Cate. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness'

pleasure,

What from your grace I shall deliver to him.

K. Rich. O true, good Catesby.-Bid him levy

straight

The greatest strength and power he can make,
And meet me suddenly at Salisbury.

Cate. I go.

[Exit.

Rat. What, may it please you, shall I do at Salis

bury?

K. Rich. Why, what wouldst thou do there, before

I go?

Rat. Your highness told me, I should post before.

Enter STANLEY.

K. Rich. My mind is chang'd.-Stanley, what news with you?

Stan. None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing;

Nor none so bad, but well may be reported.

K. Rich. Heyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad? What need'st thou run so many miles about,

When thou may'st tell thy tale the nearest way?
Once more, what news?

Stan.

Richmond is on the seas.

K. Rich. There let him sink, and be the seas on

him,

White-liver'd runagate! what doth he there?

Stan. I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess. K. Rich. Well, as you guess?

Stan. Stirr'd up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton, He makes for England, here, to claim the crown.

My mind is chang'd.] The quarto reads, characteristically, "My mind is chang'd, sir; my mind is chang'd ;" though to the detriment of the verse. but well may be reported.] The quartos, "but it may well be told." Three lines lower the quartos have "a nearer way."

5

6 Well, as you guess?] Here again the quartos repeat the words, " Well, sir, as you guess, as you guess."

K. Rich. Is the chair empty? is the sword unsway'd? Is the king dead? the empire unpossess'd?

What heir of York is there alive, but we?

And who is England's king, but great York's heir?
Then, tell me, what makes he upon the seas'?

Stan. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess.
K. Rich. Unless for that he comes to be your liege,
You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes.
Thou wilt revolt, and fly to him, I fear.

Stan. No, my good lord; therefore, mistrust me not. K. Rich. Where is thy power, then, to beat him back?

Where be thy tenants, and thy followers?

Are they not now upon the western shore,
Safe-conducting the rebels from their ships?

Stan. No, my good lord, my friends are in the north.
K. Rich. Cold friends to me: What do they in the

north,

When they should serve their sovereign in the west?
Stan. They have not been commanded, mighty king.
Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave,

I'll muster up my friends, and meet your grace,
Where, and what time, your majesty shall please.
K. Rich. Ay, thou wouldst be gone to join with
Richmond:

But I'll not trust thee".

Stan.
Most mighty sovereign,
You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful.
I never was, nor never will be false.

K. Rich. Go, then, and muster men: but leave behind' Your son, George Stanley. Look your heart be firm2,

7 what MAKES he upon the seas?] "What doth he upon the sea?" quartos. The use of the verb "to make" in this Saxon sense is not uncommon.

8 Cold friends to ME :] "Cold friends to Richard," quartos. Above, Stanley in the quarto calls the king "mighty liege," and in the folio as in our text.

9 But I'll not trust thee.] The quartos, "I will not trust you, sir.”

1 But leave behind] The quartos, " But, hear you, leave behind."

Look your HEART be firm,] The quartos read, "Look your faith be firm.”

Or else his head's assurance is but frail.
Stan. So deal with him, as I prove true to you.

Enter a Messenger.

[Exit STANLEY.

Mess. My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire,
As I by friends am well advertised,

Sir Edward Courtney, and the haughty prelate,
Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother3,

With many more confederates, are in arms.

Enter another Messenger.

2 Mess. In Kent, my liege, the Guildfords are in

arms;

And every hour more competitors

Flock to the rebels, and their power grows strong*.

death?

Enter a third Messenger.

3 Mess. My lord, the army of great BuckinghamK. Rich. Out on ye, owls! nothing but songs of [He strikes him. There, take thou that, till thou bring better news. 3 Mess. The news I have to tell your majesty Is, that by sudden floods and fall of waters, Buckingham's army is dispers'd and scatter'd ; And he himself wander'd away alone,

No man knows whither.

K. Rich.

I cry thee mercy :

There is my purse, to cure that blow of thine.

3

his elder brother,] The quartos, "his brother there."

4 Flock to the rebels, and their power grows strong.] This is the reading of the folio: the quartos have, "Flock to their aid, and still their power increaseth."

The news I have, &c.] So the folio. The quarto reads :

"Your grace mistakes; the news I bring is good :

My news is, that, by sudden flood and fall of water,

The duke of Buckingham's army is dispers'd and scatter'd ;
And he himself fled, no man knows whither."

There is my purse,] According to the quartos, the king says, "O! I

Hath any well-advised friend proclaim'd
Reward to him that brings the traitor in?

3 Mess. Such proclamation hath been made, my lord.

Enter a fourth Messenger.

4 Mess. Sir Thomas Lovel, and lord marquess Dorset, 'Tis said, my liege, in Yorkshire are in arms: But this good comfort bring I to your highness,The Bretagne navy is dispers'd by tempest. Richmond, in Dorsetshire, sent out a boat Unto the shore, to ask those on the banks, If they were his assistants, yea, or no;

Who answer'd him, they came from Buckingham
Upon his party he, mistrusting them,

Hois'd sail, and made his course again for Bretagne.
K. Rich. March on, march on, since we are up in

arms;

If not to fight with foreign enemies,

Yet to beat down these rebels here at home.

Enter CATESBY.

Cate. My liege, the duke of Buckingham is taken; That is the best news: that the earl of Richmond Is with a mighty power landed at Milford,

Is colder news', but yet they must be told.

K. Rich. Away towards Salisbury! while we reason here,

A royal battle might be won and lost.

Some one take order, Buckingham be brought

To Salisbury: the rest march on with me.

[Exeunt.

cry you mercy, I did mistake,” and does not condescend to recompense the messenger himself; his words are," Ratcliff, reward him for the blow I gave him." 7 Is colder NEWS,] Tidings, in the quartos.

SCENE V.

A Room in Lord STANLEY'S House.

Enter STANLEY and Sir CHRISTOPHER URSWICKR.

Stan. Sir Christopher, tell Richmond this from me:— That, in the sty of the most bloody boar,

My son George Stanley is frank'd up in hold:
If I revolt, off goes young George's head:
The fear of that holds off my present aid'.
So, get thee gone: commend me to thy lord.
Withal, say that the queen hath heartily consented,
He should espouse Elizabeth her daughter.
But, tell me, where is princely Richmond now?

Chris. At Pembroke, or at Ha'rford-west, in Wales.
Stan. What men of name resort to him?
Chris. Sir Walter Herbert, a renowned soldier;
Sir Gilbert Talbot, sir William Stanley;
Oxford, redoubted Pembroke, sir James Blunt,
And Rice ap Thomas, with a valiant crew;
And many other of great name' and worth:
And towards London do they bend their power,
If by the way they be not fought withal.

Stan. Well, hie thee to thy lord; I kiss his hand: My letter will resolve him of my mind. Farewell.

8

[Giving Papers to Sir CHRISTOPHER. [Exeunt.

Sir Christopher Urswick.] He was chaplain to the countess of Richmond, and afterwards almoner to Henry VII. As to the style of knighthood of old given to the clergy, see Vol. iii. p. 393, and this Vol. p. 119, &c.

The fear of that HOLDS OFF my present aid.] The quartos read withholds for "holds off," and the folio adds the three next lines, which in the quartos are made part of the concluding speech of Stanley.

And many other of great name-] The quartos, "With many more of noble fame." Malone also reads fame for "name" as the text is given in the

folio.