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Stan. They, for their truth, might better wear their

heads,

Than fome that have accus'd them wear their hats. But come, my Lord, away.

Enter a Purfuivant:

Haft. Go on before, I'll talk with this good fellow. [Exeunt Lord Stanley and Catesby. Sirrah, how now? how goes the world with thee? Purf. The better that your Lordship please to ask. Haft. I tell thee, man, 'tis better with me now, Than when thou met'ft me laft where now we meet. Then I was going prifoner to the Tower, By the fuggeftion of the Queen's allies; But now I tell thee, (keep it to thy felf), This day thofe enemies are put to death, And I in better state than e'er I was.

Purf. God hold it to your Honour's good content! Haft. Gramercy, fellow; there, drink that for me. [Throws han his purfe. Purf. I thank your Honour. [Exit Purfuivant. Enter a Prieft.

Prieft. Well met, my Lord, I'm glad to fee your

Honour.

Haft. I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart; I'm in your debt for your last exercise.

Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you.

Enter Buckingham.

[He whispers.

Buck. What, talking with a prieft, Lord Chamber

lain?

Your friends at Pomfret they do need the priest,

Your Honour hath no fhriving work in hand.

Haft. Good faith, and when I met this holy man, The men you talk of came into my mind. What, go you tow'rd the Tower?

Buck. I do, my Lord, but long I fhall not flay. I fhall return before your Lordship thence.

Haft. Nay, like enough, for I ftay dinner there.

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Buck. And fupper too, altho' thou know'st it not.

Come, will you go ?

Haft. I'll wait upon your Lordship.

[Afide.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Changes to Pomfret castle.

Enter Sir Richard Ratcliff, with halberts, carrying Lord Rivers, Lord Gray, and Sir Thomas Vaughan, to death.

Rat. Come, bring forth the prifoners.

Riv. Sir Richard Ratcliff, let me tell thee this,
To-day fhalt thou behold a fubject die,

For truth, for duty, and for loyalty.

Gray. God keep the Prince from all the pack of you!

A knot you are of damned blood fuckers.

Vaugh. You live that fhall cry woe for this hereafter.
Rat. Dispatch; the limit of your lives is out.

Riv. O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prifon,
Fatal and ominous to Noble Peers!

Within the guilty closure of thy walls

Richard the Second, here, was hack'd to death;
And, for more flander to thy difmal feat,

We give to thee our guiltlefs blood to drink.

Gray. Now Marg'ret's curfe is fall'n upon our heads,
When the exclaimed on Haftings, you, and I,
For standing by when Richard stabb'd her fon,

Riv. Then curs'd fhe Richard, curs'd fhe Buckingham,
Then curs'd The Haftings. O remember, God!
To hear her prayer for them, as now for us.
As for my filter, and her princely fons,
Be fatisfy'd, dear God, with our true blood ;-
Which, as thou know'ft, unjustly must be spilt.

Rat. Make hafte, the hour of death is now expir'd.
Riv. Come, Gray; come, Vaughan; let us all em-

brace;

Farewel, until we meet again in heaven. [Exeunt.

SCENE V. The Tower.

Buckingham, Stanley, Haftings, Bishop of Ely, Catesby,
Lovel, with others, at a table.

Haft. Now, Noble Peers, the cause why we are met

Is to determine of the coronation.

In God's name speak, 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, fhould fooneft know his mind.

Buck. We know each other's faces: for our hearts, He knows no more of mine than I of your's; Nor I of his, my Lord, than you of mine. Lord Haftings, you and he are near in love.

Haft. I thank his Grace, I know he loves me well. But for his purpose in the coronation,

I 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 Gloucefter.

Ely. In happy time here comes the Duke himself. Glo. My Noble Lords and coufins all, good-morrow: I have been long a fleeper; but I trust

My abfence doth neglect no great defign,

Which by my prefence might have been concluded.
Buck. Had you not come upon your cue, my Lord,
William Lord Haftings 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 laft in Holbourn,
I faw good ftrawberries in your garden there:
I do beseech 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 Hallings in our business,
And finds the tefty gentleman fo hot,

That he will lofe his head, ere give confent,
His master's fon, as worshipfully he terms it,

Shall lofe the royalty of England's throne.

Buck. Withdraw yourself a while; I'll go with you. [Exeunt Glo. and Buck.

Stan. We have not yet fet down this day of triumph.. To-morrow, in my judgment, is too fudden; For I myself am not to 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 Gloucefter? 1 have fent traitway for thefe ftrawberries.

Haft. His Grace looks chearfully and smooth this morning:

There's fome conceit or other likes him well,
When that he bids good-morrow with fuch fpirit.
I think there's ne'er a man in Chriftendom

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 deferve,
That do confpire my death with devilish plots
Of damned witchcraft, and that have prevail'd
Upon my body with their hellifh charms.

Haft. The tender love I bear your Grace, my Lord, Makes me moft 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 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 monftrous witch,
Conforted with that harlot, ftrumpet Shore,
That by their witchcraft thus have marked me.
Haft. If they have done this deed, my Noble Lord-
Glo. If thou protector of this damned strumpet,
Talk't 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 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 raife our helms;
But I did fcorn it, and difdain 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 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.
Oh, Margret, Marg'ret, now thy heavy curfe
Is lighted on poor Haftings' wretched head.

Catef. Come, come, dispatch; the Duke will be at dinner.

Make a fhort fhrift, he longs to fee your head.
Haft. O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!
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. O bloody Richard! miferable England!

I prophefy the fearfull'ft time to thee

That ever wretched age hath look'd upon.

Come, lead me to the block, bear him my head.
They file at me who fhortly shall be dead. [Exeunt.
SCENE VI. Changes to the Tower-walls.
Enter Cloucester and Buckingham in rufty armour,
marvellous ill favour'd.

Glo. Come, confin canft thou quake and change thy Murther thy breath in middle of a word, [colour,

And then again begin, and ftop again,

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