Bra. What one, my Lord?

Rich. Her Husband Knave, would'st thou betray me? Bra. I do beseech your Grace

To pardon me, and withall forbeare

Your Conferenee with the Noble Duke.

Cla. We know thy charge Brakenbury, and wil obey.
Rich. We are the Queenes abjects, and must obey.
Brother farewell, I will unto the King,
And whatsoe're you will imploy me in,
Were it to call King Edwards Widdow, Sister,
I will performe it to infranchise you.

Meane time, this deepe disgrace in Brotherhood,
Touches me deeper then you can imagine.

Cla. I know it pleaseth neither of us well.

Rich. Well, your imprisonment shall not be long, 120 I will deliver you, or else lye for you:

Meane time, have patience.

Cla. I must perforce: Farewell.

Exit Clar.

Rich Go treade the path that thou shalt ne're return:

Simple plaine Clarence, I do love thee so,

That I will shortly send thy Soule to Heaven,

If Heaven will take the present at our hands.

But who comes heere? the new delivered Hastings?

Enter Lord Hastings.

Hast. Good time of day unto my gracious Lord. 130 Rich. As much unto my good Lord Chamberlaine: Well are you welcome to this open Ayre, How hath your Lordship brook'd imprisonment?

Hast. With patience (Noble Lord) as prisoners must: But I shall live (my Lord) to give them thankes That were the cause of my imprisonment.

108. do: out-Qe. 108-10. 2 11. ending withal, duke-CAPELL. 110. Conference: misprint 1F. only. 132. this: the-1-2Q.

Rich. No doubt, no doubt, and so shall Clarence too, For they that were your Enemies, are his,

And have prevail'd as much on him, as you,

Hast. More pitty, that the Eagles should be mew'd, Whiles Kites and Buzards play at liberty.

Rich. What newes abroad?

Hast. No newes so bad abroad, as this at home: The King is sickly, weake, and melancholly,

And his Physitians feare him mightily.

141

Rich. Now by S. John, that Newes is bad indeed.

O he hath kept an evill Diet long,

And over-much consum'd his Royall Person: 'Tis very greevous to be thought upon. Where is he, in his bed?

Hast. He is.

Rich. Go you before, and I will follow you.

150

Exit Hastings.

He cannot live I hope, and must not dye,
Till George be pack'd with post-horse up to Heaven.
Ile in to urge his hatred more to Clarence,
With Lyes well steel'd with weighty Arguments,
And if I faile not in my deepe intent,

Clarence hath not another day to live:

Which done, God take King Edward to his mercy, 160
And leave the world for me to bussle in.

For then, Ile marry Warwickes yongest daughter.
What though I kill'd her Husband, and her Father,
The readiest way to make the Wench amends,
Is to become her Husband, and her Father:
The which will I, not all so much for love,
As for another secret close intent,

140. Eagles: eagle-Qo. 141. Whiles.. play: While
146. S. John, that: Saint Paul, this-QQ.
150. Where: What-1-6Q.

prey-Qo.

169

By marrying her, which I must reach unto.
But yet I run before my horse to Market:

Clarence still breathes, Edward still lives and raignes,

When they are gone, then must I count my gaines. Exit

Enter the Coarse of Henrie the sixt [Gentlemen] with Halberds to guard it, | Lady Anne being the Mourner.

1 funereally

Anne. Set downe, set downe your honourable load, If Honor may be shrowded in a Herse; Whil'st I a-while obsequiously1 lament Th'untimely fall of Vertuous Lancaster. Poore key-cold Figure of a holy King, Pale Ashes of the House of Lancaster; Thou bloodlesse Remnant of that Royall Blood, Be it lawful that I invocate thy Ghost,

To heare the Lamentations of

poore Anne,

IO

Wife to thy Edward, to thy slaughtred Sonne,
Stab'd by the selfesame hand that made these wounds.
Loe, in these windowes that let forth thy life,

I powre the helplesse Balme of my poore eyes.
O cursed be the hand that made these holes:
Cursed the Heart, that had the heart to do it:
Cnrsed the Blood, that let this blood from hence:
More direfull hap betide that hated Wretch
That makes us wretched by the death of thee,
Then I can wish to Wolves, to Spiders, Toades,

17. 0: out-Q0. these boles: these fatal holes-1-2Q.
19. Cnrsed: misprint IF.

22. to Wolves, to Spiders: to adders, spiders-QQ.

20

Or any creeping venom'd thing that lives.
If ever he hath Childe, Abortive be it,
Prodigeous, and untimely brought to light,
Whose ugly and unnaturall Aspect

May fright the hopefull Mother at the view,
And that be Heyre to his unhappinesse.
If ever he have Wife, let her be made
More miserable by the death of him,

Then I am made by my young Lord, and thee.

Come now towards Chertsey with your holy Lode, Taken from Paules, to be interred there.

And still as you are weary of this waight,

Rest you, whiles I lament King Henries Coarse.

Enter Richard Duke of Gloster.

30

Rich. Stay you that beare the Coarse, & set it down. An. What blacke Magitian conjures up this Fiend, To stop devoted charitable deeds?

Rich. Villaines set downe the Coarse, or by S. Paul, Ile make a Coarse of him that disobeyes.

4I

Gen. My Lord stand backe, and let the Coffin passe. Rich. Unmanner'd Dogge,

Stand'st thou when I commaund:

Advance thy Halbert higher then my brest,
Or by S. Paul Ile strike thee to my Foote,
And spurne upon thee Begger for thy boldnesse.

Anne. What do you tremble? are you all affraid?
Alas, I blame you not, for you are Mortall,
And Mortall eyes cannot endure the Divell.
Avant thou dreadfull minister of Hell;

30-1. More miserable.. Then poor-QQ.

43-4. I 1.-Q.

young: As miserable

As

50

34. this: the-Qo.

44. Stand'st: stand-1-6Q.

Thou had'st but power over his Mortall body,
His Soule thou canst not have: Therefore be gone.
Rich. Sweet Saint, for Charity, be not so curst.
An. Foule Divell,

For Gods sake hence, and trouble us not,

60

For thou hast made the happy earth thy Hell:
Fill'd it with cursing cries, and deepe exclaimes:
If thou delight to view thy heynous deeds,
Behold this patterne of thy Butcheries.
Oh Gentlemen, see, see dead Henries wounds,
Open their congeal'd mouthes, and bleed afresh.
Blush, blush, thou lumpe of fowle Deformitie:
For 'tis thy presence that exhales1 this blood
From cold and empty Veines where no blood dwels.
Thy Deeds inhumane and unnaturall,
1 draws forth
Provokes this Deluge most unnaturall.

O God! which this Blood mad'st, revenge his death:
O Earth! which this Blood drink'st, revenge his death.
Either Heav'n with Lightning strike the murth❜rer dead:
Or Earth gape open wide, and eate him quicke,
As thou dost swallow up this good Kings blood,
Which his Hell-govern'd arme hath butchered.

71

Rich. Lady, you know no Rules of Charity, Which renders good for bad, Blessings for Curses. An. Villaine, thou know'st nor law of God nor Man, No Beast so fierce, but knowes some touch of pitty. Rich. But I know none, and therefore am no Beast. An. O wonderfull, when divels tell the truth! Rich. More wonderfull, when Angels are so angry: Vouchsafe (divine perfection of a Woman) Of these supposed Crimes, to give me leave By circumstance, but to acquit my selfe. 55-6. I 1.-Q.

76. nor law: no law-Q0.

81

66. Deeds: deed-Q. 82. Crimes: evils-QQ.