A knot you are of damned blood-suckers.
God save the Prince from the whole pack of you!
The whole lot of you are damned bloodsuckers.
VAUGHAN.
You live that shall cry woe for this hereafter.
You who live shall be sorry for this in future.
RATCLIFF.
Dispatch; the limit of your lives is out.
Get moving: the time of your life has run out.
RIVERS.
O Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prison,
Fatal and ominous to noble peers!
Within the guilty closure of thy walls
Richard the second here was hack'd to death;
And for more slander to thy dismal seat,
We give to thee our guiltless blood to drink.
O Pomfret, Pomfret! Oh you bloody prison,
dreadful and fatal to noble peers!
Within the guilty enclosure of your walls
Richard the second was hacked to death here;
and to make your horrible reputation worse,
we give you our guiltless blood to drink.
GREY.
Now Margaret's curse is fall'n upon our heads,
When she exclaim'd on Hastings, you, and I,
For standing by when Richard stabb'd her son.
Now we are suffering for Margaret's curse,
when she cursed Hastings, you and I,
for standing by when Richard stabbed her son.
RIVERS.
Then curs'd she Richard, then curs'd she
Buckingham,
Then curs'd she Hastings. O, remember, God,
To hear her prayer for them, as now for us!
And for my sister, and her princely sons,
Be satisfied, dear God, with our true blood,
Which, as thou know'st, unjustly must be spilt.
Then she cursed Richard, then she cursed Buckingham,
then she cursed Hastings. Oh, remember, God,
to make sure that they get what she asked for as we do!
And as for my sister, and her princely sons,
be happy, dear God, with our loyal blood,
which, as you know, is going to be spilt unjustly.
RATCLIFF.
Make haste; the hour of death is expiate.
Hurry up; the hour of death has come.
RIVERS.
Come, Grey; come, Vaughan; let us here embrace.
Farewell, until we meet again in heaven.
Come, Grey; come, Vaughan; let us embrace here.
Farewell, until we meet again in heaven.
Exeunt
London. The Tower
Enter BUCKINGHAM, DERBY, HASTINGS, the BISHOP of ELY, RATCLIFF,
LOVEL,
with others and seat themselves at a table
HASTINGS.
Now, noble peers, the cause why we are met
Is to determine of the coronation.
In God's name speak-when is the royal day?
Now, noble peers, the reason we are meeting
is to decide on the coronation.
Speak in the name of God–when is the royal day?
BUCKINGHAM.
Is all things ready for the royal time?
Is everything ready for it?
DERBY.
It is, and wants but nomination.
It is, we just need to choose a day.
BISHOP OF ELY.
To-morrow then I judge a happy day.
Then I think tomorrow would be a good day.
BUCKINGHAM.
Who knows the Lord Protector's mind
herein?
Who is most inward with the noble Duke?
Who knows what the Lord Protector thinks about this?
Who is closest to the noble Duke?
BISHOP OF ELY.
Your Grace, we think, should soonest know
his mind.
I should imagine your Grace is most likely to know what he thinks.
BUCKINGHAM.
We know each other's faces; for our hearts,
He knows no more of mine than I of yours;
Or I of his, my lord, than you of mine.
Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love.
We know each other's faces; as for our hearts,
he knows no more about mine than I do about yours;
and I know no more of his, my lord, that you do of mine.
Lord Hastings, you and he are very close.
HASTINGS.
I thank his Grace, I know he loves me well;
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 honourable lords, may name the time;
And in the Duke's behalf I'll give my voice,
Which, I presume, he'll take in gentle part.
I thank your Grace, I know he's fond of me;
but I have not asked him his feelings about
the Coronation, nor has he mentioned
in any way what he's thinking about it.
But you can name the day, my honourable lords;
I shall give my opinion on the Duke's behalf,
which I assume he will be happy with.
Enter RICHARD
BISHOP OF ELY.
In happy time, here comes the Duke himself.
Fortunately, here comes the Duke himself.
RICHARD.
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.
My noble lords and cousins all, good morning.
I have slept for a long time, but I hope
my absence has not stopped you from making any great plans
which could have been made if I was here.
BUCKINGHAM.
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.
If you hadn't come just at the right time, my lord,
William Lord Hastings was going to speak for you–
I mean, for your opinion on the coronation.
RICHARD.
Than my Lord Hastings no man might be
bolder;
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.
And there is no man more suited to do so than my Lord Hastings;
his Lordship knows me well and lost me well.
My Lord of Ely, last time I was in Holborn
I saw some good strawberries in your garden.
I would very much like you to send for some of them.
BISHOP of ELY.
Marry and will, my lord, with all my heart.
I certainly shall, my lord, it will be a pleasure.
Exit
RICHARD.
Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you.
[Takes him aside]
Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business,
And finds the testy gentleman so hot
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.
Cousin Buckingham, a word with you.
[Takes him aside]
Catesby has sounded out Hastings with regard to our business,
and finds that the impetuous gentleman is so passionate
that he will lose his head before he agrees to
his master's child, as he respectfully calls it,
losing the throne of England.
BUCKINGHAM.
Withdraw yourself awhile; I'll go with you.
Exeunt RICHARD and BUCKINGHAM<
br />
Let's make ourselves absent for a while.
DERBY.
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.
We haven't yet agreed on a day for the correlation.
In my opinion tomorrow is too soon;
I am not so well prepared
as I would be, if it were further off.
Re-enter the BISHOP OF ELY
BISHOP OF ELY.
Where is my lord the Duke of Gloucester?
