The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works
Page 74
Upon the innocent and aweless throne.
Welcome destruction, blood, and massacre!
I see, as in a map, the end of all.
DUCHESS OF YORK
Accursed and unquiet wrangling days,
How many of you have mine eyes beheld?
My husband lost his life to get the crown,
And often up and down my sons were tossed,
For me to joy and weep their gain and loss.
And being seated, and domestic broils
Clean overblown, themselves the conquerors
Make war upon themselves, brother to brother,
Blood to blood, self against self. O preposterous
And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen,
Or let me die, to look on death no more.
QUEEN ELIZABETH (to York)
Come, come, my boy, we will to sanctuary.—
Madam, farewell.
DUCHESS OF YORK Stay, I will go with you.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
You have no cause.
⌈CARDINAL⌉ (to Elizabeth) My gracious lady, go,
And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
For my part, I’ll resign unto your grace
The seal I keep, and so betide to me
As well I tender you and all of yours.
Go, I’ll conduct you to the sanctuary. Exeunt
3.1 The Trumpets sound. Enter young Prince Edward, the Dukes of Gloucester and Buckingham, Lord Cardinal, with others, including ⌈Lord Stanley Earl of Derby and⌉ Sir William Catesby
BUCKINGHAM
Welcome, sweet Prince, to London, to your chamber.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER (to Prince Edward)
Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts’ sovereign.
The weary way hath made you melancholy.
PRINCE EDWARD
No, uncle, but our crosses on the way
Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy.
I want more uncles here to welcome me.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Sweet Prince, the untainted virtue of your years
Hath not yet dived into the world’s deceit,
Nor more can you distinguish of a man
Than of his outward show, which God he knows
Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart.
Those uncles which you want were dangerous.
Your grace attended to their sugared words,
But looked not on the poison of their hearts.
God keep you from them, and from such false friends.
PRINCE EDWARD
God keep me from false friends; but they were none.
Enter Lord Mayor ⌈and his train⌉
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
My lord, the Mayor of London comes to greet you.
MAYOR (kneeling to Prince Edward)
God bless your grace with health and happy days.
PRINCE EDWARD
I thank you, good my lord, and thank you all.—
I thought my mother and my brother York
Would long ere this have met us on the way.
Fie, what a slug is Hastings, that he hastes not
To tell us whether they will come or no.
Enter Lord Hastings
BUCKINGHAM
In happy time here comes the sweating lord.
PRINCE EDWARD (to Hastings)
Welcome, my lord. What, will our mother come?
LORD HASTINGS
On what occasion God he knows, not I,
The Queen your mother, and your brother York,
Have taken sanctuary. The tender Prince
Would fain have come with me to meet your grace,
But by his mother was perforce withheld.
BUCKINGHAM
Fie, what an indirect and peevish course
Is this of hers !—Lord Cardinal, will your grace
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.
CARDINAL
My lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory
Can from his mother win the Duke of York,
Anon expect him. But if she’ be obdurate
To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid
We should infringe the sacred 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.
Weigh it not with the grossness of this age.
You break not sanctuary in seizing him.
The benefit thereof is always granted
To those whose dealings have deserved the place,
And those who have the wit to claim the place.
This prince hath neither claimed it nor deserved it,
And therefore, in my mind, he cannot have it.
Then taking him from thence that ‘longs not there,
You break thereby no privilege nor charter.
Oft have I heard of ‘sanctuary men‘,
But ‘sanctuary children’ ne’er till now.
CARDINAL
My lord, you shall o’errule my mind for once.—
Come on, Lord Hastings, will you go with me?
LORD HASTINGS I come, my lord.
PRINCE EDWARD
Good lords, make all the speedy haste you may.—
Exeunt Cardinal and Hastings
Say, uncle Gloucester, if our brother come,
Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
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,
Then where you please and shall be thought most fit
For your best health and recreation.
PRINCE EDWARD
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,
Which since succeeding ages have re-edified.
PRINCE EDWARD
Is it upon record, or else reported
Successively from age to age, he built it?
BUCKINGHAM
Upon record, my gracious liege.
PRINCE EDWARD
But say, my lord, it were not registered,
Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
As ‘twere retailed to all posterity
Even to the general all-ending day.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER (aside)
So wise so young, they say, do never live long.
PRINCE EDWARD What say you, uncle?
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
I say, ‘Without characters fame lives long’.
(Aside) Thus like the formal Vice, Iniquity,
I moralize two meanings in one word.
PRINCE EDWARD
That Julius Caesar was a famous man:
With what his valour did t’enrich his wit,
His wit set down to make his valour live.
Death made no conquest of this conqueror,
For yet he lives in fame though not in life.
I’ll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham.
BUCKINGHAM What, my good lord?
PRINCE EDWARD
An if I live until I be a man,
I’ll win our ancient right in France again,
Or die a soldier, as I lived a king.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER (aside)
Short summers lightly have a forward spring.
Enter young Duke of York, Lord Hastings, and Lord Cardinal
BUCKINGHAM
Now in good time, here comes the Duke of York.
PRINCE EDWARD
Richard of York, how fares our loving brother?
YOR
K
Well, my dread lord—so must I call you now.
