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RICHARD III.

VOL. VII.

B

Per

521817

King Edward IV.

Edward, Prince of Wales, after

wards Edward V.

Richard, Duke of York,

Sons to Edward IV.

George, Duke of Clarence, Brother to Edward IV.

A young Son of Clarence.

Richard, Duke of Glofter, Brother to Edward IV. afterwards King Richard III.

Cardinal Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Archbishop of York.

Bishop of Ely.

Duke of Buckingham.

Duke of Norfolk. Earl of Surrey.

Earl Rivers, brother to K. Edwards's Queen.
Marquis of Dorlet, her fons.

Lord Grey.

}

Earl of Richmond, afterwards King Henry VII.
Lord Haftings.

Sir Thomas Vaughan.

Sir Richard Ratcliff.
Lord Lovel.

Sir William Catesby.

Sir James Tyrrel.
Lord Stanley.
Earl of Oxford.

Sir James Blount.

Sir Walter Herbert.

Sir Robert Brakenbury, Lieutenant of the Tower.
Christopher Urfwick, a Prieft. Another Prieft.
Lord Mayor.

Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV.

Queen Margaret, Widow of Henry VI.

Anne, Widow of Edward Prince of Wales, Son to Henry VI. afterwards married to the Duke of Glofter. Dutchess of York, Mother to Edward IV. Clarence, and Richard III.

Sheriff, Purfuivant, Scrivener, Citizens, Ghofts, Soldiers, and other Attendants.

OF

KING RICHARD III.

A C T I. SCENE I

England.

London. A Street.

Enter Richard Duke of Glofter.

Glo. Now is the winter of our difcontent Made glorious fummer by this fun of York';

And

Life and Death of King Richard III.] This tragedy, though it is called the Life and Death of this prince, comprizes, at most, but the last eight years of his time; for it opens with George duke of Clarence being clapped up in the Tower, which happened in the beginning of the year 1477; and closes with the death of Richard at Bofworthfield, which battle was fought on the 22d of Auguft, in the year 1485. THEOBAld.

It appears that feveral dramas on the prefent fubject had been written before Shakespeare attempted it. See the notes at the conclufion of this play, which was first enter'd at Stationers' Hall by Andrew Wife, Oct. 20, 1597, under the title of The Tragedie of King Richard the Third, with the Death of the Duke of Clarence. Before this, viz. Aug. 15th, 1586, was entered, A Tragical report of King Richard the Third, a Ballad. It may be neceffary to remark that the words, fong, ballad, book, enterlude and play, were often synonymoufly used. STEEVENS.

2

this fun of York ;] Alluding to the cognizance of Ed. ward IV. which was a fun, in memory of the three funs, which are faid to have appeared at the battle which he gained over the Lancaftrians at Mortimer's Crofs.

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And all the clouds, that lowr'd upon our house,
In the deep bofom of the ocean bury'd.

Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our ftern alarums chang'd to merry meetings',
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-vifag'd war hath fmooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now,-instead of mounting barbed fteeds,

So, in Drayton's Miferies of Queen Margaret:

"Three funs were feen that inftant to appear,
"Which foon again fhut themselves up in one,
"Ready to buckle as the armies were,

"Which this brave duke took to himself alone &c."

Again, in the 22d Song of the Polyolbion :

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" And thankful to high heaven which of his caufe had care,

"Three funs for his device ftill in his enfign bare."

Again, in the Wrighte's Play in the Chefter Collection. M. S. Harl. ro13, the fame prodigy is introduced as attending on a more folemn event:

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"That day was feene veramente
"Three fonnes in the firmament,
"And wonderly together went
"And torned into one."

STEEVENS.

merry meetings,] So, in The tragical Life and Death of King Richard the Third, which is one of the metrical monologues in a collection entitled, The Mirrour of Magifirates. The first edition of it appeared in 1587, but the lines quoted on the prefent as well as future occafions throughout this play, are not found in any copy before that of 1610, fo that the author was more probably indebted to Shakespeare than Shakespeare to him :

the battles fought in fields before

Were turn'd to meetings of fweet amitie;
The war-god's thundring cannons dreadful rore,
And rattling drum-founds' warlike harmonie,
To fweet-tun'd noife of pleasing minstrelfie.

God Mars laid by his launce, and tooke his lute,
And turn'd his rugged frownes to fmiling lookes;
Infiead of crimson fields, war's fatal fruit,
He bath'd his limbes in Cypris warbling brooks,
And fet his thoughts upon her wanton lookes. STEEVENS,
barbed feeds,] 1. Haywarde, in his Life and Raigne of
Henry IV. 1599, fays,-The duke of Hereford came to the barriers,
mounted upon a white courfer, barbed with blew and green velvet, &c.

So,

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