Your children were vexation to your youth,
But mine fhall be a comfort to your age.
The lofs you have, is but a fon being king,
And by that lofs your daughter is made queen.
I cannot make you what amends I would,
Therefore accept fuch kindness as I can.
Dorfet your fon, that with a fearful foul
Leads discontented steps in foreign foil,
This fair alliance quickly fhall call home
To high promotions and great dignity.

The King, that calls your beauteous daughter. wife,

Familiarly fhall call thy Dorfet brother.
Again fhall you be mother to a king;
And all the ruins of diftrefsful times
Repair'd with double riches of content.
What! we have many goodly days to fee.
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 Happinefs.
Go then, my mother, to th
daughter go;
Make bold her bafhful years with your experience;
Prepare her ears to hear a wooer's tale poton
Put in her tender
tender heart the alpiring flame
Of golden fov'reignty; acquaint the Princess
With the fweet filent hours of marriage joys.
And when this arm of mine hath chaftled
The petty rebel, dull brain'a Buckingham,
Found with triumphant garlands will come,
And lead thy daughter to a conqueror's bed;
To whom I will retail my conqueft wons?
And the fhall be fole Victrefs, Cæfar's Cefar.
Queen. What, were, '1 beft to fay her father's
22.brother
Would be her Lord? or mall I fay her uncle?
Or he that flew her brothers and her uncles?
Under what tile fhall I woo for thee, ad
That God, the law, my honour, and her lover
Can make feem pleasily to her tender years?

X

. Rich Interfair England's peace by this alliance. Queen. Which the thall purchase with still lasting

K. Rich. Tell er, the King, that may command,

Queen. That at ici hands which the king's Kingforbids.

K. Rich. Say the fhall be a high and mighty
Queen-

Queen. To wail the title, as her mother doth.
K. Rich. Say I will love her everlastingly..
Quen. But how long thall that title, Ever, laft?
K. ich. Sweetly in force, unto her fair life's end.
Quen. But how long, fairly, fhall her sweet life
laft?

K. Rich. As long as heav'n and nature lengthen it.
Queen. As long as hell and Richard like of it.
K. Rich. Say I, her fov'reign, and her fubject now.
Queen. But the, your fubject, loaths fuch fove-
reignty.

K. Rich. Be eloquent in my behalf to her.
Queen. An honeft tale speeds best being plainly
told..

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

Queen. Plain, and not honeft, is too harsh a ftyle, K. Rich. Your realons are too fhallow, and too

quick.

Queen. Ono, my reafons are too deep and dead; Two deep and dead poor infants in their grave; Harp on it ftill fhall I, till heart-ftrings break.

K. kich. Harp not on that string, Madam; that is past.

Now by my George, my garter, and my crown—
Queen. Profan'd, difhonour'd, and the third
K. Rich. I fwear.
[ufurp'd.

Queen. By nothing, for this is no oath.
The George profan'd, hath loft his holy honour;
The garter blemish'd, pawn'd his knightly virtue;
The crown ufurp'd, disgrac'd his kingly glory.
If fomething thou wouldst swear to be believ'd,
Swear then by fomething that thou haft not wrong'd.
K. Rich. Now by the world-

Queen. Tis full of thy foul wrongs.
K. Rich. My father's death-

Queen. Thy life hath that diflionour'd.

K. Rich. Then by myself.

Queen. Thyfelf thyself mifufeft.

K. Rich. Why then, by Heav'n-
Queen. Heav'n's wrong is most of all.

If thou didit fear to break an oath with Heav'nì,
The unity the King my husband made
Thou hadft not broken, nor my brothers dy'd.
If thou hadft fear'd to break an oath with Heav'n,
Th' 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 * bed-fellows for duft,
Thy broken faith hath made a prey to worms.
What canft thou fwear by now?

K. Rich. By time to come.

Queen. That thou haft wronged in the time o'erFor I myself have many tears to wash

[paft; Hereafter time, for time paft wrong'd by thee. The children live whofe fathers thou haft flaughter'd,

Ungovern'd youth, to wail it in their age.

