Page:Richard III (1927) Yale.djvu/43

Richard the Third, I. iii

Riv. We wait upon your Grace.

Exeunt all but Richard.

Rich. I do the wrong, and first begin to brawl.

The secret mischiefs that I set abroach

I lay unto the grievous charge of others.

Clarence, whom I, indeed, have cast in darkness,

I do beweep to many simple gulls;

Namely, to Derby, Hastings, Buckingham;

And tel] them 'tis the queen and her allies

That stir the king against the duke my brother.

Now they believe it; and withal whet me

To be reveng'd on Rivers, Dorset, Grey;

But then I sigh, and, with a piece of scripture,

Tell them that God bids us do good for evil:

And thus I clothe my naked villainy

With odd old ends stol'n forth of holy writ,

And seem a saint when most I play the devil.

But soft! here come my executioners.

How now, my hardy, stout, resolved mates!

Are you now going to dispatch this thing?

Mur. We are, my lord; and come to have the warrant,

That we may be admitted where he is.

Rich. Well thought upon; I have it here about me:

When you have done, repair to Crosby-place.

But, sirs, be sudden in the execution,

Withal obdurate; do not hear him plead;

For Clarence is well-spoken, and perhaps

 324 brawl: quarrel

325 set abroach: set on foot

328 beweep: weep over

gulls: dupes

329 Namely: that is to say

332 whet: incite

333 Dorset; cf. n.

337 odd old ends: odds and ends

339 soft: stay, stop

346 sudden: quick

