Of damned witchcraft, and that have prevail'd
Upon my body with their hellish charms?

Hast. The tender love I bear your grace, my lord,
Makes me most forward in this noble presence
To doom the offenders, whatsoever they be:
I say, my lord, they have deserved death.

Glou. Then be your eyes the witness of this ill:
See 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,

That by their witchcraft thus have marked me.

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Hast. If they have done this thing, my gracious lord,— Glou. If thou protector of this damned strumpet,

Tellest thou 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 Ratcliff, look that it be done :

The rest, that love me, rise and follow me.

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[Exeunt all but Hastings, Ratcliff, and Lovel.

Hast. Woe, woe for England! not a whit for me;
For I, too fond, might have prevented this.
Stanley did dream the boar did raze his helm ;

But I disdain'd it, and did scorn to fly :

Three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did stumble,
And startled, when he look'd upon the Tower,
As loath to bear me to the slaughter-house.
O, now I want the priest that spake to me:

I now repent I told the pursuivant,
As 'twere triumphing at mine enemies,
How they at Pomfret bloodily were butcher'd,
And I myself secure in grace and favour.
O Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curse
Is lighted on poor Hastings' wretched head!

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Rat. 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 hopes in air of your good 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. O bloody Richard! miserable England!

I prophesy the fearfull'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 that shortly shall be dead.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V. The Tower-walls.

Enter GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM, in rotten armour, marvellous ill-favoured.

Glou. Come, cousin, canst thou quake, and change thy colour.

Murder thy breath in middle of a word,

And then begin again, and stop again,

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?

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

Enter the Mayor and CATESBY.

Buck. Lord mayor,—

Glou. Look to the drawbridge there!

Buck. Hark! a drum.

Glou. Catesby, o'erlook the walls.

ΙΟ

Buck. Lord mayor, the reason we have sent-
Glou. Look back, defend thee, here are enemies.
Buck. God and our innocency defend and guard us! 20
Glou. Be patient, they are friends, Ratcliff and Lovel.

Enter LOVEL and RATCLIFF, with HASTINGS' head.
Lov. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,
The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.

Glou. So dear I loved the man, that I must weep.
I took him for the plainest harmless creature
That breathed upon this 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 show of virtue,
That, his apparent open guilt omitted,

I mean, his conversation with Shore's wife,

He lived from all attainder of suspect.

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Buck. Well, well, he was the covert'st shelter'd traitor That ever lived.

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 Gloucester ?
May. What, had he so?

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

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

May. Now, fair befall you! he deserved his death;
And you, my good lords both, have well proceeded,
To warn false traitors from the like attempts.

I never looked for better at his hands,
After he once fell in with Mistress Shore.

Glou. Yet had not we determined he should die,

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Until your lordship came to see his death;
Which now the loving haste of these our friends,
Somewhat against our meaning, have prevented :
Because, my lord, we would have had you heard
The traitor speak, and timorously confess
The manner and the purpose of his treason;
That you might well have signified the same
Unto the citizens, who haply may

Misconstrue us in him and wail his death. X

60

May. But, my good lord, your grace's word shall serve, As well as I had seen and heard him speak: And doubt you not, right noble princes both, But I'll acquaint our duteous citizens

With all your just proceedings in this cause.

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

Buck. But since you come too late of our intents,
Yet witness what you hear we did intend:
And so, my good lord mayor, we bid farewell.

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[Exit Mayor.

Glou. Go, after, after, cousin Buckingham.
The mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post:
There, at your meet'st advantage 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 stretched to their servants, daughters, wives,
Even where his lustful eye or savage heart,

Without control, listed to make his prey.

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

My princely father then had wars in France;

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And, by just computation of the time,
Found that the issue was not his begot;
Which well appeared in his lineaments,
Being nothing like the noble duke my father:
But touch this sparingly, as 'twere far off;
Because you know, my lord, my mother lives.

Buck. Fear 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.

90

Glou. If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard's Castle; 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 Guildhall affords.

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[Exit.

Glou. Go, Lovel, with all speed to Doctor Shaw; [To Catesby] Go thou to Friar Penker: bid them both Meet me within this hour at Baynard's Castle.

[Exeunt all but Gloucester. Now will I in, to take some privy order, To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight; And to give notice, that no manner of person At any time have recourse unto the princes.

SCENE VI. The same. A street.

Enter a Scrivener, with a paper in his hand.

[Exit.

Scriv. This is the indictment of the good Lord Hastings;

Which in a set hand fairly is engross'd,

That it may be this day read o'er in Paul's.

And mark how well the sequel hangs together:

Eleven hours I spent to write it over,

For yesternight by Catesby was it brought me ;

The precedent was full as long a-doing:

And yet within these five hours lived Lord Hastings,
Untainted, unexamined, free, at liberty.

Here's a good world the while! Why who's so gross,

10