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- KING RICHARD THE THIRD
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- Act 3 Scene 5
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- (Enter Richard Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Buckingham in rotten
- armour, marvellous ill-favoured)
- l1l Richard Gloucester Come, cousin, canst thou quake and change thy
- colour?
- l2l Murder thy breath in middle of a word?
- l3l And then again begin, and stop again,
- l4l As if thou wert distraught and mad with terror?
- l5l Buckingham Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian,
- l6l Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
- l7l Speak, and look back, and pry on every side,
- l8l Intending deep suspicion; ghastly looks
- l9l Are at my service, like enforcΦd smiles,
- l10l And both are ready in their offices
- l11l At any time to grace my stratagems.
- (Enter the Lord Mayor)
- l12l Richard Gloucester (aside to Buckingham) Here comes the Mayor.
- Buckingham (aside to Richard)
- l13l Let me alone to entertain him.ùLord Mayorù
- Richard Gloucester (calling as to one within)
- l14l Look to the drawbridge there!
- l15l Buckingham Hark, a drum!
- Richard Gloucester (calling as to one within)
- l16l Catesby, oÆerlook the walls!
- l17l Buckingham Lord Mayor, the reason we have sentù
- l18l Richard Gloucester Look back, defend thee! Here are enemies.
- l19l Buckingham God and our innocence defend and guard us.
- (Enter Sir William Catesby with Hastings' head)
- l20l Richard Gloucester O, O, be quiet! It is Catesby.
- l21l Catesby Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
- l22l The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.
- l23l Richard Gloucester So dear I loved the man that I must weep.
- l24l I took him for the plainest harmless creature
- l25l That breathed upon the earth, a Christian,
- l26l Made him my book wherein my soul recorded
- l27l The history of all her secret thoughts.
- l28l So smooth he daubed his vice with show of virtue
- l29l That, his apparent open guilt omittedù
- l30l I mean, his conversation with ShoreÆs wifeù
- l31l He lived from all attainture of suspect.
- l32l Buckingham The covertÆst sheltered traitor that ever lived.
- l33l (To the Mayor) Would you imagine, or almost believeù
- l34l Were Æt not that, by great preservation,
- l35l We live to tell itùthat the subtle traitor
- l36l This day had plotted in the Council house
- l37l To murder me and my good lord of Gloucester?
- l38l Mayor Had he done so?
- l39l Richard Gloucester What, think you we are Turks or infidels,
- l40l Or that we would against the form of law
- l41l Proceed thus rashly in the villainÆs death
- l42l But that the extreme peril of the case,
- l43l The peace of England, and our personsÆ safety,
- l44l Enforced us to this execution?
- l45l Mayor Now fair befall you, he deserved his death,
- l46l And your good graces both have well proceeded,
- l47l To warn false traitors from the like attempts.
- l48l I never looked for better at his hands
- l49l After he once fell in with Mrs Shore.
- l50l [Richard Gloucester] Yet had not we determined he should die,
- l51l Until your lordship came to see his end,
- l52l Which now the loving haste of these our friendsù
- l53l Something against our meaningsùhave prevented;
- l54l Because, my lord, we would have had you hear
- l55l The traitor speak, and timorously confess
- l56l The manner and the purpose of his treason,
- l57l That you might well have signified the same
- l58l Unto the citizens, who haply may
- l59l Misconster us in him, and wail his death.
- l60l Mayor But, my good lord, your gracesÆ word shall serve
- l61l As well as I had seen and heard him speak.
- l62l And do not doubt, right noble princes both,
- l63l But IÆll acquaint our duteous citizens
- l64l With all your just proceedings in this cause.
- l65l Richard Gloucester And to that end we wished your lordship here,
- l66l TÆ avoid the censures of the carping world.
- l67l Buckingham Which, since you come too late of our intent,
- l68l Yet witness what you hear we did intend,
- l69l And so, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewell.
- (Exit Mayor)
- l70l Richard Gloucester Go after; after, cousin Buckingham!
- l71l The Mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post;
- l72l There, at your meetest vantage of the time,
- l73l Infer the bastardy of EdwardÆs children.
- l74l Tell them how Edward put to death a citizen
- l75l Only for saying he would make his son
- l76l ôHeir to the Crownöùmeaning indeed, his house,
- l77l Which by the sign thereof was termΦd so.
- l78l Moreover, urge his hateful luxury
- l79l And bestial appetite in change of lust,
- l80l Which stretched unto their servants, daughters, wives,
- l81l Even where his raging eye, or savage heart,
- l82l Without control, listed to make a prey.
- l83l Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person:
- l84l Tell them, when that my mother went with child
- l85l Of that insatiate Edward, noble York,
- l86l My princely father, then had wars in France,
- l87l And by true computation of the time
- l88l Found that the issue was not his begotù
- l89l Which well appearΦd in his lineaments,
- l90l Being nothing like the noble Duke my father.
- l91l Yet touch this sparingly, as Ætwere far off,
- l92l Because, my lord, you know my mother lives.
- l93l Buckingham Doubt not, my lord, IÆll play the orator
- l94l As if the golden fee for which I plead
- l95l Were for myself. And so, my lord, adieu.
- (He starts to go)
- l96l Richard Gloucester If you thrive well, bring them to BaynardÆs Castle,
- l97l Where you shall find me well accompanied
- l98l With reverend fathers and well-learnΦd bishops.
- l99l Buckingham I go, and towards three or four oÆclock
- l100l Look for the news that the Guildhall affords.
- (Exit)
- l101l Richard Gloucester Now will I in, to take some privy order
- l102l To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight,
- l103l And to give notice that no manner person
- l104l Have any time recourse unto the Princes.
- (Exeunt)
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