Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded
The history of all her secret thoughts:

So smooth he daub'd his vice with show of virtue,
That, his apparent open guilt omitted,—

I mean, his conversation with Shore's wife,

He liv'd from all attainder of suspect.

Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'st shelter'd traitor That ever liv'd.-Look you, my lord mayor,

Would you imagine, or almost believe,
(Were 't not, that by great preservation
We live to tell it you,) the subtle traitor
This day had plotted, in the council-house,
To murder me, and my good lord of Gloster?
May. What! had he so?

Glo. What! think you we are Turks, or infidels?
Or that we would, against the form of law,
Proceed thus rashly in the villain's death;
But that the extreme peril of the case,

The peace of England, and our persons' safety,
Enforc'd us to this execution?

May. Now, fair befal you! he deserv'd his death;
And your good graces both have well proceeded,
To warn false traitors from the like attempts.
I never look'd for better at his hands,
After he once fell in with mistress Shore.

Buck. Yet had we not determin'd he should die,
Until your lordship came to see his end;
Which now the loving haste of these our friends,
Somewhat against our meaning, hath prevented:
Because, my lord, we would have had you heard
The traitor speak, and timorously confess
The manner and the purpose of his treasons;
That you might well have signify'd the same
Unto the citizens, who, haply, may

Misconstrue us in him, and wail his death.

May. But, my good lord, your grace's word shall serve,

"Well, well, he was the covert'st shelter'd traitor
"That ever liv'd.

"Would you imagine," &c.

I have since observed, that Mr. Capell has the same transposi

tion.

4

Steevens.

-

his conversation -]i e. familiar intercourse. The phrase -criminal conversation, is yet in daily use.

Malone.

As well as I had seen, and heard him speak:
And do not doubt, right noble princes both,
But I'll acquaint our duteous citizens

With all your just proceedings in this case.

Glo. And to that end we wish'd your lordship here, To avoid the censures of the carping world.

Buck. But since you came too late of our intent,5 Yet witness what you hear we did intend:

And so, my good lord mayor, we bid farewel.

[Exit Lord May.

Glo. Go, after, after, cousin Buckingham.
The mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post :-
There, at your meetest vantage of the time,
Infer the bastardy of Edward's children:
Tell them, how Edward put to death a citizen,"
Only for saying-he would make his son

Heir to the crown; meaning, indeed, his house,
Which, by the sign thereof, was termed so.
Moreover, urge his hateful luxury,

And bestial appetite in change of lust;

Which stretch'd unto their servants, daughters, wives, Even where his raging eye, or savage heart,

Without controul, listed" to make his prey.

8

Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person :-
Tell them, when that my mother went with child
Of that insatiate Edward, noble York,

My princely father, then had wars in France;
And, by just computation of the time,

5 But since you came too late of our intent,] Perhaps we should read-" too late for our intent." M. Mason.

The old reading I suppose to be the true one. We still say "to come short of a thing," and why not "come late of an intent?" Steevens

7

his raging eye,

6 - put to death a citizen,] This person was one Walker, a substantial citizen, and grocer at the Crown in Cheapside. Grey. listed-] The former is the reading of the folio, the latter of the quarto. The quarto has-lustful eye, and the folio-lusted instead of listed. Modern editors without authority-ranging eye. Steevens.

8 Tell them, &c.] Whatever reason W. Wyrcester might have for being so very particular, he expressly tells us that Edward was conceived in the chamber next to the chapel of the palace of Hatfield. York was regent of France at that time, and had come over, it would seem, to visit his lady. Ritson.

Found, that the issue was not his begot;
Which well appeared in his lineaments,
Being nothing like the noble duke my father:
Yet touch this sparingly, as 'twere far off;
Because, my lord, you know, my mother lives.
Buck. Doubt not, my lord; I'll play the orator,
As if the golden fee, for which I plead,

Were for myself: and so, my lord, adieu.

Glo. If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard's cas-
tle;9

Where you shall find me well accompanied,
With reverend fathers, and well-learned bishops.
Buck. I go; and, towards three or four o'clock,
Look for the news that the Guild-hall affords.

[Exit Buck. Glo. Go, Lovel, with all speed to doctor Shaw,1— Go thou [to CATES.] to friar Penker;2-bid them both Meet me, within this hour, at Baynard's castle.

[Exeunt Lov. and CATES. Now will I in, to take some privy order

To draw the brats of Clarence' out of sight;

9to Baynard's castle;] It was originally built by Baynard, a nobleman who (according to Stowe's account) came in with the conqueror.

This edifice which stood in Thames Street, has long been pulled down, though parts of its strong foundations are still visible at low The site of it is now a timber-yard. Steevens.

water.

