Richard III: Act 4, Scene 1

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    Before the Tower.

    Scene Summary

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    Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of York and Lady Anne are refused entry to the Tower to see the princes. Anne is summoned to be crowned Queen alongside Richard. She goes in dread, remembering Richard's earlier cruelty. Elizabeth sends her son Dorset to the Earl of Richmond, who is raising forces against Richard in France.

    Enter, on one side, QUEEN ELIZABETH, DUCHESS OF YORK, and DORSET; on the other, ANNE, Duchess of Gloucester, leading Lady Margaret Plantagenet, CLARENCE's young Daughter
    DUCHESS OF YORK
    Who m eets us here? my niece Plantagenet
    Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloucester?
    Now, for my life, she's wandering to the Tower,
    On pure heart's love to greet the tender princes.
    Daughter, well met.
    LADY ANNE
    God give your graces both
    A happy and a joyful time of day!
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    As much to you, good sister! Whither away?
    LADY ANNE
    No farther than the Tower; and, as I guess,
    Upon the like devotion as yourselves,
    To gratulate the gentle princes there.
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    Kind sister, thanks: we'll enter all together.
    Enter BRAKENBURY
    And, in good time, here the lieutenant comes.
    Master lieutenant, pray you, by your leave,
    How doth the prince, and my young son of York?
    BRAKENBURY
    Right well, dear madam. By your patience,
    I may not suffer you to visit them;
    The king hath straitly charged the contrary.
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    The king! why, who's that?
    BRAKENBURY
    I cry you mercy: I mean the lord protector.
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    The Lord protect him from that kingly title!
    Hath he set bounds betwixt their love and me?
    I am their mother; who should keep me from them?
    DUCHESS OF YORK
    I am their fathers mother; I will see them.
    LADY ANNE
    Their aunt I am in law, in love their mother:
    Then bring me to their sights; I'll bear thy blame
    And take thy office from thee, on my peril.
    BRAKENBURY
    No, madam, no; I may not leave it so:
    I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me.
    Exit
    Enter LORD STANLEY
    LORD STANLEY
    Let me but meet you, ladies, one hour hence,
    And I'll salute your grace of York as mother,
    And reverend looker on, of two fair queens.
    To LADY ANNE
    Come, madam, you must straight to Westminster,
    There to be crowned Richard's royal queen.
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    O, cut my lace in sunder, that my pent heart
    May have some scope to beat, or else I swoon
    With this dead-killing news!
    LADY ANNE
    Despiteful tidings! O unpleasing news!
    DORSET
    Be of good cheer: mother, how fares your grace?
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    O Dorset, speak not to me, get thee hence!
    Death and destruction dog thee at the heels;
    Thy mother's name is ominous to children.
    If thou wilt outstrip death, go cross the seas,
    And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell
    Go, hie thee, hie thee from this slaughter-house,
    Lest thou increase the number of the dead;
    And make me die the thrall of Margaret's curse,
    Nor mother, wife, nor England's counted queen.
    LORD STANLEY
    Full of wise care is this your counsel, madam.
    Take all the swift advantage of the hours;
    You shall have letters from me to my son
    To meet you on the way, and welcome you.
    Be not ta'en tardy by unwise delay.
    DUCHESS OF YORK
    O ill-dispersing wind of misery!
    O my accursed womb, the bed of death!
    A cockatrice hast thou hatch'd to the world,
    Whose unavoided eye is murderous.
    LORD STANLEY
    Come, madam, come; I in all haste was sent.
    LADY ANNE
    And I in all unwillingness will go.
    I would to God that the inclusive verge
    Of golden metal that must round my brow
    Were red-hot steel, to sear me to the brain!
    Anointed let me be with deadly venom,
    And die, ere men can say, God save the queen!
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    Go, go, poor soul, I envy not thy glory
    To feed my humour, wish thyself no harm.
    LADY ANNE
    No! why? When he that is my husband now
    Came to me, as I follow'd Henry's corse,
    When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his hands
    Which issued from my other angel husband
    And that dead saint which then I weeping follow'd;
    O, when, I say, I look'd on Richard's face,
    This was my wish: 'Be thou,' quoth I, ' accursed,
    For making me, so young, so old a widow!
    And, when thou wed'st, let sorrow haunt thy bed;
    And be thy wife--if any be so mad--
    As miserable by the life of thee
    As thou hast made me by my dear lord's death!
    Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again,
    Even in so short a space, my woman's heart
    Grossly grew captive to his honey words
    And proved the subject of my own soul's curse,
    Which ever since hath kept my eyes from rest;
    For never yet one hour in his bed
    Have I enjoy'd the golden dew of sleep,
    But have been waked by his timorous dreams.
    Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick;
    And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    Poor heart, adieu! I pity thy complaining.
    LADY ANNE
    No more than from my soul I mourn for yours.
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    Farewell, thou woful welcomer of glory!
    LADY ANNE
    Adieu, poor soul, that takest thy leave of it!
    DUCHESS OF YORK
    [To DORSET]
    Go thou to Richmond, and good fortune guide thee!
    To LADY ANNE
    Go thou to Richard, and good angels guard thee!
    To QUEEN ELIZABETH
    Go thou to sanctuary, and good thoughts possess thee!
    I to my grave, where peace and rest lie with me!
    Eighty odd years of sorrow have I seen,
    And each hour's joy wrecked with a week of teen.
    QUEEN ELIZABETH
    Stay, yet look back with me unto the Tower.
    Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes
    Whom envy hath immured within your walls!
    Rough cradle for such little pretty ones!
    Rude ragged nurse, old sullen playfellow
    For tender princes, use my babies well!
    So foolish sorrow bids your stones farewell.
    Exeunt