[DORS. Comfort, dear mother ; God is much displeas'd,

That you take with unthankfulness his doing:
In common worldly things, 'tis call'd ungrateful,
With dull unwillingness to repay a debt,
Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent;
Much more, to be thus opposite with heaven,
For it requires the royal debt it lent you.

RIV. Madam, bethink you, like a careful mother, Of the young prince your son: send straight for him, Let him be crown'd; in him your comfort lives. Drown desperate sorrow in dead Edward's grave, And plant your joys in living Edward's throne.] Enter GLOUCESTER, BUCKINGHAM,

HASTINGS, RATCLIFF, and others.

STANLEY,

GLO. Sister, have comfort: all of us have cause
To wail the dimming of our shining star;
But none can cure their harms by wailing them.-
Madam, my mother, I do cry you mercy,

I did not see your grace:-humbly on my knee
I crave your b'essing.

DUCH. God bless thee, and put meekness in thy breast,

Love, charity, obedience, and true duty!

GLO. Amen; [Aside.] and make me die a good old

man!

That is the butt-end of a mother's blessing.
I marvel why her grace did leave it out.

BUCK. You cloudy princes and heart-sorrowing peers,

That bear this mutual heavy load of moan,
Now cheer each other in each other's love :
Though we have spent our harvest of this king,
We are to reap the harvest of his son.
The broken rancour of your high swoln hearts,
But lately splinted, knit, and join'd together,
Must gently be preserv'd, cherish'd, and kept :
Me seemeth good, that, with some little train,
Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be fetch'd
Hither to London, to be crown'd our king.

[RIV. Why with some little train, my lord of Buckingham?

BUCK. Marry, my lord, less, by a multitude, The new-heal'd wound of malice should break out, Which would be so much the more dangerous, By how much the estate is green, and yet ungovern'd: Where every horse bears his commanding rein, And may direct his course as please himself, As well the fear of harm, as harm apparent, In my opinion, ought to be prevented.

GLO. I hope the king made peace with all of
And the compact is firm, and true, in me.

RIV. And so in me, and so, I think, in all:
Yet, since it is but green, it should be put
To no apparent likelihood of breach,
Which, haply, by much company might be urg'd:
Therefore I say with noble Buckingham,
That it is meet so few should fetch the prince.
HAST. And so say I.]

GLO. Then be it so; and go we to determine
Who they shall be that straight shall post to Ludlow.
Madam, and you my mother, will you go
To give your censures in this weighty business?
BOTH. With all our hearts.

[Exeunt all except BUCKINGHAM and
GLOUCESTER.

BUCK. My lord, whoever journeys to the prince,
For God's sake, let not us two be behind:
For, by the way, I'll sort occasion,

As index to the story we late talk'd of,

To part the queen's proud kindred from the prince.
GLO. My other self, my counsel's consistory,

My oracle, my prophet !—My dear cousin,

I, as a child, will go by thy direction.

Toward Ludlow then, for we 'll not stay behind.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-The same. A Street. Enter two Citizens, meeting.

[better:

I CIT. Neighbour, well met: whither away so fast? 2 CIT. I promise you, I scarcely know myself. I CIT. Hear you the news abroad? 2 CIT. Ay, that the king is dead. I CIT. Bad news, by 'r lady; seldom comes the I fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world. Enter another Citizen.

3 CIT. Good morrow, neighbours. Doth this news hold of good king Edward's death? I CIT. Ay, sir, it is too true; God help the while! 3 CIT. Then, masters, look to see a troublous world. I CIT. No, no; by God's good grace his son shall reign.

3 CIT. Woe to that land that 's govern'd by a child! 2 CIT. In him there is a hope of government, Which, in his nonage, council under him, And, in his full and ripen'd years, himself, No doubt, shall then, and till then, govern well. I CIT. So stood the state, when Henry the sixth Was crown'd in Paris but at nine months old.

3 CIT. Stood the state so? no, no, good friends, God wot;

For then this land was famously enrich'd
With pohtic grave counsel; then the king
Had virtuous uncles to protect his grace.

I CIT. Why, so hath this, both by his father and mother.

3 CIT. Better it were they all came by his father; Or by his father there were none at all: For emulation, now who shall be nearest, Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not. O, full of danger is the duke of Gloster; And the queen's sons and brothers haught and proud: And were they to be rul'd, and not to rule, This sickly land might solace as before.

