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Richard III - Act 3, scene 1
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Richard III - Act 3, scene 1Act 3, scene 1
[Scene 1]
Synopsis:
Richard and Buckingham arrive in London with Prince Edward and order that Edward’s brother, the Duke of York, be taken from sanctuary. Richard and Buckingham put both boys in the Tower and send Catesby to sound out Hastings about supporting Richard’s intention to take the throne for himself.
The trumpets sound. Enter young Prince ⌜Edward,⌝⌜Richard Duke of⌝ Gloucester, Buckingham,
⌜the⌝ Cardinal, ⌜Catesby,⌝ and others.
BUCKINGHAM
1559 Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your chamber.
RICHARD, ⌜to Prince⌝
1560 Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts’ sovereign.
1561 The weary way hath made you melancholy.
PRINCE
1562 No, uncle, but our crosses on the way
1563 5 Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy.
1564 I want more uncles here to welcome me.
RICHARD
1565 Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of your years
1566 Hath not yet dived into the world’s deceit;
1567 Nor more can you distinguish of a man
1568 10 Than of his outward show, which, God He knows,
1569 Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart.
1570 Those uncles which you want were dangerous.
1571 Your Grace attended to their sugared words
1572 But looked not on the poison of their hearts.
1573 15 God keep you from them, and from such false
1574 friends.
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PRINCE 1575 God keep me from false friends, but they were none.
RICHARD
1576 My lord, the Mayor of London comes to greet you.
Enter Lord Mayor ⌜with others.⌝
MAYOR
1577 God bless your Grace with health and happy days.
PRINCE
1578 20 I thank you, good my lord, and thank you all.—
1579 I thought my mother and my brother York
1580 Would long ere this have met us on the way.
1581 Fie, what a slug is Hastings that he comes not
1582 To tell us whether they will come or no!
Enter Lord Hastings.
BUCKINGHAM
1583 25 And in good time here comes the sweating lord.
PRINCE
1584 Welcome, my lord. What, will our mother come?
HASTINGS
1585 On what occasion God He knows, not I,
1586 The Queen your mother and your brother York
1587 Have taken sanctuary. The tender prince
1588 30 Would fain have come with me to meet your Grace,
1589 But by his mother was perforce withheld.
BUCKINGHAM
1590 Fie, what an indirect and peevish course
1591 Is this of hers!—Lord Cardinal, will your Grace
1592 Persuade the Queen to send the Duke of York
1593 35 Unto his princely brother presently?—
1594 If she deny, Lord Hastings, go with him,
1595 And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce.
CARDINAL
1596 My lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory
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1597
Can from his mother win the Duke of York,1598 40 Anon expect him here; but if she be obdurate
1599 To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid
1600 We should infringe the holy privilege
1601 Of blessèd sanctuary! Not for all this land
1602 Would I be guilty of so deep a sin.
BUCKINGHAM
1603 45 You are too senseless obstinate, my lord,
1604 Too ceremonious and traditional.
1605 Weigh it but with the grossness of this age,
1606 You break not sanctuary in seizing him.
1607 The benefit thereof is always granted
1608 50 To those whose dealings have deserved the place
1609 And those who have the wit to claim the place.
1610 This prince hath neither claimed it nor deserved it
1611 And therefore, in mine opinion, cannot have it.
1612 Then taking him from thence that is not there,
1613 55 You break no privilege nor charter there.
1614 Oft have I heard of sanctuary men,
1615 But sanctuary children, never till now.
CARDINAL
1616 My lord, you shall o’errule my mind for once.—
1617 Come on, Lord Hastings, will you go with me?
HASTINGS 1618 60I go, my lord.
PRINCE
1619 Good lords, make all the speedy haste you may.
[The Cardinal and Hastings exit.]
1620 Say, uncle Gloucester, if our brother come,
1621 Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?
RICHARD
1622 Where it seems best unto your royal self.
1623 65 If I may counsel you, some day or two
1624 Your Highness shall repose you at the Tower;
1625 Then where you please and shall be thought most fit
1626 For your best health and recreation.
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PRINCE 1627 I do not like the Tower, of any place.—
1628 70 Did Julius Caesar build that place, my lord?
BUCKINGHAM
1629 He did, my gracious lord, begin that place,
1630 Which, since, succeeding ages have re-edified.
PRINCE
1631 Is it upon record, or else reported
1632 Successively from age to age, he built it?
BUCKINGHAM 1633 75Upon record, my gracious lord.
PRINCE
1634 But say, my lord, it were not registered,
1635 Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
1636 As ’twere retailed to all posterity,
1637 Even to the general all-ending day.
RICHARD, ⌜aside⌝
1638 80 So wise so young, they say, do never live long.
PRINCE 1639 What say you, uncle?
RICHARD
1640 I say, without characters fame lives long.
1641 ⌜Aside.⌝ Thus, like the formal Vice, Iniquity,
1642 I moralize two meanings in one word.
PRINCE
1643 85 That Julius Caesar was a famous man.
1644 With what his valor did enrich his wit,
1645 His wit set down to make his [valor] live.
1646 Death makes no conquest of this conqueror,
1647 For now he lives in fame, though not in life.
1648 90 I’ll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham—
BUCKINGHAM 1649 What, my gracious lord?
PRINCE
1650 An if I live until I be a man,
1651 I’ll win our ancient right in France again
1652 Or die a soldier, as I lived a king.
RICHARD, ⌜aside⌝
1653 95 Short summers lightly have a forward spring.
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Enter young ⌜Duke of⌝ York, Hastings, ⌜and the⌝Cardinal.
