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The Tower of London.
[Enter BUCKINGHAM, DERBY, HASTINGS, the BISHOP OF ELY, RATCLIFF, LOVEL, with
others, and take their seats at a table]
HASTINGS
T Tx
T ,
, ,
Now noble peers,| the cause | why we | are met,
, 2 ,
, , ,
Is to de|termine | of the | coro|nation:
,
T T T 2 ,
,
In God's | name speak, when | is the roy|al day?
BUCKINGHAM
, ,
, ,
,
Is all | things^rea|dy for | the roy|al time?
DERBY
, , ,
, ,
It is,| and wants | but no|mina|tion.
BISHOP OF ELY
,
, ,
, ,
Tomor|row then | I judge | a hap|py day.
BUCKINGHAM
, ,
, , ,
Who knows | the Lord | protect|or's mind | herein?
T . T T ,
, ,
Who is most in|ward with | the roy|al duke?
BISHOP OF ELY
, ,
, ,
,
Your grace,| we think,| should soon|est know |
his mind.
BUCKINGHAM
, ,
, , ,
We know | each oth|er's fac|es: for | our hearts,
, ,
, ,
,
He knows | no more | of mine,| than I | of yours,
,
, , ,
,
Or I | of his,| my lord,| than you | of mine:
, ,
, ,
,
Lord^Hast|ings, you | and he | are near | in
love.
HASTINGS
, ,
, ,
,
I thank | his grace,| I know | he loves | me
well:
, 2
, , ,
,
But for his | purpose | in the | coro|nation,
, 2
, ,
, ,
I have not | sounded | him, nor | he de|livered
, ,
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,
His gra|cious pleas|ure an|y way | therein:
,
, 3 3 , ,
,
But you,| my hon|orable lords,| may name | the
time,
, ,
, ,
,
And in | the duke's | behalf | I'll give | my
voice,
,
, , ,
,
Which I | presume | he'll take | in gent|le part.
[Enter RICHARD]
BISHOP OF ELY
, , ,
, ,
In hap|py time,| here comes | the duke | himself.
RICHARD
, , ,
, ,
->
My nob|le lords,| and cous|ins all,| good*
mor||row:
, 2
, ,
, ,
I | have been long | a sleep|er: but | I trust,
,
, , ,
,
My ab|sence doth | neglect | no great | design,
,
, , , , 2->
Which by | my pres|ence might | have been |
conclud||ed.
BUCKINGHAM
, , ,
, ,
Had you | not come | upon | your cue | my lord,
,
, ,
, ,
William,| Lord Hast/ings, had | pronounced | your
part;
, , ,
, ,
I mean | your voice,| for crown|ing of | the
king.
RICHARD
, 2
, ,
, ,
Then my Lord | Hastings,| no man | might be |
bolder,
, ,
, ,
,
His lord|ship knows | me well,| and loves | me well.
, ,
, 2 ,
, ->
My lord | of E|ly, when | I was last | in
Hol||born,
, ,
, 2 2
, ,
I / saw good | strawberries | in your gard|en
there,
,
, , ,
,
I do | beseech | you, send | for some | of them.
BISHOP OF ELY
, ,
, , ,
Marry | and will,| my lord,| with all | my heart.
[Exit]
RICHARD
,
, ,
, ,
Cousin | of Buck|ingham,| a word | with you.
, 2
, ,
, ,
Catesby hath | sounded | Hastings | in our |
business,
, ,
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,
And finds | the tes|ty gent|leman | so hot,
, ,
, ,
,
That he | will lose | his head,| ere give |
consent
, , , x x
His mast|er's child,| as worsh|ipfully | he terms
it,
,
, , ,
,
Shall lose | the roy|alty | of Eng|land's throne.
BUCKINGHAM
, ,
, ,
,
Withdraw | yourself | a while,| I'll go | with
you.
[Exit GLOUCESTER, BUCKINGHAM following]
DERBY
2 ,
, ,
, ,
We have not | yet set | down this | day of |
triumph:
,
, ,
, x
Tomor|row, in | my judg|ment, is | too sudden,
, ,
, , 2
,
For I | myself | am not | so well pro|vided,
, ,
, ,
,
As else | I would | be, were | the day | prolonged.
[Enter BISHOP OF ELY]
BISHOP OF ELY
, 2
, ,
,
Where is my | lord, the | Duke of | Gloucester?
, ,
T T T
o
I have | sent for | these strawber|ries.
HASTINGS
, , ,
2 , ,
His grace | looks cheer/fully and | smooth this
| morning,
,
, ,
, ,
There's some | conceit | or oth|er likes | him
well,
,
, ,
2 ,
x
When that | he bids | good* mor|row with such | a
spirit.
