Richard III

ACT III SCENE II	Before Lord Hastings' house.
	Enter a Messenger.
Messenger	What, ho! my lord!
HASTINGS	Within
Messenger	A messenger from the Lord Stanley.
	Enter HASTINGS.
HASTINGS	What is't o'clock?
Messenger	Upon the stroke of four.	5
HASTINGS	Cannot thy master sleep these tedious nights?
Messenger	So it should seem by that I have to say.
	First, he commends him to your noble lordship.
HASTINGS	And then?
Messenger	And then he sends you word	10
	He dreamt to-night the boar had razed his helm:
	Besides, he says there are two councils held;
	And that may be determined at the one
	which may make you and him to rue at the other.
	Therefore he sends to know your lordship's pleasure,	15
	If presently you will 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	20
	His honour and myself are at the one,
	And at the other is my servant Catesby
	Where nothing can proceed that toucheth us
	Whereof I shall not have intelligence.
	Tell him his fears are shallow, wanting instance:	25
	And for his dreams, I wonder he is so fond
	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.	30
	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	My gracious lord, I'll tell him what you say.
	Exit
	Enter CATESBY.
CATESBY	Many good morrows to my noble lord!	35
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 twill never stand upright
	Tim Richard wear the garland of the realm.	40
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
	Ere I will see the crown so foul misplaced.
	But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?	45
CATESBY	Ay, on my life; and hopes to find 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.	50
HASTINGS	Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,
	Because they have been still mine enemies:
	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.	55
CATESBY	God keep your lordship in that gracious mind!
HASTINGS	But I shall laugh at this a twelve-month hence,
	That they who brought me in my master's hate
	I live to look upon their tragedy.
	I tell thee, Catesby--	60
CATESBY	What, my lord?
HASTINGS	Ere a fortnight make me elder,
	I'll send some packing that yet think not on it.
CATESBY	'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord,
	When men are unprepared and look not for it.	65
HASTINGS	O monstrous, monstrous! and so falls it out
	With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey: and so 'twill do
	With some men else, who think themselves as safe
	As thou and I; who, as thou know'st, are dear
	To princely Richard and to Buckingham.	70
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 deserved it.
	Enter STANLEY.
	Come on, come on; where is your boar-spear, man?
	Fear you the boar, and go so unprovided?	75
STANLEY	My lord, good morrow; 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;	80
	And never in my life, I do protest,
	Was it more precious to me than '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,	85
	Were jocund, and supposed their state was sure,
	And they indeed had no cause to mistrust;
	But yet, you see how soon the day o'ercast.
	This sudden stag of rancour I misdoubt:
	Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward!	90
	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 of are beheaded.
LORD STANLEY	They, for their truth, might better wear their heads
	Than some that have accused them wear their hats.	95
	But come, my lord, let us 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	100
	Than when I met thee last where now we meet:
	Then was I going prisoner to the Tower,
	By the suggestion of the queen's allies;
	But now, I tell thee--keep it to thyself--
	This day those enemies are put to death,	105
	And I in better state than e'er I was.
Pursuivant	God hold it, to your honour's good content!
HASTINGS	Gramercy, fellow: there, drink that for me.
	Throws him his purse
Pursuivant	God save your lordship!
	Exit
	Enter a Priest.
Priest	Well met, my lord; I am glad to see your honour.	110
HASTINGS	I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart.
	I am in your debt for your last exercise;
	Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you.
	He whispers in his ear
	Enter BUCKINGHAM.
BUCKINGHAM	What, talking with a priest, lord chamberlain?
	Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest;	115
	Your honour hath no shriving work in hand.
HASTINGS	Good faith, and when I met this holy man,
	Those men you talk of came into my mind.
	What, go you toward the Tower?
BUCKINGHAM	I do, my lord; but long I shall not stay	120
	I shall return before your lordship thence.
HASTINGS	'Tis like enough, for I stay dinner there.
BUCKINGHAM	Aside
	Come, will you go?
HASTINGS	I'll wait upon your lordship.
	Exeunt

Richard III, Act 3, Scene 3