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- Edition: Richard III
Richard the Third (Folio 1, 1623)
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The Tragedy of Richard the Third:
with the Landing of Earle Richmond, and the
Battell at Bosworth Field.
1Actus Primus. Scoena Prima.
2Enter Richard Duke of Gloster, solus.
3NOw is the Winter of our Discontent,
4Made glorious Summer by this Son of Yorke:
5And all the clouds that lowr'd vpon our house
6In the deepe bosome of the Ocean buried.
7Now are our browes bound with Victorious Wreathes,
8Our bruised armes hung vp for Monuments;
9Our sterne Alarums chang'd to merry Meetings;
10Our dreadfull Marches, to delightfull Measures.
12And now, in stead of mounting Barbed Steeds,
13To fright the Soules of fearfull Aduersaries,
14He capers nimbly in a Ladies Chamber,
17Nor made to court an amorous Looking-glasse:
19To strut before a wonton ambling Nymph:
20I, that am curtail'd of this faire Proportion,
21Cheated of Feature by dissembling Nature,
25That dogges barke at me, as I halt by them.
26Why I (in this weake piping time of Peace)
27Haue no delight to passe away the time,
29And descant on mine owne Deformity.
30And therefore, since I cannot proue a Louer,
32I am determined to proue a Villaine,
34Plots haue I laide, Inductions dangerous,
35By drunken Prophesies, Libels, and Dreames,
36To set my Brother Clarence and the King
37In deadly hate, the one against the other:
38And if King Edward be as true and iust,
39As I am Subtle, False, and Treacherous,
43Diue thoughts downe to my soule, here Clarence comes.
44Enter Clarence, and Brakenbury, guarded.
45Brother, good day: What meanes this armed guard
46That waites vpon your Grace?
48Hath appointed this Conduct, to conuey me to th' Tower
51Rich. Alacke my Lord, that fault is none of yours:
52He should for that commit your Godfathers.
55But what's the matter Clarence, may I know?
57As yet I do not: But as I can learne,
58He hearkens after Prophesies and Dreames,
59And from the Crosse-row pluckes the letter G:
60And sayes, a Wizard told him, that by G,
62And for my name of George begins with G,
63It followes in his thought, that I am he.
65Hath moou'd his Highnesse to commit me now.
66Rich. Why this it is, when men are rul'd by Women:
67'Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower,
69That tempts him to this harsh Extremity.
71Anthony Woodeulle her Brother there,
73From whence this present day he is deliuered?
76But the Queenes Kindred, and night-walking Heralds,
77That trudge betwixt the King, and Mistris Shore.
78Heard you not what an humble Suppliant
79Lord Hastings was, for her deliuery?
80Rich. Humbly complaining to her Deitie,
81Got my Lord Chamberlaine his libertie.
82Ile tell you what, I thinke it is our way,
83If we will keepe in fauour with the King,
84To be her men, and weare her Liuery.
85The iealous ore-worne Widdow, and her selfe,
86Since that our Brother dub'd them Gentlewomen,
90That no man shall haue priuate Conferenee.
91(Of what degree soeuer) with your Brother.
93You may partake of any thing we say:
95Is wise and vertuous, and his Noble Queene
96Well strooke in yeares, faire, and not iealious.
97We say, that Shores Wife hath a pretty Foot,
99And that the Queenes Kindred are made gentle Folkes.
102doo.
104I tell thee Fellow, he that doth naught with her
106Bra. What one, my Lord?
109To pardon me, and withall forbeare
110Your Conference with the Noble Duke.
111Cla. We know thy charge Brakenbury, and wil obey.
113Brother farewell, I will vnto the King,
114And whatsoe're you will imploy me in,
115Were it to call King Edwards Widdow, Sister,
116I will performe it to infranchise you.
117Meane time, this deepe disgrace in Brotherhood,
118Touches me deeper then you can imagine.
121I will deliuer you, or else lye for you:
122Meane time, haue patience.
125Simple plaine Clarence, I do loue thee so,
127If Heauen will take the present at our hands.
128But who comes heere? the new deliuered Hastings?
129Enter Lord Hastings.
130Hast. Good time of day vnto my gracious Lord.
131Rich. As much vnto my good Lord Chamberlaine:
132Well are you welcome to this open Ayre,
135But I shall liue (my Lord) to giue them thankes
138For they that were your Enemies, are his,
139And haue preuail'd as much on him, as you,
141Whiles Kites and Buzards play at liberty.
142Rich. What newes abroad?
144The King is sickly, weake, and melancholly,
145And his Physitians feare him mightily.
146Rich. Now by S. Iohn, that Newes is bad indeed.
147O he hath kept an euill Diet long,
149'Tis very greeuous to be thought vpon.
150Where is he, in his bed?
151Hast. He is.
152Rich. Go you before, and I will follow you.
153Exit Hastings.
154He cannot liue I hope, and must not dye,
156Ile in to vrge his hatred more to Clarence,
157With Lyes well steel'd with weighty Arguments,
158And if I faile not in my deepe intent,
159Clarence hath not another day to liue:
160Which done, God take King Edward to his mercy,
161And leaue the world for me to bussle in.
162For then, Ile marry Warwickes yongest daughter.
163What though I kill'd her Husband, and her Father,
164The readiest way to make the Wench amends,
165Is to become her Husband, and her Father:
166The which will I, not all so much for loue,
168By marrying her, which I must reach vnto.
169But yet I run before my horse to Market: