SCENE II. The same. Another street. The Life and Death of Richard the Third  Shakespeare homepage  |  Richard III  | Act 1, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. The same. Another street. 

 Enter the corpse of KING HENRY the Sixth, Gentlemen with halberds to guard it; LADY ANNE being the mourner  LADY ANNE  Set down, set down your honourable load, 

 If honour may be shrouded in a hearse, 

 Whilst I awhile obsequiously lament 

 The untimely fall of virtuous Lancaster. 

 Poor key-cold figure of a holy king! 

 Pale ashes of the house of Lancaster! 

 Thou bloodless remnant of that royal blood! 

 Be it lawful that I invocate thy ghost, 

 To hear the lamentations of Poor Anne, 

 Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughter'd son, 

 Stabb'd by the selfsame hand that made these wounds! 

 Lo, in these windows that let forth thy life, 

 I pour the helpless balm of my poor eyes. 

 Cursed be the hand that made these fatal holes! 

 Cursed be the heart that had the heart to do it! 

 Cursed the blood that let this blood from hence! 

 More direful hap betide that hated wretch, 

 That makes us wretched by the death of thee, 

 Than I can wish to adders, spiders, toads, 

 Or any creeping venom'd thing that lives! 

 If ever he have child, abortive be it, 

 Prodigious, and untimely brought to light, 

 Whose ugly and unnatural aspect 

 May fright the hopeful mother at the view; 

 And that be heir to his unhappiness! 

 If ever he have wife, let her he made 

 A miserable by the death of him 

 As I am made by my poor lord and thee! 

 Come, now towards Chertsey with your holy load, 

 Taken from Paul's to be interred there; 

 And still, as you are weary of the weight, 

 Rest you, whiles I lament King Henry's corse. 



 Enter GLOUCESTER  GLOUCESTER  Stay, you that bear the corse, and set it down. 

 LADY ANNE  What black magician conjures up this fiend, 

 To stop devoted charitable deeds? 

 GLOUCESTER  Villains, set down the corse; or, by Saint Paul, 

 I'll make a corse of him that disobeys. 

 Gentleman  My lord, stand back, and let the coffin pass. 

 GLOUCESTER  Unmanner'd dog! stand thou, when I command: 

 Advance thy halbert higher than my breast, 

 Or, by Saint Paul, I'll strike thee to my foot, 

 And spurn upon thee, beggar, for thy boldness. 

 LADY ANNE  What, do you tremble? are you all afraid? 

 Alas, I blame you not; for you are mortal, 

 And mortal eyes cannot endure the devil. 

 Avaunt, thou dreadful minister of hell! 

 Thou hadst but power over his mortal body, 

 His soul thou canst not have; therefore be gone. 

 GLOUCESTER  Sweet saint, for charity, be not so curst. 

 LADY ANNE  Foul devil, for God's sake, hence, and trouble us not; 

 For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, 

 Fill'd it with cursing cries and deep exclaims. 

 If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, 

 Behold this pattern of thy butcheries. 

 O, gentlemen, see, see! dead Henry's wounds 

 Open their congeal'd mouths and bleed afresh! 

 Blush, Blush, thou lump of foul deformity; 

 For 'tis thy presence that exhales this blood 

 From cold and empty veins, where no blood dwells; 

 Thy deed, inhuman and unnatural, 

 Provokes this deluge most unnatural. 

 O God, which this blood madest, revenge his death! 

 O earth, which this blood drink'st revenge his death! 

 Either heaven with lightning strike the 

 murderer dead, 

 Or earth, gape open wide and eat him quick, 

 As thou dost swallow up this good king's blood 

 Which his hell-govern'd arm hath butchered! 

 GLOUCESTER  Lady, you know no rules of charity, 

 Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses. 

 LADY ANNE  Villain, thou know'st no law of God nor man: 

 No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. 

 GLOUCESTER  But I know none, and therefore am no beast. 

 LADY ANNE  O wonderful, when devils tell the truth! 

 GLOUCESTER  More wonderful, when angels are so angry. 

 Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman, 

 Of these supposed-evils, to give me leave, 

 By circumstance, but to acquit myself. 

 LADY ANNE  Vouchsafe, defused infection of a man, 

 For these known evils, but to give me leave, 

 By circumstance, to curse thy cursed self. 

 GLOUCESTER  Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have 

 Some patient leisure to excuse myself. 

 LADY ANNE  Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make 

 No excuse current, but to hang thyself. 

 GLOUCESTER  By such despair, I should accuse myself. 

 LADY ANNE  And, by despairing, shouldst thou stand excused; 

 For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, 

 Which didst unworthy slaughter upon others. 

 GLOUCESTER  Say that I slew them not? 

