Anne. No more than with my soul I mourn for

yours.

Dor. Farewell, thou woful welcomer of glory! Anne. Adieu, poor soul, that tak'st thy leave of it! Duch. Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune To DORSET. guide thee!Go thou to Richard, and good angels tend thee!—

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!
Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen,
And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen:5
Q. Eliz. Stay yet; look back, with me, unto the
Tower.

Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes,
Whom envy hath immur'd 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.

5 And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen.] Teen is

Borrow.

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! 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.

now do I play the touch,] To play the touch is to re

present the touchstone.

Cate. The king is angry? see, he gnaws his lip.

8

[Aside.

K. Rich. I will converse with iron-witted fools, [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 corrupting gold

Would tempt unto a close exploit9 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 more shall be the neighbour to my counsels:
Hath he so long held out with me untir'd,

And stops he now for breath?-well, be it so.

Enter STANLEY.

How now, lord Stanley

Stan.

what's the news?

Know, my loving lord,

7 see, he gnaws his lip.] Several of our ancient historians observe, that this was an accustomed action of Richard, whether he was pensive or angry.

* And unrespective boys;] Unrespective is inattentive to consequences, inconsiderate.

close exploit-] Is secret act.

— witty-] In this place signifies judicious or cunning. A wit was not at this time employed to signify a man of fancy, but was used for wisdom or judgment.

9

The marquis Dorset, as I hear, is fled
To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.

K. Rich. Come hither, Catesby: rumour itabroad,
That Anne, my wife, is very grievous sick;
I will take order for her keeping close.'
Inquire me out some mean-born gentleman,
Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter :-
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!
Uncertain way of gain! But I am in

So far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin.
Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.—

Re-enter Page, with TYRREL.

Is thy name-Tyrrel?

Tyr. James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.

K. Rich. Art thou, indeed?

Tyr.

Prove me, my gracious lord. K. Rich. Dar'st thou resolve to kill a friend of

mine?

Tyr. Please you; but I had rather kill two enemies. K. Rich. Why, then thou hast it; two deep enemies,

Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleep's disturbers,

'I will take order for her keeping close.] i. e. I will take measures that shall oblige her to keep close.

3 it stands me much upon,] i. e. it is of the utmost con'sequence to my designs.

Are they that I would have thee deal upon
Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower.
Tyr. Let me have open means to come to them,
And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them.

K. Rich. Thou sing'st sweet musick. Hark, come hither, Tyrrel;

Go, by this token :-Rise, and lend thine ear:

[Whispers.

There is no more but so:-Say, it is done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee for it.
Tyr. I will despatch it straight.

Re-enter BUCKINGHAM.

[Exit.

Buck. My lord, I have consider'd in my mind The late demand that you did sound me in. K. Rich. Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to Richmond.

Buck. I hear the news, my lord.

K. Rich. Stanley, he is your wife's son :-Well, look to it.

Buck. My lord, I claim the gift, my due by pro

mise,

For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd; The earldom of Hereford, and the moveables, Which you have promised I shall possess.

K. Rich. Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

Buck. What says your highness to my just request?

K. Rich. I do remember me,-Henry the sixth Did prophesy, that Richmond should be king, When Richmond was a little peevish boy.

A king!-perhaps

Buck. My lord,

deal upon :] i. e. act upon. We should now say-deat with; but the other was the phraseology of our author's time.