Richard the Third (Modern)

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 461[1.3]
3.1462428Enter Queen [Elizabeth], Lord Rivers, 463Grey [and Dorset].
3.2464429Rivers
 Have patience, madam, there's no doubt his majesty
3.3465430Will soon recover his accustomed health.
3.4466431Grey
 In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse.
3.5467432Therefore, for God's sake, entertain good comfort,
3.6468433And cheer his grace with quick and merry words.
3.7469434Queen Elizabeth
 If he were dead, what would betide of me?
3.8471435Rivers
 No other harm but loss of such a lord.
3.9472436Queen Elizabeth
 The loss of such a lord includes all harm.
3.10473437Grey
 The heavens have blessed you with a goodly son
3.11474438To be your comforter when he is gone.
3.12475439Queen Elizabeth
 Oh, he is young, and his minority
3.13476440Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloucester,
3.14477441A man that loves not me, nor none of you.
3.15478442Rivers
 Is it concluded he shall be Protector?
3.16479443Queen Elizabeth
 It is determined, not concluded yet,
3.17480444But so it must be, if the King miscarry.
3.18481Enter Buck[ingham and Stanley].
3.19482445Grey
 Here come the Lords of Buckingham and Stanley.
3.20483446Buckingham [To the Queen]
 Good time of day unto your royal grace.
3.21484447Stanley
 God make your majesty joyful as you have been.
3.22485448Queen Elizabeth
 The Countess Richmond, good my Lord of Stanley,
3.23486449To your good prayers will scarcely say "Amen".
3.24487450Yet Stanley, notwithstanding she's your wife
3.25488451And loves not me, be you, good lord, assured
3.26489452I hate not you for her proud arrogance.
3.27490453Stanley
 I do beseech you, either not believe
3.28491454The envious slanders of her false accusers
3.29492455Or, if she be accused in true report,
3.30493456Bear with her weakness which I think proceeds
3.31494457From wayward sickness, and no grounded malice.
3.32495458Rivers
 Saw you the King today, my Lord of Stanley?
3.33496459Stanley
 But now the Duke of Buckingham and I
3.34497460Came from visiting his majesty.
3.35498461Queen Elizabeth
 With likelihood of his amendment, lords?
3.36499462Buckingham
 Madam, good hope, his grace speaks cheerfully.
3.37500463Queen Elizabeth
 God grant him health! Did you confer with him?
3.38501464Buckingham
 Madam, we did. He desires to make atonement
3.39502465Betwixt the Duke of Gloucester and your brothers,
3.40503466And betwixt them and my Lord Chamberlain,
3.41504467And sent to warn them to his royal presence.
3.42505468Queen Elizabeth
 Would all were well, but that will never be.
3.43506469I fear our happiness is at the highest.
3.44507Enter [Richard and Hastings].
3.45508470Richard
 They do me wrong and I will not endure it!
3.46509471Who are they that complains unto the King
3.47510472That I forsooth am stern and love them not?
3.48511473By holy Paul, they love his grace but lightly
3.49512474That fill his ears with such dissentious rumors.
3.50513475Because I cannot flatter and speak fair,
3.51514476Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive and cog,
3.52515477Duck with French nods and apish courtesy,
3.53516478I must be held a rancorous enemy.
3.54517479Cannot a plain man live and think no harm
3.55518480But thus his simple truth must be abused
3.56519481By silken, sly, insinuating jacks?
3.57520482Rivers
 To whom in all this presence speaks your grace?
3.58521483Richard
 To thee that hast nor honesty nor grace!
3.59522484When have I injured thee, when done thee wrong?
3.60523485Or thee, or thee, or any of your faction?
3.61524486A plague upon you all! His royal person,
3.62525487Whom God preserve better than you would wish,
3.63526488Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing while
3.64527489But you must trouble him with lewd complaints.
3.65528490Queen Elizabeth
 Brother of Gloucester, you mistake the matter.
3.66529491The King, of his own royal disposition
3.67530492And not provoked by any suitor else,
3.68531493Aiming belike at your interior hatred
3.69532494Which in your outward actions shows itself
3.70533495Against my kindred, brother, and myself,
3.71534496Makes him to send that thereby he may gather
3.72534.1497The ground of your ill will and to remove it.
