King Richard The Third

1 Enter Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of York and Marquess of Dorset, at
2 one door; Anne Duchess of Gloucester with Clarence’s young Daughter at
3 another door.
4 DUCHESS.
5 Who meets us here? My niece Plantagenet
6 Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloucester?
7 Now, for my life, she’s wandering to the Tower,
8 On pure heart’s love, to greet the tender Prince.
9 Daughter, well met.
10 ANNE.
11 God give your Graces both
12 A happy and a joyful time of day.
13 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
14 As much to you, good sister. Whither away?
15 ANNE.
16 No farther than the Tower, and, as I guess,
17 Upon the like devotion as yourselves,
18 To gratulate the gentle Princes there.
19 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
20 Kind sister, thanks; we’ll enter all together.
21 Enter Brakenbury.
22 And in good time, here the Lieutenant comes.
23 Master Lieutenant, pray you, by your leave,
24 How doth the Prince and my young son of York?
25 BRAKENBURY.
26 Right well, dear madam. By your patience,
27 I may not suffer you to visit them.
28 The King hath strictly charged the contrary.
29 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
30 The King? Who’s that?
31 BRAKENBURY.
32 I mean the Lord Protector.
33 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
34 The Lord protect him from that kingly title!
35 Hath he set bounds between their love and me?
36 I am their mother; who shall bar me from them?
37 DUCHESS.
38 I am their father’s mother. I will see them.
39 ANNE.
40 Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother.
41 Then bring me to their sights. I’ll bear thy blame,
42 And take thy office from thee, on my peril.
43 BRAKENBURY.
44 No, madam, no. I may not leave it so.
45 I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me.
46 [_Exit._]
47 Enter Stanley.
48 STANLEY.
49 Let me but meet you, ladies, one hour hence,
50 And I’ll salute your Grace of York as mother
51 And reverend looker-on of two fair queens.
52 [_To Anne._] Come, madam, you must straight to Westminster,
53 There to be crowned Richard’s royal queen.
54 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
55 Ah, cut my lace asunder
56 That my pent heart may have some scope to beat,
57 Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news!
58 ANNE.
59 Despiteful tidings! O unpleasing news!
60 DORSET.
61 Be of good cheer, mother. How fares your Grace?
62 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
63 O Dorset, speak not to me; get thee gone.
64 Death and destruction dog thee at thy heels;
65 Thy mother’s name is ominous to children.
66 If thou wilt outstrip death, go, cross the seas,
67 And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell.
68 Go, hie thee, hie thee from this slaughter-house,
69 Lest thou increase the number of the dead,
70 And make me die the thrall of Margaret’s curse,
71 Nor mother, wife, nor England’s counted Queen.
72 STANLEY.
73 Full of wise care is this your counsel, madam.
74 Take all the swift advantage of the hours;
75 You shall have letters from me to my son
76 In your behalf, to meet you on the way.
77 Be not ta’en tardy by unwise delay.
78 DUCHESS.
79 O ill-dispersing wind of misery!
80 O my accursed womb, the bed of death!
81 A cockatrice hast thou hatched to the world,
82 Whose unavoided eye is murderous.
83 STANLEY.
84 Come, madam, come. I in all haste was sent.
85 ANNE.
86 And I with all unwillingness will go.
87 O, would to God that the inclusive verge
88 Of golden metal that must round my brow
89 Were red-hot steel, to sear me to the brains.
90 Anointed let me be with deadly venom,
91 And die ere men can say “God save the Queen.”
92 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
93 Go, go, poor soul; I envy not thy glory.
94 To feed my humour, wish thyself no harm.
95 ANNE.
96 No? Why? When he that is my husband now
97 Came to me as I followed Henry’s corse,
98 When scarce the blood was well washed from his hands
99 Which issued from my other angel husband,
100 And that dear saint which then I weeping followed;
101 O, when, I say, I looked on Richard’s face,
102 This was my wish: “Be thou,” quoth I, “accursed
103 For making me, so young, so old a widow;
104 And when thou wedd’st, let sorrow haunt thy bed;
105 And be thy wife, if any be so mad,
106 More miserable by the life of thee
107 Than thou hast made me by my dear lord’s death.”
108 Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again,
109 Within so small a time, my woman’s heart
110 Grossly grew captive to his honey words,
111 And proved the subject of mine own soul’s curse,
112 Which hitherto hath held my eyes from rest;
113 For never yet one hour in his bed
114 Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep,
115 But with his timorous dreams was still awaked.
116 Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick,
117 And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.
118 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
119 Poor heart, adieu; I pity thy complaining.
120 ANNE.
121 No more than with my soul I mourn for yours.
122 DORSET.
123 Farewell, thou woeful welcomer of glory.
124 ANNE.
125 Adieu, poor soul, that tak’st thy leave of it.
126 DUCHESS.
127 [_To Dorset._] Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee.
128 [_To Anne._] Go thou to Richard, and good angels tend thee.
129 [_To Queen Elizabeth._] Go thou to sanctuary, and good thoughts possess
130 thee.
131 I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with me.
132 Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen,
133 And each hour’s joy wracked with a week of teen.
134 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
135 Stay, yet look back with me unto the Tower.
136 Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes
137 Whom envy hath immured within your walls—
138 Rough cradle for such little pretty one,
139 Rude ragged nurse, old sullen playfellow
140 For tender princes, use my babies well.
141 So foolish sorrows bids your stones farewell.
142 [_Exeunt._]