Enter Gloucefter..

Ely. In happy time here comes the Duke himself.
Glo. My noble Lords and Coufins all, good mor-

row;

I have been long a fleeper; but, I truft,
My abfence doth neglect no great defign,
Which by my prefence might have been concluded.
Buck. Had not you come upon your cue, my Lord, (4)
William Lord Haftings had pronounc'd your part;
I mean, your voice for crowning of the King..

Glo. Than my Lord Haftings no man 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..
[Exit Ely..
Glo. Coufin of Buckingham, a word with you.
-Catesby hath founded Haftings in our business,
And finds the tefty gentleman fo hot,
That he will lofe his head, ere give confent
His Mafter's Son, as worshipfully he terms it,
Shall lofe the Royalty of England's Throne.

Buck. Withdraw yourfelf a while, I'll go with you..

[Exe. Glo. and Buck..

Stanl. We have not yet fet down this day of Tri umph.

To-morrow, in my judgment, is too fudden;
For I myself am not fo well provided,

As elfe I would be, were the day prolong'd.

Re-enter Bishop of Ely.

Ely. Where is my Lord the Duke of Gloucefter? I have fent for thefe ftrawberries.

(4) Had you not come upon your cue,] This expreffion is bor rowed from the theatre. The Cue, queue, or tail of a speech, confifts of the laft words, which are the token for an entrance or anfwer. To come on the cue, therefore, is to come at the proper time.

Haft. His Grace looks chearfully and smooth this

morning;

There's fome conceit, or other, likes him well,
When that he bids good morrow with fuch spirit.
I think, there's ne'er a man in Christendom
Can leffer hide his love, or hate, than he,
For by his face ftrait shall you know his heart.
Stanl. What of his heart perceive you in his face,
By any likelihood he fhew'd to day? (5)

Haft. Marry, that with no man here he is offended: For were he, he had fhewn it in his looks.

Re-enter Gloucester and Buckingham.

Glo. I pray you all, tell me what they deserve,
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 monstrous witch,
Conforted with that harlot, ftrumpet 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 ftrumpet,
Talk'ft thou to me of Ifs?- -thou art a traitor.

-Off with his head. Now, by St. Paul I fwear,
I will not dine untill I fee the fame;

Lovel, and Catefby look that it be done: (6)

The reft, that love me, rife and follow me. [Exeunt. Manent

(5) Likelihood-] Semblance; appearance.

(6) In former copies :

Lovel and Ratcliff, look that it be done :] The Scene is here in the Tower: and Lord Haftings was cut off on that very day, when Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan fuffered at Pomfret. How then Could Ratcliff be both in York/bire and the Tower? In the Scene preceding this, we find him conducting those Gentlemen

to

Manent Lovel and Catesby, 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 rafe our helms;
But I did fcorn it, and difdain to fly.

Three times to day my foot-cloth horse did stumble,
And ftarted 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 myself 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. of mortal men,

Haft. O momentary grace

Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!
Who builds his hope in air of your fair looks, (7)
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 ex-
claim.

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 fmile at me, who shortly fhall be dead.

[Exeunt.

to the Block. In the old Quarto, we find it Exeunt: Manet Catefby with Haftings. And in the next Scene, before the TowerWalls, we find Lovel and Catesby come back from the Execution, bringing the Head of Haftings.

(7) So Horace, Nefcius auræ fallacis.

THEOBALD.

SCENE

SCENE VI.

Changes to the Tower-walls.

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

Glo. Come, Coufin, canft thou quake and change thy colour,

Murder thy breath in middle of a word,
And then again begin, and stop 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 fufpicion: ghaftly looks
Are at my service, 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 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 weeps I took him for the plaineft, honeft creature, That breath'd upon the earth a chriftian,

Made

my book, wherein my foul recorded

Made him

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 shelter'd traitor

Would you imagine, or almoft 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 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, againft 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 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 miftrefs 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 againft our meaning, hath prevented;
Because, my Lord, we would have had you heard
The traitor speak; and tim'roufly confefs
The manner and the purpofe of his treafons,
That you might well have fignify'd the fame
Unto the Citizens, who, haply, may

Misconstrue us in him, and wail his death.

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

ferve,

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