I CIT. Come, come, we fear the worst; all will be well.

3 CIT. When clouds appear, wise men put on their cloaks;

When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand;
When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?
Untimely storms make men expect a dearth:
All may be well; but, if God sort it so,
'Tis more than we deserve, or I expect.

2 CIT. Truly, the souls of men are full of dread:
You cannot reason almost with a man
That looks not heavily, and full of fear.

3 CIT. Before the times of change, still is it so:
By a divine instinct men's minds mistrust
Ensuing danger; as, by proof, we see
The waters swell before a boist'rous storm.
But leave it all to God. Whither away?

2 CIT. Marry, we were sent for to the justices.
3 CIT. And so was I; I'll bear you company.

[Exeunt.

ARCH. Last night, I heard, they lay at Northampton,

At Stony-Stratford will they be to-night:
To-morrow, or next day, they will be here.

DUCH. I long with all my heart to see the prince;
I hope he is much grown since last I saw him.
Q ELIZ. But I hear, no; they say, my son or York
Hath almost overta'en him in his growth.
YORK. Ay, mother, but I would not have it so.
DUCH. Why, my young cousin, it is good to grow.
YORK. Grandam, one night as we did sit at supper,
My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow
More than my brother: Ay, quoth my uncle Gloster,

Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow apace:
And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast,
Because sweet flowers are slow, and weeds make haste.
DUCH. Good faith, good faith, the saying did not
hold

In him that did object the same to thee:
He was the wretched'st thing when he was young
That, if this were a rule, he should be gracious.
So long a growing and so leisurely,

ARCH. And so, no doubt, he is, my gracious

madam.

DUCH. I hope, he is; but yet let mothers doubt. YORK. Now, by my troth, if I had been remember'd,

I could have given my uncle's grace a flout, That should have nearer touch'd his growth than he did mine.

DUCH. How, my pretty York? I pr'ythee let me hear it.

YORK. Marry, they say my uncle grew so fast That he could gnaw a crust at two hours old; 'Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth. Grandam, this would have been a biting jest. DUCH. I pr'ythee, pretty York, who told thee this? YORK. Grandam, his nurse.

DUCH. His nurse! why she was dead ere thou wast born.

YORK. If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me. Q. ELIZ. A parlous boy:-go to, you are too shrewd.

ARCH. Good madam, be not angry with the child. Q. ELIZ. Pitchers have ears.

ARCH. Here comes your son, lord marquis Dorset.
Enter DORSET.

What news, lord marquis?
DORS. Such news, my lord, as grieves me to unfold.
Q. ELIZ. How fares the prince?
DORS.

Well, madam, and in health.
DUCH. What is the news then?
DORS. Lord Rivers, and lord Grey, are sent to
Pomfret,

With them sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners.
DUCH. Who hath committed them?
DORS.

Gloster and Buckingham.

ARCH.

The mighty dukes,

For what offence?

DORS. The sum of all I can, I have disclos'd: Why or for what, these nobles were committed,

Is all unknown to me, my gracious lord.

Q. ELIZ. Ay me, I see the downfall of our house!
The tiger now hath seiz'd the gentle hind;
Insulting tyranny begins to jet

Upon the innocent and awless throne:-
Welcome destruction, blood, and massacre !

I

see, as in a map, the end of all.

DUCH. Accursed and unquiet wrangling days, How many of you have mine eyes beheld! My husband lost his life to get the crown; And often up and down my sons were toss'd, For me to joy, and weep, their gain and loss: And being seated, and domestic broils Make war upon themselves; brother to brother, Clean over-blown, themselves, the conquerors, Blood to blood, self against self:-0, preposterous And frantic outrage, end thy damned spleen; Or let me die, to look on death no more! Q. ELIZ. Come, come, my boy, we will to sanctuary.

Madam, farewell. DUCH.

Stay, I will go with you.
Q. ELIZ. You have no cause.
ARCH.

My gracious lady, go,
[To the QUEEN.

And thither bear your treasure and your goods.
For my part, I'll resign unto your grace
The seal I keep; and so betide to me,
As well I tender you and all of yours!
Come, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary.

