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London. The Tower Walls. | |
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Enter GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM, in rotten armour, marvellous ill-favoured. | |
| Glo. Come, cousin, canst thou quake, and change thy colour, | |
| Murder thy breath in middle of a word, | |
| And then again begin, and stop again, | 5 |
| 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 | 10 |
| 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. | 15 |
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Enter the Lord Mayor and CATESBY. | |
| Buck. Lord Mayor,— | |
| Glo. Look to the drawbridge there! | |
| Buck. Hark! a drum. | |
| Glo. Catesby, o’erlook the walls. | 20 |
| Buck. Lord Mayor, the reason we have sent,— | |
| Glo. Look back, defend thee; here are enemies. | |
| Buck. God and our innocency defend and guard us! | |
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Enter LOVEL and RATCLIFF, with HASTINGS’ head. | |
| Glo. Be patient, they are friends, Ratcliff and Lovel. | 25 |
| Lov. Here is the head of that ignoble traitor, | |
| The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings. | |
| 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; | 30 |
| 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, | 35 |
| He liv’d from all attainder of suspect. | |
| Buck. Well, well, he was the covert’st shelter’d traitor | |
| That ever liv’d. | |
| Would you imagine, or almost believe,— | |
| Were ’t not that by great preservation | 40 |
| We live to tell it, that the subtle traitor | |
| This day had plotted, in the council-house, | |
| To murder me and my good Lord of Gloucester? | |
| May. Had he done so? | |
| Glo. What! think you we are Turks or infidels? | 45 |
| 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? | 50 |
| May. 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. | 55 |
| 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, | |
| Something against our meaning, hath prevented: | |
| Because, my lord, we would have had you heard | 60 |
| 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 | |
| Misconster us in him, and wail his death. | 65 |
| May. 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, | |
| But I’ll acquaint our duteous citizens | |
| With all your just proceedings in this cause. | 70 |
| Glo. And to that end we wish’d your lordship here, | |
| To avoid the censures of the carping world. | |
| Buck. But since you come too late of our intent, | |
| Yet witness what you hear we did intend: | |
| And so, my good Lord Mayor, we bid farewell. [Exit Lord Mayor. | 75 |
| 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, | 80 |
| 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; | 85 |
| Which stretch’d unto their servants, daughters, wives, | |
| Even where his raging eye or savage heart | |
| Without control lusted to make a prey. | |
| Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person: | |
| Tell them, when that my mother went with child | 90 |
| Of that insatiate Edward, noble York | |
| My princely father then had wars in France; | |
| And, by true computation of the time, | |
| Found that the issue was not his begot; | |
| Which well appeared in his lineaments, | 95 |
| Being nothing like the noble duke my father. | |
| Yet touch this sparingly, as ’twere far off; | |
| Because, my lord, you know my mother lives. | |
| Buck. Doubt not, my lord, I’ll play the orator | |
| As if the golden fee for which I plead | 100 |
| Were for myself: and so, my lord, adieu. | |
| Glo. 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 | 105 |
| Look for the news that the Guildhall affords. [Exit. | |
| Glo. 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 LOVEL and CATESBY. | |
| Now will I in, to take some privy order, | 110 |
| To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight; | |
| And to give notice that no manner person | |
| Have any time recourse unto the princes. [Exit. | |
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