BUCKINGHAM
1654 Now in good time here comes the Duke of York.
PRINCE
1655 Richard of York, how fares our loving brother?
YORK
1656 Well, my dread lord—so must I call you now.
PRINCE
1657 Ay, brother, to our grief, as it is yours.
1658 100 Too late he died that might have kept that title,
1659 Which by his death hath lost much majesty.
RICHARD
1660 How fares our cousin, noble lord of York?
YORK
1661 I thank you, gentle uncle. O my lord,
1662 You said that idle weeds are fast in growth.
1663 105 The Prince my brother hath outgrown me far.
RICHARD
1664 He hath, my lord.
YORK 1665 And therefore is he idle?
RICHARD
1666 O my fair cousin, I must not say so.
YORK
1667 Then he is more beholding to you than I.
RICHARD
1668 110 He may command me as my sovereign,
1669 But you have power in me as in a kinsman.
YORK
1670 I pray you, uncle, give me this dagger.
RICHARD
1671 My dagger, little cousin? With all my heart.
PRINCE 1672 A beggar, brother?
YORK
1673 115 Of my kind uncle, that I know will give,
1674 And being but a toy, which is no grief to give.
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RICHARD 1675 A greater gift than that I’ll give my cousin.
YORK
1676 A greater gift? O, that’s the sword to it.
RICHARD
1677 Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough.
YORK
1678 120 O, then I see you will part but with light gifts.
1679 In weightier things you’ll say a beggar nay.
RICHARD
1680 It is too heavy for your Grace to wear.
YORK
1681 I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.
RICHARD
1682 What, would you have my weapon, little lord?
YORK
1683 125 I would, that I might thank you as you call me.
RICHARD 1684 How?
YORK 1685 Little.
PRINCE
1686 My lord of York will still be cross in talk.
1687 Uncle, your Grace knows how to bear with him.
YORK
1688 130 You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me.—
1689 Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me.
1690 Because that I am little, like an ape,
1691 He thinks that you should bear me on your
1692 shoulders.
BUCKINGHAM, ⌜aside⌝
1693 135 With what a sharp-provided wit he reasons!
1694 To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,
1695 He prettily and aptly taunts himself.
1696 So cunning and so young is wonderful.
RICHARD, ⌜to Prince⌝
1697 My lord, will ’t please you pass along?
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1698
140 Myself and my good cousin Buckingham1699 Will to your mother, to entreat of her
1700 To meet you at the Tower and welcome you.
YORK, ⌜to Prince⌝
1701 What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord?
PRINCE
1702 My Lord Protector needs will have it so.
YORK
1703 145 I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower.
RICHARD 1704 Why, what should you fear?
YORK
1705 Marry, my uncle Clarence’ angry ghost.
1706 My grandam told me he was murdered there.
PRINCE 1707 I fear no uncles dead.
RICHARD 1708 150Nor none that live, I hope.
PRINCE
1709 An if they live, I hope I need not fear.
1710 ⌜To York.⌝ But come, my lord. With a heavy heart,
1711 Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.
[A sennet. Prince ⌜Edward, the Duke of⌝ York,
⌜and⌝ Hastings exit. Richard, Buckingham,
and Catesby remain.]
BUCKINGHAM, ⌜to Richard⌝
1712 Think you, my lord, this little prating York
1713 155 Was not incensèd by his subtle mother
1714 To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?
RICHARD
1715 No doubt, no doubt. O, ’tis a parlous boy,
1716 Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable.
1717 He is all the mother’s, from the top to toe.
BUCKINGHAM
1718 160 Well, let them rest.—Come hither, Catesby.
1719 Thou art sworn as deeply to effect what we intend
1720 As closely to conceal what we impart.
1721 Thou knowest our reasons, urged upon the way.
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1722
What thinkest thou? Is it not an easy matter1723 165 To make William Lord Hastings of our mind
1724 For the installment of this noble duke
1725 In the seat royal of this famous isle?
CATESBY
1726 He, for his father’s sake, so loves the Prince
1727 That he will not be won to aught against him.
BUCKINGHAM
1728 170 What think’st thou then of Stanley? Will not he?
CATESBY
1729 He will do all in all as Hastings doth.
BUCKINGHAM
1730 Well then, no more but this: go, gentle Catesby,
1731 And, as it were far off, sound thou Lord Hastings
1732 How he doth stand affected to our purpose
1733 175 And summon him tomorrow to the Tower
1734 To sit about the coronation.
1735 If thou dost find him tractable to us,
1736 Encourage him and tell him all our reasons.
1737 If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
1738 180 Be thou so too, and so break off the talk,
1739 And give us notice of his inclination;
1740 For we tomorrow hold divided councils,
1741 Wherein thyself shalt highly be employed.
RICHARD
1742 Commend me to Lord William. Tell him, Catesby,
1743 185 His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries
1744 Tomorrow are let blood at Pomfret Castle,
1745 And bid my lord, for joy of this good news,
1746 Give Mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.
BUCKINGHAM
1747 Good Catesby, go effect this business soundly.
CATESBY
1748 190 My good lords both, with all the heed I can.
RICHARD
1749 Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?
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CATESBY
1750
You shall, my lord.RICHARD
1751 At Crosby House, there shall you find us both.
Catesby exits.
BUCKINGHAM
1752 Now, my lord, what shall we do if we perceive
1753 195 Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?
RICHARD
1754 Chop off his head. Something we will determine.
1755 And look when I am king, claim thou of me
1756 The earldom of Hereford, and all the movables
1757 Whereof the King my brother was possessed.
BUCKINGHAM
1758 200 I’ll claim that promise at your Grace’s hand.
RICHARD
1759 And look to have it yielded with all kindness.
1760 Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards
1761 We may digest our complots in some form.
They exit.