Happy birthday to
the_alchemist
Sep. 16th, 2005 12:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Scene.—A wood near Bosworth. Midnight.
Enter KING RICHARD.
RICHARD. And is the mighty Richard come to this?
Hounded by sneaping phantoms from his tent,
Adrift upon the ocean of the night,
The well-arm’d vessel that did bear me hither
Now whelmed and sundered by the envious waves.
Aye, I have slain, and smiled whiles I did slay,
And done all else that I did undertake
To gain the crown, to reach my heart’s desire.
What nobler motive could one strive withal?
Enter unseen a FIGURE.
RICHARD. And now I have it, now I have the crown,
That grips upon my head like demon’s jaws,
Or off, or on, I feel it always there,
Its marks upon my brow incarnadine,
As it would gnaw away the encircling bone
And feast upon my brain-- I’faith, go to!
I am no mewling babe to be thus feared
Of fancies conjured from mine own soul’s pit.
I am the king, by right and might conjoined,
And on the morrow shall I be confirmed
By shouts victorious—“Long life to the King!”
“King Richard, live for ever!”
FIGURE. Wouldst thou so?
RICHARD. Who’s there? Advance and show yourself.
FIGURE. A friend perchance, if thou wilt take me thus.
If not—
RICHARD. Art thou on Richmond’s side or mine?
FIGURE. I am on no man’s side in this affray.
RICHARD. Why comest thou here then?
FIGURE. Why, to speak with thee,
The great King Richard, lord of England’s realm.
RICHARD. Aye, so I am.
FIGURE. But wouldst thou so remain?
RICHARD. That shalt thou see tomorrow, if thou wilt.
FIGURE. If thou dost fight tomorrow, thou shalt die.
RICHARD. Why, sir, thy news is stale and out of date.
I had it even now from certain ghosts
Whose company I warrant thou shalt join
Unless thou change the tenor of thy speech.
FIGURE. Forgive me, mighty king, I meant no ill,
For I would save thee from that selfsame fate,
And crown thee everlasting, England’s king.
RICHARD. What sayest thou? Everlasting?
FIGURE. Even so.
From age to age shall Richard’s might endure,
Undying--
RICHARD. All men die.
FIGURE. But thou shalt not.
I offer thee an end to mortal fears,
To fear of pestilence, of war, of death,
I offer thee eternal youth and strength
And power beyond thy tame imaginings.
All this is in my gift.
RICHARD. And is it so?
Is Satan come at last to treat with me?
By God, I am so deeply sunk in sin
The very devil bespeaks me as a friend.
FIGURE. I am not Satan.
RICHARD. No, my friend, thou’rt mad,
And fool am I that did not see it sooner.
The FIGURE steps forward and stretches out an arm. RICHARD is forced to his knees.
FIGURE. I am no madman, but thine only hope.
God and his angels fight on Richmond’s side,
And all is lost unless thou turn to me.
RICHARD. What must I do?
FIGURE. First shall I drink thy blood
And then thou shalt drink mine. Thus shalt thou die
To be reborn again to life eternal.
RICHARD. I know thy name.
FIGURE. A name to fright the rabble.
RICHARD. I heard a tale of an ambassador.
Nine years ago, he said, a mighty lord
Was slain upon the battlefield. His head
Was taken by the Turks upon a pole
To stand before Constantinople’s gates.
FIGURE. My head adorns my shoulders, as you see.
One poll is like another on the field.
RICHARD. How comest thou hither?
FIGURE. My kind travel fast.
So wilt thou take my gift?
RICHARD. Eternal life?
And if I do, what price must Richard pay?
FIGURE. To never more see sunlight, or thou diest.
RICHARD. Renounce the sun, and live for endless nights?
I do confess thine offer likes me well.
But hold. What of the morrow, and the fray?
FIGURE. Thou canst not lead thine army in the day.
RICHARD. Nor shall I lead mine army in the night.
FIGURE. Hast thou no generals? Leave the fight to them.
It shall be of no consequence to thee.
RICHARD. To leave my host to fight and die for me
Whiles I lie skulking in a filthy grave?
No, not as long as Richard holds the crown.
I’ll fight upon the morrow, and betimes
I’ll come to you again.
FIGURE. Thou shalt not find me.
This offer stands tonight, tonight alone.
RICHARD. And wouldst thou have me play the coward’s role
And send men to a death I dare not face?
By heaven, I have done grievous deeds enough
But this is basest cowardice.
FIGURE. Then shalt thou die.
RICHARD. Thou sayest it as thought to say it twice
Or thrice or four times or until next week
Could add a particle of truth to it
No, by Saint Anthony, I shall not yield!
I am resolved to fight, and if to die,
To do so in defence of England’s crown,
And if to live, one lifetime is enough.
FIGURE. So be it. (Exit)
RICHARD. Methinks I scent the coming dawn.
The sky is paling, and a gentle breeze
Plays ‘mid the branches. Soon it will be time.
I must go arm. The time for sleep is past.
