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Enter Catesby.

Cates. Many good-morrows to my noble Lord! Haft. Good-morrow, Catesby, you are early stirring: What news, what news, in this our tott'ring state? Catef. It is a reeling world, indeed, my Lord; And, I believe, will never ftand upright,

Till Richard wear the garland of the realm.

Haft.How! wear the garland? doft thou mean the crown ? Catef Ay, my good Lord.

Haft. I'll have this crown of mine cut from

Before I'll fee the crown fo foul misplac'd.

my

But canft thou guefs, that he doth aim at it?

fhoulders,

Catef Ay, on my life; and hopes to find you forward

Upon his party, for the gain thereof ;

And thereupon he fends you this good news,
That this fame very day your enemies,

The kindred of the Queen, muft die at Pomfret.
Haft. Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,
Because they have been still my adverfaries;
But that I'll give my voice on Richard's fide,
To bar my master's heirs in true descent,
God knows, I will not do it, to the death.

Catef. God keep your Lordship in that gracious mind!
Haft. But I fhall laugh at this a twelve-month hence,
That they, who brought me in my master's hate,
I live to look upon their tragedy.

Well, Catesby, ere a fortnight make me older,
I'll fend fome packing that yet think not on't.

Catef. 'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious Lord,
When men are unprepar'd and look not for it.

Haft. O monitrous, monftrous! and fo falls it out
With Rivers, Vaughan, Gray; and fo 'twill do
With fome men elfe, who think themfelves as fafe
As thou and I; "who, as thou know'ft, are dear
To princely Richard and to Buckingham.

Catef. The Princes both make high account of youFor they account his head upon the bridge.

[Afide. Haft. I know they do; and I have well deferv'd it.

Enter

Enter Lord Stanley.

Come on, come on, where is your boar-fpear, man ? Fear you the boar, and go fo unprovided? [Catesby;

Stan. My Lord, good-morrow; and, good-morrow,

You may jeft on, but, by the holy rood,

I do not like thefe feveral councils, I.

Haft. My Lord, I hold my life as dear as you do yours. And never in my days, I do protest,

Was it fo precious to me as 'tis now;

Think you, but that I know our state fecure,
I would be fo triumphant as I am?

Stan. The Lords at Pomfret, when they rode from London,
Were jocund, and fuppos'd, their states were fure ;
And they, indeed, had no cause to mistrust;
But yet, you fee how foon the day over-caft.
This fudden flab of rancor I misdoubt;
Pray God, I fay, I prove a needlefs coward!
What, fhall we tow'rd the Tower? the day is spent.

Haft. Come come, have with you: wot ye what, my Lord? To-day the Lords, you talk of, are beheaded.

Stan. They, for their truth, might better wear their heads, Than fome that have accus'd them, wear their hats. But come, my Lord, away.

Enter a Purfuivant.

Haft. Go on before, I'll talk with this good fellow. [Exeunt Lord Stanley and Catesby. Sirrah, how now? how goes the world with thee? Purf. The better, that your Lordship please to ask. Haft. I tell thee, man, 'tis better with me now, Than when thou met'ft me laft where now we meet; Then was I going prifoner to the Tower, By the fuggeftion of the Queen's allies. But now I tell thee, (keep it to thyself) This day those enemies are put to death; And I in better ftate, than e'er I was.

Purf. God hold it to your Honour's good content! Haft. Gramercy, fellow; there, drink that for me. [Throws him his purse.

L 3

Purf. I thank your Honour.

Enter a Prieft.

[Exit Purfuivant.

Prieft. Well met, myLord, I'm glad to fee your Honour. Haft. I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart; I'm in your debt for your last exercife:

Come the next fabbath, and I will content you.

Enter Buckingham.

[He whispers.

Buck. What, talking with a prieft, Lord Chamberlain ?
Your friends at Pomfret they do need the priest,
Your Honour hath no fhriving work in hand.

Haft. Good faith, and when I met his holy man,
The men, you talk of, came into my mind.
What, go you tow'rd the Tower?

Buck. I do, my Lord, but long I fhall not flay:

I fhall return before your Lordship thence.

Haft. Nay, like enough, for I ftay dinner there. Buck. And fupper too, altho' thou know'st it not. [Afide. Come, will you go

?

Haft. I'll wait upon your Lordship.

[Exeunt

SCENE changes to Pomfret-Caftle.

Enter Sir Richard Ratcliff, with halberds, carrying Lord Rivers, Lord Richard Gray, and Sir Thomas Vaugh、 han to Death.

Rat. Ome, bring forth the prifoners.

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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.

Vaugh. You live, that shall cry woe for this hereafter.— Rat. Difpatch; the limit of your lives is out.

(13)

Riv.

(13) Vaugh. You live, that fall cry woe for this hereafter. Rat. Difpatch; the limit of your lives is out.] Thefe two lines Mr. Pope has thought fit to fupprefs in his editions, for what reafon I can't pretend to fay; tho' they have the authority both of the old

folic's

Riv. O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prifon,

Fatal and ominous to noble Peers!

Within the guilty clofure of thy walls

Richard the fecond, here, was hack'd to death:
And, for more flander to thy dismal feat,
We give to thee our guiltless blood to drink.

Gray. Now Margret's curfe is fall'n upon our heals. When the exclaim'd on Haftings, you, and I, (14) For ftanding by when Richard tabb'd her fon.

Riv. Then curs'd fhe Richard, curs'd the Buckingham,
Then curs'd fhe Haftings. O remember, God!
To hear her prayer for them, as now for us:
As for my filter and her princely fons,

Be fatisfy'd, dear God, with our true blood;
Which, as thou know'ft, unjustly must be spilt.

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.

SCENE, The Tower.

[Exeunt.

Buckingham, Stanley, Haftings, Bishop of Ely, Catesby, Lovel, with others, at a table.

Haft.

NOW

noble Peers, the caufe 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? Stanl. 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. YourGrace,we think, fhould fooneft know his mind.
Buck. We know each other's faces; for our hearts,

folio's, and are likewife in Mr. Rowe, whom he feems generally to "follow. Without them, I would obferve, that Sir Thomas Vaughan is introduced, and led off to die, without a fingle fyllable fpoken by him.

(14) When he exclaim'd on Haftings, you, and I] This verfe is likewife tacitly fupprefs'd by Mr. Pope, tho' it has the same authorities as the former.

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 Glocefter..

Ely. In happy time here comes the Duke himself.
Glo. My noble Lords and coufins all, good-morrow;
I have been long a fleeper; but, I trust,
My abfence doth neglect no great design;

Which by my prefence might have been concluded.
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 Holborn,
I faw good itrawberries 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 tefty gentleman fo hot,

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

Buck. Withdraw yourself awhile, I'll go with you.
[Exe. Glo. and Buck.
Stanl. We have not yet fet down this day of triumph:
To-morrow, in my judgment, is too fudden;
For I myself am not fo well provided,
As elfe I would be, were the day prolong'd.

Re-enter

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