Whereof I fhall not have intelligence:

Tell him his fears are fhallow, without inftance;
And for his dreams, I wonder he's fo fond
To trust the mock'ry of unquiet flumbers.
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 rise and come to me,
And we will both together to the Tower,
Where he shall fee the boar will use us kindly.

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

Catef. Many good morrows to my noble Lord!
Haft. Good morrow, Catesby, you are early ftirring:
What news, what news in this our tottʼring 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. I'll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders, Before I'll fee the crown fo foul misplac'd.

But canft thou guefs that he doth aim at it?

Catef. Ay, on my life, and hopes to find you forward Upon his party, for the gain thereof;

And thereupon he fends you this good news,
That this fame very day your enemies,

The kindred of the Queen, must die at Pomfret.
Haft. Indeed I am no mourner for that news,
Because they have been still my adverfaries;
But, that I'll give my voice on Richard's fide,
To bar my mafter's heirs in true descent,
God knows I will not do it, to the death.

Catef. God keep your Lordfhip in that gracious mind! Haft. But I fhall laugh at this a twelve-month hence, That they who brought me in my master's hate,

I live to look upon their tragedy.

Well,

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, monftrous! and fo falls it out
With Rivers, Vaughan, Gray; and fo 'twill do
With fome men elfe, who think themselves 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 you---

For they account his head upon the bridge.

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

Enter Lord Stanley.

Come on, come on, where is your boar-spear, man?
Fear you the boar, and go fo unprovided?

[Catesby;

Stan. My Lord, good-morrow; and good-morrow, 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 so triumphant as I am?

Stan, The Lords at Pomfret, when they rode from London,

Were jocund, and suppos'd their ftates were fure,
And they indeed had no cause to mistrust;

But yet you fee how foon the day o'er-cast.
This fudden ftab of rancor I mifdoubt;
Pray God, I fay, I prove a needless coward!

What, fhall we tow❜rd the Tower? the day is fpent.
Haft. Come, come, have with you: wot ye what, my
To-day the Lords you talk of are beheaded.

[Lord?
Stan They, for their truth, might better wear their heads,
Than fome that have accus'd them wear their hats.
But come, my Lord, away.

Enter a Purfuivant.

Haft. Go on before, I'll talk with this good fellow.
[Exeunt Lord Stanley and Catesby.
Sirrah, how now? how goes the world with thee?
Purf. The better, that your Lordship please to ask.
Haft. I tell thee, man, 'tis better with me now,
Than when thou met'ft me laft where now we meet;
Then was I going prisoner to the Tower,
By the fuggeftion of the Queen's allies.
But now I tell thee, keep it to thy felf,
This day those enemies are put to death,
And I in better ftate than e'er I was.

Purf. God hold it to your honours good content!
Haft. Gramercy, fellow; there drink that for me.
[Throws him bis purfe.

Purf. I thank

your honour.

Enter a Prieft.

Prieft. Wellmet, my Lord, I'm glad to fee your honour. Haft. I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart; I'm in your debt for your laft exercife:

Come the next fabbath, and I will content you. [He whispers. Enter Buckingham.

Buck. What, talking with a Prieft, Lord Chamberlain?
Your friends at Pomfret they do need the Priest,
Your honour hath no fhriving work in hand.

Haft. Good faith, and when I met this holy man,
The men you talk of came into my mind.
What, go you tow'rd the Tower?

Buck. I do, my Lord, but long I fhall not stay;

I fhall return before your Lordfhip thence.

Haft. Nay, like enough, for I ftay dinner there. Buck. And fupper too, altho' thou know'ft it not. [Afide. Come, will you go?

Haft. I'll wait upon your Lordship.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Enter Sir Richard Ratcliff, with halberds, carrying Lord Rivers, Lord Gray, and Sir Thomas Vaughan to death. Rat. COME, bring forth the prisoners.

Riv. Sir Richard Ratcliff, let me tell thee this,

To-day fhalt thou behold a fubject die

For truth, for duty, and for loyalty.

Gray. God keep the Prince from all the pack of you! A knot you are of damned blood-fuckers.

Vaugh. You live, that fhall cry woe for this hereafter. Rat. Difpatch; the limit of your lives is out.

Riv. O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prifon! Fatal and ominous to noble Peers!

Within the guilty clofure of thy walls

Richard the Second here was hack'd to death:
And for more flander to thy difmal feat,

We give to thee our guiltlefs blood to drink.

Gray. Now Margret's curfe is fall'n upon our heads,
When the exclaim'd on Haftings, You, and I,
For ftanding by when Richard ftab'd her fon.

Riv. Then curs'd fhe Richard, curs'd the Buckingham,
Then curs'd fhe Haftings. O remember, God!
To hear her prayer for them, as now for us;
As for my fifter and her Princely fons,
Be fatisfy'd, dear God! with our true blood;
Which, as thou know'ft, unjustly must be fpilt.

Rat. Make hafte, the hour of death is now expir'd. Riv. Come, Gray; come, Vaughan; let us all embrace; Farewel, until we meet again in heaven.

[Exeunt.

Buckingham, Stanley, Haftings, Bishop of Ely, Catesby, Norfolk, Ratcliff, Lovel, with others, at a table. Haft. NOW, noble Peers, the caufe why we are met

Is to determine of the coronation :

In God's name fpeak, when is the royal day?
Buck. Are all things ready for that royal time?
Stan. They are, and want but nomination.
Ely. To-morrow then I judge a happy day.
Buck. Who knows the Lord Protector's mind herein?
Who is most inward with the noble Duke?

Ely. Your Grace, we think, fhould fooneft know his mind,
Buck. We know each other's faces; for our hearts,
He knows no more of mine than I of yours;
Nor I of his, my Lord, than you of mine:
Lord Haftings, you and he are near in love.

Haft. I thank his Grace, I know he loves me well;
But for his purpose in the coronation,

I have not founded him, nor he deliver'd
His gracious pleasure any way therein:
But you, my noble Lord, may name the time,
And in the Duke's behalf I'll give my voice,
Which I prefume he'll take in gentle part,

Enter Gloucefter.

Ely. In happy time here comes the Duke himself. Glo. My noble Lords and coufins all, good morrow; I have been long a fleeper; but I truft

My abfence doth neglect no great design,
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