Anne monologue from Richard III

Anne’s monologue

No! why? When he that is my husband now

Came to me, as I follow'd Henry's corse,

When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his hands

Which issued from my other angel husband

5And that dead saint which then I weeping follow'd;

O, when, I say, I look'd on Richard's face,

This was my wish: 'Be thou,' quoth I, ' accursed,

For making me, so young, so old a widow!

And, when thou wed'st, let sorrow haunt thy bed;

10And be thy wife—if any be so mad—

As miserable by the life of thee

As thou hast made me by my dear lord's death!

Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again,

Even in so short a space, my woman's heart

15Grossly grew captive to his honey words

And proved the subject of my own soul's curse,

Which ever since hath kept my eyes from rest;

For never yet one hour in his bed

Have I enjoy'd the golden dew of sleep,

20But have been waked by his timorous dreams.

Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick;

And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.

Public domain text.