[Exeuni.

Trumpets sound. Enter the PRINCE of WALES,
GLOUCESTER, BUCKINGHAM, CARDINAL BOUR-
CHIER, and others.
BUCK. Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your
chamber.

GLO. Welcome, dear cousin, my thought's sovereign: The weary way hath made you melancholy.

АСТ III.

SCENE I.-London. A Street. PRINCE. No, uncle; but our crosses on the way Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy: I want more uncles here to welcome me. GLO. Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of your

years

Hath not yet div'd into the world's deceit; Nor more can you distinguish of a man,

Than of his outward show; which, God he knows,
Seldom or never jumpeth with the heart.
Those uncles which you want were dangerous;
Your grace attended to their sugar'd words,
But look'd not on the poison of their hearts:
God keep you from them, and from such false
friends!

were none.

PRINCE. God keep me from false friends! but they [you. GLO. My lord, the mayor of London comes to greet Enter the Lord Mayor, and his Train.

MAY. God bless your grace with health and happy days!

PRINCE. I thank you, good my lord ;-and thank you all.

I thought my mother, and my brother York,
Would long ere this have met us on the way :-
Fie, what a slug is Hastings, that he comes not
To tell us whether they will come or no !

BUCK. And, in good time, here comes the sweating

lord.

Enter HASTINGS.

PRINCE. Welcome, my lord: what, will our mother come?

HAST. On what occasion, God he knows, not I, The queen your mother, and your brother York, Have taken sanctuary: the tender prince Would fain have come with me to meet your grace, But by his mother was perforce withheld.

BUCK. Fie, what an indirect and peevish course Is this of hers !--Lord cardinal, will your grace Persuade the queen to send the duke of York Unto his princely brother presently?

If she deny,-lord Hastings, go with him,

And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce.

CAR. My lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory

Can from his mother win the duke of York,

Anon expect him here: but if she be obdurate

To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid

We should infringe the holy privilege

Of blessed sanctuary! not for all this land

Would I be guilty of so deep a sin.

BUCK. You are too senseless-obstinate, my lord,

Too ceremonious, and traditional,

Weigh it but with the grossness of this age:
You break not sanctuary in seizing him;

The benefit thereof is always granted

To those whose dealings have deserv'd the place, And those who have the wit to claim the place: This prince hath neither claim'd it, nor deserv'd it; And therefore, in mine opinion, cannot have it: Then, taking him from thence that is not there, You break no privilege nor charter there.

Oft have I heard of sanctuary-men;

But sanctuary-children, ne'er till now.

CAR. My lord, you shall o'errule my mind for

once.

Come on, lord Hastings, will you go with me?

HAST. I go, my lord.

PRINCE. Good lords, make all the speedy haste you

may.

[Exeunt CARDINAL and HASTINGS.

Say, uncle Gloster, if our brother come,

Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?

GLO. Where it seems best unto your royal self.

If I may counsel you, some day or two,

Your highness shall repose you at the Tower:

Then where you please, and shall be thought most fit

For your best health and recreation.

PRINCE. I do not like the Tower, of any place:Did Julius Cæsar build that place, my lord?

GLO. He did, my gracious lord, begin that place;

Which since succeeding ages have re-edified.

PRINCE. Is it upon record, or else reported

Successively from age to age, he built it?

BUCK. Upon record, my gracious lord.

PRINCE. But say, my lord, it were not register'd; Methinks the truth should live from age to age,

As 'twere retail'd to all posterity,

Even to the general all-ending day.

GLO. [Aside.] So wise, so young, they say, do ne'er live long.

PRINCE. What say you, uncle?

GLO. I say, without charácters, fame lives long.Thus, like the formal Vice, Iniquity,

I moralize two meanings in one word.

[Aside.

PRINCE. That Julius Caesar was a famous man;
With what his valour did enrich his wit,
His wit set down to make his valour live :
Death makes no conquest of this conqueror;
For now he lives in fame, though not in life.-
I'll tell you what, my cousin Buckingham-
BUCK. What, my gracious lord?
PRINCE. An if I live until I be a man,
I'll win our ancient right in France again,
Or die a soldier, as I liv'd a king.

GLO. [Aside.] Short summers lightly have a forward spring.

[York.

