And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast, In him that did object the same to thee: That, if his rule were true, he should be gracious. York. Marry, they say, my uncle grew so fast, Duch. His nurse! why, she was dead ere thou wast born. York. If 'twere not she, I cannot tell who told me. Q. Eliz. A parlous boy. Go to, you are too shrewd. Arch. Good madam, be not angry with the child. Q. Eliz. Pitchers have ears. Enter a Messenger. Arch. Here comes a messenger: what news with you? Well, madam, and in health. And with them sir Thomas Vaughan, prisoners. Mess. The sum of all I can I have disclos'd: Why, or for what, the nobles were committed, Is all unknown to me, my gracious lady. Q. Eliz. Ah me! I see the ruin of my house. Upon the innocent and awless throne :- Duch. Accursed and unquiet wrangling days, Q. Eliz. Come, come, my boy; we will to sanctuary.Madam, farewell. Duch. [To the Queen. Stay, I will go with you. Q. Eliz. You have no cause. Arch. My gracious lady, go, And thither bear your treasure and your goods. For my part, I'll resign unto your grace The seal I keep and so betide to me, As well I tender you, and all of yours. Go; I'll conduct you to the sanctuary. [Exeunt. Buck. Welcome, sweet prince, to London, to your chamber. Glo. Welcome, dear cousin, my thoughts' sovereign: The weary way hath made you melancholy. Prince. No, uncle; but our crosses on the way I all. Prince. I thank you, good my lord; and thank you [Exeunt Mayor, &c. thought my mother, and my brother York, Would long ere this have met us on the way: Fie! what a slug is Hastings, that he comes not To tell us whether they will come or no. Enter HASTINGS. Buck. And in good time here comes the sweating lord. Prince. Welcome, my lord. What, will our mother come? Hast. On what occasion, God he knows, not I, The queen your mother, and your brother York, Have taken sanctuary: the tender prince Glo. Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of your years Would fain have come with me to meet your grace, Hath not yet div'd into the world's deceit : No more can you distinguish of a man, Than of his outward show; which, God he knows, were none. Glo. My lord, the mayor of London comes to greet you. Enter the Lord Mayor, and his Train. May. God bless your grace with health and happy days! But by his mother was perforce withheld. Buck. Fie! what an indirect and peevish course Is this of hers.-Lord cardinal, will your grace Persuade the queen to send the duke of York Unto his princely brother presently? If she deny, lord Hastings, go with him, And from her jealous arms pluck him perforce. Card. My lord of Buckingham, if my weak oratory Can from his mother win the duke of York, Anon expect him here; but if she be obdurate To mild entreaties, God in heaven forbid We should infringe the holy privilege Of blessed sanctuary! not for all this land, Would I be guilty of so great a sin. Buck. You are too strict and abstinent, my lord, Too ceremonious, and traditional : Weigh it but with the goodness of his age, To those whose dealings have deserv'd the place, Card. My lord, you shall o'er-rule my mind for once.- may. Prince. Good lords, make all the speedy haste you [Exeunt Cardinal and HASTINGS. Say, uncle Gloster, if our brother come, Where shall we sojourn till our coronation? Glo. Where it seems best unto your royal self. If I may counsel you, some day, or two, Prince. I do not like the Tower, of any place.- Buck. He did, my gracious lord, begin that place, Which, since, succeeding ages have re-edified. Prince. Is it upon record, or else reported Successively from age to age, he built it? Buck. It is upon record, my gracious lord. Glo. So wise so young, they say, do ne'er live long. Prince. What say you, uncle? [Aside. Glo. I say without characters fame lives long. Thus, like the formal Vice, Iniquity, I moralize two meanings in one word. [Aside. Prince. That Julius Cæsar was a famous man: Glo. Short summers lightly have a forward spring. Prince. Richard of York! how fares our noble brother? York. Well, my dread lord; so must I call you now. Prince. Ay, brother; to our grief, as it is yours. Too late he died, that might have kept that title, Which by his death hath lost much majesty. Glo. How fares our cousin, noble lord of York? York. But Glo. He may command me as my sovereign, York. Of my kind uncle, that I know will give; And, being but a toy, which is no grief to give. Glo. A greater gift than that I'll give my cousin. York. A greater gift? O! that's the sword to it. Glo. Ay, gentle cousin, were it light enough. York. O! then, I see, you'll part but with light gifts: In weightier things you'll say a beggar, nay. Glo. It is too weighty for your grace to wear. York. I weigh it lightly, were it heavier. Glo. What! would you have my weapon, little lord? York. I would, that I might thank you as you call me. Glo. How? York. Little. Prince. My lord of York will still be cross in talk. Uncle, your grace knows how to bear with him. York. You mean, to bear me, not to bear with me.