Let vengeance mischiefes tortures light on thee and thine And after death thou maist more torture feele then when Excon turnes the restlesse wheele And banne thy soule where ere thou seeme to rest But come my my friends let me away Herald My Lord we are sorie But come laie hands on Banister Exeunt Enter King Richard sir William Catesbie and others King The goale is got and golden Crowne is wonne And well deseruest thou to weare the same That ventured hast thy bodie and thy soule But what bootes Richard now the Diademe Or kingdome got by murther of his friends My fearefull shadow that still followes me Hath sommond me before the seuere iudge My conscience witnesse of the blood I spilt Accuseth me as guiltie of the fact The fact a damned iudgement craues Whereas impartiall iustice hath condemned Meethinkes the Crowne which I before did weare Inchast with Pearle and costly Diamonds Is turned now into a fatall wreathe Of fiery flames and euer burning starres And raging fiends hath past ther vgly shapes In Stygian lakes adrest to tend on me If it be thus what wilt thou do in this extremitie Nay what canst thou do to purge thee of thy guilt Euen repent craue mercie for thy damned fact Appeale for mercy to thy righteous God Ha repent not I craue mercy they that list My God is none of mine Then Richard be thus resolu'd To pace thy soule in vallence with their blood Soule for soule and bodie for bodie yea mary Richard That 's good Catesbie Cat. You cald my Lord I thinke King It may be so But what thinkst thou Catesbie Cat. Of what my Lord King Why of all these troubles Cat. Why my Lord I hope to see them happily ouercom'd King How villain doest thou hope to see me happily ouercom'd Cat. Who you my Lord King Ay villaine thou points at me thou hopest to see me ouercom'd Cat. No my good Lord your enemies or else not King Ha ha good Catesbie but what hearest thou of the Duke of Buckingham Cat. Why he is dead my Lord he was executed at Salisbury yesterday King Why t is impossible his friends hopes that he shall outline me to be my head Cat. Out-liue you Lord that 's straunge King No Catesbie if a do it must be in fames And since they hope he shall out liue me to be my head He hops without his head rests among his fellow rebels Cat. Mary no force my Lord King But Catesbie what hearest thou of Henry Earle of Richmond Cat. Not a word my Lord King No hearest thou not he liues in Brittaine In fauour with the Duke Nay more Lady Margaret his mother conspires against vs And perswades him that hee is lineally descended from Henry The fourth and that he hath right to the Crowne Therefore tell me what thinkst thou of the Earle Cat. My Lord I thinke of the Earle as he doth deserue A most famous gentleman King Villaine doest thou praise my foe and commend him to my face Cat. Nay my Lord I wish he were as good a friend as he is a foe else the due deserts of a traytor King What 's that Cat. Why my Lord to loose his head King Yea mary I would t were off quickly then But more to the strengthening of his title She goes about to marry him to the Queenes eldest daughter Ladie Elizabeth Cat. Indeed my Lord that I heard was concluded By all the nobilitie of Brittaine King Why then there it goes The great diuell of hell go with all A marriage begun in mischiefe shall end in blood I thinke that accursed sorrceresse the mother Queene Doth nothing but be with me and hatcheth conspiracies And brings out perillous birds to wound Their Countries weale The Earle is vp in Armes And with him many of the Nobilitie He hath ayde in France He is rescued in Brittaine And meaneth shortly to arriue in England But all this spites me not so much As his escape from Landoyse the Dukes Treasuror Who if he had bene prickt foorth for reuenge He had ended all by apprehending of our foe But now he is in disgrace with the Duke And we farther off our purpose then to fore But the Earle hath not so many byting dogs abroad As we haue sleeping curres at home here Readie for rescue Cat. But my Lord I maruell how he should get aide there Considering he is no friend to Brittaine King Ay so thou maist maruell how the Duke of Brittaine Durst wake such a foe as England against him But euill fare makes open warre But who comes there Catsbie Ha one of our spurres to reuenge The Lord Standley father in law to Ladie Margaret His comming is to vs Catsbie Wert not that his life might serue For apprehension against our foe He should haue neither Iudge nor Iury But guiltie death without any more ado Now Lord Standley what newes Haue you receiued any letters of your late embassage into Brittaine What answere haue you receiued of your letters Enter Lord Standley and his sonne George Stand. Why my Lord for that I sent I haue receiued King And how doth your sonne then is he in health Standley For his health my Lord I do not mistrust King Faith tell vs when meanes he to arriue in England And how many of