SCENE changes to Pomfret-Cafile. Enter Sir Richard Ratcliff, with halberds, carrying Lord Rivers, Lord Richard Gray, and Sir Thomas Vaughan to Death. Rat. C Ome, bring forth the prifoners. Riv. Sir Richard Ratcliff, let me tell thee this, To-day fhalt thou behold a subject die For truth, for duty, and for loyalty. Gray. God keep the Prince from all the pack of you, A knot you are of damned blood-fuckers. Vaugh. You live, that shall cry woe for this hereafter. Ret. Difpatch; the limit of your lives is out. Riv. O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prifon, Fatal and ominous to noble Peers! Within the guilty clofure of thy walls Richard the Second, here, was hack'd to death: Gray. Now, Margret's curfe is fall'n upon our heads, Riv. Then curs'd fhe Richard, curs'd fhe Buckingham, Be fatisfy'd, dear God, with our true blood; Rat. Make hafte, the hour of death is now expir'd. Riv. Come, Gray; come, Vaughan; let us all embrace; Farewel, until we meet again in heav'n. . [Exeunt. SCENE SCENE, The Tower. Buckingham, Stanley, Haftings, Bishop of Ely, Catefby, Haft. Is to determine of the coronation: El.YourGrace, we think, fhould fooneft know his mind. Haft. I thank his Grace, I know, he loves me well: But for his purpofe in the coronation, I have not founded him; nor he deliver'd Enter Gloucefter. Ely. In happy time here comes the Duke himself. Which by my prefence might have been concluded. Glo. Than my Lord Haftings no man might be bolder, L 4 I'de I do beseech you, fend for fome of them. Ely. Marry, and will, my Lord, with all my heart. [Exit Ely. Gle. Coufin of Buckingham, a word with your Buck. Withdraw yourfelf a while, I'll go with you. [Exeunt Glo. and Buck. Stanl. We have not yet fet down this day of triumph : To-morrow, in my judgment, is too fudden; For I myfelf am not fo well provided, As elfe I would be, were the day prolong'd. Ely. Where is my Lord the Duke of Gloucester ? Haft. His Grace looks chearfully and smooth this morning; There's fome conceit, or other, likes him well, Stanl. What of his heart perceive you in his face, Haft. Marry, that with no man here he is offended For were he, he had fhewn it in his looks. Re-enter Gloucester and Buckingham. Gle. I pray you all, tell me what they deferve, : Haft. The tender love I bear your Gráce, my Lord, Makes me moft forward in this princely prefence, To doom th' offenders, whofoe'er they be; I fay, my Lord, they have deferved death. Gle Glo. Then be your eyes the witness of their evil; And this is Edward's wife, that monstrous witch, [Exeunt. Three times to-day my foot-cloth horfe did ftumble, (8) Lovel and Ratcliff, look that it be done.] There are two things to be obferved, which will warrant the Variation I have made upon this Paffage. The Scene is here in the Tower: and Lord Haflings was cut off on that very day, when Rivers, Gray and Vaughan furfered at Pomfret. How then could Ratcliff at the fame inftant be both in Yorkshire and the Tower? In the very Scene preceding this, we find him conducting thofe Gentlemen to the Block The Players in their Edition first made the Blunder, as to Ratcliff attending Lord Haflings to Death: for, in the old Quarto, we find it rightly; Exeunt Manet Catesby with Haftings. And in the next Scene, before the Tower Walls, we find Lovel and Cateby come back from the Execution, bringing the head of Haftings, Catef. Come, come, difpatch; the Duke would be at dinner, Make a fhort fhrift, he longs to fee your head. Haft. O momentary grace of mortal men, Ready with every nod to tumble down Lov. Come, come, difpatch; 'tis baotlefs to exclaim. I prophefy the fearful'ft time to thee, That ever wretched hath look'd upon. age Come, lead me to the block, bear him my head: They fmile at me, who fhortly shall be dead. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to the Tower-walls. Enter Gloucester and Buckingham in rufty armour, vellous ill-favour'd. mar Murder thy breath in middle of a word, fide: As if thou wert diftraught; and mad with terror Buck. Let me alone to entertain him. Lord Mayor,— Enter the Lord Mayor attended. Glo. Look to the draw-bridge there. Buck. Hark, a drum! Gla: Catefly, o'erlook the walls. Buck. Lord Mayor, the reason we have fent Glo.. |