William Shakespeare - The Complete Works

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KING RICHARD THE THIRD Act 1 Scene 2 (Enter gentlemen, bearing the corpse of King Henry the Sixth in an open coffin, with halberdiers to guard it, Lady Anne being the mourner) l1l Lady Anne Set down, set down your honourable load, l2l If honour may be shrouded in a hearse, l3l Whilst I a while obsequiously lament l4l ThÆ untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster. (They set the coffin down) l5l Poor key-cold figure of a holy king, l6l Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster, l7l Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood: l8l Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost l9l To hear the lamentations of poor Anne, l10l Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughtered son, l11l Stabbed by the selfsame hand that made these wounds. l12l Lo, in these windows that let forth thy life, l13l I pour the helpless balm of my poor eyes. l14l O cursΦd be the hand that made these holes, l15l CursΦd the blood that let this blood from hence, l16l CursΦd the heart that had the heart to do it. l17l More direful hap betide that hated wretch l18l That makes us wretched by the death of thee l19l Than I can wish to wolves, to spiders, toads, l20l Or any creeping venomed thing that lives. l21l If ever he have child, abortive be it, l22l Prodigious, and untimely brought to light, l23l Whose ugly and unnatural aspect l24l May fright the hopeful mother at the view, l25l And that be heir to his unhappiness. l26l If ever he have wife, let her be made l27l More miserable by the death of him l28l Than I am made by my young lord and thee.ù l29l Come now towards Chertsey with your holy load, l30l Taken from PaulÆs to be interrΦd there, (The gentlemen lift the coffin) l31l And still as you are weary of this weight l32l Rest you, whiles I lament King HenryÆs corpse. (Enter Richard Duke of Gloucester) Richard Gloucester (to the gentlemen) l33l Stay, you that bear the corpse, and set it down. l34l Lady Anne What black magician conjures up this fiend l35l To stop devoted charitable deeds? Richard Gloucester (to the gentlemen) l36l Villains, set down the corpse, or by Saint Paul l37l IÆll make a corpse of him that disobeys. l38l [Halberdier] My lord, stand back and let the coffin pass. l39l Richard Gloucester Unmannered dog, stand thou when I command. l40l Advance thy halberd higher than my breast, l41l Or by Saint Paul IÆll strike thee to my foot l42l And spurn upon thee, beggar, for thy boldness. (They set the coffin down) Lady Anne (to gentlemen and halberdiers) l43l What, do you tremble? Are you all afraid? l44l Alas, I blame you not, for you are mortal, l45l And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil.ù l46l Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell. l47l Thou hadst but power over his mortal body; l48l His soul thou canst not have; therefore be gone. l49l Richard Gloucester Sweet saint, for charity be not so cursed. l50l Lady Anne Foul devil, for GodÆs sake hence and trouble us not, l51l For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, l52l Filled it with cursing cries and deep exclaims. l53l If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, l54l Behold this pattern of thy butcheries.ù l55l O gentlemen, see, see! Dead HenryÆs wounds l56l Ope their congealΦd mouths and bleed afresh.ù l57l Blush, blush, thou lump of foul deformity, l58l For Ætis thy presence that ex-hales this blood l59l From cold and empty veins where no blood dwells. l60l Thy deed, inhuman and unnatural, l61l Provokes this deluge supernatural. l62l O God, which this blood madÆst, revenge his death. l63l O earth, which this blood drinkÆst, revenge his death. l64l Either heavÆn with lightning strike the murdÆrer dead, l65l Or earth gape open wide and eat him quick l66l As thou dost swallow up this good kingÆs blood, l67l Which his hell-governed arm hath butcherΦd. l68l Richard Gloucester Lady, you know no rules of charity, l69l Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses. l70l Lady Anne Villain, thou knowÆst no law of God nor man. l71l No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. l72l Richard Gloucester But I know none, and therefore am no beast. l73l Lady Anne O wonderful, when devils tell the truth! l74l Richard Gloucester More wonderful, when angels are so angry. l75l Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman, l76l Of these supposΦd crimes to give me leave l77l By circumstance but to acquit myself. l78l Lady Anne Vouchsafe, diffused infection of a man, l79l Of these known evils but to give me leave l80l By circumstance tÆ accuse thy cursΦd self. l81l Richard Gloucester Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have l82l Some patient leisure to excuse myself. l83l Lady Anne Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make l84l No excuse current but to hang thyself. l85l Richard Gloucester By such despair I should accuse myself. l86l Lady Anne And by despairing shalt thou stand excused, l87l For doing worthy vengeance on thyself l88l That didst unworthy slaughter upon others. l89l Richard Gloucester Say that I slew them not. Lady Anne Then say they were not slain. l90l But dead they areùand, devilish slave, by thee. l91l Richard Gloucester I did not kill your husband. Lady Anne Why, then he is alive. l92l Richard Gloucester Nay, he is dead, and slain by EdwardÆs hand. l93l Lady Anne In thy foul throat thou liest. Queen Margaret saw l94l Thy murdÆrous falchion smoking in his blood, l95l The which thou once didst bend against her breast, l96l But that thy brothers beat aside the point. l97l Richard Gloucester I was provokΦd by her slandÆrous tongue, l98l That laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders. l99l Lady Anne Thou wast provokΦd by thy bloody mind, l100l That never dreamÆst on aught but butcheries. l101l Didst thou not kill this king? Richard Gloucester I grant ye. l102l Lady Anne Dost grant me, hedgehog? Then God grant me, too, l103l Thou mayst be damnΦd for that wicked deed. l104l O he was gentle, mild, and virtuous. l105l Richard Gloucester The better for the King of Heaven that hath him. l106l Lady Anne He is in heaven, where thou shalt never come. l107l Richard Gloucester Let him thank me that holp to send him thither, l108l For he was fitter for that place than earth. l109l Lady Anne And thou unfit for any place but hell. l110l Richard Gloucester Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it. l111l Lady Anne Some dungeon. Richard Gloucester Your bedchamber. l112l Lady Anne Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest. l113l Richard Gloucester So will it, madam, till I lie with you. l114l Lady Anne I hope so. Richard Gloucester I know so. But gentle Lady Anne, l115l To leave this keen encounter of our wits l116l And fall something into a slower method, l117l Is not the causer of the timeless deaths l118l Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward, l119l As blameful as the executioner? l120l Lady Anne Thou wast the cause of that accursed effect. l121l Richard Gloucester Your beauty was the cause of that effectù l122l Your beauty that did haunt me in my sleep l123l To undertake the death of all the world l124l So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom. l125l Lady Anne If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, l126l These nails should rend that beauty from my cheeks. l127l Richard Gloucester These eyes could not endure sweet beautyÆs wreck. l128l You should not blemish it if I stood by. l129l As all the world is cheerΦd by the sun, l130l So I by that: it is my day, my life. l131l Lady Anne Black night oÆershade thy day, and death thy life. l132l Richard Gloucester Curse not thyself, fair creature: thou art both. l133l Lady Anne I would I were, to be revenged on thee. l134l Richard Gloucester It is a quarrel most unnatural, l135l To be revenged on him that loveth you. l136l Lady Anne It is a quarrel just and reasonable, l137l To be revenged on him that killed my husband. l138l Richard Gloucester He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband, l139l Did it to help thee to a better husband. l140l Lady Anne His better doth not breathe upon the earth. l141l Richard Gloucester He lives that loves thee better than he could. l142l Lady Anne Name him. Richard Gloucester Plantagenet. Lady Anne Why, that was he. l143l Richard Gloucester The selfsame name, but one of better nature. l144l Lady Anne Where is he? Richard Gloucester Here. (She spits at him) Why dost thou spit at me? l145l Lady Anne Would it were mortal poison for thy sake. l146l Richard Gloucester Never came poison from so sweet a place. l147l Lady Anne Never hung poison on a fouler toad. l148l Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes. l149l Richard Gloucester Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine. l150l Lady Anne Would they were basilisks to strike thee dead. l151l Richard Gloucester I would they were, that I might die at once, l152l For now they kill me with a living death. l153l Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn salt tears, l154l Shamed their aspects with store of childish drops. l155l I never sued to friend nor enemy; l156l My tongue could never learn sweet smoothing word; l157l But now thy beauty is proposed my fee, l158l My proud heart sues and prompts my tongue to speak. (She looks scornfully at him) l159l Teach not thy lip such scorn, for it was