Too late he dy'd that might have kept that Title,
Which by his Death hath loft much Majefty.

Glo. How fares our Coufin. Noble Lord of York?
Tork. I thank you, gentle Uncle. O my Lord,
You faid, that idle Weeds are faft in growth:
The Prince my Brother hath outgrown me far.
Glo. He hath, my Lord.

York. And therefore is he idle?

Glo. Oh my fair Coufin I must not say so. York. Then he is more beholden to you than I. Gle. He may command me as my Sovereign, But you have power in me, as in a Kinfman. York. I pray you Uncle, give me this Dagger. Glo. My Dagger, little Coufin? with all my Heart. Prince. A Beggar, Brother?

York. Of my kind Uncle, that I know will give, And being a Toy it is no grief to give.

Glo. A greater Gift than that I'll give my Cousin. York. A greater Gift? O, that's the Sword to it. Glo. Ay, gentle Coufin, were it light enough. York. O then I fee you will part but with light Gift, In weightier things you'll fay a Beggar Nay. Glo. It is too weighty for your Grace to wear. York. I weigh it lightly were it heavier.

Gle, What, would you have my Weapon, little Lord York. I would, that I might thank you, as you call m Glo. How?

York. Little.

Prince. My Lord of York will fill be cross in talk: Uncle, your Grace knows how to bear with him. York. You mean to bear me, not to bear with me:

Uncle, my Brother mocks both you

Because that I am little, like an Ape,

and me,

He thinks that you should bear me on your Shoulders.
Buck. With what a sharp provided Wit he reasons:
To mitigate the Scorn he gives his Uncle,
He prettily and aptly taunts himself;
So cunning, and fo young, is wonderful.
Glo. My Lord, wilt please you pass along?
My felf, and my good Coufin Buckingham,

W

Will to your Mother, to entreat of her

To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you.

York. What, will you go unto the Tower, my Lord?
Prince. My Lord Protector will have it fo.

York. I fhall not fleep in quiet at the Tower.
Glo. Why, what should you fear?

Tork. Marry, my Uncle Clarence angry Ghost:
My Grandam told me, he was murther'd there.
Prince. I fear no Uncles dead.

Glo. Nor none that live, I hope.

Prince. And if they live, I hope I need not fear. But come, my Lord, and with a heavy Heart, Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower.

[Exeunt Prince, York, Haftings and Dorfet. Manent Gloucester, Buckingham and Catesby. Buck. Think you, my Lord, this little prating York Was not incensed by his subtle Mother,

To taunt and fcorn you thus opprobriously?

Glo. No doubt, no doubt: Oh 'tis a parlous Boy,
Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable;
He is all the Mother's, from the top to toe.
Buck. Well, let them reft: Corne hither, Catesby,
Thou art fworn as deeply to effect what we intend,
As clofely to conceal what we impart:

Thou know'ft our Reasons urg'd upon the Way,
What think't thou? is it not an eafie Matter

To Make William Lord Haftings of our Mind,
For the Inftalment of this Noble Duke,

In the Seat Royal of this famous Ifle?

Catef. He for his Father's fake fo loves the Prince, That he will not be won to ought against him.

Buck. What think't thou then of Stanly? Will not he?

Catef. He will do all in all as Haftings doth.

Buck. Well then, no more than this:
Go, gentle Catesby, and as it were far off
Sound thou Lord Haftings,

How he doth stand affected to our Purpose,

And fummon him to Morrow to the Tower,
To fit about the Coronation.

If thou doft find him tractable to us,

C 2

Encou

Encourage him, and tell him all our Reasons:
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
Be thou fo too, and fo break off the Talk,
And give us notice of his Inclination:
For we to Morrow hold divided Councils,
Wherein thy felf fhalt highly be employ'd..

Glo. Commend me to Lord William; tell him, Catesby,
His ancient Knot of dangerous Adverfaries
To morrow are let Blood at Pomfret Castle,
And bid my Lord, for joy of this good News,
Give Miftrefs Shore one gentle Kifs the more.

Buck. Good Catesby, go, effect this Bufinefs foundly.
Catef. My good Lords both, with all the heed I can.
Glo. Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we fleep?
Cates. You fhall, my Lord.

Glo, At Crosby House there
Buck. Now, my Lord.

you

What fhall we do, if we perceive

fhall find us both.

[Exit Catesby.

