William Shakespeare: The Life and Death of King Richard III

ACT I. 3. SCENE III. London. A Room in the Palace. (continued)

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Saw you the king to-day, my Lord of Stanley?

STANLEY.
But now the Duke of Buckingham and I
Are come from visiting his majesty.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
What likelihood of his amendment, lords?

BUCKINGHAM.
Madam, good hope; his grace speaks cheerfully.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
God grant him health! Did you confer with him?

BUCKINGHAM.
Ay, madam; he desires to make atonement
Between the Duke of Gloster and your brothers,
And between them and my lord chamberlain;
And sent to warn them to his royal presence.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Would all were well!--but that will never be:
I fear our happiness is at the height.

[Enter GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and DORSET.]

GLOSTER.
They do me wrong, and I will not endure it:--
Who are they that complain unto the king
That I, forsooth, am stern and love them not?
By holy Paul, they love his grace but lightly
That fill his ears with such dissentious rumours.
Because I cannot flatter and look fair,
Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog,
Duck with French nods and apish courtesy,
I must be held a rancorous enemy.
Cannot a plain man live, and think no harm,
But thus his simple truth must be abus'd
With silken, sly, insinuating Jacks?

GREY.
To who in all this presence speaks your grace?

GLOSTER.
To thee, that hast nor honesty nor grace.
When have I injur'd thee? when done thee wrong?--
Or thee?--or thee?--or any of your faction?
A plague upon you all! His royal grace,--
Whom God preserve better than you would wish!--
Cannot be quiet searce a breathing while,
But you must trouble him with lewd complaints.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Brother of Gloster, you mistake the matter.
The king, on his own royal disposition,
And not provok'd by any suitor else--
Aiming, belike, at your interior hatred
That in your outward action shows itself
Against my children, brothers, and myself--
Makes him to send; that thereby he may gather
The ground of your ill-will, and so remove it.