fce
SCENE V. The Tower-walls.
Enter GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM, in rotten armour, marvellous ill-favoured.
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Glou.
Come, cousin, canst thou quake, and change thy colour,
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Murder thy breath in middle of a word,
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And then begin again, and stop again,
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As if thou wert distraught and mad with terror?
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Buck.
Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian,
Speak and look back, and pry on every side,
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Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
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Intending deep suspicion: ghastly looks
Are at my service, like enforced smiles;
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And both are ready in their offices,
At any time, to grace my stratagems.
But what, is Catesby gone?
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Glou.
He is; and, see, he brings the mayor along.
Enter the Mayor and CATESBY.
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Glou.
Look to the drawbridge there!
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Glou.
Catesby, o’erlook the walls.
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Buck.
Lord mayor, the reason we have sent—
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Glou.
Look back, defend thee, here are enemies.
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Buck.
God and our innocency defend and guard us!
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Glou.
Be patient, they are friends, Ratcliff and Lovel.
Enter LOVEL and RATCLIFF, with HASTINGS’ head.
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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.
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I took him for the plainest harmless creature
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That breathed upon this earth a Christian;
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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
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That, his apparent open guilt omitted,
I mean, his conversation with Shore’s wife,
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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.
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Would you imagine, or almost believe,
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Were’t not that, by great preservation,
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We live to tell it you, the subtle traitor
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This day had plotted, in the council-house
To murder me and my good Lord of Gloucester?
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Glou.
What, think you we are Turks or infidels?
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Or that we would, against the form of law,
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Proceed thus rashly to the villain’s death,
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But that the extreme peril of the case,
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The peace of England and our persons’ safety,
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Enforced us to this execution?
May.
Now, fair befall you! he deserved his death;
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And you, my good lords both, have well proceeded,
To warn false traitors from the like attempts.
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I never look’d for better at his hands,
After he once fell in with Mistress Shore.
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Glou.
Yet had not we determined he should die,
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Until your lordship came to see his death;
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Which now the loving haste of these our friends,
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Somewhat against our meaning, have prevented:
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Because, my lord, we would have had you heard
The traitor speak and timorously confess
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The manner and the purpose of his treason;
That you might well have signified the same
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Unto the citizens, who haply may
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Misconstrue us in him and wail his death.
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May.
But, my good lord, your grace’s word shall serve,
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As well as I had seen and heard him speak:
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And doubt you not, right noble princes both,
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But I’ll acquaint our duteous citizens
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With all your just proceedings in this cause.
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Glou.
And to that end we wish’d your lordship here,
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To avoid the carping censures of the world.
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Buck.
But since you come too late of our intents,
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Yet witness what you hear we did intend:
And so, my good lord mayor, we bid farewell. [Exit Mayor.
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Glou.
Go, after, after, cousin Buckingham.
The mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post:
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There, at your meet’st advantage of the time,
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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.
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Moreover, urge his hateful luxury
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And bestial appetite in change of lust;
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Which stretched to their servants, daughters, wives,
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Even where his lustful eye or savage heart,
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Without control, listed to make his prey.
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Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person:
Tell them, when that my mother went with child
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Of that unsatiate Edward, noble York
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My princely father then had wars in France;
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And, by just computation of the time,
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Found that the issue was not his begot;
Which well appeared in his lineaments,
Being nothing like the noble duke my father:
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But touch this sparingly, as ’twere far off;
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Because you know, my lord, my mother lives.
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Buck.
Fear not, my lord, I’ll play the orator
As if the golden fee for which I plead
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Were for myself: and so, my lord, adieu.
Glou.
If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard’s Castle;
Where you shall find me well accompanied
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With reverend fathers and well-learned bishops.
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Buck.
I go; and towards three or four o’clock
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Look for the news that the Guildhall affords.
[Exit.
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Glou.
Go, Lovel, with all speed to Doctor Shaw;
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[To Cate.]
Go thou to Friar Penker; bid them both
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Meet me within this hour at Baynard’s Castle.
[Exeunt all but Gloucester.
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Now will I in, to take some privy order,
To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight;
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And to give notice, that no manner of person
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At any time have recourse unto the princes.
[Exit.