32NOw is the winter of our discontent,

43Made glorious summer by this sonne of Yorke:

54And all the cloudes that lowrd vpon our house,

65In the deepe bosome of the Ocean buried.

76Now are our browes bound with victorious wreathes,

87Our bruised armes hung vp for monuments,

98Our sterne alarmes changd to merry meetings,

109Our dreadfull marches to delightfull measures.

1110Grim-visagde warre, hath smoothde his wrinkled front,

1211And now in steed of mounting barbed steedes,

1312To fright the soules of fearefull aduersaries.

1413He capers nimbly in a Ladies chamber,

1514To the lasciuious pleasing of a loue.

1615But I that am not shapte for sportiue trickes,

1716Nor made to court an amorous looking glasse,

1817I that am rudely stampt and want loues maiesty,

1918To strut before a wanton ambling Nymph:

2019I that am curtaild of this faire proportion,

2120Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,

2221Deformd, vnfinisht, sent before my time

2322Into this breathing world scarce halfe made vp,

2423And that so lamely and vnfashionable,

2524That dogs barke at me as I halt by them:

2625Why I in this weake piping time of peace

2726Haue no delight to passe away the time,

2827Vnlesse to spie my shadow in the sunne,

2928And descant on mine owne deformity:

3029And therefore since I cannot prooue a louer

3130To entertaine these faire well spoken daies.

A2

3231I am determined to prooue a villaine,

3332And hate the idle pleasures of these daies:

3433Plots haue I laid inductious dangerous,

3534By drunken Prophesies, libels and dreames,

3635To set my brother Clarence and the King

3736In deadly hate the one against the other.

3837And if King Edward be as true and iust,

3938As I am subtile, false, and trecherous:

4039This day should Clarence closely be mewed vp,

4140About a Prophecy which saies that G.

4241Of Edwards heires the murtherers shall be.

4342Diue thoughts downe to my soule, Enter Clarence with a gard of men.

43Heere Clarence comes,

4544Brother, good dayes, what meanes this armed gard

4645That waites vpon your grace?

4746Clar. His Maiesty tendering my persons safety hath ap-

4847 po nted

48This conduct to conuay me to the tower.

4949Glo. Vpon what cause?

5050Cla. Because my name is George.

5151Glo. Alacke my Lord that fault is none of yours,

5252He should for that commit your Godfathers:

5353O belike his Maiesty hath some intent

5454That you shalbe new christened in the Tower.

5555But whats the matter Clarence may I know?

5656Cla. Yea Richard when I know; for I protest

5757As yet I doe not, but as I can learne,

5858He harkens after Prophecies and dreames,

5959And from the crosse-rowe pluckes the letter G:

6060And saies a wisard told him that by G,

6161His issue disinherited should be.

6262And for my name of George begins with G,

6363It followes in his thought that I am he.

6464These as I learne and such like toies as these,

6565Haue moued his highnes to commit me now.

6666Glo. Why this it is when men are rulde by women,

6767Tis not the King that sends you to the tower,

6868My Lady Gray his wife, Clarence tis she,

6969That tempers him to this extremity,

7070Was it not she and that good man of worshippe

7171Anthony Wooduile her brother there,

7272That made him send Lord Hastings to the tower;

7373From whence this present day he is deliuered?

7474We are not safe Clarence, we are not safe.

7575Cla. By heauen I thinke there is no man is securde,

7676But the Queenes kindred and night-walking Heralds,

7777That trudge betwixt the King and Mistresse Shore,

7878Heard ye not what an humble suppliant

7979Lord Hastings was to her for his deliuery.

8080Glo. Humbly complaining to her deity,

8181Got my Lord Chamberlaine his liberty.

8282Ile tell you what, I thinke it is our way,

8383If we will keepe in fauour with the King,

8484To be her men and weare her liuery.

8585The iealous oreworne widdow and her selfe,

8686Since that our brother dubd them gentlewomen,

8787Are mighty gossips in this monarchy.

8888Bro. I beseech your Graces both to pardon me:

8989His Maiesty hath streightly giuen in charge,

9090That no man shall haue priuate conference,

9191Of what degree soeuer with his brother.

9292Glo. Euen so and please your worship Brokenbury,

9393You may pertake of any thing we say:

9494We speake no treason man, we say the King

9595Is wise and vertuous, and his noble Queene

9696Well stroke in yeres, faire and not iealous.

9797We say that Shores wife hath a prety foote,

9898A cherry lippe, a bonny eie, a passing pleasing tongue:

9999And that the Queenes kindred are made gentlefolks.

100100How say you sir, can you deny all this?

101101Bro. With this (my Lord) my selfe haue nought to do.

103102Glo. Naught to do with Mistris Shore, I tell thee fellow,

104103He that doth naught with her, excepting one

105104Were best he doe it secretly alone.

108107Bro. I beseech your Grace to pardon me, and withal for- (beare

110108Your conference with the noble Duke.

A3 We

111109Cla. We know thy charge Brokenbury and will obey,

112110Glo. We are the Queenes abiects and must obey.

113111Brother farewell, I will vnto the King,

114112And whatsoeuer you will imploy me in,

115113Were it to call King Edwards widdow sister,

116114I will performe it to enfranchise you,

117115Meane time this deepe disgrace in brotherhood,

118116Touches me deeper then you can imagine.

119117Cla. I know it pleaseth neither of vs well:

120118Glo. Well, your imprisonment shall not be long,

121119I will deliuer you or lie for you,

122120Meane time haue patience.

123121Cla. I must perforce; farewell. Exit Clar.

124122Glo. Go treade the path that thou shalt nere returne,

125123Simple plaine Clarence I doe loue thee so,

126124That I will shortly send thy soule to heauen,

127125If heauen will take the present at our hands:

128126But who comes here the new deliuered hastings?

130128Hast. Good time of day vnto my gratious Lord:

131129Glo. As much vnto my good Lord Chamberlaine:

132130Well are you welcome to the open aire,

133131How hath your Lordship brookt imprisonment?

134132Hast. With patience (noble Lord) as prisoners must:

135133But I shall liue my Lord to giue them thankes

136134That were the cause of my imprisonment.

137135Glo. No doubt, no doubt, and so shal Clarence too,

138136For they that were your enemies are his,

139137And haue preuaild as much on him as you.

140138Hast. More pitty that the Eagle should be mewed,

141139While keihts and bussards prey at liberty.

142140Glo. What newes abroad?

143141Hast. No newes so bad abroad as this at home:

144142The King is sickly, weake and melancholy,

145143And his Phisitions feare him mightily.

146144Glo. Now by Saint Paul this newes is bad indeede,

147145Oh he hath kept an euill diet long,

148146And ouermuch consumed his royall person,

149147Tis very grieuous to be thought vpon:

150148What is he in his bed?

151149Hast. He is.

152150Glo. Go you before and I will follow you. Exit Hast.

154151He cannot liue I hope, and must not die,

155152Till George be packt with post horse vp to heauen.

156153Ile in to vrge his hatred more to Clarence,

157154With lies well steeld with weighty arguments,

158155And if I faile not in my deepe intent,

159156Clarence hath not an other day to liue

160157Which done, God take King Edward to his mercy,

161158And leaue the world for me to bussell in,

162159For then Ile marry Warwicks yongest daughter:

163160What though I kild her husband and her father,

164161The readiest way to make the wench amends,

165162Is to become her husband and her father:

166163The which will I, not all so much for loue,

167164As for another secret close intent.

168165By marrying her which I must reach vnto.

169166But yet I run before my horse to market:

170167Clarence still breathes, Edward still liues and raignes,

171168When they are gone then must I count my gaines. Exit.