Act IV, Scene 2

London. The palace.

[Sennet. Enter KING RICHARD III, in pomp, crowned; BUCKINGHAM, CATESBY, a page, and others]

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Stand all apart Cousin of Buckingham!

• Duke of Buckingham. My gracious sovereign?

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Give me thy hand.
  [Here he ascendeth his throne]
  Thus high, by thy advice 2585
  And thy assistance, is King Richard seated;
  But shall we wear these honours for a day?
  Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?

• Duke of Buckingham. Still live they and for ever may they last!

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). O Buckingham, now do I play the touch, 2590
  To try if thou be current gold indeed
  Young Edward lives: think now what I would say.

• Duke of Buckingham. Say on, my loving lord.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be king,

• Duke of Buckingham. Why, so you are, my thrice renowned liege. 2595

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Ha! am I king? 'tis so: but Edward lives.

• Duke of Buckingham. True, noble prince.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). O bitter consequence,
  That Edward still should live! 'True, noble prince!'
  Cousin, thou wert not wont to be so dull: 2600
  Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
  And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
  What sayest thou? speak suddenly; be brief.

• Duke of Buckingham. Your grace may do your pleasure.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezeth: 2605
  Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?

• Duke of Buckingham. Give me some breath, some little pause, my lord
  Before I positively herein:
  I will resolve your grace immediately.

[Exit]

• Sir William Catesby. [Aside to a stander by]
  The king is angry: see, he bites the lip.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). I will converse with iron-witted fools
  And unrespective boys: none are for me
  That look into me with considerate eyes: 2615
  High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
  Boy!

• Page. My lord?

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Know'st thou not any whom corrupting gold
  Would tempt unto a close exploit of death? 2620

• Page. My lord, 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.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). What is his name? 2625

• Page. His name, my lord, is Tyrrel.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). I partly know the man: go, call him hither.
  [Exit Page]
  The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
  No more shall be the neighbour to my counsel: 2630
  Hath he so long held out with me untired,
  And stops he now for breath?
  [Enter STANLEY]
  How now! what news with you?

• Sir William Stanley. My lord, I hear the Marquis Dorset's fled 2635
  To Richmond, in those parts beyond the sea
  Where he abides.

[Stands apart]

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Catesby!

• Sir William Catesby. My lord? 2640

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Rumour it abroad
  That Anne, my wife, is sick and like to die:
  I will take order for her keeping close.
  Inquire me out some mean-born gentleman,
  Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter: 2645
  The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.
  Look, how thou dream'st! I say again, give out
  That Anne my wife is sick and like to die:
  About it; for it stands me much upon,
  To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me. 2650
  [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 2655
  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?

• Sir James Tyrrel. James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject. 2660

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Art thou, indeed?

• Sir James Tyrrel. Prove me, my gracious sovereign.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Darest thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?

• Sir James Tyrrel. Ay, my lord;
  But I had rather kill two enemies. 2665

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Why, there 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.

• Sir James Tyrrel. Let me have open means to come to them, 2670
  And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Thou sing'st sweet music. Hark, come hither, Tyrrel
  Go, by this token: rise, and lend thine ear:
  [Whispers]
  There is no more but so: say it is done, 2675
  And I will love thee, and prefer thee too.

• Sir James Tyrrel. 'Tis done, my gracious lord.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Shall we hear from thee, Tyrrel, ere we sleep?

• Sir James Tyrrel. Ye shall, my Lord.

[Exit]

[Re-enter BUCKINGHAM]

• Duke of Buckingham. My Lord, I have consider'd in my mind. The late demand that you did sound me in.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Well, let that pass. Dorset is fled to Richmond.

• Duke of Buckingham. I hear that news, my lord.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Stanley, he is your wife's son well, look to it. 2685

• Duke of Buckingham. My lord, I claim your gift, my due by promise,
  For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd;
  The earldom of Hereford and the moveables
  The which you promised I should possess.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey 2690
  Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

• Duke of Buckingham. What says your highness to my just demand?

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). As I remember, Henry the Sixth
  Did prophesy that Richmond should be king,
  When Richmond was a little peevish boy. 2695
  A king, perhaps, perhaps,—

• Duke of Buckingham. My lord!

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). How chance the prophet could not at that time
  Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?

• Duke of Buckingham. My lord, your promise for the earldom,— 2700

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Richmond! When last I was at Exeter,
  The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle,
  And call'd it Rougemont: at which name I started,
  Because a bard of Ireland told me once
  I should not live long after I saw Richmond. 2705

• Duke of Buckingham. My Lord!

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Ay, what's o'clock?

• Duke of Buckingham. I am thus bold to put your grace in mind
  Of what you promised me.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Well, but what's o'clock? 2710

• Duke of Buckingham. Upon the stroke of ten.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Well, let it strike.

• Duke of Buckingham. Why let it strike?

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Because that, like a Jack, thou keep'st the stroke
  Betwixt thy begging and my meditation. 2715
  I am not in the giving vein to-day.

• Duke of Buckingham. Why, then resolve me whether you will or no.

• Richard III (Duke of Gloucester). Tut, tut,
  Thou troublest me; am not in the vein.

[Exeunt all but BUCKINGHAM]

• Duke of Buckingham. Is it even so? rewards he my true service
  With such deep contempt made I him king for this?
  O, let me think on Hastings, and be gone
  To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on!

[Exit]