1

to doctor Shaw, -] This and the two following lines are not in the quarto. Shaw and Penker were two popular preachers. Instead of a pamphlet being published by the Secretary of the Treasury, to furnish the advocates for the administration of the day, with plausible topicks of argument on great political measures, (the established mode of the present time formerly it was customary to publish the court creed from the pulpit at Saint Paul's Cross. As Richard now employed Doctor Shaw to support his claim to the crown, so, about fifteen years before, the great Earl of Warwick employed his chaplain Doctor Goddard to convince the people that Henry VI ought to be restored, and that Edward IV was an usurper. Malone.

2 This Pinker or Penker was provincial of the Augustine friars. See Speed. Steevens.

3 the brats of Clarence-] Edward Earl of Warwick, who the day after the battle of Bosworth, was sent by Richmond from Sherif-hutton Castle (where Gloster had confined him) to the Tower, without even the shadow of an allegation against him, VOL. XI.

L

And to give notice, that no manner of person
Have, any time, recourse unto the princes.

SCENE VI.

A Street.

Enter a Scrivener.

[Exeunt.

Scriv. Here is the indictment of the good lord Hastings;

Which in a set hand fairly is engross'd,

That it may be to-day read o'er in Paul's.5

and executed with equal injustice on Tower-hill on the 21st of November, 1499; and Margaret, afterwards married to Sir Richard de la Pole, the last Princess of the house of Lancaster; who was created by King Henry VIII, Countess of Salisbury, and in the 31st year of his reign, (1540) at the age of seventy, was put to death by the sanguinary king then on the throne, as her unfortunate and innocent brother had before fallen a victim to the jealous policy of that crafty tyrant Henry VII.

The immediate cause of his being put to death was, that Ferdinand King of Spain was unwilling to consent to the marriage of his daughter Katharine to Arthur Prince of Wales, while the Earl of Warwick lived, there being during his life-time (as Ferdinand conceived) no assurance of the Prince's succession to the

crown.

The murder of the Earl of Warwick (for it deserves no other name) made such an impression on Katharine, that when she was first informed of Henry the Eighth's intention to repudiate her, she exclaimed, "I have not offended, but it is a just judgment of God, for my former marriage was made in blood."

5

Malone. 4 no manner of person—] The folio reads-no manner person, which is nonsense. I suppose the true reading is—no man, or person; as in the latter term females are included. Steevens. -read o'er in Paul's.] The substance of this speech is from Hall's Chronicle, p. 16: "Nowe was thys proclamation made within twoo houres after he was beheaded, and it was so curiously endyted, and so fayre writen in parchement, in a fayre sette hande, and therewith of itselfe so long a processe, that every chyld might perceyve that it was prepared and studyed before, (and as some men thought, by Catesby,) for all the tyme betwene his death and the proclamation-coulde scant have suffyced unto the bare writyng alone, albeit that it had bene in paper and scribeled furthe in haste at adventure -And a marchaunte that stoode by-sayed that it was wrytten by inspiracyon and prophesye."

Mr. Malone adds-" So Holinshed, after Sir Thomas More;" and then repeats the same quotation. Steevens.

And mark how well the sequel hangs together:-
Eleven hours I have spent to write it over,
For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me;
The precedent was full as long a doing:
And yet within these five hours Hastings liv'd,
Untainted, unexamin'd, free, at liberty.

Here's a good world the while!-Who is so gross,
That cannot see this palpable device?

Yet who so bold, but says he sees it not?

Bad is the world; and all will come to nought,
When such bad dealing must be seen in thought.7

SCENE VII.

The same. Court of Baynard's Castle.

[Exit.

Enter GLOSTER, and BUCKINGHAM, meeting.
Glo. How now, how now? what say the citizens?
Buck. Now by the holy mother of our Lord,
The citizens are mum, say not a word.

Glo. Touch'd you the bastardy of Edward's children?
Buck. I did; with his contract with lady Lucy,

6 The precedent -] The original draft from which the engrossment was made. Malone.

7 seen in thought.] That is, seen in silence, without notice or detection. Johnson.

8 Baynard's Castle.] A castle in Thames Street, which had belonged to Richard Duke of York, and at this time was the property of his grandson King Edward V. Malone.

9

- with his contract with lady Lucy,] The king had been familiar with this lady before his marriage, to obstruct which his mother alledged a pre-contract between them: "Whereupon, says the historian, dame Elizabeth, Lucye was sente for, and albeit she was by the kyng hys mother, and many other, put in good comfort to affirme that she was assured to the kynge, yet when she was solempnly sworne to saye ye truth, she confessed she was never ensured. Howbeit, she sayd his grace spake suche loving wordes to her, that she verily hoped that he would have maried her; and that yf such kinde woordes had not bene, she woulde never have showed such kindnesse to him to lette hym so kyndely gette her with chylde.” Hall, Edward V, fol. 19.

Ritson.

This objection to King Edward's marriage with Lady Grey, is said by Sir Thomas More to have been made by the Duchess