Richard III (Modern Library Classics) Read online

CLARENCE To murder me?

  BOTH Ay, ay.

  CLARENCE You scarcely have the hearts to tell me so,

  And therefore cannot have the hearts to do it.

  Wherein, my friends, have I offended you?

  FIRST MURDERER Offended us you have not, but the king.

  CLARENCE I shall be reconciled to him again.

  SECOND MURDERER Never, my lord: therefore prepare to die.

  CLARENCE Are you drawn forth177 among a world of men

  To slay the innocent? What is my offence?

  Where is the evidence that doth accuse me?

  What lawful quest180 have given their verdict up

  Unto the frowning judge? Or who pronounced

  The bitter sentence of poor Clarence' death,

  Before I be convict183 by course of law?

  To threaten me with death is most unlawful.

  I charge185 you, as you hope for any goodness

  That you depart and lay no hands on me.

  The deed you undertake is damnable.

  FIRST MURDERER What we will do, we do upon command.

  SECOND MURDERER And he that hath commanded is our king.

  CLARENCE Erroneous vassals, the great king of kings190

  Hath in the table of his law191 commanded

  That thou shalt do no murder.192 Will you then

  Spurn at193 his edict and fulfil a man's?

  Take heed, for he holds vengeance in his hand,

  To hurl upon their heads that break his law.

  SECOND MURDERER And that same vengeance doth he hurl on thee,

  For false forswearing197 and for murder, too.

  Thou didst receive the sacrament198 to fight

  In quarrel of199 the house of Lancaster.

  FIRST MURDERER And, like a traitor to the name of God,

  Didst break that vow, and with thy treacherous blade

  Unripp'dst the bowels of thy sovereign's son.202

  SECOND MURDERER Whom thou wast sworn to cherish and defend.

  FIRST MURDERER How canst thou urge God's dreadful204 law to us,

  When thou hast broke it in such dear205 degree?

  CLARENCE Alas, for whose sake did I that ill deed?

  For Edward, for my brother, for his sake.

  He sends you not to murder me for this,

  For in that sin he is as deep as I.

  If God will be avenged for the deed,

  O, know you yet he doth it publicly.

  Take not the quarrel212 from his powerful arm:

  He needs no indirect213 or lawless course

  To cut off214 those that have offended him.

  FIRST MURDERER Who made thee, then, a bloody215 minister,

  When gallant-springing216 brave Plantagenet,

  That princely novice217, was struck dead by thee?

  CLARENCE My brother's love218, the devil and my rage.

  FIRST MURDERER Thy brother's love, our duty and thy faults,

  Provoke us hither now to slaughter thee.

  CLARENCE If you do love my brother, hate not me.

  I am his brother and I love him well.

  If you are hired for meed223, go back again,

  And I will send you to my brother Gloucester,

  Who shall reward you better for my life

  Than Edward will for tidings of my death.

  SECOND MURDERER You are deceived, your brother Gloucester hates you.

  CLARENCE O no, he loves me, and he holds me dear.

  Go you to him from me.

  FIRST MURDERER Ay, so we will.

  CLARENCE Tell him, when that our princely father York

  Blessed his three sons with his victorious arm,

  He little thought of this divided friendship.233

  Bid Gloucester think on this, and he will weep.

  FIRST MURDERER Ay, millstones, as he lessoned235 us to weep.

  CLARENCE O, do not slander him, for he is kind.236

  FIRST MURDERER Right, as snow in harvest.

  Come, you deceive yourself:

  'Tis he that sends us to destroy you here.

  LARENCE It cannot be, for he bewept my fortune,

  And hugged me in his arms, and swore, with sobs

  That he would labour my delivery.242

  FIRST MURDERER Why, so he doth, when he delivers you

  From this earth's thraldom244 to the joys of heaven.

  SECOND MURDERER Make peace with God, for you must die, my lord.

  CLARENCE Have you that holy feeling246 in your souls

  To counsel me to make my peace with God,

  And are you yet to your own souls so blind

  That you will war with God by murd'ring me?

  O, sirs, consider, they that set you on

  To do this deed will hate you for the deed.

