And for my sister, and her princely sons,
Be satisfied, dear God, with our true blood,
Which, as Thou know'st, unjustly must be spilt!
Rat. Make haste, the hour of death is expirate.
Riv. Come, Grey,-come, Vaughan; - let us here
embrace:

Farewell, until we meet again in heaven. [Exeunt

SCENE IV. London. A Room in the Tower.

BUCKINGHAM, STANLEY, HASTINGS, the Bishop of ELY,' RATCLIFF, LOVEL, and Others, sitting at a Table: Officers of the Council attending.

Hast. Now, noble peers, the cause why we are met Is to determine of the coronation :

In God's name, speak, when is the royal day? Buck. Are all things ready for the royal time? Stan. They are; and wants but nomination.2 Ely. To-morrow, then, I judge a happy day. Buck. Who knows the lord protector's mind herein?

Who is most inward3 with the noble duke?

3 We have this word in the same sense again in Shakespeare's twenty-second Sonnet: "Then look I death my days should expiate." Steevens and Singer think it is an error of the press for expirate.

Dr. John Morton, who was elected to the see of Ely in 1478. He was advanced to the see of Canterbury in 1486, and appointed lord chancellor in 1487. He died in the year 1500. This prelate first devised the scheme of putting an end to the long rontests between the houses of York and Lancaster, by a marriage between Henry earl of Richmond, and Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Edward IV.; and was a principal agent in procuring Henry, when abroad, to enter into a covenant for the purpose. 2 The only thing wanting is appointment of a particular day for the ceremony.

3 Intimate, confidential.

Ely. Your grace, we think, should soonest know

his mind.

Buck. We know each other's faces; for our hearts, He knows no more of mine, than I of yours; Nor I of his, my lord, than you of mine. Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love.

Hast. I thank his grace, I know he loves me well But, for his purpose in the coronation,

I have not sounded him, nor he deliver’d
His gracious pleasure any way therein:

But you, my honourable lords,' may name the time;
And in the duke's behalf I'll give my voice,
Which, I presume, he'll take in gentle part.

Enter RICHARD.

Ely. In happy time here comes the duke himself. Rich. My noble lords and cousins, all, good mor

row:

I have been long a sleeper; but I trust
My absence doth neglect no great design,
Which by my presence might have been concluded.
Buck. Had you not come upon your cue, my lord,
William lord Hastings had pronounc'd your part, -
I mean your voice, for crowning of the king.
Rich. Than my lord Hastings, no man might be
bolder:

His lordship knows me well, and loves me well.
My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn,
I saw good strawberries in your garden there;
I do beseech you, send for some of them."

H

4 So in the folio; in the quartos, “my noble lords.” 5 An expression borrowed from the stage; the cue, queue, or tail of a speech being the last words, and so indicating to the next speaker when to take his turn.

H.

6 This easy affability and smoothness of humour when going

Ely. Marry, and will, my lord, with all my heart.
[Exit ELY.
Rich. Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you.
[Takes him aside.

Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business,
And finds the testy gentleman so hot,

That he will lose his head, ere give consent
His master's child, as worshipfully he terms it,
Shall lose the royalty of England's throne.
Buck. Withdraw yourself a while; I'll go with
[Exeunt RICH. and BUCK.
Stan. We have not yet set down this day of tri-

you.

umph.
To-morrow, in my judgment, is too sudden;
For I myself am not so well provided,
As else I would be, were the day prolong'd.

Re-enter the Bishop of ELY.

Ely. Where is my lord, the duke of Gloster? I have sent for these strawberries.

Hast. His grace looks cheerfully and smooth this morning:

There's some conceit or other likes him well, When that he bids good morrow with such spirit. I think there's never a man in Christendom

about the blackest and bloodiest crimes is one of the most deci sive strokes in this terrible portrait. The incident is thus related in the History: These lords so sitting togither communing of ths matter, the protector came in amongst them first about nine of the clocke, saluting them courteouslie, and excusing himselfe that had been from them so long, saieng merilie that he had beene a sleeper that daie. After a little talking with them he said unto the bishop of Elie, My lord, you have verie good strawberies at your garden in Holborue; I require you, let us have a messe of them. Gladlie, my lord, quoth he; would God I had some better thing as readie to your pleasure as that! And therewithall in allast he sent his servant for a messe of strawberies."

