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History of Richard III

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Act III, Scene 7

Baynard’s Castle.

       
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[Enter GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM, at several doors]

  • Duke of Buckingham. Now, by the holy mother of our Lord,
    The citizens are mum and speak not a word.
  • Duke of Buckingham. I did; with his contract with Lady Lucy,
    And his contract by deputy in France;
    The insatiate greediness of his desires,
    And his enforcement of the city wives;
    His tyranny for trifles; his own bastardy, 2210
    As being got, your father then in France,
    His resemblance, being not like the duke;
    Withal I did infer your lineaments,
    Being the right idea of your father,
    Both in your form and nobleness of mind; 2215
    Laid open all your victories in Scotland,
    Your dicipline in war, wisdom in peace,
    Your bounty, virtue, fair humility:
    Indeed, left nothing fitting for the purpose
    Untouch'd, or slightly handled, in discourse 2220
    And when mine oratory grew to an end
    I bid them that did love their country's good
    Cry 'God save Richard, England's royal king!'
  • Duke of Buckingham. No, so God help me, they spake not a word; 2225
    But, like dumb statues or breathing stones,
    Gazed each on other, and look'd deadly pale.
    Which when I saw, I reprehended them;
    And ask'd the mayor what meant this wilful silence:
    His answer was, the people were not wont 2230
    To be spoke to but by the recorder.
    Then he was urged to tell my tale again,
    'Thus saith the duke, thus hath the duke inferr'd;'
    But nothing spake in warrant from himself.
    When he had done, some followers of mine own, 2235
    At the lower end of the hall, hurl'd up their caps,
    And some ten voices cried 'God save King Richard!'
    And thus I took the vantage of those few,
    'Thanks, gentle citizens and friends,' quoth I;
    'This general applause and loving shout 2240
    Argues your wisdoms and your love to Richard:'
    And even here brake off, and came away.
  • Duke of Buckingham. The mayor is here at hand: intend some fear;
    Be not you spoke with, but by mighty suit:
    And look you get a prayer-book in your hand,
    And stand betwixt two churchmen, good my lord;
    For on that ground I'll build a holy descant: 2250
    And be not easily won to our request:
    Play the maid's part, still answer nay, and take it.
  • Duke of Buckingham. Go, go, up to the leads; the lord mayor knocks.
    [Exit GLOUCESTER]
    [Enter the Lord Mayor and Citizens]
    Welcome my lord; I dance attendance here;
    I think the duke will not be spoke withal. 2260
    [Enter CATESBY]
    Here comes his servant: how now, Catesby,
    What says he?
  • Sir William Catesby. My lord: he doth entreat your grace;
    To visit him to-morrow or next day: 2265
    He is within, with two right reverend fathers,
    Divinely bent to meditation;
    And no worldly suit would he be moved,
    To draw him from his holy exercise.
  • Duke of Buckingham. Return, good Catesby, to thy lord again; 2270
    Tell him, myself, the mayor and citizens,
    In deep designs and matters of great moment,
    No less importing than our general good,
    Are come to have some conference with his grace.

[Exit]

