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RIV. Come, Gray; come Vaughan; let us all embrace,

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Buckingham, Stanley, Haftings, bishop of Ely.

Catesby, Lovel, with others, at a table.

HAST. Now, noble peers, the cause 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, should 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.

HAST. I thank his grace, I know he loves me well;

But for his purpose in the coronation,

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 Gloucester.

ELY. In happy time here comes the duke himself. GLO. My noble lords and cousins all, good morrow;

I have been long a fleeper; but, I trust,

My abfence doth neglect no great defign,

Which by my presence might have been concluded.
BUCK. Had not you come upon your cue, my lord,
William lord Hastings 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 last in Holbourn,
I faw good strawberries in your garden there;
I do beseech you, fend for fome of them.

ELY. Marry, and will, my lord, with all my

heart.

GLO. Coufin of Buckingham, a word with you.
-Catefby hath founded Hastings in our business,
And finds the testy gentleman fo hot,
That he will lofe his head, ere give consent
His master's fon, as worshipfully he terms it,
Shall lofe the royalty of England's throne,
BUCK. Withdraw yourself a while, I'll

[Exit Ely.

go with you. [Exeunt Glo. and Buck,

STAN. We have not yet set down this day of triumph.

To-morrow, in my judgment, is too sudden;

For I myself am not so 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 Gloucester ?

I have fent for these strawberries.

HAST. His grace looks chearfully and smooth this morn

There's fome conceit, or other, likes him well,

When that he bids good morrow with fuch fpirit.

I think, there's me'er a man in christendom

[ing:

Can leffer hide his love, or hate, than he,

For by his face strait fhall you know his heart.

STAN. What of his heart perceive you in his face, By any likelihood he shew'd to day?

HAST. 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.

HAST. 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 deserved death.

GLO. Then be your eyes the witness 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 monftrous witch,
Conforted with that harlot, ftrumpet 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 St. Paul I fwear,
I will not dine until I fee the same;

Lovel and Catesby, look that it be done :
The reit, that love me, rife and follow me.

[Exeunt.

Manent Lovel and Catesby, with the lord Haftings.

HAST, 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 started when he look'd upon the Tower;
As loth to bear me to the flaughter-houfe.
-O, now I need the prieft 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.
Oh, Margret, Margret, now thy heavy curfe
Is lighted on poor Haftings' wretched head.

CAT. Come, come, difpatch. The duke would be at Make a fhort fhrift; he longs to fee your head.

HAST, O momentary grace of mortal men, Which we more hunt for than the grace of God! Who builds his hope in air of your fair looks, Lives like a drunken failor on a maft,

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Ready with every nod to tumble down

Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

.

[dinner,

Lov. Come, come, dispatch: 'tis bootless to exclaim.

HAST. Oh, bloody Richard! miferable England!

I prophefy the fearful'st time to thee,

That ever wretched age hath look'd upon.

Come, lead me to the block, bear him my head;
They fimile at me, who fhortly fhall be dead.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. Changes to the Tower-walls. Enter Gloucester and Buckingham in rufty armour, marvellous ill-favour'd,

GLO. Come, coufin, cant thou quake and change thy

Murder thy breath in middle of a word,

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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 t

: Enter Lovel and Catesby with Hasling's head.
GLO. Be patient, they are friends; Catesby and Lovel.
Lov. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,

The dangerous and unfuspected Hastings.

GLO. So dear I lov'd the man, that I must 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 hiftory of all her fecret thoughts;

So imooth he daub'd his vice with fhew of virtue,
That, his apparent open guilt omitted,

I mean his converfation with Shore's wife,

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