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Buck. Still live they, and for ever let them laft! K. Rich. Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the

touch,

To try if thou be current gold, indeed :-
Young Edward lives; -Think now what I would

fpeak.

Buck. Say on, my loving lord.

K. Rich. Why, Buckingham, I say, I would be

king.

Buck. Why, fo you are, my thrice-renowned liege. K. Rich. Ha! am I king? 'Tis so: but Edward

lives.

Buck. True, noble prince.

K. Rich. O bitter consequence,

That Edward still should live-true! noble prince!-
Coufin, thou wast not wont to be fo dull :-
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead;
And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
What say'st thou now? speak fuddenly, be brief.
Buck. Your grace may do your pleasure.

K. Rich. Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezes:

Say, have I thy confent, that they shall die ?

Buck. Give me fome breath, some little pause, dear

lord,

Before I positively speak in this:

I will refolve your grace immediately.

[Exit Buckingham.

* Ab, Buckingham, now do I play the touch,] To play the touch is to represent the touchstone.

So, in the 16th Song of Drayton's Polyolbion :

"With alabaster, tuch, and porphyry adorn'd." Again, in the epistle of Mary the French Queen to Charles Brandon, by Drayton:

"Before mine eye, like touch, thy shape did prove."

Again, in Spenser's Faery Queen, B. I. c. iii:

" Though true as touch, though daughter of a king."..

STEEVENS.

Catef.

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Cates. The king is angry; fee, he gnaws his lips.
K. Rich. I will converse with iron-witted fools,

And unrespective boys'; none are for me,

That look into me with confiderate eyes :-
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.-
Boy,

Page. My lord.

K. Rich. Know'st thou not any, whom corrupting

gold

Would tempt unto a close exploit of death?
Page. I know a discontented gentleman,

Whose humble means match not his haughty mind:
Gold were as good as twenty orators,
And will, no doubt, tempt him to any thing.
K. Rich. What is his name?

Page. His name, my lord, is-Tyrrel.

K. Rich. I partly know the man; Go, call him

hither, boy.

[Exit boy.

The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
No more shall be the neighbour to my counsels:
Hath he so long held out with me untir'd,

And stops he now for breath?-well, be it fo.

5-fee, be gnaws his lip.] Several of our ancient historians observe, that this was an accustomed action of Richard, whether he was pensive or angry.

STEEVENS.

6 And unrespective boys; - Unrespective is inattentive, tak

ing no notice, inconfiderate.

So, in Daniel's Cleopatra, 1599:

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When diffolute impiety possess'd

"The unrespective minds of prince and people."

STEEVENS.

1close exploit is secret act. JOHNSON. 8-witty] in this place fignifies judicious or cunning. A wit was not at this time employed to fignify a man of fancy, but. was used for wisdom or judgment. So, in Daniel's Cleopatra,

1599:

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Enter Stanley.

How now, lord Stanley? what's the news?
Stanl. Know, my loving lord,
The marquis Dorset, as I hear, is fted
To Richmond, in the parts where he abides.
K. Rich. Come hither, Catesby: rumour it abroad,
That Anne my wife is very grievous sick;
I will take order for her keeping close.
Enquire me out fome mean-born gentleman,
Whom I will marry straight to Clarence' daughter:
The boy is foolish, and I fear not him.-
Look, how thou dream'st!-I say again, give out,
That Anne my queen is sick, and like to die:
About it; for it stands me much upon,

To stop all hopes, whose growth may damage me.-[Exit Catesby.

I must be marry'd to my brother's daughter,
Or elfe my kingdom stands on brittle glass :-
Murder her brothers, and then marry her!
Uncertain way of gain! But I am in
So far in blood, 9 that fin will pluck on fin.
Tear-falling pity dwells not in this eye.-

Enter Tyrrel.

Is thy name-Tyrrel1?

Tyr. James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject.

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So far in blood, that fin will pluck on fin.]**

The fame reflections occur in Macbeth: "I am in blood

Again:

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Step'd in so far, that should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious, &c."

K. Rich.

"Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill."

STEEVENS.

Is thy name-Tyrrel?] It seems, that a late editor (who boasts much of his fidelity in " marking the places of action, both general and particular, and supplying scenical directions") throughout this scene, has left king Richard on his throne;

whereas

K. Rich. Art thou, indeed?
Tyr. Prove me, my gracious lord.

K. Rich. Dar'st thou refolve to kill a friend of

mine?

Tyr. Please you; but I had rather kill two enemies. K. Rich. Why, then thou hast it; two deep ene

mies,

Foes to my rest, and my sweet fleep's disturbers,
Are they that I would have thee deal upon :
Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower.
Tyr. Let me have open means to come to them,
And foon I'll rid you from the fear of them.
K. Rich. Thou sing'st sweet musick. Hark, come

hither, Tyrrel;

Go, by this token:-Rife, and lend thine ear:

[Whispers.

There is no more but so:-Say, it is done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee for it.
Tyr. I will dispatch it straight.

Re-enter Buckingham.

[Exit.

Buck. My lord, I have confider'd in my mind That late demand that you did found me in.

K. Rich. Well, let that rest. Dorset is fled to

Richmond.

Buck. I hear the news, my lord.

whereas he might have learnt from the following passage in fir John Harrington's Metamorphosis of Ajax, 1596, that the monarch appeared, during the present interview with Tyrrel, on an elevation of of much less dignity. "The best part (fays fir John) of our chronicles, in all men's opinions is that of Richard the third, written as I have heard by Moorton, but as most suppose, by that worthy and incorrupt magistrate fir Thomas More, fometime lord chancellor of England, where it is said, how the king was devising with Teril to have his nephews privily murdred; and it is added, he was then fitting on a draught; a fit carpet for such a counsel." See likewise Holinshed, vol. ii. p. 735.

STEEVENS.

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K. Rich. Stanley, he is your wife's fon :-Well, look to it.

Buck. My lord, I claim the gift, my due by pro-
mife,

For which your honour and your faith is pawn'd;
The earldom of Hereford, and the moveables,
Which you have promised I shall possess.

K. Rich. Stanley, look to your wife; if she convey Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

Buck. What says your highness to my just request?
K. Rich. I do remember me, Henry the fixth

Did prophesy, that Richmond should be king,
When Richmond was a little peevish boy.

2

*A king!-perhaps

Buck. My lord,

K. Rich. How chance, the prophet could not at

that time

Have told me, I being by, that I should kill him ?
Buck. My lord, your promife for the earldom,-
K. Rich. Richmond! - When last I was at Exeter,
The mayor in courtsy shew'd me the castle,
And call'd it-Rouge-mont: at which name, I

started;

Because a bard of Ireland told me once,

I should not live long after I faw Richmond.

Buck. My lord,

K. Rich. Ay, what's o'clock?

Buck. I am thus bold to put your grace in mind

Of what you promis'd me.

K. Rich. Well, but what's o'clock?

Buck. Upon the stroke of ten.
K. Rich. Well, let it strike.

Buck. Why let it strike?

A king!-perhaps ) From hence to the words, Thou troubLeft me, I am not in the vein have been left out ever fince the firit editions, but I like them well enough to replace them. POPE. The allufions to the plays of Henry VI. are no weak proofs of the authenticity of these disputed pieces. JOHNSON.

K. Rich.

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