Enter on one side, QUEEN ELIZABETH, DUCHESS OF YORK, and MARQUIS OF DUCH. Who meets us here?-my niecea Plantagenet, ANNE. God give your graces both A happy and a joyful time of day! ■ Niece-grand-daughter. In 'Othello' nephews are put for grandchildren. Q. ELIZ. As much to you, good sister! Whither away? To gratulate the gentle princes there. Q. ELIZ. Kind sister, thanks; we 'll enter all together: Enter BRAKENBURY. And, in good time, here the lieutenant comes. How doth the prince, and my young son of York? The king hath strictly charg'd the contrary. BRAK. Enter STANLEY. STAN. Let me but meet you, ladies, one hour hence, There to be crowned Richard's royal queen. Q. ELIZ. Ah, cut my lace asunder! [Exit BRAKENBURY. [To the DUCHESS OF GLOSTER. That my pent heart may have some scope to beat, Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news. ANNE. Despiteful tidings! O unpleasing news! And make me die the thrall of Margaret's curse,— STAN. Come, madam, come; I in all haste was sent. O, would to God that the inclusive verge And die, ere men can say-God save the queen! ANNE. No! why ?-When he that is my husband now When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his hands, And that dear saint which then I weeping follow'd; O, when, I say, I look'd on Richard's face, This was my wish,-" Be thou," quoth I, "accurs'd, For making me, so young, so old a widow ! And when thou wedd'st let sorrow haunt thy bed; And be thy wife (if any be so mad) More miserable by the life of thee, Than thou hast made me by my dear lord's death!" Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again, Within so small a time", my woman's heart And prov'd the subject of mine own soul's curse; a Dear, in the folio; the quartos, dead. So the folio; the quartos, even in so short a space. • We print this line as in the folio; in the quartos it stands "Which ever since hath kept my eyes from sleep." The plain course for the modern editors to have pursued would have been to take the line as it stands in one or the other edition, according to their belief in its authenticity. But in this, as in many other instances, they make up a text from each copy "Which ever since hath held mine eyes from rest.” For never yet one hour in his bed Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep, But with his timorous dreams was still awak'd. Q. ELIZ. Poor heart, adieu! I pity thy complaining. Go thou to Richard, and good angels tend thee! And each hour's joy wracked with a week of teena. [TO DORSET. [To ANNE. [To Q. ELIZABETH. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A room of State in the Palace. Flourish of trumpets. RICHARD, as King, upon his throne; BUCKINGHAM, K. RICH. Stand all apart. Cousin of Buckingham,— BUCK. My gracious sovereign. K. RICH. Give me thy hand. Thus high, by thy advice, BUCK. Still live they, and for ever let them last! a Teen-sorrow. This speech is not in the quartos. It bears the mark of Shakspere's later years, in its bold imagery. "Rude ragged nurse! old sullen playfellow!" possesses all the highest attribute of poetry-that of suggesting a long train of thought by some short and powerful allusion, far more effective than the most skilful elaboration. And yet Johnson with the most ludicrous solemnity says, "To call the Tower nurse and playfellow is very harsh: perhaps part of this speech is addressed to the Tower, and part to the Lieutenant." • Touch-touchstone. To try if thou be current gold, indeed: Young Edward lives:-Think now what I would speak. K. RICH. Why, Buckingham, I say I would be king. K. RICH. Ha! am I king? "T is so: but Edward lives. That Edward still should live!-True, noble prince!- 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. BUCK. Your grace may do your pleasure. K. RICH. Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezes : BUCK. Give me some little breath, some pause, dear lorda, K. RICH. Know'st thou not any whom corrupting gold PAGE. I know a discontented gentleman, [Exit Веск. [Aside. [Descends from his throne. Whose humble means match not his haughty spirita: And will, no doubt, tempt him to anything. K. RICH. What is his name? PAGE. His name, my lord, is Tyrrel. K. RICH. I partly know the man: Go, call him hither, boy. с 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.— a So the folio; one of the quartos, "Give me some breath, some little pause, dear lord." b So the folio; the quartos, your grace immediately. Unrespective inconsiderate. In 'Romeo and Juliet' we have "Away to heaven respective lenity." Spirit, in the folio; the quartos, mind. [Exit PAGE. |