  To First Murderer

  SECOND MURDERER What shall we do?

  CLARENCE Relent, and save your souls.

  Which of you, if you were a prince's son,

  Being pent255 from liberty, as I am now,

  If two such murderers as yourselves came to you,

  Would not entreat for life as you would beg,

  Were you in my distress?

  FIRST MURDERER Relent? No: 'tis cowardly and womanish.

  CLARENCE Not to relent is beastly260, savage, devilish.

  To Second Murderer

  My friend, I spy some pity in thy looks.

  O, if thine eye be not a flatterer,

  Come thou on my side, and entreat for me,

  A begging prince what beggar pities not?

  SECOND MURDERER Look behind you, my lord.

  FIRST MURDERER Take that, and that: if all this will not do,

  Stabs him

  I'll drown you in the malmsey-butt within.

  Exit [with the body]

  SECOND MURDERER A bloody deed, and desperately dispatched.268

  How fain, like Pilate, would I wash my hands269

  Of this most grievous murder!

  Enter First Murderer

  FIRST MURDERER How now? What mean'st thou, that thou help'st me not?

  By heaven, the duke shall know how slack you have been!

  SECOND MURDERER I would he knew that I had saved his brother.

  Take thou the fee, and tell him what I say,

  For I repent me that the duke is slain.

  Exit

  FIRST MURDERER So do not I. Go, coward as thou art.

  Well, I'll go hide the body in some hole

  Till that the duke give order for his burial.

  And when I have my meed, I will away,

  For this will out280, and then I must not stay.

  Exit

  Act 2 Scene 1

  running scene 4

  Flourish. Enter the King, sick, the Queen, Lord Marquis Dorset, Rivers,

  Hastings, Catesby, Buckingham, Woodville [and others]

  KING EDWARD IV Why, so. Now have I done a good day's work.

  You peers, continue this united league.

  I every day expect an embassage3

  From my redeemer to redeem me hence,

  And more to peace my soul shall part to heaven,

  Since I have made my friends at peace on earth.--

  Dorset and Rivers, take each other's hand:

  Dissemble not8 your hatred, swear your love.

  RIVERS By heaven, my soul is purged from9 grudging hate,

  And with my hand I seal my true10 heart's love.

  Gives his hand to Hastings

  HASTINGS So thrive11 I, as I truly swear the like!

  KING EDWARD IV Take heed you dally12 not before your fking,

  Lest he that is the supreme king of kings13

  Confound your hidden falsehood, and award14

  Either of you to be the other's end.15

  HASTINGS So prosper I, as I swear perfect love.

  RIVERS And I, as I love Hastings with my heart.

  KING EDWARD IV Madam, yourself is not exempt from this,

  Nor you
, son19 Dorset, Buckingham, nor you;

  You have been factious20 one against the other.

  Wife, love Lord Hastings: let him kiss your hand,

  And what you do, do it unfeignedly.22

  QUEEN ELIZABETH There, Hastings, I will never more remember

  Our former hatred, so thrive I and mine.

  KING EDWARD IV Dorset, embrace him.-- Hastings, love Lord Marquis.

  DORSET This interchange of love, I here protest26,

  Upon my part shall be inviolable.

  HASTINGS And so swear I.

  They embrace

  KING EDWARD IV Now, princely Buckingham, seal thou this league

  With thy embracements to my wife's allies30,

  And make me happy in your unity.

  To the Queen

  BUCKINGHAM Whenever Buckingham doth turn his hate

  Upon your grace, but with all duteous love33

  Doth cherish you and yours, God punish me

  With hate in those where I expect most love.

  When I have most need to employ a friend,

  And most assured that he is a friend,

  Deep, hollow, treacherous, and full of guile38

  Be he unto me. This do I beg of heaven,

  When I am cold in love to you or yours.

  Embrace

  KING EDWARD IV A pleasing cordial41, princely Buckingham,

  Is this thy vow unto my sickly heart.

  There wanteth43 now our brother Gloucester here,

  To make the blessed period44 of this peace.

  BUCKINGHAM And, in good time45,

  Here comes Sir Richard Ratcliffe and the duke.