Enter YORK, HASTINGS, and the CARDINAL. PRINCE. Richard of York! how fares our loving brother? [now. YORK. Well, my dread lord; so must I call you PRINCE. Ay, brother, to our grief, as it is yours: Too late he died, that might have kept that title, Which by his death hath lost much majesty.

GLO. How fares our cousin, noble lord of York? YORK. I thank you, gentle uncle. O, my lord, You said that idle weeds are fast in growth: The prince my brother hath outgrown me far. GLO. He hath, my lord. YORK. And therefore is he idle? GLO. O, my fair cousin, I must not say so. YORK. Then he is more beholden to you than I?

YORK. Little.

PRINCE. My lord of York will still be cross in talk ;

Uncle, your grace knows how to bear with him.
YORK. You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me:-
Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me ;
Because that I am little, like an ape,

He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders.
BUCK. With what a sharp provided wit he reasons!
To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,
He prettily and aptly taunts himself:
So cunning and so young is wonderful.

GLO. My lord, will 't please you pass along?
Myself, and my good cousin Buckingham,
Will to your mother, to entreat of her,
To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you,

GLO. He may command me as my sovereign; But you have power in me as in a kínsman.

YORK. I pray you, uncle, give me this dagger. GLO. My dagger, little cousin? with all my heart. PRINCE. A beggar, brother?

YORK. Of my kind uncle, that I know will give ; And being but a toy, which is no grief to give. GLO. A greater gift than that I'll give my cousin. YORK. A greater gift! O, that 's the sword to it? GLO. Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough. YORK. O then, I see, you'll part but with light gifts; In weightier things you 'll say a beggar nay. GLO. It is too weighty for your grace to wear. YORK. I weigh it lightly, were it heavier. GLO. What, would you have my weapon, little lord?

YORK. I would, that I might thank you as you call

me.

GLO. How?

YORK. What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord?

PRINCE. My lord protector needs will have it so. YORK. I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower. GLO. Why, what should you fear? YORK. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghost; My grandam told me he was murder'd there. PRINCE. I fear no uncles dead. GLO. Nor none that live, I hope. PRINCE. An if they live, I hope I need not fear. But come, my lord, and with a heavy heart, Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.

[Sennet. Exeunt PRINCE, YORK, HASTINGS, CARDINAL, and Attendants. BUCK. Think you, my lord, this little prating York

Was not incensed by his subtle mother,
To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?
GLO. No doubt, no doubt: O, 'tis a parlous boy:

Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable;
He's all the mother's, from the top to toe.

BUCK. Well, let them rest.-Come hither, Catesby,
Thou 'rt sworn as deeply to effect what we intend,
As closely to conceal what we impart :

Thou know'st our reasons urg'd upon the way ;-
What think'st thou? is it not an easy matter
To make William lord Hastings of our mind,
For the instalment of this noble duke
In the seat royal of this famous isle?

CATE. He for his father's sake so loves the prince,
That he will not be won to aught against him.
BUCK. What think'st thou then of Stanley? will

not he?

CATE. He will do all in all as Hastings doth.
BUCK. Well then, no more but this: go, gentle
Catesby,

And, as it were far off, sound thou lord Hastings,
How he doth stand affected to our purpose;
[And summon him to-morrow to the Tower,
To sit about the coronation.]

If thou dost find him tractable to us,

Encourage him, and show him all our reasons:

If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,

Be thou so too, and so break off your talk,

And give us notice of his inclination :

For we to-morrow hold divided councils,

Wherein thyself shalt highly be employ'd.

PURS. God hold it to your honour's good content! HAST. Gramercy, fellow: there, drink that for me. [Throwing him his purse. [Exit.

PURS. I thank your honour.
Enter a Priest.

PR. Well met, my lord; I am glad to see your honour.

HAST. I thank thee, good sir John, with all my heart. I am beholden to you for your last exercise; Come the next sabbath, and I will content you. Enter BUCKINGHAM.

BUCK. How now, lord chamberlain, what, talking with a priest?

Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest;

the crown?

CATE. Ay, my good lord.

shoulders,

Ere I will see the crown so foul misplac'd.

But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?

