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In common worldly things, 'tis call'd-ungrate. For, by the way, I'll sort occasion,

ful,
With dull unwillingness to repay a debt,
Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent;
Much more to be thus opposite with heaven,
For it requires the royal debt it lent you.

Ris. Madam, bethink you, like a careful
mother,

Of the young prince your son: send straight
for him,
Let him be crown'd; in him your comfort
lives
Drown desperate sorrow in dead Edward's
grave,

And plant your joys in living Edward's throne.

Enter GLOSTER, BUCKINGHAM, STANLEY,
HASTINGS, RATCLIFF, and others.

Glo. Sister, have comfort: all of us have

cause

To wail the dimming of our shining star;

As index to the story we late talk'd of,
To part the queen's proud kindred from the
prince.

Glo. My other self, my counsel's consistory,
My oracle, my prophet!- My dear cousin,
I, as a child, will go by thy direction.
Towards Ludlow then, for we'll not stay behind.
[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same. A Street.

Enter two CITIZENS, meeting.

1 Cit. Good morrow, neighbour: Whither away so fast?

2 Cit. I promise you, I scarcely know my

self:

Hear you the news abroad?

1 Cit. Yes; the king's dead.

2 Cit. Ill news, by'r lady; seldom comes the

better:

But none can cure their harms by wailing 1 fear, I fear, 'twill prove a giddy world.

them.

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That bear this mutual heavy load of moan,
Now cheer each other in each other's love:

3 Cit. Woe to that land, that's govern'd by a 2 Cit. In him there is a bope of government; That, in his nonage, & council under him,

No doubt, shall then, and till then, govern

well.

Though we have spent our harvest of this And, in his full and ripen'd years, himself,

king,

We are to reap the harvest of his son.

The broken rancour of your high swoln hearts,
But lately splinted, knit, and join'd together,
Must gently be preserv'd, cherish'd, and kept:
Me seemeth good, that with some little train,
Forthwith from Ludlow the young prince be

fetch'd

Hither to London, to be crown'd our king.

Ris. Why with some little train, my lord of
Buckingham ?

Buck. Marry, my lord, lest, by a multitude, The new-heal'd wound of malice should break out;

Which would be so much the more dangerous,
By how much the estate is green, and yet ungo-

vern'd:

Where every horse bears his commanding rein,
And may direct his course as please himself,
As well the fear of harm, as harm apparent,

In my opinion, ought to be prevented.

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Was crown'd in Paris but at nine months old.

3 Cit. Stood the state so? no, no, good friends,
God wot;

For then this land was famously enrich'd
With politic grave counsel; then the king
Had virtuous uncles to protect his grace.

1 Cit. Why, so hath this, both by his father
and mother.

3 Cit. Better it were they all came by his
father;

Or, by his father, there were none at all :
For emulation now, who shall be nearest,
Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not.
Oh! full of danger is the duke of Gloster;
And the queen's sons, and brothers, haught and
proud:

Glo. I hope the king made peace with all This sickly land might solace as before.

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Which, haply, by much company might be When the sun sets, who doth not look for

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4 Min Cusserse.

2 Cit. Marry, we were sent for to the jus- | Duch. Who hath committed them! tice's.

3 Cit. And so was I; I'll bear you company.
[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. The same. -A Room in the
Palace.

Enter the Archbishop of YORK, the young
Duke of YORK, Queen ELIZABETH, and the
Duchess of YORK.

Arch. Last night I heard, they lay at Stony-
Stratford;

And at Northampton they do rest to-night:
To-morrow, or next day, they will be here.

Duch. I long with all my heart to see the

prince;

I hope, he is much grown since last I saw him.
Q. Eliz. But I hear, no; they say, my son of

York

Hath almost overta'en him in his growth.

York. Ay, mother, but I would not have it

80.

Duch. Why, my young cousin; it is good to grow.

York. Grandam, one night, as we did sit at
supper,

My uncle Rivers talk'd how I did grow
More than my brother; Ay, quoth my uncle
Gloster,

Small herbs have grace, great weeds do grow
apace:

And since, methinks, I would not grow so fast, Because sweet flowers are slow, and weeds make haste.

Duch. 'Good faith, 'good faith, the saying did not hold

In him that did object the same to thee :

He was the wretched'st thing, when he was
young,

So long a growing, and so leisurely,
That, if his role were true, he should be gra-
cious.

Arch. And so, no doubt, he is, my gracious

madam.

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York. Now, by my troth, if I had been re-
member'd,

I could have given my uncle's grace a flout,
To touch his growth, nearer than he touch'd
mine.

Duch. How, my young York? I prythee, let
me hear it.

