To win your daughter.

There is no other way;

Q. Eliz.
Unless thou couldst put on some other shape,
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 hate 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.

If I did take the kingdom from your sons,
To make amends, I'll give it to your daughter.
If I have kill'd the issue of your womb,

To quicken your increase, I will beget
Mine issue of your blood upon your daughter:
A grandam's name is little less in love
Than is the doting title of a mother;
They are as children but one step below,
Even of your mettle, of your very blood;
Of all one pain, save for a night of groans
Endured of her, for whom you bid like sorrow.
Your children were vexation to your youth,
But mine shall be a comfort to your age.
The loss you have is but a son being king,
And by that loss your daughter is made queen.
I cannot make you what amends I would,
Therefore accept such kindness as I can.
Dorset your son, that with a fearful soul
Leads discontented steps in foreign soil,
This fair alliance quickly shall call home.
To high promotions and great dignity :

The king, that calls your beauteous daughter wife,

290

300

310

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:
The liquid drops of tears that you have shed
Shall come again, transform'd to orient pearl,
Advantaging their loan with interest

Of ten times double gain of happiness.
Go, then, my mother, to thy daughter go;
Make bold her bashful years with your experience;
Prepare her ears to hear a wooer's tale;
Put in her tender heart the aspiring flame
Of golden sovereignty; acquaint the princess
With the sweet silent hours of marriage joys:
And when this arm of mine hath chastised
The petty rebel, dull-brain'd Buckingham,
Bound with triumphant garlands will I come
And lead thy daughter to a conqueror's bed;
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?
Or, he that slew her brothers and her uncles?
Under what title shall I woo for thee,
That God, the law, my honour and her love,
Can make seem pleasing to her tender years?
K. Rich. Infer fair England's peace by this
alliance.

Q. Eliz. Which she shall purchase with still
lasting war.

323. Advantaging, increasing.

323. loan. Theobald's emendation for Ff 'love.'

320

330

340

324. Often times; Theobald's emendation for oftentimes Ff. 343. Infer, etc., allege that England's peace depends upon.

ে

K. Rich. Say that the king, which may command, entreats.

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. To wail the title, as her mother doth.
K. Rich. Say, I will love her everlastingly.
Q. Eliz. But how long shall that title 'ever'
last?

K. Rich. Sweetly in force unto her fair life's end.
Q. Eliz. But how long fairly shall her sweet
life last?

K. Rich. So long as heaven and nature lengthens it.

Q. Eliz. So long as hell and Richard likes of it. K. Rich. Say, I, her sovereign, am her subject love.

Q. Eliz. But she, your subject, loathes such
sovereignty.

K. Rich. Be eloquent in my behalf to her.
Q. Eliz. An honest tale speeds best being
plainly told.

K. Rich. Then in plain terms tell her my
loving tale.

Q. Eliz. Plain and not honest is too harsh a style.

K. Rich. Your reasons are too shallow and too quick.

Q. Eliz. O no, my reasons are too deep and
dead;

Too deep and dead, poor infants, in their grave.
K. Rich. Harp not on that string, madam;

that is past.

Q. Eliz. Harp on it still shall I till heart-strings break.

350

360

K. Rich. Now, by my George, my garter, and

my crown,

Q. Eliz. Profaned, dishonour'd, and the third

usurp❜d.

K. Rich. I swear

Q. Eliz.

By nothing; for this is no oath : The George, profaned, hath lost his holy honour;

The garter, blemish'd, pawn'd his knightly virtue; 370 The crown, usurp'd, disgraced his kingly glory.

If something thou wilt swear to be believed,

Swear then by something that thou hast not wrong'd. K. Rich. Now, by the world

Q. Eliz.

'Tis full of thy foul wrongs.

K. Rich. My father's death-
Q. Eliz.

Thy life hath that dishonour'd.

K. Rich. Then, by myself—
Q. Eliz.

Thyself thyself misusest.

K. Rich. Why then, by God-
Q. Eliz.
If thou hadst fear'd to break an oath by Him,
The unity the king thy brother made

God's wrong is most of all.

Had not been broken, nor my brother slain :
If thou hadst fear'd to break an oath by Him,
The imperial metal, circling now thy brow,
Had graced the tender temples of my child,
And both the princes had been breathing here,
Which now, two tender playfellows for dust,
Thy broken faith hath made a prey for worms.
What canst thou swear by now?

K. Rich.

The time to come. Q. Eliz. That thou hast wronged in the time

o'erpast;

366. my George, the figure of St. George as a part of the insignia of the Garter. It was, however, first added to the in

signia by Henry VII. L.

380

385. two. Dyce's reading 'too' is attractive, but not clearly right.

For I myself have many tears to wash
Hereafter time, for time past wrong'd by thee.
The children live, whose parents thou
slaughter'd,

Ungovern'd youth, to wail it in their age;

390

hast

The parents live, whose children thou hast
butcher'd,

Old wither'd plants, to wail it with their age.
Swear not by time to come; for that thou hast
Misused ere used, by time misused o'erpast.

K. Rich. As I intend to prosper and repent,
So thrive I in my dangerous attempt
Of hostile arms! myself myself confound!
Heaven and fortune bar me happy hours!

Day, yield me not thy light; nor, night, thy rest!
Be opposite all planets of good luck

To my proceedings, if, with pure heart's love,
Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,

I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter!
In her consists my happiness and thine;
Without her, follows to this land and me,
To thee, herself, and many a Christian soul,
Death, desolation, ruin and decay:

It cannot be avoided but by this;

It will not be avoided but by this.

Therefore, good mother, I must call you so-
Be the attorney of my love to her :

Plead what I will be, not what I have been ;
Not my deserts, but what I will deserve:

Urge the necessity and state of times,

And be not peevish-fond in great designs.

Q. Eliz. Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?

400

410

405. tender, am attached

417. peevish-fond, perversely foolish.