Lord Haftings will not yield to our Complots?
Glo. Chop off his Head:

Something we will determine:

And look when I am King, claim thou of me
The Earldom of Hereford, and all the Moveables
Whereof the King, my Brother, was poffeft.

Buck. I'll claim that promife at your Grace's Hand.
Glo. And look to have it yielded with all kindness.
Come, let us fup betimes, that afterwards

We may digeft our Complots in fome form.

SCENE II.

Enter a Meffenger to the Door of Haftings.

Mef. My Lord, my Lord.

Haft. Who knocks?

Mef. One from the Lord Stanly.

Haft. What is't a Clock?

Mef. Upon the stroak of four.

Enter Lord Haftings.

[Exeunt.

Haft. Cannot my Lord Stanly fleep thefe tedious Nights? Mef. So it appears by what I have to fay:

Firft, he commends him to your noble Self.

Haf

Haft. What then?

Mef. Then certifies your Lodfhip, that this Night
He dreamt the Boar had rafed off his Helm:
Befides, he fays there are two Councils kept;
And that may be determin'd at the one,

Which

may make you and him to rue at th' other. Therefore he fends to know your Lordship's pleafure, If you will prefently take Horfe with him,

And with all fpeed poft with him towards the North,
To fhun the danger that his Soul divines.
Haft. Go Fellow, go, return unto thy Lord,
Bid him not fear the feparated Council:
His Honour and my felf are at the one,
And at the other is my good Friend Catesby
Where nothing can proceed that toucheth us,
Whereof I fhall not have Intelligence:

*

Tell him his Fears are fhallow without instance;
And for his Dreams, I wonder he's fo fimple
To truft the mock'ry of unquiet Slumbers.
To fly the Boar, before the Boar pursues,
Were to incense the Boar to follow us,
And make purfuit where he did mean no chase.
Go, bid thy Mafter rife and come to me,
And we will both together to the Tower,
Where he shall fee the Boar will ufe us kindly.

Mef.I'll go, my Lord, and tell him what you fay. [ExitTMTMTM-
Enter Catesby.

Catef. Many good morrows to my Noble Lord.
Haf. Good morrow, Catesby, you are early stirring:
What News, what News in this our tott'ring State?
Catef. It is a reeling World indeed, my Lord;

And I believe will never ftand upright,

'Till Richard wear the Garland of the Realm.

Haft. How! wear the Garland ?

Doft thou mean the Crown?

Catef Ay, my good Lord.

Haft. Pil have this Crown of mine cut from my Shoulders,

Before I'll fee the Crown fo foul misplac'd;

But canft thou guess that he doth aim at it?

Catef. Ay, on my Life, and hopes to find you forward

C 3

Upon

Upon his Party, for the gain thereof;
And thereupon he fends you this good News,
That this fame very Day our Enemies,

The Kindred of the Queen, muft die at Pomfret.
Haft. Indeed I am no mourner for that News,
Because they have been ftill my Adverfaries;
But that I'll give my Voice on Richard's Side,
To bar my Master's Heirs in true Defcent,
God knows I will not do it to the Death.

Catef. God keep your Lordship in that gracious Mind.
Haft. But I fhall laugh at this a Twelve-month hence,
That they which brought me in my Master's Hate,
I live to look upon their Tragedy.

Well Catesby, ere a Fortnight make me older,
I'll fend fome packing that yet think not on't.
Catef. 'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious Lord,
When Men are unprepar❜d and look not for it.

Haft. O monftrous, monstrous! and fo falls it out
With Rivers, Vaughan, Gray; and fo'twill do
With fome Men elfe, that think themfelves as fafe
As thou and I, who as thou know'ft, are dear
To Princely Richard and to Buckingham.

Catef. The Princes both make high account of
For they account his Head upon the Bridge.

you

[Afide. Haft. I know they do, and I have well deferv'd it. Enter Lord Stanley.

Come on, come on, where is your Boar-fpear, Man ?
Fear you the Boar, and go fo unprovided?

Stan. My Lord, good morrow, good morrow, Catesby; You may jeft on, but by the holy Rood,

I do not like these several Councils, I.

Haft. My Lord, I hold my Life as dear as yours,

And never in my Days, I do protest,

Was it fo precious to me as 'tis now;

Think you, but that I know our State fecure,

I would be fo triumphant as I am?

Stan. The Lords at Pomfret, when they rode from London, Were jocund, and fuppos'd their States were fure,

And they indeed had no cause to mistrust;

But yet you

fee how foon the Day o'er-cast.