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Richard III

Act 2, Scene 4

Enter the ARCHBISHOP of York, the young duke of YORK, QUEEN ELIZABETH, and the old DUCHESS of York	The ARCHBISHOP of York, QUEEN ELIZABETH, her son, the young duke of YORK, and the DUCHESSofYorkenter.
ARCHBISHOP Last night, I hear, they lay at Stony Stratford, And at Northampton they do rest tonight. Tomorrow or next day they will be here.	ARCHBISHOP Last night, I hear, they stayed in Stony Stratford. Tonight they will rest in Northhampton. They’ll be here tomorrow or the next day.
DUCHESS I long with all my heart to see the prince. I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.	DUCHESS I’m dying to see the prince. I hope he’s grown a lot since I last saw him.
QUEEN ELIZABETH But I hear no; they say my son of York Has almost overta’en him in his growth.	QUEEN ELIZABETH But I hear he hasn’t. They say my son York has almost passed him in height.
YORK Ay, mother, but I would not have it so.	YORK Yes, mother, but I wish I hadn’t.
DUCHESS Why, my young cousin? It is good to grow.	DUCHESS Why, dear child? It’s good to grow.
YORK Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper, My uncle Rivers talked how I did grow More than my brother: “Ay,” quoth my uncle Gloucester, “Small herbs have grace; great weeds do grow apace.” And since, methinks I would not grow so fast Because sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste.	YORK Grandmother, one night when we were eating dinner, my uncle Rivers mentioned that I had grown more than my brother. “Yes,” said my uncle Gloucester, “Small plants are graceful, while ugly weeds grow fast.” And since then, I’ve wished I wouldn’t grow so fast, because sweet flowers are slow while the weeds grow in a hurry.
DUCHESS Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold In him that did object the same to thee! He was the wretched’st thing when he was young, So long a-growing and so leisurely, That if this rule were true, he should be gracious.	DUCHESS Well, it certainly wasn’t true for Richard! As a child, he took such a long time to grow up that, according to his rule, he should have grown up into a gracious adult.
YORK And so no doubt he is, my gracious madam.	YORK And no doubt he is, gracious madam.
DUCHESS I hope he is, but yet let mothers doubt.	DUCHESS I hope he is, but mothers get to have their doubts.
YORK Now, by my troth, if I had been remembered, I could have given my uncle’s grace a flout To touch his growth nearer than he touched mine.	YORK Hey, if I’d remembered something about him, I could have had a good comeback for my uncle, touching on his growth worse than he touched on mine.
DUCHESS How, my pretty York? I prithee let me hear it.	DUCHESS What would you have said, my young York? Do tell.
YORK Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old. ’Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth. Grandam, this would have been a biting jest.	YORK Indeed, they say my uncle grew so fast that he could gnaw on a crust of bread when he was two hours old. It took me two years before I had a single tooth. Grandmother, this would have been a biting joke.
DUCHESS I prithee, pretty York, who told thee this?	DUCHESS Pretty York, who told you about his teeth?
YORK Grandam, his nurse.	YORK His nurse, grandmother.
DUCHESS His nurse? Why, she was dead ere thou wast born.	DUCHESS His nurse? Why, she was dead before you were even born.
YORK If ’twere not she, I cannot tell who told me.	YORK Well, if it wasn’t her, I don’t know.
QUEEN ELIZABETH A parlous boy! Go to, you are too shrewd.	QUEEN ELIZABETH A mischievous child. Come, come, you are too clever for your own good.
DUCHESS Good madam, be not angry with the child.	DUCHESS Good lady, don’t be angry with the child.
QUEEN ELIZABETH Pitchers have ears.	QUEEN ELIZABETH Little pitchers have big ears.
Enter a MESSENGER	A MESSENGER enters.
ARCHBISHOP Here comes a messenger. —What news?	ARCHBISHOP Here comes a messenger. What’s the news?
MESSENGER Such news, my lord, as grieves me to report.	MESSENGER My lord, it’s news I wish I didn’t have to report.
QUEEN ELIZABETH How doth the prince?	QUEEN ELIZABETH How’s the prince?
MESSENGER Well, madam, and in health.	MESSENGER He’s fine and healthy, madam.
DUCHESS What is thy news then?	DUCHESS What is your news?
MESSENGER Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are sent to Pomfret, And, with them, Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.	MESSENGER Lord Rivers and Lord Grey have been imprisoned in Pomfret. So has Sir Thomas Vaughan.
DUCHESS Who hath committed them?	DUCHESS Who sent them there?
MESSENGER The mighty dukes, Gloucester and Buckingham.	MESSENGER The powerful dukes Gloucester and Buckingham.
ARCHBISHOP For what offence?	ARCHBISHOP What did they do wrong?
MESSENGER The sum of all I can, I have disclosed. Why, or for what, the nobles were committed Is all unknown to me, my gracious lord.	MESSENGER I’ve told you everything I know. Why the nobles were imprisoned, and on what charges, I don’t know, my gracious lord.
QUEEN ELIZABETH Ay me! I see the ruin of my house. The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind. Insulting tyranny begins to jut Upon the innocent and aweless throne. Welcome, destruction, blood, and massacre. I see, as in a map, the end of all.	QUEEN ELIZABETH Oh no! I see the downfall of my family. The tiger has seized the gentle deer: a tyrant has begun to attack the weak, innocent king. Welcome, destruction, blood, and massacre! I can see how all this will end as clearly as if I was looking at a map.
DUCHESS Accursèd and unquiet wrangling days, How many of you have mine eyes beheld? My husband lost his life to get the crown, And often up and down my sons were tossed For me to joy, and weep, their gain and loss. And being seated, and domestic broils Clean overblown, themselves the conquerors Make war upon themselves, brother to brother, Blood to blood, self against self. O, preposterous And frantic outrage, end thy damnèd spleen, Or let me die, to look on death no more.	DUCHESS How many times have I had to live through cursed times of violent struggle? My husband lost his life to get the crown, and my sons’ fortunes have been tossed up and down, leaving me to rejoice over their victories and weep over their losses. And once one of them achieved the throne and had taken care of domestic quarrels, they made war among themselves. It’s a preposterous outrage. Let it end, or let me die so I won’t have to watch any more of it.
QUEEN ELIZABETH (to YORK) Come, come, my boy. We will to sanctuary. Madam, farewell.	QUEEN ELIZABETH (to YORK) Come, my boy, let’s go to sanctuary. Madam, farewell.
DUCHESS Stay, I will go with you	DUCHESS Wait, I’ll go with you.
QUEEN ELIZABETH You have no cause.	QUEEN ELIZABETH You have no reason to.
ARCHBISHOP (to QUEEN ELIZABETH) My gracious lady, go, And thither bear your treasure and your goods. For my part, I’ll resign unto your Grace The seal I keep; and so betide to me As well I tender you and all of yours. Go. I’ll conduct you to the sanctuary.	ARCHBISHOP (to QUEEN ELIZABETH) My gracious lady, go, and take your money and belongings with you. For my part, I’ll reassign the Great Seal of England to you and will take it upon myself to protect you. Come, I’ll conduct you to the sanctuary.
Exeunt	They all exit.