ACT III
SCENE II. Before Lord Hasting’s house
[Enter a Messenger to the door of Hastings.]
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 kept,
And that may be determined at the one
Which may make you and him to rue at th’ 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 council.
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 tott’ring 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 misplaced.
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 unprepared 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 know’st, 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 deserved it.
[Enter Stanley Earl of Derby.]
Come on, come on. Where is your boar-spear, man? Fear you the boar, and go so unprovided?
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,
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 supposed 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?
Today the lords you talked of are beheaded.
STANLEY
They, for their truth, might better wear their heads
Than some that have accused 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 met’st me 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,
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
I thank your honour.
[Exit.]
[Enter a Priest.]
PRIEST
Well met, my lord; I am glad to see your honour.
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.
[Enter Buckingham.]
PRIEST
I’ll wait upon your lordship.
[Exit Priest.]
BUCKINGHAM
What, talking with a priest, Lord Chamberlain?
Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest;
Your honour hath no shriving work in hand.
HASTINGS
Good faith, and when I met this holy man,
The men you talk of came into my mind.
What, go you toward the Tower?
BUCKINGHAM
I do, my lord, but long I cannot stay there.
I shall return before your lordship thence.
HASTINGS
Nay, like enough, for I stay dinner there.
BUCKINGHAM
[Aside.] And supper too, although thou knowest it not.
Come, will you go?
HASTINGS
I’ll wait upon your lordship.
[Exeunt.]