Richard III - William Shakespeare (ebooks online reader txt) 📗

prettily and aptly taunts himself:
So cunning and so young is wonderful. Gloucester

My lord, will’t please you pass along?
Myself and my good cousin Buckingham
Will to your mother, to entreat of her
To meet you at the Tower and welcome you.

York What, will you go unto the Tower, my lord? Prince My lord protector needs will have it so. York I shall not sleep in quiet at the Tower. Gloucester Why, what should you fear? York

Marry, my uncle Clarence’ angry ghost:
My grandam told me he was murder’d there.

Prince I fear no uncles dead. Gloucester Nor none that live, I hope. Prince

An if they live, I hope I need not fear.
But come, my lord; and with a heavy heart,
Thinking on them, go I unto the Tower. A Sennet. Exeunt all but Gloucester, Buckingham and Catesby.

Buckingham

Think you, my lord, this little prating York
Was not incensed by his subtle mother
To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously?

Gloucester

No doubt, no doubt: O, ’tis a parlous boy;
Bold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable:
He is all the mother’s, from the top to toe.

Buckingham

Well, let them rest. Come hither, Catesby.
Thou art sworn as deeply to effect what we intend
As closely to conceal what we impart:
Thou know’st our reasons urged upon the way;
What think’st thou? is it not an easy matter
To make William Lord Hastings of our mind,
For the instalment of this noble duke
In the seat royal of this famous isle?

Catesby

He for his father’s sake so loves the prince,
That he will not be won to aught against him.

Buckingham What think’st thou, then, of Stanley? what will he? Catesby He will do all in all as Hastings doth. Buckingham

Well, then, no more but this: go, gentle Catesby,
And, as it were far off, sound thou Lord Hastings,
How doth he stand affected to our purpose;
And summon him to-morrow to the Tower,
To sit about the coronation.
If thou dost find him tractable to us,
Encourage him, and show him all our reasons:
If he be leaden, icy-cold, unwilling,
Be thou so too; and so break off your talk,
And give us notice of his inclination:
For we to-morrow hold divided councils,
Wherein thyself shalt highly be employ’d.

Gloucester

Commend me to Lord William: tell him, Catesby,
His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries
To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret-castle;
And bid my friend, for joy of this good news,
Give Mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.

Buckingham Good Catesby, go, effect this business soundly. Catesby My good lords both, with all the heed I may. Gloucester Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep? Catesby You shall, my lord. Gloucester At Crosby Place, there shall you find us both. Exit Catesby. Buckingham

Now, my lord, what shall we do, if we perceive
Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?

Gloucester

Chop off his head, man; somewhat we will do:
And, look, when I am king, claim thou of me
The earldom of Hereford, and the moveables
Whereof the king my brother stood possess’d.

Buckingham I’ll claim that promise at your grace’s hands. Gloucester

And look to have it yielded with all willingness.
Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards
We may digest our complots in some form. Exeunt.

Scene II

Before Lord Hastings’ house.

Enter a Messenger. Messenger What, ho! my lord! Hastings Within. Who knocks at the door? Messenger A messenger from the Lord Stanley. Enter Lord Hastings. Hastings What is’t o’clock? Messenger Upon the stroke of four. 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
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,
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:
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:
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.
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! 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
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
Ere I will 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 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.

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—

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