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

[Exit.

1

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 misplaced.
But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?
Cate. Ay, on my life, and hopes to find you for.
ward

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.

Hast. Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,
Because they have been still my adversaries=
But, that I'll give my voice on Richard's side,
To bar my master's heirs in true descent,
God knows, I will not do it, to the death.

Cute. God keep your lordship in that gracious

mind!

Hast. But I shall laugh at this a twelve-month hence,

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 unprepared, 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.

Cate. The princes both make high account of you, For they account his head upon the bridge. [Aside. Hast. I know they do; and I have well deserved it.

Enter STANLEY.

Come on, come on, where is your boar-spear, nian! Fear you the boar, and go so unprovided?

Stan. My lord, good morrow; and good morrow,
Catesby :-

You may jest on, but, by the holy rood,
I do not like these several councils, I.

Hast. My lord, I hold my life as dear as yours; 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?

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

Were jocund, and supposed their states were sure,
And they, indeed, had no cause to mistrust;
But yet, you see, how soon the day o'ercast.
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 accused them, wear their hats. But come, my lord, let's away.

Enter a PURSUIVANT.

Hast. Go on, before, I'll talk with this good fellow. [Exeunt Stanley and Catesby. How now, sirrah? How goes the world with thee? Purs. The better, that your lordship please to ask. Hast. I tell thee, man, 'tis better with me now, Than when thou met'st me last where now we meet: Then was I going prisoner to the Tower, By the suggestion of the queen's allies; But now, I tell thee, (keep it to thyself,) This day those enemies are put to death, And I in better state than ere I was.

me.

Purs. God hold it, to your honour's good content! Hast. Gramercy, fellow: there, drink that for [Throwing him his Purse. Purs. I thank your honour. [Exit Pursuivant. Enter a PRIEST.

Pr. Well met, my lord; I am glad to see your honour.

• Cross.

+ Know.

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

I am in your debt for your last exercise;
Come the next sabbath, and 1 will content you.
Enter BUCKINGHAM.

Buck. What, talking with a priest, lord cham-
berlain?

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 :
I shall return before your lordship thence.

Hast. Nay, like enough, for I stay dinner there:
Buck. And supper too, although thou know'st it
not.

[Aside.

[Exeunt.

Come, will you go?

Hast. I'll wait upon your lorship.

SCENE III.-Pomfret.-Before the Castle.

Enter RATCLIFF, with a Guard, conducting RIVERS,
GREY, and VAUGHAN, to Execution.

Rat. Come, 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 of
you!

A knot you are of damned blood-suckers.

Vaugh. You live, that shall cry woe for this here

after.

Rat. Despatch; the limit of your lives is out.
Riv. O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prison,
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 son.

A

Riv. Then cursed she Hastings, then cursed she
Buckingham,

榆

• Confession.

1

Then cursed 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 expiate. 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 wants but nomination.
Ely. To-morow, 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 soonest know his mind.

Buck. We know each other's faces: for our hearts,

He knows no more of mine, than I of yours;
Nor 1 of his, my lord, than you of mine:-
Lord Hastings, 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,

I have not sounded 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 Pil give my voice,
Which, I presume, he'll take in gentle part.

Enter GLOSTER.

Ely. In happy time, here comes the duke himself. Glo. My noble lords and cousins, all, good morrow: I have been long a sleeper, but, i trust,

My absence doth neglect no great design,

Which by my presence might have been concluded. Buck. Had you not come upon your cue, my lord, + Intimate.

• Expiated, completed.

William lord Hastings had pronounced your part,-
I mean, your voice,-for crowning of the king.
Glo. Than my lord Hastings, no man might be
bolder:

His lordship knows me well, and loves me well.-
My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn,
I saw good strawberries in your garden there;
I do beseech you, send for some of them.
Ely. Marry, and will, my lord, with all my heart.
[Exit Ely.
Glo. Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you.
[Takes him aside.
Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business;
And finds the testy gentleman so hot,
That he will lose his head, ere give consent,
His master's child, as worshipfully he terms it,
Shall lose the royalty of England's throne.
Buck, Withdraw yourself a while, I'll go with
you. [Exeunt Gloster and Buckingham.
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 else I would be, were the day prolong'd.

Re-enter Bishop of ELY.

Ely. Where is my lord protector?"I have sent For these strawberries.

Hast. His grace looks cheerfully and smooth this morning;

There's some conceit* or other likes him well,
When he doth bid good morrow wa such spirit.
I think, there's ne'er a man in Christendom,
Can lesser hide his love, or hate, than he;
For by his face straight shall 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 shewn it in his looks.

Re-enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM.

Glo. I pray you all, tell me what they deserve, That do conspire my death with devilish plots Of damned witchcraft; and that have prevail'd Upon my body with their hellish charmis?

Hast. The tender love I bear your grace, my lord, Makes me most forward in this noble presence

* Thought.