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Deform'd, unfinish'd, fent before my time:
Into this breathing world, fcarce half made up,
And that fo lamely and unfashionably,
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them :-
Why I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time;
Unless to spy my fhadow in the fun,
And defcant on mine own deformity.
And therefore, fince I cannot prove a lover,7
To entertain thefe fair well-fpoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleafures of these days.
Plots have I laid, ' inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophefies, libels, and dreams,
To fet my brother Clarence, and the king,
In deadly hate, the one againft the other:
And, if king 'Edward be as true and juft,
As I am fubtle, falfe, and treacherous,
This day should Clarence clofely be mew'd up;
About a prophefy, which fays, that G

Of Edward's heirs the murtherer fhall be.

meant bypocritical nature, that pretends one thing and does ano. ther: But nature that puts together things of a diffimilar kind, as a brave foul and a deformed body, WARBURTON.

Diffembling is here put very licentiously for fraudful, deceitful.

JOHNSON.

7 And therefore, fince I cannot prove a lover,] Shakespeare very diligently inculcates, that the wickedness of Richard proceeded from his deformity, from the envy that rofe at the comparison of his own person with others, and which incited him to disturb the pleasures that he could not partake. JOHNSON.

And hate the idle pleasures-] Perhaps we might read,
JOHNSON,

And bate the idle pleasures

-inductions dangerous,] Preparations for mifchief. The induction is preparatory to the action of the play. JOHNSON. Edward be as trae and juft,] i. e. as open hearted and free

from deceit. WARBURTON.

The meaning is only this; if Edward keeps his word. JOHNS.

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-Dive, thoughts, down to my foul! here Clarence

comes.

Enter Clarence guarded, and Brakenbury.

Brother, good day, what means this armed guard, That waits upon your grace?

Clar. His majesty,

Tendering my perfon's fafety, hath appointed
This conduct to convey me to the Tower,
Glo. Upon what caufe?

Cla. Because my name is George,

Glo. Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours? He should for that commit your godfathers.

O, belike, his majefty hath fome intent,

That you should be new chriftened in the Tower.
But what's the matter, Clarence? may I know?
Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know, for, I proteft,
As yet I do not: But, as I can learn,
He hearkens after prophefies and dreams;
And from the crofs row plucks the letter G,
And fays, a wizard told him, that by G
His iffue difinherited fhould be:

And, for my name of George begins with G,
It follows in his thought, that I am he.
These, as I learn, and fuch like toys as thefe,
Have mov'd his highnefs to commit me now.

Glo. Why, this it is, when men are rul'd by women.
'Tis not the king that fends you to the Tower;
My lady Gray, his wife, Clarence, 'tis fhe,
That tempts him to this harsh extremity.
Was it. not fhe, and that good man of worship,
Anthony Woodeville, her brother, there,
That made him fend lord Haftings to the Tower,
From whence this prefent day he is deliver'd?
We are not fafe, Clarence, we are not safe.

?-toys-] Fancies, freaks of imagination. JOHNSON.

Clar.

Clar. By heaven, I think, there is no man fecure,
But the queen's kindred, and night-walking heralds,
That trudge between the king and miftrefs Shore,
Heard you not, what an humble fuppliant
Lord Haftings was to her for his delivery?
Glo. 3 Humbly complaining to her deity,
Got my lord chamberlain his liberty.
I'll tell you what ;-I think it is our way,
If we will keep in favour with the king,
To be her men, and wear her livery:

* The jealous o'erworn widow, and herself,
Since that our brother dubb'd them gentlewomen,
Are mighty goffips in this monarchy.

Brak. 1 befeech your graces both to pardon me;
His majesty hath ftraitly given in charge,
That no man fhall have private conference,
Of what degree foever, with his brother.

Glo. Even fo? an please your worship, Brakenbury, You may partake of any thing we say: We speak no treason, man;-We say, the king Is wife and virtuous; and his noble queen Well ftrook in years; fair, and not jealous :We fay, that Shore's wife hath a pretty foot, A cherry lip, a bonny eye, a paffing pleafing tongue; That the queen's kindred are made gentle folks: How fay you, fir? can you deny all this?

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Brak With this, my lord, myself have nought todo.
Glo. Naught to do with mistress Shore? I tell thee,
fellow,

He that doth naught with her, excepting one,
Were beft to do it fecretly, alone.
Brak. What one, my lord?

3 Humbly complaining, &c.] I think thefe two lines might be better given to Clarence. JOHNSON,

* The jealous o'er worn widow and herself,] That is, the queen and Shore. JOHNSON.

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Glo. Her husband, knave :-Would'st thou betray

me?

Brak, I befeech your grace to pardon me; and withal

Forbear your conference with the noble duke.

Clar. We know thy charge, Brakenbury, and will obey.

Glo. We are the queen's abjects, and must obey. Brother, farewell: I will unto the king; And whatfoe'er you will employ me in, Were it to call king Edward's widow, fifter," I will perform it, to enfranchise you. Mean time, this deep difgrace in brotherhood, Touches me deeper than you can imagine.

Clar. I know, it pleaseth neither of us well. Glo. Well, your imprisonment fhall not be long; I will deliver you, or effe lye for you:

Mean time, have patience.

Clar. I must perforce; farewell.

[Exeunt Brakenbury and Clarence, Glo. Go, tread the path that thou shalt ne'er return, Simple, plain Clarence! I do love thee fo, That I will shortly fend thy foul to heaven,

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the queen's abjects] That is, not the queen's Subjects, whom he might protect, but her abjects, whom she drives away. JOHNSON.

Were it to call king Edward's widow, fifter,] This is a very covert and fubtle manner of infinuating treafon. The natural expreffion would have been, were it to call king Edward's wife, fifter. I will folicit for you, though it should be at the expence of fo much degradation and conftraint, as to own the low-born wife of king Edward for a fifter. But by flipping, as it were cafually, widow into the place of wife, he tempts Clarence with an oblique propofal to kill the king. JOHNSON.

King Edward's widow is, I believe, only an expreffion of contempt, meaning the widow Gray, whom Edward had thought proper to make his queen. He has just before called her, the jealous p'erwern widow. STEEVENS.

If

h

If heaven will take the prefent at our hands.
-But who comes here? the new-deliver'd Haftings?
Enter Lord Haftings.

Hoft. Good time of day unto my gracious lord! Glo. As much unto my good lord chamberlain ! Well are you welcome to the open air.

How hath your lordfhip brook'd imprisonment? Haft. With patience, noble lord, as pris'ners muft: But I fhall live, my lord, to give them thanks, That were the cause of my imprisonment.

Glo. No doubt, no doubt; and fo fhall Clarence

too;

For they, that were your enemies, are his,
And have prevail'd as much on him, as you.

Haft. More pity, that the eagle fhould be mew'd, While kites and buzzards prey at liberty.

Glo. What news abroad?

Haft. No news so bad abroad, as this at home; The king is fickly, weak, and melancholy,

And his phyficians fear him mightily.

Glo. Now, by faint Paul,' that news is bad, indeed.

O, he hath kept an evil diet long,

And over-much confum'd his royal perfon: 'Tis very grievous to be thought upon. Where is he, in his bed?

Haft. He is.

Glo. Go you before, and I will follow you.

[Exit Haftings, He cannot live I hope, and must not die,

'Till George be pack'd with poft-horfe up to heaven. I'll in, to urge his hatred more to Clarence,

With lies well steel'd with weighty arguments;
And, if I fail not in my deep intent,

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