A grievous burden was thy birth to me;
Tetchy and wayward was thy infancy;
Thy school-days, frightful, desperate, wild, and
furious;

Thy prime of manhood, daring, bold, and venturous:
Thy age confirm'd, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody,
More mild, but yet more harmful, kind in hatred:
What comfortable hour canst thou name,
That ever grac'd me in thy company?

K. Rick. 'Faith, none, bat Humphrey Hour,2 that call'd your grace

To breakfast once, forth of my company. ffl be so disgracious in your sight,

Let me march on, and not offend you, madam.— Strike up the drum.

Duch

I pr'ythee, hear me speak. K. Rich. You speak too bitterly. Duck.

Hear me a word; For I shall never speak to thee again. K. Rich. So.

Duch. Either thou wilt die, by God's just ordimance,

Ere from this war thou turn a conqueror;
Or I with grief and extreme age shall perish,
And never look upon thy face again.
Therefore take with thee my most heavy curse;
Which, in the day of battle, tire thee more,
Than all the complete armour that thou wear'st!
My prayers on the adverse party fight;
And there the little souls of Edward's children
Whisper the spirits of thine enemies,
And promise them success and victory.
Bloody thou art, bloody will be thy end;

Shame serves thy life, and doth thy death attend.

[Exit. Q. Eliz. Though far more cause, yet much less spirit to curse

Abides in me; I say amen to her.

[Going.

K. Rich. Stay, madam, I must speak a word with you.

Q. Eliz. I have no more sons of the royal blood For thee to murder: 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;

So she may live unscarr'd of bleeding slaughter,
I will confess she was not Edward's daughter.
K. Rich. Wrong not her birth, she is of royal blood.
Q. Eliz. To save her life, I'll say she is not so.
K. Rich. Her life is safest only in her birth.

Q. Eliz. And only in that safety died her brothers. K. Rich. Lo, at their births, good stars were opposite.

Q. Eliz. No, to their lives bad friends were contrary.

K. Rich. All unavoided is the doom of destiny. Q. Eliz. True, when avoided grace makes destiny:

My babes were destin'd to a fairer death,
If grace had bless'd thee with a fairer life.
K. Rich. You speak, as if that I had slain my

cousins.

Q. Eliz. Cousins, indeed; and by their uncle cozen'd

Of comfort, kingdom, kindred, freedom, life.
Whose hands soever lanc'd their tender hearts,
Thy head, all indirectly, gave direction:

1 Touchy, fretful.

2 I know not what to make of this, unless we suppose with Steevens that it is an allusion to some affair of gal Jantry of which the duchess had been suspected. There is no mention of any thing of the kind in the Chronicles. Malone conjectures that Humphrey Hour is merely used as a ludicrous periphrasis for hour, like Tom Troth, for truth, in Gabriel Harvey's Letter to Spenser. There can hardly be any allusion to the phrase of 'dining with Duke Humphrey,' used to express those who dined upon air, or passed their dinner hour in ad- I

No doubt the murderous knife was dull and blunt,
Till it was whetted on thy stone-hard heart,
To revel in the entrails of my lambs.
But that still use of grief makes wild grief tame,
My tongue should to thy ears not name my boys,
Till that my nails were anchor'd in thine eyes:
And I, in such a desperate bay of death,
Like a poor bark, of sails and tackling reft,
Rush all to pieces on thy rocky bosom.

K. Rich. Madam, so thrive I in my enterprise,
And dangerous success of bloody wars,
As I intend more good to you and yours,
Than ever you or yours by me were harm'd!

Q. Eliz. What good is cover'd with the face of heaven,

To be discover'd, that can do me good? K. Rich. The advancement of your children, gentle lady.

Q. Eliz. Up to some scaffold, there to lose their heads?

K. Rich. No, to the dignity and height of fortune, The high imperial type of this earth's glory."

Q. Eliz. Flatter my sorrows 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

That I would learn of you

As one being best acquainted with her humour."
Q. Eliz. And wilt thou learn of me?
K. Rich.

Madam, with all my heart. Q. Eliz. Send to her, by the man that slew her brothers,

A pair of bleeding hearts; thereon engrave,
Edward, and York; then, haply, will she weep:
Therefore present to her,-—as sometime Margaret
Did to thy father, steep'd in Rutland's blood,-
A handkerchief; which, say to her, did drain
The purple sap from her sweet brothers' body,
And bid her wipe her weeping eyes withal.
If this inducement move her not to love,
Send her a letter of thy noble deeds;
Tell her, thou mad'st away her uncle Clarence,
Her uncle Rivers; ay, and, for her sake,
Mad'st quick conveyance with her good aunt Anne.

miring his supposed monument in old St. Paul's Cathe-
dral.
3 i. e. accompanies.
4 Unavoidable.

