Richard III by William Shakespeare (good novels to read txt) 📕

masters, look to see a troublous world. First Citizen No, no; by God’s good grace his son shall reign. Third Citizen Woe to the land that’s govern’d by a child! Second Citizen

In him there is a hope of government,
That in his nonage council under him,
And in his full and ripen’d years himself,
No doubt, shall then and till then govern well.

First Citizen

So stood the state when Henry the Sixth
Was crown’d in Paris but at nine months old.

Third Citizen

Stood the state so? No, no, good friends, God wot;
For then this land was famously enrich’d
With politic grave counsel; then the king
Had virtuous uncles to protect his grace.

First Citizen Why, so hath this, both by the father and mother. Third Citizen

Better it were they all came by the father,
Or by the father there were none at all;
For emulation now, who shall be nearest,
Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not.
O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloucester!
And the queen’s sons and brothers haught and proud:
And were they to be ruled, and not to rule,
This sickly land might solace as before.

First Citizen Come, come, we fear the worst; all shall be well. Third Citizen

When clouds appear, wise men put on their cloaks;
When great leaves fall, the winter is at hand;
When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?
Untimely storms make men expect a dearth.
All may be well; but, if God sort it so,
’Tis more than we deserve, or I expect.

Second Citizen

Truly, the souls of men are full of dread:
Ye cannot reason almost with a man
That looks not heavily and full of fear.

Third Citizen

Before the times of change, still is it so:
By a divine instinct men’s minds mistrust
Ensuing dangers; as, by proof, we see
The waters swell before a boisterous storm.
But leave it all to God. Whither away?

Second Citizen Marry, we were sent for to the justices. Third Citizen And so was I: I’ll bear you company. Exeunt. Scene IV

London. The palace.

Enter the Archbishop of York, the young Duke of York, Queen Elizabeth, and the Duchess of York. Archbishop

Last night, I hear, they lay at Northampton;
At Stony-Stratford will they be to-night:
To-morrow, or next day, they will be here.

Duchess

I long with all my heart to see the prince:
I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.

Queen Elizabeth

But I hear, no; they say my son of York
Hath almost overta’en him in his growth.

York Ay, mother; but I would not have it so. Duchess Why, my young cousin, it is good to grow. York

Grandam, one night, as we did sit at supper,
My uncle Rivers talk’d how I did grow
More than my brother: “Ay,” quoth my uncle Gloucester,
“Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace:”
And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast,
Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste.

Duchess

Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold
In him that did object the same to thee:
He was the wretched’st thing when he was young,
So long a-growing and so leisurely,
That, if this rule were true, he should be gracious.

Archbishop Why, madam, so, no doubt, he is. Duchess I hope he is; but yet let mothers doubt. York

Now, by my troth, if I had been remember’d,
I could have given my uncle’s grace a flout,
To touch his growth nearer than he touch’d mine.

Duchess How, my pretty York? I pray thee, let me hear it. York

Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast
That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old:
’Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
Grandam, this would have been a biting jest.

Duchess I pray thee, pretty York, who told thee this? York Grandam, his nurse. Duchess His nurse! why, she was dead ere thou wert born. York If ’twere not she, I cannot tell who told me. Queen Elizabeth A parlous boy: go to, you are too shrewd. Archbishop Good madam, be not angry with the child. Queen Elizabeth Pitchers have ears. Enter a Messenger. Archbishop Here comes a messenger. What news? Messenger Such news, my lord, as grieves me to unfold. Queen Elizabeth How fares the prince? Messenger Well, madam, and in health. Duchess What is thy news then? Messenger

Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are sent to Pomfret,
With them Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.

Duchess Who hath committed them? Messenger

The mighty dukes
Gloucester and Buckingham.

Queen Elizabeth For what offence? Messenger

The sum of all I can, I have disclosed;
Why or for what these nobles were committed
Is all unknown to me, my gracious lady.

Queen Elizabeth

Ay me, I see the downfall of our house!
The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind;
Insulting tyranny begins to jet
Upon the innocent and aweless throne:
Welcome, destruction, death, and massacre!
I see, as in a map, the end of all.

Duchess

Accursed and unquiet wrangling days,
How many of you have mine eyes beheld!
My husband lost his life to get the crown;
And often up and down my sons were toss’d,
For me to joy and weep their gain and loss:
And being seated, and domestic broils
Clean over-blown, themselves, the conquerors,
Make war upon themselves; blood against blood,
Self against self: O, preposterous
And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen;
Or let me die, to look on death no more!

Queen Elizabeth

Come, come, my boy; we will to sanctuary.
Madam, farewell.

Duchess I’ll go along with you. Queen Elizabeth You have no cause. Archbishop

My gracious lady, go;
And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
For my part, I’ll resign unto your grace
The seal I keep: and so betide to me
As well I tender you and all of yours!
Come, I’ll conduct you to the sanctuary. Exeunt.

Act III Scene I

London. A street.

The trumpets sound. Enter the young Prince, the Dukes ofGloucester and Buckingham, Cardinal Bourchier, Catesby, and others. Buckingham Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your chamber. Gloucester

Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts’ sovereign:
The weary way hath made you melancholy.

Prince

No, uncle; but our crosses on the way
Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy:
I want more uncles