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Richard the Third (Quarto 1, 1597)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Adrian Kiernander
Peer Reviewed
Enter Lady Anne with the hearse of Harry the 6.
175Lady An. Set downe set downe your honourable lo
If honor may be shrowded in a hearse,
Whilst I a while obsequiously lament
The vntimely fall of vertuous Lancaster:
Poore kei-cold figure of a holy King,
180Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster,
Thou bloudlesse remnant of that royall bloud,
Be it lawfull that I inuocate thy ghost,
To heare the lamentations of poore Anne,
Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughtered sonne,
185Stabd by the selfesame hands that made these holes,
Lo in those windowes that let foorth thy life,
I powre the helplesse balme of my poore eies,
Curst be the hand that made these fatall holes,
Curst be the heart that had the heart to doe it.
More direfull hap betide that hated wretch,
That makes vs wretched by the death of thee:
Than I can wish to adders, spiders, toades,
Or any creeping venomde thing that liues.
195If euer he haue child abortiue be it,
Prodigious and vntimely brought to light:
Whose vgly and vnnaturall aspect,
May fright the hopefull mother at the view.
200If euer he haue wife, let her be made
As miserable by the death of him,
As I am made by my poore Lord and thee.
Come now towards Chertsey with your holy loade,
Taken from Paules to be interred there:
205And still as you are weary of the waight,
Rest you whiles I lament King Henries corse.
Enter Glocester.
Glo. Stay you that beare the corse and set it downe.
La. What blacke magitian coniures vp this fiend,
210To stop deuoted charitable deedes.
Glo. Villaine set downe the corse, or by S. Paule,
Ile make a corse of him that disobeies.
Gent. My Lord, stand backe and let the coffin passe.
Glo. Vnmanerd dog, stand thou when I command,
Aduance thy halbert higher than my brest,
Or by Saint Paul Ile strike thee to my foote,
And spurne vpon thee begger for thy boldnes.
La. What doe you tremble, are you all afraid?
220Alas, I blame you not, for you are mortall,
And mortall eies cannot endure the diuell.
Auaunt thou dreadfull minister of hell,
Thou hadst but power ouer his mortall body,
His soule thou canst not haue, therefore be gone.
225Glo. Sweete Saint, for Charity be not so curst.
La. Foule Diuell, for Gods sake hence & trouble vs not,
For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell:
Fild it with cursing cries and deepe exclaimes.
230If thou delight to view thy hainous deedes,
Behold this patterne of thy butcheries.
Oh gentlemen see, see dead Henries woundes,
Open their congeald mouthes and bleede a fresh.
Blush blush thou lumpe of foule deformity,
235For tis thy presence that exhales this bloud,
From cold and empty veines where no bloud dwells.
Thy deed inhumane and vnnaturall,
Prouokes this deluge most vnnaturall.
Oh God which this bloud madest, reuenge his death,
240Oh earth which this bloud drinkst, reuenge his death:
Either heauen with lightning strike the murtherer dead,
Or earth gape open wide and eate him quicke.
As thou doest swallow vp this good Kings bloud,
Which his hell-gouernd arme hath butchered.
245Glo. Lady you know no rules of charity,
Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses.
Lady Villaine thou knowest no law of God nor man:
No beast so fierce but knowes some touch of pitty.
Glo. But I know none, and therefore am no beast.
250Lady Oh wonderfull when Diuels tell the troth.
Glo. More wonderfull when Angels are so angry
Voutsafe deuine perfection of a woman,
Of these supposed euils to giue me leaue,
By circumstance but to acquite my selfe.
255La. Vouchsafe defused infection of a man,
For these knowne euils but to giue me leaue,
By circumstance to curse thy cursed selfe.
Glo. Fairer then tongue can name thee, let me haue
Some patient leisure to excuse my selfe.
260La. Fouler then heart can thinke thee thou canst make
No excuse currant but to hang thy selfe.
Glo. By such despaire I should accuse my selfe.
Lad. And by despairing shouldst thou stand excusde,
265For doing worthy vengeance on thy selfe,
Which didst vnworthy slaughter vpon others.
Glo. Say that I slew them not.
La. Why then they are not dead,
But dead they are, and diuelish slaue by thee.
270Glo. I did not kill your husband.
La. Why then he is aliue.
Glo. Nay, he is dead, and slaine by Edwards hand.
La. In thy foule throat thou liest, Queene Margaret saw
275Thy bloudy faulchion smoking in his bloud,
The which thou once didst bend against her brest,
But that thy brothers beat aside the point.
Glo. I was prouoked by her slaunderous tongue,
Which laid their guilt vpon my guiltlesse shoulders.
280La. Thou wast prouoked by thy bloudy minde,
Which neuer dreamt on ought but butcheries,
Didst thou not kill this King.
Glo.I grant yea.
La. Doest grant me hedghogge then god grant me too
Thou maiest be damnd for that wicked deede,
Oh he was gentle, milde, and vertuous.
Glo. The fitter for the King of Heauen that hath him.
La. He is in heauen where thou shalt neuer come.
290Glo. Let him thanke me that holpe to send him thither,
For he was fitter for that place then earth,
La. And thou vnfit for any place but hell.
Glo. Yes one place els if you will heare me name it.
295La. Some dungeon. Glo. Your bedchamber.
La. Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest.
Glo. So will it Madame till I lie with you.
La. I hope so.
300Glo. I know so, but gentle Lady Anne,
To leaue this keen incounter of our wits,
And fall somewhat into a slower methode:
Is not the causer of the timeles deaths,
Of these Plantagenets Henry and Edward,
305As blamefull as the executioner.
La. Thou art the cause and most accurst effect.
