22141999Glo. How now my Lord, what say the Cittizens?

22152000Buc. Now by the holy mother of our Lord,

22162001The Citizens are mumme, and speake not a word.

22172002Glo. Toucht you the bastardy of Edwards children?

22182003Buck. I did, wyth the insatiate greedinesse of his desires,

22222004His tyranny for trifles, his owne bastardy,

22232005As beyng got, your father then in Fraunce:

22252006Withall I did inferre your lineaments,

22262007Beyng the right Idea of your father,

22272008Both in your forme and noblenesse of minde,

22282009Laid open all your victories in Scotland:

22292010Your discipline in warre, wisedome in peace:

22302011Your bounty, vertue, faire humility:

22312012Indeede left nothing fitting for the purpose

22322013Vntoucht, or sleightly handled in discourse:

22332014And when mine oratory grew to an ende.

22342015I bid them that did loue their countries good,

22352016Crie, God saue Richard, Englands royall King.

22362017Glo. A and did they so?

22372018Buc. No so God helpe me,

22382019But like dumbe statues or breathing stones,

22392020Gazde each on other and lookt deadly pale:

22402021Which when I saw, I reprehended them,

22412022And askt the Maior, what meant this wilfull silence?

22422023His answere was, the people were not wont

22432024To be spoke to, but by the Recorder.

22442025Then he was vrgde to tell my tale againe:

22452026Thus, saith the Duke, thus hath the Duke inferd:

22462027But nothing spake in warrant from himselfe:

22472028When he had done, some followers of mine owne

22482029At the lower end of the Hall, hurld vp their caps,

22492030And some ten voices cried, God saue King Richard.

22512031Thankes louing Cittizens and friends quoth I,

22522032This generall applause and louing shoute,

22532033Argues your wisedomes and your loue to Richard:

22542034And so brake off and came away.

22552035Glo. What tonglesse blockes were they, would they not (speake?

2255.12036Buc. No by my troth my Lo:

22572037Glo. Will not the Maior then, and his brethren come.

22582038Glo. The Maior is here at hand, and intend some feare,

22592039Be not spoken withall, but with mighty suite:

22602040And looke you get a praier booke in your hand,

22612041And stand betwixt two churchmen good my Lo:

22622042For on that ground Ile build a holy descant:

22632043Be not easily wonne to our request:

22642044Play the maides part, say no, but take it.

22652045Glo. Feare not me, if thou canst pleade aswell for them,

22662046As I can say nay to thee, for my selfe?

22672047No doubt weele bring it to a happie issue.

22682048Buck. You shal see what I can do, get you vp to the leads. Exit.

22702049Now my L. Maior, I dance attendance heare,

22712050I thinke the Duke will not be spoke withall. Enter Catesby.

22732051Here coms his seruant : how now Catesby what saies he.

22752052Cates. My Lord, he doth intreat your grace

22762053To visit him to morrow or next daie,

22772054He is within with two right reuerend fathers,

22782055Diuinely bent to meditation,

22792056And in no worldly suite would he be mou'd,

22802057To draw him from his holy exercise.

22812058Buck. Returne good Catesby to thy Lord againe,

22822059Tell him my selfe, the Maior and Cittizens,

22832060In deepe designes and matters of great moment,

22842061No lesse importing then our generall good,

22852062Are come to haue some conference with his grace.

22862063Cates. Ile tell him what you say my Lord. Exit.

22872064Buck. A ha my Lord this prince is not an Edward :

22882065He is not lulling on a lewd day bed,

22892066But on his knees at meditation:

22902067Not dalying with a brace of Curtizans,

22912068But meditating with two deepe Diuines:

22922069Not sleeping to ingrosse his idle body,

22932070But praying to inrich his watchfull soule.

22942071Happy were England, would this gracious prince

22952072Take on himselfe the souerainty thereon,

22962073But sure I feare we shall neuer winne him to it.

22972074Maior. Marry God forbid his grace should say vs nay.

22992075Buck. I feare he wil, how now Catesby, Enter Cates.

23012076What saies your Lord?

23022077Cates. My Lo. he wonders to what end, you haue assembled

23032078Such troupes of Cittizens to speake with him,

23042079His grace not being warnd thereof before,

23052080My Lord, he feares you meane no good to him.

23062081Buck. Sorrie I am my noble Cosen should

23072082Suspect me that I meane no good to him.

23082083By heauen I come in perfect loue to him,

23092084And so once more returne and tell his grace: Exit Catesby.

H When

23102085When hollie and deuout religious men,

23112086Are at their beads, tis hard to draw them thence,

23122087So sweet is zealous contemplation.

23142089Maior. See where he stands between two clergie men.

23162090Buck. Two props of vertue for a christian Prince,

23172091To staie him from the fall of vanitie,

23202092Famous Plantaganet, most gracious prince,

23212093Lend fauorable eares to our request,

23222094And pardon vs the interruption

23232095Of thy deuotion and right Christian zeale.

23242096Glo. My Lord, there needs no such apologie,

23252097I rather do beseech you pardon me,

23262098Who earnest in the seruice of my God,

23272099Neglect the visitation of my friends,

23282100But leauing this, what is your graces pleasure?

23292101Buck. Euen that I hope which pleaseth God aboue,

23302102And all good men of this vngouerned Ile.

23312103Glo. I do suspect I haue done some offence,

23322104That seemes disgracious in the Citties eies,

23332105And that you come to reprehend my ignorance.

23342106Buck. You haue my Lord, would it please your grace

23362107At our entreaties to amend that fault.

23372108Glo. Else wherefore breath I in a Christian land?

