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, 420 That by their witchcraft thus have marked me. lord Glo. If thou protector of this damned strumpet, Lovel, and Catesby, look that it be done; [Exit Council, with RICHARD and BUCK INGHAM. 430 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, 440 O, Margaret, Margaret! now thy heavy curse 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. 450 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.- [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? Murder thy breath in middle of a word- 459 As if thou wert distraught, and mad with terror! At any time, to grace my stratagems. 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. 470 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. 481 Glo. So dear I lov'd the man, that I must weep. So smooth he daub'd his vice with shew of virtue, I mean, his conversation with Shore's wife- Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'st shelter'd traitor That ever liv'd.- -Look you, my lord-mayor, 490 Glo. What! think you we are Turks, or infidels ? But that the extreme peril of the case, The peace of England, and our person's safety, 500 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 Mayor. But, my good lord, your grace's word shall serve, As well as I had seen, and heard him speak: 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. 530 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. |