When thou may'st tell thy tale the nearest way? Once more, what news? Stan. Richmond is on the seas. K.Rich. There let him sink, and be the seas on him! White liver'd runagate, what doth he there? Stan. I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess. Stan. Stirr'd up by Dorset, Buckingham, and He makes for England, here to claim the crown. K. Rich. Is the chair empty? is the sword unsway'd? Is the king dead, the empire unpossess'd? upon Stan. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess. K. Rich. Unless for that he comes to be your liege, You cannot guess 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? Where be thy tenants, and thy followers? 35 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 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. Stan. No, my good lord, my friends are in the north. K. Rich. Cold friends to me: what do they in the north, When they should serve their sovereign in the west? Stan. They have not been commanded,mighty 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 would'st 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 leave behind you, 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. Enter a Messenger. [Exit STANLEY. Mess. My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire, As I by friends am well advértised, Sir Edward Courteney, and the haughty prelate, Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother, With many more confederates, are in arms. Enter another Messenger. 2 Mess. In Kent, my liege, the Guildfords are in arms; And every hour more competitors 36 Flock to the rebels, and their power grows strong. 36 Competitors here means confederates. See note on The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act ii. Sc. 6, p. 136. Enter another Messenger. death? 3 Mess. My lord, the army of great Buckingham— K. Rich. Out on ye, owls! nothing but songs of [He strikes him. There, take thou that, till thou bring better news. 3 Mess. The news I have to tell your majesty, 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. 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 37 landed at Milford, A royal battle might be won and lost:- SCENE V. A Room in Lord Stanley's House. Stan. Sir Christopher, tell Richmond this from me: That in the sty of this most bloody boar, 37 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. 38 News was considered as plural by our ancient writers. So in Antony and Cleopatra, Act i. Sc. 1: ATT. News, my good lord, from Rome.- So in Cavendish's Metrical Visions, p. 89:-- Alas, these woful newes made my hart agaste!' 1 Sir Christopher Urswick, a priest, chaplain to the countess of Richmond, who was married to the Lord Stanley. This priest, the chronicles tell us, frequently went backwards and forwards, unsuspected, on messages between the countess of Richmond and her husband and the young earl of Richmond, whilst he was preparing to make his descent on England. He was afterwards almoner to King Henry VII. and refused the bishopric of Norwich. He retired to Hackney, where he died in 1527, and his tomb is, I believe, still to be seen in the church there, 2 Vide note on p. 37, ante. Stan. 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 [Gives papers to SIR CHRISTOpher. ACT V. SCENE I. Salisbury1. 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. 1 There is reason to think that Buckingham's execution took place at Shrewsbury, but this is not the place to discuss the question. 2 The reason why the duke of Buckingham solicited an interview with Richard is explained in King Henry VIII. Acti:I would have play'd The part my father meant to act upon The usurper Richard: who, being at Salisbury, Made suit to come into his presence, which if granted, Have put his knife into him.' See Holinshed, vol. ii. p. 1403, ed. 1577. |