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Richard III - Act 4, scene 1
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Richard III - Act 4, scene 1Act 4, scene 1
Scene 1
Synopsis:
Queen Elizabeth, her son Dorset, and the Duchess of York meet Lady Anne and Clarence’s daughter as all approach the Tower to visit Prince Edward and the Duke of York. They are denied entry. Then Stanley comes to take Lady Anne to be crowned Richard’s queen. At Elizabeth’s urging, Dorset leaves for France to join Stanley’s stepson, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond.
⟨Enter Queen ⌜Elizabeth, with the⌝ Duchess of York, ⌜andthe Lord⌝ Marquess ⌜of⌝ Dorset, at one door; ⌜Anne,⌝
Duchess of Gloucester ⌜with Clarence’s daughter,⌝ at
another door.⟩
DUCHESS
2397 Who meets us here? My niece Plantagenet
2398 Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloucester?
2399 Now, for my life, she’s wandering to the Tower,
2400 On pure heart’s love, to greet the tender prince.—
2401 5 Daughter, well met.
ANNE 2402 God give your Graces both
2403 A happy and a joyful time of day.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
2404 As much to you, good sister. Whither away?
ANNE
2405 No farther than the Tower, and, as I guess,
2406 10 Upon the like devotion as yourselves,
2407 To gratulate the gentle princes there.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
2408 Kind sister, thanks. We’ll enter all together.
Enter ⌜Brakenbury,⌝ the Lieutenant.
2409 And in good time here the Lieutenant comes.—
2410 Master Lieutenant, pray you, by your leave,
2411 15 How doth the Prince and my young son of York?
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BRAKENBURY 2412 Right well, dear madam. By your patience,
2413 I may not suffer you to visit them.
2414 The King hath strictly charged the contrary.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
2415 The King? Who’s that?
BRAKENBURY 2416 20 I mean, the Lord Protector.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
2417 The Lord protect him from that kingly title!
2418 Hath he set bounds between their love and me?
2419 I am their mother. Who shall bar me from them?
DUCHESS
2420 I am their father’s mother. I will see them.
ANNE
2421 25 Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother.
2422 Then bring me to their sights. I’ll bear thy blame
2423 And take thy office from thee, on my peril.
BRAKENBURY
2424 No, madam, no. I may not leave it so.
2425 I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me.
⌜Brakenbury the⌝ Lieutenant exits.
Enter Stanley.
STANLEY
2426 30 Let me but meet you ladies one hour hence,
2427 And I’ll salute your Grace of York as mother
2428 And reverend looker-on of two fair queens.
2429 ⌜To Anne.⌝ Come, madam, you must straight to
2430 Westminster,
2431 35 There to be crownèd Richard’s royal queen.
QUEEN ELIZABETH 2432 Ah, cut my lace asunder
2433 That my pent heart may have some scope to beat,
2434 Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news!
ANNE
2435 Despiteful tidings! O, unpleasing news!
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201
DORSET, ⌜to Queen Elizabeth⌝ 2436 40 Be of good cheer, mother. How fares your Grace?
QUEEN ELIZABETH
2437 O Dorset, speak not to me. Get thee gone.
2438 Death and destruction dogs thee at thy heels.
2439 Thy mother’s name is ominous to children.
2440 If thou wilt outstrip death, go, cross the seas,
2441 45 And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell.
2442 Go, hie thee, hie thee from this slaughterhouse,
2443 Lest thou increase the number of the dead
2444 And make me die the thrall of Margaret’s curse,
2445 Nor mother, wife, nor England’s counted queen.
STANLEY
2446 50 Full of wise care is this your counsel, madam.
2447 ⌜To Dorset.⌝ Take all the swift advantage of the
2448 hours.
2449 You shall have letters from me to my son
2450 In your behalf, to meet you on the way.
2451 55 Be not ta’en tardy by unwise delay.
DUCHESS
2452 O ill-dispersing wind of misery!
2453 O my accursèd womb, the bed of death!
2454 A cockatrice hast thou hatched to the world,
2455 Whose unavoided eye is murderous.
STANLEY, ⌜to Anne⌝
2456 60 Come, madam, come. I in all haste was sent.
ANNE
2457 And I with all unwillingness will go.
2458 O, would to God that the inclusive verge
2459 Of golden metal that must round my brow
2460 Were red-hot steel to sear me to the brains!
2461 65 Anointed let me be with deadly venom,
2462 And die ere men can say “God save the Queen.”
QUEEN ELIZABETH
2463 Go, go, poor soul, I envy not thy glory.
2464 To feed my humor, wish thyself no harm.
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ANNE 2465 No? Why? When he that is my husband now
2466 70 Came to me as I followed Henry’s corse,
2467 When scarce the blood was well washed from his
2468 hands
2469 Which issued from my other angel husband
2470 And that dear saint which then I weeping followed—
2471 75 O, when, I say, I looked on Richard’s face,
2472 This was my wish: be thou, quoth I, accursed
2473 For making me, so young, so old a widow;
2474 And, when thou wedd’st, let sorrow haunt thy bed;
2475 And be thy wife, if any be so mad,
2476 80 More miserable by the life of thee
2477 Than thou hast made me by my dear lord’s death.
2478 Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again,
2479 Within so small a time my woman’s heart
2480 Grossly grew captive to his honey words
2481 85 And proved the subject of mine own soul’s curse,
2482 Which hitherto hath held ⟨my⟩ eyes from rest,
2483 For never yet one hour in his bed
2484 Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep,
2485 But with his timorous dreams was still awaked.
2486 90 Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick,
2487 And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
2488 Poor heart, adieu. I pity thy complaining.
ANNE
2489 No more than with my soul I mourn for yours.
DORSET
2490 Farewell, thou woeful welcomer of glory.
ANNE
2491 95 Adieu, poor soul that tak’st thy leave of it.
DUCHESS, ⌜to Dorset⌝
2492 Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee.
2493 ⌜To Anne.⌝ Go thou to Richard, and good angels
2494 tend thee.
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2495
⌜To Queen Elizabeth.⌝ Go thou to sanctuary, and2496 100 good thoughts possess thee.
2497 I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with me.
2498 Eighty-odd years of sorrow have I seen,
2499 And each hour’s joy wracked with a week of teen.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
2500 Stay, yet look back with me unto the Tower.—
2501 105 Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes
2502 Whom envy hath immured within your walls—
2503 Rough cradle for such little pretty ones.
2504 Rude ragged nurse, old sullen playfellow
2505 For tender princes, use my babies well.
2506 110 So foolish sorrows bids your stones farewell.
They exit.