Buck. To-morrow then we will attend your grace; And so, most joyfully, we take our leave. Glo. Come, let us to our holy work again :[To the Bishops. Farewell, good cousin ;-Farewell, gentle friends. [Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE 1.-Before the Tower.

Enter, on one side, Queen ELIZABETH, Duchess of YORK, and Marquis of DORSET on the other, ANNE, Duchess of GLOSTER, leading Lady Margaret Plantagenet, Clarence's young Daughter. Duch. Who meets us here ?-My niece Plan

tagenet

Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloster ?
Now, for my life, she's wand'ring to the Tower,
On pure heart's love to greet the tender prince.-
Daughter, well met.

Anne. God give your graces both

A happy and a joyful time of day!

Q. Eliz. As much to you, good sister! Whither away?

Anne. No further than the Tower; and as I

guess,

Upon the like devotion as yourselves,

To gratulate the gentle princes there.

Q. Eliz. Kind sister, thanks; we'll enter all together:

Enter BRAKENBURY.

And, in good time, here the lieutenant comes.-
Master lieutenant, pray you, by your leave,
How doth the prince, and my young son of York?
Brak. Right well, dear madam: by your pa-
tience,

I may not suffer you to visit them ;

The king hath strictly charged the contrary.
Q. Eliz. The king! who's that?

Brak. I mean, the lord protector.

Q. Eliz. The lord protect him from that kingly title !

Hath he set bounds between their love, and me? I am their mother, who shall bar me from them? Duch. I am their father's mother, I will see them.

Anne. Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother:

Then bring me to their sights; I'll bear thy blame, And take thy office from thee, on my peril.

Brak. No, madam, no, I may not leave it so ; I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me. [Exit Brakenbury.

Enter STANLEY.

Stan. Let me but meet you, ladies, one hour hence,

And I'll salute your grace of York as mother,
And reverend looker-on of two fair queens.-
Come, madam, you must straight to Westminster.
[To the Duchess of Gloster.
There to be crowned-Richard's royal queen.

Q. Eliz. Ah, cut my lace asunder!

That my pent heart may have some scope to beat, Or else I swoon with this dead killing news!

Anne. Despiteful tidings! O unpleasing news! Dor. Be of good cheer:-Mother, how fares you r grace?

Q. Eliz. O Dorset, speak not to me, get thee gone,

Death and destruction dog thee at the heels;
Thy mother's name is ominous to children:
If thou wilt outstrip death, go cross the seas,
And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell.
Go, hie thee, hie thee from this slaughter-house,
Lest thou encrease the number of the dead;
And make me die the thrall of Margaret's curse,-
Nor mother, wife, nor England's counted queen.
Stan. Full of wise care is this your counsel,
madam-

Take all the swift advantages of the hours;
You shall have letters from me to my son
In your behalf, to meet you on the way;
Be not ta'en tardy by unwise delay.

Duch. O ill-dispersing wind of misery!-
O my carsed womb, the bed of death;

A cockatrice hast thou hatch'd to the world,
Whose unavoided eye is murderous!

Stan. Come, madam, come; I in all haste was

sent.

Anne. And I with all unwillingness will go.-
O, would to God, that the inclusive verge
Of golden metal t, that must round my brow,

A serpent supposed to originate from a cock's egg. + The crown.

Were red-hot steel, to sear me to the brain!
Anointed let me be with deadly venom;

And die, ere men can say-God save the queen! Q. Eliz. Go, go, poor soul, I envy not thy glory; To feed my humour, wish thyself no harm.

Anne. No! why ?-When he, that is my husband

now,

Came to me, as I follow'd Henry's corse;

When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his hands,

Which issued from my other angel husband,

And that dead saint which then I weeping follow'd;
O, when, I say, I look'd on Richard's face,
This was my wish,-Be thou, quoth I, accursed,
For making me, so young, so old a widow!
And when thou wed'st, let sorrow haunt thy bed;
And be thy wife (if any be so mad)

More miserable by the life of thee,

Than thou hadst made me by my dear lord's death;
Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again,

Even in so short a space, my woman's heart
Grossly grew captive to his honey words,

And proved the subject of mine own soul's curse:
Which ever since hath held mine eyes from rest;
For nevér yet one hour in his bed

Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep,

But with his timorous dreams was still awaked.
Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick;
And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.