5 This conceit seems to have been a favourite with Shakspeare.

6 i. e. constant use.

7 i. e. the crown, the emblem of royalty. See note on King Henry VI. Part III. Act i. Sc. 4.

8 To demise is to grant, from demittere, Lat. But as no example of the use of the word, except in legal instruments, offers itself, I cannot help thinking we should read devise, with the second folio.

K. Rich. You mock me, madam; this is not the| way

To win your daughter. Q. Eliz.

There is no other way; Unless thou could'st put on some other shape, And not be Richard that hath done all this.

K. Rich. Say, that I did all this for love of her? Q. Eliz. Nay, then indeed, she cannot choose but hate thee,'

Having bought love with such a bloody spoil.

K. Rich. Look, what is done cannot be now
amended;

Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes,
Which after hours give leisure to repent.
If I did take the kingdom from your sons,
To make amends, I'll give it to your daughter.
If I have kill'd the issue of your womb,
To quicken your increase, I will beget
Mine issue of your blood upon your daughter.
A grandam's name is little less in love,
Than is the doting title of a mother;
They are as children, but one step below,
Even of your mettle, of your very blood;
Of all one pain,-save for a night of groans
Endur'd of her, for whom you bid like sorrow.
Your children were vexation to your youth,
But mine shall be a comfort to your age.
The loss, you have, is but-a son being king,
And, by that loss, your daughter is made queen.
I cannot make you what amends I would,
Therefore accept such kindness as I can.
Dorset, your son, that with a fearful soul,
Leads discontented steps in foreign soil,
This fair alliance quickly shall call home
To high promotions and great dignity:

The king, that calls your beauteous daughter,-wife,
Familiarly shall call thy Dorset-brother;
Again shall you be mother to a king,
And all the ruins of distressful times
Repair'd with double riches of content.
What! we have many goodly days to see:
The liquid drops of tears that you have shed,
Shall come again, transform'd to orient pearl:
Advantaging their loan, with interest
Of ten times double gain of happiness.
Go then, my mother, to thy daughter go;
Make bold her bashful years with your experience,
Prepare her ears to hear a wooer's tale;
Put in her tender heart the aspiring flame
Of golden sovereignty; acquaint the princess
With the sweet silent hours of marriage joys;
And when this arm of mine hath chastised
The petty rebel, dull-brain'd Buckingham,
Bound with triumphant garlands will I come,
And lead thy daughter to a conqueror's bed;
To whom I will retail' my conquest won,
And she shall be sole victress, Cæsar's Cæsar.

Q. Eliz. What were I best to say? her father's
brother

Would be her lord? Or shall I say, her uncle?
Or, he that slew her brothers, and her uncles?
Under what title shall I woo for thee,

That God, the law, my honour, and her love,
Can make seem pleasing to her tender years?
K. Rich. Infer fair England's peace by this
liance.

Q. Eliz. Which she shall purchase with
lasting war.

still

K. Rich. Say, I will love her everlastingly.
Q. Eliz. But how long shall that title, ever, last?
K. Rich Sweetly in force unto her fair life's end.
Q. Eliz. But how long fairly shall her sweet life
last?

K. Rich. As long as heaven, and nature, lengthens it.

Q. Eliz. As long as hell, and Richard, likes of it. K. Rich. Say, I, her sovereign, am her subject low Q. Eliz. But she, your subject, loathes such sov'reignty.

K. Rich. Be eloquent in my behalf to her. Q. Eliz. An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told.

K. Rich. Then in plain terms tell her my loving

tale.

K. Rich. Then, by myself,Q. Eliz.

Thyself is self misus'd.

K. Rich. Why then, by God,-
Q. Eliz.

God's wrong is most of all.
If thou hadst fear'd to break an oath by him,
The unity, the king thy brother made,
Had not been broken, nor my brother slain,
If thou hadst fear'd to break an oath by him,
The imperial metal, circling now thy head,
Had grac'd the tender temples of my child;
And both the princes had been breathing here,
Which now, two tender bedfellows for dust,
Thy broken faith hath made a prey for worms,
What canst thou swear by now?

K. Rich.
By the time to come.
Q. Eliz. That thou hast wronged in the time o'er-
past;

For I myself have many tears to wash
Hereafter time, for time past, wrong'd by thee.
The children live, whose parents thou hast slaugh-

ter'd,

K. Rich. Tell her, the king, that may command,

entreats.

