TPTT The Tragedy of Richard the Third: ACT IV
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
ACT IV
SCENE I. Before the Tower.
SCENE II. London. The palace.
SCENE III. The same.
SCENE IV. Before the palace.
SCENE V. Lord Derby's house.
ACT V
About the Play
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SCENE II. London. The palace.
Sennet. Enter KING RICHARD III, in pomp, crowned; BUCKINGHAM, CATESBY, a page, and others
KING RICHARD III
      Stand all apart Cousin of Buckingham!
BUCKINGHAM
      My gracious sovereign?
KING RICHARD III
      Give me thy hand.

Here he ascendeth his throne

      Thus high, by thy advice
5     And thy assistance, is King Richard seated;
      But shall we wear these honours for a day?
      Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?
BUCKINGHAM
      Still live they and for ever may they last!
KING RICHARD III
      O Buckingham, now do I play the touch,
10    To try if thou be current gold indeed
      Young Edward lives: think now what I would say.
BUCKINGHAM
      Say on, my loving lord.
KING RICHARD III
      Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be king,
BUCKINGHAM
      Why, so you are, my thrice renowned liege.
KING RICHARD III
15    Ha! am I king? 'tis so: but Edward lives.
BUCKINGHAM
      True, noble prince.
KING RICHARD III
      O bitter consequence,
      That Edward still should live! 'True, noble prince!'
      Cousin, thou wert not wont to be so dull:
20    Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
      And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
      What sayest thou? speak suddenly; be brief.
BUCKINGHAM
      Your grace may do your pleasure.
KING RICHARD III
      Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezeth:
25    Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?
BUCKINGHAM
      Give me some breath, some little pause, my lord
      Before I positively herein:
      I will resolve your grace immediately.
Exit
CATESBY
30    The king is angry: see, he bites the lip.
KING RICHARD III
      I will converse with iron-witted fools
      And unrespective boys: none are for me
      That look into me with considerate eyes:
      High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
35    Boy!
Page
      My lord?
KING RICHARD III
      Know'st thou not any whom corrupting gold
      Would tempt unto a close exploit of death?
Page
      My lord, I know a discontented gentleman,
40    Whose humble means match not his haughty mind:
      Gold were as good as twenty orators,
      And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.
KING RICHARD III
      What is his name?
Page
      His name, my lord, is Tyrrel.
KING RICHARD III
45    I partly know the man: go, call him hither.

Exit Page

      The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
      No more shall be the neighbour to my counsel:
      Hath he so long held out with me untired,
      And stops he now for breath?

Enter STANLEY

50    How now! what news with you?
STANLEY
      My lord, I hear the Marquis Dorset's fled
      To Richmond, in those parts beyond the sea
      Where he abides.
Stands apart
KING RICHARD III
      Catesby!
CATESBY
55    My lord?
KING RICHARD III
      Rumour it abroad
      That Anne, my wife, is sick and like to die:
      I will take order for her keeping close.
      Inquire me out some mean-born gentleman,
60    Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter:
      The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.
      Look, how thou dream'st! I say again, give out
      That Anne my wife is sick and like to die:
      About it; for it stands me much upon,
65    To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me.

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
70    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 III
      Art thou, indeed?
TYRREL
75    Prove me, my gracious sovereign.
KING RICHARD III
      Darest thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?
TYRREL
      Ay, my lord;
      But I had rather kill two enemies.
KING RICHARD III
      Why, there thou hast it: two deep enemies,
80    Foes to my rest and my sweet sleep's disturbers
      Are they that I would have thee deal upon:
      Tyrrel, 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 III
85    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 too.
TYRREL
      'Tis done, my gracious lord.
KING RICHARD III
90    Shall we hear from thee, Tyrrel, ere we sleep?
TYRREL
      Ye shall, my Lord.
Exit
Re-enter BUCKINGHAM
BUCKINGHAM
      My Lord, I have consider'd in my mind
      The late demand that you did sound me in.
KING RICHARD III
      Well, let that pass. Dorset is fled to Richmond.
BUCKINGHAM
95    I hear that news, my lord.
KING RICHARD III
      Stanley, he is your wife's son well, look to it.
BUCKINGHAM
      My lord, I claim your gift, my due by promise,
      For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd;
      The earldom of Hereford and the moveables
100   The which you promised I should possess.
KING RICHARD III
      Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey
      Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.
BUCKINGHAM
      What says your highness to my just demand?
KING RICHARD III
      As I remember, Henry the Sixth
105   Did prophesy that Richmond should be king,
      When Richmond was a little peevish boy.
      A king, perhaps, perhaps,--
BUCKINGHAM
      My lord!
KING RICHARD III
      How chance the prophet could not at that time
110   Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?
BUCKINGHAM
      My lord, your promise for the earldom,--
KING RICHARD III
      Richmond! When last I was at Exeter,
      The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle,
      And call'd it Rougemont: at which name I started,
115   Because a bard of Ireland told me once
      I should not live long after I saw Richmond.
BUCKINGHAM
      My Lord!
KING RICHARD III
      Ay, what's o'clock?
BUCKINGHAM
      I am thus bold to put your grace in mind
120   Of what you promised me.
KING RICHARD III
      Well, but what's o'clock?
BUCKINGHAM
      Upon the stroke of ten.
KING RICHARD III
      Well, let it strike.
BUCKINGHAM
      Why let it strike?
KING RICHARD III
125   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 III
      Tut, tut,
130   Thou troublest me; am not in the vein.
Exeunt all but BUCKINGHAM
BUCKINGHAM
      Is it even so? rewards he my true service
      With such deep 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
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