THE

LIFE and DE A TH

OF

RICHARD III.

Richard, Duke of York.

George, Duke of Clarence, Brother to Edward IV.

Richard, Duke

Richard 1

Cloucester, Brother to Edward IV. afterwards King

Cardinal, Archbishop of York,

Duke of Buckingham.

Duke of Norfolk.

Earl of Surrey.

Marquis of Dorfet, Son to Pueen Elizabeth.

Earl Rivers, Brother to the Queen.

Lord Gray, Son to Queen Elizabeth.

Earl of Richmond, afterwards King Henry VII.
Bishop of Ely.

Lord Haftings.

Sir Thomas Vaughan.

Sir Richard Ratcliff,

Lord Lovel,

Catesby,

}

Friends to the Duke of Gloucester.

Sir James Tyrrel, a Villain.

Thomas, Lord Stanley, Lord Steward of King Edward IVth's House

bold, afterwards Earl of Derby.

Earl of Oxford,

Blount,

Herbert,

Sir William Brandon.

Friends to the Earl of Richmond.

Brakenbury, Lieutenant of the Tower.
Two Children of the Duke of Clarence.
Lord Mayor.

Sir Chriftopher Urfwick, a Prieft.

Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV.

Queen Margaret, Widow of Henry VI.

Anne, Widow of Edward Prince of Wales, Son to Henry VI. afterqwards married to the Duke of Glouceter.

Dutchess of York, Mother to Edward IV. Clarence, and Richard III.

Sheriff, Purfuivant, Citizens, Ghosts of those murdered by
Richard III. with Soldiers, and other Attendants.

The SCENE, in England.

THE

THE

(1) LIFE and DEATH of

KING RICHARD III.

SCENE, the COURT. Enter Richard Duke of Gloucester, folus. XOW is the Winter of our discontent

N

Made glorious fummer by this fun of York: And all the clouds, that lowr'd upon our house, In the deep bofom of the ocean bury'd. Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths, Our bruised arms hung up for monuments; Our ftern alarms chang'd to merry meetings; Our dreadful marches to delightful meafures. Grim-vifag'd war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front; And now, inftead of mounting barbed steeds To fright the fouls of fearful adverfaries,

(1) The Life and Death of King Richard III.] This Tragedy, though it is called the Life and Death of this Prince, comprizes, at moft, but the laft eight Years of his Time: For it opens with George Duke of Clarence being clap'd up in the Tower, which hap-. pened in the beginning of the Year 1977; and clofes with the Death of Richard at Bofworth-field, which Battle was fought on the 22d of Auguft in the Year 1485.

VOL. V.

I

He

He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber,
To the lafcivious pleafing of a lute.

But I, that am not fhap'd for fportive tricks,
Nor made to court an am'rous looking-glafs,
I, that am rudely ftampt, and want love's majefty,
To ftrut before a wanton, ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by diffembling nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, fent before my time
Into this breathing world, fcarce half made up;
And that fo lamely and unfafhionably,
That dogs bark at me, as I halt by them:
Why I, (in this weak piping time of peace)
Have no delight to pafs away the time;
Unlefs to fpy my fhadow in the fun,
And defcant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, fince I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain thefe fair well-fpoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophefies, libels, and dreams,
To fet my brother Clarence and the King
In deadly hate, the one against the other:
And, if King Edward be as true and juft,
As I am fubtle, falfe and treacherous,
This day fhould Clarence clofely be mew'd up;
About a prophefy, which fays, that G

Of Edward's heirs the murderer fhall be.

Dive, thoughts, down to my foul! here Clarence comes. Enter Clarence guarded, and Brakenbury.

Brother, good day; what means this armed guard, That waits upon your Grace?

Clar. His Majesty,

Tend'ring my perfon's fafety, hath appointed

This conduct to convey me to the Tower.

Glo. Upon what cause ?

Clar. Because my name is George.

Glo. Alack, my Lord, that fault is none of yours:

He

He should for that commit your god-fathers.

Belike, his Majefty hath fome intent,

That you fhould be new chriftened in the Tower.
But what's the matter, Clarence, may I know?
Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know; for, I protest,
As yet I do not; but as I can learn,

He hearkens after prophefies and dreams,
And from the cross-row plucks the letter G ;
And fays, a wizard told him, that by G
His iffue difinherited should be.

And, for my name of George begins with G,
It follows in his thought, that I am he.
Thefe, as I learn, and fuch like toys as these,
Have mov'd his Highness to commit me now.

Glo. Why, this it is, when men are rul'd by women.
'Tis not the King, that fends you to the Tower ;
My Lady Gray his wife, Clarence, 'tis fhe,
That tempts him to this harsh extremity.
Was it not the, and that good man of worship,
Anthony Woodvil her brother there,

That made him fend Lord Haftings to the Tower P
From whence this day he is delivered.

We are not fafe; Clarence, we are not fafe.

Clar. By heav'n, I think, there is no man fecure But the Queen's kindred, and night-walking heralds, That trudge between the King and miftrefs Shore. Heard you not, what an humble fuppliant Lord Haftings was to her for his delivery. Glo. Humbly complaining to her Deity,

Got my Lord Chamberlain his liberty.
I'll tell you what ;- -I think, it is our way,
If we will keep in favour with the King,
To be her men, and wear her. livery:
The jealous o'erworn widow, and herself,

Since that our brother dubb'd them gentlewomen,
Are mighty goffips in this monarchy.

Brak. I beg your Graces both to pardon me :
His Majefty hath ftraitly giv'n in charge,
That no man fhall have private conference,
Of what degree foever, with your brother.

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