Richard III – Act 3 Scene 4

LORD HASTINGS

Now, noble peers, the cause why we are met

Now, noblemen, the reason why we’re here

Is to determine of the coronation.

Is to agree the Prince’s coronation.

In God’s name speak, when is the royal day?

For God’s sake, tell me when this day will be!

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Is all things ready for the royal time?

Are all the royal preparations done?

LORD STANLEY

It is, and wants but nomination.

They are, and now we only need a date.

JOHN MORTON, BISHOP OF ELY

Tomorrow then I judge a happy day.

Well, then I think tomorrow will work well.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Who knows the Lord Protector’s mind herein?

But what does Richard, Lord Protector, think?

Who is most inward with the noble Duke?

Who’s closest to the noble Duke to ask him?

JOHN MORTON, BISHOP OF ELY

Your Grace, we think, should soonest know his mind.

Your Grace, we think it’s you who knows him best.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

We know each other’s faces; for our hearts,

We recognise each other, but inside

He knows no more of mine than I of yours,

He knows no more of me than me of you,

Or I of his, my lord, than you of mine.

Or me of him, or you of me, my lord.

Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love.

Lord Hastings, you and he are closest friends.

LORD HASTINGS

I thank his Grace, I know he loves me well;

I’m grateful to his Grace, I know he loves me;

But for his purpose in the coronation,

But what he thinks about the coronation,

I have not sounded him, nor he delivered

I haven’t asked him, and he hasn’t said

His gracious pleasure any way therein.

What his desires might be in any way.

But you, my honourable lords, may name the time,

But you can pick the time and day, my lords,

And in the Duke’s behalf I’ll give my voice,

And I’ll support that on the Duke’s behalf,

Which I presume he’ll take in gentle part.

Which I am sure he will not mind me doing.

JOHN MORTON, BISHOP OF ELY

In happy time, here comes the Duke himself.

Well, just in time, here comes the Duke himself.

RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER

My noble lords and cousins all, good morrow.

Good morning, fellow nobles, lords and cousins.

I have been long a sleeper; but I trust

I slept in late this morning, but I trust

My absence doth neglect no great design,

My absence didn’t hold up big decisions

Which by my presence might have been concluded.

That could have been concluded were I here.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Had you not come upon your cue, my lord,

Had you not just arrived on time, my lord,

William Lord Hastings had pronounced your part,

Lord Hastings would have taken up your role –

I mean your voice for crowning of the King.

I mean he’d speak for you – about the crowning.

RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER

Than my Lord Hastings no man might be bolder,

There’s no man bolder than Lord Hastings here,

His lordship knows me well and loves me well.

And he does know me well and love me well.

My Lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn,

Lord Ely, last time in your home in Holborn

I saw good strawberries in your garden there.

I saw delicious strawberries in your garden.

I do beseech you send for some of them.

I kindly ask you get me some of them.

JOHN MORTON, BISHOP OF ELY

Marry, and will, my lord, with all my heart.

Of course, my lord, I will with all my heart.

RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER

Cousin of Buckingham, a word with you.

Lord Buckingham, I need a private word.

[Drawing him aside.]

Catesby hath sounded Hastings in our business,

Catesby asked Hastings how he viewed our plan

And finds the testy gentleman so hot

And found the touchy gentleman committed

That he will lose his head ere give consent

So much he’d die before he gave agreement

His master’s child, as worshipfully he terms it,

For his old master’s child – as he esteems him –

Shall lose the royalty of England’s throne.

To lose the royal lineage of England.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

Withdraw yourself a while, I’ll go with you.

Get out of here a while; I’ll come as well.

LORD STANLEY

We have not yet set down this day of triumph.

We’ve not yet set the coronation’s date.

Tomorrow, in my judgement, is too sudden,

Tomorrow is too soon, in my opinion,

For I myself am not so well provided

For I myself am not as well prepared

As else I would be, were the day prolonged.

As I would be if we would hold it later.

JOHN MORTON, BISHOP OF ELY

Where is my lord the Duke of Gloucester?

Where is my lord, the Duke of Gloucester?

I have sent for these strawberries.

I have sent for these strawberries.

LORD HASTINGS

His Grace looks cheerfully and smooth this morning;

His Grace was looking cheerful this morning;

There’s some conceit or other likes him well,

He has some plans or projects that he’s pleased with

When that he bids good morrow with such spirit.

When he declares ‘good morning’ with such passion.

I think there’s never a man in Christendom

I don’t think there is any man alive

Can lesser hide his love or hate than he,

Who shows his feelings any more than him,

For by his face straight shall you know his heart.

For you can know his heart by looking at him.