our Nobilitie is with him And what power is with him Standley And please your grace His power is vnknowne to me Nor willingly would not I be priuy to such causes King Oh good wordes Lord Standley but giue me leaue to gleane out of your golden field of eloquence how braue you pleade ignorance as though you knew not of your sonnes departure into Brittaine out of England Stand. Not I my Lord King Why is not his mother thy wife dares he passe ouer without the blessing of his mother whose husband thou art Stand. I desire your maiestie but giue me leaue to speake King Yea speak Standley no doubt some fine coloured tale Stand. And like your grace wheras you mistrust that I knew of my sonnes departure out of England into Brittaine God I take to record it was vnknowne to me nor know not yet what his pretence is for at his departure was I one of the priuy councell to your brother King Edward the fourth and that she was able to relieue him without my helpe I hope her sufficiencie is knowne to your grace Therefore I humbly craue pardon King Well Standley I feare it will be proued to the contrarie that thou didst furnish him both with mony and munition which if it be then looke for no fauour at my hands but the due deserts of a traitor but let this passe What 's your repaire to our presence Stan. Only this my Lord that I may repaire from the court to my house in the country King Ay sir that you might be in Cheshire and Lancashire then should your Postes passe inuisible into Brittaine and you to depart the realme at your pleasure or else I to suffer an
intollerable foe vnder me which I will not But Standley to be brief thou shalt not go But soft Richard but that it were better to be alone then to haue noysome company he shall goe leauing for his loyaltie a sufficient pledge Come hither Standley thou shalt goe leauing me here thy sonne and heire George Standley for a pledge that hee may perish for thy fault if neede should be if thou likest this goe If not answere me briefly and say quickly no Stand. I am to aduise my selfe vppon a secret cause and of a matter that concernes me neare say that I leaue my sonne vnto the King and that I should but aide Earle Richmond my sonne George Standley dies but if my faith be kept vnto my Prince George Standley liues Well I will except the Kings proffer And please your grace I am content and will leaue my sonne to pledge King Here come hither and with thee take this lesson Thou art set free for our defence Thou shalt vpon thy pledge make this promise Not only to staie the hinderance of the Earle But to preuent his purpose with thy power Thou shalt not seeke by any meanes to aide or rescue him This done of my life thy sonne doth liue But otherwise thy sonne dies and thou too if I catch thee And it shall go hard but I will catch thee Stand. And you shall go apace and yet go without me But I humbly take my leaue of your grace Farewell George King How now what do you giue him letters Stand. No my Lord I haue done The second sight is sweet of such a sonne Exit King Carry George Standley to prison George Alasse my Lord shall I go to prison King Shall you go to prison what a question 's that So pricke the lambe and wound the damme How likest thou this Catesbie Cat. Oh my Lord so excellent that you haue imprisoned his sonne King Nay now will we looke to the rest But I sent the Lord Louell to the mother Queene Concerning my sute to her daughter Elizabeth But see in good time here he is How now Louell what newes What saith the mother Queene to my sute Enters Louell Lou. My Lord very strange she was at the first But when I had told her the cause she gaue concent Desiring your maiestie to make the nobilitie priuie to it King God haue mercy Louell but what said Lady Elizabeth Lou. Why my Lord straunge as women will be at the first But through intreatie of her mother she quickly gaue consent And the Queene wild me to tel your grace that she meanes to leaue Sanctuary and to come to the court with al her daughters King I marry Louell let not that opportunitie slippe looke to it Catesbie be carefull for it Louell for thereby hangs such a chance that may inrich vs and our heires for euer But sirs hard ye nothing of the Scottish Nobles that met at Nottingham to conferre about the marriage of my Neece Cat. Not a word my Lord Enters Messenger King Gogs wounds who is that search the villaine has he any dags about him Mess. No my Lord I haue none King From whence comes thou Mess. From the Peeres at Nottingham and Scotland they greete your Maiestie Lou. Sirrha is the marriage concluded betweene the Scottish Earle and the faire Lady Rosa Cat. Prethie tell vs is it concluded Page How saies thou is it concluded King Nay will you giue me leaue to tell you that Why you villaines will you know the secrets of my letter by interrupting messengers that are sent to me Away I say begone it is time to looke about away I say what here