For now they kill me with a living death.
Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn salt tears,
Shamed their aspècts with store of childish drops.
These eyes, that never shed remorseful tear,
No, when my father York and Edward wept
To hear the piteous moan that Rutland made
When black-faced Clifford shook his sword at him,
Nor when thy warlike father, like a child,
Told the sad story of my father’s death
And twenty times made pause to sob and weep,
That all the standers-by had wet their cheeks
Like trees bedashed with rain. In that sad time
My manly eyes did scorn an humble tear.
And what these sorrows could not thence exhale
Thy beauty hath, and made them blind with weeping.
I never sued to friend nor enemy.
My tongue could never learn sweet smoothing word.
But now thy beauty is proposed my fee,
My proud heart sues and prompts my tongue to speak.
She looks scornfully at him.
Teach not thy lip such scorn, for it was made
For kissing, lady, not for such contempt.
If thy revengeful heart cannot forgive,
Lo, here I lend thee this sharp-pointed sword,
Which if thou please to hide in this true breast
And let the soul forth that adoreth thee,
I lay it naked to the deadly stroke
And humbly beg the death upon my knee.
He lays his breast open; she offers at with his sword.
Nay, do not pause, for I did kill King Henry,
But ’twas thy beauty that provokèd me.
Nay, now dispatch; ’twas I that stabbed young Edward,
But ’twas thy heavenly face that set me on.
She falls the sword.
Take up the sword again, or take up me.
Anne
Arise, dissembler; though I wish thy death,
I will not be the executioner.
Richard
Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it.
Anne
I have already.
Richard
That was in thy rage.
Speak it again, and even with the word,
That 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 àccessary.
Anne
I would I knew thy heart.
Richard
ʼTis figured in my tongue.
Anne
I fear me both are false.
Richard
Then never man was true.
Anne
Well, well, put up your sword.
Richard
Say then my peace is made.
Anne
That shalt thou know hereafter.
Richard
But shall I live in hope?
Anne
All men, I hope, live so.
Richard
Vouchsafe to wear this ring.
Anne
To take is not to give.
Richard
Look, how this 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.
Anne
What is it?
Richard
That it would please thee leave these sad designs
To him that hath more 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.
Anne
With all my heart, and much it joys me, too,
To see you are become so penitent.
Tressel and Berkeley, go along with me.
Richard
Bid me farewell.
Anne
ʼTis more than you deserve;
But since you teach me how to flatter you,
Imagine I have said farewell already.
Exeunt two with Anne.
Richard
Sirs, take up the corpse.
Gentlemen
Towards Chertsey, noble lord?
Richard
No, to Whitefriars; there attend my coming.
Exeunt all but Richard with the corpse.
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.
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.
Enter the queen Mother [Elizabeth], lord Rivers, and lord Grey [and the marquess of Dorset].
Rivers
Have patience, madam. There’s no doubt his majesty
Will soon recover his accustomed health.
Grey
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.
Elizabeth
If he were dead, what would betide on me?
Rivers
No other harm but loss of such a lord.
Elizabeth
The loss of such a lord includes all harms.
Grey
The heavens have blessed you with a goodly son
To be your comforter when he is gone.
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.
Rivers
Is it concluded that he shall be Protector?
Elizabeth
It is determined, not concluded yet,
But so it must be if the king miscarry.
Enter Buckingham and Stanley Earl of Derby.
Grey
Here come the lords of Buckingham and Derby.
Buckingham
Good time of day unto your royal grace.
Stanley
God make your majesty joyful, as you have been.
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.
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.
Rivers
Saw you the king today, my lord of Derby?
Elizabeth
But now the Duke of Buckingham and I
Are come from visiting his majesty.
Elizabeth
What likelihood of his amendment, lords?
Buckingham
Madam, good hope. His grace speaks cheerfully.
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.
Elizabeth
Would all were well, but that will never be.
I fear our happiness is at the hight.
Enter Richard and Hastings.
Richard
They do me wrong, and I will not endure it.
Who is it that complain unto the king
That I, forsooth, am stern and love them not?