KING RICHARD III. William Shakespeare
Читать онлайн книгу.
uncle?
GLOSTER
I say, without characters, fame lives long.—
[Aside]
Thus, like the formal vice, Iniquity,
I moralize two meanings in one word.
PRINCE
That Julius Caesar was a famous man;
With what his valour did enrich his wit,
His wit set down to make his valour live;
Death makes no conquest of this conqueror;
For now he lives in fame, though not in life.—
I’ll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham,—
BUCKINGHAM
What, my gracious lord?
PRINCE
An if I live until I be a man,
I’ll win our ancient right in France again,
Or die a soldier as I liv’d a king.
GLOSTER
[Aside]
Short summers lightly have a forward spring.
BUCKINGHAM
Now, in good time, here comes the Duke of York.
[Enter YORK, HASTINGS, and the CARDINAL.]
PRINCE
Richard of York! how fares our loving brother?
YORK
Well, my dread lord; so must I call you now.
PRINCE
Ay brother,—to our grief, as it is yours:
Too late he died that might have kept that title,
Which by his death hath lost much majesty.
GLOSTER
How fares our cousin, noble Lord of York?
YORK
I thank you, gentle uncle. O, my lord,
You said that idle weeds are fast in growth:
The prince my brother hath outgrown me far.
GLOSTER
He hath, my lord.
YORK
And therefore is he idle?
GLOSTER
O, my fair cousin, I must not say so.
YORK
Then he is more beholding to you than I.
GLOSTER
He may command me as my sovereign;
But you have power in me as in a kinsman.
YORK
I pray you, uncle, give me this dagger.
GLOSTER
My dagger, little cousin? with all my heart!
PRINCE
A beggar, brother?
YORK
Of my kind uncle, that I know will give,
And being but a toy, which is no grief to give.
GLOSTER
A greater gift than that I’ll give my cousin.
YORK
A greater gift! O, that’s the sword to it!
GLOSTER
Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough.
YORK
O, then, I see you will part but with light gifts;
In weightier things you’ll say a beggar nay.
GLOSTER
It is too heavy for your grace to wear.
YORK
I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.
GLOSTER
What, would you have my weapon, little lord?
YORK
I would, that I might thank you as you call me.
GLOSTER
How?
YORK
Little.
PRINCE
My Lord of York will still be cross in talk:—
Uncle, your grace knows how to bear with him.
YORK
You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me:—
Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me;
Because that I am little, like an ape,
He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders.
BUCKINGHAM
With what a sharp-provided wit he reasons!
To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,
He prettily and aptly taunts himself:
So cunning and so young is wonderful.
GLOSTER
My lord, wil’t please you pass along?
Myself and my good cousin Buckingham
Will to your mother, to entreat of her
To meet you at the Tower and welcome you.
YORK
What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord?
PRINCE
My lord protector needs will have it so.
YORK
I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower.
GLOSTER
Why, what should you fear?
YORK
Marry, my uncle Clarence’ angry ghost:
My grandam told me he was murder’d there.
PRINCE
I fear no uncles dead.
GLOSTER
Nor none that live, I hope.
PRINCE
An if they live, I hope I need not fear.
But come, my lord; and with a heavy heart,
Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.
[Sennet. Exeunt PRINCE, YORK, HASTINGS, CARDINAL, and Attendants.]
BUCKINGHAM
Think you, my lord, this little prating York
Was not incensèd by his subtle mother
To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?
GLOSTER
No doubt, no doubt: O, ‘tis a parlous boy;
Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable:
He is all the mother’s, from the top to toe.
BUCKINGHAM
Well, let them rest.—Come hither, Catesby.
Thou art sworn as deeply to effect what we intend
As closely to conceal what we impart:
Thou know’st our reasons urg’d upon the way;—
What think’st thou? is it not an easy matter
To make William Lord Hastings of our mind,
For the instalment of this noble duke
In the seat royal of this famous isle?