York. Well, my dread lord; so I must call you now. Prince. Ay, brother; to our grief, as it is yours: Too late11 he died, that might have kept that title, Which by his death hath lost much majesty.

11

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 is he more beholden to you, than I. Glo. He may command me, as my sovereign; But you have power in me, as in a kinsman. 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 12 Glo. What, would you have my weapon, little lord? York. I would, that I might thank you as you call me.

Glo. How?

York. Little.

11 Lately.

12

12 This taunting answer of the prince has been misinterpreted: he means to say, 'I hold it cheap, or care but little for it, even were it heavier than it is.' Thus in Love's Labour's Lost, Act v. Sc. 2:

You weigh me not,--O, that's you care not for me.'

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 13.

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 gracious 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. York. What, will you go unto the Tower, Prince. My lord protector needs will have it so. York. I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower. Glo. Why, sir, what should you fear?

my lord?

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.

[Exeunt Prince, YORK, HASTINGS, Cardinal, and Attendants.

Buck. Think you, my lord, this little prating York

13 York alludes to the protuberance on Gloster's back, which was commodious for carrying burdens. Thus in Ulpian Fulwell's Ars Adulandi, 1576: Thou hast an excellent back to carry my lord's ape.' The same thought occurs to Richard himself in King Henry VI. Part III. Act iii.:

To make an envious mountain on my back,
Where sits deformity to mock my body.'

Was not incensed 14 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 15;
He's all the mother's, from the top to toe.
Buck. Well, let them rest.—

Come hither, gentle Catesby; thou art 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 tell him all our reasons:
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,

Be thou so too; and so break off the talk,
And give us notice of his inclination :

14 i. e. incited, instigated. So in Much Ado about Nothing, Borachio says to Don Pedro, 'How Don John your brother incensed me to slander the lady Hero.' Stimulatrix, she that mooveth or incenseth.'-Hutton's Dict. 1583.

15 Capable is quick of apprehension, susceptible, intelligent. Thus in Troilus and Cressida :-'Let me carry another to his horse, for that's the more capable creature.'

For we to-morrow hold divided 16 councils,
Wherein thyself shalt highly be employ❜d.

Glo. Commend me to Lord William: tell him,
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, effect this business
soundly.

Cate. My good lords both, with all the heed I can.
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

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 all the moveables
Whereof the king my brother was possess'd.

Buck. I'll claim that promise at your grace's hand.
Glo. And look to have it yielded with all kindness.
Come, let us sup betimes; that afterwards
We may digest our complots in some form.

[Exeunt.

16 But the protectoure and the duke after they had sent to the lord cardinal, the Lord Stanley, and the Lord Hastings, then lord chamberlaine, with many other noblemen, to commune and devise about the coronation in one place, as fast were they in another place, contriving the contrarie to make the protectoure king.' The Lord Stanley, that was after earle of Darby, wisely mistrusted it, and said unto the Lord Hastings that he much mislyked these two several councels.-Holinshed, from Sir T. More.

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 lordship. Hast. And then,

Mess. And then he sends you word, he dreamt To-night 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 plea

sure,

If presently, you will take horse with him,

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:

1 Every material circumstance in this scene is from Holinshed, except that it is a knight with whom Hastings converses instead of Buckingham.

2 This term, rased or rashed, is always given to describe the violence inflicted by a boar. Thus in King Lear, 4to. ed.:'In his anointed flesh rash boarish fangs.' And in Warner's Albion's England, vII. c. 36:

-ha, cur avaunt, the bore so rase thy hide.' By the boar, throughout this scene, is meant Gloster, in allus to his crest.