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"And turn to his forfaken Home again :

Their Fashions are the fame, it cannot fail.

[Pulling out the other Paper.

7. Sh. But fee, the great Protector comes this way, Attended by a Train of waiting Courtiers:

Give me the Paper, Friend.

Alic. [Afide.] For Love and Vengeance!

[She gives her the other Paper.

* Enter the Duke of Glofler, Sir Richard Ratcliff, Catesby, Courtiers, and other Attendants.

7. Sh. [Kneeling. O Noble Glofter, turn thy gracious Eye, Incline thy pitying Ear to my Complaint,

A poor, undone, forfaken, helpless Woman,

Intreats a little Bread for Charity,

To feed her Wants, and fave her Life from perishing.

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Glot. Arife, fair Dame, and dry your wat'ry Eyes.

[Receiving the Paper, and raifing her.

Behrew me, but 'twere Pity of his Heart,

That could refufe a Boon to fuch a Suitress.

Y' have got a
noble Friend to be your
A worthy and right gentle Lord he is,

Advocate;

And to his Truft moft true. This Prefent, now,
Some Matters of the State detain our Leifure;
Thofe once difpatch'd, we'll call for you anon,
And give your Griefs Redrefs. Go too! be comforted.
7. Sh Good Heavens repay your Highness for this Pity,
And how'r down Bleffings on your Princely Head.
Come, my Alicia, reach thy friendly Arm,
And help me to fupport this feeble Frame;
That nodding totters with oppreffive Woe,
And faks beneath its Load.

(Exit. Jane Shore and Alicia.

Gloft.

Gloft. Now by my Hollidame!

Heavy of Heart fhe feems, and fore afflicted.'

But thus it is, when rude Calamity

Lays its ftrong Gripe upon thefe mincing Minions;

The Dainty gew-gaw Forms diffolve at once,

And fhiver at the Shock. What fays her Paper? [feeming to read Ha! what is this? Come nearer Ratcliff! Catesby!'

Mark the Contents, and then divine the Meaning.. [He reads.]

Wonder not, Princely Glofter, at the Notice →

This Paper brings you from a Friend unknown;
Lord Haftings is inclin❜d to call you Master,
And kneel to Richard, as to England's King;
But Shore's bewitching Wife misleads his Heart,
And draws his Service to King Edward's Sons:
Drive her away, you break the Charm that holds him,
And he, and all his Powers, attend on you.

Rat. 'Tis wonderful!

Cat. The Means by which it came,

Yet ftranger too!

Gloft. You faw it given but now.

Rat. She cou'd not know the Purport,

Gloft. No, 'tis plain-

She knows it not, it levels at her Life;

Should the prefume to prate of fuch high Matters,
The medling Harlot! dear she should abide it.
Cat. What Hand foe'er it comes from, be affur'd,
It means your Highness well-

Gloft. Upon the Inftant,

Lord Haftings will be here; this Morn I mean,
To prove him to the Quick; then if he flinch

No

No more but this, away with him at once;

He must be mine, or nothing--But he comes!
Draw nearer this way, and obferve me well.

Enter Lord Haftings.

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[They whijper.

L. Haft. This foolish Woman hangs about my Heart,
Lingers and wanders in my Fancy ftill;

This Coynefs is put on, 'tis Art and Cunning,
And worn to urge Defire

I mult poffefs her :

'The Groom, who lift his faucy Hand against me,
'Ere this, is humbled, and repents his daring.
Perhaps, ev'n fhe may profit by th' Example,
And teach her Beauty not to fcorn my Pow'r.
Gloft. This do, and wait me e'er the Council fits.

[Exeunt Ratcliff and Catesby.

My Lord, y'are well encounter'd, here has been
A fair Petitioner this Morning with us;
Believe me, she has won me much to pity her:
Alas her gentle Nature was not made
To buffet with Adverfity. I told her,

How worthily her Caufe you had befriended;
How much for your good fake we meant to do,
That you had spoke, and all Things fhou'd be well.

L. Haft. Your Highnefs binds me ever to your Service. Gloft. You know your Friendship is most potent with us, And shares our Power. But of this enough,

For we have other Matters for your Ear.
-The State is out of Tune, distracting Fears,
And jealous Doubts jar in our Publick Councils
Amidft the wealthy City, Murmurs rife,
Lewd Railings, and Reproach, on those that rule,
With open Scorn of Government; hence Credit,
And publick Truft'twixt Man and Man are broke.

The

The golden Streams of Commerce are with-held,
Which fed the Wants of needy Hinds and Artizans,
Who therefore curfe the Great, and threat Rebellion.
L. Haft. The refty Knaves are over-run with Eafe,
As Plenty ever is the Nurse of Faction:

If in good Days, like thefe, the Headstrong Herd, →
Grow madly wanton, and repine; it is

Because the Reins of Power are held too flack,
And Reverend Authority of late

Has worn a Face of Mercy more than Juftice.

Gloft. Befhrew my Heart! but you have well divin'd
The Source of thefe Disorders. Who can wonder
If Riot and Mif-rule o'erturn the Realm,
When the Crown fits upon a Baby Brow?

Plainly to fpeak; hence comes the general Cry,-
And Sum of all Complaint: "Twill ne'er be well
With England (thus they talk) while Children govern,

L. Haft. 'Tis true, the King is young; but what of that? We feel no want of Edward's riper Years,

While Glofter's Valour, and most Princely Wisdom
So well fupply our Infant Sovereign's Place,

His Youth's Support, and Guardian of his Throne.

Gleft. The Council (much I'm bound to thank 'em for't) Have plac'd a Pageant Sceptre in my Hand, Barren of Pow'r, and fubject to Controul; Scorn'd by my Foes, and ufelefs to my Friends: Oh, worthy Lord! Were mine the Rule indeed, I think, I should not fuffer rank Offence, At large to lord in the Commonweal, Nor wou'd the Realm be rent by Difcord thus, Thus Fear and Doubt betwixt difputed Titles.

L. Haft

L. Haft. Of this I am not to learn; as not fuppofing A Doubt like this----

Gloft. Ay, marry, but there is------

And that of much Concern. Have you not heard
How on a late Occafion, Doctor Shaw

Has mov'd the People much about the Lawfulness
Of Eduard's Illue? By right grave Authority
Of Learning and Religion, plainly proving,
A Bastard Scion never fhould be grafted
Upon a Royal Stock; from thence, at full
Difcourfing on my Brother's former Contract
To Lady Elizabeth Lucy, long before

His jolly Match with that fame buxom Widow
The Queen he left behind him

L. Haft. Ill befal

Such medling Priefts, who kindle up Confufion,
And vex the quiet World with their vain Scruples;
By Heav'n 'tis done in perfect fpight to Peace.
Did not the King,

Our Royal Mafter Edward, in Concurrence

With his Eftates affembled, well determine

What Courfe the Sovereign Rule should take henceforward?
When shall the deadly Hate of Faction ceafe,

When fhallour long divided Land have Reft,
If every peevish, moody Malecontent
Shall fet the fenfelefs Rabble in an Uproar;

Fright them with Dangers, and perplex their Brains,
Each Day with fome fantaftick giddy Change?

Gloft. What, if fome Patriot for the Publick Good,
Should vary from your Scheme, new-mold the State.

L. Hat, Curfe on the innovating Hand attempts it!

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