Home
This site uses cookies
log out

Richard III: Act III, Scene 2

Sign in with Google to add your annotations.

Richard III
Act III, Scene 2

Before Lord Hastings’ house.

18th century portrait of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham

18th century portrait of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham

William Sherlock

  1. Enter a Messenger to the door of Hastings.

Stanley Messenger

1
  1. My lord! My lord!

Hastings

2
  1. Within.
  2. Who knocks?

Stanley Messenger

3
  1. One from the Lord Stanley.

Hastings

4
  1. Within.
  2. What is’t a’ clock?

Stanley Messenger

5
  1. Upon the stroke of four.
  1. Enter Lord Hastings.

Hastings

6
  1. Cannot my Lord Stanley sleep these tedious nights?

Stanley Messenger

7 - 8
  1. So it appears by that I have to say:
  2. First, he commends him to your noble self.

Hastings

9
  1. What then?

Stanley Messenger

10 - 18
  1. Then certifies your lordship that this night
  2. He dreamt the boar had rased off his helm.
  3. Besides, he says there are two Councils kept;
  4. And that may be determin’d at the one
  5. Which may make you and him to rue at th’ other.
  6. Therefore he sends to know your lordship’s pleasure,
  7. If you will presently take horse with him,
  8. And with all speed post with him toward the north,
  9. To shun the danger that his soul divines.

Hastings

19 - 33
  1. Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord,
  2. Bid him not fear the separated Council:
  3. His honor and myself are at the one,
  4. And at the other is my good friend Catesby;
  5. Where nothing can proceed that toucheth us
  6. Whereof I shall not have intelligence.
  7. Tell him his fears are shallow, without instance;
  8. And for his dreams, I wonder he’s so simple
  9. To trust the mock’ry of unquiet slumbers.
  10. To fly the boar before the boar pursues
  11. Were to incense the boar to follow us,
  12. And make pursuit where he did mean no chase.
  13. Go, bid thy master rise and come to me,
  14. And we will both together to the Tower,
  15. Where he shall see the boar will use us kindly.

Stanley Messenger

34
  1. I’ll go, my lord, and tell him what you say.
  1. Exit.
  1. Enter Catesby.

Catesby

35
  1. Many good morrows to my noble lord!

Hastings

36 - 37
  1. Good morrow, Catesby, you are early stirring.
  2. What news, what news, in this our tott’ring state?

Catesby

38 - 40
  1. It is a reeling world indeed, my lord,
  2. And I believe will never stand upright
  3. Till Richard wear the garland of the realm.

Hastings

41
  1. How? Wear the garland? Dost thou mean the crown?

Catesby

42
  1. Ay, my good lord.

Hastings

43 - 45
  1. I’ll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders
  2. Before I’ll see the crown so foul misplac’d.
  3. But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?

Catesby

46 - 50
  1. Ay, on my life, and hopes to find you forward
  2. Upon his party for the gain thereof;
  3. And thereupon he sends you this good news,
  4. That this same very day your enemies,
  5. The kindred of the Queen, must die at Pomfret.

Hastings

51 - 55
  1. Indeed I am no mourner for that news,
  2. Because they have been still my adversaries;
  3. But that I’ll give my voice on Richard’s side
  4. To bar my master’s heirs in true descent,
  5. God knows I will not do it, to the death!

Catesby

56
  1. God keep your lordship in that gracious mind!

Hastings

57 - 61
  1. But I shall laugh at this a twelvemonth hence,
  2. That they which brought me in my master’s hate,
  3. I live to look upon their tragedy.
  4. Well, Catesby, ere a fortnight make me older,
  5. I’ll send some packing that yet think not on’t.

Catesby

62 - 63
  1. ’Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord,
  2. When men are unprepar’d and look not for it.

