Speeches (Lines) for Lord Hastings in "History of Richard III"

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Go, tread the path that thou shalt ne'er return.
Simple, plain Clarence! I do love thee so,
That I will shortly send thy soul to heaven,
If heaven will take the present at our hands.
But who comes here? the new-deliver'd Hastings?

Lord Hastings. Good time of day unto my gracious lord!

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. As much unto my good lord chamberlain!
Well are you welcome to the open air.
How hath your lordship brook'd imprisonment?

Lord Hastings. With patience, noble lord, as prisoners must:
But I shall live, my lord, to give them thanks
That were the cause of my imprisonment.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. No doubt, no doubt; and so shall Clarence too;
For they that were your enemies are his,
And have prevail'd as much on him as you.

Lord Hastings. More pity that the eagle should be mew'd,
While kites and buzzards prey at liberty.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. What news abroad?

Lord Hastings. No news so bad abroad as this at home;
The King is sickly, weak and melancholy,
And his physicians fear him mightily.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Now, by Saint Paul, this news is bad indeed.
O, he hath kept an evil diet long,
And overmuch consumed his royal person:
'Tis very grievous to be thought upon.
What, is he in his bed?

Lord Hastings. He is.

Queen Elizabeth. So just is God, to right the innocent.

Lord Hastings. O, 'twas the foulest deed to slay that babe,
And the most merciless that e'er was heard of!

Queen Margaret. Poor painted queen, vain flourish of my fortune!
Why strew'st thou sugar on that bottled spider,
Whose deadly web ensnareth thee about?
Fool, fool! thou whet'st a knife to kill thyself.
The time will come when thou shalt wish for me
To help thee curse that poisonous bunchback'd toad.

Lord Hastings. False-boding woman, end thy frantic curse,
Lest to thy harm thou move our patience.

Queen Margaret. What, dost thou scorn me for my gentle counsel?
And soothe the devil that I warn thee from?
O, but remember this another day,
When he shall split thy very heart with sorrow,
And say poor Margaret was a prophetess!
Live each of you the subjects to his hate,
And he to yours, and all of you to God's!

Lord Hastings. My hair doth stand on end to hear her curses.

Lord (Earl) Rivers. By heaven, my heart is purged from grudging hate:
And with my hand I seal my true heart's love.

Lord Hastings. So thrive I, as I truly swear the like!

Edward - Earl of March, later King Edward IV. Take heed you dally not before your king;
Lest he that is the supreme King of kings
Confound your hidden falsehood, and award
Either of you to be the other's end.

Lord Hastings. So prosper I, as I swear perfect love!

Marquis of Dorset. This interchange of love, I here protest,
Upon my part shall be unviolable.

Lord Hastings. And so swear I, my lord

Lord (Earl) Rivers. And so in me; and so, I think, in all:
Yet, since it is but green, it should be put
To no apparent likelihood of breach,
Which haply by much company might be urged:
Therefore I say with noble Buckingham,
That it is meet so few should fetch the prince.

Lord Hastings. And so say I.

Prince Edward. Welcome, my lord: what, will our mother come?

Lord Hastings. On what occasion, God he knows, not I,
The queen your mother, and your brother York,
Have taken sanctuary: the tender prince
Would fain have come with me to meet your grace,
But by his mother was perforce withheld.

Cardinal Bourchier. My lord, you shall o'er-rule my mind for once.
Come on, Lord Hastings, will you go with me?

Lord Hastings. I go, my lord.

Messenger. What, ho! my lord!

Lord Hastings. [Within] Who knocks at the door?

Messenger. A messenger from the Lord Stanley.

Lord Hastings. What is't o'clock?

Messenger. Upon the stroke of four.

Lord Hastings. Cannot thy master sleep these tedious nights?

Messenger. So it should seem by that I have to say.
First, he commends him to your noble lordship.

Lord Hastings. And then?

Messenger. And then he sends you word
He dreamt to-night the boar had razed his helm:
Besides, he says there are two councils held;
And that may be determined at the one
which may make you and him to rue at the other.
Therefore he sends to know your lordship's pleasure,
If presently you will take horse with him,
And with all speed post with him toward the north,
To shun the danger that his soul divines.

Lord Hastings. Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord;
Bid him not fear the separated councils
His honour and myself are at the one,
And at the other is my servant Catesby
Where nothing can proceed that toucheth us
Whereof I shall not have intelligence.
Tell him his fears are shallow, wanting instance:
And for his dreams, I wonder he is so fond
To trust the mockery of unquiet slumbers
To fly the boar before the boar pursues,
Were to incense the boar to follow us
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.

Sir William Catesby. Many good morrows to my noble lord!

Lord Hastings. Good morrow, Catesby; you are early stirring
What news, what news, in this our tottering state?

Sir William Catesby. It is a reeling world, indeed, my lord;
And I believe twill never stand upright
Tim Richard wear the garland of the realm.

Lord Hastings. How! wear the garland! dost thou mean the crown?

Sir William Catesby. Ay, my good lord.

Lord Hastings. I'll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders
Ere I will see the crown so foul misplaced.
But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?

Sir William Catesby. Ay, on my life; and hopes to find forward
Upon his party for the gain thereof:
And thereupon he sends you this good news,
That this same very day your enemies,
The kindred of the queen, must die at Pomfret.

Lord Hastings. Indeed, I am no mourner for that news,
Because they have been still mine enemies:
But, that I'll give my voice on Richard's side,
To bar my master's heirs in true descent,
God knows I will not do it, to the death.

Sir William Catesby. God keep your lordship in that gracious mind!

