William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (100 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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Take up the sword again, or take up me.
LADY ANNE
Arise, dissembler.
⌈
He rises
⌉
Though I wish thy death,
I will not be thy executioner.
I will not be thy executioner.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it.
LADY ANNE
I have already.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER That was in thy rage.
Speak it again, and even with the word
This hand—which for thy love did kill thy love—
Shall, for thy love, kill a far truer love.
To both their deaths shalt thou be accessary.
This hand—which for thy love did kill thy love—
Shall, for thy love, kill a far truer love.
To both their deaths shalt thou be accessary.
LADY ANNE I would I knew thy heart.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER ’Tis figured in my tongue.
LADY ANNE I fear me both are false.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER Then never man was true.
LADY ANNE Well, well, put up your sword.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER Say then my peace is made. 185
LADY ANNE That shalt thou know hereafter.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER But shall I live in hope?
LADY ANNE All men, I hope, live so.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER Vouchsafe to wear this ring.
LADY ANNE To take is not to give.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Look how my ring encompasseth thy finger;
Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart.
Wear both of them, for both of them are thine.
And if thy poor devoted servant may
But beg one favour at thy gracious hand,
Thou dost confirm his happiness for ever.
Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart.
Wear both of them, for both of them are thine.
And if thy poor devoted servant may
But beg one favour at thy gracious hand,
Thou dost confirm his happiness for ever.
LADY ANNE What is it?
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
That it may please you leave these sad designs
To him that hath most cause to be a mourner,
And presently repair to Crosby House,
Where—after I have solemnly interred
At Chertsey monast’ry this noble king,
And wet his grave with my repentant tears—
I will with all expedient duty see you.
For divers unknown reasons, I beseech you
Grant me this boon.
To him that hath most cause to be a mourner,
And presently repair to Crosby House,
Where—after I have solemnly interred
At Chertsey monast’ry this noble king,
And wet his grave with my repentant tears—
I will with all expedient duty see you.
For divers unknown reasons, I beseech you
Grant me this boon.
LADY ANNE
With all my heart—and much it joys me, too,
To see you are become so penitent.
Tressell and Berkeley, go along with me.
To see you are become so penitent.
Tressell and Berkeley, go along with me.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Bid me farewell.
LADY ANNE ’Tis more than you deserve.
But since you teach me how to flatter you,
Imagine I have said farewell already.
Imagine I have said farewell already.
Exeunt two with
Anne
Anne
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Sirs, take up the corpse.
GENTLEMAN Towards Chertsey, noble lord?
RICHARD GLOUCESTER.
No, to Blackfriars; there attend my coming.
Exeunt with corpse all but Gloucester
Was ever woman in this humour wooed?
Was ever woman in this humour won?
I’ll have her, but I will not keep her long.
What, I that killed her husband and his father,
To take her in her heart’s extremest hate,
With curses in her mouth, tears in her eyes,
The bleeding witness of my hatred by,
Having God, her conscience, and these bars against me,
And I no friends to back my suit withal
But the plain devil and dissembling looks—
And yet to win her, all the world to nothing? Ha !
Hath she forgot already that brave prince,
Edward her lord, whom I some three months since
Stabbed in my angry mood at Tewkesbury ?
A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman,
Framed in the prodigality of nature,
Young, valiant, wise, and no doubt right royal,
The spacious world cannot again afford—
And will she yet abase her eyes on me,
That cropped the golden prime of this sweet prince
And made her widow to a woeful bed?
On me, whose all not equals Edward’s moiety?
On me, that halts and am misshapen thus?
My dukedom to a beggarly
denier
,
I do mistake my person all this while.
Upon my life she finds, although I cannot,
Myself to be a marv’lous proper man.
Was ever woman in this humour won?
I’ll have her, but I will not keep her long.
What, I that killed her husband and his father,
To take her in her heart’s extremest hate,
With curses in her mouth, tears in her eyes,
The bleeding witness of my hatred by,
Having God, her conscience, and these bars against me,
And I no friends to back my suit withal
But the plain devil and dissembling looks—
And yet to win her, all the world to nothing? Ha !
Hath she forgot already that brave prince,
Edward her lord, whom I some three months since
Stabbed in my angry mood at Tewkesbury ?
A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman,
Framed in the prodigality of nature,
Young, valiant, wise, and no doubt right royal,
The spacious world cannot again afford—
And will she yet abase her eyes on me,
That cropped the golden prime of this sweet prince
And made her widow to a woeful bed?
On me, whose all not equals Edward’s moiety?
On me, that halts and am misshapen thus?
My dukedom to a beggarly
denier
,
I do mistake my person all this while.
Upon my life she finds, although I cannot,
Myself to be a marv’lous proper man.
I’ll be at charges for a looking-glass
And entertain a score or two of tailors
To study fashions to adorn my body.
Since I am crept in favour with myself,
I will maintain it with some little cost.
But first I’ll turn yon fellow in his grave,
And then return lamenting to my love.
Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass,
That I may see my shadow as I pass. Exit
1.3And entertain a score or two of tailors
To study fashions to adorn my body.
