Page:Richard III (1927) Yale.djvu/88

74

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

Exeunt. Mane[n]t Lovel and Ratcliff, with the Lord Hastings.

Hast. Woe, woe, for England! not a whit for me;

For I, too fond, might have prevented this.

Stanley did dream the boar did rase 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.

Rat. Come, come, dispatch; the duke would be at dinner:

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

Hast. 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.

Lov. Come, come, dispatch; 'tis bootless to exclaim.

Hast. 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:

 81 fond: foolish

84 foot-cloth; cf. n.

95 shrift: confession

98 air looks; cf. n.

99 drunken mast; cf. n.

102 bootless: useless 