Hastings

64 - 68
  1. O monstrous, monstrous! And so falls it out
  2. With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey; and so ’twill do
  3. With some men else, that think themselves as safe
  4. As thou and I, who (as thou know’st) are dear
  5. To princely Richard and to Buckingham.

Catesby

69 - 70
  1. The princes both make high account of you—
  2. Aside.
  3. For they account his head upon the bridge.
Costume design for Buckingham

Costume design for Buckingham

Charles Hamilton Smith, Emma Hamilton Smith, 19th century

Hastings

71 - 73
  1. I know they do, and I have well deserv’d it.
  2. Enter Lord Stanley.
  3. Come on, come on, where is your boar-spear, man?
  4. Fear you the boar, and go so unprovided?

Stanley

74 - 76
  1. My lord, good morrow, good morrow, Catesby.
  2. You may jest on, but, by the holy rood,
  3. I do not like these several Councils, I.

Hastings

77 - 82
  1. My lord,
  2. I hold my life as dear as you do yours,
  3. And never in my days, I do protest,
  4. Was it so precious to me as ’tis now.
  5. Think you, but that I know our state secure,
  6. I would be so triumphant as I am?

Stanley

83 - 89
  1. The lords at Pomfret, when they rode from London,
  2. Were jocund, and suppos’d their states were sure,
  3. And they indeed had no cause to mistrust;
  4. But yet you see how soon the day o’ercast.
  5. This sudden stab of rancor I misdoubt;
  6. Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward!
  7. What, shall we toward the Tower? The day is spent.

Hastings

90 - 91
  1. Come, come, have with you. Wot you what, my lord?
  2. Today the lords you talk’d of are beheaded.

Stanley

92 - 94
  1. They, for their truth, might better wear their heads
  2. Than some that have accus’d them wear their hats.
  3. But come, my lord, let’s away.
  1. Enter a Pursuivant, also named Hastings.

Hastings

95 - 96
  1. Go on before, I’ll talk with this good fellow.
  2. Exeunt Lord Stanley and Catesby.
  3. How now, sirrah? How goes the world with thee?

Pursuivant

97
  1. The better that your lordship please to ask.

Hastings

98 - 104
  1. I tell thee, man, ’tis better with me now
  2. Than when thou met’st me last where now we meet.
  3. Then was I going prisoner to the Tower,
  4. By the suggestion of the Queen’s allies;
  5. But now I tell thee (keep it to thyself)
  6. This day those enemies are put to death,
  7. And I in better state than e’er I was.

Pursuivant

105
  1. God hold it, to your honor’s good content!

Hastings

106
  1. Gramercy, fellow. There, drink that for me.
  1. Throws him his purse.

Pursuivant

107
  1. I thank your honor.
  1. Exit Pursuivant.
  1. Enter Sir John, a Priest.

Sir John

108
  1. Well met, my lord, I am glad to see your honor.

Hastings

109 - 111
  1. I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart.
  2. I am in your debt for your last exercise;
  3. Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you.
  1. He whispers in his ear.

Sir John

112
  1. I’ll wait upon your lordship.
  1. Enter Buckingham.

Duke of Buckingham

113 - 115
  1. What, talking with a priest, Lord Chamberlain?
  2. Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest,
  3. Your honor hath no shriving work in hand.

Hastings

116 - 118
  1. Good faith, and when I met this holy man
  2. The men you talk of came into my mind.
  3. What, go you toward the Tower?

Duke of Buckingham

119 - 120
  1. I do, my lord, but long I cannot stay there.
  2. I shall return before your lordship thence.

Hastings

121
  1. Nay, like enough, for I stay dinner there.

Duke of Buckingham

122 - 123
  1. Aside.
  2. And supper too, although thou know’st it not.—
  3. Come, will you go?

Hastings

124
  1.                    I’ll wait upon your lordship.
  1. Exeunt.
© 2021 Unotate.com • contact • privacy policy • Creative Commons text from PlayShakespeare.com • All illustrations are public domain or Creative Commons