KING RICHARD III. William Shakespeare
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[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
Art thou, indeed?
TYRREL
Prove me, my gracious lord.
KING RICHARD
Dar’st thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?
TYRREL
Please you. But I had rather kill two enemies.
KING RICHARD
Why, then 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:—
Tyrell, 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
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 for it.
TYRREL
I will despatch it straight.
[Exit.]
[Re-enter BUCKINGHAM.]
BUCKINGHAM
My lord, I have consider’d in my mind
The late request that you did sound me in.
KING RICHARD
Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to Richmond.
BUCKINGHAM
I hear the news, my lord.
KING RICHARD
Stanley, he is your wife’s son:—well, look to it.
BUCKINGHAM
My lord, I claim the gift, my due by promise,
For which your honour and your faith is pawn’d:
The earldom of Hereford, and the movables
Which you have promisèd I shall possess.
KING RICHARD
Stanley, look to your wife: if she convey
Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.
BUCKINGHAM
What says your highness to my just request?
KING RICHARD
I do remember me:—Henry the Sixth
Did prophesy that Richmond should be king,
When Richmond was a little peevish boy.
A king!—perhaps,—
BUCKINGHAM
My lord,—
KING RICHARD
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
Richmond!—When last I was at Exeter,
The mayor in courtesy show’d me the castle
And call’d it Rougemount; 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
Ay, what’s o’clock?
BUCKINGHAM
I am thus bold to put your grace in mind
Of what you promis’d me.
KING RICHARD
Well, but what’s o’clock?
BUCKINGHAM
Upon the stroke of ten.
KING RICHARD
Well, let it strike.
BUCKINGHAM
Why let it strike?
KING RICHARD
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
Thou troublest me; I am not in the vein.
[Exeunt KING RICHARD and Train.]
BUCKINGHAM
And is it thus? repays he my deep service
With such contempt? made I him king for this?
O, let me think on Hastings, and be gone
To Brecknock while my fearful head is on!
[Exit.]
SCENE III. London. Another Room in the Palace
[Enter TYRREL.]
TYRREL
The tyrannous and bloody act is done,—
The most arch deed of piteous massacre
That ever yet this land was guilty of.
Dighton and Forrest, who I did suborn
To do this piece of ruthless butchery,
Albeit they were flesh’d villains, bloody dogs,
Melted with tenderness and mild compassion,
Wept like two children in their deaths’ sad story.
“O, thus,” quoth Dighton, “lay the gentle babes,”—
“Thus, thus,” quoth Forrest, “girdling one another
Within their alabaster innocent arms:
Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,
And in their summer beauty kiss’d each other.
A book of prayers on their pillow lay;
Which once,” quoth Forrest, “almost chang’d my mind;
But, O, the devil,”—there the villain stopp’d;
When Dighton thus told on:—“We smothered
The most replenishèd sweet work of nature
That from the prime creation e’er she framed.”—
Hence both are gone; with conscience and remorse
They could not speak; and so I left them both,