announces to her that
her brother had been arrested on the road, by
the Duke of Glo'ster._

ELIZ. O my poor child, thou sleepest now in peace!
Wilt thou sleep thus another year? shall I
Hang o'er thee with a mother's look of love,
Thus bend beside thy bed, thus part the hair
Upon thy forehead, and thus kiss thy cheek?
Richard, awake! the tiger is abroad.
We must to sanctuary instantly.

_Richard awaking._

RICH. Oh! I have had the sweetest dreams, dear mother!
Methought my brother Edward and myself
And--

ELIZ. Come, these are no times to talk of dreams;
We must to sanctuary, my poor boy;
We'll talk of dreams hereafter. Kneel with me.

_Takes him from his couch, and kisses him._

RICH. Mother, why do you weep and tremble so?

ELIZ. I have a pain at heart! Come, stir thee, boy!
Lift up thy innocent hands to Heaven; here kneel
And pray with me before this crucifix.

_Her daughters enter, and they all kneel together_.

SCENE II.

_The Sanctuary at Westminster_.

RICH. O my dear mother! why do we sit here,
Amid these dusky walls and arches dim,
When it is summer in the fields without,
And sunshine? Say, is not my brother king,
Why will he not come here to play with me;
Shall I not see my brother?

ELIZ. My own child,
Oh! let me hide these tears upon thy head!
Thy brother, shalt thou see him? Yes, I hope.
Come, I will tell a tale:--There was a boy
Who had a cruel uncle--

RICH. I have heard
My uncle Glo'ster was a cruel man;
But he was always kind to me, and said
That I should be a king, if Edward died;
I'd rather be a bird to fly away,
Or sing--

ELIZ. The serpent's eye of fire,
With slow and deadly glare, poor bird, I fear,
Is fixed on thee and Edward--God avert it!

RICH. And therefore must not I go out to play?

ELIZ. Go, play among the tombs--I will go too;
Go, play with skulls and bones; or see the train
Of sceptred kings come slowly through the gloom,
And widowed queens move in the shroud of death
Along the glimmering aisles and hollow vaults.
Would I were with them--I shall be so soon!

RICH. Mother, methought I saw him yesterday--

ELIZ. Saw whom?

RICH. My father; and he seemed to look--
I cannot say how sadly. Could it be
His spirit? He was armed, but very p