K. Rich. Infer fair England's peace by this alliance. Q. Eliz. Which she shall purchase with still lasting war. K. Rich. Tell her, the king, that may command, entreats. Q. Eliz. That at her hands, which the king's King forbids. K. Rich. Say, she shall be a high and mighty queen. Q. Eliz. But how long shall that title, ever, last? K. Rich. As long as Heaven, and nature, lengthens it. Q. Eliz. As long as hell, and Richard, likes of it. K. Rich. Say, I, her sovereign, am her subject low. Q. Eliz. But she, your subject, loathes such ૨. sovereignty. K. Rich. Be eloquent in my behalf to her. Q. Eliz. An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told. K. Rich. Then in plain terms tell her my loving tale. Q. Eliz. Plain, and not honest, is too harsh a style. K. Rich. Your reasons are too shallow and too quick. Q. Eliz. O, no, my reasons are too deep and dead ;Too deep and dead, poor infants, in their graves. K. Rich. Harp not on that string, madam; that is past. Q. Eliz. Harp on it still shall I, till heartstrings break. K. Rich. Now, by my George, my garter, and my crown,— Q. Eliz. Profaned, dishonored, and the third usurped. K. Rich. I swear Q. Eliz. By nothing; for this is no oath. Thy George, profaned, hath lost his holy honor; Thy garter, blemished, pawned his knightly virtue ; Thy crown, usurped, disgraced his kingly glory: VOL. V. 14 If something thou wouldst swear to be believed, Q. Eliz. 'Tis full of thy foul wrongs. Thy life hath that dishonored. My father's death, K. Rich. Then, by myself,- Thyself is self misused. K. Rich. Why then, by God,- God's wrong is most of all. If thou hadst feared to break an oath by him, Had not been broken, nor my brother slain. K. Rich. By the time to come. Q. Eliz. That thou hast wronged in the time o'er past; For I myself have many tears to wash Hereafter time, for time past, wronged by thee. The parents live, whose children thou hast butchered, To my proceeding, if with pure heart's love, I tender not thy beauteous, princely daughter! In her consists my happiness, and thine. Plead what I will be, not what I have been; Q. Eliz. Shall I be tempted of the devil thus ? Q. Eliz. But thou didst kill my children. K. Rich. But in your daughter's womb I bury them; Q. Eliz. Shall I go win my daughter to thy will? And you shall understand from me her mind. K. Rich. Bear her my true love's kiss, and so farewell. [Kissing her. Exit Q. ELIZABETH. Relenting fool, and shallow, changing—woman! 2 How now? what news? Enter RATCLIFF; CATESBY following. Rat. Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast Rideth a puissant navy; to the shore Throng many doubtful, hollow-hearted friends, 1 Alluding to the phoenix. 2 Such was the real character of this queen-dowager. And there they hull, expecting but the aid K. Rich. Some light-foot friend post to the duke of Norfolk ; Ratcliff, thyself,-or Catesby; where is he? Cate. Here, my good lord. K. Rich. Catesby, fly to the duke. Cate. I will, my lord, with all convenient haste. K. Rich. Ratcliff, come hither; post to Salisbury; When thou com'st thither,-Dull, unmindful villain, [To CATESBY. Why stay'st thou here, and go'st not to the duke? Čate. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure, What from your grace I shall deliver to him. K. Rich. O, true, good Catesby.-Bid him levy straight The greatest strength and power he can make, Cate. I go. [Exit. Rat. What, may it please you, shall I do at Salis bury? K. Rich. Why, what wouldst thou do there, before I go? Rat. Your highness told me I should post before. Enter STANLEY. K. Rich. My mind is changed.-Stanley, what news with you ? Stan. None, good my liege, to please you with the hearing; Nor none so bad, but well may be reported. K. Rich. Heyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad! What need'st thou run so many miles about, When thou mayst 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-livered runagate, what doth he there? Stan. I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess. K. Rich. Well, as you guess? Stan. Stirred up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton, He makes for England, here to claim the crown. Is the king dead, the empire unpossessed? Stan. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess. 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? Are they not now upon the western shore, 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? I'll muster up my friends; and meet your grace, I will not trust you, sir. Stan. 1 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 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 color for his bravado. |