3.73535498Richard
 I cannot tell, the world is grown so bad
3.74536499That wrens make pray where eagles dare not perch.
3.75537500Since every jack became a gentleman
3.76538501There's many a gentle person made a jack.
3.77539502Queen Elizabeth
 Come, come, we know your meaning brother Gloucester.
3.78540503You envy my advancement and my friends'.
3.79541504God grant we never may have need of you.
3.80542505Richard
 Meantime God grants that we have need of you.
3.81543506Our brother is imprisoned by your means,
3.82544507Myself disgraced, and the nobility
3.83545508Held in contempt, whilst many fair promotions
3.84546509Are daily given to enoble those
3.85547510That scarce some two days since were worth a noble.
3.86548511Queen Elizabeth
 By him that raised me to this careful height
3.87549512From that contented hap which I enjoyed,
3.88550513I never did incense his majesty
3.89551514Against the Duke of Clarence, but have been
3.90552515An earnest advocate to plead for him.
3.91553516My lord, you do me shameful injury
3.92554517Falsely to draw me in these vile suspects.
3.93555518Richard
 You may deny that you were not the cause
3.94556519Of my Lord Hastings' late imprisonment.
3.95557520Rivers
 She may, my lord.
3.96558521Richard
 She may, Lord Rivers, why, who knows not so?
3.97559522She may do more, sir, than denying that;
3.98560523She may help you to many fair preferments
3.99561524And then deny her aiding hand therein
3.100562525And lay those honors on your high deserts.
3.101563526What may she not? She may, yea, marry, may she -- 
3.102564527Rivers
 What, marry, may she?
3.103565528Richard
 What marry may she? Marry with a king,
3.104566529A bachelor, a handsome stripling too.
3.105567530Iwis your grandam had a worser match.
3.106568531Queen Elizabeth
 My Lord of Gloucester, I have too long borne
3.107569532Your blunt upbraidings and your bitter scoffs.
3.108570533By heaven, I will acquaint his majesty
3.109571534With those gross taunts I often have endured.
3.110572535I had rather be a country servant maid
3.111573536Than a great queen with this condition,
3.112574537To be thus taunted, scorned, and baited at.
3.113576Enter Qu[een] Margaret[, unseen by the others].
3.114575538Small joy have I in being England's queen.
3.115577539Queen Margaret
 [Aside] And lessened be that small, God I beseech thee;
3.116578540Thy honor, state, and seat is due to me.
3.117579541Richard
 What? Threat you me with telling of the King?
3.118579.1542Tell him and spare not. Look, what I have said
3.119580543I will avouch in presence of the King;
3.120582544'Tis time to speak, 583my pains are quite forgot.
3.121584545Queen Margaret
  [Aside] Out, devil, 585I remember them too well.
3.122586546Thou slewest my husband Henry in the Tower,
3.123587547And Edward my poor son at Tewkesbury.
3.124588548Richard
 Ere you were Queen, 589yea, or your husband King,
3.125590549I was a packhorse in his great affairs,
3.126591550A weeder out of his proud adversaries,
3.127592551A liberal rewarder of his friends.
3.128593552To royalize his blood I spilled mine own. . . 
3.129594553Queen Margaret[Aside]
 Yea, and much better blood 595than his or thine.
3.130596554Richard
 In all which time you and your husband Grey
3.131597555Were factious for the House of Lancaster --
3.132598556[To Rivers] And Rivers, so were you. [To Elizabeth] Was not your husband
3.133599557In Margaret's battle at St Albans slain?
3.134600558Let me put in your minds, if yours forget,
3.135601559What you have been ere now, and what you are;
3.136602560Withal what I have been, and what I am.
3.137603561Queen Margaret[Aside]
 A murderous villain, and so still thou art.
3.138604562Richard
 Poor Clarence did forsake his father Warwick,
3.139605563Yea, and forswore himself, which Jesu pardon. . .
3.140606564Queen Margaret[Aside]
 Which God revenge.
3.141607565Richard
 To fight on Edward's party for the crown,
3.142608566And for his meed, poor lord, he is mewed up.
3.143609567I would to God my heart were flint like Edward's,
3.144610568Or Edward's soft and pitiful like mine;
3.145611569I am too childish, foolish for this world.
