"He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber,
To the lafcivious pleafing of a lute.

But I, that am not fhap'd for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an am'rous looking-glafs,-
I, that am rudely stampt, and want love's majefty,
To ftrut before a wanton ambling Nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by diffembling nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, fent before my time
Into this breathing world, fcarce half made up;
And that fo lamely and unfashionably,
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them:
Why I, in this weak piping time of peace
Have no delight to pass away the time;
Unless to spy my fhadow in the Sun,
And defcant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, fince I cannot prove a lover, 4
To entertain these fair well-fpoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
To fet my brother Clarence and the King
In deadly hate, the one against the other:
By drunken prophefies, libels, and dreams,
2 He capers- -] War capers.
This is poetical, though a little
harth; if it be York that capers,
the antecedent is at fuch a dif-
tance that it is almoft forgotten.
3 Cheated of feature by dif-
fembling nature,] By dif-
fembling is not meant hypocritical
nature, that pretends one thing
and does another: But nature
that puts together things of a
diffimular kind, as a brave foul
and a deformed body.

WARBURTON.

Difembling is here put very licentiously for frandful, deceit ful.

4 And therefore, fince I cannot

prove a lover,] Shakespeare very diligently inculcates, that the wickednefs of Richard proceeded from his deformity, from the envy that rofe at the comparifon of his own perfon with others, and which incited him to disturb the pleasures that he could not partake.

And hate the idle pleasures.]
Perhaps we might read,
And bate the idle pleafures.

Inductions dangerous.] Preparations for mischief. The Induction is preparatory to the action of the play. And

And, if King Edward be as true and juft,
As I am fubtle, falfe, and treacherous,
This day should Clarence clofely be mew'd up;
About a Prophefy, which fays, that G

Of Edward's Heirs the Murtherer fhall be.
-Dive, thoughts, down to my foul! here Clarence comes.

Enter Clarence guarded, and Brakenbury.

Brother, good day, what means this armed Guard,
That waits upon your Grace?

Clar. His Majefty,

Tend'ring my perfon's fafety, hath appointed
This conduct to convey me to the Tower.
Glo. Upon what caufe?

Clar. Because my name is George.

Glo. Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours;
He should for That commit your godfathers.
Belike, his Majesty hath some intent,

That you should be new chriftened in the Tower.
But what's the matter, Clarence, may I know?

Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know; for, I proteft, As yet I do not; but as I can learn,

He hearkens after Prophefies and Dreams,
And from the cross-row plucks the letter G ;
And says, a wizard told him, that by G
His Iffue difinherited should be.

And, for my name of George begins with G,
It follows in his thought, that I am he.
Thefe, as I learn, and fuch like * toys as thefe,
Have mov'd his Highnefs to commit me now.
Glo. Why, this it is, when men are rul'd by women.
'Tis not the King that fends you to the Tower,
My lady Gray his wife, Clarence, 'tis fhe,
That tempts him to this harsh extremity.

sEdward be as true and juft,] i. e. as open hearted and free from deceit. WARB. The meaning is only this; if

Edward keeps his word.
*Toys.] Fancies, freaks of
imagination.

Was

Was it not fhe, and that good man of worship,
Anthony Woodvil her brother there,

That made him fend lord Haftings to the Tower!
From whence this day he is delivered.

We are not fafe, Clarence, we are not fafe.

Clar. By heav'n, I think, there is no man fecure
But the Queen's kindred, and night-walking heralds,
That trudge between the King and mistress Shore.
Heard you not, what an humble fuppliant.
Lord Haftings was to her for his delivery?
Glo. Humbly complaining to her Deity,
Got my lord Chamberlain his liberty.
I'll tell you what ;-I think, it is our way,
If we will keep in favour with the King,
To be her men, and wear her livery:
*The jealous o'erworn widow, and herself,
Since that our Brother dubb'd them gentlewomen,
Are mighty goffips in this Monarchy.

Brak. I beg your Graces both to pardon me:
His Majefty has ftraitly giv'n in charge,
That no man fhall have private conference,
Of what degree foever, with your brother.

