And to give order, that no fort of perfon
Have, any time, recourfe unto the Princes.
Scriv. Here is th' indictment of the good Lord Haftings, Which in a fet hand fairly is engross'd;
That it may be to-day read o'er in Pauls.
And, mark, how well the fequel hangs together:
Eleven hours I've spent to write it over,
For yesternight by Cateby was it fent me:
The precedent was full as long a doing.
And yet within these five hours Haftings liv'd
Untainted, unexamin'd, free at liberty.
Here's a good world the while;-who is fo grofs,
That cannot fee this palpable device?
Yet who fo bold, but fays, he fees it not?
Bad is the world; and all will come to nought,
When fuch ill dealings must be feen in thought. [Exit.
SCENE changes to Baynard's Caftle. (17)
Enter Glocester and Buckingham, at several doors.
OW now, how now, what fay the citizens ? Buck. Now by the holy mother of our Lord, The citizens are mum, fay not a word.
Glo. Touch'd you the baftardy of Edwara's children?
Buck. I did, with his contract with Lady Lucy,
And his contract by deputy in France;
Th' unfatiate greedinefs of his defires,
And his enforcement of the city-wives;
His tyranny for trifles; his own bastardy,
As being got, your father then in France,
And his resemblance, being not like the Duke..
Withal, I did infer your lineaments,
Being the right idea of your father,
Both in your form and nobleness of mind:
Laid open all your victories in Scotland;
A houfe, belonging to the Duke of
Glocefter, in Thames-ftreet; fo call'd from William Baynard Baron of
Dunnow, the builder of it..
Your difcipline in war, wisdom in peace,
Your bounty, virtue, fair humility:
Indeed, left nothing fitting for the purpose
Untouch'd, or flightly handled in difcourfe.
And when my oratory grew tow'rd end,
I bid them, that did love their country's good,
Cry, God fave Richard, England's royal King!
Glo. And did they fo
Buck. No, fo God help me, they fpake not a word : But like dumb ftatues, or unbreathing stones,
Star'd each on other, and look'd deadly pale :
Which when I faw, I reprehended them;
And afk'd the Mayor, what meant this wilful filence?
His answer was, the people were not used
To be spoke to, except by the Recorder.
Then he was urg'd to tell my tale again :
Thus faith the Duke, thus hath the Duke inferr'd,
But nothing spoke in warrant from himself.
When he had done, fome followers of mine own,
At lower end o' th' hall, hurl'd up their caps,
And fome ten voices cry'd, God fave King Richard!
And thus I took the vantage of those few:
Thanks, gentle citizens and friends, quoth I,
This general applaufe and chearful fhout
Argues your wisdom, and your love to Richard.
And even here brake off, and came away.
Glo. What tongueless blocks were they, would they not'
Will not the Mayor then and his brethren come ?
Buck. The Mayor is here at hand; intend fome fear
Be not you spoke with, but by mighty suit;
And look you get a prayer-book in your hand,
And ftand between two churchmen, good my Lord;
For on that ground I'll build a holy defcant:
And be not eafily won to our requests:
Play the maid's part, ftill anfwer nay, and take it.
Glo. I go and if you plead as well for them,
As I can fay nay to thee, for myself;
No doubt, we'll bring it to a happy iffue. [Exit Glo. Buck. Go, go up to the leads, the Lord Mayor knocks.
Enter Lord Mayor, and Citizens.
Welcome, my Lord. I dance attendance here ;
I think, the Duke will not be spoke withal.
Enter Catesby.
Buck. Catefey, what fays your Lord to my request? Catef. He doth intreat your Grace, my noble Lord, To vifit him to-morrow, or next day;
He is within, with two right-reverend fathers,
Divinely bent to meditation;
And in no worldly fuits would he be mov'd,
To draw him from his holy exercise.
Buck. Return, good Catesby, to the gracious Duke.; Tell him, myself, the Mayor and Aldermen,
In deep defigns, in matter of great moment,
No lefs importing than our gen'ral good,
Are come to have some conf'rence with his Grace.
