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  • Title: Richard the Third (Quarto 1, 1597)
  • Editor: Adrian Kiernander

    • Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Adrian Kiernander
    Peer Reviewed

    Richard the Third (Quarto 1, 1597)

    The Trumpets sound. Enter young Prince, the Dukes of Glo-
    1570 cester, and Buckingham, Cardinall, &c.
    Buc. Welcome sweete Prince to London to your cham (ber.
    Glo. Welcome deare Cosen my thoughts soueraigne,
    1575The weary way hath made you melancholy.
    Prin. No Vnckle, but our crosses on the way
    Haue made it tedious, wearisome, and heauy:
    I want more Vnckles here to welcome me.
    Glo. Sweete Prince, the vntainted vertue of your yeres,
    1580Hath not yet diued into the worlds deceit:
    Nor more can you distinguish of a man,
    Then of his outward shew, which God he knowes,
    Seldome or neuer iumpeth with the heart:
    Those Vnckles which you want, were dangerous,
    1585Your Grace attended to their sugred words,
    But lookt not on the poison of their hearts:
    God keepe you from them, and from such false friends.
    Prin.
    of Richard the third.
    Pri. God keepe me from false friends, but they wer none.
    Glo. My Lo, the Maior of London comes to greete you.
    Enter Lord Maior.
    Lo:M. God blesse your grace with health and happy daies.
    1595Prin. I thanke you good my Lo: and thanke you all:
    I thought my mother, and my brother Yorke,
    Would long ere this haue met vs on the way:
    Fie, what a slug is Hastings that he comes not
    To tell vs whether they will come, or no. ( Enter L. Hast.
    Buck. And in good time, here comes the sweating Lo:
    Pri. Welcome my Lo: what will our mother come?
    1605Hast. On what occasion, God he knowes, not I:
    The Queene your mother and your brother Yorke
    Haue taken sanctuary: The tender Prince
    Would faine haue come with me, to meete your Grace,
    But by his mother was perforce withheld.
    1610Buc. Fie, what an indirect and peeuish course
    Is this of hers? Lo: Cardinall will your grace
    Perswade the Queene to send the Duke of Yorke
    Vnto his Princely brother presently?
    If she deny, Lo: Hastings go with him,
    1615And from her iealous armes plucke him perforce.
    Car. My Lo: of Buckingham, if my weake oratory
    Can from his mother winne the Duke of Yorke,
    Anone expect him here: but if she be obdurate
    To milde entreaties, God in heauen forbid
    1620We should infringe the holy priuiledge
    Of blessed sanctuary, not for all this land,
    Would I be guilty of so deepe a sinne.
    Buck. You are too sencelesse obstinate my Lo:
    Too ceremonious and traditionall:
    1625Weigh it but with the grossenes of this age,
    You breake not sanctuary in seazing him:
    The benefit thereof is alwaies granted
    To those whose dealings haue deserude the place,
    And those who haue the wit to claime the place.
    1630This Prince hath neither claimed it, nor deserued it,
    And therefore in mine opinion, cannot haue it.
    F Then
    The Tragedy
    Then taking him from thence that is not there,
    You breake no priuiledge nor charter there:
    Oft haue I heard of sanctuary men,
    1635But sanctuary children neuer till now.
    Car. My Lo: you shall ouerrule my minde for once:
    Come on Lo: Hastings will you go with me?
    Hast. I go my Lord.
    Prin. Good Lords make all the speedy hast you may:
    1640Say Vnckle Glocester, if our brother come,
    Where shall we soiourne till our coronation?
    Glo. Where it seemes best vnto your royall selfe:
    If I may councell you, some day or two,
    Your highnes shall repose you at the tower:
    1645Then where you please, and shalbe thought most fit
    For your best health and recreation.
    Prin. I doe not like the tower of any place:
    Did Iulius Caesar build that place my Lord?
    Buc. He did, my gratious Lo: begin that place,
    1650Which since succeeding ages haue reedified.
    Prin. Is it vpon record, or els reported
    Successiuely from age to age he built it?
    Buc. Vpon record my gratious Lo:
    Pri. But say my Lo: it were not registred,
    1655Me thinkes the truth should liue from age to age,
    As twere retailde to all posterity,
    Euen to the generall all-ending day.
    Glo. So wise, so young, they say doe neuer liue long.
    Pri. What say you Vnckle?
    1660Glo. I say without characters fame liues long:
    Thus like the formall vice iniquity,
    I morallize two meanings in one word.
    Pri. That Iulius Cesar was a famous man,
    With what his valour did enrich his wit,
    1665His wit set downe to make his valure liue:
    Death makes no conquest of this conquerour,
    For now he liues in fame though not in life:
    Ile tell you what my Cosen Buckingham.
    Buc. What my gratious Lord?
    Prin.
    of Richard the third.
    1670Prin. And if I liue vntill I be a man,
    Ile winne our auncient right in France againe,
    Or die a souldier as I liude a King.
    Glo. Short summers lightly haue a forward spring.
    Enter young Yorke, Hastings, Cardinall.
    1675Buc. Now in good time here comes the Duke of Yorke.
