SCENE II. Before Lord Hastings' house. The Life and Death of Richard the Third  Shakespeare homepage  |  Richard III  | Act 3, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  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 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 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 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, who 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  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 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, 

 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! 

 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. 

 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 

 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, 

 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. 

 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; 

 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 

 I shall return before your lordship thence. 

 HASTINGS  'Tis like enough, for I stay dinner there. 

 BUCKINGHAM  [Aside]  And supper too, although thou know'st it not. 

 Come, will you go? 

 HASTINGS  I'll wait upon your lordship. 



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