Enter Richard and Buckingham at several doors.RICHARD How now, how now? What say the citizens?BUCKINGHAM Now, by the holy mother of our Lord, The citizens are mum, say not a word.RICHARD Touched you the bastardy of Edward’s children?BUCKINGHAM 5 I did; with his contract with Lady Lucy And his contract by deputy in France; Th’ unsatiate greediness of his desire And his enforcement of the city wives; His tyranny for trifles; his own bastardy,10 As being got, your father then in France, And his resemblance being not like the Duke. Withal, I did infer your lineaments, Being the right idea of your father, Both in your form and nobleness of mind;15 Laid open all your victories in Scotland, Your discipline in war, wisdom in peace, Your bounty, virtue, fair humility; Indeed, left nothing fitting for your purpose Untouched or slightly handled in discourse.20 And when ⟨mine⟩ oratory drew toward end, I bid them that did love their country’s good Cry “God save Richard, England’s royal king!”RICHARD And did they so?
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BUCKINGHAM No. So God help me, they spake not a word25 But, like dumb statues or breathing stones, Stared each on other and looked deadly pale; Which when I saw, I reprehended them And asked the Mayor what meant this willful silence. His answer was, the people were not used30 To be spoke to but by the Recorder. Then he was urged to tell my tale again: “Thus saith the Duke. Thus hath the Duke inferred”— But nothing spoke in warrant from himself.35 When he had done, some followers of mine own, At lower end of the hall, hurled up their caps, And some ten voices cried “God save King Richard!” And thus I took the vantage of those few. “Thanks, gentle citizens and friends,” quoth I.40 “This general applause and cheerful shout Argues your ⟨wisdoms⟩ and your love to Richard”— And even here brake off and came away.RICHARD What tongueless blocks were they! Would they not speak?45 Will not the Mayor then and his brethren come?BUCKINGHAM The Mayor is here at hand. Intend some fear; Be not you spoke with but by mighty suit. And look you get a prayer book in your hand And stand between two churchmen, good my lord,50 For on that ground I’ll make a holy descant. And be not easily won to our requests. Play the maid’s part: still answer “nay,” and take it.RICHARD I go. An if you plead as well for them As I can say “nay” to thee for myself,55 No doubt we bring it to a happy issue.⌜Knocking within.⌝
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BUCKINGHAM Go, go, up to the leads. The Lord Mayor knocks.⟨⌜Richard⌝ exits.⟩Enter the Mayor and Citizens. Welcome, my lord. I dance attendance here. I think the Duke will not be spoke withal.Enter Catesby. Now, Catesby, what says your lord to my request?CATESBY 60 He doth entreat your Grace, my noble lord, To visit him tomorrow or next day. He is within, with two right reverend fathers, Divinely bent to meditation, And in no worldly suits would he be moved65 To draw him from his holy exercise.BUCKINGHAM Return, good Catesby, to the gracious duke. Tell him myself, the Mayor, and aldermen, In deep designs, in matter of great moment No less importing than our general good,70 Are come to have some conference with his Grace.CATESBY I’ll signify so much unto him straight.He exits.BUCKINGHAM Ah ha, my lord, this prince is not an Edward! He is not lolling on a lewd love-bed, But on his knees at meditation;75 Not dallying with a brace of courtesans, But meditating with two deep divines; Not sleeping, to engross his idle body, But praying, to enrich his watchful soul. Happy were England would this virtuous prince
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80 Take on his Grace the sovereignty thereof. But sure I fear we shall not win him to it.MAYOR Marry, God defend his Grace should say us nay.BUCKINGHAM I fear he will. Here Catesby comes again.Enter Catesby. Now, Catesby, what says his Grace?CATESBY 85 He wonders to what end you have assembled Such troops of citizens to come to him, His Grace not being warned thereof before. He fears, my lord, you mean no good to him.BUCKINGHAM Sorry I am my noble cousin should90 Suspect me that I mean no good to him. By heaven, we come to him in perfect love, And so once more return and tell his Grace.⟨Catesby⟩ exits. When holy and devout religious men Are at their beads, ’tis much to draw them thence,95 So sweet is zealous contemplation.Enter Richard aloft, between two Bishops.⌜Catesby reenters.⌝MAYOR See where his Grace stands, ’tween two clergymen.BUCKINGHAM Two props of virtue for a Christian prince, To stay him from the fall of vanity; And, see, a book of prayer in his hand,100 True ornaments to know a holy man.— Famous Plantagenet, most gracious prince, Lend favorable ear to our requests,
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And pardon us the interruption Of thy devotion and right Christian zeal.RICHARD 105 My lord, there needs no such apology. I do beseech your Grace to pardon me, Who, earnest in the service of my God, Deferred the visitation of my friends. But, leaving this, what is your Grace’s pleasure?BUCKINGHAM 110 Even that, I hope, which pleaseth God above And all good men of this ungoverned isle.RICHARD I do suspect I have done some offense That seems disgracious in the city’s eye, And that you come to reprehend my ignorance.BUCKINGHAM 115 You have, my lord. Would it might please your Grace, On our entreaties, to amend your fault.RICHARD Else wherefore breathe I in a Christian land?BUCKINGHAM Know, then, it is your fault that you resign120 The supreme seat, the throne majestical, The sceptered office of your ancestors, Your state of fortune, and your due of birth, The lineal glory of your royal house, To the corruption of a blemished stock,125 Whiles in the mildness of your sleepy thoughts, Which here we waken to our country’s good, The noble isle doth want ⟨her⟩ proper limbs— ⟨Her⟩ face defaced with scars of infamy, ⌜Her⌝ royal stock graft with ignoble plants,130 And almost shouldered in the swallowing gulf Of dark forgetfulness and deep oblivion; Which to recure, we heartily solicit
