KING RICHARD THE THIRD

Act 3 Scene 4

(Enter the Duke of Buckingham, Lord Stanley Earl of Derby, Lord Hastings, Bishop of Ely, the Duke of Norfolk, Sir William Catesby, with others at a table)
l1l	Lord Hastings	 Now, noble peers, the cause why we are met
l2l		Is to determine of the coronation.
l3l		In God’s name, speak: when is the royal day?
l4l	Buckingham	Is all things ready for that solemn time?
l5l	Stanley	It is, and wants but nomination.
l6l	Bishop Of Ely	Tomorrow, then, I judge a happy day.
l7l	Buckingham	Who knows the Lord Protector’s mind herein?
l8l		Who is most inward with the noble Duke?
l9l	Bishop Of Ely	Your grace, methinks, should soonest know his mind.
l10l	Buckingham	We know each other’s faces. For our hearts,
l11l		He knows no more of mine than I of yours,
l12l		Or I of his, my lord, than you of mine.—
l13l		Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love.
l14l	Lord Hastings	I thank his grace# I know he loves me well.
l15l		But for his purpose in the coronation,
l16l		I have not sounded him, nor he delivered
l17l		His gracious pleasure any way therein.
l18l		But you, my honourable lords, may name the time,
l19l		And in the Duke’s behalf I’ll give my voice,
l20l		Which I presume he’ll take in gentle part.
		(Enter Richard Duke of Gloucester)
l21l	Bishop Of Ely	 In happy time, here comes the Duke himself.
l22l	Richard Gloucester	My noble lords, and cousins all, good morrow.
l23l		I have been long a sleeper, but I trust
l24l		My absence doth neglect no great design
l25l		Which by my presence might have been concluded.
l26l	Buckingham	Had not you come upon your cue, my lord,
l27l		William Lord Hastings had pronounced your part—
l28l		I mean, your voice, for crowning of the King.
l29l	Richard Gloucester	Than my Lord Hastings no man might be bolder.
l30l		His lordship knows me well, and loves me well.—
l31l		My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn
l32l		I saw good strawberries in your garden there.
l33l		I do beseech you send for some of them.
l34l	Bishop Of Ely	Marry, and will, my lord, with all my heart.
		( 34 Exit)
l35l	Richard Gloucester	 Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you.
l36l		(Aside)
		 Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business,
l37l		And finds the testy gentleman so hot
l38l		That he will lose his head ere give consent
l39l		His “master’s child”—as worshipful he terms it—
l40l		Shall lose the royalty of England’s throne.
l41l	Buckingham	Withdraw yourself a while# I’ll go with you.
		( 41 Exeunt Richard and Buckingham)
l42l	Stanley	 We have not yet set down this day of triumph.
l43l		Tomorrow, in my judgement, is too sudden,
l44l		For I myself am not so well provided
l45l		As else I would be, were the day prolonged.
		(Enter Bishop of Ely)
l46l	Bishop Of Ely	 Where is my lord, the Duke of Gloucester?
l47l		I have sent for these strawberries.
l48l	Lord Hastings	His grace looks cheerfully and smooth this morning.
l49l		There’s some conceit or other likes him well,
l50l		When that he bids good morrow with such spirit.
l51l		I think there’s never a man in Christendom
l52l		Can lesser hide his love or hate than he,
l53l		For by his face straight shall you know his heart.
l54l	Stanley	What of his heart perceive you in his face
l55l		By any likelihood he showed today?
l56l	Lord Hastings	Marry, that with no man here he is offended—
l57l		For were he, he had shown it in his looks.
l58l	Stanley	 I pray God he be not.
		(Enter Richard and Buckingham)
l59l	Richard Gloucester	 I pray you all, tell me what they deserve
l60l		That do conspire my death with devilish plots
l61l		Of damnèd witchcraft, and that have prevailed
l62l		Upon my body with their hellish charms?
l63l	Lord Hastings	The tender love I bear your grace, my lord,
l64l		Makes me most forward in this princely presence
l65l		To doom th’ offenders, whatsoe’er they be.
l66l		I say, my lord, they have deservèd death.
l67l	Richard Gloucester	Then be your eyes the witness of their evil:
l68l		See how I am bewitched. Behold, mine arm
l69l		Is like a blasted sapling withered up.
l70l		And this is Edward’s wife, that monstrous witch,
l71l		Consorted with that harlot, strumpet Shore,
l72l		That by their witchcraft thus have markèd me.
l73l	Lord Hastings	If they have done this deed, my noble lord—
l74l	Richard Gloucester	“If”? Thou protector of this damnèd strumpet,
l75l		Talk’st thou to me of “ifs”? Thou art a traitor.—
l76l		Off with his head. Now, by Saint Paul I swear,
l77l		I will not dine until I see the same.
l78l		Some see it done.
l79l		The rest that love me, rise and follow me.
		(Exeunt all but Catesby and Hastings)
l80l	Lord Hastings	 Woe, woe for England! Not a whit for me,
l81l		For I, too fond, might have prevented this.
l82l		Stanley did dream the boar did raze our helms,
l83l		But I did scorn it and disdain to fly.
l84l		Three times today my footcloth horse did stumble,
l85l		And started when he looked upon the Tower,
l86l		As loath to bear me to the slaughterhouse.
l87l		O now I need the priest that spake to me.
l88l		I now repent I told the pursuivant,
l89l		As too triumphing, how mine enemies
l90l		Today at Pomfret bloodily were butchered,
l91l		And I myself secure in grace and favour.
l92l		O Margaret, Margaret! Now thy heavy curse
l93l		Is lighted on poor Hastings’ wretched head.
l94l	[Catesby]	Come, come, dispatch: the Duke would be at dinner.
l95l		Make a short shrift# he longs to see your head.
l96l	Lord Hastings	O momentary grace of mortal men,
l97l		Which we more hunt for than the grace of God.
l98l		Who builds his hope in th’ air of your good looks
l99l		Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast,
l100l		Ready with every nod to tumble down
l101l		Into the fatal bowels of the deep.
l102l	[Catesby]	Come, come, dispatch. ’Tis bootless to exclaim.
l103l	Lord Hastings	O bloody Richard! Miserable England!
l104l		I prophesy the fearful’st time to thee
l105l		That ever wretched age hath looked upon.—
l106l		Come lead me to the block# bear him my head.
l107l		They smile at me, who shortly shall be dead.
		(Exeunt)