SCENE IV.

Enter Sir Richard Ratcliff, with halberds, carrying the Nobles to death at Pomfret.

Rat.

OME bring forth the prisoners.

COM

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.

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 guiltless blood to drink.

Gray. Now Marg'ret's curfe is fall'n upon our heads, For ftanding by when Richard ftab'd her fon.

Riv. Then curs'd fhe Richard, curs'd she Buckingham, Then curs'd fhe Haflings. O remember, God! To hear her prayer for them, as now for us: As for my fifter and her Princely fons, Be fatisfy'd, dear God, with our true blood, Which, as thou know'ft, unjustly must be spik.

Rat. Make hafte, the hour of death is now expir'd. Riv. Come Gray, come Vaughan, let us all embrace; Farewel, until we meet again in heaven.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE V.

The Tower.

Buckingham, Derby, Haftings, Bishop of Ely, Norfolk, Ratcliff, Lovel, with others, at a table.

Haft.N

OW noble Peers, the cause why we are met
Is to determine of the coronation :

In God's name fpeak, when is the royal day?
Buck. Are all things ready for that royal time?
Derby. 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 yours, 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 purpofe 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 Gloucester.

Ely. In happy time here comes the Duke himself Glo. My noble lords and cousins 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.

Bucks

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 befeech 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 Haftings in our business,
And finds the testy gentleman fo hot,

That he will lofe his head ere give confent
His mafter's fon, as worshipfully he terms it,
Shall lofe the royalty of England's throne.

Buck. Withdraw your felf a while, I'll go with you.
[Exe. Glo. and Buck.
Derby. We have not yet fet down this day of tri-
umph:

To-morrow, in my judgment, is too fudden,

For I my felf am not fo 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?

I have fent for thefe ftrawberries.

Haft. His grace looks chearfully and fmooth this morning,

There's fome conceit or other likes him well,
When that he bids good-morrow with fuch spirit.
I think there's ne'er a man in Christendom
Can leffer hide his love or hate than he,

For by his face ftrait fhall you know his heart.

Derby. What of his heart perceive you in his face, By any likelihood he fhew'd to-day?

b livelihood.

Haft.

Haft. Marry, that with no man here he's 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 prevailed
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 witness 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'st thou to me of Ifs? thou art a traitor-
Off with his head now by Saint Paul I swear,
I will not dine until I fee the fame.
Lovel and Ratcliff look that it be done :
The reft that love me, rife and follow me,

[Exeunt..

Manent Lovel and Ratcliff, 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 rafe our helms,
But I did fcorn it, and difdain to fly;

Three times to-day my foot-cloth horfe did stumble,
And started when he look'd upon the Tower,
As loth to bear me to the flaughter-house.
O now I need the priest that fpake to me:
I now repent I told the purfuivant,
As too triumphing, how mine enemies
To-day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd,
And I my felf fecure in grace and favour.

Oh

Oh Margret, Margret, now thy heavy curfe

I's lighted on poor Haftings' wretched head.

Rat. Come, come, difpatch, the Duke would 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 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. Oh bloody Richard, miferable England,
I prophefie the fearful'ft time to thee,
That ever wretched age hath look'd upon.
Come, lead me to the block, bear him my
They smile at me who fhortly fhall be dead.

head:

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

Enter Gloucester and Buckingham in rusty armour, marvellous ill-favour'd.

Glo.

OME coufin, canft thou quake and change thy colour,

Murther thy breath in middle of a word,
And then again begin, and ftop again,

As if thou wert diftraught, and mad with terror?
Buck. Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian,
Speak, and look back, and pry on every fide,
Tremble and start at wagging of a ftraw,
Intending deep fufpicion: ghaftly looks
Are at my fervice, like enforced fmiles;
And both are ready in their offices,
At any time to grace my ftratagems.
But what, is Catesby gone?

Glo. He is, and fee he brings the Mayor along.

Enter