Since I am crept in favour with myself,
I will maintain it with some little cost.
But first I’ll turn yon fellow in his grave,
And then return lamenting to my love.
Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass,
That I may see my shadow as I pass. Exit
Enter Queen Elizabeth, Lord Rivers,
⌈
Marquis Dorset
⌉
, and Lord Gray
RIVERS (
to Elizabeth
)
to Elizabeth
)
Have patience, madam. There’s no doubt his majesty
Will soon recover his accustomed health.
Will soon recover his accustomed health.
GRAY (
to Elizabeth
)
to Elizabeth
)
In that you brook it ill, it makes him worse.
Therefore, for God’s sake entertain good comfort,
And cheer his grace with quick and merry eyes.
Therefore, for God’s sake entertain good comfort,
And cheer his grace with quick and merry eyes.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
If he were dead, what would betide on me?
⌈RIVERS⌉
No other harm but loss of such a lord.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
The loss of such a lord includes all harms.
GRAY
The heavens have blessed you with a goodly son
To be your comforter when he is gone.
To be your comforter when he is gone.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Ah, he is young, and his minority
Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloucester,
A man that loves not me—nor none of you.
Is put unto the trust of Richard Gloucester,
A man that loves not me—nor none of you.
RIVERS
Is it concluded he shall be Protector?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
It is determined, not concluded yet;
But so it must be, if the King miscarry.
But so it must be, if the King miscarry.
Enter the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Stanley
Earl of Derby
GRAY
Here come the Lords of Buckingham and Derby.
BUCKINGHAM (
to Elizabeth
)
to Elizabeth
)
Good time of day unto your royal grace.
STANLEY (
to Elizabeth
)
to Elizabeth
)
God make your majesty joyful, as you have been.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
The Countess Richmond, good my lord of Derby,
To your good prayer will scarcely say ‘Amen’.
Yet, Derby—notwithstanding she’s your wife,
And loves not me—be you, good lord, assured
I hate not you for her proud arrogance.
To your good prayer will scarcely say ‘Amen’.
Yet, Derby—notwithstanding she’s your wife,
And loves not me—be you, good lord, assured
I hate not you for her proud arrogance.
STANLEY
I do beseech you, either not believe
The envious slanders of her false accusers
Or, if she be accused on true report,
Bear with her weakness, which I think proceeds
From wayward sickness, and no grounded malice.
The envious slanders of her false accusers
Or, if she be accused on true report,
Bear with her weakness, which I think proceeds
From wayward sickness, and no grounded malice.
⌈RIVERS⌉
Saw you the King today, my lord of Derby?
STANLEY
But now the Duke of Buckingham and I
Are come from visiting his majesty.
Are come from visiting his majesty.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
With likelihood of his amendment, lords?
BUCKINGHAM
Madam, good hope: his grace speaks cheerfully.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
God grant him health. Did you confer with him?
BUCKINGHAM
Ay, madam. He desires to make atonement
Between the Duke of Gloucester and your brothers,
And between them and my Lord Chamberlain,
And sent to warn them to his royal presence.
Between the Duke of Gloucester and your brothers,
And between them and my Lord Chamberlain,
And sent to warn them to his royal presence.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Would all were well! But that will never be.
I fear our happiness is at the height.
I fear our happiness is at the height.
Enter Richard Duke of Gloucester and Lord Hastings
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
They do me wrong, and I will not endure it.
Who are they that complain unto the King
That I forsooth am stern and love them not?
By holy Paul, they love his grace but lightly
That fill his ears with such dissentious rumours.
Because I cannot flatter and look fair,
Smile in men’s faces, smooth, deceive, and cog,
Duck with French nods and apish courtesy,
I must be held a rancorous enemy.
Cannot a plain man live and think no harm,
But thus his simple truth must be abused
With silken, sly, insinuating jacks?
Who are they that complain unto the King
That I forsooth am stern and love them not?
By holy Paul, they love his grace but lightly
That fill his ears with such dissentious rumours.
Because I cannot flatter and look fair,
Smile in men’s faces, smooth, deceive, and cog,
Duck with French nods and apish courtesy,
I must be held a rancorous enemy.
Cannot a plain man live and think no harm,
But thus his simple truth must be abused
With silken, sly, insinuating jacks?
⌈RIVERS⌉
To whom in all this presence speaks your grace ?
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
To thee, that hast nor honesty nor grace.
When have I injured thee ? When done thee wrong?
Or thee? Or thee? Or any of your faction?
A plague upon you all! His royal grace—
Whom God preserve better than you would wish—
Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing while
But you must trouble him with lewd complaints.
When have I injured thee ? When done thee wrong?
Or thee? Or thee? Or any of your faction?
A plague upon you all! His royal grace—
Whom God preserve better than you would wish—
Cannot be quiet scarce a breathing while
But you must trouble him with lewd complaints.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Brother of Gloucester, you mistake the matter.
The King—on his own royal disposition,
And not provoked by any suitor else—
Aiming belike at your interior hatred,
That in your outward action shows itself
Against my children, brothers, and myself,
Makes him to send, that he may learn the ground
Of your ill will, and thereby to remove it.
