Page images
PDF
EPUB

Relenting fool, and fhallow, changing-woman !" How now? what news?

Enter RATCLIFF; CATESBY following.

RAT. Moft mighty fovereign, on the western coaft Rideth a puiffant navy; to the fhore

Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends,
Unarm'd, and unrefolv'd to beat them back:
'Tis thought, that Richmond is their admiral;
And there they hull, expecting but the aid
Of Buckingham, to welcome them afhore.

K. RICH. Some light-foot friend poft to the
duke of Norfolk :-

--

Ratcliff, thyfelf,-or Catefby; where is he?
CATE. Here, my good lord.

K. RICH.

Catefby, fly to the duke.

CATE. I will, my lord, with all convenient haste. K. RICH. Ratcliff, come hither:9 Poft to Salif

bury;

lain,

When thou com'ft thither,-Dull unmindful vil[To CATESBY. Why ftay'st thou here, and go'ft not to the duke?

7 Relenting fool, and fhallow, changing-woman!] Such was the real character of this Queen dowager, who would have married her daughter to King Richard, and did all in her power to alienate the Marquis of Dorfet, her fon, from the Earl of Richmond. STEEVENS.

8 Some light-foot friend poft to the duke-] Richard's precipitation and confufion is in this fcene very happily reprefented by inconfiftent orders, and fudden variations of opinion.

JOHNSON.

9 Ratcliff, come hither:] The folio has-Catesby, come hither. The words are not in the quarto. It is obvious that they are addreffed to Ratcliff. The correction was made by Mr. Rowe.

MALONE.

CATE. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure,

What from your grace I fhall deliver to him.

K. RICH. O, true, good Catefby;-Bid him levy
ftraight

The greateft ftrength and power he can make,
And meet me fuddenly at Salisbury.

CATE. I

go.

[Exit.

RAT. What, may it please you, fhall I do at Sa

lisbury?

K. RICH. Why, what would'ft thou do there, before I go?

RAT. Your highnefs told me, I fhould poft before.

Enter STANLEY.

K. RICH. My mind is chang'd.-Stanley, what news with you?

STAN. None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing;

Nor none fo bad, but well may be reported.

K. RICH. Heyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad!

What need'ft thou run fo many miles about,
When thou may'ft tell thy tale the nearest way?
Once more, what news?

STAN.

Richmond is on the feas.

K. RICH. There let him fink, and be the seas on

him!

White-liver'd runagate,' what doth he there?

1 White-liver'd runagate,] This epithet, descriptive of cowardice, is not peculiar to Shakspeare. Stephen Golon in his School of Abufe, 1579, speaking of the Helots, fays:

"Leave thofe precepts to the white-livered Hylotes."

STEEVENS.

STAN. I know not, mighty fovereign, but by

guefs.

K. RICH. Well, as you guess?

STAN. Stirr'd up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton,

He makes for England, here to claim the crown. K. RICH. Is the chair empty? is the fword unfway'd?

Is the king dead? the empire unpoffefs'd?
What heir of York is there alive, but we?
And who is England's king, but great York's heir?
Then, tell me, what makes he upon the feas?

STAN. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess. K. RICH. Unless for that he comes to be your liege,

You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes. Thou wilt revolt, and fly to him, I fear.

STAN. No, mighty liege; therefore mistrust me

not.

2 What heir of York-] i. e. What fon of Richard Duke of York? RITSON.

Richard afks this queftion in the plenitude of power, and no one dares to anfwer him. But they whom he addreffes, had they not been intimidated, might have told him, that there was a male heir of the houfe of York alive, who had a better claim to the throne than he; Edward Earl of Warwick, the only son of the Ufurper's elder brother, George Duke of Clarence; and Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Edward IV. and all her fifters, had a better title than either of them. MALONE.

The iffue of King Edward had been pronounced illegitimate, the Duke of Clarence attainted of high treafon,-and the ufurper declared" the undoubted heir of Richard duke of York,"-by act of parliament: fo that, as far as fuch a proceeding can alter the conftitution, and legalize ufurpation and murder, he is perfectly correct and unanswerable. RITSON.

3 No, mighty liege;] So the quarto. Folio-No, my gooa

lord. MALONE,

K. RICH. Where is thy power then, to beat him

back?

Where be thy tenants, and thy followers?
Are they not now upon the western shore,
Safe-conducting the rebels from their fhips?

STAN. No, my good lord, my friends are in the
north.

K. RICH. Cold friends to me: What do they in the north,

When they should ferve their fovereign in the weft? STAN. They have not been commanded, mighty king:

Pleaseth your majefty to give me leave,

I'll mufter up my friends; and meet your grace, Where, and what time, your majefty fhall please. K. RICH. Ay, ay, thou wouldst be gone to join with Richmond:

I will not truft you, fir.4

STAN. Moft mighty fovereign, You have no caufe to hold my friendship doubtful; I never was, nor never will be falfe.

K. RICH. Well, go, mufter men. But, hear you leave behind

Your fon, George Stanley; look your heart be firm, Or elfe his head's affurance is but frail.

STAN. So deal with him, as I prove true to you. [Exit STANLEY.

Enter a Meffenger.

MESS. My gracious fovereign, now in Devonshire, As I by friends am well advértised,

I will not trust you, fir.] So the quarto. Folio-But I'll not truft thee. MALONE.

Sir Edward Courtney, and the haughty prelate,
Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother,

With many more confederates, are in arms.

Enter another Messenger.

2 MESS. In Kent, my liege, the Guildfords are in

arms;

And every hour more competitors 5

Flock to the rebels, and their power grows ftrong.

Enter another Meffenger.

3 MESS. My lord, the army of great Bucking

ham

death?

K. RICH. Out on ye, owls! nothing but fongs of [He ftrikes him. There, take thou that, till thou bring better news.

3 MESS. The news I have to tell your majefty, Is, that, by fudden floods and fall of waters, Buckingham's army is difpers'd and scatter'd; And he himfelf wander'd away alone,

No man knows whither.

K. RICH.

O, I cry you mercy:

There is my purfe, to cure that blow of thine.

5 more competitors-] That is, more opponents.

JOHNSON.

Competitors do not here mean opponents, but affociates. See a note on this fubject in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, where Sir Proteus, fpeaking of Valentine, fays:

[ocr errors]

Myfelf in council his competitor."

That is, his affociate. M. MASON.

See Vol. IV. p. 233, n. 6. STEEVENS.

The news I have &c.] So the folio. The quarto reads:

"Your grace mistakes; the news I bring is good;

66

My news is," &c. MALONE.

« PreviousContinue »