— He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders. Glo. My lord, will't please your grace to pass along? To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you. York. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghost: Glo. Nor none that live, I hope. Prince. An if they live, I hope, I need not fear. But come, my lord, and, with a heavy heart, Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower. [A sennet. Exeunt Prince, YORK, HASTINGS, Cardinal, and Attendants. Buck. Think you, my lord, this little prating York Was not incensed by his subtle mother To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously? Glo. No doubt, no doubt. O! 'tis a perilous boy; Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable: He's all the mother's from the top to toe. Buck. Well, let them rest.-Come hither, Catesby. Thou art sworn as deeply to effect what we intend, As closely to conceal what we impart. Thou know'st our reasons urg'd upon the way :What think'st thou? is it not an easy matter To make William lord Hastings of our mind, For the instalment of this noble duke In the seat royal of this famous isle? Cate. He for his father's sake so loves the prince, That he will not be won to aught against him. Buck. What think'st thou then of Stanley? will not he? Cate. He will do all in all as Hastings doth. Buck. Well then, no more but this. Go, gentle And, as it were far off, sound thou lord Hastings, And summon him to-morrow to the Tower, To sit about the coronation. If thou dost find him tractable to us, Cate. Many good morrows to my noble lord! Glo. Commend me to lord William: tell him, Till Richard wear the garland of the realm. Catesby, His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries Buck. Good Catesby, go: effect this business soundly. Glo. At Crosby-place, there shall you find us both. Hast. How? wear the garland! dost thou mean the crown? Cate. Ay, my good lord. Hast. I'll have this crown of mine cut from my Before I'll see the crown so foul misplac'd. Cate. Ay, on my life; and hopes to find you forward Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots? do: sure, If you will presently take horse with him, And with all speed post with him toward the north, Hast. Go, fellow, go; return unto thy lord. Tell him, his fears are shallow, without instance : To bar my master's heirs in true descent, Cate. God keep your lordship in that gracious mind. That they which brought me in my master's hate, Cate. 'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord, Hast. O monstrous, monstrous! and so falls it out Come on, come on; where is your boar-spear, man? good morrow, You may jest on, but, by the holy rood, Was it so precious to me as 'tis now. Think you, but that I know our state secure, I would be so triumphant as I am? Stan. The lords at Pomfret, when they rode from Were jocund, and suppos'd their states were sure, To-day, the lords you talk of are beheaded. Stan. They for their truth might better wear their Than some that have accus'd them wear their hats. Enter a Pursuivant. Purs. God hold it to your honour's good content. I'm in your debt for your last exercise ; Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you. Enter BUCKINGHAM. Buck. What, talking with a priest, lord chamberlain! Hast. 'Good faith, and when I met this holy man, Buck. I do, my lord; but long I cannot stay there: Hast. Nay, like enough, for I stay dinner there. Buck. And supper too, although thou know'st it not. [Aside. Come, will you go? Hast. I'll wait upon your lordship. [Exeunt. Riv. Sir Richard Ratcliff, let me tell thee this :— Grey. God bless the prince from all the pack of you! Vaugh. You live, that shall cry woe for this here- Rat. Despatch! the limit of your lives is out. Within the guilty closure of thy walls, Richard the Second here was hack'd to death: And, for more slander to thy dismal seat, We give to thee our guiltless blood to drink. SCENE IV.