The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (77 page)

If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling,

Be thou so too, and so break off the talk,

And give us notice of his inclination;

For we to-morrow hold divided councils,

Wherein thyself shalt highly be employ'd.

Well then, only do this: go, gentle Catesby,

and subtly discover from Lord Hastings

what he thinks of our plans;

and asked him to come to the Tower tomorrow,

to help plan the coronation.

If you find him amenable towards us,

encourage him, and tell him of our plans;

if he is slow, I see, cold, I'm willing,

then you must be too, and break of the conversation,

and tell us what he thinks;

for we will hold various meetings tomorrow

in which you shall be greatly employed.

RICHARD.

Commend me to Lord William. Tell him,

Catesby,

His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries

To-morrow are let blood at Pomfret Castle;

And bid my lord, for joy of this good news,

Give Mistress Shore one gentle kiss the more.

Give my best to Lord William. Tell him,Catesby,

that his group of old enemies

will be bleeding tomorrow at Pomfret Castle;

and tell my lord to celebrate this good news

by giving Mistress Shore an extra gentle kiss.

BUCKINGHAM.

Good Catesby, go effect this business soundly.

Good Catesby, go and perform this business well.

CATESBY.

My good lords both, with all the heed I can.

My good lords, I will do it as well as I can.

RICHARD.

Shall we hear from you, Catesby, ere we sleep?

Will we hear from you, Catesby, before we sleep?

CATESBY.

You shall, my lord.

You shall, my lord.

RICHARD.

At Crosby House, there shall you find us both.

You will find us both at Crosby House.

Exit CATESBY

BUCKINGHAM.

Now, my lord, what shall we do if we

perceive

Lord Hastings will not yield to our complots?

Now, my lord, what shall we do if we discover

Lord Hastings will not join in with our plots?

RICHARD.

Chop off his head-something we will

determine.

And, look when I am King, claim thou of me

The earldom of Hereford and all the movables

Whereof the King my brother was possess'd.

Top of his head–something we'll decide on.

And, when I am king, you can claim from me

the earldom of Hereford and all thepersonal possessions

which the king my brother owned.

BUCKINGHAM.

I'll claim that promise at your Grace's hand.

I'll shake your Grace's hand on that.

RICHARD.

And look to have it yielded with all kindness.

Come, let us sup betimes, that afterwards

We may digest our complots in some form.

And you will find it gives to you kindly.

Come, let's eat early, so that afterwards

we can discuss our plots.

 Exeunt

Before LORD HASTING'S house

Enter a MESSENGER to the door of HASTINGS

MESSENGER.

My lord, my lord!

My lord, my lord!

[Knocking]

HASTINGS.

[Within]Who knocks?

Who's knocking?

MESSENGER.

One from the Lord Stanley.

Someone from Lord Stanley.

HASTINGS.

[Within]What is't o'clock?

What time is it?

MESSENGER.

Upon the stroke of four.

Four o'clock exactly.

Enter LORD HASTINGS

HASTINGS.

Cannot my Lord Stanley sleep these tedious

nights?

Can't my Lord Stanley get to sleep in these long nights?

MESSENGER.

So it appears by that I have to say.

First, he commends him to your noble self.

It seems so from what I have to say.

Firstly, he sends you his greetings.

HASTINGS.

What then?

Then what?

MESSENGER.

Then certifies your lordship that this night

He dreamt the boar had razed off his helm.

Besides, he says there are two councils kept,

And that may be determin'd at the one

Which may make you and him to rue at th' other.

Therefore he sends to know your lordship's 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.

Then he informs your Lordship that this night

he dreams that a boar tour of his helmet.

Besides that, he says there will be two meetings,

and what is decided at one

may be bad for you and him at the other.

So he has sent to ask what your lordship wants to do–

if you want to join him at once in riding

as fast as possible to the north

to escape the danger he feels in his soul.

HASTINGS.

Go, fellow, go, return unto thy lord;

Bid him not fear the separated council:

His honour 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.

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

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.

Go, fellow, go, go back to your Lord;

tell him not to worry about the divided Council:

his honour and myself will be at one of them,

and my good friend Catesby will be at the other;

there is nothing that can happen which affects us

which I shall not hear about.

Tell him his fears are groundless;

and as for his dreams, I'm amazed he so stupid

as to believe the foolish things created by restless sleep.

To run from the boar before the boar chases us

encourages the boar to follow us

and start a chase where before he had no intention of doing so.

Go, tell your master to get up and come to me;

and we will both go together to the Tower,

where, he shall see, the boar will treat us kindly.

MESSENGER.

I'll go, my lord, and tell him what you say.

I shall go, my lord, and tell him what you say.

 Exit

 Enter CATESBY

CATESBY.

Many good morrows to my noble lord!

Many good mornings to my noble lord!

HASTINGS.

Good morrow, Catesby; you are early stirring.

What news, what news, in this our tott'ring state?

Good morning, Catesby; you are up early.

What's the news, what's the news, in our precarious country?

CATESBY.

It is a reeling world indeed, my lord;

And I believe will never stand upright

Till Richard wear the garland of the realm.

The world is certainly reeling, my lord;

I don't believe it can ever be settled again

until Richard is wearing the garland of the kingdom.

HASTINGS.

How, wear the garland! Dost thou mean the

crown?

What, wear the garland! Do you mean the crown?

CATESBY.

Ay, my good lord.

Yes, my good lord.

HASTINGS.

I'll have this crown of mine cut from my

shoulders

Before I'll see the crown so foul misplac'd.

But canst thou guess that he doth aim at it?

I'll have my head cut off my shoulders

before I see the crown put in such a foul place.

But do you think he's trying to get 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,

That this same very day your enemies,

The kindred of the Queen, must die at Pomfret.

Yes, I swear to it; and he hopes that you will

join with his party to help him;

and for that reason he is sending you this good news,

that on this very day your enemies,

the relatives of the Queen, will die at Pomfret.

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

To bar my master's heirs in true descent,

God knows I will not do it to the death.

Indeed, I won't shed any tears for that,

because they have remained as my enemies;

Bart to lend my voice to Richard's side

and block the true descent of my master's heirs

is something I will not do to the day I die.

CATESBY.

God keep your lordship in that gracious mind!

May God keep your Lordship steadfast in that thought!

HASTINGS.

But I shall laugh at this a twelve month hence,

That they which brought me in my master's hate,

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.

But I shall still be laughing at this year from now,

that the ones who made my master hate me