PRINCE EDWARD
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.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
How fares our noble cousin, Lord of York?
YORK
I thank you, gentle uncle, well. O, my lord,
You said that idle weeds are fast in growth;
The Prince, my brother, hath outgrown me far.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
He hath, my lord.
YORK
And therefore is he idle?
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
O my fair cousin, I must not say so.
YORK
He is more beholden to you then than I.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
He may command me as my sovereign,
But you have power in me as a kinsman.
YORK
I pray you, uncle, render me this dagger.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
My dagger, little cousin? With all my heart.
PRINCE EDWARD A beggar, brother?
YORK
Of my kind uncle that I know will give,
It being but a toy which is no grief to give.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
A greater gift than that I’ll give my cousin.
YORK
A greater gift? O, that’s the sword to it.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
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 GLOUCESTER
It is too heavy for your grace to wear.
YORK
I’d weigh it lightly, were it heavier.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
What, would you have my weapon, little lord?
YORK
I would, that I might thank you as you call me.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER HOW?
YORK Little.
PRINCE EDWARD
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, prodigal wit he reasons.
To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,
He prettily and aptly taunts himself.
So cunning and so young is wonderful.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER (to Prince Edward)
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 (to Prince Edward)
What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord?
PRINCE EDWARD
My Lord Protector needs will have it so.
YORK
I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER Why, what should you fear there?
YORK
Marry, my uncle Clarence’ angry ghost.
My grannam told me he was murdered there.
PRINCE EDWARD
I fear no uncles dead.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Nor none that live, I hope.
PRINCE EDWARD
An if they live, I hope I need not fear.
(To York) But come, my lord, and with a heavy heart,
Thinking on them, go we unto the Tower.
A Sennet. Exeunt all but Richard, Buckingham, and Catesby
BUCKINGHAM (to Richard)
Think you, my lord, this little prating York
Was not incensed by his subtle mother
To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
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, urged upon the way.
What think’st thou? Is it not an easy matter
To make Lord William 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
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 far off, sound thou Lord Hastings
How he doth stand affected to our purpose.
If thou dost find him tractable to us,
Encourage him, and tell him all our reasons.
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
Be thou so too, and so break off your talk,
And give us notice of his inclination,
For we tomorrow hold divided counsels,
Wherein thyself shalt highly be employed.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
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 Mrs Shore one gentle kiss the more.
BUCKINGHAM
Good Catesby, go effect this business soundly.
CATESBY
My good lords both, with all the heed I can.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?
CATESBY You shall, my lord.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
At Crosby House, there shall you find us both.
Exit Catesby
BUCKINGHAM
My lord, what shall we do if we perceive
Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
Chop off his head. Something we will determine.
And look when I am king, claim thou of me
The earldom of Hereford, and all the movables
Whereof the King my brother was possessed.
BUCKINGHAM
I’ll claim that promise at your grace’s hand.
RICHARD GLOUCESTER
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
3.2 Enter a Messenger to the door of Lord Hastings MESSENGER (knocking)
My lord, my lord!
LORD HASTINGS ⌈within⌉ Who knocks?
MESSENGER
One from Lord Stanley.
⌈Enter Lord Hastings⌉
LORD HASTINGS
What is’t o’clock?
MESSENGER
Upon the stroke of four.
LORD HASTINGS
Cannot my Lord Stanley sleep these tedious nights?
MESSENGER
So it appears by that I have to say.
First he commends him to your noble self.
LORD HASTINGS What then?
MESSENGER
Then certifies your lordship that this night
He dreamt the boar had razed off his helm.
Besides, he says there are two councils kept,
And that may be determined 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,
And with all speed post with him toward the north
To shun the danger that his soul divines.
LORD HASTINGS
Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord.
Bid him not fear the separated councils.
His honour and myself are at the one,
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,
To trust the mock’ry 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,
And we will both together to the Tower,
Where he shall see the boar will use us kindly.
MESSENGER
I’ll go, my lord, and tell him what you say. Exit
Enter Catesby
CATESBY
Many good morrows to my noble lord.
LORD HASTINGS
Good morrow, Catesby. You are early stirring.
What news, what news, in this our tott’ring state?
CATESBY
It is a reeling world indeed, my lord,
And I believe will never stand upright
Till Richard wear the garland of the realm.
LORD HASTINGS
How? ‘Wear the garland’? Dost thou mean the crown?
CATESBY Ay, my good lord.
LORD HASTINGS
I’ll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders
Before I’ll see the crown so foul misplaced.
But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?
CATESBY
Ay, on my life, and hopes to find you forward
Upon his party for the gain thereof—
And thereupon he sends you this good news:
That this same very day your enemies,
The kindred of the Queen, must die at Pomfret.
LORD HASTINGS
Indeed I am no mourner for that news,
Because they have been still my adversaries.
But that I’ll give my voice on Richard’s side
To bar my master’s heirs in true descent,
God knows I will not do it, to the death.
CATESBY
God keep your lordship in that gracious mind!
LORD HASTINGS
But I shall laugh at this a twelvemonth hence:
That they which brought me in my master’s hate,
I live to look upon their tragedy.