 LADY ANNE  Why, then they are not dead: 

 But dead they are, and devilish slave, by thee. 

 GLOUCESTER  I did not kill your husband. 

 LADY ANNE  Why, then he is alive. 

 GLOUCESTER  Nay, he is dead; and slain by Edward's hand. 

 LADY ANNE  In thy foul throat thou liest: Queen Margaret saw 

 Thy murderous falchion smoking in his blood; 

 The which thou once didst bend against her breast, 

 But that thy brothers beat aside the point. 

 GLOUCESTER  I was provoked by her slanderous tongue, 

 which laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders. 

 LADY ANNE  Thou wast provoked by thy bloody mind. 

 Which never dreamt on aught but butcheries: 

 Didst thou not kill this king? 

 GLOUCESTER  I grant ye. 

 LADY ANNE  Dost grant me, hedgehog? then, God grant me too 

 Thou mayst be damned for that wicked deed! 

 O, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous! 

 GLOUCESTER  The fitter for the King of heaven, that hath him. 

 LADY ANNE  He is in heaven, where thou shalt never come. 

 GLOUCESTER  Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither; 

 For he was fitter for that place than earth. 

 LADY ANNE  And thou unfit for any place but hell. 

 GLOUCESTER  Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it. 

 LADY ANNE  Some dungeon. 

 GLOUCESTER  Your bed-chamber. 

 LADY ANNE  Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest! 

 GLOUCESTER  So will it, madam till I lie with you. 

 LADY ANNE  I hope so. 

 GLOUCESTER  I know so. But, gentle Lady Anne, 

 To leave this keen encounter of our wits, 

 And fall somewhat into a slower method, 

 Is not the causer of the timeless deaths 

 Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward, 

 As blameful as the executioner? 

 LADY ANNE  Thou art the cause, and most accursed effect. 

 GLOUCESTER  Your beauty was the cause of that effect; 

 Your beauty: which did haunt me in my sleep 

 To undertake the death of all the world, 

 So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom. 

 LADY ANNE  If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, 

 These nails should rend that beauty from my cheeks. 

 GLOUCESTER  These eyes could never endure sweet beauty's wreck; 

 You should not blemish it, if I stood by: 

 As all the world is cheered by the sun, 

 So I by that; it is my day, my life. 

 LADY ANNE  Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life! 

 GLOUCESTER  Curse not thyself, fair creature thou art both. 

 LADY ANNE  I would I were, to be revenged on thee. 

 GLOUCESTER  It is a quarrel most unnatural, 

 To be revenged on him that loveth you. 

 LADY ANNE  It is a quarrel just and reasonable, 

 To be revenged on him that slew my husband. 

 GLOUCESTER  He that bereft thee, lady, of thy husband, 

 Did it to help thee to a better husband. 

 LADY ANNE  His better doth not breathe upon the earth. 

 GLOUCESTER  He lives that loves thee better than he could. 

 LADY ANNE  Name him. 

 GLOUCESTER  Plantagenet. 

 LADY ANNE  Why, that was he. 

 GLOUCESTER  The selfsame name, but one of better nature. 

 LADY ANNE  Where is he? 

 GLOUCESTER  Here. 



 She spitteth at him  Why dost thou spit at me? 

 LADY ANNE  Would it were mortal poison, for thy sake! 

 GLOUCESTER  Never came poison from so sweet a place. 

 LADY ANNE  Never hung poison on a fouler toad. 

 Out of my sight! thou dost infect my eyes. 

 GLOUCESTER  Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine. 

 LADY ANNE  Would they were basilisks, to strike thee dead! 

 GLOUCESTER  I would they were, that I might die at once; 

 For now they kill me with a living death. 

 Those eyes of thine from mine have drawn salt tears, 

 Shamed their aspect with store of childish drops: 

 These eyes that never shed remorseful tear, 

 No, when my father York and Edward wept, 

 To hear the piteous moan that Rutland made 

 When black-faced Clifford shook his sword at him; 

 Nor when thy warlike father, like a child, 

 Told the sad story of my father's death, 

 And twenty times made pause to sob and weep, 

 That all the standers-by had wet their cheeks 

 Like trees bedash'd with rain: in that sad time 

 My manly eyes did scorn an humble tear; 

 And what these sorrows could not thence exhale, 

 Thy beauty hath, and made them blind with weeping. 

 I never sued to friend nor enemy; 

 My tongue could never learn sweet smoothing word; 

 But now thy beauty is proposed my fee, 

 My proud heart sues, and prompts my tongue to speak. 



 She looks scornfully at him  Teach not thy lips such scorn, for they were made 

 For kissing, lady, not for such contempt. 

