KING EDWARD the Fourth.

EDWARD, Prince of Wales,

afterwards Edward V.

RICHARD, Duke of York,

Sons to Edward I

GEORGE, Duke of Clarence, brother to Edward IV. RICHARD, Duke of Gloucester, brother to Edward IV.

afterwards King Richard H. Cardinal, Archbishop of York.

Duke of Buckingham.

Duke of Norfolk. Earl of Surrey.

Marquis of Dorfet, fon to Queen Elizabeth.
Earl RIVERS, brother to the Queen.

Lord GRAY, fon to Queen Elizabeth.
Earl of Richmond, afterwards K. Henry VII.
Bishop of Ely.

Lord HASTINGS.

Sir THOMAS VAUGHAN.

Sir RICHARD RATCLIEF..
Lord LovE Lo

CATESBY.

Sir JAMES TYRREL

THOMAS, Lord STANLEY.

Earl of Oxford,

BLOUNT

HERBERT.

Sir WILLIAM BRANDON.

BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower,
Two children of the Duke of Clarence.
Sir CHRISTOPHER URSWICK, a priest.
Lord Mayor.

ELIZABETH, Queen of Edward IV.

Queen MARGARET, widow of Henry VI.

ས་

T

ANNE, widow of Edward Prince of Wales, fon toHenry VI. afterwards married to the Duke of Gloucefter.

Duchess of York, mother to Edward IV. Clarence, and Richard III.

Sheriff, Purfuivant, Citizens, Ghosts of thofe murdered by Richard III. with Soldiers and other Attendants.

The SCENE in England...

N

OW is the winter of our difcontent

Made glorious fummer by this fun of York, And all the clouds that lowr'd upon our In the deep bofom of the Ocean bury'd. [houfe, Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths, Our bruifed arms hung up for monuments, Our ftern alarums chang'd to merry meetings, Our dreadful marches to delightful measures. Grim-vifag'd War hath fmooth'd his wrinkled front; And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds, To fright the fouls of fearful adversaries, He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber, To the lafcivious pleafing of a lute. But I, that am not fhap'd for sportive tricks, Nor made to court an am'rous looking-glafs,

:

This Tragedy, though it is called the Life and Death of this Prince, comprizes at most but the last eight years of his time for it opens with George Duke of Clarence being clap'd up in the Tower, which happen'd in the beginning of the year 1477; and clofes with the death of Richard at Bofworthfield, which battle was fought on the 22d of Auguß in the year 1485. Theobald

I, that am rudely ftampt, and want love's majesty,
To ftruit before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by diffembling + nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, fent before my time
Into this breathing world, fcarce half made up;
And that fo lamely and unfashionably,

A

That dogs bark at me as I halt by them:9
Why 1, in this weak piping time of peace to A
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to spy my shadow in the fun,' -
And defeant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, fince I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have laid, inductions dangerous,"
To fet my brother Clarence and the King
In deadly hate the one against the other,
By drunken prophefies, libels, and dreams.
And, if King Edward be as true and just,
As I am fubtile, falfe, and treacherous,
This day fhould Clarence clofely be mew'd up,-
About a prophefy which fays, that G

Of Edward's heirs the murderer fhall be.
—Dive, thoughts, down to my foul! here Clarence i

comes.

Enter Clarence guarded, and Brakenbury.

Brother, good day what means this armed guard That waits upon your Grace? bie n

Clar. His Majefty,

Tend'ring my perfon's fafety, hath appointed
This conduct to convey me to the Tower.

Glou. Upon what cause?

Clar. Becaufe my name is George

Glou. Alack, my Lord, that fault s none of yours:He fhould for that commit your goalkers.

Belike his Majefty hath fome intent

+ Diffembling is here put very licentiously for frandful deceitful. Johnton.

That you fhould be new-chriften'd in the Tower.
But what's the matter, Clarence, may I know?
Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know; for, I proteft,,
As yet I do not: but, as I can learn,

He hearkens after prophefies and dreams;
And from the cross-row plucks the letter G,
And Tays a wizard told him that by G
His illue difinherited fhould be

And, for my name of George begins with G,
It follows in his thought that I am he

These, as I learn, and fuch like toys as thefe,
Have, mov'd his Highness to commit me now.

Glou. Why, this it is when men are rund by wo
'Tis not the King that fends you to the Tower; [men..
My Lady Gray his wife, Clarence, 'tis the,
That tempts him to this harsh extremity i
Was it not the, and that good man of vorfhip,
Anthony Woodvil her brother there,

That made, him send Lord Haftings to the Tower? From whence this day he is delivered.

We are not fafe, Clarence, we are not safe. i.

Clar. By Heav'n, I think there is no man fecure But the Queen's kindred, and night-walking heralds That trudge between the King and Mistress Shore, Heard you not what an humble fuppliant Lord Haftings was to her for his delivery? Glou. Humbly complaining to her deity, Got my Lord Chamberlain his liberty. Pll tell you u what; I think it is our way, If we will keep in favour with the King, To be her men, and wear her livery: The jealous o'erworn widow*, and herself, Since that our brother dubb'd them gentlewomen, Are mighty gollips in this monarchy.

---

Brak. I beg your Graces both to pardon me :
His Majefty has ftraitly giv'n in charge,
That no man shall have private conference,
Of what degree loever, with, your brother.

Glou. Ev'n fo, ant pleafe your Worship? Braken.» You may partake of any thing we lay: [bury,

That is, the Queen and Shore, Jahnson.

We speak no treason, man-we fay the King
Is wife and virtuous; and his noble Queen
Well frook in years; fair, and not jealous-
We fay, that Shore's wife hath a pretty foot,
A cherry lip, a paffing pleafing tongue;

That the Queen's kindred are made gentle-folk.
How fay you, Sir? can you deny all this?

Brak. With this, my Lord, my felf have nought: to do.

Glou. What, fellow, nought to do with Miftrefs-
Shore?

I tell you, Sir, he that doth naught with her,
Excepting one, were beft to do it fecretly.
Brak. What one, my Lord?

Glou. Her husband, knave-wouldst thou be tray me?

Brak. I do befeech your Grace to pardon me, And to forbear your conf'rence with the Duke. Clar. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey.

Glou. We are the Queen's abjects, and must obey..
Brother, farewell; I will unto the Kings
And whatfoe'er you will employ me in,
Were it to call King Edward's widow + fifter,
I will perform it to infranchise you.*

Mean time, this deep difgrace of brotherhood
Touches me deeper than you can imagine.
Clar. I know it pleaseth neither of us well.
Glou. Well, your imprisonment fhall not be long.
I will deliver you, or else ly for you;

Mean time have patience.

Clar. I muft perforce; farewell.

[Exeunt Brak. Clar.

This is a very covert and fubtle manner of infinu ating treafon. The natural expreffron would have been, Were it to call King Edward's wife fifter, I will follicit for you though it fhould be at the expence of fo much degradation and constraint, as to own the low-born wife of King Edward for a fifter. But by flipping, as it were ca. fually, widow into the place of wife, he tempts Clarenca. with an oblique propofal to kill the King. Johnfon.