Ely. Your Grace, we think, fhould fooneft know

his mind.

Buck. We know each other's faces; for our hearts,
He knows no more of mine than I of yours;
Kor of his, my Lord, than you of mine.
-Lord Haftings, you and he are near in love.
Haft. I thank his Grace, I know he loves me well;
But for his purpose in the coronation,

I have not founded 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 prefume, he'll take in gentle part.

Enter Gloucester.

Ely. In happy time here comes the Duke himself.
Glou. My noble Lords and coufins all, good mor-

row.

I 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 Hastings had pronounc'd your part;
I mean your voice for crowning of the King.

Glou. Than my Lord Hastings no man might be
bolder.

His Lordthip knows me well, and loves me well.
-My Lord of Ely, when I was last in Holbourn,
I saw 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 Ely.
Glou. Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you.
Catelby hath founded Hattings in our bufinels,
And finds the tefty gentleman fo hot,
That he will lose his head ere give consent
His mafter's fon, as worshipfully he terms it,
Shall lofe the royalty of England's throne.
Buck. Withdraw yourself a while, I'll go with
[Exit Glou. and Buck.
Stan. We have not yet fet down this day of triumph
To-inorrow, in my judgment, is too fudden;

you.

VOL. VI.

E e

For I myself am not fo well provided,

As else I would be, were the day prolong'd.
Re-enter Bishop of Ely.

Ely. Where is my Lord the Duke of Gloucester? I have fent for thefe ftrawberries.

Haft. His Grace looks chearfully and smooth this
morning;

There's fome conceit or other likes him well,
When that he bids good-morrow with fuch spirit.
I think there's ne'er a man in Christendom
Can leffer hide his love or hate than he ;
For by his face ftrait fhall you know his heart.
Stan. What of his heart perceive you in his face,
By any likelihood he fhew'd to day?

Haft. Marry, that with no man here he's offended; For were he, he had fhewn it in his looks.

Re-enter Gloucester and Buckingham.

Glou. I pray you all tell me what they deserve, That do confpire my death with devilish plots Of damned witchcraft; and that have prevail'd Upon my body with their hellish charms.

Haft. The tender love I bear your Grace, myLord, Makes me most forward in this princely prefence, To doom th' offenders. Whofoe'er they be, I fay, my Lord, they have deferved death.

Glou. Then be your eyes the witness 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 monstrous witch,
Conforted with that harlot, ftrumpet Shore,
That by their witchcraft thus have marked me.
Haft. If they have done this deed, my noble
Lord

Glo. If?-thou protector of this damned ftrumpet,
Talk'ft thou to me of Ifs?thou art a traitor.
-Off with his head. Now, by St Paul I fwear,
I will not dine until I fee the fame;

Lovel and Catefby, look that it be done:

The reft that love me, rife and follow me. [Exeunt.

Manent Lovel and Catesby with the Lord Haftings.

Haft. Woe, woe for England, not a whit for me! For I, too fond, might have prevented this. Stanley did dream the boar did raze our helms, But I did fcorn it, and disdain to fly.

Three times to-day my foot-cloth horfe did ftumble,
And started when he look'd upon the Tower,
As loth to bear me to the flaughter-house.
-O now I need the priest that fpake to me.
-I now repent I told the purfuivant,
As too triumphing, how mine enemies
To-day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd,
And I myself secure in grace and favour.
Oh, Margret, Margret, now thy heavy curfe
Is lighted on poor Haftings' wretched head.

Catef. Come, come, diipatch. The Duke would. be at dinner :

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 fair looks,
Lives like a drunken failor on a maft,
Ready with every nod to tumble down

Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

Lov. Come, come, difpatch; 'tis bootlefs to ex-claim.

Haft. Oh, bloody Richard! miferable England! I prophefy the fearful'ft time to thee,

That ever wretched age hath look'd upon.
Come, lead me to the block, bear him my head;
They finile at me who fhortly fhall be dead.

S CE NE VI.

Changes to the Tower walls.

[Exeunt.

Enter Gloucester and Buckingham in rusty armour, marvellous ill-favour'd.

Glou. Come, coufin, can't thou quake and change

thy colour,

Murder thy breath in middle of a word,
And then again begin, and ftop again,

As if thou wert diftraught and inad 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-
Are at my fervice, like enforced fmiles,
And both are ready in their offices,
At any time to grace my ftratagems.
Glou. Here comes the Mayor.

Puck. Let me alone to entertain him.
Lord Mayor.-

Enter Lord Mayor, attended.

Glou. Look to the draw-bridge there.
Buck. Hark, a drum!

Glou. Catefby, o'erlook the walls.

Buck. Lord Mayor, the reason we have fentGlou. Look back, defend thee, here are enemies. Buck. God and our innocence defend and guard us! Enter Lovel and Catefby with Haftings's head. Glou. Be patient, they are friends, Catesby and Lovel.

Lov. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
The dangerous and unfuspected Haftings.

Glou. So dear I lov'd the man, that I muft weep.
I took him for the plaineft, 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 fhew of virtue,
That, his apparent open guilt omitted,

I mean his converfation with Shore's wife,
He liv'd from all attainder of suspect.

Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'ft fhelter'd traitor

Would you imagine, or almost believe,
Were't not that by great prefervation
We live to tell it, that the fubtle traitor
This day had plotted, in the council-houfe,

W

To murder me and my good Lord of Glo'fter?
Mayor. What?had he fo?

Glou. What! think you are we Turks or Infidels? Or that we would, against the form of law, Proceed thus rafhly to the villain's death, But that the extreme peril of the cafe, The peace of England, and our perfon's fafety, Enforc'd us to this execution?

Muyor. Now fair befal you! he deferv'd his
death,

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 Mistress Shore.

Buck. Yet had not we determin'd he thould die,
Until your Lordship came to fee his end,
Which now the loving haste of these our friends,
Something against our meaning, hath prevented;
Because, my Lord, we would have had you hear.
The traitor fpeak, and tim'roufly confefs
The manner and the purpose of his treafons,
That you might well have fignified 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 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 cafe.›.

Glou. And to that end we wifh'd your Lordship T'avoid the cenfures of the carping world. [here, Buck. But fince you come too late of our intent, Yet witnefs what you hear we did intend. And fo, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewell. [Exit Mayor.

Glou. Go after, after, Cousin Buckingham.

The Mayor towards Guild-hall hies him in all poft;
There, at your meeteft 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