3.146612570Queen Margaret[Aside]
 Hie thee to hell for shame and leave the world
3.147613571Thou cacodemon: there thy kingdom is.
3.148614572Rivers
 My Lord of Gloucester, in those busy days,
3.149615573Which here you urge to prove us enemies,
3.150616574We followed then our lord, our lawful king;
3.151617575So should we you, if you should be our king.
3.152618576Richard
 If I should be? I had rather be a pedlar!
3.153619577Far be it from my heart, the thought of it.
3.154620578Queen Elizabeth
 As little joy, my lord, as you suppose
3.155621579You should enjoy, were you this country's king,
3.156622580As little joy may you suppose in me
3.157623581That I enjoy, being the queen thereof.
3.158624582Queen Margaret[Aside]
 A little joy enjoys the queen thereof,
3.159625583For I am she, and altogether joyless.
3.160626584I can no longer hold me patient:
3.161627585[Coming forward.] Hear me you wrangling pirates that fall out
3.162628586In sharing that which you have pilled from me:
3.163629587Which of you trembles not that looks on me?
3.164630588If not that, I being queen, you bow like subjects,
3.165631589Yet that, by you deposed, you quake like rebels.
3.166632590[To Richard]O gentle villain, do not turn away.
3.167633591Richard
 Foul wrinkled witch, what mak'st thou in my sight?
3.168634592Queen Margaret
 But repetition of what thou hast marred,
3.169635593That will I make, before I let thee go:
3.170639594[To Richard] A husband and a son thou owest to me,
3.171640595[To Queen Elizabeth] And thou a kingdom, [To the others] all of you allegiance.
3.172641596The sorrow that I have by right is yours,
3.173642597And all the pleasures you usurp are mine.
3.174643598Richard
 The curse my noble father laid on thee
3.175644599When thou didst crown his warlike brows with paper
3.176645600And with thy scorn drew'st rivers from his eyes --
3.177646601And then to dry them gav'st the Duke a clout
3.178647602Steeped in the faultless blood of pretty Rutland --
3.179648603His curses then from bitterness of soul
3.180649604Denounced against thee, are all fallen upon thee,
3.181650605And God, not we, hath plagued thy bloody deed.
3.182651606Queen Elizabeth
 So just is God to right the innocent.
3.183652607Hastings
 Oh, 'twas the foulest deed to slay that babe,
3.184653608And the most merciless that ever was heard of.
3.185654609Rivers
 Tyrants themselves wept when it was reported.
3.186655610Dorset
 No man but prophesied revenge for it.
3.187656611Buckingham
 Northumberland, then present, wept to see it.
3.188657612Queen Margaret
 What? Were you snarling all before I came,
3.189658613Ready to catch each other by the throat,
3.190659614And turn you all your hatred now on me?
3.191660615Did York's dread curse prevail so much with heaven
3.192661616That Henry's death, my lovely Edward's death,
3.193662617Their kingdom's loss, my woeful banishment
3.194663618Could all but answer for that peevish brat?
3.195664619Can curses pierce the clouds and enter heaven?
3.196665620Why then, give way dull clouds to my quick curses:
3.197666621If not by war, by surfeit die your King,
3.198667622As ours by murder to make him a King.
3.199668623Edward thy son, which now is Prince of Wales,
3.200669624For Edward my son, which was Prince of Wales,
3.201670625Die in his youth by like untimely violence.
3.202671626Thyself a queen, for me that was a queen,
3.203672627Outlive thy glory like my wretched self;
3.204673628Long mayst thou live to wail thy children's loss
3.205674629And see another, as I see thee now,
3.206675630Decked in thy rights as thou art stalled in mine;
3.207676631Long die thy happy days before thy death
3.208677632And, after many lengthened hours of grief,
3.209678633Die neither mother, wife, nor England's queen;
3.210679634Rivers and Dorset, you were standers by --
3.211680635And so wast thou, Lord Hastings -- when my son
3.212681636Was stabbed with bloody daggers. God, I pray him
3.213682637That none of you may live your natural age,
3.214683638But by some unlooked accident cut off.
3.215684639Richard
 Have done thy charm, thou hateful, withered hag.