-London. A Room in the Tower. BUCKINGHAM, STANLEY, HASTINGS, the Bishop of ELY, CATESBY, LOVEL, and others, sitting at a Table: Officers of the Council attending. Hast. Now, noble peers, the cause why we are met In God's name, speak, when is this royal day? Ely. Your grace, we think, should soonest know his Buck. We know each other's faces; for our hearts, Hast. I thank his grace, I know he loves me well; I have not sounded him, nor he deliver'd Ely. In happy time here comes the duke himself. Buck. Had you not come upon your cue, my lord, His lordship knows me well, and loves me well. Grey. Now Margaret's curse is fallen upon our As else I would be, were the day prolong'd. Re-enter Bishop of ELY. Ely. Where is my lord, the duke of Gloster? I have sent for these strawberries. Hast. His grace looks cheerfully and smooth this There's some conceit or other likes him well, Hast. Marry, that with no man here he is offended; Re-enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM. Hast. The tender love I bear your grace, my lord, Glo. Then, be your eyes the witness of their evil.— Look how I am bewitch'd; behold mine arm Is like a blasted sapling wither'd up: And this is Edward's wife, that monstrous witch, Consorted with that harlot, strumpet Shore, That by their witchcraft thus have marked me. Hast. If they have done this deed, my noble lord, Glo. If! thou protector of this damned strumpet, 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 see the same.Lovel, and Ratcliff, look that it be done : The rest, that love me, rise, and follow me. [Exeunt Council, with GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM. Hast. Woe, woe, for England! not a whit for me; For I, too fond, might have prevented this. Stanley did dream the boar did rase his helm; And I did scorn it, and disdained to fly. Three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did stumble, And started when he look'd upon the Tower, As loath to bear me to the slaughter-house. O! now I need the priest that spake to me: I now repent I told the pursuivant, As too triumphing, how mine enemies, To-day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd, And I myself secure in grace and favour. O, Margaret, Margaret! now thy heavy curse Is lighted on poor Hastings' wretched head. Rat. Come, come; despatch, the duke would be at dinner: Make a short shrift; he longs to see your head. Hast. O, momentary grace of mortal men, Lov. Come, come, despatch: 'tis bootless to exclaim. SCENE V.-The Same. The Tower Walls. Enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM, in rusty armour, marvellous ill-favoured, and in haste. Glo. Come, cousin, canst thou quake, and change Murder thy breath in middle of a word, As if thou wert distraught, and mad with terror? At any time to grace my stratagems. Glo. He is; and, see, he brings the mayor along. Glo. Catesby, o'erlook the walls. Glo. Look back, defend thee: here are enemies. Buck. God and our innocency defend and guard us! Enter LovEL and RATCLIFF, with HASTINGS' Head, on a Spear. Glo. Be patient, they are friends; Ratcliff, and Lovel. Lov. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor, The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings. Glo. So dear I lov'd the man, that I must weep. So smooth he daub'd his vice with show of virtue, I mean his conversation with Shore's wife, Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'st shelter'd traitor That ever liv'd.— Would you imagine, or almost believe, Glo. What! think you we are Turks, or infidels? But that the extreme peril of the case, The peace of England, and our persons' safety, May. Now, fair befal you! he deserv'd his death; 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 see his end, Which now the loving haste of these our friends, Something against our meanings, hath prevented: Because, my lord, I would have had you hear The traitor speak, and timorously confess The manner and the purpose of his treasons; That you might well have signified the same Unto the citizens, who, haply, may Misconstrue us in him, and wail his death. May. But, my good lord, your grace's words shall serve, As well as I had seen, and heard him speak: Glo. And to that end we wish'd your lordship here, Glo. Go, after, after, cousin Buckingham. The mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post : There, at your meetest vantage of the time, Infer the bastardy of Edward's children: Tell them, how Edward put to death a citizen, Only for saying-he would make his son |