King Richard III Part 9

BUCKINGHAM. Welcome, sweet Prince, to London, to your chamber.

GLOUCESTER. Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts' sovereign.

The weary way hath made you melancholy.

PRINCE. No, uncle; but our crosses on the way Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy.

I want more uncles here to welcome me.

GLOUCESTER. Sweet Prince, the untainted virtue of your years Hath not yet div'd into the world's deceit; Nor more can you distinguish of a man Than of his outward show; which, G.o.d He knows, Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart.

Those uncles which you want were dangerous; Your Grace attended to their sug'red words But look'd not on the poison of their hearts.

G.o.d keep you from them and from such false friends!

PRINCE. G.o.d keep me from false friends! but they were none.

GLOUCESTER. My lord, the Mayor of London comes to greet you.

Enter the LORD MAYOR and his train

MAYOR. G.o.d bless your Grace with health and happy days!

PRINCE. I thank you, good my lord, and thank you all.

I thought my mother and my brother York Would long ere this have met us on the way.

Fie, what a slug is Hastings, that he comes not To tell us whether they will come or no!

Enter LORD HASTINGS

BUCKINGHAM. And, in good time, here comes the sweating Lord.

PRINCE. Welcome, my lord. What, will our mother come?

HASTINGS. On what occasion, G.o.d He knows, not I, The Queen your mother and your brother York Have taken sanctuary. The tender Prince Would fain have come with me to meet your Grace, But by his mother was perforce withheld.

BUCKINGHAM. Fie, what an indirect and peevish course Is this of hers? Lord Cardinal, will your Grace Persuade the Queen to send the Duke of York Unto his princely brother presently?

If she deny, Lord Hastings, go with him And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce.

CARDINAL. My Lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory Can from his mother win the Duke of York, Anon expect him here; but if she be obdurate To mild entreaties, G.o.d in heaven forbid We should infringe the holy privilege Of blessed sanctuary! Not for all this land Would I be guilty of so deep a sin.

BUCKINGHAM. You are too senseless-obstinate, my lord, Too ceremonious and traditional.

Weigh it but with the grossness of this age, You break not sanctuary in seizing him.

The benefit thereof is always granted To those whose dealings have deserv'd the place And those who have the wit to claim the place.

This Prince hath neither claim'd it nor deserv'd it, And therefore, in mine opinion, cannot have it.

Then, taking him from thence that is not there, You break no privilege nor charter there.

Oft have I heard of sanctuary men; But sanctuary children never till now.

CARDINAL. My lord, you shall o'errule my mind for once.

Come on, Lord Hastings, will you go with me?

HASTINGS. I go, my lord.

PRINCE. Good lords, make all the speedy haste you may.

Exeunt CARDINAL and HASTINGS Say, uncle Gloucester, if our brother come, Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?

GLOUCESTER. Where it seems best unto your royal self.

If I may counsel you, some day or two Your Highness shall repose you at the Tower, Then where you please and shall be thought most fit For your best health and recreation.

PRINCE. I do not like the Tower, of any place.

Did Julius Caesar build that place, my lord?

BUCKINGHAM. He did, my gracious lord, begin that place, Which, since, succeeding ages have re-edified.

PRINCE. Is it upon record, or else reported Successively from age to age, he built it?

BUCKINGHAM. Upon record, my gracious lord.

PRINCE. But say, my lord, it were not regist'red, Methinks the truth should Eve from age to age, As 'twere retail'd to all posterity, Even to the general all-ending day.

GLOUCESTER. [Aside] So wise so young, they say, do never live long.

PRINCE. What say you, uncle?

GLOUCESTER. I say, without characters, fame lives long.

[Aside] Thus, like the formal vice, Iniquity, I moralize two meanings in one word.

PRINCE. That Julius Caesar was a famous man; With what his valour did enrich his wit, His wit set down to make his valour live.

Death makes no conquest of this conqueror; For now he lives in fame, though not in life.

I'll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham- BUCKINGHAM. What, my gracious lord?

PRINCE. An if I live until I be a man, I'll win our ancient right in France again, Or die a soldier as I liv'd a king.

GLOUCESTER. [Aside] Short summers lightly have a forward spring.

Enter HASTINGS, young YORK, and the CARDINAL

BUCKINGHAM. Now, in good time, here comes the Duke of York.

PRINCE. Richard of York, how fares our loving brother?

YORK. Well, my dread lord; so must I can you now.

PRINCE. Ay brother, to our grief, as it is yours.

Too late he died that might have kept that t.i.tle, Which by his death hath lost much majesty.

GLOUCESTER. How fares our cousin, n.o.ble Lord of York?

YORK. I thank you, gentle uncle. O, my lord, You said that idle weeds are fast in growth.

The Prince my brother hath outgrown me far.

GLOUCESTER. He hath, my lord.

YORK. And therefore is he idle?

GLOUCESTER. O, my fair cousin, I must not say so.

YORK. Then he is more beholding to you than I.

GLOUCESTER. He may command me as my sovereign; But you have power in me as in a kinsman.

YORK. I pray you, uncle, give me this dagger.

GLOUCESTER. My dagger, little cousin? With all my heart!

PRINCE. A beggar, brother?

YORK. Of my kind uncle, that I know will give, And being but a toy, which is no grief to give.

GLOUCESTER. A greater gift than that I'll give my cousin.

YORK. A greater gift! O, that's the sword to it!

GLOUCESTER. Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough.

YORK. O, then, I see you will part but with light gifts: In weightier things you'll say a beggar nay.

GLOUCESTER. It is too heavy for your Grace to wear.

YORK. I weigh it lightly, were it heavier.

GLOUCESTER. What, would you have my weapon, little Lord?

YORK. I would, that I might thank you as you call me.

GLOUCESTER. How?

YORK. Little.

PRINCE. My Lord of York will still be cross in talk.

Uncle, your Grace knows how to bear with him.

YORK. You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me.

Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me; Because that I am little, like an ape, He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders.

BUCKINGHAM. With what a sharp-provided wit he reasons!

To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle He prettily and aptly taunts himself.

So cunning and so young is wonderful.

GLOUCESTER. My lord, will't please you pa.s.s along?

Myself and my good cousin Buckingham Will to your mother, to entreat of her To meet you at the Tower and welcome you.

YORK. What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord?

PRINCE. My Lord Protector needs will have it so.

YORK. I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower.

GLOUCESTER. Why, what should you fear?

YORK. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghost.

My grandam told me he was murder'd there.