For I have often heard my mother say,
I came into the world with my legs forward:
Had I not reason, think ye, to make haste,
And seek their ruin that usurp'd our right?
The midwife wonder'd; and the women cried,
O, Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth!
And so I was; which plainly signified-
That I should snarl, and bite, and play the dog.
Then, since the heavens have shap'd my body so,
Let hell make crook'd my mind to answer it.
I have no brother, I am like no brother:
And this word-love, which graybeards call
divine,
Be resident in men like one another,
And not in me; I am myself alone.-
Clarence, beware; thou keep'st me from the
light;
But I will sort a pitchy day for thee:
For I will buz abroad such prophecies,
That Edward shall be fearful of his life;
And then, to purge his fear, I'll be thy death.
King Henry, and the prince his son, are gone:
Clarence, thy turn is next, and then the rest;
Counting myself but bad, till I be best.-
I'll throw thy body in another room,
And triumph, Henry, in thy day of doom.
[Exit.
SCENE VII. The same. A Room in the Palace.
KING EDWARD is discovered sitting on his Throne;
QUEEN ELIZABETH with the infant Prince, CLA-
RENCE, GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and Others, near him.
K. Edw. Once more we sit in England's royal
throne,
Repurchas'd with the blood of enemies.
What valiant foemen, like to autumn's corn,
Have we mow'd down, in tops of all their pride?
Three dukes of Somerset, threefold renown'd
For hardy and undoubted champions:
Two Cliffords, as the father and the son,
And two Northumberlands; two braver men
Ne'er spurr'd their coursers at the trumpet's
[Montague,
With them, the two brave bears, Warwick and
That in their chains fetter'd the kingly lion,
And made the forest tremble when they roar'd.
Thus have we swept suspicion from our seat,
And made our footstool of security.-
Come hither, Bess, and let me kiss my boy:
Young Ned, for thee, thine uncles, and myse f
Have in our armours watch'd the winter's nigh
Went all afoot in summer's scalding heat,
That thou might'st repossess the crown in peace
And of our labours thou shalt reap the gain.
Glo. I'll blast his harvest, if your head we
laid;
For yet I am not look'd on in the world.
This shoulder was ordain'd so thick, to heave:
And heave it shall some weight, or break
Work thou the way,-and thou shalt execute.
[Aside K. Edw. Clarence, and Gloster, love
lovely queen; And kiss your princely nephew, brothers bois Clar. The duty, that I owe unto your majest I seal upon the lips of this sweet babe.
K. Edw. Thanks, noble Clarence; worthy brother, thanks.
Glo. And, that I love the tree from whence
thou sprang'st,
Witness the loving kiss I give the fruit:-
To say the truth, so Judas kiss'd his mas-
And cried-all hail! when as he meant
K. Edw. Now am I seated as my soul deligh Having my country's peace, and brothers' lov Clar. What will your grace have done w Margaret?
Reignier, her father, to the king of France
Hath pawn'd the Sicils and Jerusalem,
And hither have they sent it for her ransome.
K. Edw. Away with her, and waft her her
to France. [tin And now what rests, but that we spend th With stately triumphs, mirthful comick shov Such as befit the pleasures of the court?Sound, drums and trumpets !-farewell, 80% annoy!
For here, I hope, begins our lasting joy. [Erew
KING EDWARD THE FOURTH.
EDWARD, Prince of Wales, after
wards King Edward V.
RICHARD, Duke of York,
GEORGE, Duke of Clarence,
RICHARD, Duke of Gloster, Brothers to the King. afterwards King Richard
A young Son of Clarence.
HENRY, Earl of Richmond, afterwards King Henry
CARDINAL BOURCHIER, Archbishop of Canterbury.
THOMAS ROTHERAM, Archbishop of York.
JOHN MORTON, Bishop of Ely.
DUKE OF NORFOLK: EARL OF SURREY, his Son. EARL RIVERS, Brother to King Edward's Queen. MARQUIS OF DORSET, and LORD GREY, her Sons. EARL OF OXFORD. LORD HASTINGS.
LORD STANLEY. LORD LOVEL.
SIR THOMAS VAUGHAN. SIR RICHARD RATCLIFF.
SIR WILLIAM CATESBY. SIR JAMES TYRREL.
SIR JAMES BLOUNT. SIR WALTER HERBERT.
SIR ROBERT BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower.
CHRISTOPHER URSWICK, a Priest. Another Priest.
Lord Mayor of London. Sheriff of Wiltshire.
ELIZABETH, Queen of King Edward IV.
MARGARET, Widow of King Henry VI.
DUCHESS OF YORK, Mother to King Edward IV.
Clarence, and Gloster.
LADY ANNE, Widow of Edward, Prince of Wales, Son to King Henry VI.; afterwards married to the Duke of Gloster.
A young Daughter of Clarence.
Lords, and other Attendants, two Gentlemen, a Pursuivant, Scrivener, Citizens, Murderers, Messengers, Ghosts, Soldiers, &c.
LIFE AND DEATH OF
KING RICHARD III.
SCENE I. London. A Street.
Glo. Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York; And all the clouds, that four'd upon our house, In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarums chang'd to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-visag'd war hath smooth'd his wrinkled
front;
And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds,
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,-
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber,
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.
But I,-that am not shaped for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;
I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's ma-
jesty,
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable,
That dogs bark at me, as I halt by them ;-
Why I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time;
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