KING RICHARD III. William Shakespeare

And be not peevish found in great designs.

       QUEEN ELIZABETH

       Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?

       KING RICHARD

       Ay, if the devil tempt you to do good.

       QUEEN ELIZABETH

       Shall I forget myself to be myself?

       KING RICHARD

       Ay, if your self’s remembrance wrong yourself.

       QUEEN ELIZABETH

       Yet thou didst kill my children.

       KING RICHARD

       But in your daughter’s womb I bury them:

       Where, in that nest of spicery, they shall breed

       Selves of themselves, to your recomforture.

       QUEEN ELIZABETH

       Shall I go win my daughter to thy will?

       KING RICHARD

       And be a happy mother by the deed.

       QUEEN ELIZABETH

       I go.—Write to me very shortly,

       And you shall understand from me her mind.

       KING RICHARD

       Bear her my true love’s kiss; and so, farewell.

       [Kissing her. Exit QUEEN ELIZABETH.]

       Relenting fool, and shallow, changing woman!

       [Enter RATCLIFF; CATESBY following.]

       How now! what news?

       RATCLIFF

       Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast

       Rideth a puissant navy; to the shore

       Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends,

       Unarm’d, and unresolv’d to beat them back:

       ‘Tis thought that Richmond is their admiral;

       And there they hull, expecting but the aid

       Of Buckingham to welcome them ashore.

       KING RICHARD

       Some lightfoot friend post to the Duke of Norfolk:—

       Ratcliff, thyself,—or Catesby; where is he?

       CATESBY

       Here, my good lord.

       KING RICHARD

       Catesby, fly to the duke.

       CATESBY

       I will my lord, with all convenient haste.

       KING RICHARD

       Ratcliff, come hither: post to Salisbury:

       When thou com’st thither,—

       [To CATESBY.]

       Dull, unmindful villain,

       Why stay’st thou here, and go’st not to the duke?

       CATESBY

       First, mighty liege, tell me your highness’ pleasure,

       What from your grace I shall deliver to him.

       KING RICHARD

       O, true, good Catesby:—bid him levy straight

       The greatest strength and power that he can make,

       And meet me suddenly at Salisbury.

       CATESBY

       I go.

       [Exit.]

       RATCLIFF

       What, may it please you, shall I do at Salisbury?

       KING RICHARD

       Why, what wouldst thou do there before I go?

       RATCLIFF

       Your highness told me I should post before.

       [Enter STANLEY.]

       KING RICHARD

       My mind is chang’d.—Stanley, what news with you?

       STANLEY

       None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing;

       Nor none so bad but well may be reported.

       KING RICHARD

       Hoyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad!

       What need’st thou run so many miles about,

       When thou mayest tell thy tale the nearest way?

       Once more, what news?

       STANLEY

       Richmond is on the seas.

       KING RICHARD

       There let him sink, and be the seas on him!

       White-liver’d runagate, what doth he there?

       STANLEY

       I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess.

       KING RICHARD

       Well, as you guess?

       STANLEY

       Stirr’d up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton,

       He makes for England here, to claim the crown.

       KING RICHARD

       Is the chair empty? is the sword unsway’d?

       Is the king dead? the empire unpossess’d?

       What heir of York is there alive but we?

       And who is England’s king but great York’s heir?

       Then tell me, what makes he upon the seas?

       STANLEY

       Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess.

       KING RICHARD

       Unless for that he comes to be your liege,

       You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes.

       Thou wilt revolt and fly to him, I fear.

       STANLEY

       No, mighty leige; therefore mistrust me not.

       KING RICHARD

       Where is thy power, then, to beat him back?

       Where be thy tenants and thy followers?

       Are they not now upon the western shore,

       Safe-conducting the rebels from their ships?

       STANLEY

       No, my good lord, my friends are in the north.

       KING RICHARD

       Cold friends to me: what do they in the north,

       When they should serve their sovereign in the west?

       STANLEY

       They have not been commanded, mighty king:

       Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave,

       I’ll muster up my friends, and meet your grace

       Where and what time your majesty shall please.

       KING RICHARD

       Ay, ay, thou wouldst be gone to join with Richmond;

       But I’ll not trust thee.

       STANLEY

       Most mighty sovereign,

       You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful:

       I never was nor never will be false.

       KING RICHARD

       Go, then, and muster men. But leave behind

       Your son, George Stanley: look your heart be firm,

       Or else his head’s assurance is but frail.