In the same spirit of vulgar caricature
is the scene between Richard and Lady Anne (when his wife)
interpolated without any authority, merely to gratify this favourite
propensity to disgust and loathing. With the same perverse
consistency, Richard, after his last fatal struggle, is raised up by
some galvanic process, to utter the imprecation, without any motive
but pure malignity, which Shakespeare has so properly put into the
mouth of Northumberland on hearing of Percy's death. To make room
for these worse than needless additions, many of the most striking
passages in the real play have been omitted by the foppery and
ignorance of the prompt-book critics. We do not mean to insist
merely on passages which are fine as poetry and to the reader, such
as Clarence's dream, &c., but on those which are important to the
understanding of the character, and peculiarly adapted for stage-
effect. We will give the following as instances among several
others. The first is the scene where Richard enters abruptly to the
queen and her friends to defend himself:
Gloucester. They do me wrong, and I will not endure it.
Who are they that complain unto the king,
That I forsooth am stern, and love them not?
By holy Paul, they love his grace but lightly,
That fill his ears with such dissentious rumours:
Because I cannot flatter and look fair,
Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive, and cog,
Duck with French nods, and apish courtesy,
I must be held a rancorous enemy.
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