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Your gracious self to take on you the charge And kingly government of this your land,135 Not as Protector, steward, substitute, Or lowly factor for another’s gain, But as successively, from blood to blood, Your right of birth, your empery, your own. For this, consorted with the citizens,140 Your very worshipful and loving friends, And by their vehement instigation, In this just cause come I to move your Grace.RICHARD I cannot tell if to depart in silence Or bitterly to speak in your reproof145 Best fitteth my degree or your condition. If not to answer, you might haply think Tongue-tied ambition, not replying, yielded To bear the golden yoke of sovereignty, Which fondly you would here impose on me.150 If to reprove you for this suit of yours, So seasoned with your faithful love to me, Then on the other side I checked my friends. Therefore, to speak, and to avoid the first, And then, in speaking, not to incur the last,155 Definitively thus I answer you: Your love deserves my thanks, but my desert Unmeritable shuns your high request. First, if all obstacles were cut away And that my path were even to the crown160 As the ripe revenue and due of birth, Yet so much is my poverty of spirit, So mighty and so many my defects, That I would rather hide me from my greatness, Being a bark to brook no mighty sea,165 Than in my greatness covet to be hid And in the vapor of my glory smothered. But, God be thanked, there is no need of me,
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And much I need to help you, were there need. The royal tree hath left us royal fruit,170 Which, mellowed by the stealing hours of time, Will well become the seat of majesty, And make, no doubt, us happy by his reign. On him I lay that you would lay on me, The right and fortune of his happy stars,175 Which God defend that I should wring from him.BUCKINGHAM My lord, this argues conscience in your Grace, But the respects thereof are nice and trivial, All circumstances well considerèd. You say that Edward is your brother’s son;180 So say we too, but not by Edward’s wife. For first was he contract to Lady Lucy— Your mother lives a witness to his vow— And afterward by substitute betrothed To Bona, sister to the King of France.185 These both put off, a poor petitioner, A care-crazed mother to a many sons, A beauty-waning and distressèd widow, Even in the afternoon of her best days, Made prize and purchase of his wanton eye,190 Seduced the pitch and height of his degree To base declension and loathed bigamy. By her in his unlawful bed he got This Edward, whom our manners call “the Prince.” More bitterly could I expostulate,195 Save that, for reverence to some alive, I give a sparing limit to my tongue. Then, good my lord, take to your royal self This proffered benefit of dignity, If not to bless us and the land withal,200 Yet to draw forth your noble ancestry From the corruption of abusing times Unto a lineal, true-derivèd course.
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MAYOR Do, good my lord. Your citizens entreat you.BUCKINGHAM Refuse not, mighty lord, this proffered love.CATESBY 205 O, make them joyful. Grant their lawful suit.RICHARD Alas, why would you heap this care on me? I am unfit for state and majesty. I do beseech you, take it not amiss; I cannot, nor I will not, yield to you.BUCKINGHAM 210 If you refuse it, as in love and zeal Loath to depose the child, your brother’s son— As well we know your tenderness of heart And gentle, kind, effeminate remorse, Which we have noted in you to your kindred215 And equally indeed to all estates— Yet know, whe’er you accept our suit or no, Your brother’s son shall never reign our king, But we will plant some other in the throne, To the disgrace and downfall of your house.220 And in this resolution here we leave you.— Come, citizens. ⟨Zounds, I’ll⟩ entreat no more.⟨RICHARD O, do not swear, my lord of Buckingham!⟩⌜Buckingham and some others⌝ exit.CATESBY Call him again, sweet prince. Accept their suit. If you deny them, all the land will rue it.RICHARD 225 Will you enforce me to a world of cares? Call them again. I am not made of stones, But penetrable to your kind entreaties, Albeit against my conscience and my soul.Enter Buckingham and the rest.
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Cousin of Buckingham and sage, grave men,230 Since you will buckle Fortune on my back, To bear her burden, whe’er I will or no, I must have patience to endure the load; But if black scandal or foul-faced reproach Attend the sequel of your imposition,235 Your mere enforcement shall acquittance me From all the impure blots and stains thereof, For God doth know, and you may partly see, How far I am from the desire of this.MAYOR God bless your Grace! We see it and will say it.RICHARD 240 In saying so, you shall but say the truth.BUCKINGHAM Then I salute you with this royal title: Long live Richard, England’s worthy king!ALL Amen.BUCKINGHAM Tomorrow may it please you to be crowned?RICHARD 245 Even when you please, for you will have it so.BUCKINGHAM Tomorrow, then, we will attend your Grace, And so most joyfully we take our leave.RICHARD, ⌜to the Bishops⌝ Come, let us to our holy work again.— Farewell, my ⟨cousin.⟩ Farewell, gentle friends.They exit.
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