The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare/Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso/shakes/text/03/03_05

Text File | 1991-04-10 | 5KB | 144 lines

London. The Tower Walls.
 Enter RICHARD and BUCKINGHAM in rotten armour, marvellous ill-favoured.

Richard    Come, cousin, canst thou quake and change thy colour,
    Murder thy breath in middle of a word,
    And then again begin, and stop again,
    As if thou wert distraught, and mad with terror?

Buckingham    Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian,
    Speak, and look back, and pry on every side,
    Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
    Intending deep suspicion; ghastly looks
    Are at my service like enforcd smiles,
    And both are ready in their offices
    At any time to grace my stratagems.
    But what, is Catesby gone?

                    Enter the LORD MAYOR and CATESBY.

Richard    He is; and see, he brings the Mayor along.

Buckingham    Lord Mayor!

Richard    Look to the drawbridge there!

Buckingham    Hark, a drum!

Richard    Catesby, o'erlook the walls.
                                                        [Exit CATESBY.
Buckingham    Lord Mayor, the reason we have sent-

             Enter LOVEL and RATCLIFFE, with Hastings's head.

Richard    Look back! Defend thee! Here are enemies.

Buckingham    God and our innocence defend and guard us!

Richard    Be patient, they are friends: Ratcliffe and Lovel.

Lovel    Here is the head of that ignoble traitor
    The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.

Richard    So dear I loved the man that I must weep.
    I took him for the plainest harmless creature
    That breathed upon the earth a Christian;
    Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded
    The history of all her secret thoughts.
    So smooth he daubed his vice with show of virtue
    That, his apparent open guilt omitted,
    - I mean his conversation with Shore's wife-
    He lived from all attainder of suspects.

Buckingham    Well, well, he was the covert'st sheltered traitor.
    Would you imagine, or almost believe,
    Were't not that by great preservation
    We live to tell it, that the subtle traitor
    This day had plotted, in the Council-house,
    To murder me and my good lord of Gloucester?

Lord Mayor    Had he done so?

Richard    What, think you we are Turks or infidels?
    Or that we would, against the form of law,
    Proceed thus rashly in the villain's death
    But that the extreme peril of the case,
    The peace of England, and our persons' safety,
    Enforced us to this execution.

Lord Mayor    Now fair befall you! He deserved his death;
    And your good graces both have well proceeded,
    To warn false traitors from the like attempts.

Buckingham    I never looked for better at his hands
    After he once fell in with Mistress Shore.
    Yet had we not determined he should die
    Until your lordship came to see his end,
    - Which now the loving haste of these our friends,
    Something against our meanings, have prevented-
    Because, my lord, I would have had you heard
    The traitor speak, and timorously confess
    The manner and the purpose of his treasons,
    That you might well have signified the same
    Unto the citizens, who haply may
    Misconster us in him, and wail his death.

Lord Mayor    But, my good lord, your graces' words shall serve
    As well as I had seen and heard him speak;
    And do not doubt, right noble princes both,
    But I'll acquaint our duteous citizens
    With all your just proceedings in this cause.

Richard    And to that end we wished your lordship here,
    T' avoid the censures of the carping world.

Buckingham    Which since you come too late of our intent,
    Yet witness what you hear we did intend.
    And so, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewell.
                                                        [Exit MAYOR.
Richard    Go after, after, cousin Buckingham.
    The Mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post:
    There, at your meet'st advantage of the time,
    Infer the bastardy of Edward's children.
    Tell them how Edward put to death a citizen
    Only for saying he would make his son
    "Heir to the crown" - meaning indeed his house,
    Which by the sign thereof was termd so.
    Moreover, urge his hateful luxury
    And bestial appetite in change of lust,
    Which stretched unto their servants, daughters, wives,
    Even where his raging eye or savage heart,
    Without control, listed to make a prey.
    Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person:
    Tell them, when that my mother went with child
    Of that insatiate Edward, noble York,
    My princely father, then had wars in France,
    And by true computation of the time
    Found that the issue was not his begot;
    Which well appeard in his lineaments,
    Being nothing like the noble duke my father.
    Yet touch this sparingly, as 'twere far off,
    Because, my lord, you know my mother lives.

Buckingham    Doubt not, my lord, I'll play the orator
    As if the golden fee for which I plead
    Were for myself. And so, my lord, adieu.

Richard    If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard's Castle,
    Where you shall find me well accompanied
    With reverend fathers and well-learnd bishops.

Buckingham    I go; and towards three or four o'clock
    Look for the news that the Guildhall affords.
                                                        [Exit.
Richard    Go, Lovel, with all speed, to Doctor Shaw.
    [To RATCLIFFE.] Go thou to Friar Penker. - Bid them both
    Meet me within this hour at Baynard's Castle.
                                         [Exeunt LOVEL and RATCLIFFE.

    Now will I go to take some privy order
    To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight,
    And to give notice that no manner person
    Have any time recourse unto the princes.
                                                        [Exit.