York. Marry, they say, my uncle grew so
fast,

That he could gnaw a crnst at two hours old;
'Twas full two years ere I could get a tooth.
Grandam, this would have been a biting jest.
Duch. I pr'ythee, pretty York, who told thee
this?

York. Grandam, his nurse.
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.

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Mess. The mighty dukes,
Gloster and Buckingham.
Q. Eliz. For what offence ?
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. Elis. Ahl me, I see the ruin of my
house!

The tiger now hath seiz'd the gentle hind;
Insulting tyranny begins to jut
Upon the innocent and awless throne :-
Welcome, destruction, blood, and massacre !
I see, as in a map the end of all.

Duch. Accursed and unquiet wrangling days
How many of you have mine eyes beheld !
My husband lost his life to get the crown;
And often up and down my sons were tost,
For me to joy, and weep, their gain, and loss:
And being seated, and domestic broils
Clean over-blown, themselves, the conquerers,
Make war upon themselves; brother to bro-
ther,

ons

Blood to blood, self 'gainst self:-0 preposter-
And frantic courage, end thy damned spleen;
Or let me die, to look on death no more!

Q. Eliz. Come, come, my boy, we will to
sanctuary,一
Madam, farewell.

Duch. Stay, I will go with you.
Q. Eliz. You have no cause.

Arch. My gracious lady, go, [To the QUEEN.
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 your's!
Come, I'll conduct you to the sanctuary.

АСТ II.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.-The same. -A Street.

The trumpets sound. Enter the Prince of
WALES, GLOSTER, BUCKINGHAM, Cardinal
BOUCHIER, and others.

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

Have made it tedious, wearisome, and heavy:
I want more uncles here to welcome me.

Glo. Sweet prince, the untainted virtue of
your years

Have 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,

Seldom, or never, jumpeth with the heart.
Those uncles, which you want, were danger-
ous;

Your grace attended to the sugar'd words,
But look'd not on the poison of their hearts:
God keep you from them, and from such false
friends!

Prince. God keep me from false friends! but

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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 deep a sin.

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Prince. Richard of York! how fares our loving brother ?

York. Well, my dread lord; so must I call
you now.
Prince. Ay, brother; to our grief, as it is
your's:

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. I thank you, gentle uncle. O my lord,

You said that idle weeds are fast in growth: Buck. You are too senseless-obstinate, my The prince my brother hath outgrown me far.

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Glo. He hath, my lord.

York. And therefore is he idle ?

Glo. O my fair cousin, I must not say so. York. Then is he more beholden to you,

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York. What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord ? Prince. My lord protector needs will have it so.

Come, let us sup betimes; that afterwards
We may digest our complots in some form.
[Exeunt.

York. I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower. SCENE II.-Before Lord HASTINGS' House
Glo. Why, Sir, what should you fear ?
York. Marry, my uncle Clarence' angry

ghost;

My grandam told me, he was murder'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, 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: Oh! 'tis a parlous
boy;

Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable; +
He's all the mother's, from the top to toe.
Buck. Well, let them rest.-
Come hither, gentle Catesby; thou art sworn
As deeply to effect what we intend,

As closely to conceal what we impart:

Enter a MESSENGER.

[Knocking.

Mess. My lord, my lord,-
Hast. [Within.] Who knocks ?
Mess. One from lord Stanley.
Hast. [Within.] What is't o'clock ?
Mess. Upon the stroke of four.

Enter HASTINGS.

Hast. Cannot thy master sleep these tedious nights?

Mess. So it should seem by that I have to say.

First, he commends him to your noble lordship. Hast. And then,

Mess. And then he sends you word, he dreamt

To-night the boar had rased off his helm :
Besides, he says, there are two councils held;
And that may be determin'd at the one,
Which may make you and him to rue at the
other.

Therefore he sends to know your lordship's pleasure,

And with all speed post with him toward the

north,

Thou know'st' our reasons urg'd upon the If presently you will take horse with him,

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 Catesby,

And, as it were far off, sound thou lord Hastings,

How he doth stand affected to our purpose;
And summon him to-morrow to the Tower,
To sit about the coronation.

If thou dost find him tractable to us,
Encourage him, and tell him all our reasons:
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,
Be thou so too, and so break off the talk,
And give us notice of his inclination:
For we to-morrow hold divided councils,
Wherein thyself shalt highly be employ'd.

Glo. Commend me to lord William: tell him,

Catesby,

His dangerous knot of adversaries
To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret castle;
And bid my friend, for joy of this good news,
Give mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.
Buck. Good Catesby, go, effect this business
soundly.

Cate. My good lords both, with all the heed
I can.

