For raging wind blows up incessant showers,
And when the rage allays, the rain begins.
These tears are my sweet Rutland's obsequies,
And every drop cries vengeance for his death,

'Gainst thee, fell Clifford, and thee, false Frenchwoman.

North. Beshrew me, but his passions move me so

That hardly can I check my eyes from tears.

York. That face of his the hungry cannibals

Would not have touch'd, would not have stain'd with blood;
But you are more inhuman, more inexorable,

O, ten times more than tigers of Hyrcania.

See, ruthless queen, a hapless father's tears:

This cloth thou dipp'dst in blood of my sweet boy,
And I with tears do wash the blood away.

Keep thou the napkin, and go boast of this;
And if thou tell'st the heavy story right,

150, 151. Beshrew... so That . . . tears] 135, 136. Beshrew move me so, As... mine eies. teares Q. 152-155. That face... Would Hyrcania] 137-140. That face

156-166. See, ruthless... And I... do wash . . . of this tell'st...

Upon my soul, the hearers will shed tears;

Yea, even my foes will shed fast-falling tears,

There, take the crown, and with the crown my curse,
And in thy need such comfort come to thee

165

As now I reap at thy too cruel hand!
Hard-hearted Clifford, take me from the world;
My soul to heaven, my blood upon your heads!
North. Had he been slaughter-man to all my kin,

I should not for my life but weep with him,
To see how inly sorrow gripes his soul.

Q. Mar. What, weeping-ripe, my Lord Northumberland?
Think but upon the wrong he did us all,
And that will quickly dry thy melting tears.

Clif. Here's for my oath; here's for my father's death.

170

175

[Stabbing him.

Q. Mar. And here's to right our gentle-hearted king.

[Stabbing him.

York. Open thy gate of mercy, gracious God!
My soul flies through these wounds to seek out Thee.

right... Yea And loe

There, take
I wash

[Dies.

too cruel hand !] 141-151. See ruthlesse of that. tell. well.. I (Ay) Here, take two cruell hands Q. 167, 168. Hard-hearted... heads] 152, 153. Hard-harted. . . heads Q. 169-171. Had . . . soul] 154-156. Had he bin. of all... I could not chuse but weep 172-180. What, weeping-ripe .. thy melting And here's gentle-hearted king

flies gate of

town of York] 157-165. What weeping ripe.

thears .. And thears.

...

flies

your melting gentle hearted kind. gates of foorth to meet with thee towne of York. Exeunt Omnes Q. [Stabbing .. Stabbing . . . Dies] omitted Q, Ff.

Richard III. 1. ii. 155-166 on these
lines, and note in this edition. The
standers-by, at the story, "wet their
cheeks like trees bedash'd with rain."
169. slaughter-man] See Part I.
III. iii. 75 (note). In Q. It occurs
in A Manifest Detection of the.
use of Dice-play (Percy reprint, p. 8),
1532 (?): "Go to; say on; lo! how
gentle lambs are led to the slaughter-
man's fold."

171. inly] inward. Occurs again Two Gentlemen of Verona, II. vii. 18. Elsewhere an adverb. But the distinction is not a sound one.

171. sorrow gripes his soul] Recalls a line in The First Part of Contention,

Q. Mar. Off with his head, and set it on York gates: So York may overlook the town of York.

ACT II

SCENE I-A Plain near Mortimer's Cross in
Herefordshire.

A March. Enter EDWARD, RICHARD, and their power.

Edw. I wonder how our princely father 'scaped,

Or whether he be 'scaped away or no

From Clifford's and Northumberland's pursuit.
Had he been ta'en we should have heard the news;
Had he been slain we should have heard the news;
Or had he 'scaped, methinks we should have heard
The happy tidings of his good escape.
How fares my brother? why is he so sad?

Rich. I cannot joy until I be resolv'd

Where our right valiant father is become.

A March] Ff; omitted Q.

with drum and Souldiers Q.

Enter...] Ff; Enter Edward and Richard,
1-7. I wonder how .
good escape] omitted Q.

8. How ... sad?] 1, 2. Edw. After this dangerous fight and haplesse warre How doth my noble brother Richard fare? Q. 9, 10. Rich. I cannot. . . is become] 3, 4. Rich. I cannot ... is become Q.

1. I wonder. . .] When Shakespeare wrote a new opening for the older one, in this scene, as he frequently does in these two plays, he perhaps forgot the almost identical first line of the first Act-which was in Q.

4-6. Had he Had he ... Or had he] The repetition of the initial words in poetical lines was carried to great excess at this time and earlier. In this play see Act ii., Scene v., where (as here) it is part of the finished play, not the Quarto version. For examples see Hawes' Pastime of Pleasure (1509), p. 102, reprint, where fourteen lines have same beginnings. Gascoigne's Steel Glas is loaded with the trick. Spenser abounds in iterations and repetitions, but in a more measured manner, and with due regard to eloquence.

I saw him in the battle range about,

And watch'd him how he singled Clifford forth.
Methought he bore him in the thickest troop
As doth a lion in a herd of neat ;

Or as a bear, encompass'd round with dogs,
Who having pinch'd a few and made them cry,
The rest stand all aloof and bark at him.
So fared our father with his enemies;
So fled his enemies my war-like father:
Methinks 'tis prize enough to be his son.
See how the morning opes her golden gates,

11-14. I saw him . . . As doth .. see him beare himselfe, As doth enemies] omitted Q.

19, 20. son] 7, 8. So fled. our valiant. in the aire Q. 21-25. See how suns? 9-11. Edw.

Dazzle suns? Q.

...

12. singled...for th] Not in Q. note at "singled," below, II. iv. i.

15

20

in a... neat] 5, 6. How often did I midst ... neat Q. 15-18. Or as a So fled. my war-like... prize.. pride.. . sonne. Three sonnes appeare glorious sun; How . . . love. Edw. how.. glorious sun, Dasell . . .

Loe

See

20. prize] "pride" of Quartos is preferable. But compare "prize" (privilege) above, 1. iv. 59.

...

21-24. the morning prancing to his love] A variously put metaphor. See Psalm xix. 4, 5, and Faerie Queene, I. v. 2, where the "golden orientall gate" occurs:

"And Phoebus, fresh as brydegroome to his mate, Came dauncing forth." And Peele, David and Bethsabe (473, a), where Dyce gives the reference to Spenser, as Jortin does on Faerie Queene to the Psalm, a reference given much earlier by Sylvester (1621 ed. p. 85) in a marginal note to the lines in Fourth Day of the First Week of Du Bartas (1591):—

"Thou seem'st (O Titan) like a Bride-groome brave,

Who from his chamber early issuing out

In rich array," etc.