Enter Richard and Buckingham, in rotten armor,
marvelous ill-favored. RICHARD
Come, cousin, canst thou quake and change thy
color,
Murder thy breath in middle of a word,
And then again begin, and stop again,
As if thou were distraught and mad with terror? 5 BUCKINGHAM
Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian,
Speak, and look back, and pry on every side,
Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
Intending deep suspicion. Ghastly looks
Are at my service, like enforcèd smiles, 10
And both are ready, in their offices,
At any time to grace my stratagems.
But what, is Catesby gone? RICHARD
He is; and see he brings the Mayor along. Enter the Mayor and Catesby. BUCKINGHAM Lord Mayor— 15 RICHARD Look to the drawbridge there! BUCKINGHAM Hark, a drum! RICHARD Catesby, o’erlook the walls. Catesby exits. BUCKINGHAM Lord Mayor, the reason we have sent— RICHARD
Look back! Defend thee! Here are enemies. 20 BUCKINGHAM
God and our innocence defend and guard us! | At the Tower of London, Richard makes Buckingham promise that he'll do whatever Richard says. Catesby enters with the mayor of London. Richard and Buckingham make a great show of declaring their vigilance, saying they're trying to protect themselves (and the mayor) from some impending great danger. |
Enter Lovell and Ratcliffe, with Hastings’ head. RICHARD
Be patient. They are friends, Ratcliffe and Lovell. LOVELL
Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings. RICHARD
So dear I loved the man that I must weep. 25
I took him for the plainest harmless creature
That breathed upon the Earth a Christian;
Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded
The history of all her secret thoughts.
So smooth he daubed his vice with show of virtue 30
That, his apparent open guilt omitted—
I mean his conversation with Shore’s wife—
He lived from all attainder of suspects. BUCKINGHAM
Well, well, he was the covert’st sheltered traitor
That ever lived.— 35
Would you imagine, or almost believe,
Were ’t not that by great preservation
We live to tell it, that the subtle traitor
This day had plotted, in the council house,
To murder me and my good lord of Gloucester? 40 MAYOR Had he done so? RICHARD
What, think you we are Turks or infidels?
Or that we would, against the form of law,
Proceed thus rashly in the villain’s death,
But that the extreme peril of the case, 45
The peace of England, and our persons’ safety
Enforced us to this execution? MAYOR
Now fair befall you! He deserved his death,
And your good Graces both have well proceeded
To warn false traitors from the like attempts. 50
| Lovel and Ratcliffe enter with Hastings' head. When Richard and Buckingham see Hastings's head, they pretend to be sad that Hastings turned out to be a traitor who plotted against their lives. The lord mayor is convinced that Hastings deserved to be executed without a trial. |
BUCKINGHAM
I never looked for better at his hands
After he once fell in with Mistress Shore.
Yet had we not determined he should die
Until your Lordship came to see his end
(Which now the loving haste of these our friends, 55
Something against our meanings, have prevented),
Because, my lord, I would have had you heard
The traitor speak and timorously confess
The manner and the purpose of his treasons,
That you might well have signified the same 60
Unto the citizens, who haply may
Misconster us in him, and wail his death. MAYOR
But, my good lord, your Graces’ words shall serve
As well as I had seen and heard him speak;
And do not doubt, right noble princes both, 65
But I’ll acquaint our duteous citizens
With all your just proceedings in this case. RICHARD
And to that end we wished your Lordship here,
T’ avoid the censures of the carping world. BUCKINGHAM
Which since you come too late of our intent, 70
Yet witness what you hear we did intend.
And so, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewell. Mayor exits. | Richard says he wishes the mayor were there to hear Hastings's confession so he could tell the commoners what happened. Richard's afraid the citizens of London will be unhappy and blame him. The mayor runs off to assure the citizens that Hastings's death was actually a rightful and just execution by the state. |
RICHARD
Go after, after, cousin Buckingham.
The Mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post.
There, at your meetest vantage of the time, 75
Infer the bastardy of Edward’s children.
Tell them how Edward put to death a citizen
Only for saying he would make his son
Heir to the Crown—meaning indeed his house,
Which, by the sign thereof, was termèd so. 80
Moreover, urge his hateful luxury
And bestial appetite in change of lust,
Which stretched unto their servants, daughters,
wives,
Even where his raging eye or savage heart, 85
Without control, lusted to make a prey.
Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person:
Tell them when that my mother went with child
Of that insatiate Edward, noble York
My princely father then had wars in France, 90
And, by true computation of the time,
Found that the issue was not his begot,
Which well appearèd in his lineaments,
Being nothing like the noble duke my father.
Yet touch this sparingly, as ’twere far off, 95
Because, my lord, you know my mother lives. BUCKINGHAM
Doubt not, my lord. I’ll play the orator
As if the golden fee for which I plead
Were for myself. And so, my lord, adieu. RICHARD
If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard’s Castle, 100
Where you shall find me well accompanied
With reverend fathers and well-learnèd bishops. BUCKINGHAM
I go; and towards three or four o’clock
Look for the news that the Guildhall affords. Buckingham exits. | After the mayor exits on his errand, Richard reveals the plan he's hatched to gain the crown: he wants Buckingham to go to Guildhall (the seat of municipal government in London) and spread a rumor that King Edward's sons are "bastard[s]" and therefore not the rightful heirs to the crown. Buckingham should tell people that King Edward slept around a lot and that he once executed a citizen for no good reason. Buckingham should also say that Edward's mom (who is also Richard's mom) had affairs while her husband was off fighting the French and that Edward is "illegitimate." This would make his kids illegitimate, too, and unfit to be crowned kings. Richard decides that Buckingham should only hint that Edward was illegitimate. After all, his mom is still alive, and you don't want to shout too loud about your mom's infidelity. Buckingham exits. |
RICHARD
Go, Lovell, with all speed to Doctor Shaa. 105
To Ratcliffe. Go thou to Friar Penker. Bid them
both
Meet me within this hour at Baynard’s Castle. Ratcliffe and Lovell exit. Now will I go to take some privy order
To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight, 110
And to give order that no manner person
Have any time recourse unto the Princes. He exits. | Richard says he's going to hide Clarence's kids and make sure nobody has access to the princes (Edward's children). |