RICHARD, Duke of York.

Sons to Edward IV.

GEORGE, Duke of Clarence, Brother to Edward IV. RICHARD, Duke of Gloucefter, Brother to Edward IV. afterwards King Richard III.

CARDINAL, Archbishop of York.

Duke of BUCKINGHAM.

Duke of NORFOLK.

Earl of SURREY.

Marquis of DORSET, Son to the Queen!
Earl RIVERS, Brother to the Queer.

Lord GRAY, Son to the Queen.

Earl of RICHMOND, afterwards King Henry VII.
Bishop of ELY.

Lord HASTINGS.

Sir THOMAS VAUGHAN, a Friend to the Queen's Family. Sir RICHARD RADCLIFF, Friends to the Duke of

Lord LOVEL,

CATESBY,

Sir JAMES TYRREL, a Villain.

Gloucefter.

Lord STANLEY, Steward of the Houshold to Edward IV. Earl of OXFORD,

BLOUNT,

HERBERT,

Sir WILLIAM BRANDON,

Friends to the Earl of

Richmond.

BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower.

Two Children of the Duke of Clarence.

LORD MAYOR.

Sir CHRISTOPHER UNSWICK, a Prieft and Chaplain to the Countess of Richmond.

Queen of Edward IV.

Queen MARGARET, Widow of Henry VI.

ANNE, Widow of Edward Prince of Wales, Son to Henry VI. afterwards married to the Duke of Gloucefter.

Dutchess of York, Mother to Edward IV, Clarence, and Richard III.

Sheriff, Purfuivant, Citizens, Ghofts of thofe murder'd by Richard III. with Soldiers and other Attendants.

The SCENE in ENGLAND.

N

The COURT.

Enter Richard Duke of Gloucefter, folus.
OW is the Winter of our difcontent

Made glorious fummer by this Sun of York:
And all the clouds that lowr'd upon our house,

In the deep bofom of the ocean bury'd.

Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths,
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our ftern alarums chang'd to merry meetings;
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-vifag'd War hath fmooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now instead of mounting barbed steeds
To fright the fouls of fearful adverfaries,
He capers nimbly in a Lady's chamber,
To the lafcivious pleafing of a lute.
But I, that am not fhap'd for fportive tricks,
Nor made to court an am'rous looking-glafs,
I, that am rudely ftampt, and want love's grace,

To

To ftrut before a wanton, ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by diffembling nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, fent before my time
Into this breathing world; fcarce half made up,
And that fo lamely and unfashionably,
That dogs bark at me, as I halt by them:
Why I, (in this weak piping time of peace)
Have no delight to pass away the time;
Unless to see my fhadow in the fun,
And defcant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, fince I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-fpoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleasures of thefe days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophefies, libels, and dreams,
To fet my brother Clarence and the King
In deadly hate, the one against the other;
And if King Edward be as true and juft,
As I am fubtle, falfe and treacherous,
This day fhould Clarence clofely be mew'd up,
About a prophefy which fays that G

Of Edward's heirs the murtherer fhall be.

Dive, thoughts, down to my foul! here Clarence comes,
Enter Clarence guarded, and Brakenbury.

Brother, good day; what means this armed guard
That waits upon your Grace?

Cla. His Majefty,

Tend'ring my perfon's fafety, hath appointed

This conduct to convey me to the Tower.

Glo. Upon what cause ?

Cla. Because my name is George.

Glo. Alack, my Lord, that fault is none of yours:

He fhould for that commit your godfathers.

Belike, his Majefty hath fome intent,

That you should be new chriftned in the Tower.
But what's the matter, Clarence, may I know?
Cla. Yea, Richard, when I know; for I proteft
As yet I do not; but as I can learn,

He

He hearkens after prophefies and dreams,
And from the cross-row plucks the letter G ;
And fays a wizard told him, that by G
His iffue difinherited should be.

And for my name of George begins with G,
It follows in his thought that I am he.
Thefe, as I learn, and fuch like toys as these,
Have mov'd his Highness to commit me now.

Glo. Why, this it is, when men are rul'd by women.
'Tis not the King that fends you to the Touer;
My Lady Gray his wife, Clarence, 'tis fhe,
That tempts him to this harsh extremity.
Was it not fhe, and that good man of worship,
Anthony Woodvil he her brother there,

That made him fend Lord Haftings to the Tower?
From whence this day he is delivered.

We are not fafe; Clarence, we are not safe.

Cla. By heav'n, I think there is no man secure
But the Queen's kindred, and night walking heralds
That trudge between the King and miftrefs Shore.
Heard you not what an humble fuppliant
Lord Haftings was to her for his delivery?
Glo. Humbly complaining to her Deity,
Got my Lord Chamberlain his liberty.
I'll tell you what; I think it is our way,
If we will keep in favour with the King,
To be her men, and wear her livery:
The jealous o'erworn widow, and her felf,
Since that our brother dubb'd them gentlewomen,
Are mighty goffips in our monarchy.

Brak. I beg your Graces both to pardon me:
His Majefty hath straitly giv'n in charge,
That no man fhall have private conference,
Of what degree foever, with your brother.

Glo. Ev'n fo, an't please your worship, Brakenbury!
You may partake of any thing we say:

We speak no treason, man we say the King
Is wife and virtuous, and his noble Queen
Well ftrook in years, fair, and not over-jealous.
We fay that Shore's wife hath a pretty foot,

A

A cherry lip, a paffing pleafing tongue :

That the Queen's kindred are made gentle-folks:

How fay you, Sir? can you deny all this?

Brak. With this, my Lord, my felf have nought to do. Glo. What, fellow? nought to do with mistress Shore? I tell you, Sir, he that doth naught with her,

Excepting one, were beft do it fecretly.

Brak. What one, my Lord?

Glo. Her hufband, knave

-

wouldst thou betray me?

Brak. I do beseech your Grace to pardon me,

And to forbear your conf'rence with the Duke.

Cla. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey. Glo. We are the Queen's abjects, and must obey. Brother, farewel; I will unto the King,

And whatfoe'er you will employ me in,
(Were it to call King Edward's widow fifter)
I will perform it to infranchise you.
Mean time, this deep difgrace of brotherhood
Touches me deeper than you can imagine.
Cla. I know it pleaseth neither of us well.

Glo. Well, your imprisonment shall not be long,
I will deliver you, or elfe lie for you:

Mean time have patience.

Cla. I muft perforce.

[Exeunt Brak, and Cla.

Glo. Go, tread the path that thou shalt ne'er return:
I do love thee fo,

Simple plain Clarence

That I will fhortly fend thy foul to heav'n,

If heav'n will take the prefent at my hands.
But who comes here? the new-deliver'd Haftings?
Enter Lord Haftings.

Haft. Good time of day unto my gracious Lord!
Glo. As much unto my good Lord Chamberlain!
Well are you welcome to the open air.

How hath your Lordship brook'd imprisonment?
Haft. With patience, noble Lord, as pris'ners muft:
But I fhall live, my Lord, to give them thanks
That were the caufe of my imprisonment.

Glo. No doubt, no doubt, and fo fhall Clarence too;
For they that were your enemies are his,
And have prevail'd as much on him as you.

Haft,