His gracious pleasure any way therein :
But you, my noble lord, may name the time:
And in the duke's behalf I'll give my voice,
Which, I prefume, he'll take in gentle part.
Enter Gloffer.
Ely. In happy time, here comes the duke himself.
Gio. My noble lords and coufins, all good mor-
1 have been long a fleeper; but I trust,
My abfence doth neglect no great defign,
Which by my prefence might have been concluded.
Buck. Had you not come upon your cue, my
lord,
William lord Haftings had pronounc'd your part,—
I mean, your voice,-for crowning of the king.
Glo. Than my lord Haftings, 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 faw good strawberries in your garden there;
I do befeech you, fend for fome of them.
Ely. Marry, and will, my lord, with all my heart.
[Exit Fly.
Ch. Coufin of Buckingham, a word with you.
Cate by hath founded Haftings in our bufinefs;
And finds the tefty gentleman fo hot,
That he will lofe his head, ere give confent,
His matter's child, as worshipfully he terms it,
Shall lofe the royalty of England's throne.
Buck. Withdraw yourself awhile, I'll go with you.
[Exeunt Glofter and Buckingham.
Stand. We have not yet fet down this day of
triumph.
To-morrow, in my judgement, is too fudden;
For 1 myfelf am not fo well provided,
As elfe I would be, were the day prolong'd.
Re-enter Bifhop of Ely.
Ely. Where is my lord protector? I have fent
[morning;
Haft. His grace looks chearfully and fmooth this!
There's fome conceit or other likes him well,
When he doth bid good morrow with fuch fpirit.
I think there's ne'er a man in Chriftendom,
Can lefier hide his love, or hate, than he;
For by his face ftraight fhall you know his heart.
Stanl. What of his heart perceive you in his face,
By any likelihood 2 he fhew'd to-day ?
Haft. Marry, that with no man here he is offended;
For, were he, he had fhewn it in his looks.
Re-enter Gloffer and Buckingham
Glo. I pray you all, tell me what they deserve,
That do confpire my death with devilish plots
Of damned witchcraft; and that have prevailed
Upon my body with their hellish charms?
Haft. The tender love I bear your grace, my lord,
Makes me moft forward in this noble prefence
To doom the offenders: Whofoe'er they be,
I fay, my lord, they have deferved death.
Glo. Then be your eyes the witnefs of their evil,
Look how I am bewitch'd; behold, mine arm
Is, like a blafted fapling, wither'd up:
And this is Edward's wife, that monftrous witch,
Conforted with that harlot, ftrumpet Shore,
That by their witchcraft thus have mark'd me.
Hajt. If they have done this deed, my noble
lord,-
[pet,
Glo. If thou protector of this damned ftrum-
Talk'ft thou to me of ifs ?-Thou art a traitor :—
Off with his head;-now, by Saint Paul I fwear,
I will not dine until I fee the fame.
Lovel, and Catesby, look, that it be done; -
The reft, that love me, rife, and follow me.
[Exit Council, with Richard and Bucking bam. Haft. Woc, woe, for England! not a whit for
For I, too fond, might have prevented this:
Stanley did dream, the boar did rafe his helm ;
But I difd.in'd it, and did fcorn to fly. [ble,
Three times to-day my foot-cloth horfe 3 did ftume
And ftarted, when he look'd upon the Tower,
As loth to bear me to the flaughter-house.
O, now I need the priest that ipake to me :
I now repent I told the pursuivant,
As too triumphing, how mine enemies
To-day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd,
And I myself fecure in grace and favour.
O, Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curfe
Is lighted on poor Haftings' wretched head.
Catf. Dispatch, my lord, the duke would be
Make a fhort fhrift; he longs to fee your head.
Haft. O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!
Who builds his hope in air of your fan looks,
Lives like a drunken failor on a mast;
Ready, with every nod, to tumble down
Into the fatal bowels of the deep.
Liv. Come, come, difpatch; 'tis bootlefs to ex-
claim.
[gland!
Haft. Oh, bloody Richard!-
prophefy the fearful'it time to thee,
That ever wretched age hath look'd upon.-
Come, lead me to the block, bear him my head;
They fmile at me, who fhortly shall be dead.
Enter Glofter, and Buckingham, in rufty armour, marvellous ill-favour'd.
Glo. Come, coufin, canft thou quake, and change
thy colour?
Murder thy breath in middle of a word,-
And then again begin, and stop again,
As if thou wert diftraught, and mad with terror?
Buck. Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian;
Speak, and look back, and pry on every fide,
Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
Intending deep fufpicion: ghaftly looks
1 This expreffion is borrowed from the theatre. The cue, queue, or tail of a speech, confifts of the laft words, which are the token for an entrance or anfwer. To come on the cue, therefore, is to Come at the proper time. i. e. appearance. 3 The housings of a horfe, and fometimes a horfe hipfelf, were anciently denominated a foot-cloth.
Are at my fervice, like enforced smiles;
And both are ready in their offices,
At any time, to grace my stratagems.
But what, is Catefby gone?
Glo. He is; and, fee, he brings the mayor along.
Enter the Lord Mayor, and Catesby.
Buck. Let me alone to entertain him.-Lord
mayor !
Glo. Look to the draw-bridge there.
Buck. Hark! a drum.
Glo. Catesby, o'erlook the walls. [you,
Buck. Lord mayor, the reafon we have fent for
Gl. Look back, defend thee, here are enemies.
Buck. God and our innocency defend and guard
Enter Lovel, and Ratcliff, with Haftings' head. Glo. Be patient, they are friends; Ratcliff, and
Lov. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor, The dangerous and unfuspected Haftings.
Gla. So dear 1 lov'd the man, that I muft weep. I took him for the plainest harmless creature, That breath'd upon the earth a christian; Made him my book, wherein my foul recorded The hiftory of all her fecret thoughts:
So fmooth he daub'd his vice with thew of virtue,
That, his apparent open guilt omitted,—
I mean, his converfation with Shore's wife,→
He liv'd from all attainder of fufpect.
Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'ft fhelter'd
That ever liv'd.-Look you, my lord mayor,
Would you imagine, or almost believe,
(Were't not, that by great prefervation
We live to tell it you) the fubtle traitor
This day had plotted, in the council-house,
To murder me, and my good lord of Glofter?
Mayor. What! had he fo?
Glo. What! think you we are Turks, or infidels?
Or that we would, against the form of law,
Proceed thus rafhly in the villain's death;
But that the extreme peril of the cafe,
The peace of England, and our perfons' fafety,
Enforc'd us to this execution?
[death;
Mayor. Now, fair befal you! he deferv'd his
And your good graces both have well proceeded,
To warn falfe traitors from the like attempts.
I never look'd for better at his hands,
After he once fell in with miftrefs Shore.
But I'll acquaint our duteous citizens
With all your juft proceedings in this cafe. [here,
Gh. And to that end we with'd your lordship
To avoid the cenfures of the carping world.
Buck. But fince you came too late of our intent,
Yet witness what you hear we did intend:
And fo, my good lord mayor, we bid farewel.
[Exit Mayor.
Glo. Go, after, after, coufin Buckingham. The mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all poft : There, at your meetest vantage of the time, Infer the baftardy of Edward's children: Tell them, how Edward put to death a citizen, Only for faying—he would make his fon Heir to the crown; meaning, indeed, his houfe, Which, by the fign thereof, was termed fo. Moreover, urge his hateful luxury And beftial appetite in change of luft; [wives, Which stretch'd unto their fervants, daughters, Even where his ranging eye, or favage heart, Without controul, lifted to make his prey. Nay, for a need, thus far come near my perfon: Tell them, when that my mother went with child Of that infatiate Edward, noble York, My princely father, then had wars in France; And, by juít computation of the time, Found that the iffue was not his begot; Which well appeared in his lineaments, Being nothing like the noble duke my father. Yet touch this fparingly, as 'twere far off; Becaufe, my lord, you know, my mother lives. Buck. Doubt not, my lord; I'll play the orator, As if the golden fee, for which I plead, Were for myself: and fo, my lord, adieu.
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. Igo; and towards three or four o'clock, Look for the news that the Guildhall affords.
[Exit Buckingham. Glo. Go, Lovel, with all speed to doctor Shaw, Go thou to friar Penker ;--bid them both Meet me, within this hour, at Baynard's castle. [Exeunt Love! and Catfly. Now will I in, to take fome privy order To draw the brats of Clarence out of fight; And to give notice, that no manner of perfon
Buck. Yet had we not determin'd he fhould die, Have, any time, recourfe unto the princes. [Ext. ) Until your lordship came to fee his end;
Which now the loving hafte of thefe our friends,
Somewhat against our meaning, hath prevented:
Becaufe, my lord, we would have had you heard
The traitor fpeak, and timorously confefs
The manner and the purpose of his treafons;
That you might well have fignify'd the fame
Unto the citizens, who, haply, may
Mifconftrue us in him, and wail his death.
Mayor. But, my good lord, your grace's word
fhall ferve,
As well as I had feen, and heard him speak:
And do not doubt, right noble princes both,
Scriv. Here is the indictment of the good jord
Haftings;
Which in a fet hand fairly is engrofs'd,
That it may be to-day read o'er in Paul's.
And mark how well the fequel hangs together: ̧
Eleven hours I have spent to write it over,
For yefternight by Catesby was it fent me ;
The precedent was full as long a doing :
And yet within these five hours Haftings liv'd,
* This perfon was one Walker, a fubftantial citizen and grocer at the Crown in Cheapfide.
Untainted, unexamin'd, free, at liberty.
And stand between two churchmen, good my lord;
Here's a good world the while!-Who is fo grofs, For on that ground I'll make a holy descant:
That cannot fee this palpable device?
Yet who fo bold, but fays--he fees it not?
Bad is the world; and all will come to nought,
When fuch bad dealing muft be feen in thought.
Enter Glofter, and Buckingham, at several doors.
Buck. Go, go, up to the leads; the lord mayor
knocks.
| Exit Glegier.
Enter the Lord Mayor, and Citizen.
Glo. How now, how now? what fay the citi-Welcome, my lord: 1 dance attendance here;
I think, the duke will not be fpoke withal.—
Enter Catfy.
Buck. Now by the holy mother of our Lord, The citizens are mum, fay not a word. [dren Glo. Touch'd you the baftardy of Edward's chilBuck. I did; with his contract with lady Lucy, And his contract by deputy in France : The infatiate greediness of his defires, And his enforcement of the city wives; His tyranny for trifles; his own baftardy,-As being got your father then in France, And his refemblance being not like the duke. Withal, I did infer your lineaments,— Being the right idea of your father, Both in your form and noblencís of mind: Laid open all your victories in Scotland, Your difcipline in war, wifdom in peace, Your bounty, virtue, fair humility; Indeed, left nothing, fitting for your purpose, Untouch'd, or flightly handled, in difcourfe. And, when my oratory grew toward end, I bade them, that did love their country's good, Cry God fave Richard, England's royal king!" Glo. And did they fo? [word: Buck. No, to God help me, they fpake not a But, like dumb ftatues, or unbreathing ftones, Star'd on each other, and look'd deadly pale. Which when I faw, I reprehended them;
And alk'd the mayor, what meant this wilful filence:
His answer was,-the people were not us'd
To be fpoke to, but by the recorder.
Then he was urg'd to tell my tale again;—
Thus faith the duke, thus bath the duke inferv'd;
But nothing poke in warrant from himtelf.
When he had done, fome followers of mine own,
At lower end o' the hall, hurl'd up their caps,
And fome ten voices cry'd, God fave king Richard!
And thus I took the vantage of those few,
Thanks, gentle citizens, and friends, quoth I;
This general applaufe, and chearful shout,
Argues your wifdom, and your love to Richard:
And even here brake off, and came away.
Glo. What tonguclefs blocks were they; would
they not speak?
Will not the mayor then, and his brethren, come:
Buck. The mayor is here at hand; intend 2 fome
Be not you spoke with, but by mighty fuit: And look you get a prayer-book in your hand,
Now, Catefby? what fays your lord to my request? Catef. He doth entreat your grace, my noble
To vifit him to-morrow, or next day :
He is within, with two right reverend fathers,
Divinely bent to meditation;
And in no worldly fuit would he be mov'd,
To draw him from his holy exercife.
Buck. Return, good Catefby, to the gracious Tell him, myself, the mayor and aldermen, In deep defigns, in matter of great moment, No lefs importing than our general good, Are come to have fome conference with his grace. Catef. I'll fignify fo much unto him straight.
[Exit. Buck. Ah, ha, my lord, this prince is not an Edward!
He is not lolling on a lewd day-bed,
But on his knees at meditation;
Not dallying with a brace of courtezans,
But meditating with two deep divine, ;
Not fleeping, to engrofs 3 his idle body,
But praying, to enrich his watchful foul:
Happy were England, would this virtuous prince
Take on himself the fovereignty thereof:
But, fure, I fear, we fhall ne'er win him to it.
Mayor. Marry, God defend his grace fhould fay
us nay!
Buck. I fear, he will: here Catefby comes again
Re-enter Catelby.
Catefby, what fays your lord?
Catej. He wonders to what end you have afSuch troops of citizens to come to him, His grace not being warn'd thereof before : He fears, my lord, you mean no good to him.
Buck. Sorry I am, my noble coufin should
Sufpect me, that I mean no good to him :
By heaven, we come to him in perfect love;
And to once more return and tell his grace.
[Exit Cat fes.
When holy and devout religious men
Are at their beads, 'tis hard to draw them thence;
So fweet is zealous contemplation.
Enter Glifier abou, letw en two Bijkops. Catefey
1 i. e. feen in filence, without notice or detection. pamper.
Back. Two props of virtue for a christian prince, And that my path were even to the crown,
To itay him from the fall of vanity:
And, fee, a book of prayer in his hand;
True ornaments to know a holy man.-
Famous Plantagenet, moft gracious prince,
Lend favourable ear to our requests;
And pardon us the interruption
Of thy devotion, and right-christian zeal.
Glo. My lord, there needs no fuch apology;
I rather do beseech you pardon me,
Who, earneft in the fervice of my God,
Deferr'd the vifitation of my friends.
But, leaving this, what is your grace's pleasure?
Buck. Even that, I hope, which pleafeth God
above,
And all good men of this ungovern'd ifle.
Glo. I do fufpect, I have done fome offence,
That feems difgracious in the city's eye;
And that you come to reprehend my ignorance.
Buck. You have, my lord; would it might
pleafe your grace,
On our entreaties, to amend your fault!
Glo. Elfe wherefore breathe I in a chriftian land?
As the ripe revenue and due of birth;
Yet fo much is my poverty of fpirit,
So mighty, and fo many, my defects,
That I would rather hide me from my greatnefs,
Being a bark to brook no mighty fea,-
Than in my greatness covet to he hid,
And in the vapour of my glory fmother'd.
But God be thank'd, there is no need of me;
(And much I need to help you, if need were)
The royal tree hath left us royal fruit,
Which, mellow'd by the stealing hours of time,
Will well become the feat of majesty,
And make, no doubt, us happy by his reign.
On him I lay what you would lay on me,
The right and fortune of his happy stars,--
Which God defend that I fhould wring from him!
Buck. My lord, this argues confcience in your
grace;
But the refpects thereof are nice and trivial,
All circumstances well confidered.
You fay, that Edward is your brother's fon;
So fay we too, but not by Edward's wife :
Buck. Know, then, it is your fault, that you re-For firft was he contract to lady Lucy,
[fign Your mother lives a witness to his vow;
And afterwards by fubititute betroth'd
To Bona, fifter to the king of France.
Thefe both put by, a poor petitioner,
A care-craz'd mother to a many fons,
A beauty-waning and diftreffed widow,
Even in the afternoon of her beft days,
Made prize and purchase of his wanton eye,
Seduc'd the pitch and height of all his thoughts
To bafe declenfion and loath'd bigamy:
By her, in his unlawful bed, he got
The fupreme feat, the throne majestical,
The scepter'd office of your ancestors,
Your ftate of fortune, and your due of birth,
The lincal glory of your royal house,
To the corruption of a blemish'a itock :
Whilft, in the mildness of your fleepy thoughts,
(Which here we waken to our country's good)
The noble ifle doth want her proper limbs ;
Her face defac'd with fears of infamy,
Her royal ftock graft with ignoble plants,
And almost thouider'd in the fwallowing gulph
Of dark forgetfuinets and deep oblivion.
Which to recure 2, we heartily folicit
Your gracious felf to take on you the charge
And kingly government of this your land
Not as protector, fteward, fubftitute,
Or lowly factor for another's gain;
But as fucceffively, from blood to blood,
Your right of birth, your empery, your own.
For this, conforted with the citizens,
Your very worthipful and loving friends,
And by their vellement inftigation,
In this juft fuit come I to move your grace.
Glo. I cannot tell, if to depart in filence,
Or bitterly to speak in your reproof,
Beft fitteth my degree, or your condition:
For, not to answer, you might haply think,
Tongue-ty'd ambition, not replying, yielded
To bear the golden yoke of fovereignty,
Which fondly you would here impofe on me;
If to reprove you for this fuit of yours,
So feafon'd with your faithful love to me,
Then, on the other fide, I check'd my friends,
Therefore, to peak, and to avoid the firft;
And then, in fpeaking, not to incur the lait,-
Definitively thus I answer you
Your love deferves my thanks; but my defert
Unmeritable, fhuns your high requeit.
First, if all obitacles were cut away,
i. c. immerfed up to the fhoulders.
Catef. O, make them joyful, grant their lawful
Glo. Alas, why would you heap thefe cares on me?
I am unfit for itate and majefty
I do befeech you, take it not amifs;
I cannot, nor I will not, yield to you.
Buck. If you refufe it, as in love and zeal,
Loth to depofe the child, your brother's fon;
As well we know your tendernets of heart,
And gentle, kind, effeminate remorie 3,
Which we have noted in you to your kindred,
And equally, indeed, to all elfates, ------
Yet know, whe'r you accept our fuit or no,
Your brother's fon shall never reign our king;'
But we will plant fome other in the throne,
To the difgrace and downful of your houte.
And, in this refolution, here we leave you ;Come, citizens, we will entreat no more. [Exeunt. Catef. Call them again, fweet prince, accept their fuit;
If you deny them, all the land will rue it.
Glo. Will you enforce me to a world of cares?
Well, call them again; I am not made of ftone,
[Exit Gateby.
But penetrable to your kind entreaties,
Albeit against my confcience and my foul.-
Re-enter Buckingham, and the rest.
Coufin of Buckingham,-and fage, grave men,-
Since you will buckle fortune on my back,
To bear her burden, whe'r I will or no,
I must have patience to endure the load:
But if black fcandal, or foul-fac'd reproach,
Attend the fequel of your impofition,
Your meer enforcement fhall acquittance me
From all the impure blots and stains thereof;
For God doth know, and you may partly fee,
How far I am from the defire of this.
Mayor. God bless your grace! we see it, and
will fay it.
Glo. In faying fo, you shall but fay the truth. Buck. Then I falute you with this royal title,Long live king Richard, England's worthy king! All. Amen.
Back.To-morrow may it please you to be crown'd? Glo. Even when you please, for you will have it fo. Buck. To-morrow then we will attend your grace; And fo, moft joyfully, we take our leave.
Glo. [To the Clergymen.] Come, let us to our holy work again :
Farewel, good coufin ;-farewel, gentle friends. [Excurt.
SCENE I. Before the Tower.
Enter the Queen, Dutchess of York, and Marquis of Dorfet, at one door; Anne Dutchess of Glofter, Leading Lady Margaret Plantagenet, Clarence's young daughter, at the other.
WHO meets us here?-my niece
Plantagenet, -Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Glofter? Now, for my life, fhe's wand'ring to the Tower, On pure heart's love, to greet the tender prince. Daughter, well met.
Anne. God give your graces both A happy and a joyful time of day !
Queen. As much to you, good fifter! Whither
I am bound by oath, and therefore pardon me.
[Exit Brakenbury.
Enter Stanley.
Stan. Let me but meet you, ladies, one hour hence,
And I'll falute your grace of York as mother,
And reverend looker-on, of two fair queens.—
|Come, madam, you must straight to Westminster,
[To the Dutchefs of Glofter.
There to be crowned Richard's royal queen.
Queen. Ah, cut my lace afunder!
That my pent heart may have some scope to beat,
Or elfe I fwoon with this dead-killing news.
Anne. Defpightful tidings! O unpleafing news!
Dar. Be of good chear :-Mother, how.fares your
grace?
Queen. O Dorfet, speak not to me, get thee gone, inne. No further than the Tower; and, as I guess, Death and destruction dog thee at the heels;
Upon the like devotion as yourselves,
To gratulate the gentle princes there.
Thy mother's name is ominous to children:
[ther: If thou wilt out-strip death, go cross the feas,
Queen. Kind fifter, thanks; we'll enter all toge-And live with Richmond, from the reach of hell.
And, in good time, here the lieutenant comes.-
Mafter lieutenant, pray you, by your leave,
How doth the prince, and my young fon of York?
Brak. Right well, dear madam: By your patience,
I may not fuffer you to vifit them;
Go, hie thee, hie thee from this flaughter-house,
Left thou encrease the number of the dead;
And make me die the thrail of Margaret's curfe,-
Nor mother, wife, nor England's counted queen.
Stanl. Full of wife care is this your counfel,
Take all the fwift advantage of the hours:
You fhall have letters from me to my fon
[titleIn your behalf, to meet you on the way :
Be not ta'en tardy by unwife delay.
The king hath strictly charg'd the contrary.
Queen. The king! who's that?
Brak. I mean, the lord protector.
Queen. The lord protect him from that kingly
Hath he fet bounds between their love and me?
I am their mother, Who fhall bar me from them?
Dutch. I am their father's mother, I will fee them.
Anne. Their aunt am I in law, in love their mo-
Then bring me to their fights; I'll bear thy blame, And take thy office from thee, on my peril.
Brak. No, madam, no, I may not leave it fo;
Dutch. O ill-difperfing wind of mifery !→→
O my accurfed womb, the bed of death ;
A cockatrice haft thou hatch'd to the world,
Whofe unavoided eye is murderous!
Stanl. Come, madam, come; Iin all hafte was fent.
Annt. And I with all unwillingnéfs will go.→
O, would to God, that the inclufive verge
Of golden metal, that must round my brow,
|