Lieut. Right well.-Dear Madam; by your patience I may not fuffer you to vifit them;

The King hath ftrictly charg'd the contrary.
Queen. The King? who's that?

Lieut. I mean, the Lord Protector.

Queen. The Lord protect him from that kingly title! Hath he fet bounds between their love and me? I am their mother, who shall bar me from them? Dutch. I am their father's mother. I will fee them. Anne. Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother: Then bring me to their fights, I'll bear thy blame, And take thy office from thee on my peril.

Lieut. No, madam, no, I may not leave it fo. I'm bound by oath, and therefore pardon me.

Enter Stanley.

Exit Lietit.

Stanl. Let me but meet you, Ladies, one hour hence, And I'll falute your Grace of York as mother And rev'rend looker on of two fair Queens. -Come, Madam, you must ftrait to Westminster,

[To the Dutchess of Gloucester.

There to be crowned Richard's royal Queen.
Queen. Ah, cut my lace afunder,

That my pent heart may have fome feope to beat,
Or elfe I fwoon with this dead killing news!

Anne. Defpightful tidings, O unpleafing news!
Dor. Be of good chear. Mother, how fares your
Grace?

Queen. O Dorfer, speak not to me, get thee hence,
Death and deftruction dog thee at thy heels,
Thy mother's name is ominous to children.
If thou wilt outstrip death, go cross the feas;
And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell
Go, hye thee, hye thee from this flaughter-houfe,
Left thou increafe the number of the dead;
And make me die the thrall of Margaret's curfe ;
Nor mother, wife, nor England's counted Queen.

I

may

not leave it fo.] That is, I may not so refign my office, which you offer to take on you at your peril.

Stanl

Stanl. Full of wife care is this your counfel, Madam.

-Take all the swift advantage of the time;

In

You fhall have letters from me to my fon
your behalf, to meet you on the way:
Be not ta'en tardy by unwife delay.

Dutch. O ill-difperfing wind of mifery!--
O my accurfed womb, the bed of death,
A cockatrice haft thou hatch'd to the world,
Whofe unavoided eye is murderous.

Stanl. Come, Madam, come, I in all hafte was fent.
Anne. And I with all unwillingness will go.
O, 'would to God, that the inclusive verge
Of golden metal, that must round my
brow,
Were red hot fteel, to fear me to the brain!
Anointed let me be with deadly venom,
And die, ere men can fay, God fave thee Queen!
Queen. Go, go, poor foul, I envy not thy glory;
To feed my humour, with thyfelf no harm.

Anne. No! why?

band now,

When he, that is my huf

Came to me, as I follow'd Henry's coarse,

When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his

hands,

Which iffu'd from my other angel husband,

And that dear Saint, which then I weeping follow'd, O when, I fay, I look'd on Ricbard's face,

This was my wifh; "Be thou, quoth I, accurs'd, "For making me fo young, fo old a widow!

"And when thou wed'ft, let forrow haunt thy bed;;

"And be thy wife, if any be fo mad,

"More miferable by the life of thee,

"Than thou haft made me by my dear Lord's death!"

Lo, ere I can repeat this curfe again,

Within fo fmall a time, my woman's heart

Grofly grew captive to his honey words,

And prov'd the fubject of mine own foul's curfe,.
Which ever fince hath held mine eyes from reft.
For never yet one hour in his bed

Did I enjoy the golden dew of fleep,.

But

But with his tim'rous dreams was still awak'd. (6)
Befide, he hates me for my father Warwick
And will, no doubt, fhortly be rid of me.

Queen. Poor heart, adieu, I pity thy complaining. Anne. No more than with my foul I mourn for yours.

Dor. Farewel, thou woful welcomer of Glory! Anne. Adieu, poor foul, that tak'ft thy leave of it! Dutch. Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee! [To Dorfet. Go thou to Richard, and good Angels tend thee!

[To Anne.

Go thou to Sanctuary, good thoughts poffefs thee!
[To the Queen.
I to my grave, where peace and reft lie with me!
Eighty odd years of forrow have I feen,

And each hour's joy wreck'd with a week of teen.
Queen. Stay; yet look back, with me, unto the
Tower.