CATE. Ay, on my life; and hopes to find you forward

Upon his party, for the gain thereof:

And thereupon he sends you this good news,-
That this same very day your enemies,
The kindred of the queen, must die at Pomfret.
HAST. Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,

GLO. Commend me to lord William; tell him, Because they have been still my enemies:

Catesby,

His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries
To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret-castle;
And bid my friend, for joy of this good news,
Give mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.
BUCK. Good Catesby, go, cffect this business
soundly.

CATE. My good lords both, with all the heed I may. GLO. Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?

CATE. You shall, my lord.

GLO. At Crosby-place, there shall you find us both. [Exit CATESBY. BUCK. Now, my lord, what shall we do, if we perceive

William lord Hastings will not yield to our complots? GLO. Chop off his head, man;-somewhat we will do:

And, look, when I am king, claim thou of me
The earldom of Hereford, and the moveables
Whereof the king my brother stood possess'd.

BUCK. I'll claim that promise at your grace's hand.
GLO. And look to have it yielded with all willing-

ness.

Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards
We may digest our complots in some form. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Before Lord Hastings' House. Enter a Messenger.

MESS. What ho! My lord !—

[Knocking.

HAST. [Within.] Who knocks at the door?
MESS. A messenger from the lord Stanley.
HAST. [Within ] What is 't o'clock ?
MESS. Upon the stroke of four.

Enter HASTINGS.

HAST. Cannot thy master sleep these tedious nights?

MESS. So it should seem by that I have to say. First, he commends him to your noble self.

HAST. And then?

HAST. Ere a fortnight make me older, I'll send some packing that yet think not on 't. CATE. 'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord, When men are unprepar'd, and look not for it. HAST. O monstrous, monstrous! and so falls it out With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey and so 'twill do With some men else, that think themselves as safe As thou and I, who, as thou know'st, are dear To princely Richard and to Buckingham. CATE. The princes both make high account of

You may jest on, but by the holy rood,
I do not like these several councils, I.
HAST. My lord, I hold my life as dear as you do
And never, in my life I do protest,

Was it more precious to me than 'tis now:
Think you, but that I know our state secure,
I would be so triumphant as I am?

STAN. The lords at Pomfret, when they rode from
London,

Were jocund, and suppos'd their states were sure,
And they, indeed, had no cause to mistrust;
But yet, you see, how soon the day o'ercast;
This sudden stab of rancour I misdoubt;
Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward!

MESS. Then certifies your lordship, that this night But come, my lord, shall we to the Tower?
He dreamt the boar had rased off his helm :
Besides, he says, there are two councils held;
And that may be determin'd at the one,
Which may make you and him to rue at the other.
Therefore he sends to know your lordship's pleasure,-
If you will presently take horse with him,

HAST. I go; but stay, hear you not the news?
This day those men you talk of are beheaded.
STAN. They, for their truth, might better wear their
heads,

And with all speed post with him toward the north,
To shun the danger that his soul divines.

HAST. Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord;
Bid him not fear the separated councils :
His honour and myself are at the one;
And at the other is my good friend Catesby;
Where nothing can proceed, that toucheth us,
Whereof I shall not have intelligence.

Tell him his fears are shallow, wanting instance:
And for his dreams, I wonder he 's so fond
To trust the mockery of unquiet slumbers:
To fly the boar, before the boar pursues,
Were to incense the boar to follow us,

Than some that have accus'd them wear their hats.——— But come, my lord, let 's away.

Enter a Pursuivant. HAST. Go you before, I'll follow presently. [Exeunt STANLEY and CATESBY. Well met! how goes the world with thee? PURS. The better that your lordship please to ask. HAST. I tell thee, man, 'tis better with me now, Than when I met thee last where now we meet : Then was I going prisoner to the Tower, By the suggestion of the queen's allies; But now, I tell thee, (keep it to thyself,) This day those enemies are put to death, And I in better state than ere I was.

BUCK. I do, but long, my lord, I shall not stay:

I shall return before your lordship thence.

HAST. Nay, like enough, for I stay dinner there. BUCK. [Aside.] And supper too, although thou know'st it not. Come, shall we go along? [HAST.

I'll wait upon your lordship.]
[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-Pomfret. Before the Castle. Enter RATCLIFF, with a guard, conducting Rivers, GREY, and VAUGHAN to execution. RAT. Come, bring forth the prisoners. To-day shalt thou behold a subject die, RIV. Sir Richard Ratcliff, let me tell thee this,

For truth, for duty, and for loyalty.

