Not Peer Reviewed
- Edition: Richard III
Richard the Third (Modern)
- Texts of this edition
- Facsimiles
2769[4.4]
So, now prosperity begins to mellow
Ah, my young princes, ah, my tender babes!
[Aside] Hover about her, say that right for right
Wilt thou, O God, fly from such gentle lambs
[Aside] When Holy Harry died, and my sweet son.
Blind sight, dead life, poor mortal living ghost,
O that thou wouldst as well afford a grave
So many miseries have crazed my voice
[Sitting on the ground]
[Coming forward.] If ancient sorrow be most reverent
I had a Richard too, and thou didst kill him;
Thou had'st a Clarence too, 2817and Richard killed him:
Oh, Harry's wife, triumph not in my woes,
Bear with me, I am hungry for revenge
Oh, thou didst prophesy the time would come
I called thee then vain flourish of my fortune,
Oh, thou well skilled in curses, stay a while
Forbear to sleep the nights, and fast the days,
My words are dull, oh, quicken them with thine.
Thy woes will make them sharp, 2897and pierce like mine.
4.4.122Exit Mar[garet].
Why should calamity be full of words?
Windy attorneys to your client woes
If so, then be not tongue-tied, go with me,
4.4.132[Offstage drumming is heard.]
4.4.13429082638Enter K[ing] Richard [with attendants, including Catesby,] marching with drums and trumpets.
Who intercepts my expedition?
A she, that might have intercepted thee
Hid'st thou that forehead with a golden crown
Thou toad, thou toad, 2919where is thy brother Clarence?
Where is kind Hastings, Rivers, Vaughan, Gray?
A flourish, trumpets! strike alarum, drums!
Art thou my son?
Aye, I thank God, my father and yourself.
Then patiently hear my impatience.
Madam, I have a touch of your condition,
I will be mild and gentle in my speech.
And brief, good mother, for I am in haste.
Art thou so hasty? I have stayed for thee,
And came I not at last to comfort you?
No, by the holy rood, thou know'st it well:
Faith none but Humphrey hour, 2953 that called your grace
Oh hear me speak, for I shall never see thee more.
Come, come, you are too bitter.
Either thou wilt die by God's just ordinance
4.4.191Exit.
Though far more cause, yet much less spirit to curse
Stay, madam, I must speak a word with you.
I have no more sons of the royal blood
You have a daughter called Elizabeth,
And must she die for this? Oh, let her live
Wrong not her birth, she is of royal blood.
To save her life, I'll say she is not so.
Her life is only safest in her birth.
And only in that safety died her brothers.
Lo, at their births good stars were opposite.
No, to their lives bad friends were contrary.
All unavoided is the doom of destiny.
True, when avoided grace makes destiny;
Madam, so thrive I in my 3016dangerous attempt of hostile arms,
What good is covered with the face of heaven
The advancement of your children, mighty lady.
Up to some scaffold, there to lose their heads.
No, to the dignity and height of honor,
Flatter my sorrows with report of it:
Even all I have, yea, and myself and all
Be brief, lest that the process of thy kindness
Then know 3036that from my soul I love thy daughter.
My daughter's mother thinks it with her soul.
What do you think?
That thou dost love my daughter from thy soul;
Be not so hasty to confound my meaning;
Say then, who dost thou mean shall be her King?
Even he that makes her Queen; 3047who should be else?
What, thou?
Aye, even I; what think you of it, madam?
How canst thou woo her?
That would I learn of you,
And wilt thou learn of me?
Madam, with all my heart.
Send to her, by the man that slew her brothers,
Come, come, you mock me, this is not the way
There is no other way
Infer fair England's peace by this alliance.
Which she shall purchase with still-lasting war.
Say that the King, which may command, entreats.
That, at her hands, which the King's King forbids.
Say she shall be a high and mighty Queen.
To wail the title, as her mother doth.
Say I will love her everlastingly.
But how long shall that title, "ever", last?
Sweetly in force unto her fair life's end.
But how long fairly shall her sweet life last?
So long as heaven and nature lengthens it.
So long as hell and Richard likes of it.
Say I, her sovereign, am her subject love.
But she, your subject, loathes such sovereignty.
Be eloquent in my behalf to her.
An honest tale speeds best being plainly told.
Then in plain terms tell her my loving tale.
Plain and not honest is too harsh a style.
Madam, your reasons are too shallow and too quick.
Oh no, my reasons are too deep and dead.
Harp not on that string, madam; that is past.
Harp on it still shall I, till heartstrings break.
Now by my George, my Garter and my crown --
Profaned, dishonored, and the third usurped.
I swear --
By nothing, for this is no oath.
Now by the world --
'Tis full of thy foul wrongs.
My father's death --
Thy life hath that dishonored.
Then by myself --
Thyself, thyself misusest.
Why then, by God --
God's wrong is most of all:
By the time to come --
That thou hast wronged in time o'er-past,
As I intend to prosper and repent,
Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?
Aye, if the devil tempt thee to do good.
Shall I forget myself, to be myself?
Aye, if your self's remembrance wrong yourself.
But thou didst kill my children.
But in your daughter's womb I bury them
Shall I go win my daughter to thy will?
And be a happy mother by the deed.
I go, write to me very shortly.
Bear her my true love's kiss,
4.4.361[Richard kisses Elizabeth.]
farewell.
4.4.362Exit [Queen Elizabeth].
My gracious sovereign, on the western coast
Some light-foot friend, post to the Duke of Norfolk.
Here my lord.
Fly to the Duke -- 3237[To Ratcliffe] Post thou to Salisbury;
First, mighty sovereign, let me know your mind,
Oh, true, good Catesby, bid him levy straight
What is it your highness' pleasure I shall do at Salis3247bury?
Why? What wouldst thou do there before 3249I go?
Your highness told me I should post before.
My mind is changed, sir, my mind is changed.
None, good my lord, to please you with the hearing,
Hoyday, a riddle, neither good nor bad:
Richmond is on the seas.
There let him sink, and be the seas on him!
I know not mighty sovereign, but by guess.
Well sir, as you guess, as you guess.
Stirred up by Dorset, Buckingham and Ely
Is the chair empty? Is the sword unswayed?
Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess.
Unless for that he comes to be your liege
No, mighty liege, therefore mistrust me not.
Where is thy power then to beat him back?
No, my good lord, my friends are in the 3282north.
Cold friends to Richard; what do they in the north
They have not been commanded, mighty sovereign.
Aye, aye, thou wouldest be gone, to join with Richmond;
Most mighty sovereign,
Well, go muster men, but hear you, leave behind
So deal with him as I prove true to you.
My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire
My liege, in Kent the Guilfords are in arms
My lord, the army of the Duke of Buckingham --
Out on you, owls, nothing but songs of death?
Your grace mistakes, the news I bring is good:
Oh, I cry you mercy, I did mistake.
4.4.455[Ratcliffe rewards the messenger.]
Such proclamation hath been made, my liege.
Sir Thomas Lovell and Lord Marquess Dorset,
March on, march on, since we are up in arms,
My liege, the Duke of Buckingham is taken.
Away towards Salisbury! While we reason here
4.4.480Exeunt.