King Richard The Third

1 The trumpets sound. Enter young Prince Edward, Richard, Buckingham,
2 Cardinal Bourchier, Catesby and others.
3 BUCKINGHAM.
4 Welcome, sweet Prince, to London, to your chamber.
5 RICHARD.
6 Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts’ sovereign.
7 The weary way hath made you melancholy.
8 PRINCE.
9 No, uncle, but our crosses on the way
10 Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy.
11 I want more uncles here to welcome me.
12 RICHARD.
13 Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of your years
14 Hath not yet dived into the world’s deceit,
15 Nor more can you distinguish of a man
16 Than of his outward show, which, God He knows,
17 Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart.
18 Those uncles which you want were dangerous;
19 Your Grace attended to their sugared words
20 But looked not on the poison of their hearts.
21 God keep you from them, and from such false friends!
22 PRINCE.
23 God keep me from false friends, but they were none.
24 RICHARD.
25 My lord, the Mayor of London comes to greet you.
26 Enter Lord Mayor with Attendants.
27 MAYOR.
28 God bless your Grace with health and happy days!
29 PRINCE.
30 I thank you, good my lord, and thank you all.
31 I thought my mother and my brother York
32 Would long ere this have met us on the way.
33 Fie, what a slug is Hastings, that he comes not
34 To tell us whether they will come or no!
35 Enter Lord Hastings.
36 BUCKINGHAM.
37 And in good time, here comes the sweating lord.
38 PRINCE.
39 Welcome, my lord. What, will our mother come?
40 HASTINGS.
41 On what occasion God He knows, not I,
42 The Queen your mother and your brother York
43 Have taken sanctuary. The tender prince
44 Would fain have come with me to meet your Grace,
45 But by his mother was perforce withheld.
46 BUCKINGHAM.
47 Fie, what an indirect and peevish course
48 Is this of hers? Lord cardinal, will your Grace
49 Persuade the Queen to send the Duke of York
50 Unto his princely brother presently?
51 If she deny, Lord Hastings, go with him,
52 And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce.
53 CARDINAL.
54 My Lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory
55 Can from his mother win the Duke of York,
56 Anon expect him here; but if she be obdurate
57 To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid
58 We should infringe the holy privilege
59 Of blessed sanctuary! Not for all this land
60 Would I be guilty of so deep a sin.
61 BUCKINGHAM.
62 You are too senseless-obstinate, my lord,
63 Too ceremonious and traditional.
64 Weigh it but with the grossness of this age,
65 You break not sanctuary in seizing him.
66 The benefit thereof is always granted
67 To those whose dealings have deserved the place
68 And those who have the wit to claim the place.
69 This prince hath neither claimed it nor deserved it
70 And therefore, in mine opinion, cannot have it.
71 Then taking him from thence that is not there,
72 You break no privilege nor charter there.
73 Oft have I heard of sanctuary-men,
74 But sanctuary children, never till now.
75 CARDINAL.
76 My lord, you shall o’errule my mind for once.
77 Come on, Lord Hastings, will you go with me?
78 HASTINGS.
79 I go, my lord.
80 PRINCE.
81 Good lords, make all the speedy haste you may.
82 [_Exeunt Cardinal and Hastings._]
83 Say, uncle Gloucester, if our brother come,
84 Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?
85 RICHARD.
86 Where it seems best unto your royal self.
87 If I may counsel you, some day or two
88 Your Highness shall repose you at the Tower,
89 Then where you please and shall be thought most fit
90 For your best health and recreation.
91 PRINCE.
92 I do not like the Tower, of any place.
93 Did Julius Caesar build that place, my lord?
94 BUCKINGHAM.
95 He did, my gracious lord, begin that place,
96 Which, since, succeeding ages have re-edified.
97 PRINCE.
98 Is it upon record, or else reported
99 Successively from age to age, he built it?
100 BUCKINGHAM.
101 Upon record, my gracious lord.
102 PRINCE.
103 But say, my lord, it were not registered,
104 Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
105 As ’twere retailed to all posterity,
106 Even to the general all-ending day.
107 RICHARD.
108 [_Aside_.] So wise so young, they say, do never live long.
109 PRINCE.
110 What say you, uncle?
111 RICHARD.
112 I say, without characters, fame lives long.
113 [_Aside_.] Thus, like the formal Vice, Iniquity,
114 I moralize two meanings in one word.
115 PRINCE.
116 That Julius Caesar was a famous man.
117 With what his valour did enrich his wit,
118 His wit set down to make his valour live;
119 Death makes no conquest of this conqueror,
120 For now he lives in fame, though not in life.
121 I’ll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham.
122 BUCKINGHAM.
123 What, my gracious lord?
124 PRINCE.
125 An if I live until I be a man,
126 I’ll win our ancient right in France again,
127 Or die a soldier, as I lived a king.
128 RICHARD.
129 [_Aside_.] Short summers lightly have a forward spring.