yet villaines Mess. My Lord I haue somewhat to say besides King Then speake it what hast thou to say Mess. This my Lord when the Peeres of England and Scotland met at Nottingham togither to confer about the marriage of your Neese it was straight determined that she shuld be married with the Scottish Earle And further my Lord the Councel commanded me to deliuer vnto your grace the treasons of Captain Blunt who had the Earle of Oxford in charge in Hames castle now are they both fled and purposeth to ayde the Earle of Richmond against your grace Now my Lord I take my leaue King Messenger staie hath Blunt betraied doth Oxford rebell and aide the Earle Richmond may this be true what is our prison so weake our friends so fickle our Ports so ill lookt too that they may passe and repasse the seas at their pleasures then euerie one conspires spoyles our Conflex conqueres our Castles and Armes themselues with their owne weapons vnresisted O villaines rebels fugetiues theeues how are we betrayd when our owne swoordes shall beate vs and our owne subiects seekes the subuertion of the state the fall of their Prince and sack of their country of his nay neither must nor shall for I will Army with my friends and cut off my enemies beard them to their face that dares me and but one I one one beyond the seas that troubles me wel his power is weake we are strong therfore I wil meet him with such melodie that the singing of a bullet shal send him merily to his lōgest home Come folow me Enter Earle Rich. Earle Oxford P. Landoys captain Blunt Rich. Welcome deare friends and louing country-men Welcome I say to Englands blisfull Ile Whose forwardnesse I cannot but commend That thus do aide vs in our enterprise My right it is and sole inheritance And Richard but vsurps in my authoritie For in his tyrannie he slaughtered those That would not succour him in his attempts Whose guiltlesse blood craues daily at Gods hands Reuenge for outrage done to their harmelesse liues Then courage countrymen and neuer be dismayd Our quarels good and God will helpe the right For we may know by dangers we haue past That God no doubt will giue vs victorie Oxf. If loue of gold or feare of many foes Could once haue danted vs in our attempts Thy foote had neuer toucht the English shoare And here Earle Oxford plites his faith to thee Neuer to leaue in what we haue vndertane But follow still with resolution Till thou be crownd as conquerer in the field Or lose thy life in following of thy right Thy right braue Richmond which we wil maintaine Maugre the proudest bird of Richards brood Then cousin Richmond being resolued thus Let vs straight to Aarms God and S. George for vs Blunt As this braue Earle haue said so say we all We will not leaue thee till the field be wonne Which if with fortunate successe we can performe Thinke then Earle Richmond that I followed thee And that shall be honour inough for mee Lan. So saith Landoyse that honors Richmond so With loue vnfeined for his valure past That if your honour leade the way to death Peeter Landoys hath sworne to follow thee For if Queen mother do but keep her word And what the Peeres haue promised
THE True Tragedie of Richard the third Wherein is showne the death of Edward the fourth with the smothering of the two yoong Princes in the Tower With a lamentable ende of Shores wife an example for all wicked women And lastly the coniunction and ioyning of the two noble Houses Lancaster and Yorke As it was playd by the Queenes Maiesties Players LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede and are to be sold by William Barley at his shop in Newgate Market neare Christ Church doore 1594 THE TRVE TRAGEDIE OF RICHARD THE THIRD Enters Truth and Poetrie To them the Ghoast of George Duke of Clarence Ghost CResse cruor sanguinis satietur sanguine cresse Quod spero scitio O scitio scitio vendicta Exit Poetrie Truth well met Truth Thankes Poetrie what makes thou vpon a stage Poet. Shadowes Truth Then will I adde bodies to the shadowes Therefore depart and giue Truth leaue To shew her pageant Poe. Why will Truth be a Player Truth No but Tragedia like for to present A Tragedie in England done but late That will reuiue the hearts of drooping mindes Poe. Whereof Truth Marry thus Richard Plantagenet of the House of Yorke Claiming the Crowne by warres not by descent Had as the Chronicles make manifest In the two and twentith yeare of Henry the sixth By act of Parliament intailed to him The Crowne and titles to that dignitie And to his ofspring lawfully begotten After the decease of that forenamed King Yet not contented for to staie the time Made warres vpon King Henry then the sixth And by outrage suppressed that vertuous King And wonne the Crowne of England to himselfe But since at Wakefield in a battell pitcht Outragious Richard breathed his latest breath Leauing behind three branches of that line Three sonnes the first was Edward