Richard III. Уильям Шекспир

        Rich. Go treade the path that thou shalt ne're return:

      Simple plaine Clarence, I do loue thee so,

      That I will shortly send thy Soule to Heauen,

      If Heauen will take the present at our hands.

      But who comes heere? the new deliuered Hastings?

      Hast. Good time of day vnto my gracious Lord

         Rich. As much vnto my good Lord Chamberlaine:

      Well are you welcome to this open Ayre,

      How hath your Lordship brook'd imprisonment?

        Hast. With patience (Noble Lord) as prisoners must:

      But I shall liue (my Lord) to giue them thankes

      That were the cause of my imprisonment

         Rich. No doubt, no doubt, and so shall Clarence too,

      For they that were your Enemies, are his,

      And haue preuail'd as much on him, as you,

        Hast. More pitty, that the Eagles should be mew'd,

      Whiles Kites and Buzards play at liberty

         Rich. What newes abroad?

        Hast. No newes so bad abroad, as this at home:

      The King is sickly, weake, and melancholly,

      And his Physitians feare him mightily

         Rich. Now by S[aint]. Iohn, that Newes is bad indeed.

      O he hath kept an euill Diet long,

      And ouer-much consum'd his Royall Person:

      'Tis very greeuous to be thought vpon.

      Where is he, in his bed?

        Hast. He is

      Rich. Go you before, and I will follow you.

      He cannot liue I hope, and must not dye,

      Till George be pack'd with post-horse vp to Heauen.

      Ile in to vrge his hatred more to Clarence,

      With Lyes well steel'd with weighty Arguments,

      And if I faile not in my deepe intent,

      Clarence hath not another day to liue:

      Which done, God take King Edward to his mercy,

      And leaue the world for me to bussle in.

      For then, Ile marry Warwickes yongest daughter.

      What though I kill'd her Husband, and her Father,

      The readiest way to make the Wench amends,

      Is to become her Husband, and her Father:

      The which will I, not all so much for loue,

      As for another secret close intent,

      By marrying her, which I must reach vnto.

      But yet I run before my horse to Market:

      Clarence still breathes, Edward still liues and raignes,

      When they are gone, then must I count my gaines.

        Anne. Set downe, set downe your honourable load,

      If Honor may be shrowded in a Herse;

      Whil'st I a-while obsequiously lament

      Th' vntimely fall of Vertuous Lancaster.

      Poore key-cold Figure of a holy King,

      Pale Ashes of the House of Lancaster;

      Thou bloodlesse Remnant of that Royall Blood,

      Be it lawfull that I inuocate thy Ghost,

      To heare the Lamentations of poore Anne,

      Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughtred Sonne,

      Stab'd by the selfesame hand that made these wounds.

      Loe, in these windowes that let forth thy life,

      I powre the helplesse Balme of my poore eyes.

      O cursed be the hand that made these holes:

      Cursed the Heart, that had the heart to do it:

      Cursed the Blood, that let this blood from hence:

      More direfull hap betide that hated Wretch

      That makes vs wretched by the death of thee,

      Then I can wish to Wolues, to Spiders, Toades,

      Or any creeping venom'd thing that liues.

      If euer he haue Childe, Abortiue be it,

      Prodigeous, and vntimely brought to light,

      Whose vgly and vnnaturall Aspect

      May fright the hopefull Mother at the view,

      And that be Heyre to his vnhappinesse.

      If euer he haue Wife, let her be made

      More miserable by the death of him,

      Then I am made by my young Lord, and thee.

      Come now towards Chertsey with your holy Lode,

      Taken from Paules, to be interred there.

      And still as you are weary of this waight,

      Rest you, whiles I lament King Henries Coarse.

      Rich. Stay you that beare the Coarse, & set it down

         An. What blacke Magitian coniures vp this Fiend,

      To stop deuoted charitable deeds?

        Rich. Villaines set downe the Coarse, or by S[aint]. Paul,

      Ile make a Coarse of him that disobeyes

      Gen. My Lord stand backe, and let the Coffin passe

         Rich. Vnmanner'd Dogge,

      Stand'st thou when I commaund:

      Aduance thy Halbert higher then my brest,

      Or by S[aint]. Paul Ile strike thee to my Foote,

      And spurne vpon thee Begger for thy boldnesse

         Anne. What do you tremble? are you all affraid?

      Alas, I blame you not, for you are Mortall,

      And Mortall eyes cannot endure the Diuell.

      Auant thou dreadfull minister of Hell;

      Thou had'st but power ouer his Mortall body,

      His Soule thou canst not haue: Therefore be gone

      Rich. Sweet Saint, for Charity, be not so curst

         An. Foule Diuell,

      For Gods sake hence,