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- $Unique_ID{SSP00407}
- $Title{King Richard III: Act II, Scene III}
- $Author{Shakespeare, William}
- $Subject{}
- $Log{Dramatis Personae*00400.TXT}
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- Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989
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- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
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- KING RICHARD III
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- ACT II
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- SCENE III: London. A street.
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- {Enter two Citizens meeting.}
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- First Citizen: Neighbor, well met: whither away so fast?
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- Second Citizen: I promise you, I scarcely know myself:
- Hear you the news abroad?
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- First Citizen: Ay, that the king is dead.
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- Second Citizen: Bad news, by'r lady; seldom comes the better:
- I fear, I fear 'twill prove a troublous world.
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- {Enter another Citizen.}
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- Third Citizen: Neighbors, God speed!
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- First Citizen: Give you good morrow, sir.
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- Third Citizen: Doth this news hold of good King Edward's death?
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- Second Citizen: Ay, sir, it is too true; God help the while!
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- Third Citizen: Then, masters, look to see a troublous world. 10
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- First Citizen: No, no; by God's good grace his son shall reign.
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- Third Citizen: Woe to the land that's govern'd by a child!
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- Second Citizen: In him there is a hope of government,
- That in his nonage council under him,
- And in his full and ripen'd years himself,
- No doubt, shall then and till then govern well.
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- First Citizen: So stood the state when Henry the Sixth
- Was crown'd in Paris but at nine months old.
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- Third Citizen: Stood the state so? No, no, good friends, God wot;
- For then this land was famously enrich'd 20
- With politic grave counsel; then the king
- Had virtuous uncles to protect his grace.
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- First Citizen: Why, so hath this, both by the father and mother.
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- Third Citizen: Better it were they all came by the father,
- Or by the father there were none at all;
- For emulation now, who shall be nearest,
- Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not.
- O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloucester!
- And the queen's sons and brothers haught and proud:
- And were they to be ruled, and not to rule, 30
- This sickly land might solace as before.
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- First Citizen: Come, come, we fear the worst; all shall be well.
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- Third Citizen: When clouds appear, wise men put on their cloaks;
- When great leaves fall, the winter is at hand;
- When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?
- Untimely storms make men expect a dearth.
- All may be well; but, if God sort it so,
- 'Tis more than we deserve, or I expect.
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- Second Citizen: Truly, the souls of men are full of dread:
- Ye cannot reason almost with a man 40
- That looks not heavily and full of fear.
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- Third Citizen: Before the times of change, still is it so:
- By a divine instinct men's minds mistrust
- Ensuing dangers; as by proof, we see
- The waters swell before a boisterous storm.
- But leave it all to God. whither away?
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- Second Citizen: Marry, we were sent for to the justices.
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- Third Citizen: And so was I: I'll bear you company.
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- [Exeunt.]
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