The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (86 page)

[Stands apart]

KING RICHARD.

Come hither, Catesby. Rumour it abroad

That Anne, my wife, is very grievous sick;

I will take order for her keeping close.

Inquire me out some mean poor gentleman,

Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter-

The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.

Look how thou dream'st! I say again, give out

That Anne, my queen, is sick and like to die.

About it; for it stands me much upon

To stop all hopes whose growth may damage me.

Exit CATESBY

I must be married to my brother's daughter,

Or else my kingdom stands on brittle glass.

Murder her brothers, and then marry her!

Uncertain way of gain! But I am in

So far in blood that sin will pluck on sin.

Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.

 Re-enter PAGE, with TYRREL

Is thy name Tyrrel?

Come here, Catesby. Put round a rumour

that Anne, my wife, is very seriously ill;

I will order her to be confined.

Find me some lowborn gentleman,

and I will marry him at once to Clarence's daughter–

the boy is stupid, and I am not afraid of him.

Pull yourself together! I'm telling you, tell people

that Anne, my queen, is ill and looks like dying.

Get on with it; it's very necessary for me

to nip in the bud the hopes of anyone who can damage me.

I must marry my brother's daughter,

or otherwise my kingdom is on quicksand.

To murder her brothers, and then marry her–

it's not a certain way of winning! But I have shed

so much blood that one sin will assist another;

there are no tears of pity in these eyes.

Is your name Tyrrel?

TYRREL.

James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.

James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.

KING RICHARD.

Art thou, indeed?

Are you, really?

TYRREL.

Prove me, my gracious lord.

Test me, my gracious lord.

KING RICHARD.

Dar'st'thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?

Would you dare to agree to kill a friend of mine?

TYRREL.

Please you;

But I had rather kill two enemies.

If you wanted;

but I would rather kill two enemies.

KING RICHARD.

Why, then thou hast it. Two deep enemies,

Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleep's disturbers,

Are they that I would have thee deal upon.

Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower.

Well, then you have your wish. Two great enemies,

disturbers of my sleep, enemies of my rest,

are the ones I want you to do this to.

Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the tower.

TYRREL.

Let me have open means to come to them,

And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them.

Give me the opportunity to get at them,

and soon you won't have to worry about them any more.

KING RICHARD.

Thou sing'st sweet music. Hark, come

hither, Tyrrel.

Go, by this token. Rise, and lend thine ear.[Whispers]

There is no more but so: say it is done,

And I will love thee and prefer thee for it.

You're singing sweet music. Listen, come here, Tyrrel.

Go, with this token. Get up, and listen. [Whispers]

That's all there is to it: once you tell me it's done

I will love you and promote you for it.

TYRREL.

I will dispatch it straight.

I'll do it at once.

 Exit

Re-enter BUCKINGHAM

BUCKINGHAM.

My lord, I have consider'd in my mind

The late request that you did sound me in.

My Lord, I have been thinking about

the matter you recently asked me about.

KING RICHARD.

Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to

Richmond.

Don't worry about that. Dorset has fled to Richmond.

BUCKINGHAM.

I hear the news, my lord.

I heard the news, my lord.

KING RICHARD.

Stanley, he is your wife's son: well, look

unto it.

Stanley, Richmond is your wife's son: deal with it.

BUCKINGHAM.

My lord, I claim the gift, my due by promise,

For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd:

Th' earldom of Hereford and the movables

Which you have promised I shall possess.

My lord, I claim the gift, which you promised to me,

the price of your honour and your faith:

the earldom of Hereford and the portable possessions

which you promised I should have.

KING RICHARD.

Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey

Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

Stanley, watch out for your wife; if shesends

letters to Richmond, you shall pay for it.

BUCKINGHAM.

What says your Highness to my just request?

What does your Highness say to my fair request?

KING RICHARD.

I do remember me: Henry the Sixth

Did prophesy that Richmond should be King,

When Richmond was a little peevish boy.

A king!-perhaps-

I call to mind that Henry the sixth

prophesied that Richmond should be king,

when Richmond was just a little brat.

A king!–Perhaps–

BUCKINGHAM.

My lord-

My lord–

KING RICHARD.

How chance the prophet could not at that

time

Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him?

Why didn't the prophet tell me at that time

as I was standing by, that I would kill him?

BUCKINGHAM.

My lord, your promise for the earldom-

My lord, you promised me the earldom–

KING RICHARD.

Richmond! When last I was at Exeter,

The mayor in courtesy show'd me the castle

And call'd it Rugemount, at which name I started,

Because a bard of Ireland told me once

I should not live long after I saw Richmond.

Richmond! Last time I was at Exeter

the mayor, out of courtesy, showed me the castle

and called it Rougemont, and the name made me jump,

because an Irish poet once told me

that I would not live for long after I had seen Richmond.

BUCKINGHAM.

My lord-

My Lord–

KING RICHARD.

Ay, what's o'clock?

Yes, what's the time?

BUCKINGHAM.

I am thus bold to put your Grace in mind

Of what you promis'd me.

I should like to remind your Grace

of what you promised me.

KING RICHARD.

Well, but o'clock?

Yes, but what's the time?

BUCKINGHAM.

Upon the stroke of ten.

Just coming up to ten.

KING RICHARD.

Well, let it strike.

Well, let it strike.

BUCKINGHAM.

Why let it strike?

Why let it strike?

KING RICHARD.

Because that like a Jack thou keep'st the

stroke

Betwixt thy begging and my meditation.

I am not in the giving vein to-day.

Because you're like a bell that's ringing

between your begging and my thoughts.

I am not in the mood for giving today.

BUCKINGHAM.

May it please you to resolve me in my suit.

Could you please grant what I ask.

KING RICHARD.

Thou troublest me; I am not in the vein.

You're bothering me; I'm not in the mood.

Exeunt all but Buckingham

BUCKINGHAM.

And is it thus? Repays he my deep service

With such contempt? Made I him King for this?

O, let me think on Hastings, and be gone

To Brecknock while my fearful head is on!

That's it, is it? He's repaying my great service

with contempt? Did I make him king for this?

O, let me remember Hastings, and go

to Brecknock while I still have my fearful head!

Exit

London. The palace

Enter TYRREL

TYRREL.

The tyrannous and bloody act is done,

The most arch deed of piteous massacre

That ever yet this land was guilty of.

Dighton and Forrest, who I did suborn

To do this piece of ruthless butchery,

Albeit they were flesh'd villains, bloody dogs,

Melted with tenderness and mild compassion,

Wept like two children in their deaths' sad story.

'O, thus' quoth Dighton 'lay the gentle babes'-

'Thus, thus,' quoth Forrest 'girdling one another

Within their alabaster innocent arms.

Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,

And in their summer beauty kiss'd each other.

A book of prayers on their pillow lay;

Which once,' quoth Forrest 'almost chang'd my mind;

But, O, the devil'-there the villain stopp'd;

When Dighton thus told on: 'We smothered

The most replenished sweet work of nature

That from the prime creation e'er she framed.'

Hence both are gone with conscience and remorse

They could not speak; and so I left them both,

To bear this tidings to the bloody King.

Enter KING RICHARD

And here he comes. All health, my sovereign lord!

The terrible and bloody act is done;