now the King George of Clarence and Richard Glosters Duke Then Henry claiming after his decease His stile his Crowne and former dignitie Was quite suppressed till this Edward the fourth Poe. But tell me truth of Henry what ensued Tru. Imprisoned he in the Tower of London lies By strict command from Edward Englands King Since cruelly murthered by Richard Glosters Duke Poe. Whose Ghoast was that did appeare to vs Tru. It was the ghost of George the duke of Clarēce Who was attected in King Edwards raigne Falsly of Treason to his royaltie Imprisoned in the Tower was most vnnaturally By his owne brother shame to parents stocke By Glosters Duke drowned in a but of wine Poe. What shield was that he let fall Tru. A shield conteining this in full effect Blood sprinkled springs blood spilt craues due reuenge Whereupon he writes Cresse cruor Sanguis satietur sanguine cresse Quod spero scitio O scitio scitio vendicta Poe. What maner of man was this Richard Duke of Gloster Tru. A man ill shaped crooked backed lame armed withall Valiantly minded but tyrannous in authoritie So during the minoritie of the yoong Prince He is made Lord Protector ouer the Realme Gentiles suppose that Edward now hath raigned Full two and twentie yeares and now like to die Hath summond all his Nobles to the Court To sweare alleageance with the Duke his brother For truth vnto his sonne the tender Prince Whose fathers soule is now neare flight to God Leauing behind two sonnes of tender age Fiue daughters to comfort the haplesse Queene All vnder the protection of the Duke of Gloster Thus gentles excuse the length by the matter And here begins Truthes Pageant Poetrie Wend with me Exeunt Enter Edward the fourth Lord Hastings Lord Marcus and Elizabeth To them Richard Hastings Long liue my soueraigne in all happinesse Marcus An honourable age with Cressus wealth Hourely attend the person of the King King And welcome you Peeres of England vnto your King Hast. For our vnthankfulnesse the heauens hath throwne thee downe Mar. I feare for our ingratitude our angry God doth frowne King Why Nobles he that laie me here Can raise me at his pleasure But my deare friends and kinsmen In what estate I now lie it is seene to you all And I feele my selfe neare the dreadfull stroke of death And the cause that I haue requested you in friendly wise To meete togither is this That where malice enuy sowing sedition in the harts of men So would I haue that admonished and friendly fauours Ouercome in the heart of yon Lord Marcus and Lord Hastings Both for how I haue gouerned these two and twentie yeares I leaue it to your discretions The malice hath still bene an enemy to you both That in my life time I could neuer get any lege of amity betwixt you Yet at my death let me intreate you to imbrace each other That at my last departure you may send my soule To the ioyes celestiall For leauing behinde me my yoong sonne Your lawfull King after my decease May be by your wise and graue counsell so gouerned Which no doubt may bring comfort To his famous realme of England But what saith Lord Marcus and Lord Hastings What not one word nay then I see it will not be For they are resolute in their ambition Elizabeth Ah yeeld Lord Hastings And submit your selues to each other And you Lord Marcus submit your selfe See here the aged King my father How he sues for peace betwixt you both Consider Lord Marcus you are son to my mother the Queene And therefore let me intreat you to mittigate your wrath And in friendly sort imbrace each other King Nay cease thy speech Elizabeth It is but folly to speake to them For they are resolute in their ambitious mindes Therefore Elizabeth I feele my selfe at the last instant of death And now must die being thus tormented in minde Hast. May it be that thou Lord Marcus That neither by intreatie of the Prince curtuous word of Elizabeth his daughter May withdraw thy ambition from me Marc. May it be that thou Lord Hastings Canst not perceiue the marke his grace aimes at Hast. No I am resolute except thou submit Marc. If thou beest resolute giue vp the vpshot And perhaps thy head may paie for the losses King Ah Gods sith at my death you iarre What will you do to the yoong Prince after my decease For shame I say depart from my presence and leaue me to my self For these words strikes a second dying to my soule Ah my Lords I thought I could haue commanded A greater thing then this at your hands But sith I cannot I take my leaue of you both And so depart and trouble me no more Hast. With shame and like your Maiestie I submit therfore Crauing humble pardon on my knees And would rather that my body shal be a pray to mine enemy Rather then I will offend my Lord at the houre And instance of his death King Ah thankes Lord Hastings Eliza. Ah yeeld Lord Marcus sith Lord Hastings Is contented to be vnited King Ah yeeld Lord Marcus thou art too obstinate Marc. My gracious Lord I am content