I will not dine until I fee the fame.
Lovel, and Catesby,-look, that it be done: (16)
The reft, that love me, rife and follow me. [Exeunt.

Manent Lovel and Catefby, 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 rase our helms ;
But I did fcorn it, and difdain 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 myfelf fecure in grace and favour.
Oh, Margret, Margret, now thy heavy Curfe
Is lighted on poor Haftings' wretched head.

Catef. Come, come, difpatch; 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 exclaim.
Haft. Oh, bloody Richard! miferable England!

I prophefie the fearful'ft time to thee,

(16) Lovel and Ratcliff, look that it be done.] There are two Things to be obferv'd, which will warrant the Variation I have made upon this Paffage. The Scene is here in the Tower: and Lord Haftings was cut off on that very day, when Rivers, Gray and Vaughan fuffer'd at Pomfret. How then could Ratcliff at the fame Inftant be both in Yorkshire and the Tower? In the very Scene preceding This, we find him, conducting thofe Gentlemen to the Block. The Players in their Edition firft made the Blunder, as to Ratcliff attending Lord Haftings to Death: for, in the old Quarto, we find it rightly ;. Exeunt: Manet Catesby with Haftings.

That

That ever wretched Age hath look'd upon.

Come, lead me to the block, bear him my head:

They fmile at Me, who shortly fhall be dead. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Tower-walls.

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

Glo.

COME, Coufin, canft thou quake and change thy colour,

COM

Murther thy breath in middle of a word,

And then again begin, and ftop 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 ftraw,
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.
Glo. Here comes the Mayor.

Buck. Let me alone to entertain him. Lord Mayor,

Enter the Lord Mayor, attended.

Glo. Look to the draw-bridge there.

Buck. Hark, a drum !

Glo. Catesby, o'erlook the walls.

Buck. Lord Mayor, the reason we have fent-
Glo. Look back, defend thee, here are enemies.
Buck. God and our innocence defend and guard us!

Enter Lovel and Catefby with Haftings's head.
Glo. Be patient, they are friends; Catesby and Lovel.
Lov. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
The dangerous and unfufpected Haftings.

Glo. 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 chriftian:

Made

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 Sufpect.

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

tor

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-house,
To murther 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 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?

Mayor. Now, fair befall you! he deserv'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 should die,
Until your lordship came to fee his end;
Which now the loving hafte of these our friends,
Something against our meaning, hath prevented;
Because, my lord, we would have had you heard
The traitor speak; and tim'rously confefs
The manner and the purpose of his treasons :
That you might well have fignify'd the fame
Unto the Citizens, who, haply, may
Misconftrue us in him, and wail his death.

Mayor. But, my good lord, your Grace's word fhall

As well as I had feen and heard him speak:
And do not doubt, right-noble Princes both,
But I'll acquaint our duteous citizens,
With all your juft proceedings in this cafe.

[ferve,

Glo.

Glo. And to that end we wifh'd your lordship here, T'avoid the cenfures of the carping world.

Buck. But fince you come 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 Guild-Hall hies him in all post:
There, at your meeteft vantage of the time,
Infer the bastardy 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 house,
Which by the fign thereof was termed so.
Moreover, urge his hateful luxury,

And beftial appetite in change of luft,

Which ftretch'd unto their fervants, daughters, wives,
Ev'n where his ranging eye, or favage heart,
Without controul, lufted to make a 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 juft 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,
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 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. I go, and towards three or four o'clock Look for the news that the Guild-Hall affords.

[Exit. Buck.

Glo. Go, Lovel, with all speed to Doctor Shaw. Go thou to Fryar Peuker; bid them Both

Meet

Meet me within this Hour at Baynard's Castle.
[Exeunt Lov. and Catef. feverally.

Now will I go to take fome privy order
To draw the brats of Clarence out of fight;
And to give order, that no fort of perfon
Have, any time, recourfe unto the Princes.

(

Enter a Scrivener.

[Exit.

Scriv. Here is th' Indictment of the good lord Hastings, Which in a fet hand fairly is engrofs'd;

That it may be to day read o'er in Pauls.

And, mark, how well the fequel hangs together:
Eleven hours I've 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
Untainted, unexamin'd, free at liberty.
Here's a good world the while ;-

who is fo grofs,

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 ill dealings must be seen in thought.

[Exit.

SCENE changes to Baynard's Caftle. (17)

Enter Gloucester and Buckingham, at several doors.

Glo. H Buck. Now by the holy Mother of our Lord,

OW now, how now, what fay the citizens?

The citizens are mum, fay not a word.

Glo. Touch'd you the baftardy of Edward's children?
Buck. I did, with his Contract with lady Lucy,

And his Contract by Deputy in France;

Th' unfatiate greedinefs of his defires,
And his enforcement of the city-wives;

His tyranny for trifles; his own bastardy,

(17) Baynard's Caftle.] A House, belonging to the Duke of Gloucefter, in Thames-treet; fo call'd from William Baynard Baron of Dunmow, the Builder of it.

As