H.

Can lesser hide his love, or hate, than he;
For by his face straight shall you know his heart.
Stan. What of his heart perceive you in his face,
By any livelihood' he show'd to-day?

Hast. Marry, that with no man here he is offended; For, were he, he had shown it in his looks.

Re-enter RICHARD and BUCKINGHAM.

Rich. I pray you all, tell me what they deserve That do conspire my death with devilish plots Of damned witchcraft, and that have prevail'd Upon my body with their hellish charms?

Hast. The tender love I bear your grace, my lord, Makes me most forward in this princely presence To doom the offenders: Whosoe'er they be, I say, my lord, they have deserved death.

Rich. Then be your eyes the witness of their evil Look how I am bewitch'd; behold mine arm Is, like a blasted sapling, wither'd up:

And this is Edward's wife, that monstrous witch,
Consorted with that harlot strumpet, Shore,

That by their witchcraft thus have marked me.
Hast. If they have done this deed, my noble

Rich. If! thou protector of this damned strum

ance.

pet,

So in the folio; the quartos have likelihood, which modern editions commonly prefer, explaining it by semblance, or appearTo show an appearance is not a very shrewd form of speech Livelihood, taken in the sense of liveliness or vivacity of expression, seems better. The same use of the word occurs in All's Well that Ends Well, Act i. sc. 1: "The remembrance of her father never approaches her heart, but the tyranny of her sorrows takes all livelihood from her cheek."

H.

8 So the folio; the quartos, "noble presence." Such changes were sometimes made to avoid a ton frequent use of the same word. Hastings has.ble lord," below.

H.

Talk'st thou to me of ifs? —Thou art a traitor: Off with his head! now, by St. Paul I swear,

I will not dine until I see the same.

Lovel, and Ratcliff, look that it be done :
The rest that love me, rise, and follow me.9

[Exeunt Cn.ncil, with RICH. and BrCK.

9 More gives a most spirited account of this proceeding: "Be. tweene ten and eleven he returned into the chamber, with a woon. derfull soure angrie countenance, knitting the browes, frowning and fretting, and gnawing on his lips; and so sat him downe in his place. All the lords were much dismaid and sore marvelled at this sudden change. Then, when he had sitten still awhile, thus he began: What were they worthie to have, that compasse and imagine the destruction of me, being so neere of bloud unto the king, and protector of his roiall person and his realme? At this question all the lords sat sore astonied, musing much whome this question meant, of which everie man wist himselfe cleere. Then the lord chamberlaine answered and said, that they were worthie to be punished as traitors, whatsoever they were. And all affirmed the same. That is, quoth he, yonder sorceresse, my brothers wife, and other with hir. Ye shall all see in what wise that sorceresse, and that other witch of hir councell, Shores wife, have by their sorcerie and witchcraft wasted my bodie. And therewith he plucked up his dublet sleeve to his elbow upon his left arme, where he shewed a weerish withered arme, and small; as it was never other. Hereupon everie mans mind sore misgave them, well perceiving that this matter was but a quarrell. For they well wist that the queene was too wise to go about anie such follie And, also, no man was there present, but well knew that his arme was ever such since his birth. Naithelesse the lord chamberlaine answered, Certainlie, my lord, if they have so heinouslie doone, they be worthie heinous punishment. What! quoth the protector, thou servest me, I weene, with ifs and ands: I tell thee they have so doone, and that I will make good on thy bodie, traitor. And therewith, as in a great anger, he clapped his fist upon the boord a great rap; at which token one cried, Treason! without the chamber. Therewith a doore clapped, and in come there rushing men in harnesse, as manie as the chamber might hold. And anon the protector said to the lord Hastings, I arrest thee, traitor ! What, me my lord? quoth he. Yea, thee, traitor, quoth the protector. Then were they all quicklie bestowed in diverse chambers, except the lord chamberlaine, whome the protector bad speed and shrive him apace; for, by saint Paule, quoth he, I will not to dinner till I see thy head off."

H.