The parents live whofe children thou hast butcher'd,
Old wither'd plants, to wail it in their age.
Swear not by time to come, for that thou haft
Mifus'd ere us'd, by times ill us'd o'erpast.

K. Rich. As I intend to profper and repeat,
So thrive I in my dangerous attempt
Of hoftile arms! myself myself confound,
Heaven and fortune bar my happy hours,
Day yield me not thy light, nor night thy reft,
Be oppofite all planets of good luck.

To my proceeding, if with pure heart's love,
Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,

I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter.
In her confifts my happiness and thine;
Without her, follows to myfelf and thee,
Herself, the land, and many a Chriftian foul,
Death, defolation, ruin and decay.

It cannot be avoided but by this;
It will not be avoided but by this.
Therefore, dear mother, (I muft call you so,)

• Read rather, "too tender." Revifal

Be the attorney of my love to her;

Plead what I will be, not what I have been;
Not my deferts, but what I will deferve:
Urge the neceffity and state of times,
And be not peevish found in great defigns.
Queen. Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?
K. Rich. Ay, if the devil tempt thee to do good.
Queen. Shall I forget myself to be myself?
K. Rich. Ay, if yourself's remembrance wrong
yourself.

Queen. But thou didst kill my children.

K. Rich. But in your daughter's womb I bury them; Where in that nest of spicery they thall breed Selves of themselves to your recomforture.

Queen Shall I go win my daughter to thy will? K. Rich. And be a happy mother by the deed. Queen. I go, write to me fhortly.

farewell.

K. Rich. Bear her my true love's kifs, and fo [Killing her Exit Queen. -Relenting fool, and fhallow, changing woman!

Rat. Moft mighty Sovereign, on the western coast Rideth a puiflant navy; to our fhores

Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends,
Unarm'd, and unrefolv'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 afhore.

K. Rich. Some light-foot friend post to the Duke of Norfolk;

Ratcliff, thyfelf; or Catefby; where is he?

A

Catef Here, my good Lord

K. Rich Catefby, fly to the Duke.

Catef. I will, my Lord, with all convenient hafte. K. Rich Ratcliff, come hither; poft to Salisbury; When thou com'ft thither- -dull unmindful villain,

[To Catelby. Why fay'ft thou here, and go'll not to the Duke? Catef. First, mighty Liege, tell me your Highnefs' pleature,

What from your Grace I fhall deliver to him.

K. Rich. O true, good Catefby. Bid him levy ftraight

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

Catef. I go.

[Exit. Rat. What, may it please you, fhall I do at Salifbury?

K. Rich. Why, what wouldst thou do there before I go?

Rat. Your Highness told me I fhould post before. K. Rich. My mind is chang'd

Enter Lord Stanley.

Stanley, what news with you?

Stan. None good, my Liege, to pleafe you with the hearing;

Nor none fo bad but well may be reported.

K. Rich. Heyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad. Why dost thou run' fo many miles about, When thou may'ft tell, thy tale the nearest way: Once more, what news?

Stan. Richmond is on the feas.

K. Rich. There let him fink, and be the feas on him! White-liver'd runnagate, what doth he there? Stan. I know not, mighty Sovereign, but by guefs. K. Rich. Well, as you guess.

Stan. Stirr'd up by Dorfet, Buckingham, and Morton,

He makes for England, here to claim the crown, K. Rich. Is the chair empty? is the fword unfway'd?

Is the King dead? the empire unpoffefs'd?"
What heir of York is there alive but we?
And who is England's King, but great York's heir?
Then tell me, what makes he upon the fea?

Stan. Unless for that, my Liege, I cannot guess. K. Rich. Unlefs for that he comes to be your Liege, You cannot guefs wherefore the Welshman comes. Thou wilt revolt, and fly to him, I fear.

Stan. No, mighty Liege, therefore mistrust me not. K. Rich. Where is thy power then to beat him back?