I have sent for these strawberries.
Where is my lord the Duke of Gloucester?
I have sent for the strawberries.
HASTINGS.
His Grace looks cheerfully and smooth this
morning;
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 love or hate than he;
For by his face straight shall you know his heart.
His Grace looks calm and happy this morning;
there's something or other going on that he is pleased with,
when he says good morning so cheerfully.
I don't think there's any man in Christendom
who is less able to hide his love or his hate;
you can tell what he's feeling at once by looking in his face.
DERBY.
What of his heart perceive you in his face
By any livelihood he show'd to-day?
What did you think he was feeling
by looking at his face today.
HASTINGS.
Marry, that with no man here he is offended;
For, were he, he had shown it in his looks.
Well, that there is nobody here who has offended him;
if there was, he would have shown it in his looks.
Re-enter RICHARD and BUCKINGHAM
RICHARD.
I pray you all, tell me what they deserve
That do conspire my death with devilish plots
Of damned witchcraft, and that have prevail'd
Upon my body with their hellish charms?
I beg you all to tell me, how should I punish
people who plot my death with devilish plans
of hellish witchcraft, who have affected
my body with their hellish charms?
HASTINGS.
The tender love I bear your Grace, my lord,
Makes me most forward in this princely presence
To doom th' offenders, whosoe'er they be.
I say, my lord, they have deserved death.
The very great love I have for your Grace, my lord,
gives me the nerve to speak in the presence of a Prince
to say that whomever the offenders are they should be doomed.
I say, my lord, they deserve death.
RICHARD.
Then be your eyes the witness of their evil.
Look how I am bewitch'd; behold, mine arm
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.
Then let your eyes witness the evil they have done.
Look how I have been bewitched; look, my arm
has withered up like a blasted sapling.
This has been done by Edward's wife, that monstrous witch,
in league with that harlot strumpet Shore,
they have marked me with their witchcraft.
HASTINGS.
If they have done this deed, my noble lord-
If they have done this deed, my noble Lord–
RICHARD.
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
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.
If? You protector of this damned strumpet,
are you talking about ifs to me? You are a traitor.
Off with his head! Now by St Paul, I swear
I shall not eat until I see it's done.
Lovel and Ratcliff, see that it's done.
The rest, if you love me, get up and follow me.
Exeunt all but HASTINGS, LOVEL, and RATCLIFF
HASTINGS.
Woe, woe, for England! not a whit for me;
For I, too fond, might have prevented this.
Stanley did dream the boar did raze our helms,
And I did scorn it and disdain to fly.
Three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did stumble,
And started when he look'd 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,
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
Is lighted on poor Hastings' wretched head!
Woe, woe, for England! Not for me;
for I was too foolish, I could have stopped this.
Stanley dreams that the boar tore at our helmets,
and I mocked him and refused to flee.
three times today my decorated horse stumbled,
and started when he looked at the Tower,
as if he hated to carry me to the slaughterhouse.
Oh, now I need the priest who spoke to me!
Now I regret telling the herald,
to triumphantly, how my enemies
were to be bloodily butchered today at Pomfret,
and how I was safe in grace and favour.
Oh Margaret, Margaret, now your heavy curse
has landed on the wretched head of poor Hastings!
RATCLIFF.
Come, come, dispatch; the Duke would be at
dinner.
Make a short shrift; he longs to see your head.
Come, come, hurry up; the Duke wants his dinner.
Make a quick confession; he's longing to see your head.
HASTINGS.
O momentary grace of mortal men,
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
Into the fatal bowels of the deep.
How fleeting the grace of mortal men is,
which we look for more than we do than the grace of God!
Someone who bases his hopes on it
lives his life like a drunken sailor on top of the mast,
living every second with the risk of falling down
into the fatal drowning ocean.
LOVEL.
Come, come, dispatch; 'tis bootless to exclaim.
Come on, hurry up; it's useless to complain.
HASTINGS.
O bloody Richard! Miserable England!
I prophesy the fearfull'st time to thee
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.
O bloody Richard! Miserable England!
I predict the worst time is coming to you
that any age has ever seen.
Come, take me to the block; take in my head.
These people who smile at me will shortly be dead.
Exeunt
London. The Tower-walls
Enter RICHARD and BUCKINGHAM in rotten armour, marvellous
> ill-favoured
RICHARD.
Come, cousin, canst thou quake and change
thy colour,
Murder thy breath in middle of a word,
And then again begin, and stop again,
As if thou were distraught and mad with terror?
Come, cousin,can you shake and change colour,
cut off your breath in the middle of the word,
and then begin again, and stop again,
as if you were madly confused with terror?
BUCKINGHAM.
Tut, I can counterfeit the deep tragedian;
Speak and look back, and pry on every side,
Tremble and start at wagging of a straw,
Intending deep suspicion. Ghastly looks
Are at my service, like enforced smiles;
And both are ready in their offices
At any time to grace my stratagems.
But what, is Catesby gone?
Tut, I can play like a great tragic actor;
speak, look around, searching on every side,
trembling and jumping when a blade of grass moves,
pretending to be very suspicious. I can put on
ghastly looks, like Folsom I'll is;
and I have both prepared
to use in my plans at any time.
But what, has Catesbygone?
RICHARD.
He is; and, see, he brings the mayor along.
He has; and, look, he's bringing the mayor with him.
Enter the LORD MAYOR and CATESBY
BUCKINGHAM.
Lord Mayor-
Lord Mayor–
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 49