Duch. Either thou wilt die by God's just | To be discover'd, that can do me good? ordinance, 191 Ere from this war thou turn a conqueror, Abides in me: I say amen to her. Going. Q. Eliz. I have no more sons of the royal blood For thee to slaughter: for my daughters, Richard, They shall be praying nuns, not weeping queens; And therefore level not to hit their lives. K. Rich. You have a daughter call'd Elizabeth, Virtuous and fair, royal and gracious. Q. Eliz. And must she die for this? O! let her live, And I'll corrupt her manners, stain her beauty; Slander myself as false to Edward's bed; Throw over her the veil of infamy: 209 So she may live unscarr'd of bleeding slaughter, Q. Eliz. To save her life, I'll say she is not so. K. Rich. Lo at their birth good stars were opposite. Q. Eliz. No, to their lives ill friends were contrary. K. Rich. All unavoided is the doom of destiny. Q. Eliz. True, when avoided grace makes destiny. 220 My babes were destin'd to a fairer death, Q. Eliz. Cousins, indeed; and by their uncle cozen'd Of comfort, kingdom, kindred, freedom, life. 229 But that still use of grief makes wild grief tame, K. Rich. Madam, so thrive I in my enterprise Q. Eliz. What good is cover'd with the face of heaven, 240 K. Rich. The advancement of your children, gentle lady. Q. Eliz. Up to some scaffold, there to lose their heads? K. Rich. Unto the dignity and height of fortune, The high imperial type of this earth's glory. Q. Eliz. Flatter my sorrow with report of it, Tell me what state, what dignity, what honour, Canst thou demise to any child of mine? K. Rich. Even all I have; ay, and myself and all Will I withal endow a child of thine; So in the Lethe of thy angry soul Thou drown the sad remembrance of those wrongs Which thou supposest I have done to thee. Q. Eliz. Be brief, lest that the process of thy kindness Last longer telling than thy kindness' date. K. Rich. Then know, that from my soul I love thy daughter. Q. Eliz. My daughter's mother thinks it with her soul. K. Rich. What do you think? Q. Eliz. That thou dost love my daughter from thy soul: So from thy soul's love didst thou love her brothers; And from my heart's love I do thank thee for it. K. Rich. Be not so hasty to confound my meaning: I mean, that with my soul I love thy daughter, And do intend to make her Queen of England. Q. Eliz. Well then, who dost thou mean shall be her king? K. Rich. Even he that makes her queen: who else should be? Q. Eliz. What! thou? K. Rich. Even so: how think you of it? That I would learn of you, As one being best acquainted with her humour. Q. Eliz. And wilt thou learn of me? K. Rich. A pair of bleeding hearts; thereon engrave K. Rich. You mock me, madam; this is not Having bought love with such a bloody spoil. K. Rich. Look, what is done cannot be noW amended: SCENE IV.] KING RICHARD III. 300 310 Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes, 320 Would be her lord? or shall I say her uncle? Q. Eliz. Which she shall purchase with still K. Rich. Tell her, the king, that may com- Q. Eliz. That at her hands which the kings' K. Rich. Say she shall be a high and mighty queen. Q. Eliz. To wail the title, as her mother doth. K. Rich. As long as heaven and nature Q. Eliz. As long as hell and Richard likes of it. Q. Eliz. But she, your subject, loathes such K. Rich. Be eloquent in my behalf to her. 359 K. Rich. Then plainly to her tell my loving tale. Q. Eliz. O, no! my reasons are too deep and Too deep and dead, poor infants, in their graves. Q. Eliz. Harp on it still shall I till heartstrings K. Rich. Now, by my George, my garter, and my crown,— Q. Eliz. Profan'd, dishonour'd, and the third K. Rich. I swear- By nothing; for this is no oath. K. Rich. Now, by the world, "Tis full of thy foul wrongs. K. Rich. My father's death,- Thy life hath it dishonour'd. Thyself is self-misus'd. K. Rich. Why then, by God,--- 380 God's wrong is most of all. The time to come. 390 Hereafter time for time past wrong'd by thee. The parents live, whose children thou hast Old barren plants, to wail it with their age. 400 K. Rich. As I intend to prosper, and repent, I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter! Plead what I will be, not what I have been ; 410 Q. Eliz. Shall I be tempted of the devil thus? K. Rich. Ay, if the devil tempt thee to do good. Q. Eliz. Shall I forget myself to be myself? 421 K. Rich. Ay, if yourself's remembrance wrong yourself. Q. Eliz. Yet thou didst kill my children. K. Rich. But in your daughter's womb I bury them : Where, in that nest of spicery, they will breed Selves of themselves to your recomforture. Q. Eliz. Shall I go win my daughter to thy will? K. Rich. And be a happy mother by the deed. Q. Eliz. I go. Write to me very shortly, And you shall understand from me her mind. 430 K. Rich. Bear her my true love's kiss; and so farewell. Exit Queen ELIZABETH. Relenting fool, and shallow changing woman! Enter RATCLIFF; CATESBY following. How now! what news? Rat. Most mighty sovereign, on the western K. Rich. Some light-foot friend post to the Ratcliff, thyself, or Catesby; where is he? Why stay'st thou here, and go'st not to the duke? Cates. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure, What from your grace I shall deliver to him. K. Rich. O true, good Catesby: bid him levy straight 450 Nor none so bad but well may be reported. 459 Richmond is on the seas K. Rich. There let him sink, and be the seas on him! White-liver'd runagate! what doth he there! Stan. I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess, K. Rich. Well, as you guess? Stan. Stirr'd up by Dorset, Buckingham and Morton, He makes for England, here to claim the crown. K. Rich. Is the chair empty is the sword unsway'd? Is the king dead? the empire unpossess'd? Then, tell me, what makes he upon the seas! Stan. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess. K. Rich. Unless for that he comes to be your liege, You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes. Thou wilt revolt and fly to him I fear. Stan. No, my good lord; therefore mistrust me not. K. Rich. Where is thy power then to beat him back? Where be thy tenants and thy followers? Stan. No, my good lord, my friends are in the north. K. Rich. Cold friends to me: what do they in the north When they should serve their sovereign in the west? Stan. They have not been commanded, mighty king. Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave, But I'll not trust thee. K. Rich. Go then and muster men: but leave behind Your son, George Stanley: look your heart be firm, Or else his head's assurance is but frail. Stan. So deal with him as I prove true to you. Enter a third Messenger. Third Mess. My lord, the army of great Buck. ingham K. Rich. Out on ye, owls! nothing but songs of death? He strikes him. There, take thou that, till thou bring better news. Third Mess. The news I have to tell your majesty Is, that by sudden floods and fall of waters, 511 Buckingham's army is dispers'd and scatter'd ; And he himself wander'd away alone, No man knows whither. K. Rich. I cry thee mercy: There is my purse to cure that blow of thine. Hath any well-advised friend proclaim'd Reward to him that brings the traitor in? Third Mess. Such proclamation hath been made, my liege. Enter a fourth Messenger. Fourth Mess. Sir Thomas Lovel and Lord 'Tis said, my liege, in Yorkshire are in arms: 520 Hois'd sail and made away for Brittany. SCENE I.-Salisbury. An open Place. Enter the Sheriff and Guard, with BUCKINGHAM, led to execution. Buck. Will not King Richard let me speak with him? Sher. No, my good lord; therefore be patient. Buck. Hastings, and Edward's children, Grey, and Rivers, Holy King Henry, and thy fair son Edward, 10 Buck. Why, then All-Souls' day is my body's doomsday. This is the day that, in King Edward's time, K. Rich. March on, march on, since we are up I wish'd might fall on me, when I was found in arms; taken; That is the best news: that the Earl of Richmond K. Rich. Away towards Salisbury! while we reason here A royal battle might be won and lost. Enter STANLEY and Sir CHRISTOPHER Stan. Sir Christopher, tell Richmond this from me: That in the sty of the most bloody boar He should espouse Elizabeth her daughter. 10 Stan. What men of name resort to him? Chris. Sir Walter Herbert, a renowned soldier, Sir Gilbert Talbot, Sir William Stanley, Oxford, redoubted Pembroke, Sir James Blunt, False to his children or his wife's allies; 20 This is the day wherein I wish'd to fall Remember Margaret was a prophetess.' SCENE II.-A Plain near Tamworth. Enter, with drum and colours, RICHMOND, Oxford, Sir JAMES BLUNT, Sir WALTER HERBERT, and Others, with Forces, marching. Richm. Fellows in arms, and my most loving friends, Bruis'd underneath the yoke of tyranny, In your embowell'd bosoms, this foul swine 10 SCENE III.-Bosworth Field. Enter King RICHARD and Forces; the Duke of NORFOLK, Earl of SURREY, and Others. K. Rich. Here pitch our tents, even here in Bosworth field. My Lord of Surrey, why look you so sad? Sur. My heart is ten times lighter than my looks. K. Rich. My Lord of Norfolk,- Here, most gracious liege. K. Rich. Norfolk, we must have knocks; ha! must we not? Nor. We must both give and take, my gracious lord. K. Rich. Up with my tent! here will I lie tonight; But where to-morrow? Well, all's one for that. Who hath descried the number of the traitors? Nor. Six or seven thousand is their utmost Enter, on the other side of the field, RICHMOND, Sir 20 31 Sir William Brandon, you shall bear my standard. 39 Blunt. Upon my life, my lord, I'll undertake it; And so, God give you quiet rest to-night! Richm. Good night, good Captain Blunt. Come, gentlemen, Let us consult upon to-morrow's business; They withdraw into the tent. Enter, to his tent, King RICHARD, NORFOLK, K. Rich. What is 't o'clock ? It's nine o'clock. It's supper-time, my lord; K. Rich. I will not sup to-night. Give me some ink and paper. What, is my beaver easier than it was, And all my armour laid into my tent? Cates. It is, my liege; and all things are in readiness. K. Rich. Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge: Use careful watch; choose trusty sentinels. Nor. I go, my lord. K. Rich. Stir with the lark to-morrow, gentle Nor. I warrant you, my lord. Rat. My lord! K. Rich. Erit. Send out a pursuivant at arms To Stanley's regiment; bid him bring his power Before sun-rising, lest his son George fall Into the blind cave of eternal night. Fill me a bowl of wine. Give me a watch. Look that my staves be sound, and not too heavy, Saddle white Surrey for the field to-morrow. Ratcliff! Rat. My lord! K. Rich Saw'st thou the melancholy Lord Northumberland? Rat. Thomas the Earl of Surrey, and himself, Much about cock-shut time, from troop to troop Went through the army, cheering up the soldiers. K. Rich. So; I am satisfied. Give me a bowl of wine: I have not that alacrity of spirit, K. Rich. Bid my guard watch; leave me. Ratcliff, about the mid of night come to my tent And help to arm me. Leave me, I say. King RICHARD retires into his tent. Exeunt RATCLIFF and CATESBY. RICHMOND'S tent opens, and discovers him and his Officers, etc. Enter STANLEY. Stan. Fortune and victory sit on thy helm! Richm. All comfort that the dark night can afford Be to thy person, noble father-in-law ! Stan. I, by attorney, bless thee from thy mother, |