GREY. God keep the prince from all the pack of you!

A knot you are of damned blood-suckers.
RIV. O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prison,
Fatal and ominous to noble peers!
Within the guilty closure of thy walls,
Richard the second here was hack'd to death:
We give thee up our guiltless blood to drink.
And, for more slander to thy dismal seat,
GREY. Now Margaret's curse is fallen upon our
heads,

[When she exclaim'd on Hastings, you, and I,]
For standing by when Richard stabb'd her son.

RIV. Then curs'd she Richard, then curs'd she

SCENE IV.-London.
BUCKINGHAM, STANLEY, HASTINGS, the BISHOP of
ELY, CATESBY, LOVEL, and others, sitting at a
table: Officers of the council attending.
HAST. My lords, at once, the cause why we are met
Is, to determine of the coronation:

In God's name, say, when is this royal day?
BUCK. Are all things fitting for that royal time?
STAN. They are; and wants but nomination.
ELY. To-morrow then I guess a happy time.
BUCK. Who knows the lord protector's mind herein?
Who is most inward with the noble duke?

ELY. Your grace, we think, should soonest know his mind.

BUCK. Who? I, my lord? we know each other's faces;

But for our hearts, he knows no more of mine, Than I of yours; nor I no more of his, than you of mine:

Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love.

HAST. I thank his grace, I know he loves me well; But, for his purpose in the coronation,

I have not sounded him, nor he delivered.
His gracious pleasure any way therein :
But you, my noble lords, may name the time,
And in the duke's behalf I'll give my voice,
Which, I presume, he 'll take in gentle part.

Enter GLOUcester.

GLO. My noble lords and cousins all, good

morrow:

I have been long a sleeper; but, I trust,
My absence doth neglect no great design
Which by my presence might have been concluded.
BUCK. Had you not come upon your cue, my
lord,

William lord Hastings had pronounc'd your part,—
I mean your voice,-for crowning of the king.

GLO. Than my lord Hastings no man might be
bolder;

His lordship knows me well, and loves me well.—
My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn,
I saw good strawberries in your garden there;
I do beseech you send for some of them.

ELY. Marry and will, my lord, with all my heart. [Exit ELY. GLO. Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you. [Takes him aside. Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business, And finds the testy gentleman so hot, That he will lose his head ere give consent, His master's son, as worshipfully he terms it, Shall lose the royalty of England's throne. BUCK. Withdraw yourself awhile, I'll go with you. [Exeunt GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM. STAN. We have not yet set down this day of triumph.

To-morrow, in my judgment, is too sudden;
For I myself am not so well provided,
As else I would be, were the day prolong'd.

Re-enter BISHOP of ELY.

ELY. Where is my lord protector?

I have sent for these strawberries.

HAST. His grace looks cheerfully and smooth this
morning;

There's some conceit or other likes him well,
When he doth bid good morrow with such spirit.
I think there's ne'er a man in Christendom,
That can less hide his love or hate than he ;
For by his face straight shall you know his heart.
STAN. What of his heart perceive you in his
face,

By any likelihood he show'd to-day?

HAST. Marry, that with no man here he is offended;

For, if he were, he would have shown it in his looks.

STAN. Ay, pray God he be not, I say.

Re-enter GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM.
GLO. I pray you all, tell me what they deserve,
That do conspire my death with devilish plots
Of damned witchcraft; and that have prevail'd
Upon my body with their hellish charms?

HAST. The tender love I bear your grace,
lord,

Makes me most forward in this noble presence
To doom the offenders: whosoe'er they be,
I say, my lord, they have deserved death.

Is lighted on poor Hastings' wretched head. CATE. Dispatch, my lord; the duke would be at dinner :

Make a short shrift, he longs to see your head.

HAST. O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of God !
Who builds his hope in air of your fair looks,
Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast,
Ready with every nod to tumble down
Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

[Lov. Come, come, dispatch; 'tis bootless
exclaim.

HAST. O, bloody Richard!-miserable England! I prophesy the fearfull'st time to thee, That ever wretched age hath look'd upon.-] Come, lead me to the block; bear him my head: They smile at me who shortly shall be dead.

to

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.-The same. The Tower Walls. Enter GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM, in rusty armour, marvellous ill-favoured.