LORD STANLEY

What of his heart perceive you in his face

What did his heart reveal through his face

By any livelihood he showed today?

About his mood that you observed today?

LORD HASTINGS

Marry, that with no man here he is offended;

Well, that nobody here’s offended him,

For were he, he had shown it in his looks.

For if they had, he’d show it in his face.

LORD STANLEY

I pray God he be not, I say.

I pray to God they haven’t.

RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER

I pray you all, tell me what they deserve

I ask you, what should be the punishment

That do conspire my death with devilish plots

For those that plot my death with heinous plans

Of damned witchcraft, and that have prevailed

Of evil witchcraft, and they have already

Upon my body with their hellish charms?

Cast monstrous spells upon my twisted body?

LORD HASTINGS

The tender love I bear your Grace, my lord,

The tender love I have for you, my lord,

Makes me most forward in this princely presence

Makes me declare, in front of all these nobles,

To doom th’ offenders, whosoe’er they be:

That they shall be condemned, whoever they are,

I say, my lord, they have deserved death.

And that, my lord, they do deserve to die.

RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER

Then be your eyes the witness of their evil.

Then look at me to witness all their evil.

Look how I am bewitched; behold, mine arm

See how I’m cursed, and how this arm of mine

Is like a blasted sapling, withered up;

Is withered like a blighted, sickly sapling

And this is Edward’s wife, that monstrous witch,

And this was caused by Edward’s wife, the witch,

Consorted with that harlot, strumpet Shore,

Who partnered with that hooker Mistress Shore.

That by their witchcraft thus have marked me.

And thus I’m twisted by the spells they cast.

LORD HASTINGS

If they have done this deed, my noble lord –

If they have done this deed to you, my lord…

RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER

If? Thou protector of this damned strumpet,

If? Are you standing up for that damned whore,

Talk’st thou to me of “ifs”? Thou art a traitor.

By saying ‘if’ to me? You are a traitor.

Off with his head! Now by Saint Paul I swear

Off with his head! And I swear by Saint Paul

I will not dine until I see the same.

I will not eat until I’ve seen his head.

Lovel and Ratcliffe, look that it be done:

Lovel and Ratcliffe, go and get it done:

The rest that love me, rise, and follow me.

The rest of you that love me, come with me.

LORD HASTINGS

Woe, woe for England, not a whit for me!

I’m sad for England, but not sad for me!

For I, too fond, might have prevented this.

For I was foolish, and I could have stopped this.

Stanley did dream the boar did rase our helms,

Stanley had dreamt the boar cut off our heads

And I did scorn it and disdain to fly.

But yet I laughed and didn’t run away.

Three times today my foot-cloth horse did stumble,

Three times today my riding horse slipped up,

And started when he looked upon the Tower,

And it seemed startled when it saw the Tower,

As loath to bear me to the slaughter-house.

As though averse to take me to my death.

O now I need the priest that spake to me!

I need the priest I spoke to earlier!

I now repent I told the pursuivant,

I now regret I told the officer –

As too triumphing, how mine enemies

All cocky – how those enemies of mine

Today at Pomfret bloodily were butchered,

Were sliced to death today at Pomfret Castle,

And I myself secure, in grace and favour.

Whilst I believed that I was highly thought of.

O Margaret, Margaret, now thy heavy curse

Oh Margaret, Margaret, now your evil curse

Is lighted on poor Hastings’ wretched head!

Has landed on my godforsaken head!

SIR RICHARD RATCLIFFE

Come, come, dispatch, the Duke would be at dinner,

Get on with it, the Duke soon wants his dinner,

Make a short shrift, he longs to see your head.

So hurry up; he wants to see your head.

LORD HASTINGS

O momentary grace of mortal men,

Why do we seek the blessing of mere mortals,

Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!

When we should really seek the grace of God!

Who builds his hope in air of your good looks

Those men whose hopes are built on others’ views

Lives like a drunken sailor on a mast,

Live like a drunken sailor on a mast

Ready with every nod to tumble down

Who, with each rock from waves, risks falling in

Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

To drown within the ocean’s fatal grasp.

LORD LOVEL

Come, come, dispatch, ’tis bootless to exclaim.

Come on, let’s go, you’re wasting time by shouting.

LORD HASTINGS

O bloody Richard! Miserable England!

Oh, bloody Richard! Miserable England!

I prophesy the fearfull’st time to thee

I can predict that terrifying days

That ever wretched age hath looked upon.

Are coming, worse than ever seen before.

Come, lead me to the block; bear him my head.

Come, take me to the block; give him my head.

They smile at me who shortly shall be dead.

Those smiling at me now will soon be dead.