KING RICHARD III.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

KING EDWARD THE FOURTH.
EDWARD, Prince of Wales, af-

terwards King Edward V.

RICHARD, Duke of York,
GEORGE, Duke of Clarence,

RICHARD, Duke of Gloster, after

wards King Richard III.,

A young Son of Clarence.

Sons to the King.

Brothers to the

King.

HENRY, Earl of Richmond, afterwards King Henry
VII.

CARDINAL BOURCHIER, Archbishop of Canterbury.
THOMAS ROTHERAM, Archbishop of York.
JOHN MORTON, Bishop of Ely.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

DUKE OF NORFOLK EARL OF SURREY, his Son.
EARL RIVERS, Brother to King Edward's Queen:
MARQUIS OF DORSET, and LORD GREY, her Sons.
EARL OF OXFORD.-LORD HASTINGS.-LORD STAN-
LEY, LORD LOVEL.

SIR THOMAS VAUGHAN.-SIR RICHARD RATCLIFF.
SIR WILLIAM CATESBY.-SIR JAMES TYRREL.
SIR JAMES BLOUNT.-SIR WALTER HERBERT.
SIR ROBERT BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower.
CHRISTOPHER URSWICK, a Priest.-Another Priest.
LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.-SHERIFF OF WILT

SHIRE.

ELIZABETH, Queen of King Edward IV.
MARGARET, Queen of King Henry VI.

DUCHESS OF YORK, Mother to King Edward IV.,
CLARENCE, and GLOSTER.

LADY ANNE, Widow to Edward Prince of Wales, Son to King Henry VI.; afterwards married to the Duke of Gloster.

A young DAUGHTER of Clarence.

Lords, and other Attendants; two Gentlemen, a Pursuivant, Scrivener, Citizens, Murderers, Messengers, Ghosts, Soldiers, &c.

Scene, England.

LIFE AND DEATH

OF

KING RICHARD III.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-London.-A Street.

Enter GLOSTER.

Glo. Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lower'd upon our house,
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures*.
Grim-visaged war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now, instead of mounting barbed + steeds,
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,-
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber,
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.

But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;
I, that ain rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty,
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature;
Deform'd, unfinish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable,
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them;-
Why I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time;
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun,
And descant on mine own deformity;
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,

• Dances.

† Armed.

To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams,
To set my brother Clarence, and the king,
In deadly hate, the one against the other:
And, if king Edward be as true, and just,
As I am subtle, false, and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up;
About a prophecy, which says-that G
Of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be.
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul! Here Clarence

comes.

Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY. Brother, good day: what means this armed guard, That waits upon your grace?

Clar. His majesty,

Tendering my person's safety, hath appointed
This conduct to convey me to the Tower.

Glo. Upon what cause?

Clar. Because my name is-George.

1

Glo. Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours; He should, for that, commit your godfathers:---O, belike, his majesty hath some intent, That you should be new christen'd in the Tower. But what's the matter, Clarence? May I know?

Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know; for I protest,

As yet I do not: but, as I can learn,
He hearkens after prophecies and dreams;
And from the cross-row plucks the letter G,
And says-a wizard told him, that by G
His issue disinherited should be;

And, for my name of George begins with G,
It follows in his thought, that I am he:
These, as I learn, and such like toys + as these,
Have moved his highness to commit me now.

Glo. Why, this it is, when men are ruled by

women:

'Tis not the king, that sends you to the Tower;
My lady Grey, his wife, Clarence, 'tis she,
That tempers him to this extremity.

Was it not she, and that good man of worship,
Anthony Woodeville, her brother there,

That made him send lord Hastings to the Tower;

* Preparations for mischief.

+ Fancies.

From whence this present day he is deliver'd?
We are not safe, Clarence, we are not safe.

Clar. By heaven, I think, there is no man secure,
But the queen's kindred, and night-walking heralds
That trudge betwixt the king and mistress Shore.
Heard you not, what an humble suppliant
Lord Hastings was to her for his delivery?

Glo. Humbly complaining to her deity Got my lord chamberlain his liberty. I'll tell you what, I think, it is our way, If we will keep in favour with the king, To be her men, and wear her livery: The jealous o'er-worn widow, and herself*, Since that our brother dubb'd them gentlewomen, Are mighty gossips in this monarchy.

Brak. I beseech your graces both to pardon me; His majesty hath straitly given in charge, That no man shall have private conference, Of what degree soever with his brother.

Glo. Even so? An please your worship, Braken

bury,

You may partake of any thing we say:
We speak no treason, man; -We say, the king
Is wise and virtuous; and his noble queen
Well struck in years; fair, and not jealous :-
We say, that Shore's wife hath a pretty foot,
A cherry lip,

A bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue;
And the queen's kindred are made gentlefolks:
How say you, Sir? Can you deny all this?

Brak. With this, my lord, myself have naught

to do.

Glo. Naught to do with mistress Shore? I tell thee,

fellow,

He that doth naught with her, excepting one,
Were best to do it secretly, alone.
Brak. What one, my lord?

Glo. Her husband, knave? - Wouldst thou be

tray me?

Brak. I beseech your grace to pardon me; and

withal,

Forbear your conference with the noble duke.

Clar. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will

obey.

Glo. We are the queen's abjectst, and must obey.

Brother, farewell: I will unto the king;
And whatsoever you will employ me in,-

The queen and Shore.

+ Lowest of subjects.

VOL, IV.

N