Pity, you ancient ftones, those tender babes,
Whom envy hath immur'd within your walls!
Rough cradle for fuch little pretty ones!
*Rude ragged nurfe! old fullen play-fellow,
For tender Princes! ufe my babies well!

So foolish forrow bids your ftones farewel. [Exeunt. †

SCENE II.

Changes to the Court.

Flourish of Trumpets. Enter Gloucester as King,
Buckingham, Catesby.

K. Rich. Stand all apart-Coufin of Buckingham-
Buck. My gracious Sovereign!

(6) But with his tim'rous dreams,] 'Tis recorded by Polydore Virgil, that Richard was frequently difturbed y terrible dreams: this is therefore no fiction.

*To call the Tower nurse and playfellow is very harth: perhaps part of this fpeech is addreffed to the Tower, and part to the Lieutenant.

Hither the third act should be extended, and here it very properly ends with a pause of action.

K. Rich.

K. Rich. Give me thy hand. Thus high, by thy advice, And thy affiftance, is King Richard feated. Bnt shall we wear thefe glories for a day? Or fhall they laft, and we rejoice in them? Buck. Still live they, and for ever let them laft! K. Rich. Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the touch,(7) Το try if thou be current gold, indeed.

Young Edward lives-think now, what I would speak. Buck. Say on, my loving Lord.

K. Rich. Why, Buckingham, I fay, I would be King. Buck. Why, fo you are, my thrice-renowned Liege. K. Rich. Ha! am I King? 'tis fo- -but Edward

lives

Buck. True, noble Prince.

K. Rich. O bitter confequence!

That Edward still should live-true, noble Prince. -
Coufin, thou wert not wont to be fo dull.

-Shall I be plain? I with the baftards dead;
And I would have it fuddenly perform'd.
What fay'ft thou now? Speak fuddenly, be brief.
Buck. Your grace may do your pleasure.

K. Rich. Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezes :

Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?

Buck. Give me fome breath, fome little paufe, dear

Lord,

Before I pofitively speak in this;

I will refolve your Grace immediately.

[Exit Buck.

Catef. The King is angry; fee, he gnaws his lip.
K. Rich. I will converfe with iron-witted fools,
And unrefpective boys; none are for me,
That look into me with confiderate eyes.
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumfpect.
Boy,

Page. My Lord.

K. Rich. Know'st thou not any, whom corrupting gold (7) Ab! Buckingham, now do I play the Touch,] The technical Term is requifite here. The poet wrote,

now do I ply the touch.

i. e. apply the touchstone: for that is meant by what he calls touch. So, again, in Timon of Athens, fpeaking of Gold, he fays; O, thou touch of bearts! i. e. thou trial, touchftone.

WARBURTON,

Would

Would tempt unto a * close exploit of death?
Page. I know a difcontented Gentleman,
Whole humble means match not his haughty spirit;
Gold were as good as twenty orators,

And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.
K. Rich What is his name?

Page. His name, my Lord, is Tirrel.

K. Rich. I partly know the man; go call him hi

ther.

-The deep-revolving, witty Buckingham

[Exit Boy.

No more fhall be the neighbour to my counfels.
Hath he fo long held out with me untir'd,
And ftops he now for breath ?well, be it so.
Enter Stanley.

How now, Lord Stanley, what's the news?
Stanl. My Lord,

The Marquis Dorfet, as I hear, is fled

To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.

K. Rich. Come hither, Catesby; rumour is abroad, That Anne my wife it fick, and like to die. I will take order for her keeping close. Inquire me out fome mean-born gentleman, Whom I will marry ftraight to Clarence' daughter.The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.

Look, how thou dream'ftI fay again, give out,
That Anne my Queen is fick, and like to die.
About it; for it ftands me much upon

To ftop all hopes, whofe growth may damage me.
[Exit Catelby.
I must be married to my brother's daughter,
Or elfe my kingdom ftands on brittle glass.
Murder her brothers, and then marry her!
Uncertain way of gain! but I am in
So far in blood, that fin will pluck on fin.

Enter Tirrel.

Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.
Is thy name Tirrel?

Tir. James Tirrel, and your moft obedient fubject. K. Rich. Art thou, indeed? [He takes him afide. *Clofe exploit, is fecret act.