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KING Edward IV.
Edward, Prince of Wales, after
wards Edward V.

Sons to Edward IV.
Richard, Duke of York.
George, Duke of Clarence, Brother to Edward IV.
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Brother to Edward IV.

afterwards King Richard VI. Cardinal, Archbishop of York. Duke of Buckingham. Duke of Norfolk. Earl of Surrey. Marquis of Dorset, Son to Queen Elizabeth. Earl Rivers, Brother to the Queen. Lord Gray, Son to Queen Elizabeth. Earl of Richmond, afterwards King Henry VII. Bisbop of Ely. Lord Hastings. Sir Thomas Vaughan. Sir Richard Radcliff. Lord Lovel. Catesby. Sir James Tyrrel. Thomas, Lord Stanley. Earl of Oxford. Blount. Herbert. Sir William Brandon. Brakenbury, Lieut. of the Tower. Two Children of the Duke of Clarence. Sir Christopher Urswick, a Priest. Lord Mayor Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV. Queen Margaret, Widow of Henry VI. Anne, Widow of Edward Prince of Wales, Son to Hen

ry VI. afterwards married to the Duke of Glouce

Iter. Dutchess of York, Mother to Edward IV. Clarence and

Richard III.

Sheriff, Pursuivant, Citizens, Ghosts of those murder'd

by Richard III. with Soldiers, and other Attendants.

(1) LIFE and DEATH of

King RICHARD III.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The COURT.

Enter Richard Duke of Gloucester, Solus.

N:

OW is the Winter of our Discontent
Made glorious Summer by this Sun of York,
And all the clouds, that low'r'd upon our

House,

In the deep bosom of the Ocean bury'd.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths,
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments,
Our stern Alarums chang’d to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-visag’d War hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber, (2)
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.
But I, that am not shap'd for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an am'rous looking-glass,-
I, that am rudely stampt, and want love's majesty,
To ftrut before a wanton ambling Nymph;
I, that am curtaild of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by diffembling nature, (3)
Deform’d, unfinishd, fent before my

tiine
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up;
And that fo lamely and unfashionably,
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them:
Why I, in this weak piping time of peace
Have no delight to pafs away the time ;
Unless to spy my shadow in the Sun,
And descant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover, (4)
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,

play appear'd : or if some other Richard the Third is here alluded to by Harrington, that a play on this subjet preceded our Author's.

Mr. WHARTON. (2) He capersm] War capers. This is poetical, though a little harsh ; if it be York that capers, the antecedent is at such a distance that it is almost forgotten.

(3) Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,] By dissembling is not meant hypocritical nature, that pretends one thing, and does another : But nature that puts together things of a diffunilar kind, as a brave soul, and a deformed body.

WARBURTON. Diffembling is here put very licentiously for fraudful, deceitful.

(+) And therefore fince I cannot prove a lover,] Shakespeare very diligently inculcates that the wickedness of Richard proceeded from his deformity, from the envy that rose at the comparison of his own person with others, and which incited him to disturb the pleasures that he could not partake.

1 am determined to prove a villain,
And * hate the idle pleasures of these days..
Plots have I laid, f inductions dangerous,
To set

my

brother Clarence and the King In deadly hate, the one against the other: By drunken prophesies, libels, and dreams, And, if King Edvard be as true and just, (5) As I am subile, false, and treacherous; This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up; About a Prophefy, which says, that G Of Edward's Heirs the Murtherer fhall be. -Dive, thoughts, down to my soul!: here Clarence.

comes.

Enter Clarence guarded, and 'Brakenbury:
Biothier, good day, what means this armed Guard,
That waits upon your

Grace
Cla. His Majesty,
Tend'ring my person's safety, hath appointed
This conduct to convey me to the Tower:

Glo. Upon what cause?
Clar. Because my name is George.

Glou. Alack, my Lord, that fault is none of yours:
He should for That commit your godfathers.
Belike, his Majesty hath some intent,
That you should be new christened in the Tower,
But what's the matter, Clarence, may I know?

Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know, for, I proteft, As yet I do not; but as I can learn, He hearkens after Prophefies and Dreams, And froin the cross-row plucks the letter G; And says, a wizard told him, that by G His issue disinherited should be. And, for my name of George begins with G,

* And hate the idle pleasure sm-] Perhaps we might read, And bate the idle pleasures.

† Inductions dangerous,] Preparations for mischief. The Inim duction is preparatory to the action of the play.

(5) -Edward be as true and juft,] i.e. as open hearted and free from deceit.

WARBURTON. The meaning is only this; if Edward keeps his word.

It A 3

It follows in his thought, that I am he.
These, as I learn, and such like * toys as these,
Have mov'd his Highness to commit me now.

Gl.. Why, this it is, when men are ruld by wo

men.

'Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower,
My lady Gray, his wife, Clarence, 'tis she,
That tempts him to this harsh extremity.
Was it not she, and that good man of worship,
Anthony Woodvil her brother there,
That made him fend lord Hastings to the Tower ?
From whence this day he is delivered.
We are not safe, Clarence, we are not safe.

Clar. By heav'n, I think, there is no man secure
But the Queen's kindred, and knight-walking heralds,
That trudge between the King, and mistress Shore.
Heard you not, what an humble suppliant
Lord Haslings was to her for his delivery?

Glo. Humbly complaining to her Deity, (6)
Got my lord Chamberlain his liberty.
I'll tell you what ;-I think, it is our way,
If we will keep in favour with the King,
To be her men, and wear her livery :
* The jealous, o'erworn widow, and herself,
Since that our Brother dubb’d them gentlewomen,
Are mighty gossips in this Monarchy.

Brak. I beg your Graces both to pardon me :
His Majesty has straitly giv’n in charge,
That no man ihall have private conference,
Of what degree foever, with your brother.
Glo. Ev’n so, an't please your worship. Bracken-

bury,
You may partake of any thing we say,
We speak no treason, man- we say, the King
Is wise and virtuous ; and his noble Queen
Well strook in years ; fair, and not jealous-
We say, that Shore's wife hath a pretty foot,
A cherry lip, a passing pleasing tongue ;

* Toys.] Fancies, freaks of imagination.

(6) Humbly complaining, &c.] I think these two lines might be better given to Clarence. f. The jealous, o'er-worn widow,] That is the Queen and Shore.

That