  • Duke of Buckingham. Ah, ha, my lord, this prince is not an Edward!
    He is not lolling on a lewd day-bed,
    But on his knees at meditation;
    Not dallying with a brace of courtezans, 2280
    But meditating with two deep divines;
    Not sleeping, to engross his idle body,
    But praying, to enrich his watchful soul:
    Happy were England, would this gracious prince
    Take on himself the sovereignty thereof: 2285
    But, sure, I fear, we shall ne'er win him to it.
  • Duke of Buckingham. I fear he will.
    [Re-enter CATESBY]
    How now, Catesby, what says your lord? 2290
  • Sir William Catesby. My lord,
    He wonders to what end you have assembled
    Such troops of citizens to speak with him,
    His grace not being warn'd thereof before:
    My lord, he fears you mean no good to him. 2295
  • Duke of Buckingham. Sorry I am my noble cousin should
    Suspect me, that I mean no good to him:
    By heaven, I come in perfect love to him;
    And so once more return and tell his grace.
    [Exit CATESBY] 2300
    When holy and devout religious men
    Are at their beads, 'tis hard to draw them thence,
    So sweet is zealous contemplation.
    [Enter GLOUCESTER aloft, between two Bishops.]
    CATESBY returns] 2305
  • Duke of Buckingham. Two props of virtue for a Christian prince,
    To stay him from the fall of vanity:
    And, see, a book of prayer in his hand,
    True ornaments to know a holy man. 2310
    Famous Plantagenet, most gracious prince,
    Lend favourable ears to our request;
    And pardon us the interruption
    Of thy devotion and right Christian zeal.
  • Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). My lord, there needs no such apology: 2315
    I rather do beseech you pardon me,
    Who, earnest in the service of my God,
    Neglect the visitation of my friends.
    But, leaving this, what is your grace's pleasure?
  • Duke of Buckingham. Even that, I hope, which pleaseth God above, 2320
    And all good men of this ungovern'd isle.
  • Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). I do suspect I have done some offence
    That seems disgracious in the city's eyes,
    And that you come to reprehend my ignorance.
  • Duke of Buckingham. You have, my lord: would it might please your grace, 2325
    At our entreaties, to amend that fault!
  • Duke of Buckingham. Then know, it is your fault that you resign
    The supreme seat, the throne majestical,
    The scepter'd office of your ancestors, 2330
    Your state of fortune and your due of birth,
    The lineal glory of your royal house,
    To the corruption of a blemished stock:
    Whilst, in the mildness of your sleepy thoughts,
    Which here we waken to our country's good, 2335
    This noble isle doth want her proper limbs;
    Her face defaced with scars of infamy,
    Her royal stock graft with ignoble plants,
    And almost shoulder'd in the swallowing gulf
    Of blind forgetfulness and dark oblivion. 2340
    Which to recure, we heartily solicit
    Your gracious self to take on you the charge
    And kingly government of this your land,
    Not as protector, steward, substitute,
    Or lowly factor for another's gain; 2345
    But as successively from blood to blood,
    Your right of birth, your empery, your own.
    For this, consorted with the citizens,
    Your very worshipful and loving friends,
    And by their vehement instigation, 2350
    In this just suit come I to move your grace.
  • Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). I know not whether to depart in silence,
    Or bitterly to speak in your reproof.
    Best fitteth my degree or your condition
    If not to answer, you might haply think 2355
    Tongue-tied ambition, not replying, yielded
    To bear the golden yoke of sovereignty,
    Which fondly you would here impose on me;
    If to reprove you for this suit of yours,
    So season'd with your faithful love to me. 2360
    Then, on the other side, I cheque'd my friends.
    Therefore, to speak, and to avoid the first,
    And then, in speaking, not to incur the last,
    Definitively thus I answer you.
    Your love deserves my thanks; but my desert 2365
    Unmeritable shuns your high request.
    First if all obstacles were cut away,
    And that my path were even to the crown,
    As my ripe revenue and due by birth
    Yet so much is my poverty of spirit, 2370
    So mighty and so many my defects,
    As I had rather hide me from my greatness,
    Being a bark to brook no mighty sea,
    Than in my greatness covet to be hid,
    And in the vapour of my glory smother'd. 2375
    But, God be thank'd, there's no need of me,
    And much I need to help you, if need were;
    The royal tree hath left us royal fruit,
    Which, mellow'd by the stealing hours of time,
    Will well become the seat of majesty, 2380
    And make, no doubt, us happy by his reign.
    On him I lay what you would lay on me,
    The right and fortune of his happy stars;
    Which God defend that I should wring from him!
  • Duke of Buckingham. My lord, this argues conscience in your grace; 2385
    But the respects thereof are nice and trivial,
    All circumstances well considered.
    You say that Edward is your brother's son:
    So say we too, but not by Edward's wife;
    For first he was contract to Lady Lucy— 2390
    Your mother lives a witness to that vow—
    And afterward by substitute betroth'd
    To Bona, sister to the King of France.
    These both put by a poor petitioner,
    A care-crazed mother of a many children, 2395
    A beauty-waning and distressed widow,
    Even in the afternoon of her best days,
    Made prize and purchase of his lustful eye,
    Seduced the pitch and height of all his thoughts
    To base declension and loathed bigamy 2400
    By her, in his unlawful bed, he got
    This Edward, whom our manners term the prince.
    More bitterly could I expostulate,
    Save that, for reverence to some alive,
    I give a sparing limit to my tongue. 2405
    Then, good my lord, take to your royal self
    This proffer'd benefit of dignity;
    If non to bless us and the land withal,
    Yet to draw forth your noble ancestry
    From the corruption of abusing times, 2410
    Unto a lineal true-derived course.
  • Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Alas, why would you heap these cares on me? 2415
    I am unfit for state and majesty;
    I do beseech you, take it not amiss;
    I cannot nor I will not yield to you.
  • Duke of Buckingham. If you refuse it,—as, in love and zeal,
    Loath to depose the child, Your brother's son; 2420
    As well we know your tenderness of heart
    And gentle, kind, effeminate remorse,
    Which we have noted in you to your kin,
    And egally indeed to all estates,—
    Yet whether you accept our suit or no, 2425
    Your brother's son shall never reign our king;
    But we will plant some other in the throne,
    To the disgrace and downfall of your house:
    And in this resolution here we leave you.—
    Come, citizens: 'zounds! I'll entreat no more. 2430

[Exit BUCKINGHAM with the Citizens]

  • Another. Do, good my lord, lest all the land do rue it.
  • Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Would you enforce me to a world of care? 2435
    Well, call them again. I am not made of stone,
    But penetrable to your. kind entreats,
    Albeit against my conscience and my soul.
    [Re-enter BUCKINGHAM and the rest]
    Cousin of Buckingham, and you sage, grave men, 2440
    Since you will buckle fortune on my back,
    To bear her burthen, whether I will or no,
    I must have patience to endure the load:
    But if black scandal or foul-faced reproach
    Attend the sequel of your imposition, 2445
    Your mere enforcement shall acquittance me
    From all the impure blots and stains thereof;
    For God he knows, and you may partly see,
    How far I am from the desire thereof.
  • Duke of Buckingham. Then I salute you with this kingly title:
    Long live Richard, England's royal king!
  • Duke of Buckingham. To-morrow, then, we will attend your grace:
    And so most joyfully we take our leave.

[Exeunt]