Richard the Third (Quarto 1, 1597)
Peer Reviewed
of Richard the third.
¶Cancell his bond of life, deare God I pray,
¶That I may liue to say, the dog is dead.
¶That botteld spider, that foule bunch-backt toade.
¶I cald thee then, poore shadow, painted Queene,
2855The presentation of, but what I was,
¶The flattering Index of a direfull pageant,
¶One heaued a high, to be hurld downe belowe,
¶A mother onelie, mockt with two sweete babes,
¶A dreame of which thou wert a breath, a bubble,
2860To be the aime of euerie dangerous shot,
¶Where is thy husband now, where be thy brothers?
¶Where are thy children, wherein doest thou ioye?
¶Where be the bending peeres that flattered thee?
¶Where be the thronging troopes that followed thee?
¶decline all this, and see what now thou art,
2870For ioyfull Mother, one that wailes the name,
¶For Queene, a verie caitiue crownd with care,
2875For one commaunding all, obeyed of none,
¶And left thee but, a verie praie to time,
¶Hauing no more, but thought of what thou wert,
¶To torture thee the more, being what thou art,
¶Now thy proud necke, beares halfe my burthened yoke,
¶From which, euen here, I slippe my wearie necke,
¶And leaue the burthen of it all on thee :
Qu. O
