! in, tumpets: strike alatuin, n when hypocrisy is more serviceable than d kneels to implore his mother's blessing, cteristic word of contemptuous impiety to bless thee and put meekness in thy breast, edience, and true duty! en! and make me die a good old man! -end of a mother's blessing; er grace did leave it out." part before his future wife, the Lady Anne, reast to the sword's point with a malicious knows the measure of woman's frailty, and itual force of his audacity and dissimulation weak hand which tries to lift the sword. o back his suit, with nothing but "the plain bling looks," he wins his bride. The hidh a courtship, the mockery it implies of huagh to make a man "your only jigmaker," d's blood dancing along his veins. is plotting for the crown, Lord Hastings e an obstacle in the way. What is to be nam is dubious and tentative: lord, what shall we do, if we perceive stings will not yield to our complots?" tonation, quickly begun and quickly over, is discharged, "Chop off his head, man." › beginning, middle, or end to a deed so mmary. Presently Hastings making sun as though he were the representative of the a Richard is prepared, when the opportune ins -ived, to spring a mine under Hastings's feet. while a matter of equal importance concerns hi of Ely's strawberries. The flavour of Holborn s exquisite, and the fruit must be sent for. R sire to appear disengaged from sinister though portant to note than Richard's need of indulgi contempt of human life. The explosion takes [ ngs is seized; and the delicacies are reserve head of Richard's enemy is off. There is a wa diablerie in this incident: "Talk'st thou to me of ifs? Thou art a trait Off with his head! Now by Saint Paul I sv I will not dine until I see the same."* The fiery energy of Richard is at its simples with irony or dissimulation, in great days of m nent and of battle. Then the force within him self in a paroxysm which has all the intensity able spasmodic action, and which is yet organiz rolled by his intellect. Then he is engaged levotions, and numbers his Ave-Maries, not wit vith ringing strokes upon the helmets of his fo nspired with "the spleen of fiery dragons ;" hearts are great within his bosom." On the ev * This scene, including the incident of the dish of straw Sir T. More's history. See Courtenay's Commentaries rol. ii. pp. 84-87. † 3 Henry VI. ii. 1. idly enunciates. He is upon the wing of ght. Give me some ink and paper. easier than it was? - laid within my tent? liege, and all things are in readiness. Dod Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge; choose trusty sentinels. lord. ir with the lark to-morrow, gentle Norfolk. nt you, my lord. atesby! My lord? end out a pursuivant at arms ent; bid him bring his power wine. Give me a watch. [Exit Catesby. ey for the field to-morrow. m Ratcliff that Northumberland and Surg his last direction that his attendant dnight to help him to arm, King Richard y movements, as in the whole of Richard's mething else than self-seeking. It is true Edmund, like Iago, is solitary; he has no "I am myself alone;" and all that Richto his own supremacy. Nevertheless, the ic of Richard is not self-seeking or ambiessity of releasing and letting loose upon within him (mere force in which there is vife, Richard admires with an enthusiastic ad great father : "Methinks 't is prize enough to be his son. And the memory of his father supplies him v bride which, however, does not imply attachmen o any member of his house. "but I was born so high; Our aery buildeth in the cedar's top, History supplied Shakspere with the figure of He has been accused of darkening the colours, ating the deformity of the character of the histor Found in More and Holinshed. The fact is preci rary. The mythic Richard of the historians (an nave been some appalling fact to originate suc made somewhat less grim and bloody by the Essentially, however, Shakspere's Richard is o cal (something more dreadful than the criminal s not weak, because he is single-hearted in his vil. Richard does not serve two masters. ohn, a dastardly criminal; he is not like Mac and faithless because he has deserted loyalty He has a fierce joy, and he is an intense beli H * See the detailed study of this play by W. Oechelhäus Ver deutschen Shakespeare-Gesellschaft, vol. iii. pp. 37-39, Holinshed's treatment of the character of Richard is har vith itself. From the death of Edward IV. onwards t Holinshed resembles Shakspere's Richard, but possesse of humanity. ر tribute of admiration to the bolder maleres on the daring experiment of choosing ment, Shakspere declares emphatically, as istory declare, must in the end fail. The per's victims rise between the camps, and e Erinnyes, to Richmond inspirers of hope urage. At length Richard trembles on the Hon, trembles over the loveless gulf: espair; there is no creature loves me; die, no soul shall pity me." battle restores him to resolute thoughts: Lustle, caparison my horse," and he dies in n of action. Richmond conquers, and he ly as the champion and representative of of the world, which Richard had endeav :: whose captain I account myself, * * * * * Queen Margaret is painfully persistent upon ad tyrannizes, almost as much as the figure himself, over the imagination. "Although in of death, she returns to England to as. ne conflicts of the House of York. Shak. in her the ancient Nemesis; he gives her |