3.216685640Queen Margaret
  And leave out thee? Stay, dog, for thou shalt hear me:
3.217686641If heaven have any grievous plague in store
3.218687642Exceeding those that I can wish upon thee,
3.219688643Oh, let them keep it till thy sins be ripe
3.220689644And then hurl down their indignation
3.221690645On thee, the troubler of the poor world's peace;
3.222691646The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul;
3.223692647Thy friends suspect for traitors while thou livest
3.224693648And take deep traitors for thy dearest friends;
3.225694649No sleep close up that deadly eye of thine
3.226695650Unless it be whilst some tormenting dream
3.227696651Affrights thee with a hell of ugly devils,
3.228697652Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog!
3.229698653Thou that wast sealed in thy nativity
3.230699654The slave of Nature and the son of Hell,
3.231700655Thou slander of thy mother's heavy womb,
3.232701656Thou loathèd issue of thy father's loins,
3.233702657Thou rag of honor, thou detested -- 
3.234703658Richard
 Margaret.
3.235704659Queen Margaret
 Richard.
3.236Richard
 Ha?
3.237705660Queen Margaret
 I call thee not.
3.238706661Richard
 Then I cry thee mercy, for I had thought
3.239707662That thou hadst called me all these bitter names.
3.240708663Queen Margaret
 Why so I did, but looked for no reply.
3.241709664Oh, let me make the period to my curse.
3.242710665Richard
 'Tis done by me, and ends in "Margaret".
3.243711666Queen Elizabeth
 Thus have you breathed your curse against yourself.
3.244712667Queen Margaret
 Poor painted queen, vain flourish of my fortune,
3.245713668Why strewest thou sugar on that bottled spider
3.246714669Whose deadly web ensnareth thee about?
3.247715670Fool, fool, thou whet'st a knife to kill thyself.
3.248716671The time will come that thou shalt wish for me
3.249717672To help thee curse that poisonous bunch-backed toad.
3.250718673Hastings
 False-boding woman, end thy frantic curse,
3.251719674Lest to thy harm thou move our patience.
3.252720675Queen Margaret
 Foul shame upon you, you have all moved mine.
3.253721676Rivers
 Were you well served, you would be taught your duty.
3.254722677Queen Margaret
 To serve me well, you all should do me duty.
3.255723678Teach me to be your queen and you my subjects;
3.256724679Oh, serve me well and teach yourselves that duty.
3.257725680Dorset
 Dispute not with her, she is lunatic.
3.258726681Queen Margaret
 Peace, Master Marquess, you are malapert,
3.259727682Your fire-new stamp of honor is scarce current.
3.260728683Oh, that your young nobility could judge
3.261729684What 'twere to lose it and be miserable;
3.262730685They that stand high have many blasts to shake them,
3.263731686And if they fall they dash themselves to pieces.
3.264732687Richard
 Good counsel, marry, learn it, learn it, Mar733quess.
3.265734688Dorset
 It toucheth you, my lord, as much as me.
3.266735689Richard
 Yea, and much more, but I was born so high;
3.267736690Our eyrie buildeth in the cedar's top
3.268737691And dallies with the wind and scorns the sun.
3.269738692Queen Margaret
 And turns the sun to shade, alas, alas.
3.270739693Witness my son, now in the shade of death,
3.271740694Whose bright outshining beams thy cloudy wrath
3.272741695Hath in eternal darkness folded up;
3.273742696Your eyrie buildeth in our eyrie's nest;
3.274743697O God that seest it, do not suffer it.
3.275744698As it was won with blood, lost be it so.
3.276745699Buckingham
 Have done, for shame if not for charity.
3.277746700Queen Margaret
 Urge neither charity nor shame to me;
3.278747701Uncharitably with me have you dealt,
3.279748702And shamefully by you my hopes are butchered;
3.280749703My charity is outrage, life my shame,
3.281750704And in my shame, still live my sorrow's rage.
3.282751705Buckingham
 Have done.
3.283752706Queen Margaret
 O princely Buckingham, I will kiss thy hand
3.284753707In sign of league and amity with thee:
3.285754708Now fair befall thee and thy princely House;
3.286755709Thy garments are not spotted with our blood,
3.287756710Nor thou within the compass of my curse.
3.288757711Buckingham
 Nor no one here, for curses never pass
3.289758712The lips of those that breathe them in the air.
