Which by my prefence might have been concluded.
Buck. Had you not come upon your Cue my Lord,
William Lord Haftings, had pronounc'd your part,
I mean your Voice for crowning of the King.
Glo. Than my Lord Haftings no Min might be bolder,
His Lordship knows me well, and loves me well.
My Lord of Ely, when I was laft in Holbourn,
I faw good Strawberries in your Garden there,
I do befeech you fend for fome of them.
Ely. Marry and will, my Lord, with all my heart.
Glo. Coufin of Buckingham, a word with you.
Catesby hath founded Haftings in our Bufinefs,
And finds the tefty Gentleman fo hot,
That he will lofe his Head e'er give confent
His Mafter's Child, as worthipfully he terms it,
Shall lofe the Royalty of England's Throne.
Buck Withdraw your felf a, while, I'll go
Derby. We have not yet fet down this Day of Triumph: To Morrow, in my judgment, is too fudden,
For I my felf am not fo well provided,
As elfe I would be were the Day prolong'd.
Ely. Where is my Lord, the Duke of Gloucester?
I have fent for thefe Strawberries.
Haft. His Grace looks chearfully and fmooth this Morning, There's fome Conceit or other likes him well
When that he bids good Morrow with fuch Spirit.
I think there's never a Man in Chriftendom
Can leffer hide his Love or Hate than he,
For by his Face straight fhall you know his Heart.
Derby. What of his Heart perceive you in his Face,
By any livelihood he fhew'd to Day?
Haft. Marry that with no Man here he is offended:
For were he, he had fhewn it in his Looks.
Enter Gloucester and Buckingham.
Glo. I pray you all, tell me what they deferve, That do confpire my Death with devilish Plots Of damned Witchcraft, and that have prevail'd Upon my Body, with their hellish Charms.
Haft. The tender love I bear your Grace, my Lord,
Makes me moft forward in this Princely prefence,
To doom th' Offenders, whofoe'er they be:
I fay, my Lord, they have deferved Death.
Glo. Then be your Eyes the witnefs of their Evil,
Look how I am bewitch'd; behold mine Arm
Is like a blafted Sapling wither'd up:
And this is Edward's Wife, that monftrous Witch,
Conforted with that Harlot, Strumpet Shore,
That by their Witchcraft thus have marked me.
Haft. If they have done this Deed, my Noble Lord-
Glo. If? thou Protector of this damned Strumpet,
Talk'st thou to me of Iffs? thou art a Traitor-
Off with his Head-now by Saint Paul I swear,
I will not dine until I fee the fame.
Lovel and Ratcliff, look that it be done:
The reft that love me, rife and follow me.
Manent Lovel and Ratcliff, with the Lord Haftings.
Haft. Wo, wo for England, not a whit for me,
For I, too fond, might have prevented this:
Stanly did dream the Boar did rafe our Helms,
And I did fcorn it, and difdain to fly :
Three times to day my Foot-cloth Horfe did ftumble,
And ftarted when he look'd upon the Tower,
As loath to bear me to the Slaughter-house.
O now I need the Prieft 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 my felf fecure in Grace and Favour.
Oh Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy Curfe
Is lighted on poor Haftings wretched Head.
Rat. Come, come, difpatch, the Duke would be at dinner. Make a fhort Shrift, 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 good Looks,
Lives like a drunken Sailor 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. O bloody Richard, miferable England,
I prophefie the fearfull'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.
Enter Gloucefter and Buckingham in rusty Amor, 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 were 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 Sufpicion, gaftly 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 fee he brings the Mayor along,
Enter the Lord Mayor and Catesby.
Buck. Lord Mayor
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 us.
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 muft weep:
I took him for the plaine ft harmless Creature
That breath'd upon the Ea th, a Chriftian:
Earth,
Made him my Book, wherein my Soul 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 fufpecs.
Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'ft fhelter'd Traitor That ever lived.
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-Houfe,
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 Perfons fafety
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 falle Traitors from the like Attempts.
Buck. I never look'd for better at his Hands,
After he once fell in with Mistress Shore:
Yet had 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 against our meanings hath prevented;
Because, my Lord, I would have had you heard
The Traitor fpeak, and timeroufly confefs
The manner and the purpofe 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 fhall
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.
Gle. 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 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 Son
Heir to the Crown, meaning indeed his Houfe,
Which by the Sign thereof was termed fo.
Moreover, urge his hateful Luxury,
And beftial appetite in change of Luft,
Which stretch'd unto their Servants, Daughters, Wives,
Even where his raging Eye, or favage Heart,
Without controll, 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 speed 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.
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