Unto the citizens, who haply may
Misconstrue us in him, and wail his death.
MAY. But, my good lord, your grace's word shall

serve,

As well as I had seen, and heard him speak :
And do not doubt, right noble princes both,
But I'll acquaint our duteous citizens
With all your just proceedings in this case.

GLO. And to that end we wish'd your lordship here,

To avoid the censures of the carping world.
BUCK. But since you come too late of our intent,
Yet witness what you hear we did intend:
And so, my good lord mayor, we bid farewell.
[Exit Lord Mayor.

GLO. Go after, after, cousin Buckingham.
The mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post :--
There, at your meet'st advantage of the time,
Infer the bastardy of Edward's children:
Tell them, how Edward put to death a citizen,
Only for saying he would make his son

Heir to the crown; meaning, indeed, his house,
Which, by the sign thereof, was termed so.
Moreover, urge his hateful luxury,

And bestial appetite in change of lust;

Even where his lustful eye, or savage heart,
Without control, listed to make a prey.

Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person :-
Tell them, when that my mother went with child

Of that unsatiate Edward, noble York

My princely father then had wars in France;
And, by true computation of the time,
Found that the issue was not his begot ;
Which well appeared in his lineaments,
Being nothing like the noble duke my father :
But touch this sparingly, as 'twere far off;
Because you know, my lord, my mother lives.
BUCK. Fear not, my lord, I'll play the orator
As if the golden fee for which I plead,

GLO. Then be your eyes the witness of this ill, See how I am bewitch'd; behold mine arm Is, like a blasted sapling, wither'd up: This is that Edward's wife, that monstrous witch, Consorted with that harlot, strumpet Shore, That by their witchcraft thus have marked me. HAST. If they have done this deed, my noble lord,

GLO. If! thou proctector of this damned strumpet, Talk'st thou to me of ifs!-Thou art a traitor !— Off with his head !-now, by Saint Paul I swear, I will not dine until I see the same!Some see it done ;-

The rest, that love me, rise and follow me. [Exeunt all, except HASTINGS, CATESBY, and LOVEL.

HAST. Woe, woe, for England! not a whit for

me;

For I, too fond, might have prevented this.
Stanley did dream the boar did rase his helm;
But I disdain'd it and did scorn to fly.

Three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did stumble,
And started when he look'd upon the Tower,

As loth to bear me to the slaughter-house.
O, now I need the priest that spake to me:

I now repent I told the pursuivant,
As 'twere triumphing at mine enemies,
How they at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd,
And I myself secure in grace and favour.

So smooth he daub'd his vice with show of virtue.
That, his apparent open guilt omitted,-

I mean his conversation with Shore's wife,-
He liv'd from all attainder of suspect.
BUCK. Well, well, he was the covert'st shelter'd

traitor

That ever liv'd.—

Would you imagine, or almost believe,
Wer 't not, that by great preservation
We live to tell it, that the subtle traitor
This day had plotted, in the council-house,
To murder me and my good lord of Gloster?
MAY. Had he done so?

GLO. What! think ye we are Turks, or infidels?
Or that we should, against the form of law,
Proceed thus rashly in the villain's death,
But that the extreme peril of the case,
The peace of England and our persons' safety,
Enforc'd us to this execution?

MAY. Now, fair befall you! he deserv'd his

death;

And you, my good lords, both, have well proceeded,
To warn false traitors from the like attempts.
I never look'd for better at his hands,
After he once fell in with mistress Shore.

GLO. Yet had not we determin'd he should die,
Until your lordship came to see his end;
Which now the loving haste of these our friends,
Somewhat against our meaning, hath prevented:
Because, my lord, we would have had you heard
The traitor speak, and timorously confess
The manner and the purpose of his treasons;
That you might well have signified the same

GLO. If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard's castle,

Where you shall find me well accompanied,
With reverend fathers and well-learned bishops.

BUCK. I go; and, towards three or four o'clock, Look for the news that the Guildhall affords. [Exit. [GLO. Go, Lovel, with all speed to doctor Shaw,Go thou [To CATESBY.] to friar Penker ;-bid them

both