Glo. If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard's
castle;1

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.

[Exit BUCKINGHAM.
Glo. Go, Lovel, with all speed to doctor Shaw,—
Go thou [To CAT.] 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
To draw the brats of Clarence2 out of sight;
And to give notice, that no manner of person
Have, any time, recourse unto the princes.

[Exit.

SCENE VI. A Street.

Enter a Scrivener.

Scriv. Here is the indictment of the good lord
Hastings;

Which in a set hand fairly is engrossed,

That it may be to-day read o'er in Paul's.
And mark how well the sequel hangs together.—
Eleven hours I have spent to write it over,

1 Baynard's castle was originally built by Baynard, a nobleman who (according to Stowe) came in with the Conqueror. It had belonged to Richard duke of York, but was now Edward the Fifth's. This edifice, which stood in Thames-street, has been long pulled down; it is said that parts of its strong foundations may be seen at low water.

2 Edward earl of Warwick, who, the day after the battle of Bosworth, was sent by Richmond from his confinement at Sheriff-Hutton castle to the Tower, without even the shadow of an allegation against him, and who was afterwards cruelly sacrificed to a scruple of Ferdinand king of Spain, who was unwilling to marry his daughter Katharine to Arthur prince of Wales while he lived, conceiving that his claim might interfere with Arthur's succession to the crown. He was beheaded in 1499. Margaret, afterwards married to sir Richard Pole, the last princess of the house of Lancaster, who was restored in blood in the fifth year of Henry VIII., and afterwards, in the thirty-first year of his reign [1540], barbarously led to the block at the age of seventy, for some offence conceived at the conduct of her son cardinal Pole.

For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me ;
The precedent' was full as long a doing;
And yet within these five hours Hastings lived,
Untainted, unexamined, free, at liberty.

Here's a good world the while!-Who is so gross,
That cannot see this palpable device?
Yet who so bold, but says-he sees it not?
Bad is the world; and all will come to nought,
When such bad dealing must be seen in thought.

[Exit

SCENE VII. The same. Court of Baynard's

Castle.

Enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM, meeting.

Glo. How now, how now? what say the citizens?
Buck. Now, by the holy mother of our Lord,

The citizens are mum, say not a word.

Glo. Touched you the bastardy of Edward's chil-
dren?

Buck. I did; with his contract with lady Lucy,
And his contract by deputy in France;
The insatiate greediness of his desires,
And his enforcement of the city wives;
His tyranny for trifles; his own bastardy,
As being got, your father then in France;

1 i. e. the original draught.

2 The king had been familiar with this lady before his marriage, to obstruct which, his mother alleged a precontract between them. But Elizabeth Lucy, being sworn to speak the truth, declared that the king had not been affianced to her, though she owned she had been his concubine. Edward, however, had been married to lady Eleanor Butler, widow of lord Butler of Sudely, and daughter to the great earl of Shrewsbury. On this ground his children were declared illegitimate by the only parliament assembled by king Richard III.; but no mention was made of Elizabeth Lucy.

3 This tale is supposed to have been first propagated by the duke of Clarence when he obtained a settlement of the crown on himself and his issue after the death of Henry VI. Sir Thomas More says that the duke of Gloster, soon after Edward's death, revived this scandal. Walpole thinks it highly improbable that Richard should have urged such a topic to the people, or "start doubts of his own legitimacy, which was too much connected with that of his brothers, to be tossed and bandied about before the multitude." He has also shown that Richard "lived in perfect har

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,
Your discipline in war, wisdom in peace,
Your bounty, virtue, fair humility;
Indeed, left nothing, fitting for your purpose,
Untouched, or slightly handled, in discourse.
And, when my oratory grew to an end,

I bade them, that did love their country's good,
Cry-God save Richard, England's royal king!
Glo. And did they so?

Buck. No, so God help me, they spake not a word; But, like dumb statuas,' or breathless stones,

Stared on each other, and looked deadly pale.
Which when I saw, I reprehended them;

And asked the mayor what meant this wilful silence:
His answer was the people were not used
To be spoke to, but by the recorder.
Then he was urged to tell my tale again:
Thus saith the duke, thus hath the duke inferred;
But nothing spoke in warrant from himself.
When he had done, some followers of mine own,
At lower end o' the hall, hurled up their caps,
And some ten voices cried, God save king Richard!
And thus I took the vantage of those few,-
Thanks, gentle citizens, and friends, quoth I;
This general applause, and cheerful shout,
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 speak?

Will not the mayor then, and his brethren, come? Buck. The mayor is here at hand; intend2 some fear;

mony with his mother, and lodged with her in her palace at this very time. -Historic Doubts, 4to. 1768.

1 Statue was formerly a word of three syllables; the old orthography is statua.

2 Pretend.

Be not you spoke with, but by mighty suit.
And look you get a prayer-book in your hand,
And stand between two churchmen, good my
lord;
For on that ground I'll make a holy descant,
And be not easily won to our requests;
Play the maid's part, still answer nay, and take it.
Glo. I go; and if you plead as well for them,
As I can say nay to thee for myself,

No doubt we'll bring it to a happy issue.

Buck. Go, go, up to the leads: the lord mayor knocks. [Exit GLOSTER

Enter the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens.
Welcome, my lord; I dance attendance here.
I think the duke will not be spoke withal.-

Enter, from the castle, CATESBY.

Now, Catesby! what says your lord to my request? Cate. He doth entreat your grace, my noble lord, To visit him to-morrow, or next day.

He is within, with two right reverend fathers,

Divinely bent to meditation;

And in no worldly suit would he be moved,

To draw him from his holy exercise.

Buck. Return, good Catesby, to the gracious duke, Tell him, myself, the mayor and aldermen,

In deep designs, in matter of great moment,

No less importing than our general good,

Are come to have some conference with his grace.
Cate. I'll signify so much unto him straight. [Ext.
Buck. Ah, ha, my lord, this prince is not an Edward!
He is not lolling on a lewd day-bed,'
But on his knees at meditation;
Not dallying with a brace of courtesans,
But meditating with two deep divines;
Not sleeping, to engross his idle body,

1 i. e. a couch, or sofe

A

But praying, to enrich his watchful soul.
Happy were England, would this virtuous prince
Take on himself the sovereignty thereof;

But, sure, I fear, we shall ne'er win him to it.

May. Marry, God defend, his grace should say us nay!

Buck. I fear he will. Here Catesby comes again;

Re-enter CATESBY.

Now, Catesby, what

says his grace?

Cate. He wonders to what end you have assembled Such troops of citizens to come to him,

His grace not being warned thereof before.
He fears, my lord, you mean no good to him.
Buck. Sorry I am, my noble cousin should
Suspect me, that I mean no good to him.
By Heaven, we come to him in perfect love;
And so once more return and tell his grace.

[Exit CATESBY.
When holy and devout, religious men
Are at their beads, 'tis hard to draw them thence;
So sweet is zealous contemplation.

Enter GLOSTER, in a gallery above, between two Bishops. CATESBY returns.

May. See, where his grace stands 'tween two clergymen !

Buck. Two props of virtue for a Christian prince, Το stay him from the fall of vanity.

And, see, a book of prayer in his hand;

True ornaments to know a holy man.

Famous Plantagenet, most gracious prince,
Lend favorable ear to our request;
And pardon us the interruption

Of thy devotion, and right-Christian zeal.

Glo. My lord, there needs no such apology;

I rather do beseech you pardon me,
Who, earnest in the service of my God,