23382109Buck. Then know it is your fault that you resigne

23392110The supreame seat, the throne maiesticall,

23402111The sceptred office of your auncestors,

23422112The lineall glorie of your roiall house,

23432113To the corruption of a blemisht stocke:

23442114Whilst in the mildnesse of your sleepie thoughts,

23452115Which here we waken to our countries good,

23462116This noble Ile doth want her proper limbes,

23472117Her face defac't with scars of infamie,

23492118And almost shouldred in the swallowing gulph,

23502119Of blind forgetfulnesse and darke obliuion,

23512120Which to recure we hartily solicit,

23522121Your gratious selfe to take on you the soueraingtie thereof,

23542122Not as Protector steward substitute,

23552123Or lowlie factor for anothers gaine:

23562124But as successiuelie from bloud to bloud,

23572125Your right of birth, your Emperie, your owne:

23582126For this consorted with the Citizens

23592127Your verie worshipfull and louing frinds,

23602128And by their vehement instigation,

23612129In this iust suite come I to moue your grace.

23622130Glo. I know not whether to depart in silence,

23632131Or bitterlie to speake in your reproofe,

23642132Best fitteth my degree or your condition:

23752133Your loue deserues my thanks, but my desert

23762134Vnmeritable shunes your high request,

23772135First if all obstacles were cut awaie,

23782136And that my path were euen to the crown,

23792137As my ripe reuenew and dew by birth,

23802138Yet so much is my pouerty of spirit,

23812139So mightie and so many my defects,

23822140As I had rather hide me from my greatnes,

23832141Beeing a Barke to brooke no mightie sea,

23842142Then in my greatnes couet to be hid,

23852143And in the vapour of my glorie smotherd:

23862144But God be thanked there's no need of me,

23872145And much I need to helpe you if need were,

23882146The roiall tree hath left vs roiall fruit,

23892147Which mellowed by the stealing houres of time,

23902148Will well become the seat of maiestie,

23912149And make no doubt vs happie by his raigne,

23922150On him I laie what you would laie on me:

23932151The right and fortune of his happie stars,

23942152Which God defend that I should wring from him.

23952153Buck. My lord, this argues conscience in your grace,

23962154But the respects thereof are nice and triuiall,

23972155All circumstances well considered:

23982156You saie that Edward is your brothers sonne,

23992157So saie we to, but not by Edwards wife,

24002158For first he was contract to lady Lucy,

24012159Your mother liues a witnesse to that vowe,

24022160And afterward by substitute betrothed

H.2 To

24032161To Bona sister to the king of Fraunce,

24042162These both put by a poore petitioner

24052163A care-crazd mother of a many children,

24062164A beauty-waining and distressed widow,

24072165Euen in the afternoone of her best daies

24082166Made prise and purchase of his lustfull eye,

24092167Seduc't the pitch and height of al his thoughts,

24102168To base declension and loathd bigamie,

24112169By her in his vnlawfull bed he got.

24122170This Edward whom our maners terme the prince,

24132171More bitterlie could I expostulate,

24142172Saue that for reuerence to some aliue

24152173I giue a sparing limit to my tongue:

24162174Then good my Lord, take to your royall selfe,

24172175This proffered benefit of dignitie:

24182176If not to blesse vs and the land withall,

24192177Yet to draw out your royall stocke,

24202178From the corruption of abusing time,

24212179Vnto a lineall true deriued course.

24222180Maior. Do good my Lord, your Cittizens entreat you.

24242181Cates. O make them ioifull grant their lawful suite.

24252182Glo. Alas, why would you heape these cares on me,

24262183I am vnfit for state and dignitie,

24272184I do beseech you take it not amisse,

24282185I cannot nor I will not yeeld to you.

24292186Buck. If you refuse it as in loue and zeale,

24302187Loath to depose the child your brothers sonne,

24312188As well we know your tendernes of heart,

24322189And gentle kind effeminate remorse,

24332190Which wee haue noted in you to your kin,

24342191And egallie indeed to all estates,

24352192Yet whether you accept our suite or no,

24362193Your brothers sonne shall neuer raigne our king,

24372194But we will plant some other in the throane,

24382195To the disgrace and downfall of your house:

24392196And in this resolution here we leaue you.

24402197Come Citizens, zounds ile intreat no more.

2440.12198Glo. O do not sweare my Lord of Buckingham.

24412199Cates. Call them againe, my lord, and accept their sute.

24422200Ano. Doe, good my lord, least all the land do rew it.

24432201Glo. Would you inforce me to a world of care:

24442202Well, call them againe, I am not made of stones,

24452203But penetrable to your kind intreates,

24462204Albeit against my conscience and my soule,

24482205Coosin of Buckingham, and you sage graue men,

24492206Since you will buckle fortune on my backe,

24502207To beare her burthen whether I will or no,

24512208I must haue patience to indure the lode,

24522209But if blacke scandale or soule-fac't reproch

24532210Attend the sequell of your imposition,

24542211Your meere inforcement shall acquittance mee

24552212From all the impure blots and staines thereof,

24562213For God he knowes, and you may partly see,

24572214How farre I am from the desire thereof.

24582215Mayor. God blesse your grace, we see it, and will say it.

24602216Glo. In saying so, you shall but say the truth.

24612217Buck. Then I salute you with this kingly title:

24622218Long liue Richard, Englands royall king.

24632219Mayor. Amen.

24642220Buck To morrow will it please you to be crown'd.

24652221Glo. Euen when you will, since you will haue it so.

24662222Buck. To morrow then we will attend your grace.

24682223Glo. Come, let vs to our holy taske againe :

24692224Farewel good coosine, farwel gentle friends. Exeunt.