Richard III

Richard III

ACT III SCENE V	The Tower-walls.
	Enter GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM, in rotten armour,marvellous ill-favoured
GLOUCESTER	Come, cousin, canst thou quake, and change thy colour,
	Murder thy breath in the middle of a word,
	And then begin again, and stop again,
	As if thou wert distraught and mad with terror?	5
BUCKINGHAM	Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian;
	Speak and look back, and pry on every side,
	Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
	Intending deep suspicion: ghastly looks
	Are at my service, like enforced smiles;	10
	And both are ready in their offices,
	At any time, to grace my stratagems.
	But what, is Catesby gone?
GLOUCESTER	He is; and, see, he brings the mayor along.
	Enter the Lord Mayor and CATESBY
BUCKINGHAM	Lord mayor,--	15
GLOUCESTER	Look to the drawbridge there!
BUCKINGHAM	Hark! a drum.
GLOUCESTER	Catesby, o'erlook the walls.
BUCKINGHAM	Lord mayor, the reason we have sent--
GLOUCESTER	Look back, defend thee, here are enemies.	20
BUCKINGHAM	God and our innocency defend and guard us!
GLOUCESTER	Be patient, they are friends, Ratcliff and Lovel.
	Enter LOVEL and RATCLIFF, with HASTINGS' head
LOVEL	Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
	The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.
GLOUCESTER	So dear I loved the man, that I must weep.	25
	I took him for the plainest harmless creature
	That breathed upon this earth a Christian;
	Made him my book wherein my soul recorded
	The history of all her secret thoughts:
	So smooth he daub'd his vice with show of virtue,	30
	That, his apparent open guilt omitted,
	I mean, his conversation with Shore's wife,
	He lived from all attainder of suspect.
BUCKINGHAM	Well, well, he was the covert'st shelter'd traitor
	That ever lived.	35
	Would you imagine, or almost believe,
	Were't not that, by great preservation,
	We live to tell it you, the subtle traitor
	This day had plotted, in the council-house
	To murder me and my good Lord of Gloucester?	40
Lord Mayor	What, had he so?
GLOUCESTER	What, think You we are Turks or infidels?
	Or that we would, against the form of law,
	Proceed thus rashly to the villain's death,
	But that the extreme peril of the case,	45
	The peace of England and our persons' safety,
	Enforced us to this execution?
Lord Mayor	Now, fair befall you! he deserved his death;
	And you my good lords, both have well proceeded,
	To warn false traitors from the like attempts.	50
	I never look'd for better at his hands,
	After he once fell in with Mistress Shore.
GLOUCESTER	Yet had not we determined he should die,
	Until your lordship came to see his death;
	Which now the loving haste of these our friends,	55
	Somewhat against our meaning, have prevented:
	Because, my lord, we would have had you heard
	The traitor speak, and timorously confess
	The manner and the purpose of his treason;
	That you might well have signified the same	60
	Unto the citizens, who haply may
	Misconstrue us in him and wail his death.
Lord Mayor	But, my good lord, your grace's word shall serve,
	As well as I had seen and heard him speak
	And doubt you not, right noble princes both,	65
	But I'll acquaint our duteous citizens
	With all your just proceedings in this cause.
GLOUCESTER	And to that end we wish'd your lord-ship here,
	To avoid the carping censures of the world.
BUCKINGHAM	But since you come too late of our intents,	70
	Yet witness what you hear we did intend:
	And so, my good lord mayor, we bid farewell.
	Exit Lord Mayor
GLOUCESTER	Go, after, after, cousin Buckingham.
	The mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post:
	There, at your meet'st advantage of the time,	75
	Infer the bastardy of Edward's children:
	Tell them how Edward put to death a citizen,
	Only for saying he would make his son
	Heir to the crown; meaning indeed his house,
	Which, by the sign thereof was termed so.	80
	Moreover, urge his hateful luxury
	And bestial appetite in change of lust;
	Which stretched to their servants, daughters, wives,
	Even where his lustful eye or savage heart,
	Without control, listed to make his prey.	85
	Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person:
	Tell them, when that my mother went with child
	Of that unsatiate Edward, noble York
	My princely father then had wars in France
	And, by just computation of the time,	90
	Found that the issue was not his begot;
	Which well appeared in his lineaments,
	Being nothing like the noble duke my father:
	But touch this sparingly, as 'twere far off,
	Because you know, my lord, my mother lives.	95
BUCKINGHAM	Fear not, my lord, I'll play the orator
	As if the golden fee for which I plead
	Were for myself: and so, my lord, adieu.
GLOUCESTER	If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard's Castle;
	Where you shall find me well accompanied	100
	With reverend fathers and well-learned bishops.
BUCKINGHAM	I go: and towards three or four o'clock
	Look for the news that the Guildhall affords.
	Exit BUCKINGHAM
GLOUCESTER	Go, Lovel, with all speed to Doctor Shaw;
	To CATESBY
	Go thou to Friar Penker; bid them both	105
	Meet me within this hour at Baynard's Castle.
	Exeunt all but GLOUCESTER
	Now will I in, to take some privy order,
	To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight;
	And to give notice, that no manner of person
	At any time have recourse unto the princes.	110
	Exit