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Hast. The tender love I bear your gracé, my lord, Makes me most forward in this noble presence To doom the offenders: Whosoe'er they be, I say, 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 blasted sapling, wither'd up: And this is Edward's wife, that monstrous witch, Consorted with that harlot, strumpet Shore,

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That by their witchcraft thus have marked me.
Hast. 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 see the same..

Lovel, and Catesby, look that it be done;
The rest, that love me, rise, and follow me.

[Exit Council, with RICHARD and BUCK

INGHAM.

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Hast. Woe, woe, for England! not a whit for me; For I, too fond, might have prevented this: Stanley did dream, the boar did rase his helm ; But I disdain'd it, and did scorn to fly. Three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did stumble, And started, when he look'd upon the Tower, As loth to bear me to the slaughter-house. O, now I need the priest that spake to me: I now repent I told the pursuivant, As too triumphing, how mine enemies

To

To-day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd,
And I myself secure in grace and favour.

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O, Margaret, Margaret! now thy heavy curse
Is lighted on poor Hastings' wretched head.

Cates. Dispatch, my lord, the duke would be at dinner;

Make a short shrift, he longs to see your head.

Hast. 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 sailor on a mast;

Ready, with every nod, to tumble down

Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

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Lov. Come, come, dispatch; 'tis bootless to exclaim.

Hast. Oh, bloody Richard!-miserable England!

I prophesy the fearful'st time to thee,

That ever wretched age hath look'd upon.-
Come, lead me to the block, bear him my head;
They smile at me, who shortly shall be dead.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

The Tower-Walls. Enter GLOSTER, and BUCKING HAM, in rasty Armour, marvellous ill-favour'd.

Glo. Come, cousin, canst thou quake, and change thy colour?

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Murder thy breath in middle of a word-
And then again begin, and stop again,

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As if thou wert distraught, and mad with terror!
Buck. Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian ;
Speak, and look back, and pry on every side,
Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
Intending deep suspicion: ghastly looks
Are at my service, like enforced smiles;
And both are ready in their offices,

At any time, to grace my stratagems.
But what, is Catesby gone?

Glo. He is; and, see, he brings the mayor along.

Enter the Lord-Mayor, and CATESBY.

Buck. Let me alone to entertain him. Lord

mayor !

Glo. Look to the draw-bridge there.

Buck. Hark! a drum.

Glo. Catesby, o'erlook the walls.

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Buck. Lord-mayor, the reason we have sent for you

Glo. Look back, defend thee, here are enemies. Buck. God and our innocency defend and guard us !

Enter LOVEL, and RATCLIFF, with HASTINGS' Head.

Glo. Be patient, they are friends; Ratcliff, and Lovel.

Lov. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,

The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.

Glo.

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Glo. So dear I lov'd the man, that I must weep.
I took him for the plainest harmless creature,
That breath'd upon the earth a christian;
Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded
The history of all her secret thoughts :

So smooth he daub'd his vice with shew 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, 490
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?
Mayor. 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 person's safety,
Enforc'd us to this execution

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Mayor, Now, fair befall 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.

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, 510
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.

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

As well as I had seen, and heard him speak:
And do not doubt, right noble princes both, 520
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, Yet witness what you hear we did intend : And so, my good lord-mayor, we bid farewel.

[Exit Mayor.

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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.

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