Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes,
Whom envy hath immur'd within your walls!
Rough cradle for such little pretty ones!
Rude ragged nurse! old sullen play-fellow
For tender princes, use my babies well!
So foolish sorrow bids your stones farewell. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-A Room of State in the Palace.

Flourish of Trumpets. RICHARD, as King, upon his throne; BUCKINGHAM, CATESBY, a page, and others. K. Rich. Stand all apart. -Cousin of Bucking

ham,

Buck. My gracious sovereign.

K. Rich. Give me thy hand. Thus high, by thy

advice,

And thy assistance, is king Richard seated :-
But shall we wear these glories for a day?
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?

Buck. Still live they, and for ever let them last!
K. Rich. Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the touch,
To 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 say, I would be king. Buck. Why, so you are, my thrice-renowned liege. K. Rich. Ha! am I king? 'Tis so: but Edward

lives.

Buck. True, noble prince.

K. Rich. O bitter consequence,

That Edward still should live, true, noble prince!Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull :

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 :

Say, have I thy consent, that they shall die?

Buck. Give me some breath, some little pause, dear

lord,

Before I positively speak in this :
I will resolve your grace immediately.

[Exit BUCKINGHAM.

Cate. The king is angry; see, he gnaws his lip.

[Aside.

K. Rich. I will converse with iron-witted fools,

[Descends from his throne.

And unrespective boys; none are for me,

That look into me with considerate eyes;-
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.-
Boy,

Page. My lord.

K. Rich. Know'st thou not any, whom corrupting

gold

Would tempt unto a close exploit of death?

Page. 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.

K. Rich. What is his name?

Page. His name, my lord, is-Tyrrel.

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

ther, boy.

[Exit Page.

The deep-revolving witty Buckingham

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.

Enter STANLEY.

How now, lord Stanley? what's the news?
Stan. Know, my loving lord,

The marquis Dorset, as I hear, is fled

To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.

K. Rich. Come hither, Catesby: rumour it abroad,
That Anne, my wife, is very grievous sick;
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 queen, 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?

Tyr. James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.
K. Rich. Art thou, indeed?

2

Tyr. Prove me, my gracious lord. K. Rich. Dar'st thou resolve to kill a friend of mine? Tyr. Please you; but I had rather kill two enemies. K. Rich. Why, then 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. Tyr. Let me have open means to come to them, And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them.

K. Rich. Thou sing'st sweet musick. Hark, come hither, Tyrrel;

Go, by this token :-Rise, and lend thine ear:

There is no more but so :-Say, it is done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee for it.
Tyr. I will despatch it straight.

Re-enter BuUCKINGHAM.

[Whispers.

[Exit.

Buck. My lord, I have consider'd in my mind

The late demand that you did sound me in.

K. Rich. Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to Rich

mond.

Buck. I hear the news, my lord.

K. Rich. Stanley, he is your wife's son :-Well, look

to it.

Buck. My lord, I claim the gift, my due by promise, For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd; The earldom of Hereford, and the moveables, Which you have promised I shall possess.

K. Rich. Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

Buck. What says your highness to my just request? K. Rich. I do remember me,-Henry the sixth

Did prophecy, that Richmond should be king,
When Richmond was a little peevish boy.
A king!-perhaps-

Buck. My lord,

K. Rich. How chance, the prophet could not at that

time

Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him ?
Buck. My lord, your promise for the earldom,-
K. Rich. Richmond! - When last I was at Exeter,
The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle,
And call'd it-Rouge-mont: at which name I started :
Because a bard of Ireland told me once,

I should not live long after I saw Richmond.

Buck. My lord, —

K. Rich. Ay, what's o'clock?

Buck. I am thus bold

To put your grace in mind of what you promis'd me. K. Rich. Well, but what is't o'clock?

Buck. Upon the stroke

Of ten.

K. Rich. Well, let it strike.

Buck. Why, let it strike ?

K. Rich. Because that, like a Jack, thou keep'st the

stroke

Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.

I am not in the giving vein to-day.

Buck. Why, then resolve me whe'r you will, or no. K. Rich. Thou troublest me; I am not in the vein. [Exeunt King RICHARD and train.

Buck. And is it thus? repays he my deep service

With such contempt? Made I him king for this?