London. The Tower. | |
| |
BUCKINGHAM, STANLEY, HASTINGS, the BISHOP OF ELY, RATCLIFF, LOVEL, and Others, sitting at a table. Officers of the Council attending. | |
| Hast. My lords, at once: the cause why we are met | |
| Is to determine of the coronation: | 4 |
| In God’s name, speak, when is the royal day? | |
| Buck. Are all things ready for that royal time? | |
| Stan. It is; and wants but nomination. | |
| Ely. To-morrow then I judge a happy day. | 8 |
| Buck. Who knows the Lord Protector’s mind herein? | |
| Who is most inward with the noble duke? | |
| Ely. Your Grace, we think, should soonest know his mind. | |
| Buck. We know each other’s faces; for our hearts, | 12 |
| He knows no more of mine than I of yours; | |
| Nor I of his, my lord, than you of mine. | |
| Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love. | |
| Hast. I thank his Grace, I know he loves me well; | 16 |
| But, for his purpose in the coronation, | |
| I have not sounded him, nor he deliver’d | |
| His gracious pleasure any way therein: | |
| But you, my noble lords, may name the time; | 20 |
| And in the duke’s behalf I’ll give my voice, | |
| Which, I presume, he’ll take in gentle part. | |
| |
Enter GLOUCESTER. | |
| Ely. In happy time, here comes the duke himself. | 24 |
| Glo. My noble lords and cousins all, good morrow. | |
| I have been long a sleeper; but, I trust, | |
| My absence doth neglect no great design, | |
| Which by my presence might have been concluded. | 28 |
| Buck. Had you not come upon your cue, my lord, | |
| William Lord Hastings had pronounc’d your part, | |
| I mean, your voice, for crowning of the king. | |
| Glo. Than my Lord Hastings no man might be bolder: | 32 |
| His lordship knows me well, and loves me well. | |
| My Lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn, | |
| I saw good strawberries in your garden there; | |
| I do beseech you send for some of them. | 36 |
| Ely. Marry, and will, my lord, with all my heart. [Exit. | |
| Glo. Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you. [Takes him aside. | |
| Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business, | |
| And finds the testy gentleman so hot, | 40 |
| That he will lose his head ere give consent | |
| His master’s child, as worshipfully he terms it, | |
| Shall lose the royalty of England’s throne. | |
| Buck. Withdraw yourself a while; I’ll go with you. [Exeunt GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM. | 44 |
| Stan. We have not yet set down this day of triumph. | |
| To-morrow, in my judgment, is too sudden; | |
| For I myself am not so well provided | |
| As else I would be, were the day prolong’d. | 48 |
| |
Re-enter BISHOP OF ELY. | |
| Ely. Where is my lord, the Duke of Gloucester? | |
| I have sent for these strawberries. | |
| Hast. His Grace looks cheerfully and smooth this morning: | 52 |
| There’s some conceit or other likes him well, | |
| When that he bids good morrow with such spirit. | |
| I think there’s never a man in Christendom | |
| Can lesser hide his hate or love than he; | 56 |
| For by his face straight shall you know his heart. | |
| Stan. What of his heart perceiv’d you in his face | |
| By any livelihood he show’d to-day? | |
| Hast. Marry, that with no man here he is offended; | 60 |
| For, were he, he had shown it in his looks. | |
| |
Re-enter GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM. | |
| Glo. I pray you all, tell me what they deserve | |
| That do conspire my death with devilish plots | 64 |
| Of damned witchcraft, and that have prevail’d | |
| Upon my body with their hellish charms? | |
| Hast. The tender love I bear your Grace, my lord, | |
| Makes me most forward in this princely presence | 68 |
| To doom th’ offenders, whosoe’er they be: | |
| I say, my lord, they have deserved death. | |
| Glo. Then be your eyes the witness of their evil. | |
| Look how I am bewitch’d; behold mine arm | 72 |
| Is like a blasted sapling, wither’d up: | |
| And this is Edward’s wife, that monstrous witch | |
| Consorted with that harlot strumpet Shore, | |
| That by their witchcraft thus have marked me. | 76 |
| Hast. If they have done this thing, my noble lord,— | |
| Glo. If! thou protector of this damned strumpet, | |
| Talk’st thou to me of ifs? Thou art a traitor: | |
| Off with his head! now, by Saint Paul, I swear, | 80 |
| I will not dine until I see the same. | |
| Lovel and Ratcliff, look that it be done: | |
| The rest, that love me, rise, and follow me. [Exeunt all but HASTINGS, RATCLIFF, and LOVEL. | |
| Hast. Woe, woe, for England! not a whit for me; | 84 |
| For I, too fond, might have prevented this. | |
| Stanley did dream the boar did raze his helm; | |
| And I did scorn it, and disdain’d to fly. | |
| Three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did stumble, | 88 |
| And startled when he looked upon the Tower, | |
| As loath to bear me to the slaughter-house. | |
| O! now I need the priest that spake to me: | |
| I now repent I told the pursuivant, | 92 |
| As too triumphing, how mine enemies | |
| To-day at Pomfret bloodily were butcher’d | |
| And I myself secure in grace and favour. | |
| O Margaret, Margaret! now thy heavy curse | 96 |
| Is lighted on poor Hastings’ wretched head. | |
| Rat. Come, come, dispatch; the duke would be at dinner: | |
| Make a short shrift, he longs to see your head. | |
| Hast. O momentary grace of mortal man, | 100 |
| Which we more hunt for than the grace of God! | |
| Who builds his hope in air of your good looks, | |
| Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast; | |
| Ready with every nod to tumble down | 104 |
| Into the fatal bowels of the deep. | |
| Lov. Come, come, dispatch; ’tis bootless to exclaim. | |
| Hast. O bloody Richard! miserable England! | |
| I prophesy the fearfull’st time to thee | 108 |
| That ever wretched age hath look’d upon. | |
| Come, lead me to the block; bear him my head: | |
| They smile at me who shortly shall be dead. [Exeunt. | |