  Enter Ratcliffe and [Richard, Duke of] Gloucester

  RICHARD Good morrow47 to my sovereign king and queen.

  And, princely peers, a happy time of day!

  KING EDWARD IV Happy, indeed, as we have spent the day.

  Gloucester, we have done deeds of charity,

  Made peace of enmity, fair love of hate,

  Between these swelling wrong-incensed52 peers.

  RICHARD A blessed labour, my most sovereign lord.

  Among this princely heap54, if any here,

  By false intelligence, or wrong surmise55,

  Hold me a foe, if I unwillingly, or in my rage,

  Have aught committed that is hardly borne57

  To any in this presence, I desire

  To reconcile me to his friendly peace.

  'Tis death to me to be at enmity:

  I hate it, and desire all good men's love.--

  First, madam, I entreat true peace of you,

  Which I will purchase with my duteous service.--

  Of you, my noble cousin Buckingham,

  If ever any grudge were lodged between us.--

  Of you and you, Lord Rivers, and of Dorset,

  That all without desert67 have frowned on me.--

  Of you, Lord Woodville, and, Lord Scales68, of you:

  Dukes, earls, lords, gentlemen, indeed, of all.

  I do not know that Englishman alive

  With whom my soul is any jot at odds

  More than the infant that is born tonight.72

  I thank my God for my humility.

  QUEEN ELIZABETH A holy day shall this be kept hereafter.

  I would to God all strifes were well compounded.75--

  My sovereign lord, I do beseech your highness

  To take our brother Clarence to your grace.77

  RICHARD Why, madam, have I offered love for this

  To be so flouted79 in this royal presence?

  Who knows not that the gentle80 duke is dead?

  They all start

  You do him injury to scorn his corpse.

  KING EDWARD IV Who knows not he is dead? Who knows he is?

  QUEEN ELIZABETH All-seeing heaven, what a world is this?

  BUCKINGHAM Look I so pale, Lord Dorset, as the rest?

  DORSET Ay, my good lord, and no man in the presence

  But his red colour hath forsook86 his cheeks.

  KING EDWARD IV Is Clarence dead? The order was reversed.

  RICHARD But he, poor man, by your first order died,

  And that a winged Mercury89 did bear:

  Some tardy cripple bare the countermand90,

  That came too lag91 to see him buried.

  God grant that some, less noble and less loyal92,

  Nearer in bloody thoughts, and not in blood,

  Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,

  And yet go current95 from suspicion.

  Enter [Lord Stanley,] Earl of Derby

  Kneels

  DERBY A boon96, my sovereign, for my service done.

  KING EDWARD IV I prithee peace. My soul is full of sorrow.

  DERBY I will not rise, unless your highness hear me.

  KING EDWARD IV Then say at once what is it thou requests.

  Rises

  DERBY The forfeit, sovereign, of my servant's life100,

  Who slew today a riotous gentleman

  Lately attendant on the Duke of Norfolk.

  KING EDWARD IV Have I a tongue to doom my brother's death103,

  And shall that tongue give pardon to a slave?

  My brother killed no man: his fault was thought,

  And yet his punishment was bitter death.

  Who sued107 to me for him? Who, in my wrath,

  Kneeled at my feet, and bid me be advised?108

  Who spoke of brotherhood? Who spoke of love?

  Who told me how the poor soul did forsake110

  The mighty Warwick and did fight for me?

  Who told me, in the field112 at Tewkesbury

  When Oxford had me down113, he rescued me,

  And said, 'Dear brother, live, and be a king'?

  Who told me, when we both lay in the field,

  Frozen almost to death, how he did lap116 me

  Even in his garments, and did give himself,

  All thin and naked, to the numb118 cold night?

  All this from my remembrance119 brutish wrath

  Sinfully plucked, and not a man of you

  Had so much grace to put it in my mind.

  But when your carters or your waiting vassals122

  Have done a drunken slaughter, and defaced123

  The precious image of our dear Redeemer,

  You straight125 are on your knees for pardon, pardon,

  And I, unjustly too, must grant it you.