Glo. Ev'n fo, an't pleafe your worship? Brakenburg, You may partake of any thing we lay,

We fpeak no treafon, man-we fay, the King
Is wile and virtuous; and his noble Queen
Well ftrook in years; fair, and not jealous
We fay, that Shore's wife hath a pretty foot,
A cherry lip, a paffing pleafing tongue;
That the Queen's kindred are made gentle-folk.
How fay you, Sir? can you deny all this?

Brak. With this, my lord, myfelf have nought to do.
Glo. What, fellow? nought to do with mistrels

Shore?

I tell you, Sir, he that doth naught with her,

6 Humbly complaining, &c.] I think there two lines might be better given to Clarence.

*The jealous o'erworn widow.] That is, the Queen and Shore.

Excepting

Excepting one, were beft to do it fecretly.
Brak. What one, my Lord?

Glo. Her husband, knave-wouldst thou betray me? Brak. I do befeech your Grace to pardon me, And to forbear your conf'rence with the Duke. Clar. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey.

Glo. We are the 7 Queen's abjects, and must obey.
Brother, farewel; I will unto the King,
And whatfoe'er you will employ me in,
Were it to call King Edward's widow fifter, "
I will perform it to infranchise you.

Mean time, this deep difgrace of brotherhood
Touches me deeper than you can imagine.

Clar. I know it pleaseth neither of us well.
Glo. Well, your imprisonment fhall not be long,
I will deliver you, or elfe lye for you:
Mean time have patience.

Clar. I muft perforce; farewel. [Exe. Brak. Clar.
Glo. Go, tread the path that thou fhalt ne'er return:
Simple, plain Clarence!-I do love thee fo,
That I will fhortly fend thy foul to heav'n,
If heav'n will take the Prefent at our hands.
-But who comes here? the new-deliver'd Haftings?

Enter Lord Haftings.

Haft. Good time of day unto my gracious lord.
Gio. As much unto my good lord Chamberlain :

7 the Queen's abjects.-] That is, not the Qven's fubjects, whom the mig protect, but her abjects, whom the drives away.

Were it to cal king Edward's widow fifier,] This is a very covert and fubtle manner of infinuating treafon. The natural expresion would have been, wwere it to call King Edward's

wife fifter. I will folicit for you though it fhould be at the expence of fo mach degradation and conftraint, as to own the lowborn wife of King Edward for a fifter. But by flipping ap it were cafually widow into the place of wife, he tempts Clarence with an oblique propofal to kill the king.

Well

Well are you welcome to the open air.

How hath your lordship brook'd imprisonment? Haft. With patience, noble lord, as pris'ners muft: But I fhall live, my lord, to give them thanks, That were the caufe of my imprisonment.

Glo. No doubt, no doubt; and fo fhall Clarence too; For they, that were your enemies, are his, And have prevail'd as much on him as you.

Haft. More pity, that the Eagle should be mew'd, While kites and buzzards prey at liberty.

Glo. What news abroad?

Haft. No news fo bad abroad, as this at home; The King is fickly, weak and melancholy,

And his Phyficians fear him mightily.

Glo. Now, by St. Paul, that news is bad, indeed.

O, he hath kept an evil diet long,

And over-much confum'd his royal perfon: 'Tis very grievous to be thought upon. Where is he, in his bed?

Haft. He is.

Glo. Go you before, and I will follow you.

[Exit Haftings.. He cannot live, I hope; and must not die, 'Till George be pack'd with post-horse up to heav'n. I'll in, to urge his hatred more to Clarence, With Lies well fteel'd with weighty arguments; And if I fail not in my deep intent, Clarence hath not another day to live:

Which done, God take King Edward to his mercy;
And leave the world for me to bustle in!

For then, I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter;
What though I kill'd her husband, and her father?
The readieft way to make the wench amends,
Is to become her husband and her father:
The which will I, not all fo much for love,
As for another fecret close intent,
By marrying her, which I must reach unto.
-But yet I run before my horfe to market:

Clarence