Enter a Messenger to the door of Hastings. MESSENGER, knocking My lord, my lord. HASTINGS, within Who knocks? MESSENGER One from the Lord Stanley. HASTINGS, within What is ’t o’clock? MESSENGER Upon the stroke of four. 5 Enter Lord 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 10
He dreamt the boar had razèd 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 15
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. | Lord Hastings is sleeping peacefully at home when he's awoken by a messenger knocking loudly at his door at four in the morning. The messenger brings news from Lord Stanley, who is a bit of a wreck. Stanley had a nightmare about a boar (Richard's heraldic symbol) that knocked off his helmet and cut off his head. Stanley's also worried because he's gotten wind of the two councils to
be held. He's worried that something terrible is going to happen and
wants to run away to the north. |
HASTINGS
Go, fellow, go. Return unto thy lord. 20
Bid him not fear the separated council.
His Honor 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. 25
Tell him his fears are shallow, without instance.
And for his dreams, I wonder he’s so simple
To trust the mock’ry of unquiet slumbers.
To fly the boar before the boar pursues
Were to incense the boar to follow us 30
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. He exits. 35 | Hastings tells the messenger to tell Stanley to quit being a paranoid baby. Even if there are two councils, their boy Catesby has got their back and will warn them if they're in danger. |
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 40
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 45
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, 50
That this same very day your enemies,
The kindred of the Queen, must die at Pomfret. | Catesby enters with news that Richard wants the crown. Hastings is like, "over my dead body!" Catesby says to himself, "You're as good as dead, have it your way." Catesby also adds the news that some of the queen's family members are to be executed at Pomfret castle this very day. |
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 55
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, 60
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. 65 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. 70 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 Lord Stanley. Come on, come on. Where is your boar-spear, man?
Fear you the boar and go so unprovided? 75 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, 80
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, 85
And they indeed had no cause to mistrust;
But yet you see how soon the day o’ercast.
This sudden stab of rancor I misdoubt.
Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward!
What, shall we toward the Tower? The day is spent. 90 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. 95 | While Hastings is stoked to hear this news about his enemies, it's not enough to move him to support Richard in taking the crown from young Prince Edward. Hastings can't quite bring himself to believe that Richard would harm his close friends. |
Enter a Pursuivant. HASTINGS
Go on before. I’ll talk with this good fellow. Lord Stanley and Catesby exit. 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. 100
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. 105 PURSUIVANT
God hold it, to your Honor’s good content! HASTINGS
Gramercy, fellow. There, drink that for me. Throws him his purse. PURSUIVANT I thank your Honor. Pursuivant exits. | He has a private chat with a public official empowered to serve warrants. Hastings reveals that he's actually happy to gloat over the death of his enemies, the queen's family members. |
Enter a Priest. PRIEST
Well met, my lord. I am glad to see your Honor. HASTINGS
I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart. 110
I am in your debt for your last exercise.
Come the next sabbath, and I will content you. PRIEST I’ll wait upon your Lordship. Priest exits. Enter Buckingham. BUCKINGHAM
What, talking with a priest, Lord Chamberlain?
Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest; 115
Your Honor 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. 120
I shall return before your Lordship thence. HASTINGS
Nay, 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. 125 They exit. | He sends the official off with some money and is then met by a priest, with whom he conducts some secret business. Buckingham walks in on this whispered meeting and jokes that the guys scheduled for execution need the priest more than Hastings does (referring to the need to be absolved by a priest in confession before death). In an aside, Buckingham clues us in to the fact that Hastings will be imprisoned and executed in the Tower of London. The unsuspecting Hastings goes along with Buckingham to the Tower of London for dinner. |