Richard III by William Shakespeare (good novels to read txt) 📕

short a space, my woman’s heart
Grossly grew captive to his honey words
And proved the subject of my own soul’s curse,
Which ever since hath kept my eyes from rest;
For never yet one hour in his bed
Have I enjoy’d the golden dew of sleep,
But have been waked by his timorous dreams.
Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick;
And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me. Queen Elizabeth Poor heart, adieu! I pity thy complaining. Anne No more than from my soul I mourn for yours. Queen Elizabeth Farewell, thou woeful welcomer of glory! Anne Adieu, poor soul, that takest thy leave of it! Duchess

To Dorset. Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee!
To Anne. Go thou to Richard, and good angels guard thee!
To Queen Elizabeth. Go thou to sanctuary, and good thoughts possess thee!
I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with me!
Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen,
And each hour’s joy wreck’d with a week of teen.

Queen Elizabeth

Stay, yet look back with me unto the Tower.
Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes
Whom envy hath immured within your walls!
Rough cradle for such little pretty ones!
Rude ragged nurse, old sullen playfellow
For tender princes, use my babies well!
So foolish sorrow bids your stones farewell. Exeunt.

Scene II

London. The palace.

Sennet. Enter Richard, in pomp, crowned; Buckingham, Catesby, a Page, and others. King Richard Stand all apart Cousin of Buckingham! Buckingham My gracious sovereign? King Richard

Give me thy hand. Here he ascendeth his throne. Thus high, by thy advice
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

O Buckingham, now do I play the touch,
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 Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be king. Buckingham Why, so you are, my thrice renowned liege. King Richard Ha! am I king? ’tis so: but Edward lives. Buckingham True, noble prince. King Richard

O bitter consequence,
That Edward still should live! “True, noble prince!”
Cousin, thou wert not wont to be so dull:
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

Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezeth:
Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?

Buckingham

Give me some breath, some little pause, my lord,
Before I positively speak herein:
I will resolve your grace immediately. Exit.

Catesby Aside to a stander by. The king is angry: see, he bites the lip. King Richard

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.
Boy!

Page My lord? King Richard

Know’st thou not any whom corrupting gold
Would tempt unto a close exploit of death?

Page

My lord, I know a discontented gentleman,
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 What is his name? Page His name, my lord, is Tyrrel. King Richard

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. 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 Catesby! Catesby My lord? King Richard

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,
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,
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? Tyrrel James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject. King Richard Art thou, indeed? Tyrrel Prove me, my gracious sovereign. King Richard Darest thou resolve to kill a friend of mine? Tyrrel

Ay, my lord;
But I had rather kill two enemies.

King Richard

Why, there 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.

Tyrrel

Let me have open means to come to them,
And soon I’ll rid you from the fear of them.

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 too.

Tyrrel ’Tis done, my gracious lord. King Richard 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 Well, let that pass. Dorset is fled to Richmond. Buckingham I hear that news, my lord. King Richard 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
The which you promised I should possess.

King Richard

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

As I remember, Henry the Sixth
Did prophesy that Richmond should be king,
When Richmond was a little peevish