3.290759713Queen Margaret
 I'll not believe but they ascend the sky
3.291760714And there awake God's gentle, sleeping peace.
3.292761715[Aside, to Buckingham] O Buckingham, beware of yonder dog;
3.293762716Look, when he fawns he bites, and when he bites
3.294763717His venom tooth will rankle thee to death;
3.295764718Have not to do with him, beware of him,
3.296765719Sin, Death and Hell have set their marks on him,
3.297766720And all their ministers attend on him.
3.298767721Richard
 What doth she say, my Lord of Buckingham?
3.299768722Buckingham
 Nothing that I respect, my gracious lord.
3.300769723Queen Margaret
 What, dost thou scorn me 770for my gentle counsel
3.301771724And soothe the devil that I warn thee from?
3.302772725O but remember this another day
3.303773726When he shall split thy very heart with sorrow
3.304774727And say poor Margaret was a prophetess:
3.305775728Live each of you the subjects of his hate,
3.306776729And he to yours, and all of you to God's.
3.307Exit.
3.308777730Hastings
 My hair doth stand on end to hear her curses.
3.309778731Rivers
 And so doth mine; I wonder she's at liberty.
3.310779732Richard
 I cannot blame her, by God's holy mother.
3.311780733She hath had too much wrong, and I repent
3.312781734My part thereof that I have done.
3.313782735Queen Elizabeth
 I never did her any to my knowledge.
3.314783736Richard
 But you have all the vantage of this wrong.
3.315784737I was too hot to do somebody good
3.316785738That is too cold in thinking of it now.
3.317786739Marry, as for Clarence, he is well repaid;
3.318787740He is franked up to fatting for his pains;
3.319788741God pardon them that are the cause of it.
3.320789742Rivers
 A virtuous and a Christian-like conclusion
3.321790743To pray for them that have done scathe to us.
3.322791744Richard
 So do I ever, being well advised,
 792[Speaks to himself]
3.323793745For had I cursed now, I had cursed myself.
3.324794745.1[Enter Catesby.]
3.325795746Catesby
 Madam, his majesty doth call for you,
3.326796747And for your grace, and you my noble lord.
3.327797748Queen Elizabeth
 Catesby, we come. Lords, will you go with us?
3.328798749Rivers
 Madam, we will attend your grace.
3.329799Exeunt [all except Richard.]
3.330800750Richard
 I do the wrong, and first began to brawl.
3.331801751The secret mischiefs that I set abroach
3.332802752I lay unto the grievous charge of others;
3.333803753Clarence, whom I indeed have laid in darkness,
3.334804754I do beweep to many simple gulls --
3.335805755Namely to Hastings, Stanley, Buckingham --
3.336806756And say it is the Queen and her allies
3.337807757That stir the King against the Duke my brother.
3.338808758Now they believe me, and withal whet me
3.339809759To be revenged on Rivers, Vaughan, Grey;
3.340810760But then I sigh, and with a piece of scripture
3.341811761Tell them that God bids us do good for evil,
3.342812762And thus I clothe my naked villainy
3.343813763With old odd ends stolen out of holy writ,
3.344814764And seem a saint when most I play the devil --
3.345816765But soft, here come my executioners.
3.346815Enter executioners.
3.347817766How now, my hardy, stout-resolvèd mates,
3.348818767Are you now going to despatch this deed?
3.3498197681 Executioner
 We are my lord, and come to have the warrant
3.350820769That we may be admitted where he is.
3.351821770Richard
 It was well thought upon, I have it here about me.
3.352[Richard gives the executioner a warrant.]
3.353822771When you have done, repair to Crosby Place.
3.354823772But sirs, be sudden in the execution,
3.355824773Withal obdurate, do not hear him plead,
3.356825774For Clarence is well spoken and perhaps
3.357826775May move your hearts to pity if you mark him.
3.3588277761 Executioner
 Tush, fear not, my lord, we will not stand to prate;
3.359828777Talkers are no good doers; be assured
3.360829778We come to use our hands and not our tongues.
3.361830779Richard
 Your eyes drop millstones when fools' eyes 831drop tears.
3.362832780I like you lads, about your business.
3.363834Exeunt.
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Richard the Third (Modern)
