William Shakespeare - KING RICHARD III

O, now I need the priest that spake to me:

I now repent I told the pursuivant,

As too triumphing, how mine enemies

To-day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher’d,

And I myself secure in grace and favour.

O Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curse

Is lighted on poor Hastings’ wretched head!

RATCLIFF

Come, come, despatch; the duke would be at dinner:

Make a short shrift; he longs to see your head.

HASTINGS

O momentary grace of mortal men,

Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!

Who builds his hope in air of your good looks

Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast,

Ready, with every nod, to tumble down

Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

LOVEL

Come, come, despatch; ‘tis bootless to exclaim.

HASTINGS

O bloody Richard!—miserable England!

I prophesy the fearfull’st time to thee

That ever wretched age hath look’d upon.—

Come, lead me to the block; bear him my head:

They smile at me who shortly shall be dead.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM in rusty armour, marvellous ill-favoured.]

GLOSTER

Come, cousin, canst thou quake and change thy colour,

Murder thy breath in middle of a word,

And then again begin, and stop again,

As if thou were distraught and mad with terror?

BUCKINGHAM

Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian;

Speak and look back, and pry on every side,

Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,

Intending deep suspicion: ghastly looks

Are at my service, like enforcèd smiles;

And both are ready in their offices,

At any time to grace my stratagems.

But what, is Catesby gone?

GLOSTER

He is; and, see, he brings the mayor along.

[Enter the LORD MAYOR and CATESBY.]

BUCKINGHAM

Lord mayor,—

GLOSTER

Look to the drawbridge there!

BUCKINGHAM

Hark! a drum.

GLOSTER

Catesby, o’erlook the walls.

BUCKINGHAM

Lord Mayor, the reason we have sent,—

GLOSTER

Look back, defend thee,—here are enemies.

BUCKINGHAM

God and our innocency defend and guard us!

GLOSTER

Be patient; they are friends,—Ratcliff and Lovel.

[Enter LOVEL and RATCLIFF, with HASTINGS’ head.]

LOVEL

Here is the head of that ignoble traitor,

The dangerous and unsuspected Hastings.

GLOSTER

So dear I lov’d the man that I must weep.

I took him for the plainest harmless creature

That breath’d upon the earth a Christian;

Made him my book, wherein my soul recorded

The history of all her secret thoughts:

So smooth he daub’d his vice with show of virtue

That, his apparent open guilt omitted,—

I mean, his conversation with Shore’s wife,—

He liv’d from all attainder of suspécts.

BUCKINGHAM

Well, well, he was the covert’st shelter’d traitor

That ever liv’d.—

Would you imagine, or almost believe,—

Were’t not that by great preservation

We live to tell it you,—that the subtle traitor

This day had plotted, in the council-house,

To murder me and my good Lord of Gloster!

MAYOR

Had he done so?

GLOSTER

What! think you we are Turks or Infidels?

Or that we would, against the form of law,

Proceed thus rashly in the villain’s death,

But that the extreme peril of the case,

The peace of England and our persons’ safety,

Enforc’d us to this execution?

MAYOR

Now, fair befall you! he deserv’d his death;

And your good graces both have well proceeded,

To warn false traitors from the like attempts.

I never look’d for better at his hands

After he once fell in with Mistress Shore.

BUCKINGHAM

Yet had we not determin’d he should die

Until your lordship came to see his end;

Which now the loving haste of these our friends,

Something against our meanings, have prevented:

Because, my lord, we would have had you heard

The traitor speak, and timorously confess

The manner and the purpose of his treasons;

That you might well have signified the same

Unto the citizens, who haply may

Misconster us in him, and wail his death.

MAYOR

But, my good lord, your grace’s word shall serve

As well as I had seen and heard him speak:

And do not doubt, right noble princes both,

But I’ll acquaint our duteous citizens

With all your just proceedings in this case.

GLOSTER

And to that end we wish’d your lordship here,

To avoid the the the censures of the carping world.

BUCKINGHAM

But since you come too late of our intent,

Yet witness what you hear we did intend:

And so, my good lord mayor, we bid farewell.

[Exit LORD MAYOR.]

GLOSTER

Go, after, after, cousin Buckingham.

The Mayor towards Guildhall hies him in all post:—

There, at your meet’st advantage of the time,

Infer the bastardy of Edward’s children:

Tell them how Edward put to death a citizen,

Only for saying he would make his son

Heir to the crown;—meaning, indeed, his house,

Which, by the sign thereof, was termèd so.

Moreover, urge his hateful luxury,

And bestial appetite in change of lust;

Which stretch’d unto their servants, daughters, wives,

Even where his raging eye or savage heart,

Without control, listed to make a prey.

Nay, for a need, thus far come near my person:—

Tell them, when that my mother went with child

Of that insatiate Edward, noble York,

My princely father, then had wars in France

And, by true computation of the time,

Found that the issue was not his begot;

Which well appearèd in his lineaments,

Being nothing like the noble duke my father.

Yet touch this sparingly, as ‘twere far off;

Because, my lord, you know my mother lives.

BUCKINGHAM

Doubt not, my lord, I’ll play the orator

As if the golden fee for which I plead

Were for myself: and so, my lord, adieu.

GLOSTER

If you thrive well, bring them to Baynard’s Castle;

Where you shall find me well accompanied

With reverend fathers and well learned bishops.

BUCKINGHAM

I go; and towards three or four o’clock

Look for the news that the Guildhall affords.

[Exit.]

GLOSTER

Go, Lovel, with all speed to Doctor Shaw.—

Go thou [to CATESBY] to Friar Penker;—bid them both

Meet me within this hour at Baynard’s Castle.

[Exeunt LOVEL and CATESBY.]

Now will I in, to take some privy order

To draw the brats of Clarence out of sight;

And to give order that no manner person

Have any time recourse unto the princes.

[Exit.]

[Enter a SCRIVENER.]

SCRIVENER

Here is the indictment of the good Lord Hastings;

Which in a set hand fairly is engross’d,

That it may be to-day read o’er in Paul’s.

And mark how well the sequel hangs together:—

Eleven hours I have spent to write it over,

For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me;

The precedent was full as long a-doing:

And yet within these five hours Hastings liv’d,

Untainted, unexamin’d, free, at liberty.

Here’s a good world the while! Who is so gross

That cannot see this palpable device!

Yet who so bold but says he sees it not!

Bad is the world; and all will come to naught,

When such ill dealing must be seen in thought.

[Exit.]

[Enter GLOSTER and BUCKINGHAM, meeting.]