·1

And so he vanish'd: Then came wand'ring by
A shadow like an angel, with bright hair
Dabbled in blood; and he shriek'd out aloud,-
Clarence is come,—false fleeting, perjur'd Clarence,—-
That stabb'd me in the field by Tewksbury :-
Seize on him, furies, take him to your torments!
With that, methought, a legion of foul fiends
Environ'd me, and howled in mine ears
Such hideous cries, that with the very noise,
I trembling wak'd, and, for a season after,
Could not believe but that I was in hell;
Such terrible impression made my dream.

Brak. No marvel, lord, though it affrighted you! I am afraid, methinks, to hear you tell it.

Clar. O, Brakenbury, I have done these thingsThat now give evidence against my soul,

For Edward's sake; and see how he requites me!O God! if my deep prayers cannot appease thee, But thou wilt be aveng'd on my misdeeds,

Yet execute thy wrath on me alone:

O, spare my guiltless wife, and my poor children!

SORROW.

Sorrow breaks seasons, and reposing hours, Makes the night morning, and the noon-tide night.

THE CARES OF GREATNESS.

Princes have but their titles for their glories, An outward honour for an inward toil;

And, for unfelt imaginations,

They often feel a world of restless cares:
So that, between their titles and low name,
There's nothing differs but the outward fame.

A MURDERER'S ACCOUNT OF CONSCIENCE.

I'll not meddle with it, it is a dangerous thing, it makes a man a coward; a man cannot steal, but it accuseth him; a man cannot swear, but it checks him; a man cannot lie with his neighbour's wife, but it detects him: 'Tis a blushing shame-faced spirit, that

mutinies in a man's bosom; it fills one full of obstacles: it made me once restore a purse of gold, that by chance I found; it beggars any man that keeps it: it is turned out of all towns and cities for a dangerous thing; and every man, that means to live well, endeavours to trust to himself, and live without it.

ACT II.

DECEIT.

Aн, that deceit should steal such gentle shapes,
And with a virtuous visor hide deep vice!

SUBMISSION TO HEAVEN OUR DUTY.

In common worldly things, 'tis call'd-ungrateful, With dull unwillingness to repay a debt, Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent; Much more to be thus opposite with heaven, For it requires the royal debt it lent you.

THE DUCHESS OF YORK'S LAMENTATION ON THE MIS-
FORTUNES OF HER FAMILY.

Duch. Accursed and unquiet wrangling days!
How many of you have mine eyes beheld?
My husband lost his life to get the crown;
And often up and down my sons were tost,
For me to joy and weep, their gain and loss:
And being seated, and domestic broils

Clean overblown, themselves, the conquerors,
Make war upon themselves; brother to brother,
Blood to blood, self 'gainst self:-O, preposterous
And frantic courage, end thy damned spleen;
Or let me die, to look on death no more!

ACT III.

THE VANITY OF TRUST IN MAN.

O MOMENTARY grace of mortal men,

Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!

R

Who builds his hope in air of your fair looks,
Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast;
Ready, with every nod, to tumble down
Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

CONTEMPLATION.

When holy and devout religious men Are at their beads, 'tis hard to draw them thence; So sweet is zealous contemplation.

ACT IV.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MURDER OF THE TWO YOUNG
PRINCES IN THE TOWER.

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, whom I did suborn
To do this piece of ruthless* butchery,
Albeit they were flesh'd villains, bloody dogs,
Melting with tenderness and mild compassion,
Wept like two children, in their death's 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,

Which, 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 fram'd.-
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.

* Merciless.

come,

That I should wish for thee to help me curse
That bottled spider, that foul hunch-back'd toad.
Q. Mar. I call'd thee then, vain flourish of my
fortune;

I call'd thee then, poor shadow, painted queen:
The presentation of but what I was,
The flattering index of a direful pageant,
One heav'd a high to be hurl'd down below:
A mother only mock'd with two fair babes;
A dream of what thou wast; a garisht flag,
To be the aim of every dangerous shot;
A sign of dignity, a breath, a bubble;
A queen in jest, only to fill the scene.

Where is thy husband now? where be thy brothers?
Where be thy two sons? wherein dost thou joy?
Who sues, and kneels, and says-God save the queen?
Where be the bending peers that flatter'd thee?
Where be the thronging troops that follow'd thee?
Decline all this, and see what now thou art.
For happy wife, a most distressed widow;
For joyful mother, one that wails the name;

* Indexes were anciently placed at the beginning of books. + Flaring.

For one being sued to, one that humbly sues;
For queen, a very caitiff crown'd with care;
For one that scorn'd at me, now scorn'd of me;
For one being fear'd of all, now fearing one;
For one commanding all, obey'd of none.
Thus hath the course of justice wheel'd about,
And left thee but a very prey to time;

Having no more but thought of what thou wert,
To torture thee the more, being what thou art.

EXPEDITION.

Come,-I have learn'd, that fearful commenting Is leaden servitor to dull delay;

Delay leads impotent and snail-pac'd beggary :
Then fiery expedition be my wing,

Jove's Mercury, and herald for a king!

CHARACTER OF KING RICHARD BY HIS MOTHER.

Tetchy * * and wayward was thy infancy; [rious; Thy school-days, frightful, desperate, wild, and fuThy prime of manhood, daring, bold, and venturous; Thy age confirm'd, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody.

ACT V.

HOPE.

TRUE hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings, Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.

A FINE EVENING.

The weary sun hath made a golden set, And, by the bright track of his fiery car, Gives token of a goodly day to-morrow.

DAY-BREAK.

The silent hours steal on,

And flaky darkness breaks within the east.

*Touchy, fretful.