You faid, that idle weeds are faft in growth;

The prince my brother hath outgrown me far.
Glo. He hath, my Lord.

York. And therefore is he idle?

Glo. Oh, my fair coufin, I must not say so.
Tork. Then is he more beholden to you than I
Glo. He may command me as my Sovereign,
you have pow'r in me as in a kinsman.

But

York. I pray you, uncle, then give me this dagger. Glo. My dagger, little coufin? with all my heart. Prince. A beggar, brother?

York. Of my kind uncle, that I know will give ; And being a toy, it is no grief to give.

Glo. A greater gift than that I'll give my coufin.. Tork. A greater gift? O, that's the fword to it.. Glo. Ay, gentle coufin, were it light enough. York. O, then I fee you'll part but with light gifts; In weightier things you'll fay 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: Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me, Because that I am little like an ape,

He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders. Buck. With what a fharp provided wit he reasons !: To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,

He prettily and aptly taunts himself;

So cuning, and to young, is wonderful,

Glo. My gracious Lord, will' plea.e you pafs along? Myfelf and my good coufin Buckingham

Will to your mother, to intreat of her

To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you.

York. What will you go unto the Tower, my Lord?
Prince My Lord Protector needs will have it fo..
York. I fhall not fleep in quiet at the Tower.
Gle. Why, what thould you fear?

Tork. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry ghoft: My grandam told me he was murther'd there. Prince. I fear no uncles dead.

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.

[Exeunt Prince, York, Haltings, and Archbishop.

Manent Gloucefter, Buckingham, and Catesby.

Buck. Think you, my Lord, this little prating York Was not incenfed by his fubtle mother,

To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?

Glo. No doubt, no doubt: oh, 'tis a per lous boy, Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable; He's all the mother's, from the top to toe.

Buck. Well, let them reft. Come, Catesby, thou art As deeply to effect what we intend,

As clofely to conceal what we impart.

Thou know'ft our reafons urged upon the way:
What think'st thou? is it not an easy matter
To make Lord William Haftings of our mind,
For the inftalment of this Noble Duke

In the feat-royal of this famous ifle?

[fworn

Catef. He for his father's fake fo loves the Prince, That he will not be won to aught against him.

Buck. What think'st thou then of Stanley? will not
Catef. He will do all in all as Haftings doth. [he?
Buck, Well then, no more than this: go, gentle
Catesby,

And, as it were far off, found thou Lord Haftings,
How he doth ftand affected to our purpofe;

And fummon him to-morrow to the Tower,
To fit about the coronation.

If thou doft find him tractableto us,
Encourage him, and tell him all our reafons:
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
Be thou fo too; and fo break off the talk,
And give us notice of his inclination :
For we to-morrow hold divided councils,

Wherein thyself fhalt highly be employ'd.

[Catesby,

Glo. Commend me to Lord William; tell him, His antient knot of dangerous adverfaries To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret castle; And bid my friend, for joy of this good news, Give Viftrefs Shore one gentle kifs the more.

Buck. Good Catefby, go, effect this business foundly. Catef. My good Lords both, with all the heed I can. Glo Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we fleep? Catef. You fhail, my Lord.

Glo. At Crosby-place, there you fhall find us both.

[Exit Catefby. Buck. My Lord, what fhall we do, if we perceive Lord Haftings will not yield to our complots?

Glo. Chop off his head, man; fomewhat we will do And look, when I am King, claim thou of me The earldom of Hereford, and the moveables Whereof the King my brother flood poffefs'd.

Buck. I'll claim that promile at your Grace's hand, Glo. And look to have it yielded with all kindness. Come, let us fup betimes, that afterwards

We may digest our complots in fomne form. [Exeunt,

Enter a Meffenger to the door of Haltings.

Me My Lord, my Lord,

Haft. [Wibin.] Who knocks ?

Mel. One from Lord Stanley.

Haft. What is't o clock?

Me. Upon the ftroke of four.

Enter Lord Haftings.

Haft. Cannot thy mafter fleep thefe tedious nights? Me. So it appears by what I have to say:

First, he commends him to your Noble self.

Haft What then?

Me Then certifies your Lordship, that this night He dream'd the boar had rafed off his helm:

Befides, he fays, there are two councils held ;
And that may be determin'd at the one,

Which may make you and him to rue at th' other

Therefore he fends to know your Lordship's pleasure, If you will presently take horie with him,

And with all speed poft with him tow'rds the north,
To fhun the danger that his fou! divines.

Haft. Go, fellow, go, return unto thy Lord,
Bid him not fear the feparated councils.
His Honour and myfelf are at the one;
And at the other is my good friend Catesby;
Where nothing can proceed that toucheth us,
Whereof I fhall not have intelligence.

Tell him, his fears are fhallow, wanting 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 pulues,
Were to incenfe the boar to follow us,
And make purfuit where he did mean no chace.
Go, bid thy master rife, and come to me;
And we will both together to the Tower,
Where he fhall fee the boar will ufe us kindly.

Me. 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 stirring. What news, what news, in this our tott'ring ftate? Cates. 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 Catef Ay, my good Loid.

mean the [crown?

my

you

fhoul

[ders,

forward

Haft. ll have this crown of mine cut from
Before I'll fee the crown fo foul mifplac'd.
But cant thou guess that he doth aim at it?
Catef. Ay, on my life, and hopes to find
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 ftill my adverfaries;
But that I'll give my voice on Richard's fide,

To bar my mafter's heirs in true defcent,

God knows, I will not do it, to the death.

Catef. God keep your Lordship in that gracious mind!
Haft. But I ball laugh at this a twelvemonth hence,
That they who brought me in may master's hate,
I live to look upon their tragedy.

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 themfelves 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 youFor they account his head upon the bridge. [fide. Haft. I know they do; and I have well deferv'd it.

Enter Lord Stanley.

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

Stan. My Lord, good morrow; and good-morrow,

You may jest on, but, by the holy rood,

1 do not like thefe feveral councils, I.

[Catesby.

Haft. My Lord, I hold my life as dear as you do your's,

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 secure,

I would be so triumphant as I am?

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

Were jocund, and suppos'd their states were fure;
And they indeed had no cause to miftruft:

But yet, you fee, how foon the day o'ercast.
This fudden ftab of rancour I mifdoubt;

Pray God, I fay I prove a needlefs coward!

What, fhall we tow'd the Tower? the day is spent. Haft. Come, come, have with you: wot ye what, my Lord?

To-day the Lords you talk of, are beheaded.