and thine;Without her, follows to myself and thee,
Herself, the land, and many a Christian soul,
Death, desolation, ruin, and decay:
It cannot be avoided but by this;
It will not be avoided but by this.
Therefore, dear mother,—I must call you so,—
Be the attorney of my love to her:
Plead what I will be, not what I have been;
Not my deserts, but what I will deserve:
Urge the necessity and state of times,
And be not peevish found in great designs.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?
KING RICHARD
Ay, if the devil tempt you to do good.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Shall I forget myself to be myself?
KING RICHARD
Ay, if your self’s remembrance wrong yourself.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Yet thou didst kill my children.
KING RICHARD
But in your daughter’s womb I bury them:
Where, in that nest of spicery, they shall breed
Selves of themselves, to your recomforture.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Shall I go win my daughter to thy will?
KING RICHARD
And be a happy mother by the deed.
QUEEN ELIZABETH
I go.—Write to me very shortly,
And you shall understand from me her mind.
KING RICHARD
Bear her my true love’s kiss; and so, farewell.
[Kissing her. Exit QUEEN ELIZABETH.]
Relenting fool, and shallow, changing woman!
[Enter RATCLIFF; CATESBY following.]
How now! what news?
RATCLIFF
Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast
Rideth a puissant navy; to the shore
Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends,
Unarm’d, and unresolv’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 ashore.
KING RICHARD
Some lightfoot friend post to the Duke of Norfolk:—
Ratcliff, thyself,—or Catesby; where is he?
CATESBY
Here, my good lord.
KING RICHARD
Catesby, fly to the duke.
CATESBY
I will my lord, with all convenient haste.
KING RICHARD
Ratcliff, come hither: post to Salisbury:
When thou com’st thither,—
[To CATESBY.]
Dull, unmindful villain,
Why stay’st thou here, and go’st not to the duke?
CATESBY
First, mighty liege, tell me your highness’ pleasure,
What from your grace I shall deliver to him.
KING RICHARD
O, true, good Catesby:—bid him levy straight
The greatest strength and power that he can make,
And meet me suddenly at Salisbury.
CATESBY
I go.
[Exit.]
RATCLIFF
What, may it please you, shall I do at Salisbury?
KING RICHARD
Why, what wouldst thou do there before I go?
RATCLIFF
Your highness told me I should post before.
[Enter STANLEY.]
KING RICHARD
My mind is chang’d.—Stanley, what news with you?
STANLEY
None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing;
Nor none so bad but well may be reported.
KING RICHARD
Hoyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad!
What need’st thou run so many miles about,
When thou mayest tell thy tale the nearest way?
Once more, what news?
STANLEY
Richmond is on the seas.
KING RICHARD
There let him sink, and be the seas on him!
White-liver’d runagate, what doth he there?
STANLEY
I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess.
KING RICHARD
Well, as you guess?
STANLEY
Stirr’d up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton,
