THE DUCHESS OF YORK'S LAMENTATION ON THE MIS

FORTUNES OF HER FAMILY.
Duch. Accursed and unquiet wrangling days!
How
many

of
you
have mine

eyes

beheld? My husband lost his life to get the crown; And often

ир

and down my sons were tost, 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 'gainst self: 0, preposterous And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen; Or let me die, to look on death no more!

ACT III.

THE VANITY OF TRUST IN MAN.

O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of God.
Who builds his hope in air of your fair looks,
Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast;
Ready, with every nod, to tumble down
Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

CONTEMPLATION. When holy and devout religious men Are at their beads, 'tis hard to draw them thence; So sweet is zealous contemplation.

ACT IV.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MURDER OF THE TWO YOUNG

PRINCES IN THE TOWER.
The tyrannous and bloody act is done;

The most arch deed of piteous massacre,
That ever yet this land was guilty of.
Dighton and Forrest, whom I did suborn
To do this piece of ruthless* butchery,
Albeit they were flesh'd villains, bloody dogs,
Melting with tenderness and mild compassion,
Wept like two children, in their death's sad story.
O thus, quoth Dighton, lay the gentle babes,-
Thus, thus, quoth Forrest, girdling one another
Within their alabaster innocent arms;
Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,
Which, in their summer beauty, kiss'd each other.
A book of prayers on their pillow lay:
Which once, quoth Forrest, almost chang'd my mind;
But, O, the devil—there the villain stopp'd;
When Dighton thus told on,—we smothered
The most replenished sweet work of nature,
That, from the prime creation, e'er she fram'd.-
Hence, both are gone with conscience and remorse,
They could not speak; and so I left them both,
To bear this tidings to the bloody king.

EXPEDITION.

Come.--I have learn'd, that fearful commenting Is leaden servitor to dull delay; Delay leads impotent and snail-pac'd beggary: Then fiery expedition be my wing, Jove's Mercury, and herald for a king!

QUEEN MARGARET'S EXPROBATION. I call’d thee then, vain flourish of my fortune; I call’d thee then, poor shadow, painted queen: The presentation of but what I was,

* Merciless.

The flattering index* of a direful pageant,
One heav'd a high to be hurl'd down below:
A mother only mock'd with two fair babes ;
A dream of what thou wast; a garisht flag,
To be the aim of every dangerous shot;
A sign of dignity, a breath, a bubble;
А

queen in jest, only to fill the scene.
Where is thy husband now? Where be thy brothers?
Where be thy two sons ? wherein dost thou joy?
Who sues, and kneels, and says--God save the queen?
Where be the bending peers that flatter'd thee?
Where be the thronging troops that follow'd thee?
Decline all this, and see what now thou art.
For happy wife, a most distressed widow;
For joyful mother, one that wails the name;
For one being sued to, one that humbly sues ;
For queen, a very caitiff crown'd with care ;
For one that scorn'd at me, now scorn'd of me;
For one being fear'd of all, now searing one;
For one commanding all, obey'd of none.
Thus hath the course of justice wheel’d about,
And left thee but a very prey to time;
Having no more but thought of what thou wert,
To torture thee the more, being what thou art.

CHARACTER OF KING RICHARD BY HIS MOTHER.

Tetchy and wayward was thy infancy; [rious; Thy school-days, frightful, desperate, wild, and fuThy prime of manhood, daring, bold, and venturous; Thy age confirm'd, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody.

ACT V.

HOPE.

True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings, Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.

A FINE EVENING.

The weary sun hath made a golden set, And, by the bright track of his fiery car, Gives token of a goodly day to-morrow.

DAYBREAK.
The silent hours steal on,
And flaky darkness breaks within the east.

RICHMOND'S PRAYER.
O Thou! whose captain I account myself,
Look on my forces with a gracious eye;
Put in their hands thy bruising irons of wrath,
That they may crush down with a heavy fall
The usurping helmets of our adversaries !
Make us thy ministers of chastisement,
That we may praise thee in thy victory!
To thee I do commend

my

watchful soul, Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes; Sleeping, and waking, O defend me still!

RICHARD STARTING OUT OF HIS DREAM. Give me another horse,-bind up my wounds,Have mercy,

Jesu!—Soft; I did but dream. O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me! The lights burn blue.—It is now dead midnight. Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh. What do I fear? myself?

CONSCIENCE.
Conscience is but a word that cowards use,
Devis'd at first to keep the strong in awe.

RICHARD'S ADDRESS BEFORE THE BATTLE.
A thousand hearts are great

within

my

bosom: Advance our standards, set upon our foes; Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George, Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons! Upon them! Victory sits on our helms.

RICHARD'S BEHAVIOUR AFTER AN ALARUM. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! Cate. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a horse. K. Rich. Slave, I have set my

life

upon a cast, And I will stand the hazard of the die: I think, there be six Richmonds in the field; Five have I slain to-day, instead of him:A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!

KING HENRY VIII.

ACT 1.

ANGER.

To climb steep hills,
Requires slow pace at first: Anger is like
A full hot-horse; who being allow'd his way,
Self-mettle tires him.

ACTION TO BE CARRIED ON WITH RESOLUTION.

If I am traduc'd by tongues, which neither know My faculties, nor person, yet will be

R