Now hangs the fate of England by a thread,
And I shall meet it living, not undead.
Exit.
Enter KING RICHARD.
RICHARD. And is the mighty Richard come to this?
Hounded by sneaping phantoms from his tent,
Adrift upon the ocean of the night,
The well-arm’d vessel that did bear me hither
Now whelmed and sundered by the envious waves.
Aye, I have slain, and smiled whiles I did slay,
And done all else that I did undertake
To gain the crown, to reach my heart’s desire.
What nobler motive could one strive withal?
Enter unseen a FIGURE.
RICHARD. And now I have it, now I have the crown,
That grips upon my head like demon’s jaws,
Or off, or on, I feel it always there,
Its marks upon my brow incarnadine,
As it would gnaw away the encircling bone
And feast upon my brain-- I’faith, go to!
I am no mewling babe to be thus feared
Of fancies conjured from mine own soul’s pit.
I am the king, by right and might conjoined,
And on the morrow shall I be confirmed
By shouts victorious—“Long life to the King!”
“King Richard, live for ever!”
FIGURE. Wouldst thou so?
RICHARD. Who’s there? Advance and show yourself.
FIGURE. A friend perchance, if thou wilt take me thus.
If not—
RICHARD. Art thou on Richmond’s side or mine?
FIGURE. I am on no man’s side in this affray.
RICHARD. Why comest thou here then?
FIGURE. Why, to speak with thee,
The great King Richard, lord of England’s realm.
RICHARD. Aye, so I am.
FIGURE. But wouldst thou so remain?
RICHARD. That shalt thou see tomorrow, if thou wilt.
FIGURE. If thou dost fight tomorrow, thou shalt die.
RICHARD. Why, sir, thy news is stale and out of date.
I had it even now from certain ghosts
Whose company I warrant thou shalt join
Unless thou change the tenor of thy speech.
FIGURE. Forgive me, mighty king, I meant no ill,
For I would save thee from that selfsame fate,
And crown thee everlasting, England’s king.
RICHARD. What sayest thou? Everlasting?
FIGURE. Even so.
From age to age shall Richard’s might endure,
Undying--
RICHARD. All men die.
FIGURE. But thou shalt not.
I offer thee an end to mortal fears,
To fear of pestilence, of war, of death,
I offer thee eternal youth and strength
And power beyond thy tame imaginings.
All this is in my gift.
RICHARD. And is it so?
Is Satan come at last to treat with me?
By God, I am so deeply sunk in sin
The very devil bespeaks me as a friend.
FIGURE. I am not Satan.
RICHARD. No, my friend, thou’rt mad,
And fool am I that did not see it sooner.
The FIGURE steps forward and stretches out an arm. RICHARD is forced to his knees.
FIGURE. I am no madman, but thine only hope.
God and his angels fight on Richmond’s side,
And all is lost unless thou turn to me.
RICHARD. What must I do?
FIGURE. First shall I drink thy blood
And then thou shalt drink mine. Thus shalt thou die
To be reborn again to life eternal.
RICHARD. I know thy name.
FIGURE. A name to fright the rabble.
RICHARD. I heard a tale of an ambassador.
Nine years ago, he said, a mighty lord
Was slain upon the battlefield. His head
Was taken by the Turks upon a pole
To stand before Constantinople’s gates.
FIGURE. My head adorns my shoulders, as you see.
One poll is like another on the field.
RICHARD. How comest thou hither?
FIGURE. My kind travel fast.
So wilt thou take my gift?
RICHARD. Eternal life?
And if I do, what price must Richard pay?
FIGURE. To never more see sunlight, or thou diest.
RICHARD. Renounce the sun, and live for endless nights?
I do confess thine offer likes me well.
But hold. What of the morrow, and the fray?
FIGURE. Thou canst not lead thine army in the day.
RICHARD. Nor shall I lead mine army in the night.
FIGURE. Hast thou no generals? Leave the fight to them.
It shall be of no consequence to thee.
RICHARD. To leave my host to fight and die for me
Whiles I lie skulking in a filthy grave?
No, not as long as Richard holds the crown.
I’ll fight upon the morrow, and betimes
I’ll come to you again.
FIGURE. Thou shalt not find me.
This offer stands tonight, tonight alone.
RICHARD. And wouldst thou have me play the coward’s role
And send men to a death I dare not face?
By heaven, I have done grievous deeds enough
But this is basest cowardice.
FIGURE. Then shalt thou die.
RICHARD. Thou sayest it as thought to say it twice
Or thrice or four times or until next week
Could add a particle of truth to it
No, by Saint Anthony, I shall not yield!
I am resolved to fight, and if to die,
To do so in defence of England’s crown,
And if to live, one lifetime is enough.
FIGURE. So be it. (Exit)
RICHARD. Methinks I scent the coming dawn.
The sky is paling, and a gentle breeze
Plays ‘mid the branches. Soon it will be time.
I must go arm. The time for sleep is past.
Now hangs the fate of England by a thread,
And I shall meet it living, not undead.
Exit.