a rough cradle for such pretty little ones.
Rough and rugged nurse, sullen old play fellow
for tender Princes, treat my babies well.
And so foolish sorrow says farewell to your stones.
Exeunt
London. The palace
Sound a sennet. Enter RICHARD, in pomp, as KING; BUCKINGHAM,
CATESBY,
RATCLIFF, LOVEL, a PAGE, and others
KING RICHARD.
Stand all apart. Cousin of Buckingham!
Everyone stand aside. Cousin Buckingham!
BUCKINGHAM.
My gracious sovereign?
My sweet King?
KING RICHARD.
Give me thy hand.
[Here he ascendeth the throne. Sound]
Thus high, by thy advice
And thy assistance, is King Richard seated.
But shall we wear these glories for a day;
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?
Give me your hand.
[He climbs onto the throne. Trumpets.]
So King Richard is seated on high
on your advice and with your help.
But shall I have this glory for a day,
or will it last for me to enjoy it?
BUCKINGHAM.
Still live they, and for ever let them last!
They are still living, and let them live forever!
KING RICHARD.
Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the touch,
To try if thou be current gold indeed.
Young Edward lives-think now what I would speak.
Ah, Buckingham, now I'm going to test
you to see if you are really true.
Young Edward is alive–what do you think I'm going to say?
BUCKINGHAM.
Say on, my loving lord.
Keep talking, my dear lord.
KING RICHARD.
Why, Buckingham, I say I would be King.
Why, Buckingham, I say I want to be king.
BUCKINGHAM.
Why, so you are, my thrice-renowned lord.
Well, you are, my triply famous lord.
KING RICHARD.
Ha! am I King? 'Tis so; but Edward lives.
Ha! Am I king? I am; but Edward is alive.
BUCKINGHAM.
True, noble Prince.
True, noble Prince.
KING RICHARD.
O bitter consequence:
That Edward still should live-true noble Prince!
Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull.
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead,
And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
What say'st thou now? Speak suddenly, be brief.
This is what I find so horrible:
that Edward should still be alive, a true noble Prince!
Cousin, you're not usually so dull-witted.
Shall I be clear? I want the bastards dead,
and I want it done quickly.
Now what you say? Speak quickly, be brief.
BUCKINGHAM.
Your Grace may do your pleasure.
Your grace may do as he wishes.
KING RICHARD.
Tut, tut, thou art all ice; thy kindness freezes.
Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?
Tut tut, you are like ice; your kindness is freezing.
Tell me if you agree that they shall die?
BUCKINGHAM.
Give me some little breath, some pause,
dear Lord,
Before I positively speak in this.
I will resolve you herein presently.
Give me a little breathing space, a pause, dear lord,
before I give you a definitive answer.
I shall do that shortly.
Exit
CATESBY.
[Aside to another]The King is angry; see, he
gnaws his lip.
The King is angry; look, he's chewing his lip.
KING RICHARD.
I will converse with iron-witted fools
[Descends from the throne]
And unrespective boys; none are for me
That look into me with considerate eyes.
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
Boy!
I have to talk to stupid fools
and disrespectful boys; there's nobody on my side
who looks at me with prudent eyes.
Haughty Buckingham is becoming cautious.
Boy!
PAGE.
My lord?
My lord?
KING RICHARD.
Know'st thou not any whom corrupting
gold
Will tempt unto a close exploit of death?
Don't you know anyone who can be bribed with gold
to commit murder?
PAGE.
I know a discontented gentleman
Whose humble means match not his haughty spirit.
Gold were as good as twenty orators,
And will, no doubt, tempt him to anything.
I know a discontented gentleman
who does not have the money to match his arrogant spirit.
To him gold is as persuasive as
twenty orators, and I've nodoubt he'll do anything for it.
KING RICHARD.
What is his name?
What is his name?
PAGE.
His name, my lord, is Tyrrel.
His name, my lord, is Tyrrel.
KING RICHARD.
I partly know the man. Go, call him hither,
boy. Exit PAGE
The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
No more shall be the neighbour to my counsels.
Hath he so long held out with me, untir'd,
And stops he now for breath? Well, be it so.
Enter STANLEY
How now, Lord Stanley! What's the news?
I know something of the man. Go and summon him here, boy.
The plotting and clever Buckingham
shall no longer be my confidant.
How has he kept up with me for so long, without tiring,
that now he wants to pause for breath? Well, so be it.
Hello there, Lord Stanley! What's the news?
STANLEY.
Know, my loving lord,
The Marquis Dorset, as I hear, is fled
To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.
You should know, my dear lord,
that the Marquis Dorset, so I hear, has run
to Richmond, in the country where he lives.
[Stands apart]
KING RICHARD.
Come hither, Catesby. Rumour it abroad
That Anne, my wife, is very grievous sick;
I will take order for her keeping close.
Inquire me out some mean poor gentleman,
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 queen, is sick and like to die.
About it; for it stands me much upon
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
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?
Come here, Catesby. Put round a rumour
that Anne, my wife, is very seriously ill;
I will order her to be confined.
Find me some lowborn gentleman,
and I will marry him at once to Clarence's daughter–
the boy is stupid, and I am not afraid of him.
Pull yourself together! I'm telling you, te
ll people
that Anne, my queen, is ill and looks like dying.
Get on with it; it's very necessary for me
to nip in the bud the hopes of anyone who can damage me.
I must marry my brother's daughter,
or otherwise my kingdom is on quicksand.