The King—on his own royal disposition,
And not provoked by any suitor else—
Aiming belike at your interior hatred,
That in your outward action shows itself
Against my children, brothers, and myself,
Makes him to send, that he may learn the ground
Of your ill will, and thereby to remove it.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
I cannot tell. The world is grown so bad
That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch.
Since every jack became a gentleman,
There’s many a gentle person made a jack.
That wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch.
Since every jack became a gentleman,
There’s many a gentle person made a jack.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Come, come, we know your meaning, brother
Gloucester.
You envy my advancement, and my friends’.
God grant we never may have need of you.
Gloucester.
You envy my advancement, and my friends’.
God grant we never may have need of you.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Meantime, God grants that I have need of you.
Our brother is imprisoned by your means,
Myself disgraced, and the nobility
Held in contempt, while great promotions
Are daily given to ennoble those
That scarce some two days since were worth a noble.
Our brother is imprisoned by your means,
Myself disgraced, and the nobility
Held in contempt, while great promotions
Are daily given to ennoble those
That scarce some two days since were worth a noble.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
By him that raised me to this care-full height
From that contented hap which I enjoyed,
I never did incense his majesty
Against the Duke of Clarence, but have been
An earnest advocate to plead for him.
My lord, you do me shameful injury
Falsely to draw me in these vile suspects.
From that contented hap which I enjoyed,
I never did incense his majesty
Against the Duke of Clarence, but have been
An earnest advocate to plead for him.
My lord, you do me shameful injury
Falsely to draw me in these vile suspects.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
You may deny that you were not the mean
Of my Lord Hastings’ late imprisonment.
Of my Lord Hastings’ late imprisonment.
RIVERS She may, my lord, for—
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
She may, Lord Rivers; why, who knows not so?
She may do more, sir, than denying that.
She may help you to many fair preferments,
And then deny her aiding hand therein,
And lay those honours on your high desert.
What may she not? She may—ay, marry, may she.
She may do more, sir, than denying that.
She may help you to many fair preferments,
And then deny her aiding hand therein,
And lay those honours on your high desert.
What may she not? She may—ay, marry, may she.
RIVERS What ‘marry, may she’?
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
What marry, may she? Marry with a king:
A bachelor, and a handsome stripling, too.
Iwis your grandam had a worser match.
A bachelor, and a handsome stripling, too.
Iwis your grandam had a worser match.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
My lord of Gloucester, I have too long borne
Your blunt upbraidings and your bitter scoffs.
By heaven, I will acquaint his majesty
Of those gross taunts that oft I have endured.
I had rather be a country servant-maid
Than a great queen, with this condition:
To be so baited, scorned, and stormed at.
Small joy have I in being England’s queen.
Your blunt upbraidings and your bitter scoffs.
By heaven, I will acquaint his majesty
Of those gross taunts that oft I have endured.
I had rather be a country servant-maid
Than a great queen, with this condition:
To be so baited, scorned, and stormed at.
Enter old Queen Margaret, unseen behind them
QUEEN MARGARET
(aside)
(aside)
And lessened be that small, God I beseech him.
Thy honour, state, and seat is due to me.
Thy honour, state, and seat is due to me.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER (to Elizabeth)
What? Threat you me with telling of the King?
Tell him, and spare not. Look what I have said,
I will avouch’t in presence of the King.
I dare adventure to be sent to th’ Tower.
‘Tis time to speak; my pains are quite forgot.
Tell him, and spare not. Look what I have said,
I will avouch’t in presence of the King.
I dare adventure to be sent to th’ Tower.
‘Tis time to speak; my pains are quite forgot.
QUEEN MARGARET (aside)
Out, devil! I remember them too well.
Thou killed’st my husband Henry in the Tower,
And Edward, my poor son, at Tewkesbury.
Thou killed’st my husband Henry in the Tower,
And Edward, my poor son, at Tewkesbury.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER (to Elizabeth)
Ere you were queen—ay, or your husband king—
I was a packhorse in his great affairs,
A weeder-out of his proud adversaries,
A liberal rewarder of his friends.
To royalize his blood, I spent mine own.
I was a packhorse in his great affairs,
A weeder-out of his proud adversaries,
A liberal rewarder of his friends.
To royalize his blood, I spent mine own.
QUEEN MARGARET (aside)
Ay, and much better blood than his or thine.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER (to Elizabeth)
In all which time you and your husband Gray
Were factious for the house of Lancaster;
And Rivers, so were you.—Was not your husband
In Margaret’s battle at Saint Albans slain?
Let me put in your minds, if you forget,
What you have been ere this, and what you are;
Withal, what I have been, and what I am.
Were factious for the house of Lancaster;
And Rivers, so were you.—Was not your husband
In Margaret’s battle at Saint Albans slain?
Let me put in your minds, if you forget,
What you have been ere this, and what you are;
Withal, what I have been, and what I am.
QUEEN MARGARET (aside)
A murd’rous villain, and so still thou art.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Poor Clarence did forsake his father Warwick—
Ay, and forswore himself, which Jesu pardon—
Ay, and forswore himself, which Jesu pardon—
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