Catef, I'll fignify fo much unto him strait.
Buck. Ah, ah! my Lord, this Prince is not an Edward;.
He is not lolling on a lewd love-bed,
But on his knees at meditation :
Not dallying with a brace of curtezans,,
But meditating with two deep divines :
Not fleeping, to engrofs his idle body,
But praying, to enrich his watchful foul.
Happy were England, would this virtuous Prince
Take on his Grace the fov 'reignty thereof;
But, fure, I fear, we shall not win him to it.
Mayor. Marry, God shield, his Grace should say us nay! Buck. I fear he will; here Catesby comes again..
Catesby, what fays his Grace?
Catef. He wonders to what end you have affembled Such troops of citizens to come to him,
His Grace not being warn'd thereof before:
He fears, my Lord, you mean no good to him.
Buck. Sorry I am, my noble coufin should
Suspect me, that I mean no good to him :
By heav'n, we come to him in perfect love,
And so once more return, and tell his Grace.
When holy and devout religious men
Are at their beads, 'tis hard to draw them thence,
So fweet is zealous contemplation.
Enter Glocefter above, between two Bishops. Catesby
Mayor. See, where his Grace ftands 'tween two clergy
Buck. Two props of virtue, for a chriftian Prince, To stay him from the fall of vanity; And fee, a book of prayer in his hand, True ornaments to know a holy man. Famous Plantagenet! most gracious Prince, Lend favourable ear to our requests; And pardon us the interruption
Of thy devotion and right-chriftian zeal.
Glo. My Lord, there needs no fuch apology;
I do befeech your Grace to pardon me,
Who, earnest in the fervice of my God,
Deferr'd the vifitation of my friends.
But leaving this, what is your Grace's pleasure ?
Buck. Ev'n that, I hope, which pleaseth God above, And all good men of this ungovern'd ifle.
Glo. I do fufpect, I have done fome offence,
That feems difgracious in the city's eye;
And that you come to reprehend my ignorance.
Buck, You have, my Lord: would it might please your
On our entreaties, to amend your fault.
[Grace,
Glo. Elfe wherefore breathe I in a christian land?
Buck. Know then, it is your fault that you refign
The fupream feat, the throne majestical,
The scepter'd office of your ancestors,
Your ftate of fortune, and your due of birth,
The lineal glory of your royal houfe,
To the corruption of a blemish'd stock:
While in the mildness of your fleepy thoughts,
Which here we waken to our country's good,
The noble ifle doth want her proper limbs :
Her face defac'd with fears of infamy,
Her royal flock graft with ignoble plants,
And almost shoulder'd in the fwallowing gulph
Of dark forgetfulnefs, and deep oblivion,
Which to re-cure, we heartily follicit
Your gracious felf to take on you the charge
And kingly government of this your land.
Not as Protector, fteward, fubftitute,
Or lowly factor for another's gain:
But as fucceffively, from blood to blood,
Your right of birth, your empery, your own.
For this, conforted with the citizens,
Your very worshipful and loving friends,
And by their vehement inftigation,
In this juft fuit come I to move your Grace.
Glo. I cannot tell, if to depart in filence,
Or bitterly to fpeak in your reproof,
Beft fitteth my degree, or your condition.
For not to anfwer, you might, haply, think,
Tongue-ty'd ambition, not replying, yielded
To bear the golden yoke of fov'reignty,
Which fondly you would here impofe on me.
If to reprove you for this fuit of yours,
So feafon'd with your faithful love to me,
Then, on the other fide, I check'd my friends.
Therefore to speak, and to avoid the first,
And then, in fpeaking, not incur the last,
Definitively thus I answer you.
Your love deferves my thanks; but my defert,
Unmeritable, fhuns your high request.
Firft, if all obftacles were cut away,
And that my path were even to the crown,
As the ripe revenue and due of birth;
Yet fo much is my poverty of spirit,
So mighty and fo many my defects,
That I would rather hide me from my greatness,
Being a bark to brook no mighty fea;
Than in my greatnefs covet to be hid,
And in the vapour of my glory fmother'd.
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