ha! am I king? 'Tis so: but Edward lives.

Buc.
True, noble prince.

Ric.
O bitter consequence,
That Edward still should live—true noble prince!
Cousin, thou wast not ^note wont to be so dull:—
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
What say'st thou now ^note? speak suddenly, be brief.

Buc.
Your grace may do your pleasure.

Ric.
Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezes ^note:
Say, have I thy consent, that they shall die?

Buc.
Give me some breath, some little pause, dear lord ^note,
Before I positively speak in this: ^note
I will resolve your grace immediately ^note. [Exit Buc.

&clquo;Cat.
&clquo;The king is angry; see, he gnaws his ^note lip ^note.&crquo; [to a Stander-by.

Ric.
I will converse with iron-witted ^note fools,
And unrespective boys; none are for me,
That look into me with considerate eyes:—
High ^note-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.—
Boy, ^note—

Pag.
My ^note lord:

Ric.
Know'st thou not any, whom corrupting gold
Would tempt ^note unto a close exploit of death?

Pag.
I ^note know a discontented gentleman,
Whose humble means match not his haughty mind: ^note
Gold were as good as twenty orators,
And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.

Ric.
What is his name?

Pag.
His name, my lord, is—Tyrrel.

Ric.
I partly know the man; Go, call him hither, ^note boy.— [Exit Page.
The deep-revolving witty Buckingham

No more shall be the neighbour to my counsels:
Hath he so long held out with me untir'd,
And stops he now for breath? well, be it so. ^note— Enter Stanley.
How now, lord Stanley? what's the news? ^note

Sta.
My lord ^note, ^note
The marquiss Dorset, as I hear, is fled
To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.

Ric.
Come hither, Catesby: rumour ^note it abroad,
That Anne my wife is very grievous sick; ^note
I will take order for her keeping close.
Enquire me out some mean-born gentleman ^note,
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 ^note 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 marry'd to my brother's daughter,
Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass:—
Murther her brothers ^note, and then marry her!
Uncertain way of gain! But I am in
So far in blood, that sin will ^note pluck ^note on sin.
Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.— Re-enter Page, with Tyrrel.
Is thy name—Tyrrel?

Tyr.
James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.

Ric.
Art thou, indeed?

Tyr.
Prove me, my gracious lord. ^note

Ric.
Dar'st thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?

Tyr.
Please you; but I ^note had rather kill two enemies ^note.

Ric.
Why, then thou ^note hast it; two ^note deep enemies,
Foes to my rest, and my ^note sweet sleep's ^note disturbers ^note,
Are they that I would have thee deal upon:
Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the tower.

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

Ric.
Thou sing'st sweet musick. Hark, ^note come hither, Tyrrel;
Go, by this &dagger2; token ^note:—Rise, and lend thine ear:14Q0886 [whispers him.
There is no ^note more but so; Say, it is ^note done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee for ^note it.

Tyr.
I will dispatch it straight. ^note [Exit. Re-enter Buckingham.

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

Ric.
Well, let that rest. ^note Dorset is fled to Richmond.

Buc.
I hear the news ^note, my lord.

Ric.
Stanley, he is your wife's son; Well, look to it. ^note

Buc.
My lord, I claim the gift ^note, my due by promise,
For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd;
The earldom of Hereford ^note, and the moveables
Which you have promised I shall possess ^note.

Ric.
Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey ^note
Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

Buc.
What says your highness to my just request? ^note

Ric.
I do remember ^note me, Henry the sixth
Did prophesy, that Richmond should be king,
When Richmond was a little peevish boy.
A king!—perhaps.

Buc.
My lord,— ^note

Ric.
How chance, the prophet could not at that time

Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?

Buc.
My lord, your promise for the earldom,—

Ric.
Richmond!—When last I was at Exeter,
The mayor in courtesy shew'd me the castle,
And call'd it—Rouge-mont: at which name, I started;
Because a bard of Ireland told me once,
I should not live long after I saw Richmond.

Buc.
My lord,—

Ric.
Ay, what's o'clock?

Buc.
I am thus bold to put your grace in mind
Of what you promis'd me:

Ric.
Well, but what's o'clock?

Buc.
Upon the stroke of ten.

Ric.
Well, let it strike.

Buc.
Why let it strike?

Ric.
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.

Buc.
Why, then resolve me ^note whe'r you will, or no.

Ric.
Thou ^note troubl'st me; I am not in the vein. [Exeunt Richard, and Train.

Buc.
Is it ^note even so? repays he my ^note deep service
With such contempt ^note? made I him king for this?
O, let me think on Hastings; and be gone
To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on. [Exit.

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