Uncle, your grace knows how to bear with him.

York. You mean, to bear me, not to bear with

me.

Uncle, my brother mocks both you and me:

Because that I am little, like an ape,

He thinks that you should bear me on your shoulders.
Buck. With what a sharp provided wit he reasons:
To mitigate the scorn he gives his uncle,
He prettily and aptly taunts himself.
So cunning, and so young, is wonderful.

Glo. My lord, will't please you pass along?
Myself, and my good cousin Buckingham,
Will to your mother, to entreat of her

To meet you at the Tower, and welcome you.

York. What! will you go unto the Tower, my lord? Prince. My lord protector needs will have it so2. York. I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower.

Glo. Why, 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.

[A sennet. 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. O! 'tis a perilous boy; Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable:

2 My lord protector NEEDS will have it so.] Every copy of this play, quarto and folio, excepting the quarto of 1597, omits needs in this line, which is necessary to the measure, if not to the sense. We have therefore had no difficulty in restoring it to the text.

3 But come, my lord; AND, with a heavy heart,] "And," required by the metre, is first found in the folio, 1623.

He's all the mother's, from the top to toe.

Buck. Well, let them rest.-Come hither, Catesby. Thou art sworn as deeply to effect what we intend,

As closely to conceal what we impart.

Thou know'st our reasons urg'd upon the 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 coronation1.

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 ancient knot of dangerous adversaries
To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret-castle;

And bid my lord, for joy of this good news,

4 To sit about the coronation.] This and the preceding line are not in any of the quarto impressions. For the next line in the quartos we have only, "If he be willing."

5

DIVIDED Councils,] That is, (says Johnson,) a private consultation, separate from the known and public council. This interpretation is warranted by the historical evidence of Hall and Holinshed.

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 do, if we per-

ceive

Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?

Glo. Chop off his head, man;-somewhat we will do 8:

And, look, when I am king, claim thou of me
The earldom of Hereford, and all the moveables
Whereof the king, my brother, was possess'd.

Buck. I'll claim that promise at your grace's hand. Glo. And look to have it yielded with all kindness. Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards

We may digest our complots in some form.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Before Lord HASTINGS' House.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord! my lord!

Hast. [Within.] -Who knocks1?

[Knocking.

6 Good Catesby, Go ;] The quartos omit "go." In the next line, the quartos have may for "can."

7 At Crosby-PLACE,] The quartos Crosby-place; the folio Crosby-house.

8 Chop off his head, man ;-somewhat we will do.] So every quarto edition: the folio, much less characteristically, reads, " Chop off his head; something we will determine." This is one of the injurious changes which Malone would have attributed to the players.

9 — with all KINDNESS.] "With all willingness," in the quartos. The reason

for the alteration here is obvious.

1 Who knocks?] "At the door," add the quartos; and the answer there is, "A messenger from the lord Stanley."

Mess. One from the lord Stanley.
Hast. [Within.] What is't o'clock?
Mess. Upon the stroke of four.

Enter HASTINGS.

Hast. Cannot my lord Stanley' sleep these tedious nights?

Mess. So it appears by that I have to say.

First, he commends him to your noble self.

Hast. What then?

Mess. Then certifies your lordship, that this night He dreamt the boar had rased off his helm1: Besides, he says, there are two councils kept; And that may be determin'd at the one,

Which may make you and him to rue at th' other. Therefore, he sends to know your lordship's pleasure,If you will presently take horse with him,

And with all speed post with him toward the north, To shun the danger that his soul divines.

Hast. Go, fellow, go; return unto thy lord.

Bid him not fear the separated council :
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, without instance:
And for his dreams-I wonder he's so simple

5

2 Cannot MY LORD STANLEY-] The quartos, "Cannot thy master." The quartos subsequent to that of 1597 read, "the tedious nights."

3 So it APPEARS-] The quarto, "So it should seem."

have lordship in the quartos, for "self" in the folio.

Then certifies your lordship, that this night

In the next line we

He dreamt the boar had rased off his helm :] The quarto gives the passage thus:

:

"And then he sends you word,

He dreamt to-night the boar had ras'd his helm." There are other minor variations in this part of the scene, but the text of the folio is the whole to be preferred. In the quartos, we have held for "kept," servant for "good friend," wanting for " without," &c.

5 I wonder he's so SIMPLE] "I wonder he is so fond," in the quartos: the

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.

Enter CATESBY.

[Exit.

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.
Hast. Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,

Because they have been still my adversaries";

old meaning of the word fond was what it is represented to be in the text of the folio. See Vol. ii. p. 37; iii. p. 30; iv. p. 201; and this Vol. p. 152.

I'll go, my lord, and tell him what you say.] The quartos, "My gracious lord, I'll tell him," &c.

7 BEFORE I'll see-]

8 Ay, on my life ;]

9

"Ere I will see," quartos.

"Upon my life, my lord," quartos.

still MY ADVERSARIES ;] "Still mine enemies,” in the quartos.