Q. Eliz. Poor heart, adieu; I pity thy complaining.

Anne. No more than with my soul I mourn for

yours.

Dor. Farewell, thou woful welcomer of glory! Anne. Adieu, poor soul, that takest thy leave of it! Duch. Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee! [To Dorset. Go thou to Richard, and good angels tend thee [To Anne Go thou to sanctuary, and good thoughts possess [To Q. Elizabeth. I to my grave where peace and rest lie with me i Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen, And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen t. Q. Eliz. Stay yet; look back, with me, unto the

thee!

Tower.

Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes,

• Burn,

+ Sorrow.

Whom envy hath immured within your walls!
Rough cradle for such little pretty ones!
Rude ragged nurse! old sullen play-fellow
For tender princes, use my babies well!
So foolish sorrow bids your stones farewell.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II-A Room of State in the Palace. Flourish of Trumpets.-RICHARD, as King upon his Throne; BUCKINGHAM, CATESBY, a PAGE, and others.

K. Rich. Stand all apart.-Cousin of Buckingham,

Buck. My gracious sovereign.

K. Rich. Give me thy hand. Thus high, by thy advice,

And thy assistance, is king Richard seated :-
But shall we wear these glories for a day?
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?

Buck. Still live they, and for ever let them last!
K. Rich. Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the

touch,

To try if thou be current gold, indeed :-
Young Edward lives;-Think now what I would

speak.

Buck. Say on, my loving lord.

K. Rich. Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be king.

Buck. Why, so you are, my thrice-renowned liege. K. Rich. Ha! am I king? 'Tis so : but Edward lives. Buck. True, noble prince.

K. Rich. O bitter consequence,

That Edward still should live,-True, noble prince t
Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull :-
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
What say'st thou now? Speak suddenly, be brief.
Buck. Your grace may do your pleasure.
K. Rich. Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness
freezes :

Say, have I thy consent, that they shall die?* Buck. Give me some breath, some little pause, dear lord,

Before I positively speak in this:
I will resolve your grace immediately.

[Exit Buckingham.

• Touchstone.

2

Cate. The king is angry; see, he gnaws his lip. K. Rich. I will converse with iron-witted fools, [Aside. [Descends from his Throne.. And unrespective boys; none are for me, That look into me with considerate eyes:High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.

Boy,

Page. My lord.

K. Rich. Know'st thou not any, whom corrupt-
ing gold

Would tempt unto a close exploit + of death?
Page. I know a discontented gentleman,
Whose humble means match not his haughty mind:
Gold were as good as twenty orators,
And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.
K. Rich. What is his name?

Page. His name, my lord, is-Tyrrel.

K. Rich. I partly know the man; Go, call him
hither, boy.
[Exit Page.

The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
No wore shall be the neighbour to my counsels:
Hat he so long held out with me untired,

nd stops he now for breath 1-Weil, be it so.

Enter STANLEY.

How now, lord Stanley? what's the news?
Stan. Know, my loving lord,

The marquis Dorset, as I hear, is filed
To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.
K. Rich. Come hither, Catesby; rumour it
abroad,

That Anne my wife is very grievous sick;
I will take order for her keeping close.
Enquire me out some mean-born gentleman,
Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daugh-

ter:

The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.

Look, how thou dream'st!-I say again, give out,
That Anne my queen is sick, and like to die :
About it; for it stands me much upon,
To stop all hopes, whose growth may damage me.-
[Exit Catesby.

I must be married to my brother's daughter,
Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass:-
Murder her brothers, and then marry her!

Inconsiderate.

+ Secret act.

Cunning.