Glo. Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep? Cate. You shall, my lord. Glo. At Crosby-place, there shall you find us both. [Exit CATESBY. Buck. Now, my lord, what shall we, if we perceive

Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots ? Glo. Chop off his head, man;-somewhat we will do :

And, look, when I am king, claim thou of me The earldom of Hereford, and all the move

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To shun the danger that his soul divines.
Hast. Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord;
Bid him not fear the separated councils:
His honour, and myself, are at the one;
And, at the other, is my good friend Catesby;
Where nothing can proceed, that toucheth us,
Whereof I shall not have intelligence.

Tell him, his fears are shallow, wanting instance:⚫

And for his dreams-I wonder, he's so fond t
To trust the mockery of unquiet slumbers:
To fly the boar, before the boar pursues,
Were to incense the boar to follow us,
And make pursuit, where he did mean no

chase.

Go, bid thy master rise and come to me;
And we will both together to the Tower,
Where, he shall see, the boar will use us

kindly. Mess. I'll go, my lord, and tell him what you say. [Exit.

Enter CATESBY.

Cate. Many good morrows to my noble lord ! Hast. Good morrow, Catesby; you are early stirring:

What news, what news, in this our tottering state?

Cate. It is a reeling world, indeed, my lord; And, I believe, will never stand upright, Till Richard wear the garland of the realm. 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 shoulders, Before I'll see the crown so foul misplac'd. But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it! Cate. Ay, on my life; and hopes to find you forward

Upon his party, for the gain thereof:
And, thereupon, he sends you this good news,-
That, this same very day, your enemies,
The kindred of the queen, must die at Pomfret.
news,

Hast. Indeed, I am no mourner for that

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Cate. God keep your lordship in that gracious mind!

Hast. I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart.

Hast. But 1 shall laugh at this a twelvemonth hence,

I am in your debt for your last exercise;
Come the next Sabbath, and I will content
you.

That they, who brought me in my master's hate,
I live to look upon their tragedy.
Well, Catesby, ere a fortnight make me older,
I'll send some packing, that yet think not on't.
Cate. 'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious
lord,

When men are unprepar'd, and look not for it.
Hast. O monstrous, monstrous! and so falls

it out

With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey and so 'twill do
With some men else, who think themselves as

safe

As thou and I, who, as thou know'st, are dear
To princely Richard and to Buckingham.

Enter BUCKINGHAM.

Buck. What, talking with a priest, lord
chamberlain?

Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the
priest;
Your honour hath no shriving work in hand.
Hast. 'Good faith, and when I met this holy
man,

The men you talk of came into my mind.
What, go you toward the Tower ?

Buck. I do, my lord; but long I cannot stay
there:

Cate. The princes both make high account of I shall return before your lordship thence.

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And never, in my life, I do protest,

Was it more precious to me than 'tis now:
Think you, but that I know our state secure,
I would be so triumphant as I am?

from London,

Stan. The lords at Pomfret, when they rode [sure, Were jocund, and suppos'd their states were And they, indeed, had no cause to mistrust; But yet, you see, how soon the day o'er-cast, This sudden stab of rancour I misdoubt;

Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward ! What, shall we toward the Tower? the day is spent.

Hast. Come, come, have with you.-Wot you what, my lord ?

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

Stan. They, for their truth, might better wear their heads, Than some that have accus'd them, wear their

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Hast. Nay, like enough, for I stay dinner
there.
Buck. And supper too, although thou know'st
[Aside.

it not. Come, will you go?

Hast. I'll wait upon your lordship.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-Pomfret. Before the Castle.
Enter RATCLIFF, with a guard, conducting
RIVERS, GREY, and VAUGHAN, to Eхеси-
tion.

Rat. Cone, bring forth the prisoners.
Riv. Sir Richard Ratcliff, let me tell thee

this,

To-day, shalt thou behold a subject die,
For truth, for duty, and for loyalty.

Grey. God keep the prince from all the pack

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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 slander to thy dismal seat,
We give thee up our guiltless blood to drink.
Grey. Now Margaret's curse is fallen upon
our heads,

When she exclaim'd on Hastings, you, and I,
For standing by when Richard stabb'd her sou.
Riv. Then curs'd she Hastings, then curs'd
she Buckingham,

Then curs'd she Richard:-0 remember, God,
To hear her prayers for them, as now for us!
And for my sister, and her princely sons,
Be satisfied, dear God, with our true bloods,
Which, as thou know'st, unjustly must be
spilt !
Rat. Make haste, the hour of death is ex
piate. †
Riv. Come, Grey,-come, Vaughan, let us
here embrace:
Farewell, until we meet again in heaven.

[Exeunt.

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

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.

• Crosy

+ Know.

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