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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 smile at me, who fhortly shall be dead. [Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]

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

Glo.

COME,

OME, Coufin, canst 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 mad with terror?
Buck. Tut, I can counterfeit, the deep Tragedian,
Speak, and look back, and pry on every fide,
Tremble and ftart 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.
Glo. Here comes the Mayor.

.

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

Enter Lord Mayor, attended.

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 thee, here are enemies.

Buck. God and our innocence defend and guard us!

Enter

Enter Lovel and Catesby with Haftings's bead.

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 christian,
Made him my book, wherein my foul 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 Sufpect.

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

Would you imagine, or almost believe,
Were't not, that by great preservation
We live to tell it, that the fubtle traitor
This day had plotted, in the Council-house,
To murder me and my good Lord of Glo'fter?
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 case,
The peace of England, and our person's safety,
Enforc'd us to this execution?

Mayor. Now, fair befal you! he deferv'd his death;
And your good Graces both have well proceeded,
To warn false 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 determined 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;

Be

Because, my Lord, we would have had you
The traitor fpeak, 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

Mifconftrue us in him, and wail his death.

heard

Meyer. But, my good Lord, your Grace's word
fhall ferve,

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.

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 witnefs, what, you hear, we did intend.
And fo, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewell.
[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 baftardy 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 houfe,
Which by the fign thereof was termed fo.
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 person;
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 and towards three or four o'clock
Look for the news that the Guild-Hall affords.

go,

[Exit Buck. Glo. Go, Lovel, with all speed to Doctor Shaw. Go thou to Friar Peuker; bid them both Meet me within this Hour at Baynard's Caftle.

[Exeunt Lov. and Cates. 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, recourse unto the Princes.

Enter a Scrivener.

[Exit

Scriv. Here is th' Indictment of the good Lord Haftings.

Which in a fet hand fairly is ingrofs'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 thefe 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

Bad is the world, and all will come to nought,
When fuch ill dealings must be feen in thought. [Exit.

8

SCENE VII.

Changes to Baynard's Caftle.

Enter Gloucester and Buckingham, at feveral doors.

How

Glo. TOW 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 defires,
And his enforcement of the city-wives;
His tyranny for trifles; his own baftardy,
As being got, your father then in France,
And his relemblance, 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, wifdom in peace,
Your bounty, virtue, fair humility,
Indeed, left nothing fitting for the purpose
Untouch'd, or flightly handled in difcourfe.
And when my Oratory grew tow'rd end,

I 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 spake not a word;

Seen in thought.] That is, feen in filence, without notice or deteЯtion.

But

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