The Life and Death of King Richard III by William Shakespeare (books for men to read .TXT) 📕

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 here; but if she be obdurate
To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid
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:
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:
This 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;
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?

HASTINGS.
I go, my lord.

PRINCE.
Good lords, make all the speedy haste you may.

[Exeunt CARDINAL and HASTINGS.]

Say, uncle Gloster, if our brother come,
Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?

GLOSTER.
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.
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.
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,
Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
As 'twere retail'd to all posterity,
Even to the general all-ending day.

GLOSTER.
[Aside.]
So wise so young, they say, do never live long.

PRINCE.
What say you, uncle?

GLOSTER.
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,
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?

PRINCE.
An 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.

GLOSTER.
[Aside.]
Short summers lightly have a forward spring.

BUCKINGHAM.
Now, in good time, here comes the Duke of York.

[Enter YORK, HASTINGS, and the CARDINAL.]

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.

GLOSTER.
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.

GLOSTER.
He hath, my lord.

YORK.
And therefore is he idle?

GLOSTER.
O, my fair cousin, I must not say so.

YORK.
Then he is more beholding to you than I.

GLOSTER.
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.

GLOSTER.
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.

GLOSTER.
A greater gift than that I'll give my cousin.

YORK.
A greater gift! O, that's the sword to it!

GLOSTER.
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.

GLOSTER.
It is too heavy for your grace to wear.

YORK.
I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.

GLOSTER.
What, would you have my weapon, little lord?

YORK.
I would, that I might thank you as you call me.

GLOSTER.
How?

YORK.
Little.

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,
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.

GLOSTER.
My lord, wil'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?

PRINCE.
My lord protector needs will have it so.

YORK.
I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower.

GLOSTER.
Why, what should you fear?

YORK.
Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghost:
My grandam told me he was murder'd there.

PRINCE.
I fear no uncles dead.

GLOSTER.
Nor none that live, I hope.

PRINCE.
An if they live, I hope I need not fear.
But come, my lord; and with a heavy heart,
Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.

[Sennet. Exeunt PRINCE, YORK, HASTINGS, CARDINAL, and
Attendants.]

BUCKINGHAM.
Think you, my lord, this little prating York
Was not incensed by his subtle mother
To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?

GLOSTER.
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 urg'd upon the way; -
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
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;
And summon him to-morrow to the Tower,
To sit about the coronation.
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 the talk,
And give us notice of his inclination:
For we to-morrow hold divided councils,
Wherein thyself shalt highly be employ'd.

GLOSTER.
Commend me to Lord William: tell him, Catesby,
His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries
To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret Castle;
And bid my lord, for joy of this good news,
Give Mistress 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.

GLOSTER.
Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?

CATESBY.
You shall, my lord.

GLOSTER.
At Crosby Place, there shall you find us both.

[Exit CATESBY.]

BUCKINGHAM.
Now, my lord, what shall we do if we perceive
Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?

GLOSTER.
Chop off his head. man; - somewhat we will do: -
And, look when I am king, claim thou of me
The earldom of Hereford, and all the movables
Whereof the king my brother was possess'd.

BUCKINGHAM.
I'll claim that promise at your grace's hand.

GLOSTER.
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.]


SCENE II. Before LORD HASTING'S house.

[Enter a MESSENGER.]

MESSENGER.
My lord, my lord! -
[Knocking.]

HASTINGS.
[Within.] Who knocks?

MESSENGER.
One from the Lord Stanley.

HASTINGS.
[Within.] What is't o'clock?

MESSENGER.
Upon the stroke of four.

[Enter HASTINGS.]

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.

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 held;
And that may be determin'd at the one
Which may make you and him to rue at the 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.

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 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;
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!

HASTINGS.
Good morrow, Catesby; you are early stirring:
What news, what news, in this our tottering 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.

HASTINGS.
How! wear the garland! dost thou mean the crown?

CATESBY.
Ay, my good lord.

HASTINGS.
I'll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders
Before I'll see the crown so foul misplac'd.
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.

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!

HASTINGS.
But I shall laugh at this a twelve month hence,