130 Enter young Duke of York, Hastings and the Cardinal.
131 BUCKINGHAM.
132 Now, in good time here comes the Duke of York.
133 PRINCE.
134 Richard of York, how fares our loving brother?
135 YORK.
136 Well, my dread lord—so must I call you now.
137 PRINCE.
138 Ay brother, to our grief, as it is yours.
139 Too late he died that might have kept that title,
140 Which by his death hath lost much majesty.
141 RICHARD.
142 How fares our cousin, noble lord of York?
143 YORK.
144 I thank you, gentle uncle. O, my lord,
145 You said that idle weeds are fast in growth.
146 The Prince my brother hath outgrown me far.
147 RICHARD.
148 He hath, my lord.
149 YORK.
150 And therefore is he idle?
151 RICHARD.
152 O, my fair cousin, I must not say so.
153 YORK.
154 Then he is more beholding to you than I.
155 RICHARD.
156 He may command me as my sovereign,
157 But you have power in me as in a kinsman.
158 YORK.
159 I pray you, uncle, give me this dagger.
160 RICHARD.
161 My dagger, little cousin? With all my heart.
162 PRINCE.
163 A beggar, brother?
164 YORK.
165 Of my kind uncle, that I know will give,
166 And being but a toy, which is no grief to give.
167 RICHARD.
168 A greater gift than that I’ll give my cousin.
169 YORK.
170 A greater gift? O, that’s the sword to it.
171 RICHARD.
172 Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough.
173 YORK.
174 O, then I see you will part but with light gifts;
175 In weightier things you’ll say a beggar nay.
176 RICHARD.
177 It is too heavy for your Grace to wear.
178 YORK.
179 I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.
180 RICHARD.
181 What, would you have my weapon, little lord?
182 YORK.
183 I would, that I might thank you as you call me.
184 RICHARD.
185 How?
186 YORK.
187 Little.
188 PRINCE.
189 My lord of York will still be cross in talk.
190 Uncle, your Grace knows how to bear with him.
191 YORK.
192 You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me.
193 Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me.
194 Because that I am little, like an ape,
195 He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders.
196 BUCKINGHAM.
197 With what a sharp-provided wit he reasons!
198 To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,
199 He prettily and aptly taunts himself.
200 So cunning and so young is wonderful.
201 RICHARD.
202 My lord, wil’t please you pass along?
203 Myself and my good cousin Buckingham
204 Will to your mother, to entreat of her
205 To meet you at the Tower and welcome you.
206 YORK.
207 What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord?
208 PRINCE.
209 My Lord Protector needs will have it so.
210 YORK.
211 I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower.
212 RICHARD.
213 Why, what should you fear?
214 YORK.
215 Marry, my uncle Clarence’ angry ghost.
216 My grandam told me he was murdered there.
217 PRINCE.
218 I fear no uncles dead.
219 RICHARD.
220 Nor none that live, I hope.
221 PRINCE.
222 An if they live, I hope I need not fear.
223 But come, my lord. With a heavy heart,
224 Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.
225 [_A Sennet. Exeunt Prince Edward, York, Hastings, Dorset and all but
226 Richard, Buckingham and Catesby._]
227 BUCKINGHAM.
228 Think you, my lord, this little prating York
229 Was not incensed by his subtle mother
230 To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?
231 RICHARD.
232 No doubt, no doubt. O, ’tis a parlous boy,
233 Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable.
234 He is all the mother’s, from the top to toe.
235 BUCKINGHAM.
236 Well, let them rest. Come hither, Catesby.
237 Thou art sworn as deeply to effect what we intend
238 As closely to conceal what we impart.
239 Thou know’st our reasons urged upon the way.
240 What think’st thou? Is it not an easy matter
241 To make William Lord Hastings of our mind
242 For the instalment of this noble Duke
243 In the seat royal of this famous isle?
244 CATESBY.
245 He for his father’s sake so loves the Prince
246 That he will not be won to aught against him.
247 BUCKINGHAM.
248 What think’st thou then of Stanley? Will not he?
249 CATESBY.
250 He will do all in all as Hastings doth.
251 BUCKINGHAM.
252 Well then, no more but this: go, gentle Catesby,
253 And, as it were far off, sound thou Lord Hastings
254 How he doth stand affected to our purpose,
255 And summon him tomorrow to the Tower
256 To sit about the coronation.
257 If thou dost find him tractable to us,
258 Encourage him, and tell him all our reasons.
259 If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
260 Be thou so too, and so break off the talk,
261 And give us notice of his inclination;
262 For we tomorrow hold divided councils,
263 Wherein thyself shalt highly be employed.
264 RICHARD.
265 Commend me to Lord William. Tell him, Catesby,
266 His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries
267 Tomorrow are let blood at Pomfret Castle,
268 And bid my lord, for joy of this good news,
269 Give Mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.
270 BUCKINGHAM.
271 Good Catesby, go effect this business soundly.
272 CATESBY.
273 My good lords both, with all the heed I can.
274 RICHARD.
275 Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?
276 CATESBY.
277 You shall, my lord.
278 RICHARD.
279 At Crosby Place, there shall you find us both.
280 [_Exit Catesby._]
281 BUCKINGHAM.
282 Now, my lord, what shall we do if we perceive
283 Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?
284 RICHARD.
285 Chop off his head, man; somewhat we will do.
286 And look when I am king, claim thou of me
287 The earldom of Hereford, and all the movables
288 Whereof the King my brother was possessed.
289 BUCKINGHAM.
290 I’ll claim that promise at your Grace’s hand.
291 RICHARD.
292 And look to have it yielded with all kindness.
293 Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards
294 We may digest our complots in some form.
295 [_Exeunt._]