_Sir R._ The fair Alicia,
Of noble birth and exquisite of feature,
Has held him long a vassal to her beauty.

_Cates._ 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.

_Glos._ No more, he comes.

_Enter Lord Hastings._

_Lord H._ Health, and the happiness of many days,
Attend upon your grace.

_Glos._ My good lord chamberlain,
We're much beholden to your gentle friendship.

_Lord H._ My lord, I come an humble suitor to you.

_Glos._ In right good time. Speak out year pleasure freely.

_Lord H._ I am to move your highness in behalf
Of Shore's unhappy wile.

_Glos._ Say you, of Shore?

_Lord H._ Once a bright star, that held her place on high:
The first and fairest of our English dames,
While royal Edward held the sov'reign rule.
Now, sunk in grief and pining with despair,
Her waning form no longer shall incite
Envy in woman, or desire in man.
She never sees the sun, but through her tears,
And wakes to sigh the live-long night away.

_Glos._ 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 masking;
'Till life fled from us like an idle dream,
A show of mummery 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.

_Lord H._ No further, my good lord, than friendly pity
And tender-hearted charity allow.

_Glos._ Go to: I did not mean to chide you for it.
For, sooth to say, I hold it noble in you
To cherish the distress'd.--On with your tale.

_Lord H._ Thus it is, gracious sir, that certain officers,
Using the warrant of your mighty name,
With insolence unjust, and lawless power,
Have seiz'd upon the lands, which late she held
By grant, from her great master Edward's bounty.

_Glos._ Somewhat of this, but slightly, have I heard;
And though some counsellors of forward zeal,
Some of most ceremonious sanctity
And bearded wisdom, often have provok'd
The hand of justice to fall heavy on her;
Yet still, in kind compassion of her weakness,
And tender memory of Edward's love,
I have withheld the merciless stern law
From doing outrage on her helpless beauty.

_Lord H._ Good heav'n, who re