heraldryofyorkmi01custuoft

240 THE HERALDRY OF YORK MINSTER.
Buckingham again professes to remonstrate with him, and says
:
"Then, good my Lord, take to your royal self
This preferred benefit of dignity ;
If not to bless us and the land withal,
Yet to draw forth your noble ancestry
From the corruption of abusing time,
Unto a lineal true-derived course."
Even this seems not to convince him. Richard replies
:
" Alas, why would you heap those cares on me ?
I am unfit for state and majesty.
I do beseech you, take it not amiss :
I cannot, nor I will not yield to you."
Upon this, Buckingham pretends to go
threatening to
off in a
"plant some other on your throne
To the disgrace and downfall of your House."
huff with the citizens,
But Catesby now seems to intercede :
' '
Call them again, sweet prince, accept their suit ;
If you deny them, all the land will rue it."
Then Richard affects to yield :
" Will you
enforce me to a world of cares ?
Well, call them again, I am not made of stone,
But penetrable to your kind entreaties,
Albeit against my conscience and my soul."
to
Buckingham returns, proclaims him King, and Richard retires saying
the Bishops:
" Come, let us to our holy work again."
However, a quarrel quickly springs up between this worthy couple.
Shakespeare represents Richard instigating Buckingham to murder young
Edward, and Buckingham declining to proceed any further until he receive
" The gift for which your honour and your faith is
pawned,
The Earldom of Hereford, and the moveables
Which you have promised
I shall possess."*
Richard banters him, and puts him off by saying :
"I am not in the giving vein to-day."
This seems to open Buckingham's eyes
to the man he has to deal
with, and his own position
"And is it thus? Repays he my deep service
With such contempt Made ? I him King
O let me think on Hastings and be gone
:
To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on."
for this ?
* Act IV. Sc. 2.