    Pri. Rich. of Yorke how fares our louing brother?
    Yor. Well my dread Lo: so must I call you now.
    1680Pri. I brother to our griefe as it is yours:
    Too late he died that might haue kept that title,
    Which by his death hath lost much maiesty.
    Glo. How fares our Cosen noble Lo: of Yorke?
    Yor. I thanke you gentle Vnckle. O my Lo:
    1685You said that idle weedes are fast in growth:
    The Prince my brother hath outgrowen me farre.
    Glo. He hath my Lo:
    Yor. And therfore is he idle?
    Glo. Oh my faire Cosen, I must not say so.
    1690Yor. Then he is more beholding to you then I.
    Glo. He may command me as my soueraigne,
    But you haue power in me as in a kinseman.
    Yor. I pray you Vnckle giue me this dagger.
    Glo. My dagger little Cosen, withall my heart.
    1695Pri. A begger brother?
    Yor. Of my kind Vnckle that I know will giue,
    And being but a toy, which is no griefe to giue.
    Glo. A greater gift then that, Ile giue my Cosen.
    Yor. A greater gift, O thats the sword to it.
    1700Glo. I gentle Cosen, were it light enough.
    Yor. O then I see you will part but with light gifts,
    In weightier things youle say a begger nay.
    Glo. It is too heauy for your Grace to weare.
    Yor. I weigh it lightly were it heauier.
    1705Glo. What would you haue my weapon little Lord?
    Yor. I would, that I might thanke you as you call me.
    Glo. How? Yor. Little.
    1710Pri. My Lo: of Yorke will still be crosse in talke:
    Vnckle your grace knowes how to beare with him.
    F2 Yor.
    The Tragedy
    Yor. You meane to beare me, not to beare with me:
    Vnckle, my brother mockes both you and me,
    Because that I am little like an Ape,
    1715He thinkes that you should beare me on your shoulders.
    Buck. With what a sharpe prouided wit he reasons,
    To mittigate the scorne he giues his Vnckle:
    He pretely and aptly taunts himselfe,
    So cunning and so young is wonderfull.
    1720Glo. My Lo: wilt please you passe along,
    My selfe and my good Coosen Buckingham,
    Will to your mother, to entreate of her,
    To meete you at the tower, and welcome you.
    Yor. What will you go vnto the tower my Lo?
    1725Prin. My Lo: protector needes will haue it so.
    Yor. I shall not sleepe in quiet at the tower.
    Glo. Why, what should you feare?
    Yor. Mary my Vnckle Clarence angry ghost:
    My Granam tolde me he was murdred there.
    1730Pri. I feare no Vnckles dead.
    Glo. Nor none that liue, I hope.
    Pri And if they liue, I hope I neede not feare:
    But come my Lo: with a heauy heart
    Thinking on them, go I vnto the tower.
    1735 Exeunt Prin. Yor. Hast. Dors. manet. Rich. Buck.
    Buc. Thinke you my Lo: this little prating Yorke,
    Was not incensed by his subtile mother,
    To taunt and scorne you thus opprobriously?
    1740Glo. No doubt, no doubt, Oh tis a perillous boy,
    Bold, quicke, ingenious, forward, capable,
    He is all the mothers, from the top to toe.
    Buc. Well, let them rest: Come hither Catesby,
    Thou art sworne as deepely to effect what we intend,
    1745As closely to conceale what we impart.
    Thou knowest our reasons vrgde vpon the way:
    What thinkest thou? is it not an easie matter
    To make William Lo: Hastings of our minde,
    For the instalement of this noble Duke,
    1750In the seate royall of this famous Ile?
    Cates.
    of Richard the third.
    Cates. He for his fathers sake so loues the Prince,
    That he will not be wonne to ought against him.
    Buck. What thinkest thou then of Stanley what will he?
    1755Cat. He will doe all in all as Hastings doth.
    Buck. Well then no more but this:
    Go gentle Catesby, and as it were a farre off,
    Sound thou Lo: Hastings, how he stands affected
    Vnto our purpose, if he be willing,
    Encourage him, and shew him all our reasons:
    If he be leaden, icie, cold, vnwilling,
    1765Be thou so too: and so breake off your talke,
    And giue vs notice of his inclination:
    For we to morrow hold deuided counsels,
    Wherein thy selfe shalt highly be emploied.
    Glo. Commend me to Lo: William, tell him Catesby,
    1770His auncient knot of dangerous aduersaries
    To morrow are let bloud at Pomfret Castle,
    And bid my friend for ioy of this good newes,
    Giue Mistresse Shore, one gentle kisse the more.
    Buck. Good Catesby effect this busines soundly.
    1775Cat. My good Lo: both, with all the heede I may.
    Glo. Shall we heare from you Catesby ere we sleepe?
    Cat. You shall my Lord.
    Glo. At Crosby place there shall you finde vs both.
    1780Buc. Now my Lo: what shall we doe, if we perceiue
    William Lo: Hastings will not yeeld to our complots?
    Glo. Chop of his head man, somewhat we will doe,
    1785And looke when I am King, claime thou of me
    The Earledome of Hereford and the moueables,
    Whereof the King my brother stood possest.
    Buc. Ile claime that promise at your Graces hands.
    Glo. And looke to haue it yeelded with all willingnes:
    1790Come let vs suppe betimes, that afterwards
    We may digest our complots in some forme. Exeunt.
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