made l160l For kissing, lady, not for such contempt. l161l If thy revengeful heart cannot forgive, (He kneels and offers her his sword) l162l Lo, here I lend thee this sharp-pointed sword, l163l Which if thou please to hide in this true breast l164l And let the soul forth that adoreth thee, l165l I lay it naked to the deadly stroke l166l And humbly beg the death upon my knee. (He lays his breast open; she offers at it with his sword) l167l Nay, do not pause, for I did kill King Henry; l168l But Ætwas thy beauty that provokΦd me. l169l Nay, now dispatch: Ætwas I that stabbed young Edward; l170l But Ætwas thy heavenly face that set me on. (She drops the sword) l171l Take up the sword again, or take up me. l172l Lady Anne Arise, dissembler. (He rises) Though I wish thy death, l173l I will not be thy executioner. l174l Richard Gloucester Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it. l175l Lady Anne I have already. Richard Gloucester That was in thy rage. l176l Speak it again, and even with the word l177l This handùwhich for thy love did kill thy loveù l178l Shall, for thy love, kill a far truer love. l179l To both their deaths shalt thou be accessary. l180l Lady Anne I would I knew thy heart. l181l Richard Gloucester ÆTis figured in my tongue. l182l Lady Anne I fear me both are false. l183l Richard Gloucester Then never man was true. l184l Lady Anne Well, well, put up your sword. l185l Richard Gloucester Say then my peace is made. l186l Lady Anne That shalt thou know hereafter. l187l Richard Gloucester But shall I live in hope? l188l Lady Anne All men, I hope, live so. l189l Richard Gloucester Vouchsafe to wear this ring. l190l Lady Anne To take is not to give. l191l Richard Gloucester Look how my ring encompasseth thy finger; l192l Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart. l193l Wear both of them, for both of them are thine. l194l And if thy poor devoted servant may l195l But beg one favour at thy gracious hand, l196l Thou dost confirm his happiness for ever. l197l Lady Anne What is it? l198l Richard Gloucester That it may please you leave these sad designs l199l To him that hath most cause to be a mourner, l200l And presently repair to Crosby House, l201l Whereùafter I have solemnly interred l202l At Chertsey monastÆry this noble king, l203l And wet his grave with my repentant tearsù l204l I will with all expedient duty see you. l205l For divers unknown reasons, I beseech you l206l Grant me this boon. l207l Lady Anne With all my heartùand much it joys me, too, l208l To see you are become so penitent. l209l Tressell and Berkeley, go along with me. l210l Richard Gloucester Bid me farewell. Lady Anne ÆTis more than you deserve. l211l But since you teach me how to flatter you, l212l Imagine I have said farewell already. (Exeunt two with Anne) l213l Richard Gloucester Sirs, take up the corpse. Gentleman Towards Chertsey, noble lord? l214l Richard Gloucester No, to Blackfriars; there attend my coming. (Exeunt with corpse all but Gloucester) l215l Was ever woman in this humour wooed? l216l Was ever woman in this humour won? l217l IÆll have her, but I will not keep her long. l218l What, I that killed her husband and his father, l219l To take her in her heartÆs extremest hate, l220l With curses in her mouth, tears in her eyes, l221l The bleeding witness of my hatred by, l222l Having God, her conscience, and these bars against me, l223l And I no friends to back my suit withal l224l But the plain devil and dissembling looksù l225l And yet to win her, all the world to nothing? Ha! l226l Hath she forgot already that brave prince, l227l Edward her lord, whom I some three months since l228l Stabbed in my angry mood at Tewkesbury? l229l A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman, l230l Framed in the prodigality of nature, l231l Young, valiant, wise, and no doubt right royal, l232l The spacious world cannot again affordù l233l And will she yet abase her eyes on me, l234l That cropped the golden prime of this sweet prince l235l And made her widow to a woeful bed? l236l On me, whose all not equals EdwardÆs moiety? l237l On me, that halts and am misshapen thus? l238l My dukedom to a beggarly denier, l239l I do mistake my person all this while. l240l Upon my life she finds, although I cannot, l241l Myself to be a marvÆlous proper man. l242l IÆll be at charges for a looking-glass l243l And entertain a score or two of tailors l244l To study fashions to adorn my body. l245l Since I am crept in favour with myself, l246l I will maintain it with some little cost. l247l But first IÆll turn yon fellow in his grave, l248l And then return lamenting to my love. l249l Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass, l250l That I may see my shadow as I pass. (Exit)