Richard the Third (Quarto 1, 1597)
Peer Reviewed
The Tragedy
¶
Enter Dutches of Yorke, with Clarence Children.
¶Boy. Tell me good Granam, is our father dead?
¶Dut. No boy.
¶And crie, Oh Clarence my vnhappy sonne?
¶And call vs wretches, Orphanes, castawaies,
¶If that our noble father be aliue?
¶As loth to loose him, not your fathers death:
¶Boy. Then Granam you conclude that he is dead,
1285The King my Vnckle is too blame for this:
¶God will reuenge it, whom I will importune
¶With daily praiers, all to that effect.
¶Dut. Peace children, peace, the King doth loue you wel,
1290Incapable and shallow innocents,
¶Tould me, the King prouoked by the Queene,
1295And when he tould me so, he wept,
¶And hugd me in his arme, and kindly kist my checke,
¶And bad me rely on him as in my father,
¶And he would loue me dearely as his child.
1300And with a vertuous visard hide foule guile:
¶Yet from my dugs he drew not this deceit.
¶Dut. I boy.
¶To chide my fortune, and torment my selfe?
¶And to my selfe become an enemy.
¶Qu. To make an act of tragicke violence:
Ed
