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 last in Holbourne, 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 lose his head ere give consent,
His master's fon, as worshipfully he terms it,
Shall lose the royalty of England's throne.
Buck. Withdraw your felf a while, I'll go

with you.

[Exeunt Gloucester and Buckingham. Stan. 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

Re-enter Bishop of Ely.

Ely. Where is my Lord the Duke of Glo'fter? I have 'fent ftraitway for thefe ftrawberries.

[ing;

Haft. His Grace looks chearfully and fmooth this morn

There's fome conceit or other likes him well,

When that he bids good-morrow with such 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 fhall you know his heart.
Stan. What of his heart perceive you in his face,
By any likelihood 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.

Re-enter Gloucester and Buckingham.

Glo. I pray you all, tell me what they deserve, That do confpire my death with devilish plots

Y 4

. Of

4 fent for

Of damned witchcraft, and that have prevailed
Upon my body with their hellish charms.

Haft. The tender love I bear your Grace, my Lord,
Makes me most 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 fapling wither'd up:

And this is Edward's wife, that monstrous witch,
Conforted with that harlot, trumpet Shore,
That by their witchcraft thus have marked me.

Haft. If they have done this deed, my noble LordGlo. If thou protector of this damned ftrumpet, Talk'st thou to me of Ifs? 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 Catesby, look that it be done:

The reft that love me, rife and follow me. [Exeunt.
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 rase our helms,
But I did scorn it, and disdain to fly;

Three times to-day my foot-cloth-horfe did ftumble,
And ftarted when he look'd upon the Tower,
As loth to bear me to the flaughter-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 self secure in grace and favour.
Oh Margret, Margret, now thy heavy curfe
Is lighted on poor Haftings' wretched head.

Cates, Come, come, difpatch; the Duke would be at

dinner.

Make a short shrift, he longs to fee your

head,

Haft.

Haft. O momentary grace of mortal men,

Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!

5

Who builds his hope in th' air of your fair looks,
Lives like a drunken failor on a mast,

Ready with every nod to tumble down

Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

Lov. Come, come, difpatch, "tis bootlefs to exclaim.
Haft. Oh bloody Richard! miferable England!
I prophefie 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 fhortly shall be dead.

[Exeunt.

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

Glo. COME, coufin, canst thou quake and change thy

colour,

Murther 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.

Enter the Lord Mayor, attended.
Buck. Let me alone to entertain him
Lord Mayor

5 in

Glo.

Glo. Look to the draw-bridge there.
Buck. Hark, a drum!

Glo. Some one o'erlook the walls.

Buck. Lord Mayor, the reafon we have sent
Glo. Look back, defend thee, here are enemies.
Buck. God and our innocence defend and guard us!

Enter Lovel and Catesby 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 Hastings.

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 fufpect.

Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'ft fhelter'd traitor-
Would you imagine, or almoft believe,
(Were'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 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 extream peril of the cafe,

The peace of England, and our perfon's 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 false traitors from the like attempts.

I never look'd for better at his hands,
After he once fell in with mistress Shore.

6 Catesby

Buck.

Buck. Yet had we not determin'd he fhould die,
Until your Lordship came to fee his end;
Which now the loving hafte of these our friends,
Something against our meaning hath prevented;
Because, my Lord,, we would have had you heard
The traitor fpeak, and tim'rously confefs
The manner and the purpofe of his treasons:
That you might well have fignify'd the fame
Unto the citizens, who haply may

Misconstrue us in him, and wail his death.

Mayor. 7'Tut! 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 witness what you hear we did intend:
And fo, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewel.
[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 house,
Which by the sign thereof was termed fo.
Moreover, urge his hateful luxury,

And beftial appetite in change of luft,

Which stretch unto their fervants, daughters, wives,
Ev'n where his ranging eye, or savage heart,
Without controul, lufted to make a prey.
Nay, for a need, thus far come near my perfon:
Tell them, when that my mother went with child ·

7 But, my

Of