Persuade the Queen to send the Duke of York
Unto his princely brother presently?
If she deny, Lord Hastings, go with him
And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce.
35
CARDINAL
My Lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory
Can from his mother win the Duke of York,
Anon expect him here; but if she be obdurate
To mild entreaties, God in Heaven forbid
40
We should infringe the holy privilege
Of blessed sanctuary! Not for all this land
Would I be guilty of so deep a sin.
BUCKINGHAM You are too senseless-obstinate, my lord,
Too ceremonious and traditional.
45
Weigh it but with the grossness of this age,
You break not sanctuary in seizing him;
The benefit thereof is always granted
To those whose dealings have deserv’d the place,
And those who have the wit to claim the place.
50
The prince hath neither claim’d it nor deserv’d it:
And therefore in mine opinion cannot have it;
Then taking him from thence that is not there,
You break no privilege nor charter there.
Oft have I heard of sanctuary men,
55
But sanctuary children, never till now.
CARDINAL
My lord, you shall o’er-rule my mind for once.
Come on, Lord Hastings, will you go with me?
HASTINGS I go my lord.
PRINCE Good lords, make all the speedy haste you may.
60
Exeunt Cardinal and Hastings.
Say, uncle Gloucester, if our brother come,
Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?
RICHARD Where it seems best unto your royal self.
If I may counsel you, some day or two
Your Highness shall repose you at the Tower,
65
Then where you please and shall be thought most fit
For your best health and recreation.
PRINCE I do not like the Tower, of any place.
Did Julius Caesar build that place, my lord?
BUCKINGHAM
He did, my gracious lord, begin that place,
70
Which since, succeeding ages have re-edified.
PRINCE Is it upon record, or else reported
Successively from age to age, he built it?
BUCKINGHAM Upon record, my gracious lord.
PRINCE But say, my lord, it were not register’d,
75
Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
As ’twere retail’d to all posterity,
Even to the general all-ending day.
RICHARD [aside]
So wise so young, they say, do never live long.
PRINCE What say you, uncle?
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RICHARD 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,
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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?
90
PRINCE And 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.
RICHARD Short summers lightly have a forward spring.
Enter young DUKE OF YORK, HASTINGS, CARDINAL.
BUCKINGHAM
Now in good time here comes the Duke of York.
95
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.
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RICHARD 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!
RICHARD He hath, my lord.
YORK And therefore is he idle?
105
RICHARD O my fair cousin, I must not say so!
YORK Then he is more beholding to you than I.
RICHARD 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.
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RICHARD 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.
RICHARD A greater gift than that I’ll give my cousin.
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YORK A greater gift? O, that’s the sword to it.
RICHARD 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.
RICHARD It is too heavy for your Grace to wear.
120
YORK I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.
RICHARD
What, would you have my weapon, little lord?
YORK I would, that I might thank you as you call me.
RICHARD How?
YORK Little.
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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,
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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!
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RICHARD My lord, will’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?
140
PRINCE My Lord Protector needs will have it so.
YORK I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower.
RICHARD Why, what should you fear?
YORK Marry, my uncle Clarence’ angry ghost:
My grandam told me he was murder’d there.
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PRINCE I fear no uncles dead.
RICHARD Nor none that live, I hope?
PRINCE And if they live, I hope I need not fear.
But come, my lord: with a heavy heart,
Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.
150
A Sennet. Exeunt Prince, York, Hastings, Dorset and all but Richard, Buckingham, and Catesby.
BUCKINGHAM
Think you, my lord, this little prating York
Was not incensed by his subtle mother
To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?
RICHARD No doubt, no doubt; O, ’tis a parlous boy,
Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable:
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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:
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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?
CATESBY He for his father’s sake so loves the Prince
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That he will not be won to aught against him.
BUCKINGHAM
What think’st thou then of Stanley? Will not he?
CATESBY He will do all in all as Hastings doth.
BUCKINGHAM
Well, then, no more but this: go, gentle Catesby,
And as it were afar off, sound thou Lord Hastings
170
How he doth stand affected to our purpose,
And summon him tomorrow to the Tower
To sit about the coronation.
If thou dost find him tractable to us,
Encourage him, and tell him all our reasons;
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If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
Be thou so too, and so break off the talk,
And give us notice of his inclination:
For we tomorrow hold divided Councils,
Wherein thyself shalt highly be employ’d.
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RICHARD
Commend me to Lord William; tell him, Catesby,
His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries
Tomorrow are let blood at Pomfret castle,
And bid my lord for joy of this good news
Give Mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.
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BUCKINGHAM
Good Catesby, go effect this business soundly.
CATESBY My good lords both, with all the heed I can.
RICHARD
Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?
CATESBY You shall, my lord.
RICHARD
At Crosby Place, there shall you find us both.
190
Exit Catesby.
BUCKINGHAM
Now, my lord, what shall we do if we perceive
Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?
RICHARD
Chop off his head, man; somewhat will we do.
And look when I am king, claim thou of me
The earldom of Hereford, and all the moveables
195
Whereof the King my brother was possess’d.
BUCKINGHAM
I’ll claim that promise at your Grace’s hand.
RICHARD
And look to have it yielded with all kindness.
Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards
We may digest our complots in some form. Exeunt.
200
3.2 Enter a Messenger to the door of Lord Hastings.
MESSENGER My lord, my lord! [Knocks.]
HASTINGS [within] Who knocks?
MESSENGER One from the Lord Stanley.
Enter HASTINGS.
HASTINGS What is’t o’clock?
MESSENGER Upon the stroke of four.
HASTINGS
Cannot my Lord Stanley sleep these tedious nights?
5
MESSENGER So it appears by that I have to say.
First, he commends him to your noble self.
HASTINGS What then?
MESSENGER
Then certifies your lordship that this night
He dreamt the boar had razed off his helm;
10
Besides, he says there are two Councils kept,
And that may be determin’d at the one
Which may make you and him to rue at th’other.
Therefore he sends to know your lordship’s pleasure,
If you will presently take horse with him
15
And with all speed post with him toward the north,
To shun the danger that his soul divines.
HASTINGS Go, fellow, go: return unto thy lord;
Bid him not fear the separated Council:
His honour and myself are at the one,
20
And at the other is my good friend Catesby,
Where nothing can proceed that toucheth us
Whereof I shall not have intelligence.
Tell him his fears are shallow, without instance;
And for his dreams, I wonder he’s so simple
25
To trust the mockery of unquiet slumbers.
To fly the boar before the boar pursues
Were to incense the boar to follow us,
And make pursuit where he did mean no chase.
Go, bid thy master rise, and come to me,
30
And we will both together to the Tower,
Where he shall see the boar will use us kindly.
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 313