To murder her brothers, and then marry her–
it's not a certain way of winning! But I have shed
so much blood that one sin will assist another;
there are no tears of pity in these eyes.
Is your name Tyrrel?
TYRREL.
James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.
James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.
KING RICHARD.
Art thou, indeed?
Are you, really?
TYRREL.
Prove me, my gracious lord.
Test me, my gracious lord.
KING RICHARD.
Dar'st'thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?
Would you dare to agree to kill a friend of mine?
TYRREL.
Please you;
But I had rather kill two enemies.
If you wanted;
but I would rather kill two enemies.
KING RICHARD.
Why, then thou hast it. Two deep enemies,
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.
Well, then you have your wish. Two great enemies,
disturbers of my sleep, enemies of my rest,
are the ones I want you to do this to.
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.
Give me the opportunity to get at them,
and soon you won't have to worry about them any more.
KING RICHARD.
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 for it.
You're singing sweet music. Listen, come here, Tyrrel.
Go, with this token. Get up, and listen. [Whispers]
That's all there is to it: once you tell me it's done
I will love you and promote you for it.
TYRREL.
I will dispatch it straight.
I'll do it at once.
Exit
Re-enter BUCKINGHAM
BUCKINGHAM.
My lord, I have consider'd in my mind
The late request that you did sound me in.
My Lord, I have been thinking about
the matter you recently asked me about.
KING RICHARD.
Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to
Richmond.
Don't worry about that. Dorset has fled to Richmond.
BUCKINGHAM.
I hear the news, my lord.
I heard the news, my lord.
KING RICHARD.
Stanley, he is your wife's son: well, look
unto it.
Stanley, Richmond is your wife's son: deal with it.
BUCKINGHAM.
My lord, I claim the gift, my due by promise,
For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd:
Th' earldom of Hereford and the movables
Which you have promised I shall possess.
My lord, I claim the gift, which you promised to me,
the price of your honour and your faith:
the earldom of Hereford and the portable possessions
which you promised I should have.
KING RICHARD.
Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey
Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.
Stanley, watch out for your wife; if shesends
letters to Richmond, you shall pay for it.
BUCKINGHAM.
What says your Highness to my just request?
What does your Highness say to my fair request?
KING RICHARD.
I do remember me: Henry the Sixth
Did prophesy that Richmond should be King,
When Richmond was a little peevish boy.
A king!-perhaps-
I call to mind that Henry the sixth
prophesied that Richmond should be king,
when Richmond was just a little brat.
A king!–Perhaps–
BUCKINGHAM.
My lord-
My lord–
KING RICHARD.
How chance the prophet could not at that
time
Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?
Why didn't the prophet tell me at that time
as I was standing by, that I would kill him?
BUCKINGHAM.
My lord, your promise for the earldom-
My lord, you promised me the earldom–
KING RICHARD.
Richmond! When last I was at Exeter,
The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle
And call'd it Rugemount, at which name I started,
Because a bard of Ireland told me once
I should not live long after I saw Richmond.
Richmond! Last time I was at Exeter
the mayor, out of courtesy, showed me the castle
and called it Rougemont, and the name made me jump,
because an Irish poet once told me
that I would not live for long after I had seen Richmond.
BUCKINGHAM.
My lord-
My Lord–
KING RICHARD.
Ay, what's o'clock?
Yes, what's the time?
BUCKINGHAM.
I am thus bold to put your Grace in mind
Of what you promis'd me.
I should like to remind your Grace
of what you promised me.
KING RICHARD.
Well, but o'clock?
Yes, but what's the time?
BUCKINGHAM.
Upon the stroke of ten.
Just coming up to ten.
KING RICHARD.
Well, let it strike.
Well, let it strike.
BUCKINGHAM.
Why let it strike?
Why let it strike?
KING RICHARD.
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.
Because you're like a bell that's ringing
between your begging and my thoughts.
I am not in the mood for giving today.
BUCKINGHAM.
May it please you to resolve me in my suit.
Could you please grant what I ask.
KING RICHARD.
Thou troublest me; I am not in the vein.
You're bothering me; I'm not in the mood.
Exeunt all but Buckingham
BUCKINGHAM.
And is it thus? Repays he my deep service
With such contempt? Made I him King for this?
O, let me think on Hastings, and be gone
To Brecknock while my fearful head is on!
That's it, is it? He's repaying my great service
with contempt? Did I make him king for this?
O, let me remember Hastings, and go
to Brecknock while I still have my fearful head!
Exit
London. The palace
Enter TYRREL
TYRREL.
The tyrannous and bloody act is done,
The most arch deed of piteous massacre
That ever yet this land was guilty of.
Dighton and Forrest, who I did suborn
To do this piece of ruthless butchery,
Albeit they were flesh'd villains, bloody dogs,
Melted with tenderness and mild compassion,
Wept like two children in their deaths' sad story.
'O, thus' quoth Dighton 'lay the gentle babes'-
'Thus, thus,' quoth Forrest 'girdling one another
Within their alabaster innocent arms.
Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,
And in their summer beauty kiss'd each other.
A book of prayers on their pillow lay;
Which once,' quoth Forrest 'almost chang'd my mind;
But, O, the devil'-there the villain stopp'd;
When Dighton thus told on: 'We smothered
The most replenished sweet work of nature
That from the prime creation e'er she framed.'
Hence both are gone with conscience and remorse
They could not speak; and so I left them both,
To bear this tidings to the bloody King.
Enter KING RICHARD
And here he comes. All health, my sovereign lord!
The terrible and bloody act is done;
the most shocking deed of pitiful slaughter
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 53