, , 2 ,
, ,
I think | there's nev|er a man | in Christ|endom
,
, ,
, ,
Can les|ser hide | his love,| or hate,| than he,
,
, ,
, ,
For by | his face | straight shall | you know |
his heart.
DERBY
, ,
, ,
,
What of | his heart | perceive | you in | his
face,
, ,
, , ,
By an|y like|lihood | he showed | today?
HASTINGS
, 2
, , , 2 ,
Marry,| that with no | man here | he is
of|fended:
,
, ,
, ,
For were | he, he | had shown | it in | his
looks.
[Enter GLOUCESTER and BUCKINGHAM]
RICHARD
, ,
, ,
,
I pray | you all,| tell me | what they | deserve,
,
, ,
x
,
That do | conspire | my death | with devil|ish
plots
, ,
, ,
,
Of damn|ed witch|craft, and | that have | prevailed
,
, , ,
,
Upon | my bo|dy with | their hel|lish charms.
HASTINGS
, , , ,
,
The tend|er love | I bear | your grace,| my lord,
T . T T ,
2 ,
,
Makes me most for|ward, in this | princely |
presence,
, 2 , ,
, 2 ,
To doom | the offend|ers, what|soev|er they be:
,
, , ,
,
I say,| my lord,| they have | deserv|ed death.
RICHARD
, ,
, ,
x
Then be | your eyes | the wit|ness of | their
evil:
,
, ,
, ,
Look how | I am | bewitched:| behold,| mine^arm
, ,
, ,
,
Is like | a blast|ed sap|ling, with|ered up:
,
, , , ,
And this | is Ed|ward's wife,| that monst|rous
witch,
,
, ,
, ,
Consort|ed with | that harl|ot, strump|et Shore,
, T
T T ,
,
That by | their witchcraft | thus have | marked
me.
HASTINGS
, ,
, , ,
If they | have done | this deed,| my nob|le lord.
RICHARD
__ ,
, 2 ,
,
If?| Thou pro|tector | of this damned | strumpet,
,
, , ,
,
Talkst thou | me of | ifs: thou / art a |
traitor,
,
, ,
, ,
Off with | his head;| now by | Saint^Paul | I swear,
,
, ,
, ,
I will | not dine,| until | I see | the same.
, ,
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,
Lovel | and Rat|cliff, look | that it | be done:
, ,
, , ,
The rest | that love | me, rise,| and fol|low me.
[Exeunt all but HASTINGS, RATCLIFF, and LOVEL]
HASTINGS
T T . T
, ,
,
Woe, woe for Eng|land, not | a whit | for me;
, ,
, ,
,
For I,| too* fond,| might have | prevent|ed this:
,
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,
Stanley | did dream,| the boar | did raze | our
helms,
, ,
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,
And I | did scorn | it, and | disdain | to fly:
T T . T .
T T T
x
Three times today | my foot-cloth horse | did
stumble,
, ,
, ,
x
And start|ed, when | he looked | upon | the
Tower,
, ,
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,
As loath | to bear | me to | the slaught|er-house.
,
, , ,
,
O now | I need | the priest,| that spake | to me:
,
, ,
, ,
I now | repent | I told | the pur|suivant,
, ,
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,
As too | triumph|ing, how | mine en|emies
x
, , ,
,
Today at | Pomfret | bloodi|ly were | butchered,
, ,
x ,
,
And I | myself | secure, in | grace and |
favor. ??
,
, ,
, ,
O Marg|aret, Marg|aret, now | thy hea|vy curse
, , ,
, ,
Is light|ed on / poor Hast|ings' wretch|ed head.
RATCLIFF
T T . T
, ,
x
Come, come, dispatch,| the duke | would be | at
dinner:
T . T
T ,
, ,
Make a short shrift,| he longs | to see | your
head.
HASTINGS
, ,
, ,
,
O mom|enta|ry grace | of mort|al men,
,
, , ,
,
Which^we | more* hunt | for, than | the grace |
of God!
, ,
, ,
,
Who builds | his hope | in air | of your / good
looks,
,
, , ,
,
Lives like | a drunk|en sail|or on | a mast,
, ,
, , ,
Ready | with ev|ery nod | to tum|ble down,
, ,
, ,
,
Into | the fat|al bow|els of | the deep.
LOVEL
T T . T
, ,
,
Come, come, dispatch,| 'tis boot|less to |
exclaim.
HASTINGS
, ,
, 2 , ,
O bloo|dy Rich|ard: mis|erable | England,
,
, ,
, ,
I proph|esy | the fear|fulst^time | to thee,
,
, , ,
,
That ev|er wretch|ed age | hath looked | upon.
, ,
, ,
,
Come, lead / me to | the block,| bear him | my head,
,
, ,
, ,
They smile | at me,| who short|ly shall | be
dead.
[Exeunt]