Sennet. Enter KING RICHARD III, in pomp, crowned; BUCKINGHAM, CATESBY, a page, and others KING RICHARD III Stand all apart Cousin of Buckingham! BUCKINGHAM My gracious sovereign? KING RICHARD III Give me thy hand.
Here he ascendeth his throne Thus high, by thy advice And thy assistance, is King Richard seated;
But shall we wear these honours for a day?
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them? BUCKINGHAM Still live they and for ever may they last! KING RICHARD III O Buckingham, now do I play the touch, To try if thou be current gold indeed Young Edward lives: think now what I would say. BUCKINGHAM Say on, my loving lord. KING RICHARD III Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be king, BUCKINGHAM Why, so you are, my thrice renowned liege. KING RICHARD III Ha! am I king? 'tis so: but Edward lives. BUCKINGHAM True, noble prince. KING RICHARD III O bitter consequence, That Edward still should live! 'True, noble prince!'
Cousin, thou wert not wont to be so dull:
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
What sayest thou? speak suddenly; be brief. BUCKINGHAM Your grace may do your pleasure. KING RICHARD III Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezeth:
Say, have I thy consent that they shall die? BUCKINGHAM Give me some breath, some little pause, my lord Before I positively herein:
I will resolve your grace immediately.
Exit CATESBY [Aside to a stander by]
The king is angry: see, he bites the lip. KING RICHARD III I will converse with iron-witted fools And unrespective boys: none are for me That look into me with considerate eyes:
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
Boy! Page My lord? KING RICHARD III Know'st thou not any whom corrupting gold Would tempt unto a close exploit of death? Page My lord, 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. KING RICHARD III What is his name? Page His name, my lord, is Tyrrel. KING RICHARD III I partly know the man: go, call him hither.
Exit Page The deep-revolving witty Buckingham No more shall be the neighbour to my counsel:
Hath he so long held out with me untired, And stops he now for breath?
Enter STANLEY
How now! what news with you? STANLEY My lord, I hear the Marquis Dorset's fled To Richmond, in those parts beyond the sea Where he abides.
Stands apart KING RICHARD III Catesby! CATESBY My lord? KING RICHARD III Rumour it abroad That Anne, my wife, is sick and like to die:
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 wife 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? TYRREL James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject. KING RICHARD III Art thou, indeed? TYRREL Prove me, my gracious sovereign. KING RICHARD III Darest thou resolve to kill a friend of mine? TYRREL Ay, my lord;
But I had rather kill two enemies. KING RICHARD III Why, there thou hast it: two deep enemies, Foes to my rest and my sweet sleep's disturbers Are they that I would have thee deal upon:
Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower. TYRREL Let me have open means to come to them, And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them. KING RICHARD III Thou sing'st sweet music. 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 too. TYRREL 'Tis done, my gracious lord. KING RICHARD III Shall we hear from thee, Tyrrel, ere we sleep? TYRREL Ye shall, my Lord.
Exit Re-enter BUCKINGHAM BUCKINGHAM My Lord, I have consider'd in my mind The late demand that you did sound me in. KING RICHARD III Well, let that pass. Dorset is fled to Richmond. BUCKINGHAM I hear that news, my lord. KING RICHARD III Stanley, he is your wife's son well, look to it. BUCKINGHAM My lord, I claim your gift, my due by promise, For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd;
The earldom of Hereford and the moveables The which you promised I should possess. KING RICHARD III Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it. BUCKINGHAM What says your highness to my just demand? KING RICHARD III As I remember, Henry the Sixth Did prophesy that Richmond should be king, When Richmond was a little peevish boy.
A king, perhaps, perhaps,-- BUCKINGHAM My lord! KING RICHARD III How chance the prophet could not at that time Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him? BUCKINGHAM My lord, your promise for the earldom,-- KING RICHARD III Richmond! When last I was at Exeter, The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle, And call'd it Rougemont: at which name I started, Because a bard of Ireland told me once I should not live long after I saw Richmond. BUCKINGHAM My Lord! KING RICHARD III Ay, what's o'clock? BUCKINGHAM I am thus bold to put your grace in mind Of what you promised me. KING RICHARD III Well, but what's o'clock? BUCKINGHAM Upon the stroke of ten. KING RICHARD III Well, let it strike. BUCKINGHAM Why let it strike? KING RICHARD III Because that, like a Jack, thou keep'st the stroke Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.
I am not in the giving vein to-day. BUCKINGHAM Why, then resolve me whether you will or no. KING RICHARD III Tut, tut, Thou troublest me; am not in the vein.
Exeunt all but BUCKINGHAM BUCKINGHAM Is it even so? rewards he my true service With such deep contempt made I him king for this?
O, let me think on Hastings, and be gone To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on!
