Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.

[Exeunt Prince, YORK, HAST. Card. and Attend. Buck. Think you, my lord, this little prating York Was not incensed by his subtle mother,1

To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?

Glo. No doubt, no doubt: O, 'tis a parlous boy;
Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable;2
He's all the mother's, from the top to toe.
Buck. Well, let them rest.—

Come hither, gentle Catesby;3 thou art sworn
As deeply to effect what we intend,

way;

As closely to conceal what we impart :
Thou know'st our reasons urg'd upon the
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?

Cates. 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? Cates. He will do all in all as Hastings doth.

Buck. Well then, no more but this: Go, gentle Ca

tesby,

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.

1 Was not incensed by his subtle mother,] Incensed means here, incited or suggested. So, in King Henry VIII, Gardiner says of Cranmer :

"Incens'd the lords of the council, that he is

"A most arch heretick."

And, in Much Ado about Nothing, Borachio says to Pedro : - how Don John your brother incensed me to slander the lady Hero." M. Mason.

21

capable;] here, as in many other places in these plays, means intelligent, quick of apprehension. See p. 65, n. 7.

Malone.

So again, in Troilus and Cressida: "Let me carry another to his horse, for that's the more capable creature.”

Ritson.

3 gentle Catesby;] I have supplied the epithet-gentle, for the same reasons urged by Mr. Malone in the foregoing page, n. 9, in defence of a similar insertion. Steevens.

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:
For we to-morrow hold divided councils,4
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. Cates. My good lords both, with all the heed I can. Glo. Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep? Cates. You shall, my lord.

Glo. At Crosby-place, there shall you find us both. [Exit CATES. Buck. Now, my lord, what shall we do, if we perceive Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?

4

Glo. Chop off his head, man;-somewhat we will do:—

divided councils,] That is, a private consultation, separate from the known and publick council. So, in the next scene, Hastings says:

"Bid him not fear the separated councils." Johnson. This circumstance is conformable to history. Hall, p. 13, says, "When the protectour had both the chyldren in his possession, yea, and that they were in a sure place, he then began to threst to se the ende of his enterprize. And, to avoyde all suspicion, he caused all the lords which he knewe to bee faithfull to the kynge, to assemble at Baynardes Castle, to comen of the ordre of the coronacion, whyle he and other of his complices, and of his affinitee, at Crosbies-place, contrived the contrary, and to make the protectour kyng: to which counsail there were adhibite very fewe, and they very secrete." Reed.

Mr. Reed has shown from Hall's Chronicle that this circumstance is founded on the historical fact. But Holinshed, Hall's copyist, was our author's authority: "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, and to make the protectour king.' 966 the lord Stanley, that was after earle of Darby, wisely mistrusted it, and sayde unto the lorde Hastings, that be much mislyked these two several councels." Malone.

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.

Hast. Cannot thy master sleep the 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:"

5 will do:] The folio reads-will determine. Steevens. 6 Scene 11.] Every material circumstance in the following scene is taken from Holinshed's Chronicle, except that it is a knight with whom Hastings converses, instead of Buckingham. Steevens. 7- the boar had rased off his helm:] This term rased or rashed, is always given to describe the violence inflicted by a boar. So, in King Lear, 4to edit:

"In his anointed flesh rash boarish fangs." Again, in Warner's Albion's England, 1602, B. VII, ch. xxxvi: ha, cur, avaunt, the bore so rase thy hide!" By the boar, throughout this scene, is meant Gloster, who was called the boar, or the hog, from his having a boar for his cognizance, and one of the supporters of his coat of arms. Steevens.

So Holinshed, after Hall and Sir Thomas More: "The selfe night next before his death the lorde Stanley sent a trustie secret messenger unto him at midnight in all haste, requiring him to rise and ride away with him, for he was disposed utterlie no longer to byde, he had so fearful a dreame, in which him thought that a boare with his tuskes so rased them both by the heades that the bloud ran about both their shoulders. And forasmuch as the

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 pleasure,-
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:
His honour, and myself, are at the one;
And, at the other, is my good friend Catesby;"
Where nothing can proceed, that toucheth us,
Whereof I shall not have intelligence.

Tell him, his fears are shallow, wanting instance:1
And for his dreams-I wonder, he 's so fond2
To trust the mockery of unquiet slumbers:
To fly the boar, before the boar pursues,

Protector gave the boare for his cognizance, this dreame made so fearful an impression in his heart, that he was thoroughly determined no longer to tarie, but had his horse readie, if the lord Hastings would go with him," &c. Malone.

His honour,] This was the usual address to noblemen in Shakspeare's time. Malone.

See note on Timon of Athens, Act I, sc, i, where the same address occurs: "All happiness to your honour!" Steevens.

9 And, at the other, is my good friend Catesby; &c.] So, in the Legend of Lord Hastings, Mirrour for Magistrates, 1575:

1

"I fear'd the end; my Catesby being there
Discharg'd all doubts; him hold I most entyre."

Malone.

wanting instance:] That is, wanting some example or act of malevolence, by which they may be justified: or which, perhaps, is nearer to the true meaning, wanting any immediate ground or reason. Johnson.

This is the reading of the quarto, except that it has instancie.

Steevens.

Malone.

The folio reads-without instance.
Instance seems to mean, symptom or prognostick. We find the
word used in a similar sense, in The Comedy of Errors, where
Egeon, describing his shipwreck, says:

"A league from Epidamnum had we sail'd,
"Before the always wind-obeying deep

"Gave any tragick instance of our harm." M. Mason.

2 so fond] i. e. so weak, silly. Thus, in King Lear: "I am a very foolish, fond old man. Steevens.

Were to incense the boar to follow us,

And make pursuit, where he did mean no chase.
Go, bid thy master rise and come to me;
And we will both together to the Tower,

Where, he shall see, the boar will use us kindly.
Mess. I'll go, my lord, and tell him what you say.

Enter CATESBY.

Cates. Many good morrows to my noble lord!

[Exit.

Hast. Good morrow, Catesby; you are early stirring : What news, what news, in this our tottering state? Cates. It is a reeling world, indeed, my lord;

And, I believe, will never stand upright,

Till Richard wear the garland of the realm.

Hast. How! wear the garland? dost thou mean the crown?

Cates. Ay, my good lord.

Hast. I'll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders,

Before I'll see the crown so foul misplac'd.

But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?
Cates. Ay, on my life; and hopes to find you
Upon his party, for the gain thereof:
And, thereupon, he sends you this good news,———
That, this same very day, your enemies,
The kindred of the queen, must die at Pomfret.
Hast. Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,
Because they have been still my adversaries:
But, that I'll give my voice on Richard's side,
To bar my master's heirs in true descent,
God knows, I will not do it, to the death.

forward

Cates. 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.
Cates. '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 out
With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey: and so 'twill do
With some men else, who think themselves as safe
As thou, and I; who, as thou know'st, are dear