Richard the Third (Quarto 1, 1597)
Peer Reviewed
of Richard the third.
2355Or lowlie factor for anothers gaine:
¶Your right of birth, your Emperie, your owne:
¶For this consorted with the Citizens
¶Your verie worshipfull and louing frinds,
2360And by their vehement instigation,
¶Or bitterlie to speake in your reproofe,
¶Best fitteth my degree or your condition:
¶And that my path were euen to the crown,
¶As my ripe reuenew and dew by birth,
¶So mightie and so many my defects,
¶As I had rather hide me from my greatnes,
¶Beeing a Barke to brooke no mightie sea,
¶Then in my greatnes couet to be hid,
2385And in the vapour of my glorie smotherd:
¶But God be thanked there's no need of me,
¶And much I need to helpe you if need were,
¶The roiall tree hath left vs roiall fruit,
¶Which mellowed by the stealing houres of time,
¶And make no doubt vs happie by his raigne,
¶On him I laie what you would laie on me:
¶The right and fortune of his happie stars,
¶Which God defend that I should wring from him.
¶But the respects thereof are nice and triuiall,
¶So saie we to, but not by Edwards wife,
2400For first he was contract to lady Lucy,
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