Richard III – Act 2 Scene 4

THOMAS ROTHERHAM, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK

Last night, I hear, they lay at Stony-Stratford,

I heard they spent last night at Stony Stratford,

And at Northampton they do rest tonight.

And in Northampton they will spend tonight.

Tomorrow, or next day, they will be here.

They will be here tomorrow or the next day.

DUCHESS OF YORK

I long with all my heart to see the Prince.

I simply cannot wait to see the Prince.

I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.

I hope that he’s grown taller since I saw him.

QUEEN ELIZABETH

But I hear no; they say my son of York

No, I have heard my other son, young Richard,

Has almost overta’en him in his growth.

Has almost overtaken him in height.

RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK

Ay, mother, but I would not have it so.

Yes, Mother, but I wish it wasn’t like that.

DUCHESS OF YORK

Why, my good cousin, it is good to grow.

Why not, dear child? It’s good for you to grow.

RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK

Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper,

Grandma, one night when I was sat at supper,

My uncle Rivers talked how I did grow

My uncle Rivers spoke of how I’d grown

More than my brother. “Ay,” quoth my uncle Gloucester,

More than my brother. ‘Yes,’ said uncle Gloucester,

“Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace.”

‘Small herbs grow gracefully, yet weeds grow fast.’

And since, methinks I would not grow so fast,

And since then, I’ve not wanted to grow fast,

Because sweet flow’rs are slow and weeds make haste.

Because sweet flowers grow slow and weeds grow swiftly.

DUCHESS OF YORK

Good faith, good faith, the saying did not hold

Well, goodness gracious, that saying was false

In him that did object the same to thee:

In Richard, who had shared the saying with you:

He was the wretched’st thing when he was young,

He was an awful, wretched child when young,

So long a-growing and so leisurely

And took so long to grow up at his own pace,

That if his rule were true, he should be gracious.

That if his rule were true, he should be lovely.

THOMAS ROTHERHAM, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK

And so no doubt he is, my gracious madam.

And I am sure he is, my gracious madam.

DUCHESS OF YORK

I hope he is, but yet let mothers doubt.

I hope he is, but mothers have their doubts.

RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK

Now by my troth, if I had been rememb’red,

To tell the truth, if I had just remembered,

I could have given my uncle’s Grace a flout,

I could have ridiculed my uncle for that

To touch his growth nearer than he touched mine.

By mocking his growth more than he mocked mine.

DUCHESS OF YORK

How, my young York? I prithee let me hear it.

Well, tell me how, young York; I’d like to know.

RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK

Marry (they say) my uncle grew so fast

Because they say my uncle grew so fast

That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old;

That he could eat a crust when two hours old;

’Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.

It was a full two years before my first tooth.

Grandam, this would have been a biting jest.

Grandma, this would have been a biting joke.

DUCHESS OF YORK

I prithee, pretty York, who told thee this?

So tell me, York, who told you of his teeth?

RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK

Grandam, his nurse.

Grandma, his nurse.

DUCHESS OF YORK

His nurse? Why, she was dead ere thou wast born.

His nurse? Why, she was dead before you were born.

RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK

If ’twere not she, I cannot tell who told me.

Well, if not her, I cannot say who told me.

QUEEN ELIZABETH

A parlous boy! Go to, you are too shrewd.

A cunning boy! Enough, you are too clever.

DUCHESS OF YORK

Good madam, be not angry with the child.

Good madam, don’t be angry with the child.

QUEEN ELIZABETH

Pitchers have ears.

Even jugs have ears.

THOMAS ROTHERHAM, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK

Here comes a messenger. What news?

Here comes a messenger. What is the news?

MESSENGER TO THE QUEEN

Such news, my lord, as grieves me to report.

Some news, my lord, that’s painful to report.

QUEEN ELIZABETH

How doth the Prince?

How is the Prince?

MESSENGER TO THE QUEEN

Well, madam, and in health.

He’s well, and in good health.

DUCHESS OF YORK

What is thy news?

What is your news?

MESSENGER TO THE QUEEN

Lord Rivers and Lord Grey are sent to Pomfret,

Rivers and Grey are sent to Pontefract,

And with them Sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.

With Thomas Vaughan, as prisoners in the Castle.

DUCHESS OF YORK

Who hath committed them?

Who sent them there?

MESSENGER TO THE QUEEN

The mighty dukes,

The overpowering dukes,

Gloucester and Buckingham.

Gloucester and Buckingham.

THOMAS ROTHERHAM, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK

For what offence?

For what offence?

MESSENGER TO THE QUEEN

The sum of all I can I have disclosed.

I’ve told you everything that I’m aware of.

Why, or for what, the nobles were committed

The reason why these noblemen were locked up

Is all unknown to me, my gracious lord.

Remains a mystery to me, my lord.

QUEEN ELIZABETH

Ay me! I see the ruin of my house:

Why me! I see the downfall of my family:

The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind;

The tiger has attacked the gentle deer,

Insulting tyranny begins to jut

And tyranny has started to encroach

Upon the innocent and aweless throne.

Upon the weak and innocent young king.

Welcome destruction, blood, and massacre!

Here come destruction, blood, and massacres!

I see (as in a map) the end of all.

Like on a map, I see where this will end.

DUCHESS OF YORK

Accursed and unquiet wrangling days,

Such dreadful days of fighting and unrest,

How many of you have mine eyes beheld!

I’ve seen so many of them with my own eyes!

My husband lost his life to get the crown,

My husband died when fighting for the crown,

And often up and down my sons were tossed

And fortune undulated for my sons

For me to joy and weep their gain and loss;

So that I cheered then cried from wins and losses;

And being seated, and domestic broils

And then, with Edward king, their rivalries

Clean overblown, themselves, the conquerors,

Were pacified, until these conquerors

Make war upon themselves, brother to brother,

Start fighting with themselves, brother to brother,

Blood to blood, self against self. O, preposterous

A family feud of infighting. It’s awful

And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen,

And such an outrage! This damned fight must end,

Or let me die, to look on death no more!

Or let me die, so I don’t see more death!

QUEEN ELIZABETH

Come, come, my boy, we will to sanctuary.

We will take sanctuary in the abbey.

Madam, farewell.

Madam, goodbye.

DUCHESS OF YORK

Stay, I will go with you.

Wait there, I’ll come with you.

QUEEN ELIZABETH

You have no cause.

You do not need to.

THOMAS ROTHERHAM, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK

[To the Queen.]

My gracious lady, go,

Madam, you must go,

And thither bear your treasure and your goods.

And take your money and belongings with you.

For my part, I’ll resign unto your Grace

For my part, I’ll hand over to your Grace

The seal I keep, and so betide to me

The Seal of England that is in my care,

As well I tender you and all of yours!

And I’ll take care of you and all your family.

Go, I’ll conduct you to the sanctuary.

Let’s go, I’ll take you to the sanctuary.