Author: William ShakespeareEditor: Adrian KiernanderPeer Reviewed
Richard the Third (Folio 1, 1623)
2588Sound a Sennet. Enter Richard in pompe, Buc- 2589kingham, Catesby, Ratcliffe, Louel.
2590Rich. Stand all apart. Cou
sin of Buckingham.
2591Buck. My gracious Soueraigne.
2592Rich. Giue me thy hand.
Sound. 2593Thus high, by thy aduice, and thy a
ssistance,
2594Is King
Richard seated:
2595But
shall we weare the
se Glories for a day?
2596Or
shall they la
st, and we reioyce in them?
2597Buck. Still liue they, and for euer let them la
st. 2598Rich. Ah
Buckingham, now doe I play the Touch,
2599To trie if thou be currant Gold indeed:
2600Young
Edward liues, thinke now what I would
speake.
2601Buck. Say on my louing Lord.
2602Rich. Why
Buckingham, I
say I would be King.
2603Buck. Why
so you are, my thrice-renowned Lord.
2604Rich. Ha? am I King? 'tis
so: but
Edward liues.
2605Buck True, Noble Prince.
2606Rich. O bitter con
sequence!
2607That
Edward still
should liue true Noble Prince.
2608Cou
sin, thou wa
st not wont to be
so dull.
2609Shall I be plaine? I wi
sh the Ba
stards dead,
2610And I would haue it
suddenly perform'd.
2611What
say'
st thou now?
speake
suddenly, be briefe.
2612Buck. Your Grace may doe your plea
sure.
2613Rich. Tut, tut, thou art all Ice, thy kindne
sse freezes:
2614Say, haue I thy con
sent, that they
shall dye?
2615Buc. Giue me
some litle breath,
some paw
se, deare Lord,
2616Before I po
sitiuely
speake in this:
2617I will re
solue you herein pre
sently.
Exit Buck. 2618Catesby. The King is angry,
see he gnawes his Lippe.
2619Rich. I will conuer
se with Iron-witted Fooles,
2620And vnre
spe
ctiue Boyes: none are for me,
2621That looke into me with con
siderate eyes,
2622High-reaching
Buckingham growes circum
spe
ct.
2625Rich. Know'
st thou not any, whom corrupting Gold
2626Will tempt vnto a clo
se exploit of Death?
2627Page. I know a di
scontented Gentleman,
2628Who
se humble meanes match not his haughtie
spirit:
2629Gold were as good as twentie Orators,
2630And will (no doubt) tempt him to any thing.
2631Rich. What is his Name?
2632Page. His Name, my Lord, is
Tirrell.
2633Rich. I partly know the man: goe call him hither,
2635The deepe reuoluing wittie
Buckingham,
2636No more
shall be the neighbor to my coun
sailes.
2637Hath he
so long held out with me, vntyr'd,
2638And
stops he now for breath? Well, be it
so.
2640How now, Lord
Stanley, what's the newes?
2641Stanley. Know my louing Lord, the Marque
sse
Dorset 2642As I heare, is
fled to
Richmond,
2643In the parts where he abides
. 2644Rich. Come hither
Catesby, rumor it abroad,
2645That
Anne my Wife is very grieuous
sicke,
2646I will take order for her keeping clo
se
. 2647Inquire me out
some meane poore Gentleman,
2648Whom I will marry
straight to
Clarence Daughter:
2649The Boy is fooli
sh, and I feare not him.
2650Looke how thou dream'
st: I
say againe, giue out,
2651That
Anne, my Queene, is
sicke, and like to dye.
2652About it, for it
stands me much vpon
2653To
stop all hopes, who
se growth may dammage me.
2654I mu
st be marryed to my Brothers Daughter,
2655Or el
se my Kingdome
stands on brittle Gla
sse:
2656Murther her Brothers, and then marry her,
2657Vncertaine way of gaine. But I am in
2658So farre in blood, that
sinne will pluck on
sinne,
2659Teare-falling Pittie dwells not in this Eye.
2662Tyr. Iames Tyrrel, and your mo
st obedient
subie
ct.
2663Rich. Art thou indeed?
2664Tyr. Proue me, my gracious Lord.
2665Rich. Dar'
st thou re
solue to kill a friend of mine?
2667But I had rather kill two enemies
. 2668Rich. Why then thou ha
st it: two deepe enemies,
2669Foes to my Re
st, and my
sweet
sleepes di
sturbers,
2670Are they that I would haue thee deale vpon:
2671Tyrrel, I meane tho
se Ba
stards in the Tower.
2672Tyr. Let me haue open meanes to come to them,
2673And
soone Ile rid you from the feare of them.
2674Rich. Thou
sing'
st sweet Mu
sique:
2675Hearke, come hither
Tyrrel,
2676Goe by this token: ri
se, and lend thine Eare,
Whispers. 2677There is no more but
so:
say it is done,
2678And I will loue thee, and preferre thee for it.
2679Tyr. I will di
spatch it
straight
. Exit.
2681Buck. My Lord, I haue con
sider'd in my minde,
2682The late reque
st that you did
sound me in.
2683Rich. Well, let that re
st:
Dorset is
fled to
Richmond.
2684Buck. I heare the newes, my Lord
. 2685Rich. Stanley, hee is your Wiues Sonne: well, looke
2687Buck. My Lord, I clayme the gift, my due by promi
se,
2688For which your Honor and your Faith is pawn'd,
2689Th'Earledome of Hertford, and the moueables,
2690Which you haue promi
sed I
shall po
sse
sse.
2691Rich Stanley looke to your Wife: if
she conuey
2692Letters to
Richmond, you
shall an
swer it.
2693Buck. What
sayes your Highne
sse to my iu
st reque
st?
2694Rich. I doe remember me,
Henry the Sixt
2695Did prophecie, that
Richmond should be King,
2696When
Richmond was a little peeui
sh Boy
. 2698Buck. May it plea
se you to re
solue me in my
suit
. 2699Rich. Thou trouble
st me, I am not in the vaine.
Exit. 2700Buck. And is it thus? repayes he my deepe
seruice
2701With
such contempt? made I him King for this?
2702O let me thinke on
Hastings, and be gone
2703To Brecnock, while my fearefull Head is on
. Exit.
2705Tyr. The tyrannous and bloodie A
ct is done,
2706The mo
st arch deed of pittious ma
ssacre
That