Q. Eliz. To save her life, I'll say-she is not so. K. Rich. Her life is safest only in her birth. Q. Eliz. And only in that safety died her brothers. K. Rich. Lo, at their births good stars were opposite. Q. Eliz. No, to their lives bad friends were contrary. K. Rich. All unavoided is the doom of destiny. Q. Eliz. True, when avoided grace makes destiny: My babes were destin'd to a fairer death, If grace had blest thee with a fairer life. K. Rich. You speak, as if that I had slain my cou sins. Q. Eliz. Cousins, indeed; and by their uncle cozen'd Of comfort, kingdom, kindred, freedom, life. Whose hands soever lanc'd their tender hearts, Thy head, all indirectly, gave direction : No doubt the murderous knife was dull and blunt, But that still use' of grief makes wild grief tame, K. Rich. Madam, so thrive I in my enterprize, And dangerous success of bloody wars, As I intend more good to you and yours, Than ever you or yours by me were harm'd! Q. Eliz. What good is cover'd with the face of heaven, To be discover'd that can do me good? K. Rich. The advancement of your children, gentle lady. Q. Eliz. Up to some scaffold, there to lose their heads? K. Rich. No, to the dignity and height of fortune, The high imperial type of this earth's glory. 1 Q. Eliz. Flatter my sorrows with report of it; Tell me, what state, what dignity, what honour, Canst thou demise' to any child of mine? K. Rich. Even all I have; ay, and myself and all, Will I withal endow a child of thine; So in the lethe of thy angry soul Thou drown the sad remembrance of those wrongs, Q. Eliz. Be brief, lest that the process of thy kindness Last longer telling than thy kindness' date. K. Rich. Then know, that, from my soul, I love thy daughter. Q. Eliz. My daughter's mother thinks it with her soul. K. Rich. What do you think? Q. Eliz. That thou dost love my daughter, from thy soul: So, from thy soul's love, didst thou love her brothers; And, from my heart's love, I do thank thee for it. K. Rich. Be not so hasty to confound my meaning; I mean, that with my soul I love thy daughter, And do intend to make her queen of England. Q. Eliz. Well then, who dost thou mean shall be her king? K. Rich. Even he, that makes her queen; Who else should be? Q. Eliz. What, thou? K. Rich. it, madam? Even sot! What think you of 1 The high imperial type-] Type is exhibition, show, display, or perhaps, emblem. 2 Canst thou demise -] To demise is to grant, from demittere, to devolve a right from one to another. +"I, even I; what think," &c.-MALONE. Q. Eliz How canst thou woo her? K. Rich. That I would learn of you, Madam, with all my heart. As one being best acquainted with her humour. Q. Eliz. And wilt thou learn of me? K. Rich. Q. Eliz. Send to her, by the man that slew her bro thers, A pair of bleeding hearts; thereon engrave, Tell her, thou mad'st away her uncle Clarence, Her uncle Rivers; ay, and, for her sake, Mad'st quick conveyance with her good aunt Anne. K. Rich. You mock me, madam; this is not the way To win your daughter. Q. Eliz. And not be Richard that hath done all this. K. Rich. Say, that I did all this for love of her? Q. Eliz. Nay, then indeed, she cannot choose but have thee +, Having bought love with such a bloody spoil. K. Rich. Look, what is done cannot be now amended; Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes, Which after-hours give leisure to repent. To quicken your increase, I will beget t "but hate thee," MALONE. A grandam's name is little less in love, The king, that calls your beauteous daughter,-wife, Familiarly shall call thy Dorset-brother; Again shall you be mother to a king, And all the ruins of distressful times Repair'd with double riches of content. What! we have many goodly days to see: 3 bid like sorrow.] Bid is in the past tense from bide. To whom I will retail my conquest won, And she shall be sole victress, Cæsar's Cæsar. Q. Eliz. What were I best to say? her father's brother Would be her lord? Or shall I say her uncle? That God, the law, my honour, and her love, K. Rich. Infer fair England's peace by this alliance. Q. Eliz. That at her hands, which the king's King forbids". K. Rich. Say, she shall be a high and mighty queen. Q. Eliz. But how long shall that title, ever, last? Q. Eliz. An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told. 4 To whom I will retail my conquest won,] To retail is to hand down from one to another. Richard, in the present instance, means to say he will transmit the benefit of his victories to Elizabeth. 5 which the king's King forbids.] Alluding to the prohibition in the Levitical law. |