Enter Gloucester and Buckingham in rusty Armour, marvellous ill-favour'd.
Can't thou quake and change thy colour,
Murther thy Breath in the 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 Straw:
Intending deep Sufpicion, ghaftly Looks
Are at my Service, like enforced Smiles;
And both are ready in their Offices,
At any time, to grace my Stratagems.
But what, is Catesby gone?
Glo. He is, and lee he brings the Mayor along.
Enter the Lord Mayor and Catesby.
Glo. Look to the Draw-bridge there.
Buck Hark, a Drum.
Glo. Catesby, o'erlook the Walls.
Buck. Lord Mayor, the reafon we have fent-
Glo. Look back, defend there, here are Enemies.
Buck. God and our Innocency defend and guard vs.
Enter Lovel and Ratcliff with Haftings's Head.
Glo. Be patient, they are Friends; Ratcliff 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 must weep:
I took him for the plaineft harmless Creature
That breath'd upon the Earth, a Christian:
Made him my Book, wherein my Soul recorded
The History 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 fufpects.
Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'st fhelter'd Traitor That ever liv'd.
Would you imagine, or almost believe,
Wer'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. Had he done fo?
Glo. What! think you we are Turks or Infidels? `}
Or that we would, against the form of Law,
Proceed thus rafhly in the Villain's Death,
But that the extream peril of the Cafe,
The Peace of England and our Persons Safety
Enforc'd us to this Execution.
Mayor. Now fair befall you, he deferv'd his death,
And your good Graces both have well proceeded,
To warn falfe Traitors from the like Attempts.
Buck. I never look'd for better at his Hands,
'After he once fell in with Mistress Shore:
Yet bad we not determin'd he should die
Until your Lordship came to fee his end,
Which now the loving hafte of these our Friends,
Something againft our meanings hath prevented;
Because, my Lord, I would have had you heard
The Traitor freak, and timorously confefs
The manner and the purpose of his Treafons:
That you might well have fignify'd the fame
Unto the Citizens, who haply may
Mifconftrue us in him, and wail his Death.
Mayor. But, my good Lord, your Grace's Words thall
As well as I had feen and heard him fpeak:
And do not doubt, right Noble Princes both,
But I'll acquaint our duteous Citizens,
With all your juft Proceedings in this Cafe,
Glo. And to that end we wish'd your Lordship here,
T'avoid the Cenfures of the carping World.
Buck. Which 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. [Ex. Mayor.
Glo, Go after, after, Coufin Buckingham.
The Mayor towards Guild-Hall hies him in all poft:
There, at your meereft 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 Son
Heir to the Crown, meaning indeed his House,
Which by the Sign thereof was termed fo.
Moreover, urge his hateful Luxury,
And beftial appetite in change of Lust,
Which stretch'd unto their Servants, Daughters, Wives,
Even where his raging Eye, or favage Heart,
Without control, 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 true 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 my felf; and fo, my Lord, adieu.
Glo. If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard's Caftle,
Where you fhall find me, well accompanied
With reverend Fathers, and well-learned Bishops.
Buck. I go, and towards three or four a Clock
Look for the News that the Guild-Hall affords.
[Exit Buckingham. Glo. Go, Lovel, with all fpeed to Doctor Shaw, Go thou to Friar Beuker, bid them both Meet me within this hour at Baynard's Caftle. Now will I go to take fome privy Order To draw the Brats of Clarence out of fight, And to give order, that no manner of Perfon Have any time recourse unto the Princes.
Seriv, Here is the Indictment of the good Lord Haftings, Which in a fet Hand fairly is engrofs'd,
That it may be to Day read o'er in Paul's.
And mark how well the fequel hangs together:
Eleven hours I have 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 so 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 dealing must be seen in thought.
Enter Gloucester and Buckingham at feveral Doors.
Glo. How now, how now, what fay the Citizens?
Buck. Now by the holy Mother of our Lord,
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 greediness of his Defire,
And his enforcement of the City Wives,
His Tyranny for Trifles, his own Bastardy,
As being got, your Father then in France,
And his resemblance, being not like the Duke.
Withal, I did infer your Lineaments,
Being the right Idea of your Father,
Both in your Form and Nobleness of Mind.
Laid open all your
Victories in Scotland,
Your Difcipline in War, Wisdom in Peace,
Your Bounty, Virtue, fair Humility:
Indeed left nothing fitting for your Purpose
Untoucht, or flightly handled in Difcourfe.
And when my Oratory grew toward end,
1 bid them that did love their Country's good,
Cry, God fave Richard, England's Royal King.
Glo. And did they fo?
Buck. No, fo God help me, they fpake not a Word,
But like dumb Statues or unbreathing Stones,
Star'd each on other, and look'd deadly pale:
Which when I faw, I reprehended them,
And ask'd the Mayor, what meant this wilful filence?
His answer was, the People were not used
To be fpoke to, but by the Recorder.
Then he was urg'd to tell my Tale again:
Thus faith the Duke, thus hath the Duke inferr'd,
But nothing fpoke in warrant from himself.
When he had done, some Followers of mine own,
At lower end of the Hall, hurl'd up their Caps,
And fome ten Voices cry'd, God fave King Richard:
And thus I took the vantage of those few.
Thanks, gentle Citizens and Friends, quoth I,
This general Applause, and chearful Shout,
Argues your Wisdom, and your love to Richard:
And even here brake off and came away.
Gle. What Tongue-lefs Blocks were they,
Would they not speak?
Will not the Mayor then and his Brethren come?
Buck. The Mayor is here at hand; intend fome fear,
Be not you spoke with, but by mighty fuit;
And look you get a Prayer-Book in your Hand,
And ftand between two Churchmen, good my Lord,
For on that ground I'll make a holy Defcant:
And be not eafily won to our Requests,
Play the Maid's part, ftill anfwer nay, and take it.
Glo. I go: And if you plead as well for them,
As I can fay nay for thee to my felf,
No doubt we bring it to a happy Iffue.
Buck. Go, go up to the Leads, the Lord Mayor knocks.
Enter Lord Mayor and Citizens.
Welcome my Lord, I dance attendance here,
I think the Duke will not be spoke withal,
Enter Catesby.
Buck. Now Catesby, what fays your Lord to my Requeft?
Catef. He doth intreat your Grace, my noble Lord,
To vifit him to Morrow, or next Day;
He is within, with two right Reverend Fathers,
Divinely bent to Meditation,
And in no worldly Suits would he be mov'd,
To draw him from his holy Exercise.
Buck. Return, good Catesby, to the gracious Duke,
Tell him, my felt, the Mayor and Aldermen,
In deep Designs, in matter of great Moment,
|