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Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull

Richard
Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull.
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead,
And I would have it suddenly performed.
What sayst thou now? Speak suddenly. Be brief.
Buckingham
Your Grace may do your pleasure.

I know a discontented gentleman
Whose humble means match not his haughty spirit.

Richard
Tut, tut, thou art all ice; thy kindness freezes.
Say, have I thy consent that they shall die?
Buckingham
Give me some little breath, some pause, dear lord,
Before I positively speak in this.
I will resolve you herein presently.
Buckingham exits.
Catesby, aside to the other Attendants
The King is angry. See, he gnaws his lip.
Richard, aside
I will converse with iron-witted fools
And unrespective boys. None are for me
That look into me with considerate eyes.
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.—
Boy!
Page, coming forward
My lord?
Richard
Know’st thou not any whom corrupting gold
Will tempt unto a close exploit of death?
Page
I know a discontented gentleman
Whose humble means match not his haughty spirit.
Gold were as good as twenty orators,
And will, no doubt, tempt him to anything.
Richard
What is his name?
Page
His name, my lord, is Tyrrel.
Richard
I partly know the man. Go, call him hither, boy.
Page exits.
Aside.  The deep-revolving witty Buckingham
No more shall be the neighbor to my counsels.
Hath he so long held out with me, untired,
And stops he now for breath? Well, be it so.

Source:
Act 4
Scene 2
Line 19

Source Type:

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