Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person:
Tell them, when that my mother went with child
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,
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,
Were for myself: and so, my lord, adieu.

Rich. 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.

[Exit BUCKINGHAM. Rich. Go, Lovel, with all speed to doctor Shaw, [To CATE.] Go thou to friar Penker: — bid them

both

Meet me, within this hour, at Baynard's castle.

[Exeunt LOVEL and CATESBY.

in the line before, the quartos have "lustful eye," which was changed to "raging eye" in the folio.

H.

7 This castle was built by Baynard, a nobleman who is said to have come in with William the Conqueror. Knight speaks of it thus: "Baynard's Castle, which stood on the bank of the river in Thames-street, has been swept away by the commercial necessities of London. The dingy barge is moored in the place of the splendid gallery; and porters and carmen squabble on the spot where princes held their state."

H.

3 Dr. Shaw was brother to the lord mayor; Penker, according to Speed, was provincial of the Augustine friars; and both were popular preachers of the time. Of course Richard wanted them to preach politics

H.

Now will I go, to take some privy order
To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight;
And to give order, that no manner person
Have any time recourse unto the princes.

SCENE VI. A Street.

Enter a Scrivener.

[Exit.

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

Which in a set hand fairly is engross'd,
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;
For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me:
The precedent' was full as long a-doing:
And yet within these five hours Hastings liv'd,
Untainted, unexamin'd, 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 ill dealing must be seen in thought.3

[Exit.

So in the folio; in the quartos thus: "And to give notice, that no manner of person." The folio is according to the idiom of the time. -The brats of Clarence" were Edward and Margaret, known afterwards as earl of Warwick and countess of Salisbury.

H.

1 That is, the original draft from which the copy was made. * That is, seen in silence.· The Poet here writes very close to the History "Now was this proclamation made within two houres after that he was beheaded; and it was so curiouslie indited, and so faire written in parchment, in so well set a hand, and therewith of itselfe so long a processe, that everie child might well perceive that it was prepared before. For all the time betweene his death and the proclaiming could scant have sufficed unto the bare

SCENE VII.

The same. The Court of Baynard's Castle.

Enter RICHARD and BUCKINGHAM, meeting.

Rich. 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.

Rich. Touch'd you the bastardy of Edward's children?

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;2 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;

writing alone, all had it beene but in paper, and scribbled foorth in hast. So that one that was a schoolmaister of Powles, of chance standing by, and comparing the shortnesse of the time with the length of the matter, said unto them that stood about him,- Here is a gaie goodlie foule cast awaie for hast. And a merchant answered him, that it was written by prophesie."

H.

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. The first, second, fourth, and seventh lines of this speech are wanting in all the quartos.

2 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.

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,
Untouch'd, or slightly handled in discourse.
And, when my oratory grew toward end,
I bade them, that did love their country's good,
Cry" God save Richard, England's royal king!"
Rich. And did they so?

Buck. No, so God help me, they spake not a word;
But, like dumb statuas, or breathing stones,
Star'd each on other, and look'd deadly pale.
Which when I saw, I reprehended them,

And ask'd the mayor, what meant this wilful silence? His answer was, the people were not us'd

To be spoke to, but by the recorder.

Then he was urg'd to tell my tale again:

Thus saith the duke, thus hath the duke inferr'd;"
But nothing spoke in warrant from himself.
When he had done, some followers of mine own,
At lower end of the hall, hurl'd up their caps,
And some ten voices cried, "God save King Rich-
ard!"

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.
Rich. What tongueless blocks were they!

they not speak?

Would

Will not the mayor, then, and his brethren, come?

3 It would not be difficult, says Mr. Reed, to fill whole pages with instances to prove that statue was formerly a word of three syllables; and there are several passages in Shakespeare where it is necessary so to pronounce it.

4 This line is not in the quartos.

H.

Buck. The mayor is here at hand: intend some

fear;

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.
Rich. I go; and if you plead as well for thein,
As I can say nay to thee for myself,

No doubt we bring it to a happy issue.

Buck. Go, go, up to the leads! the lord mayor [Exit RICHARD.

knocks.

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

Enter CATESBY, from the Castle.

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 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 designs, in matter of great moment, No less importing than our general good,

Are come to have some conference with his grace.

That is, pretend. See sc. 5, note 1, of this Act.

н.

See Thi

• Ground and descant were technical terms in music; the former meaning the original air, the latter the variations. Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act i. sc. 2, rote 7

H.