Q. Eliz. That at her hands, which the king's King forbids.4

K. Rich. Say,she shall be a high and mighty queen. Q. Eliz. To wail the title, as her mother doth.

1 Tyrwhitt suggested that the sense seemed to require we should read but love thee,' ironically. Mason proposed but have thee,' which Steevens admitted into the text. It is by no means evident that this is spoken ironically (says Mr. Boswell,) and, if not, the old reading affords a perfectly clear meaning. A virtuous woman would hate the man who thought to purchase her love by the commission of crimes.'

To my proceeding, if with pure heart's love,

2 Endur'd of her for whom you bid like sorrow.' of is used for by; bid is the past tense from bide. 3-i. e. recount.

4 She means that his crimes would render such a marriage offensive to heaven.

5 Young has borrowed this thought :

But say, my all, my mistress, and my friend,
What day next week the' eternity shall end'

Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,

I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter!
In her consists my happiness, and thine:
Without her, follows to myself, and thee,
Herself, the land, and many a christian soul,
Death, desolation, ruin, and decay:
It cannot be avoided but by this;
It will not be avoided but by this;
Therefore, dear mother (I must call you so,)
Be the attorney of my love to her.

Plead what I will be, not what I have been ;
Not my deserts, but what I will deserve :
Urge the necessity and state of times,
And be not peevish' found in great designs.

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?
K. Rich. Ay, if yourself's remembrance wrong
yourself.

Q. Eliz. But thou didst kill my children.

K. Rich. But in your daughter's womb I bury them:

Where, in the nest of spicery, they shall 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.
K. Rich. Bear her my true love's kiss, and so
farewell.

[Kissing her. Exit Q. ELIZABETH. Relenting fool, and shallow, changing-woman!' How now? what news?

Enter RATCLIFF; CATESBY following.
Rat. Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast
Rideth a puissant navy; to the shore
Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends,
Unarm'd, and unresolv'd to beat them back;
'Tis thought, that Richmond is their admiral;
And there they hull, expecting but the aid
Of Buckingham, to welcome them ashore.
K. Rich. Some lightfoot friend post to the duke
of Norfolk:4

Ratcliff, thyself,-or Catesby; where is he?
Cate. Here, my good lord.
K. Rich.
Catesby, fly to the duke.
Cate. I will, my Lord, with all convenient haste.
K. Rich. Ratcliff, come hither; Post to Salis-
bury;
When thou com'st thither,-Dull, unmindful villain,
[To CATESBY.
Why stay'st thou here, and go'st not to the duke?
Cale. 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

The greatest strength and power he can make,
And meet me suddenly at Salisbury.

Cate. I go,

[Exit.

Rat. What, may it please you, shall I do at Salisbury?

K. Rich. Why, what would'st thou do there, before I go?

Rat. Your highness told me, I should post before. Enter STANLEY.

K. Rich. My mind is chang'd.-Stanley, what news with you?

Stan. None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing;

2 Alluding to the phoenix.

Nor none so bad, but well may be reported. 1 Foolish. 3 Such was the real character of this queen-dowager, who would have married her daughter to King Richard, and did all in her power to alienate the marquis of Dorset, her son, from the earl of Richmond.

4 Richard's precipitation and confusion is in this scene very happily represented by inconsistent orders and sudden variation of opinion.

5 Richard asks this question in the plenitude of power, and no one dares to answer him. But they whom he addresses, had they not been intimidated, might have

king:

Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave,

I'll muster up my friends; and meet your grace,
Where, and at what time, your majesty shall please.
K. Rich. Ay, ay, thou wouldst be gone to join
with Richmond:

I will not trust you, sir.
Stan.
Most mighty sovereign,
You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful
I never was, nor never will be false.

K. Rich. Well, go, muster men. But, hear you, 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.
[Exit STANLEY.

3 Mess. My lord, the army of great Buckingham→→→ K. Rich. Out on ye, owls! nothing but songs of death? [He strikes him. There, take thou that, till thou bring better news. 3 Mess. The news I have to tell your majesty,

told him that there was a male heir of the house of York alive, who had a better claim to the throne than he Edward earl of Warwick, the only son of the usurper's eldest brother, George duke of Clarence; but Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Edward IV. and all her sisters, had a better title than either of them. He had however been careful to have the issue of King Edward pronounced illegitimate; and as the duke of Clarence had been attainted of high treason, he had some colour for his bravado.