Lord Hastings. But I shall laugh at this a twelve-month hence,
That they who brought me in my master's hate
I live to look upon their tragedy.
I tell thee, Catesby--

Sir William Catesby. What, my lord?

Lord Hastings. Ere a fortnight make me elder,
I'll send some packing that yet think not on it.

Sir William Catesby. 'Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord,
When men are unprepared and look not for it.

Lord Hastings. O monstrous, monstrous! and so falls it out
With Rivers, Vaughan, Grey: and so 'twill do
With some men else, who think themselves as safe
As thou and I; who, as thou know'st, are dear
To princely Richard and to Buckingham.

Sir William Catesby. The princes both make high account of you;
[Aside]
For they account his head upon the bridge.

Lord Hastings. I know they do; and I have well deserved it.
[Enter STANLEY]
Come on, come on; where is your boar-spear, man?
Fear you the boar, and go so unprovided?

Sir William 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.

Lord Hastings. My lord,
I hold my life as dear as you do yours;
And never in my life, I do protest,
Was it more precious to me than 'tis now:
Think you, but that I know our state secure,
I would be so triumphant as I am?

Sir William Stanley. The lords at Pomfret, when they rode from London,
Were jocund, and supposed their state was sure,
And they indeed had no cause to mistrust;
But yet, you see how soon the day o'ercast.
This sudden stag of rancour I misdoubt:
Pray God, I say, I prove a needless coward!
What, shall we toward the Tower? the day is spent.

Lord Hastings. Come, come, have with you. Wot you what, my lord?
To-day the lords you talk of are beheaded.

Sir William Stanley. They, for their truth, might better wear their heads
Than some that have accused them wear their hats.
But come, my lord, let us away.

Lord Hastings. Go on before; I'll talk with this good fellow.
[Exeunt STANLEY and CATESBY]
How now, sirrah! how goes the world with thee?

Pursuivant. The better that your lordship please to ask.

Lord Hastings. I tell thee, man, 'tis better with me now
Than when I met thee last where now we meet:
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.

Pursuivant. God hold it, to your honour's good content!

Lord Hastings. Gramercy, fellow: there, drink that for me.

Priest. Well met, my lord; I am glad to see your honour.

Lord Hastings. I thank thee, good Sir John, with all my heart.
I am in your debt for your last exercise;
Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you.

Duke of Buckingham. What, talking with a priest, lord chamberlain?
Your friends at Pomfret, they do need the priest;
Your honour hath no shriving work in hand.

Lord Hastings. Good faith, and when I met this holy man,
Those men you talk of came into my mind.
What, go you toward the Tower?

Duke of Buckingham. I do, my lord; but long I shall not stay
I shall return before your lordship thence.

Lord Hastings. 'Tis like enough, for I stay dinner there.

Duke of Buckingham. [Aside] And supper too, although thou know'st it not.
Come, will you go?

Lord Hastings. I'll wait upon your lordship.

Lord (Earl) Rivers. Come, Grey, come, Vaughan, let us all embrace:
And take our leave, until we meet in heaven.

Lord Hastings. My lords, at once: the cause why we are met
Is, to determine of the coronation.
In God's name, speak: when is the royal day?

Duke of Buckingham. Who, I, my lord I we know each other's faces,
But for our hearts, he knows no more of mine,
Than I of yours;
Nor I no more of his, than you of mine.
Lord Hastings, you and he are near in love.

Lord 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 noble 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.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Than my Lord Hastings no man might be bolder;
His lordship knows me well, and loves me well.

Lord Hastings. I thank your grace.

John Morton. Where is my lord protector? I have sent for these
strawberries.

Lord Hastings. His grace looks cheerfully and smooth to-day;
There's some conceit or other likes him well,
When he doth bid good morrow with such a spirit.
I think there's never a man in Christendom
That can less hide his love or hate than he;
For by his face straight shall you know his heart.

Sir William Stanley. What of his heart perceive you in his face
By any likelihood he show'd to-day?

Lord Hastings. Marry, that with no man here he is offended;
For, were he, he had shown it in his looks.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. 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?

Lord Hastings. The tender love I bear your grace, my lord,
Makes me most forward in this noble presence
To doom the offenders, whatsoever they be
I say, my lord, they have deserved death.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Then be your eyes the witness of this ill:
See 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.

Lord Hastings. If they have done this thing, my gracious lord--

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. If I thou protector of this damned strumpet--
Tellest 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.
Lovel and Ratcliff, look that it be done:
The rest, that love me, rise and follow me.

Lord 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 his helm;
But I disdain'd it, and did scorn to fly:
Three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did stumble,
And startled, when he look'd upon the Tower,
As loath to bear me to the slaughter-house.
O, now I want the priest that spake to me:
I now repent I told the pursuivant
As 'twere triumphing at mine enemies,
How they 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!

Sir Richard Ratcliff. Dispatch, my lord; the duke would be at dinner:
Make a short shrift; he longs to see your head.

Lord Hastings. O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!
Who builds his hopes 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.

Lord Lovel. Come, come, dispatch; 'tis bootless to exclaim.

Lord Hastings. O bloody Richard! miserable England!
I prophesy the fearful'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 that shortly shall be dead.

All. [To RICHMOND]
Awake, and think our wrongs in Richard's bosom
Will conquer him! awake, and win the day!

Lord Hastings. [To KING RICHARD III]
Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake,
And in a bloody battle end thy days!
Think on Lord Hastings: despair, and die!
[To RICHMOND]
Quiet untroubled soul, awake, awake!
Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's sake!