3NOw is the Winter of our Discontent,

4Made glorious Summer by this Son of Yorke:

5And all the clouds that lowr'd vpon our house

6In the deepe bosome of the Ocean buried.

7Now are our browes bound with Victorious Wreathes,

8Our bruised armes hung vp for Monuments;

9Our sterne Alarums chang'd to merry Meetings;

10Our dreadfull Marches, to delightfull Measures.

11Grim-visag'd Warre, hath smooth'd his wrinkled Front:

12And now, in stead of mounting Barbed Steeds,

13To fright the Soules of fearfull Aduersaries,

14He capers nimbly in a Ladies Chamber,

15To the lasciuious pleasing of a Lute.

16But I, that am not shap'd for sportiue trickes,

17Nor made to court an amorous Looking-glasse:

18I, that am Rudely stampt, and want loues Maiesty,

19To strut before a wonton ambling Nymph:

20I, that am curtail'd of this faire Proportion,

21Cheated of Feature by dissembling Nature,

22Deform'd, vn-finish'd, sent before my time

23Into this breathing World, scarse halfe made vp,

24And that so lamely and vnfashionable,

25That dogges barke at me, as I halt by them.

26Why I (in this weake piping time of Peace)

27Haue no delight to passe away the time,

28Vnlesse to see my Shadow in the Sunne,

29And descant on mine owne Deformity.

30And therefore, since I cannot proue a Louer,

31To entertaine these faire well spoken dayes,

32I am determined to proue a Villaine,

33And hate the idle pleasures of these dayes.

34Plots haue I laide, Inductions dangerous,

35By drunken Prophesies, Libels, and Dreames,

36To set my Brother Clarence and the King

37In deadly hate, the one against the other:

38And if King Edward be as true and iust,

39As I am Subtle, False, and Treacherous,

40This day should Clarence closely be mew'd vp:

41About a Prophesie, which sayes that G,

42Of Edwards heyres the murtherer shall be.

43Diue thoughts downe to my soule, here Clarence comes.

45Brother, good day: What meanes this armed guard

46That waites vpon your Grace?

47Cla. His Maiesty tendring my persons safety,

48Hath appointed this Conduct, to conuey me to th' Tower

49Rich. Vpon what cause?

50Cla. Because my name is George.

51Rich. Alacke my Lord, that fault is none of yours:

52He should for that commit your Godfathers.

53O belike, his Maiesty hath some intent,

54That you should be new Christned in the Tower,

55But what's the matter Clarence, may I know?

56Cla. Yea Richard, when I know: but I protest

57As yet I do not: But as I can learne,

58He hearkens after Prophesies and Dreames,

59And from the Crosse-row pluckes the letter G:

60And sayes, a Wizard told him, that by G,

61His issue disinherited should be.

62And for my name of George begins with G,

63It followes in his thought, that I am he.

64These (as I learne) and such like toyes as these,

65Hath moou'd his Highnesse to commit me now.

66Rich. Why this it is, when men are rul'd by Women:

67'Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower,

68My Lady Grey his Wife, Clarence 'tis shee.

69That tempts him to this harsh Extremity.

70Was it not shee, and that good man of Worship,

71Anthony Woodeulle her Brother there,

72That made him send Lord Hastings to the Tower?

73From whence this present day he is deliuered?

74We are not safe Clarence, we are not safe.

75Cla. By heauen, I thinke there is no man secure

76But the Queenes Kindred, and night-walking Heralds,

77That trudge betwixt the King, and Mistris Shore.

78Heard you not what an humble Suppliant

79Lord Hastings was, for her deliuery?

80Rich. Humbly complaining to her Deitie,

81Got my Lord Chamberlaine his libertie.

82Ile tell you what, I thinke it is our way,

83If we will keepe in fauour with the King,

84To be her men, and weare her Liuery.

85The iealous ore-worne Widdow, and her selfe,

86Since that our Brother dub'd them Gentlewomen,

87Are mighty Gossips in our Monarchy.

88Bra. I beseech your Graces both to pardon me,

89His Maiesty hath straightly giuen in charge,

90That no man shall haue priuate Conferenee.

91(Of what degree soeuer) with your Brother.