Glo. Your beauty was the cause of that effect,
Your beauty which did haunt me in my sleepe:
To vndertake the death of all the world
310So I might rest one houre in your sweete bosome.
La. If I thought that I tell thee homicide,
These nailes should rend that beauty from my cheekes.
Glo. These eies could neuer indure sweet beauties wrack,
You should not blemish them if I stood by:
315As all the world is cheered by the sonne,
So I by that, it is my day, my life.
La. Blacke night ouershade thy day, and death thy life.
Glo. Curse not thy selfe faire creature, thou art both.
320La. I would I were to be reuenged on thee.
Glo. It is a quarrell most vnnaturall,
To be reuengd on him that loueth you.
La. It is a quarrell iust and reasonable,
To be reuengd on him that slew my husband.
325Glo. He that bereft thee Lady of thy husband,
Did it to helpe thee to a better husband.
La. His better doth not breath vpon the earth.
Glo. Go to, he liues that loues you better then he could.
La. Name him.Glo. Plantagenet.
La. Why that was hee.
Glo. The selfesame name but one of better nature.
La. Where is he.
Shee spitteth at him.
Glo. Heere.
335Why doest thou spitte at me.
La. Would it were mortall poison for thy sake.
Glo. Neuer came poison from so sweete a place.
La. Neuer hung poison on a fouler toade,
Out of my sight thou doest infect my eies.
340Glo. Thine eies sweete Lady haue infected mine.
La. Would they were basiliskes to strike thee dead.
Glo. I would they were that I might die at once,
For now they kill me with a liuing death:
Those eies of thine from mine haue drawen salt teares,
345Shamd their aspect with store of childish drops:
I neuer sued to friend nor enemy,
My tongue could neuer learne sweete soothing words:
360But now thy beauty is proposde my fee:
My proud heart sues and prompts my tongue to speake,
Teach not thy lips such scorne, for they were made
For kissing Lady not for such contempt.
365If thy reuengefull heart cannot forgiue,
Lo here I lend thee this sharpe pointed sword:
Which if thou please to hide in this true bosome,
And let the soule forth that adoreth thee:
I laie it naked to the deadly stroke,
370And humbly beg the death vpon my knee.
Nay, doe not pawse, twas I that kild your husband,
But twas thy beauty that prouoked me:
Nay now dispatch twas I that kild King Henry:
375But twas thy heauenly face that set me on:
Here she lets fall
Take vp the sword againe or take vp me.
La. Arise dissembler, though I wish thy death,
I will not be the executioner.
380Glo. Then bid me kill my selfe, and I will doe it.
La. I haue already.
Glo. Tush that was in thy rage:
Speake it againe, and euen with the word,
That hand which for thy loue did kill thy loue,
385Shall for thy loue, kill a farre truer loue:
To both their deaths shalt thou be accessary.
La. I would I knew thy heart.
Glo. Tis figured in my tongue.
La. I feare me both are false.
390Glo. Then neuer was man true.
La. Well, well, put vp your sword.
Glo. Say then my peace is made.
La. That shall you know hereafter.
Glo. But shall I liue in hope.
395La. All men I hope liue so.
Glo. Voutsafe to weare this ring.
396.1La. To take is not to giue.
Glo. Looke how this ring incompasseth thy finger,
Euen so thy breast incloseth my poore heart.
Weare both of them for both of them are thine,
400And if thy poore deuoted suppliant may
But beg one fauour at thy gratious hand,
Thou doest confirme his happines for euer.
La. What is it?
Glo. That it would please thee leaue these sad designes,
405To him that hath more cause to be a mourner,
And presently repaire to Crosbie place,
Where after I haue solemnly interred
At Chertsie monastery this noble King,
And wet his graue with my repentant teares,
410I will with all expedient dutie see you:
For diuers vnknowne reasons, I beseech you
Grant me this boone.
La. With all my heart, and much it ioies me too,
To see you are become so penitent:
415Tressi}ll and Barkley go along with me.
Glo. Bid me farewell.
La. Tis more then you deserue:
But since you teach me how to flatter you,
Imagine I haue said farewell already.
Exit.
420Glo. Sirs take vp the corse.
Ser. Towards Chertsie noble Lord.
Glo. No, to white Friers there attend my comming.
Was euer woman in this humor woed,
Exeunt.
manet Gl.
425Was euer woman in this humor wonne:
Ile haue her, but I will not keepe her long.
What I that kild her husband and his father,
To take her in her hearts extreamest hate:
With curses in her mouth, teares in her eies,
430The bleeding witnesse of her hatred by,
Hauing God, her conscience, and these bars against me:
And I nothing to backe my suite at all,
But the plaine Diuell and dissembling lookes,
And yet to win her all the world to nothing. Hah
Hath she forgot already that braue Prince
Edward, her Lord whom I some three months since,
Stabd in my angry moode at Tewxbery,
A sweeter and a louelier gentleman,
440Framd in the prodigality of nature:
Young, valiant, wise, and no doubt right royall,
The spacious world cannot againe affoord:
And will she yet debase her eyes on me
That cropt the golden prime of this sweete Prince,
445And made her widdow to a wofull bed,
On me whose all not equals Edwards moity,
On me that halt, and am vnshapen thus.
My Dukedome to a beggerly denier.
I doe mistake my person all this while,
450Vpon my life she findes, although I cannot
My selfe, to be a merueilous proper man.
Ile be at charges for a looking glasse,
And entertaine some score or two of taylers,
To study fashions to adorne my body,
455Since I am crept in fauour with my selfe,
I will maintaine it with some little cost:
But first Ile turne yon fellow in his graue,
And then returne lamenting to my loue.
Shine out faire sunne till I haue bought a glasse,
460That I may see my shadow as I passe.
Exit.