Q. Eliz. I go.-Write to me very shortly, And you shall understand from me her mind.

K. Rich. Bear her my true love's kiss, and so farewell. [Kissing her. Exit Q. ELIZABETH, Relenting fool, and shallow, changing — woman!" How now? what news?

Enter RATCLIFF; CATESBY following.

Rat. Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast
Rideth a puissant navy; to the shore

Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted friends,
Unarm'd, and unresolv'd to beat them back:
'Tis thought, that Richmond is their admiral;
And there they hull, expecting but the aid
Of Buckingham to welcome them ashore.

K. Rich. Some light-foot friend post to the duke" of
Norfolk :

or Catesby; where is he?

Cate. Here, my good lord.

K. Rich.

Catesby, fly to the duke.

Cate. I will, my lord, with all convenient haste. K. Rich. Ratcliff, come hither: Post to Salisbury; When thou com'st thither, - Dull, unmindful villain, [TO CATESBY. Why stay'st thou here, and go'st not to the duke? Cate. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure,

What from your grace I shall deliver to him.

6

K. Rich. O, true, good Catesby; - Bid him levy straight

changing — woman!] Such was the real character of this queen dowager, who would have married her daughter to king Richard, and did all in her power to alienate the marquis of Dorset, her son, from the earl of Richmond.

7 Some light-foot friend, &c.] Richard's precipitation and confusion is in this scene very happily represented by inconsistent orders, and sudden variations of opinion. JOHNSON.

The greatest strength and power he can make,
And meet me suddenly at Salisbury.

Cate. I go.

[Exit.

Rat. What, may it please you, shall I do at Salis

bury?

K. Rich. Why, what would'st thou do there, before

I go?

Rat. Your highness told me, I should post before.

Enter STANLEY.

K. Rich. My mind is chang'd. - Stanley, what news with you?

Stan. None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing;

Nor none so bad, but well may be reported.

K. Rich. Heyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad! What need'st thou run so many miles about,

When thou may'st tell thy tale the nearest way?
Once more, what news?

Stan.

Richmond is on the seas.

K. Rich. There let him sink, and be the seas on him! White-liver'd runagate, what doth he there?

Stan. I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess. K. Rich. Well, as you guess?

Stan. Stirr'd up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton, He makes for England, here to claim the crown.

K. Rich. Is the chair empty? Is the sword unsway'd? Is the king dead? the empire unpossess'd?

What heir of York is there alive, but we?

And who is England's king, but great York's heir?
Then, tell me, what makes he upon the seas?

Stan. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess.
K. Rich. Unless for that he comes to be your liege,
You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes.
Thou wilt revolt, and fly to him, I fear.

Stan. No, mighty liege, therefore mistrust me not.
K. Rich. Where is thy power then, to beat him back?

VOL. VI.

Where be thy tenants, and thy followers?
Are they not now upon the western shore,
Safe-conducting the rebels from their ships?

Stan. No, my good lord, my friends are in the north. K. Rich. Cold friends to me: What do they in the

north,

When they should serve their sovereign in the west ?
Stan. They have not been commanded, mighty king:
Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave,

I'll muster up my friends; and meet your grace,
Where, and what time, your majesty shall please.
K. Rich. Ay, ay, thou would'st be gone to join with
Richmond:

I will not trust you, sir.

Stan.

Most mighty sovereign, You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful ; I never was, nor never will be false.

K. Rich. Well, go, muster men. leave behind

But, hear you,

Your son, George Stanley; look your heart be firm,
Or else his head's assurance is but frail.

Stan. So deal with him, as I prove true to you.

Enter a Messenger.

[Exit STANLEY.

Mess. My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire,

As I by friends am well advértised,

Sir Edward Courtney, and the haughty prelate,
Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother,

With many more confederates, are in arms.

Enter another Messenger.

2 Mess." In Kent, my liege, the Guildfords are in arms; And every hour more competitors 8

Flock to the rebels, and their power grows strong.

— more competitors-] That is, more opponents to us, or rather, associates with them.

Enter another Messenger.

death?

-

3 Mess. My lord, the army of great Buckingham K. Rich. Out on ye, owls! nothing but songs of [He strikes him. There, take thou that, till thou bring better news. 3 Mess. The news I have to tell your majesty, Is, that, by sudden floods and fall of waters, Buckingham's army is dispers'd and scatter'd; And he himself wander'd away alone,

No man knows whither.

K. Rich.

O, I cry you mercy :

There is my purse, to cure that blow of thine.

Hath any well-advised friend proclaim'd

Reward to him that brings the traitor in?

3 Mess. Such proclamation hath been made, my liege.

Enter another Messenger.

4 Mess. Sir Thomas Lovel, and lord marquis Dorset,
'Tis said, my liege, in Yorkshire are in arms.
But this good comfort bring I to your highness, -
The Bretagne navy is dispers'd by tempest:
Richmond, in Dorsetshire, sent out a boat
Unto the shore, to ask those on the banks,
If they were his assistants, yea, or no;
Who answer'd him, they came from Buckingham
Upon his party: he, mistrusting them,

Hois'd sail, and made his course again for Bretagne.
K. Rich. March on, march on, since we are up in

arms;

If not to fight with foreign enemies,

Yet to beat down these rebels here at home.

Enter CATESBY.

Cate. My liege, the duke of Buckingham is taken, That is the best news; That the earl of Richmond

Is with a mighty power landed at Milford,

Is colder news, but yet they must be told.9

K. Rich. Away towards Salisbury; while we reason 1 here, 1

A royal battle might be won and lost:

Some one take order, Buckingham be brought

To Salisbury;

the rest march on with me. [Exeunt.

SCENE V.

A Room in Lord STANLEY'S House.

Enter STANLEY and Sir CHRISTOPHER URSWICK. 2

Stan. Sir Christopher, tell Richmond this from me:That, in the sty of this most bloody boar,

My son George Stanley is frank'd up in hold;

If I revolt, off goes young George's head;
The fear of that withholds my present aid.

But, tell me, where is princely Richmond now?

Christ. At Pembroke, or at Ha'rford-west, in Wales. Stan. What men of name resort to him?

Christ. Sir Walter Herbert, a renowned soldier;

Sir Gilbert Talbot, sir William Stanley;

Oxford, redoubted Pembroke, sir James Blunt,

9 they must be told.] This was the language of Shakspeare's time, when the word news was often considered as plural.

1 while we reason here,] i. e. while we talk here.

2

Sir Christopher Urswick.] The person, who is called Sir Christopher here, and who has been styled so in the Dramatis Persona of all the impressions, was Christopher Urswick, a bachelor in divinity; and chaplain to the countess of Richmond, who had intermarried with the lord Stanley. This priest, the history tells us, frequently went backwards and forwards, unsuspected, on messages betwixt the countess of Richmond, and her husband, and the young earl of Richmond, whilst he was preparing to make his descent on England. He was afterwards almoner to king Henry VII. and retired to Hackney, where he died in 1521.