Cate. The king is angry: see, he gnaws his lip3.

[Aside.

K. Rich. I will converse with iron-witted fools,

[Descends from his Throne.

And unrespective boys: none are for me,
That look into me with considerate eyes.
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
Boy!-

Page. My lord.

K. Rich. Know'st thou not any, whom corrupting gold

Will tempt unto a close exploit of death?

Page. I know a discontented gentleman,

Whose humble means match not his haughty spirit:
Gold were as good as twenty orators,

And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.

K. Rich. What is his name?

Page.

His name, my lord, is Tyrrel.

K. Rich. I partly know the man: go, call him hither,

boys.

The deep-revolving witty Buckingham

[Exit Page.

No more shall be the neighbour to my counsels.
Hath he so long held out with me untir'd,

And stops he now for breath ?-well, be it so.

Enter STANLEY.

How now, lord Stanley? what's the news?

Stan. Know, my loving lord,

The marquis Dorset, as I hear, is fled

Shakespeare means immediately, as it stands in the quartos, "I will resolve your grace immediately."

3 see, he GNAWS HIS lip.] "Bites the lip," quartos.

4 WILL tempt-] The quartos, "Would tempt," and so the modern editors. In the quartos, Richard calls the "boy" before he exclaims against "high reaching Buckingham." Two lines lower the quartos have mind for "spirit" of the folio.

5 I partly know the man: go, call him hither, boy.] In the quartos, "Go, call him hither presently."

To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.

K. Rich. Come hither, Catesby': rumour it abroad, That Anne, my wife, is very grievous sick;

I will take order for her keeping close.

Inquire me out some mean poor gentleman,

Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter:-
The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.—

Look, how thou dream'st!-I say again, give out,
That Anne my queen is sick, and like to die:
About it; for it stands me much upon,

To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me.

[Exit CATESBY. I must be married to my brother's daughter, Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass.Murder her brothers, and then marry her? Uncertain way of gain! But I am in So far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin. Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.

Re-enter Page, with TYRREL.

Is thy name Tyrrel?

Tyr. James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject. K. Rich. Art thou, indeed?

Tyr.

Prove me, my gracious lord'.

K. Rich. Dar'st thou resolve to kill a friend of

mine?

Tyr. Please you'; but I had rather kill two ene

mies.

6 in the parts where he abides.] The quartos, "in those parts beyond the seas where he abides."

7 Come hither, Catesby;] In the quartos, the dialogue is more broken:— "K. Rich. Catesby. "Cate.

"K. Rich.

My lord.

The next line in the quartos runs,

8

9

Rumour is abroad," &c.

"That Anne, my wife, is sick, and like to die."

some mean POOR gentleman,] "Some mean-born gentleman," quartos.

my gracious LORD.] "My gracious sovereign," quartos.

Please you ;] "Ay, my lord," in the quartos.

K. Rich. Why, then thou hast it: two deep ene

mies,

Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleep's disturbers,

Are they that I would have thee deal upon.

Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower.

Tyr. Let me have open means to come to them,
And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them.
K. Rich. Thou sing'st sweet music.

hither, Tyrrel:

Hark, come

Go, by this token.-Rise, and lend thine ear.

There is no more but so:-say, it is done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee for it2.
Tyr. I will despatch it straight.

Re-enter BUCKINGHAM.

[Whispers.

[Exit.

Buck. My lord, I have consider'd in my mind.

The late demand that you did sound me in.

K. Rich. Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to Richmond.

Buck. I hear the news, my lord.

K. Rich. Stanley, he is your wife's son:-well look unto it.

Buck. My lord, I claim the gift, my due by promise, For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd; Th' earldom of Hereford, and the moveables, Which you have promised I shall possess.

K. Rich. Stanley, look to your wife: if she convey Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

Buck. What says your highness to my just request3? K. Rich. I do remember me,-Henry the sixth

2 - and prefer thee FOR IT.] The quartos, "and prefer thee, too." After these words the quartos add,

66

Tyr. "Tis done, my gracious lord.

"K. Rich. Shall we hear from thee, ere we sleep?

Tyr. Ye shall, my lord."

The same question had been put to Catesby by Richard, at the end of Sc. 1.

Act iii. It was therefore, perhaps, omitted here in the folio.

3

my just REQUEST ?] "My just demand,” in the quartos.

Did prophesy, that Richmond should be king,
When Richmond was a little peevish boy.

A king-perhaps

Buck. My lord',

K. Rich. How chance, the prophet could not at that time,

Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?

Buck. My lord, your promise for the earldom,— K. Rich. Richmond!-When last I was at Exeter, The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle,

And call'd it-Rouge-mont: at which name I started, Because a bard of Ireland told me once,

I should not live long after I saw Richmond.

Buck. My lord,—

K. Rich. Ay; what's o'clock?

Buck. I am thus bold to put your grace in mind

Of what you promis'd me.

K. Rich. Well, but what's o'clock?

Buck.

K. Rich. Well, let it strike.

Buck.

Upon the stroke of ten.

Why, let it strike?

K. Rich. Because that, like a Jack', thou keep'st the

stroke

Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.

I am not in the giving vein to-day.

Buck. Why, then resolve me whether you will, or no6.

K. Rich. Thou troublest me: I am not in the vein. [Exeunt King RICHARD and Train.

4 Buck. My lord,--] From this speech down to the line, " I am not in the giving vein to-day," is only in the quarto impressions, but they all contain it; and it is difficult in any way to account for the omission of a portion of the play so strikingly characteristic. We have not scrupled to insert it in our text.

5 Because that, like a JACK,] The figure in old clocks, which used to strike the chimes or hours, was called a " Jack," or Jack of the Clock.

6 Why, then resolve me whether you will, or no.] The folio, which, as has been remarked, omits what immediately precedes, gives this line as follows :66 May it please you to resolve me in my suit."

The quartos place the interjections, "Tut, tut!" before Richard's answer.

Buck. And is it thus? repays he my deep service With such contempt'? made I him king for this? O! let me think on Hastings, and be gone

To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on.

[Exit.

SCENE III.

The Same.

Enter TYRRELR.

Tyr. The tyrannous and bloody act is done;
The most arch deed of piteous massacre,
That ever yet this land was guilty of.
Dighton and Forrest, whom I did suborn
To do this piece of ruthful butchery,

Albeit they were flesh'd villains, bloody dogs,
Melted with tenderness and mild compassion,

Wept like to children in their death's sad story.

66

"O! thus," quoth Dighton, "lay the gentle babes,”"Thus, thus," quoth Forrest, "girdling one another Within their alabaster innocent arms:

Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,

And in their summer beauty kiss'd each other.

A book of prayers on their pillow lay;

Which once," quoth Forrest, "almost chang'd my mind;
But, O! the devil"-there the villain stopp'd;
When Dighton thus told on,-"we smothered
The most replenished sweet work of nature,
That, from the prime creation, e'er she fram'd."
Hence both are gone with conscience and remorse :

7 And is it thus ? repays he my deep service

With such contempt?] The quartos give this passage thus :"Is it even so? rewards he my true service

With such deep contempt ?"

8 Enter Tyrrel.] The quartos, without exception, here call him, "Sir Francis Tyrrell," although they had not long before made him tell Gloster that his name was James," James Tyrrell, and your most obedient subject."