William Shakespeare - KING RICHARD III

Thou art sworn as deeply to effect what we intend

As closely to conceal what we impart:

Thou know’st our reasons urg’d upon the way;—

What think’st thou? is it not an easy matter

To make William Lord Hastings of our mind,

For the instalment of this noble duke

In the seat royal of this famous isle?

CATESBY

He for his father’s sake so loves the prince

That he will not be won to aught against him.

BUCKINGHAM

What think’st thou then of Stanley? will not he?

CATESBY

He will do all in all as Hastings doth.

BUCKINGHAM

Well then, no more but this: go, gentle Catesby,

And, as it were far off, sound thou Lord Hastings

How he doth stand affected to our purpose;

And summon him tomorrow to the Tower,

To sit about the coronation.

If thou dost find him tractable to us,

Encourage him, and tell him all our reasons:

If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,

Be thou so too; and so break off the talk,

And give us notice of his inclination:

For we tomorrow hold divided councils,

Wherein thyself shalt highly be employ’d.

GLOSTER

Commend me to Lord William: tell him, Catesby,

His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries

Tomorrow are let blood at Pomfret Castle;

And bid my lord, for joy of this good news,

Give Mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.

BUCKINGHAM

Good Catesby, go, effect this business soundly.

CATESBY

My good lords both, with all the heed I can.

GLOSTER

Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?

CATESBY

You shall, my lord.

GLOSTER

At Crosby Place, there shall you find us both.

[Exit CATESBY.]

BUCKINGHAM

Now, my lord, what shall we do if we perceive

Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?

GLOSTER

Chop off his head. man;—somewhat we will do:—

And, look when I am king, claim thou of me

The earldom of Hereford, and all the movables

Whereof the king my brother was possess’d.

BUCKINGHAM

I’ll claim that promise at your grace’s hand.

GLOSTER

And look to have it yielded with all kindness.

Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards

We may digest our complots in some form.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter a MESSENGER.]

MESSENGER

My lord, my lord!—

[Knocking]

HASTINGS

[Within] Who knocks?

MESSENGER

One from the Lord Stanley.

HASTINGS

[Within] What is’t o’clock?

MESSENGER

Upon the stroke of four.

[Enter HASTINGS.]

HASTINGS

Cannot my Lord Stanley sleep these tedious nights?

MESSENGER

So it appears by that I have to say.

First, he commends him to your noble self.

HASTINGS

What then?

MESSENGER

Then certifies your lordship that this night

He dreamt the boar had razed off his helm:

Besides, he says there are two councils held;

And that may be determin’d at the one

Which may make you and him to rue at the other.

Therefore he sends to know your lordship’s pleasure,—

If you will presently take horse with him,

And with all speed post with him toward the north,

To shun the danger that his soul divines.

HASTINGS

Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord;

Bid him not fear the separated councils:

His honour and myself are at the one,

And at the other is my good friend Catesby;

Where nothing can proceed that toucheth us

Whereof I shall not have intelligence.

Tell him his fears are shallow, without instance:

And for his dreams, I wonder he’s so simple

To trust the mockery of unquiet slumbers:

To fly the boar before the boar pursues

Were to incense the boar to follow us,

And make pursuit where he did mean no chase.

Go, bid thy master rise and come to me;

And we will both together to the Tower,

Where, he shall see, the boar will use us kindly.

MESSENGER

I’ll go, my lord, and tell him what you say.

[Exit.]

[Enter CATESBY.]

CATESBY

Many good morrows to my noble lord!

HASTINGS

Good morrow, Catesby; you are early stirring:

What news, what news, in this our tottering state?

CATESBY

It is a reeling world indeed, my lord;

And I believe will never stand upright

Till Richard wear the garland of the realm.

HASTINGS

How! wear the garland! dost thou mean the crown?

CATESBY

Ay, my good lord.

HASTINGS

I’ll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders

Before I’ll see the crown so foul misplac’d.

But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?

CATESBY

Ay, on my life; and hopes to find you forward

Upon his party for the gain thereof:

And thereupon he sends you this good news,—

That this same very day your enemies,

The kindred of the queen, must die at Pomfret.

HASTINGS

Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,

Because they have been still my adversaries:

But that I’ll give my voice on Richard’s side

To bar my master’s heirs in true descent,

God knows I will not do it to the death.

CATESBY

God keep your lordship in that gracious mind!

HASTINGS

But I shall laugh at this a twelve month hence,—

That they which brought me in my master’s hate,

I live to look upon their tragedy.

Well, Catesby, ere a fortnight make me older,

I’ll send some packing that yet think not on’t.

CATESBY

‘Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord,

When men are unprepar’d and look not for it.

HASTINGS

O monstrous, monstrous! and so falls it out

With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey: and so ‘twill do

With some men else that think themselves as safe

As thou and I; who, as thou knowest, are dear

To princely Richard and to Buckingham.

CATESBY

The princes both make high account of you,—

[Aside]

For they account his head upon the bridge.

HASTINGS

I know they do, and I have well deserv’d it.

[Enter STANLEY.]

Come on, come on; where is your boarspear, man?

Fear you the boar, and go so unprovided?

STANLEY

My lord, good morrow; and good morrow, Catesby:—

You may jest on, but, by the holy rood,

I do not like these several councils, I.

HASTINGS

My lord, I hold my life as dear as you do yours;

And never in my days, I do protest,

Was it so precious to me as ‘tis now;

Think you, but that I know our state secure,

I would be so triumphant as I am?

STANLEY

The lords at Pomfret, when they rode from London,

Were jocund and suppos’d their states were sure,—

And they, indeed, had no cause to mistrust;

But yet, you see, how soon the day o’ercast!

This sudden stab of rancour I misdoubt;

Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward.

What, shall we toward the Tower? the day is spent.

HASTINGS

Come, come, have with you.—Wot you what, my lord?

To-day the lords you talk’d of are beheaded.

STANLEY

They, for their truth, might better wear their heads

Than some that have accus’d them wear their hats.—

But come, my lord, let’s away.

[Enter a Pursuivant.]

HASTINGS

Go on before; I’ll talk with this good fellow.

[Exeunt STANLEY and CATESBY.]

How now, sirrah! how goes the world with thee?

PURSUIVANT

The better that your lordship please to ask.

HASTINGS

I tell thee, man, ‘tis better with me now

Than when thou mett’st me last where now we meet:

Then was I going prisoner to the Tower,