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Several lords of the council, guards, and attendants.

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Several lords of the council, guards, and attendants.

SCENE, London.

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The Tower. Enter the Duke of GLOCESTER, Sir RICHARD RATCLIFFE, and CATESBY.

Glocester.

THUS far success attends upon our councils,
And each event has answer'd to my wish;
The queen and all her upstart race are quell'd;
Dorset is banish'd, and her brother Rivers,
Ere this, lies shorter by the head at Pomfret.
The nobles have, with joint concurrence, nam'd me
Protector of the realm. My brother's children,
Young Edward and the little York, are lodg'd
Here, safe within the Tower. How say you, sirs,
Does not this business wear a lucky face?

The sceptre and the golden wreath of royalty
Seem hung within my reach.

Rat. Then take 'em to you,

And wear 'em long and worthily. You are

Die astmamng nae of encely York,
artwirt's ours, he saree esteems not of them,)
And nereture in your sveity and rule,
The common veu tues her dependence make,
And eans open your geness”able band.

Cat. And vera-murrow does the council meet, Tix a day for Evard's coronation.

Who can expound mis réc ́e?

Gust. That can I.

Those lords are each one my approv'd good friends,
Of special trist and nearness to my bosom;
And however busy they may seem,

And di vent to buste in the state,

Their ze goes on ro farther than we lead,
And at our bidding stays.

Cat. Yet there is one,

And he amongst the foremost in his power,
Of whom I wish your highness were assur❜d.
For me, perhaps it is my nature's fault,

I own, I doubt of his inclining, much.

Glost. I guess the man at whom your words would point:

Hastings

Cat. The same.

Glost. He bears me great good-will.

Cat. 'Tis true, to you, as to the lord protector, And Gloster's duke, he bows with lowly service: But were he bid to cry, God save King Richard, Then tell me in what terms he would reply? Believe me, I have prov'd the man, and found him:

know he bears a most religious reverence 'o his dead master Edward's royal memory, And whither that may lead him is most plain. ́et more-One of that stubborn sort he is, Vho, if they once grow fond of an opinion, `hey call it honour, honesty, and faith, And sooner part with life than let it go. Glost. And yet this tough impracticable heart, s govern'd by a dainty-finger'd girl;

uch flaws are found in the most worthy natures; ▲ laughing, toying, wheedling, whimpering she hall make him amble on a gossip's message, And take the distaff with a hand as patient As e'er did Hercules.

Rat. The fair Alicia,

Of noble birth and exquisite of feature,
Has held him long a vassal to her beauty.
Cat. I fear, he fails in his allegiance there;
Or my intelligence is false, or else

The dame has been too lavish of her feast,
And fed him till he loathes.

Glost. No more, he comes.

Enter Lord HASTINGS.

Hast. Health, and the happiness of many days, Attend upon your grace.

Glost. My good lord chamberlain,

We're much beholden to your gentle friendship.

Hast. My lord, I come an humble suitor to you.

Guest. La might good me. Speak out your ple

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dast. I am to move your highness in behalf

Cfshore's innappy wife.

Giust. Say you, of Shure'

Hust. Once a bright star, that heid her place a high:

The first and fairest of our English dames,
Wie rava Edward held the sov'reign rule.
Now sunk in griet, and pining with despair,
Her waning arm no longer shall incite
Eavy in woman, or desire in man.

She never sees the sun, but thro' her tears,
And wakes to sigh the live-long night away.

Gust. Marry! the times are badly chang'd with

her,

From Edward's days to these. Then all was jollity,
Feasting and mirth, light wantonness and laughter,
Piping and playing, minstrelsy and masquing;
'Till life fled from us like an idle dream,
A shew of mommery without a meaning.
My brother, rest and pardon to his soul,
Is gone to his account; for this his minion,
The revel rout is done-But you were speaking
Concerning her—I have been told, that you
Are frequent in your visitation to her.

Hast. No farther, my good lord, than friendly pit And tender-hearted charity allow.

Glost. Go to; I did not mean to chide you for it.

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