  But127 for my brother not a man would speak,

  Nor I, ungracious128, speak unto myself

  For him, poor soul. The proudest129 of you all

  Have been beholding130 to him in his life,

  Yet none of you would once beg for his life.

  O God, I fear thy justice will take hold

  On me, and you133, and mine, and yours for this!--

  Come, Hastings, help me to my closet.134

  Ah, poor Clarence.

  Exeunt some with King and Queen

  RICHARD This is the fruits of rashness. Marked136 you not

  How that the guilty kindred of the queen

  Looked pale when they did hear of Clarence' death?

  O, they did urge it still139 unto the king!

  God will revenge it. Come, lords, will you go

  To comfort Edward with our company.

  BUCKINGHAM We wait upon your grace.

  Exeunt

  Act 2 Scene 2

  running scene 4 continues

  Enter the old Duchess of York with the two children of Clarence

  BOY Good grandam1, tell us, is our father dead?

  DUCHESS OF YORK No, boy.

  DAUGHTER Why do you weep so oft, and beat your breast,

  And cry 'O Clarence, my unhappy son'?

  BOY Why do you look on us, and shake your head,

  And call us orphans, wretches, castaways6,

  If that our noble father were alive?

  DUCHESS OF YORK My pretty cousins8, you mistake me both:

  I
do lament the sickness of the king,

  As10 loath to lose him, not your father's death.

  It were lost11 sorrow to wail one that's lost.

  BOY Then you conclude, my grandam, he is dead.

  The king mine uncle is to blame for it.

  God will revenge it, whom I will importune14

  With earnest prayers all to that effect.

  DAUGHTER And so will I.

  DUCHESS OF YORK Peace, children, peace. The king doth love you well.

  Incapable and shallow18 innocents,

  You cannot guess who caused your father's death.

  BOY Grandam, we can, for my good uncle Gloucester

  Told me the king, provoked to it by the queen,

  Devised impeachments22 to imprison him;

  And when my uncle told me so, he wept,

  And pitied me, and kindly24 kissed my cheek,

  Bade me rely on him as on my father,

  And he would love me dearly as a child.

  DUCHESS OF YORK Ah, that deceit should steal such gentle shape27,

  And with a virtuous visor28 hide deep vice!

  He is my son -- ay, and therein my shame.

  Yet from my dugs30 he drew not this deceit.

  BOY Think you my uncle did dissemble, grandam?

  DUCHESS OF YORK Ay, boy.

  Wailing within

  BOY I cannot think it. Hark, what noise is this?

  Enter the Queen with her hair about her ears, Rivers and Dorset after her

  QUEEN ELIZABETH Ah, who shall hinder me to wail and weep,

  To chide35 my fortune, and torment myself?

  I'll join with black36 despair against my soul,

  And to myself become an enemy.37

  DUCHESS OF YORK What means this scene of rude impatience?38

  QUEEN ELIZABETH To make an act39 of tragic violence.

  Edward, my lord, thy son, our king, is dead.

  Why grow the branches when the root is gone?

  Why wither not the leaves that want42 their sap?

  If you will live, lament: if die, be brief43,

  That our swift-winged souls may catch44 the king's,

  Or, like obedient subjects, follow him

  To his new kingdom of ne'erchanging night.

  DUCHESS OF YORK Ah, so much interest47 have I in thy sorrow

  As I had title in48 thy noble husband.

  I have bewept a worthy husband's death,

  And lived with looking on his images50:

  But now two mirrors of his princely semblance51

  Are cracked in pieces by malignant death,

  And I for comfort have but one false glass53,

  That grieves me when I see my shame in him.

  Thou art a widow, yet thou art a mother,

  And hast the comfort of thy children left.

  But death hath snatched my husband from mine arms,

  And plucked two crutches from my feeble hands,

  Clarence and Edward. O, what cause have I,

  Thine being but a moiety60 of my moan,

  To overgo61 thy woes and drown thy cries.

  To the Queen

  BOY Ah, aunt, you wept not for our father's death:

  How can we aid you with our kindred63 tears?

  DAUGHTER Our fatherless distress was left unmoaned.64