K. RICH. Ev'n he that makes her queen; who else

fhould be ?

QUEEN. What, thou!

K. RICH. Even fo; how think you of it?
QUEEN. How canft thou woo her?

K. RICH. I would learn of you,

As one being best acquainted with her humour.
QUEEN. And wilt thou learn of me?

K. RICH. With all my heart.

QUEEN. Send to her, by the man that flew her brothers
A pair of bleeding hearts; thereon engrave
Edward and York; then haply will she weep:
Therefore present to her, as fometime Margret
Did to thy father, steept in Rutland's blood,
A handkerchief; which fay to her, did drain
The purple tide from her sweet brothers' bodies,
And bid her wipe her weeping eyes therewith.
If this inducement move her not to love,
Send her a letter of thy noble deeds;

Tell her, thou mad'it away her uncle Clarence,
Her uncle Rivers; ay, and for her fake,

Mad'ft quick conveyance with her good aunt Anne.
K. RICH. You mock me, madam; this is not the
To win your daughter.

QUEEN. There's no other way,

Unless thou could'ft put on fome other shape,

And not be Richard that hath done all this.

way

K. RICH. Say, that I did all this for love of her. QUEEN. Nay then, indeed, the cannot chufe but hate thee; Having bought love with such a bloody spoil.

K. RICH. Look, what is done cannot be now amended; Men fhall deal unadvifedly fometimes,

Which after hours give leisure to repent of.
If I did take the kingdom from your fons,
To make amends, I'll give it to your daughter.
If I have kill'd the iffue of your womb,

To quicken your increase I will beget
Mine iffue of your blood, upon your daughter.
A grandam's name is little lefs in love,
Than is the doting title of a mother;
They are as children but one step below,
Even of your metal, of your very
blood:
Of all one pain, fave for a night of groans
Endur'd of her, for whom you bid like forrow.
Your children were vexation to your youth,
But mine fhall be a comfort to your age.
The lofs you have, is but a son being king;
And by that lofs your daughter is made queen.
I cannot make you what amends I would,
Therefore accept fuch kindness as I can.
Dorset your fon, that with a fearful foul
Leads difcontented steps in foreign foil,
This fair alliance quickly fhall call home
To high promotions and great dignity. .
The king, that calls your beauteous daughter wife,
Familiarly fhall call thy Dorfet brother.
Again thall you be mother to a king;
And all the ruins of diftrefsful times
Repair'd with double riches of content.
What! we have many goodly days to fee.
The liquid drops of tears, that you have shed,
Shall come again transform'd to orient pearl;
Advantaging their lone with intereft

Of ten times double gain of happiness.

Go then, my mother, to thy daughter go;
Make bold her bashful years with your experience
Prepare her ears to hear a wooer's tale;

Put in her tender heart th' afpiring flame
Of golden fov'reignty; acquaint the princess
With the fweet filent hours of marriage joys.
And when this arm of mine hath chastised
The petty rebel, dull-brain'd Buckingham,
Bound with triumphant garlands will I come,
And lead thy daughter to a conqueror's bed;
To whom I will retail my conquest won,
And she shall be fole victress; Cæfar's Cæfar.

QUEEN. What were I best to say, her father's brother
Would be her Lord? or fhall I fay, her uncle ?
Or he that flew her brothers, and her uncles?
Under what title fhall I woo for thee,

That God, the law, my honour, and her love,
Can make seem pleafing to her tender years?

K. RICH. Infer fair England's peace by this alliance.
QUEEN. Which she shall purchase with still lasting war.
K RICH. Tell her, the King, that may command, in-

treats

QUEEN. That at her hands, which the king's King for

bids.

K. RICH. Say, the hall he a high and mighty Queen.-
QUEEN. To wail her title, as her mother doth.
K. RICH. Say, I will love her everlastingly.
QUEEN. But how long shall that title, ever, last?
K. RICH. Sweetly in force, unto her fair life's end,
QUEEN. But how long, fairly, fhall her fweet life laft?
K. RICH. As long as heav'n and nature lengthen it.
QUEEN. As long as hell and Richard like of it.

K. RICH. Say I, her fov'reign am her subject now. QUEEN. But fhe, your fubject, loaths fuch fov'reignty. K. RICH. Be eloquent in my behalf to her.

QUEEN. An honest tale speeds beft, being plainly told. K. RICH. Then, in plain terms tell her my loving tale. QUEEN. Plain, and not honeft, is too harsh a stile. K. RICH. Your reafons are too shallow and too quick. QUEEN. O no, my reafons are too deep and dead; Two deep and dead poor infants in their grave; Harp on it ftill fhall I, till heart-strings break.

K. RICH. Harp not on that string, Madam; that is past. Now by my George, my garter, and my crownQUEEN. Profan'd, dishonour'd, and the third ufurp'd. K. RICH. I swear.'

QUEEN. By nothing, for this is no oath.

The George, profan'd, hath loft his holy honour;
The garter, blemish'd, pawn'd his knightly virtue
The crown, ufurp'd, difgrac'd his kingly glory.
If fomething thou wouldft fwear to be believ'd,
Swear then by fomething that thou haft not wrong'd.
K. RICH. Now by the world-

QUEEN. 'Tis full of thy foul wrongs.
K. RICH. My father's death-

QUEEN. Thy life hath that dishonour'd.
K. RICH. Then by myself.
QUEEN. Thyself thyself misusest.

K. RICH. Why then, by heav'n

QUEEN. Heav'n's wrong is most of all.

If thou didst fear to break an oath with heav'n,
The unity the king my husband made

Thou had'st not broken, nor my brothers dy'd.
If thou hadst fear'd to break an oath with heav'n,

Th' imperial metal circling now thy head
Had grac'd the tender temples of my child;
And both the princes had been breathing here;
Which now two tender bed-fellows for duft,
Thy broken faith hath made a prey to worms.
What canft thou fwear by now?

K. RICH. By time to come.

QUEEN. That thou haft wronged in the time o'erpast, For I myself have many tears to wash

Hereafter time, for time paft, wrong'd by thee.
The children live, whose fathers thou hast slaughter'd,
Ungovern'd youth, to wail it in their age.

The parents live, whofe children thou hast butcher'd,
Old wither'd plants, to wail it in their age.
Swear not by time to come, for that thou haft
Mifus'd ere us'd, by times ill-us'd o'er past.

K. RICH. As I intend to profper and repent,
So thrive I in my dangerous attempt
Of hoftile arms! myself, myfelf confound,
Heaven and fortune bar me happy hours,
Day yield me not thy light, nor night thy rest,
Be oppofite all planets of good luck

To my proceeding; if with pure heart's love,
Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,

I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter.
In her confifts my happinefs, and thine;
Without her, follows to myself and thee,
Herfelf, the land, and many a christian foul,
Death, defolation, ruin, and decay.

It cannot be avoided, but by this;
It will not be avoided, but by this'

Therefore, dear mother, (I must call you fo,)