 If thy revengeful heart cannot forgive, 

 Lo, here I lend thee this sharp-pointed sword; 

 Which if thou please to hide in this true bosom. 

 And let the soul forth that adoreth thee, 

 I lay it naked to the deadly stroke, 

 And humbly beg the death upon my knee. 



 He lays his breast open: she offers at it with his sword  Nay, do not pause; for I did kill King Henry, 

 But 'twas thy beauty that provoked me. 

 Nay, now dispatch; 'twas I that stabb'd young Edward, 

 But 'twas thy heavenly face that set me on. 



 Here she lets fall the sword  Take up the sword again, or take up me. 

 LADY ANNE  Arise, dissembler: though I wish thy death, 

 I will not be the executioner. 

 GLOUCESTER  Then bid me kill myself, and I will do it. 

 LADY ANNE  I have already. 

 GLOUCESTER  Tush, that was in thy rage: 

 Speak it again, and, even with the word, 

 That hand, which, for thy love, did kill thy love, 

 Shall, for thy love, kill a far truer love; 

 To both their deaths thou shalt be accessary. 

 LADY ANNE  I would I knew thy heart. 

 GLOUCESTER  'Tis figured in my tongue. 

 LADY ANNE  I fear me both are false. 

 GLOUCESTER  Then never man was true. 

 LADY ANNE  Well, well, put up your sword. 

 GLOUCESTER  Say, then, my peace is made. 

 LADY ANNE  That shall you know hereafter. 

 GLOUCESTER  But shall I live in hope? 

 LADY ANNE  All men, I hope, live so. 

 GLOUCESTER  Vouchsafe to wear this ring. 

 LADY ANNE  To take is not to give. 

 GLOUCESTER  Look, how this ring encompasseth finger. 

 Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart; 

 Wear both of them, for both of them are thine. 

 And if thy poor devoted suppliant may 

 But beg one favour at thy gracious hand, 

 Thou dost confirm his happiness for ever. 

 LADY ANNE  What is it? 

 GLOUCESTER  That it would please thee leave these sad designs 

 To him that hath more cause to be a mourner, 

 And presently repair to Crosby Place; 

 Where, after I have solemnly interr'd 

 At Chertsey monastery this noble king, 

 And wet his grave with my repentant tears, 

 I will with all expedient duty see you: 

 For divers unknown reasons. I beseech you, 

 Grant me this boon. 

 LADY ANNE  With all my heart; and much it joys me too, 

 To see you are become so penitent. 

 Tressel and Berkeley, go along with me. 

 GLOUCESTER  Bid me farewell. 

 LADY ANNE  'Tis more than you deserve; 

 But since you teach me how to flatter you, 

 Imagine I have said farewell already. 



 Exeunt LADY ANNE, TRESSEL, and BERKELEY  GLOUCESTER  Sirs, take up the corse. 

 GENTLEMEN  Towards Chertsey, noble lord? 

 GLOUCESTER  No, to White-Friars; there attend my coining. 



 Exeunt all but GLOUCESTER  Was ever woman in this humour woo'd? 

 Was ever woman in this humour won? 

 I'll have her; but I will not keep her long. 

 What! I, that kill'd her husband and his father, 

 To take her in her heart's extremest hate, 

 With curses in her mouth, tears in her eyes, 

 The bleeding witness of her hatred by; 

 Having God, her conscience, and these bars 

 against me, 

 And I nothing to back my suit at all, 

 But the plain devil and dissembling looks, 

 And yet to win her, all the world to nothing! 

 Ha! 

 Hath she forgot already that brave prince, 

 Edward, her lord, whom I, some three months since, 

 Stabb'd in my angry mood at Tewksbury? 

 A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman, 

 Framed in the prodigality of nature, 

 Young, valiant, wise, and, no doubt, right royal, 

 The spacious world cannot again afford 

 And will she yet debase her eyes on me, 

 That cropp'd the golden prime of this sweet prince, 

 And made her widow to a woful bed? 

 On me, whose all not equals Edward's moiety? 

 On me, that halt and am unshapen thus? 

 My dukedom to a beggarly denier, 

 I do mistake my person all this while: 

 Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot, 

 Myself to be a marvellous proper man. 

 I'll be at charges for a looking-glass, 

 And entertain some score or two of tailors, 

 To study fashions to adorn my body: 

 Since I am crept in favour with myself, 

 Will maintain it with some little cost. 

 But first I'll turn yon fellow in his grave; 

 And then return lamenting to my love. 

 Shine out, fair sun, till I have bought a glass, 

 That I may see my shadow as I pass. 



 Exit  Shakespeare homepage  |  Richard III  | Act 1, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene 