To bar my master's heirs in true descent,
God knows, I will not do it, to the death.
Cate. God keep your lordship in that gracious
mind!

Hast. But I shall laugh at this a twelve-month hence,

That they, who brought me in my master's hate,
I live to look upon their tragedy.

Well, Catesby, 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

Come on, come on, where is your boar-spear, man? Fear you the boar, and go so unprovided?

Stan. My lord, good morrow; and good morrow,
Catesby

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 yours;
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,

re jocund, and suppos'd their states were sure, id they, indeed, had no cause to mistrust;

t yet, you see, how soon the day o'er-cast. Tuis sudden stab of rancour I misdoubt; Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward! What, shall we toward the Tower? the day is spent. Hast. Come, come, have with you.

what, my lord?

Wot you

To-day, the lords you talk of are beheaded. Stan. They, for their truth, might better wear their heads,

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

Enter a Pursuivant.

st. Go on before, I'll talk with this good fellow. [Exeunt STAN. and CATESBY. How now, sirrah? 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 thou met'st me 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.

Purs. God hold it, to your honour's good content!

Hast. Gramercy, fellow: There, drink that for [Throwing him his purse. Purs. I thank your honour. [Exit Pursuivant.

me.

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 in your debt for your last exercise ;
Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you.
Enter BUCKINGHAM.

Buck. What, talking with a priest, lord chamberlain?

Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest; Your honour hath no shriving work in hand.

Hast. 'Good faith, and when I met this holy man, The men you talk of came into my mind. What, go you toward the Tower?

Buck. I do, my lord; but long I cannot stay

SCENE III.- Pomfret. Before the Castle. Enter RATCLIFF, with a guard, conducting RIVERS, GREY, and VAUGHAN, to execution.

Rat. Come, bring forth the prisoners. Riv. Sir Richard Ratcliff, let me tell thee this, To-day, shalt thou behold a subject die, 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.

Vaugh. You live, that shall cry woe for this

When she exclaim'd on Hastings, you, and I,
For standing by when Richard stabb'd her son.
Riv. Then curs'd she Hastings, then curs'd she
Buckingham,
Then curs'd she Richard: - O, remember, God,
To hear her prayers for them, as now for us!
And for my sister, and her princely sons,
Be satisfied, dear God, with our true bloods,
Which, as thou know'st, unjustly must be spilt!
Rat. Make haste, the hour of death is expiate.
Riv. Come, Grey, come, Vaughan, let us
here embrace :

Is

- to determine of the coronation : In God's name, speak, when is the royal day? Buck. Are all things ready for that royal time? Stan. They are; and wants but nomination. Ely. To-morrow then I judge a happy day. Buck. Who knows the lord protector's mind herein?

Who is most inward with the noble duke?

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

For, were he, he had shown it in his looks.

He knows no more of mine, than I of yours;
Nor I, of his, my lord, than you of mine:
Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love.

Hast. I thank his grace, I know he loves me weil:

But, for his purpose in the coronation,

I have not sounded him, nor he deliver'd
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 presume, he'll take in gentle part.
Enter GLOSTER.

Ely. In happy time, here comes the duke himself.
Glo. My noble lords and cousins, all, good

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 child, as worshipfully he terms it,
Shall lose the royalty of England's throne.
Buck. Withdraw yourself awhile, I'll go with you.
[Exeunt GLOSTER 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;

Hast. The tender love I bear your grace, my 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.

Glo. Then be your eyes the witness of their evil, Look how I am bewitch'd; behold mine arm Is, like a blasted sapling, wither'd up: And this is 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 protector 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. Lovel, and Catesby, look, that it be done; The rest, that love me, rise, and follow me.

[Exeunt Council, with GLOSTER ona BUCKINGHAM.

Hast. Woe, woe, for England! not a whit for me;
For I, too fond, might have prevented this:
Stan.ey 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 startled, when he look'd upon the Tower,
As loath to bear me to the slaughter-house.
O, now I want the priest that spake 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 secure in grace and favour.
O, Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curse
Is lighted on poor Hastings' wretched head.
Cate. Despatch, my lord, the duke would be
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, despatch; 'tis bootless to
exclaim.
- miserable England.

Hast. O, bloody Richard!

I prophesy the fearful'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.

[Exeunt.

By

Murder thy breath in middle of a word,

As if thou wert distraught, aud mad with terror?

us!

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. — Look you, my lord mayor,
Would you imagine, or almost believe,

(Were't not, that by great preservation
We live to tell it you,) the subtle traitor

This day had plotted, in the council-house,
To murder me, and my good lord of Gloster?
May. What! had he so?

Glo. What! think you we are Turks, or infidels?
Or that we would, 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 befal you! he deserv'd his death;
And your good graces 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.

Buck. Yet had we not 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
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,

ACT III

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 came 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.
There, at your meetest vantage of the time,
The mayor towards Guild-hall hies him in all post:-
Infer the bastardy of Edward's children :
Tell them, how Edward put to death a citizen,
Only for saying he would make his son
Which, by the sign thereof, was termed so.
Heir to the crown; meaning, indeed, his house,
Moreover, urge his hateful luxury,
Which stretch'd unto their servants, daughters, wives,
And bestial appetite in change of lust;
Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person: -
Even where his raging eye, or savage heart,
Without control, listed to make his prey.
Tell them, when that my mother went with child
Of that insatiate Edward, noble York,
My princely father, then had wars in France;
And, by just 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:
Yet touch this sparingly, as 'twere far off;
Because, 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 so, 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. I go; and, towards three or four o'clock,
Look for the news that the Guild-hall affords.

Glo. Go, Lovel, with all speed to Doctor Shaw.-
[Exit BUCKINGHAM.
Go thou [to CAT.] to friar Penker;
Meet me, within this hour, at Baynard's castle.
bid them both
[Exeunt LovEL and CATESBY.

Now will I in, to take some privy order
To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight;
And to give notice, that no manner of person
Have, any time, recourse unto the princes.

SCENE VI. - A Street.

Enter a Scrivener.

[Eri.

[Erit

Castle.

Enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM, meeting. Glo. How now, how now? what say the citizens? Buck. Now by the holy mother of our Lord, The citizens are mum, say not a word.

Glo. Touch'd you the bastardy of Edward's children?

Buck. I did; with his contract with Lady Lucy,
And his contract by deputy in France:
The insatiate greediness of his desires,
And his enforcement of the city wives;
His tyranny for trifles; his own bastardy, –
As being got, your father then in France;
And his resemblance, being not like the duke.
Withal, I did infer your lineaments,
Being the right idea of your father,
Both in your form and nobleness of mind:
Laid all
open your victories in Scotland,
Your discipline in war, wisdom in peace,
Your bounty, virtue, fair humility;
Indeed, left nothing, fitting for your purpose,
Untouch'd, or slightly handled, in discourse.
And, when my oratory grew to an end,

I bade them, that did love their country's good,
Cry God save Richard, England's royal king !
Glo. And did they so?

Buck. No, so God help me, they spake not a word; But, like dumb statuas, or breathless stones, Star'd on each other, and look'd deadly pale. Which when I saw, I reprehended them; And ask'd the mayor, what meant this wilful silence: His answer was -the people were not us'd To be spoke to, but by the recorder. Then he was urg'd to tell my tale again; Thus saith the duke, thus hath the duke inferr'd; But nothing spoke in warrant from himself. When he had done, some followers of mine own, At lower end o'the hall, hurl'd up their caps, And some ten voices cried, God save king Richard! And thus I took the vantage of those few, Thanks, gentle citizens, and friends, quoth I; This general applause, and cheerful shout, Argues your wisdom, and your love to Richard: And even here brake off, and came away.

Glo. What tongueless blocks were they; Would they not speak?

Will not the mayor then, and his brethren, come? Buck. The mayor is here at hand, intend some

fear;

Be not you spoke with, but by mighty suit:
And look you, get a prayer-book in your hand,
And stand between two churchmen, good my lord;
For on that ground I'll make a holy descant :
And be not easily won to our requests;
Play the maid's part, still answer nay, and take it.
Glo. I go; And if you plead as well for them,
As I can say nay to thee for myself,
No doubt we'll bring it to a happy issue.
Buck. Go, go, up to the leads; the lord mayor
knocks.
[Exit GLOSTER.

Enter the Lord Mayor, Aidermen, and Citizens.
Welcome, my lord: I dance attendance here;
I think, the duke will not be spoke withal.

Enter from the castle, CATESBY.

Now, Catesby! what says your lord to my request?

He is within, with two right reverend fathers,
Divinely bent to meditation :

And in no worldly suit would he be nov'd,
To draw him from his holy exercise.

Buck. Return, good Catesby, to the gracious duke;
Tell him, myself, the mayor and aldermen,
In deep designs, in matter of great moment,
Are come to have some conference with his grace.
No less importing than our general good,
Cate. I'll signify so much unto him straight.

[Exit. Buck. Ah, ha, my lord, this prince is not ar 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 divines;
Not sleeping, to engross his idle body,
But praying, to enrich his watchful soul:
Happy were England, would this virtuous prince
Take on himself the sovereignty thereof:

But, sure, I fear, we shall ne'er win him to it.
May. Marry, God defend, his grace should say
us nay!

Buck. I fear, he will: Here Catesby comes again;

Re-enter CATESBY.

Now, Catesby, what says his grace?

Cate. He wonders to what end you have assembled Such 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 cousin should Suspect me, that I mean no good to him: By heaven, we come to him in perfect love; and so once more return and tell his grace. [Exit CATESBT.

When holy and devout religious men
Are at their beads, 'tis hard to draw them thence;
So sweet is zealous contemplation.

Enter GLOSTER, in a gallery above, between Two
Bishops. CATESBY returns.

May. See, where his grace stands 'tween two clergymen !

Buck. Two props of virtue for a christian prince, To stay him from the fall of vanity: And, see, a book of prayer in his hand; True ornaments to know a holy man. Famous Plantagenet, most 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 such apology;
I rather do beseech you pardon me,
Who, earnest in the service of my God,
Neglect the visitation of my friends.
But, leaving this, what is your grace's pleasure?
Buck. Even that, I hope, which pleaseth God

above,

And all good men of this ungovern'd isle.

Glo. I do suspect, I have done some offence, That seems disgracious in the city's eye; And that you come to reprehend my ignorance. Buck. You have, my lord; Would it might please your grace,

On our entreaties to amend your fault!

Glo. Else wherefore breathe I in a Christian land?

Buck. Know, then, it is your fault, that you resign

The supreme seat, the throne majestical,
The scepter'd office of your ancestors,
Your state of fortune, and your due of birth,
The lineal glory of your royal house,
To the corruption of a blemish'd stock :
Whilst, in the mildness of your sleepy thoughts,
(Which here we waken to our country's good,)
The noble isle doth want her proper limbs;
Her face defac'd with scars of infamy,
Her royal stock graft with ignoble plants,
And almost shoulder'd in the swallowing gulf
Of dark forgetfulness and deep oblivion.
Which to recure we heartily solicit
Your gracious self to take on you the charge
And kingly government of this your
land:
Not as protector, steward, substitute,
Or lowly factor for another's gain :
But as successively, from blood to blood,
Your right of birth, your empery, your own.
For this, consorted with the citizens,
Your very worshipful and loving friends,
And by their vehement instigation,

In this just suit come I to move your grace.
Glo. I cannot tell, if to depart in silence,
Or bitterly to speak in your reproof,
Best fitteth my degree, or your condition:
If, not to answer,
you might haply think,
Tongue-tied ambition, not replying, yielded
To bear the golden yolk of sovereignty,
Which fondly you would here impose on me;
If to reprove you for this suit of yours,
So season'd with your faithful love to me,
Then, on the other side, I check'd my friends.
Therefore, to speak, and to avoid the first;
And then, in speaking, not to incur the last,
Definitively thus I answer you.

Your love deserves my thanks; but my desert
Unmeritable, shuns your high request.
First, if all obstacles were cut away,

And that my path were even to the crown,

As the ripe revenue and due of birth;

Yet so much is my poverty of spirit,

So mighty, and so many, my defects,

That I would rather hide me from my greatness,
Being a bark to brook no mighty sea, —
Than in my greatness covet to be hid,
And in the vapour of my glory smother'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 seat 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 should wring from
him!

Buck. My lord, this argues conscience in your

grace;

But the respects thereof are nice and trivial,
All circumstances well considered.

You say that Edward is your brother's son ;
So say we too, but not by Edward's wife:
For first he was contract to lady Lucy,
Your mother lives a witness to his vow;
And afterwards by substitute betrotı'd

To Bona, sister to the king of France.
These both put by, a poor petitioner,
A care-craz'd mother to a many sons,
A beauty-waning and distressed widow,
Even in the afternoon of her best days,
Made prize and purchase of his wanton eye,
Seduc'd the pitch and height of all his thoughts
To base declension, and loath'd bigamy;
By her, in his unlawful bed, he got
This Edward, whom our manners call-
More bitterly could I expostulate,
Save that, for reverence to some alive,
I give a sparing limit to my tongue.
Then, good my lord, take to your royal self
This proffer'd benefit of dignity:

If not to bless us and the land withal,
Yet to draw forth your noble ancestry
From the corruption of abusing time,
Unto a lineal true-derived course.

the prince

May. Do, good my lord; your citizens entreat

you.

Buck. Refuse not, mighty lord, this proffer'd love.

Cate. O make them joyful, grant their lawful

Glo.

suit.

Alas, why would you heap those cares on
me?

I am unfit for state and majesty: -
I do beseech you, take it not amiss;
I cannot, nor I will not yield to you.

Buck. If you refuse it, -
- as in love and zeal,
Loath to depose the child, your brother's son ;
As well we know your tenderness of heart,
And gentle, kind, effeminate remorse,
Which we have noted in you to your kindred,
And equally, indeed, to all estates,

Yet know, whe'r you accept our suit or no,
Your brother's son shall never reign our king;
But we will plant some other in your throne,
To the disgrace and downfal of your house.
And, in this resolution, here we leave you ;-
Come, citizens, we will entreat no more.

[Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and Citizens. Cate. Call them again, sweet prince, accept their suit;

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 stone, But penetrable to your kind entreaties,

[Exit CATESBY. Albeit against my conscience and my soul. Re-enter BUCKINGHAM, and the rest. Cousin of Buckingham, - and sage 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 scandal, or foul-fac'd reproach, Attend the sequel of your imposition, Your mere enforcement shall acquittance me From all the impure blots and stains thereof; For God he knows, and you may partly see, How far I am from the desire of this.

May. God bless your grace! we see it, and wilt say it.

Glo. In saying so, you shall but say the truth.
Buck. Then I salute you with this royal

title,

Long live king Richard, England s worthy king

All. Amen.