6 Competitors here means confederates.

Is, that, by sudden floods and fall of waters,
Buckingham's army is dispers'd and scatter'd ';
And he himself wander'd away alone,
No man knows whither.

K. Rich.

O, I cry you 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?

3 Mess. Such proclamation hath been made, my liege.

Enter another Messenger.

4 Mess. Sir Thomas Lovel, and lord marquis Dorset,

"Tis said, my liege, in Yorkshire are in arms.
But this good comfort bring I to your highness,-
The Bretagne navy is dispers'd by tempest:
Richmond, in Dorsetshire, sent out a boat
Unto the shore, to ask those on the banks,
If they were his assistants, yea, or no;
Who answer'd him, they came from Buckingham
Upon his party: he, mistrusting them,

Hois'd sail, and made his course again for Bretagne. K. Rich. March on, march on, since we are up in arms;

If not to fight with foreign enemies,

Yet to beat down these rebels here at home.

Enter CATESBY,

Cate. My liege, the duke of Buckingham is taken, That is the best news; That the earl of Richmond Is with a mighty power' landed at Milford, Is colder news, but yet they must be told.

He shall espouse Elizabeth her daughter.
These letters will resolve him of my mind.
Farewell. [Gives papers to SIR CHRISTOPHER.
[Exeunt.

ACT V.

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, Rivers,
Grey,

Holy King Henry, and thy fair son Edward,
Vaughan, and all that have miscarried
By underhand corrupted foul injustice;
If that your moody discontented souls'
Do through the clouds behold this present hour,
Even for revenge mock my destruction!

This is All-Souls' day, fellows, is it not?

Sher. It is, my lord.

reason here,

A royal battle might be won and lost :-
Some one take order, Buckingham be brought
To Salisbury;-the rest march on with me.

[Exeunt, SCENE V. A Room in Lord Stanley's House. Enter STANLEY and SIR CHRISTOPHER URSWICK.'

Stan. Sir Christopher, tell Richmond this from

me:

That in the sty of this most bloody boar,
My son George Stanley is frank'd up in hold;
If I revolt, off goes young George's head;
The fear of that withholds my present aid.
But, tell me, where is princely Richmond now?
Chris. At Pembroke, or at Ha'rford-west, in
Wales.

Stax. 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,
And Rice ap Thomas, with a valiant crew;
And many other of great fame and worth:
And towards London do they bend their course,
If by the way they be not fought withal.

Stan. Well, hie thee to thy lord; commend me to him;

Tell him, the queen hath heartily consented

1 The earl of Richmond embarked with about two thousand men at Harfleur, in Normandy, August 1, 1485, and landed at Milford Haven on the 7th. He directed his course to Wales, hoping the Welsh would receive him cordially as their countryman, he having been born at Pembroke, and his grandfather being Owen Tudor, who married Katharine of France, the widow of King Henry V.

2 News was considered as plural by our ancient

writers.

Hath turn'd my feigned prayer on my head,
And given in earnest what I begg'd in jest.
Thus doth he force the swords of wicked men
To turn their own points on their masters' bosoms:
Thus Margaret's curse falls heavy on my neck,-
When he, quoth she, shall split thy heart with sorrow,
Remember Margaret was a prophetess.
Come, sirs, convey me to the block of shame;
Wrong hath but wrong, and blame the due of blame.
[Exeunt BUCKINGHAM, &c.
SCENE II. Plain near Tamworth. Enter, with
drum and colours, RICHMOND, OXFORD, SIR
JAMES BLUNT, 10 SIR WALTER HERBERT, and
others, with Forces, marching.

Richm. Fellows in arms, and my most loving friends,

Bruis'd underneath the yoke of tyranny,
Thus far into the bowels of the land
Have we march'd on without impediment;
And here receive we from our father Stanley
Lines of fair comfort and encouragement.
The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar,
That spoil'd your summer fields, and fruitful vines,
Swills your warm blood like wash, and makes his
trough

In your embowell'd bosoms, this foul swine
Lies now even in the centre of this isle,
Near to the town of Leicester, as we learn:
From Tamworth thither, is but one day's march.

5 There is reason to think that Buckingham's execution took place at Shrewsbury, but this is not the place to discuss the question.

6 The reason why the duke of Buckingham solicited an interview with Richard is explained in King Henry VIII. Act i.

7 The time to which the punishment of his injurious practices or the wrongs done by him was respited.

4 Vide note on p. 96, ante.

10 Sir James Blunt had been captain of the Castle of Hammes, and assisted Oxford in his escape.