Now, my Lord Hastings and Sir William Stanley,
Leave off to wonder why I drew you hither
Into this chiefest thicket of the park.
Thus stands the case: you know our King, my brother,
Is prisoner to the Bishop here, at whose hands
He hath good usage and great liberty,
And often but attended with weak guard,
Comes hunting this way to disport himself.
I have advertised him by secret means
That if about this hour he make this way,
Under the colour of his usual game,
He shall here find his friends with horse and men
To set him free from his captivity.
Now, my Lord Hastings and Sir William Stanley, Leave off to wonder why I drew you hither Into this chiefest thicket of the park. Thus stands the case: you know our King, my brother, Is prisoner to the Bishop here, at whose hands He has good usage and great liberty, And often but attended with weak guard, Comes hunting this way to disport himself. I have advertised him by secret means That if about this hour he make this way, Under the colour of his usual game, He shall here find his friends with horse and men To set him free from his captivity.
Now, my Lord Hastings and Sir William Stanley, Leave off to wonder why I drew you hither Into this chiefest thicket of the park. Thus stands the case: you know our King, my brother, Is prisoner to the Bishop here, at whose hands He has good usage and great liberty, And often but attended with weak guard, Comes hunting this way to disport himself. I have advertised him by secret means That if about this hour he make this way, Under the colour of his usual game, He shall here find his friends with horse and men To set him free from his captivity.
how did that even happen
This way, my lord, for this way lies the game.
This way, my lord, for this way lies the game.
This way, my lord, for this way lies the game.
hm
Nay, this way, man. See where the huntsmen stand.
Now, brother of Gloucester, Lord Hastings, and the rest,
Stand you thus close to steal the Bishop’s deer?
no, this way, man. See where the huntsmen stand. Now, brother of Gloucester, Lord Hastings, and the rest, Stand you thus close to steal the Bishop’s deer?
no, this way, man. See where the huntsmen stand. Now, brother of Gloucester, Lord Hastings, and the rest, Stand you thus close to steal the Bishop’s deer?
yeah brutal
Brother, the time and case requireth haste;
Your horse stands ready at the park corner.
Brother, the time and case requireth haste; Your horse stands ready at the park corner.
Brother, the time and case requireth haste; Your horse stands ready at the park corner.
hm
But whither shall we then?
But whither shall we then?
But whither shall we then?
hm
In this short scene, Richard does everything. He identifies the opportunity, sends the secret message, chooses the location, arranges the horses, and delivers the plan to Hastings and Stanley. Edward arrives at the rendezvous having done nothing except follow orders. This is a pattern in Henry VI Part 3: Richard is consistently the most operationally effective York brother, while Edward is the most politically disastrous. Richard's competence is not incidental — it's the engine that keeps the Yorkist cause alive despite Edward's impulsiveness, and it's the basis for Richard's calculation that he could run things better alone. Keep watching: every time Richard saves Edward, he's also demonstrating that Edward needs saving.
To Lynn, my lord, and shipped from thence to Flanders.
To Lynn, my lord, and shipped from from there to Flanders.
To Lynn, my lord, and shipped from from there to Flanders.
hm
Well guessed, believe me, for that was my meaning.
Well guessed, believe me, for that was my meaning.
Well guessed, believe me, for that was my meaning.
hm
Stanley, I will requite thy forwardness.
Stanley, I will requite your forwardness.
Stanley, I will requite your forwardness.
hm
But wherefore stay we? ’Tis no time to talk.
But wherefore stay we? ’Tis no time to talk.
But wherefore stay we? ’Tis no time to talk.
hm
Huntsman, what sayst thou? Wilt thou go along?
Huntsman, what sayst you? will you go along?
Huntsman, what sayst you? will you go along?
hm
Better do so than tarry and be hanged.
Better do so than tarry and be hanged.
Better do so than tarry and be hanged.
hm
Come then, away! Let’s ha’ no more ado.
Come then, away! Let’s ha’ no more ado.
Come then, away! Let’s ha’ no more ado.
hm
Bishop, farewell; shield thee from Warwick’s frown,
And pray that I may repossess the crown.
Bishop, farewell; shield you from Warwick’s frown, And pray that I may repossess the crown.
Bishop, farewell; shield you from Warwick’s frown, And pray that I may repossess the crown.
hm
The Reckoning
A brisk, almost comic scene of escape — Edward blundering out of captivity on a horse while pretending to hunt. Richard has planned everything, Edward just has to follow instructions. There's something almost undignified about it: the king whisked off like a package. But it works, and the Huntsman's matter-of-fact 'better do so than tarry and be hanged' is the wittiest exit in the play.
If this happened today…
A fired CEO who's been put on 'administrative leave' gets a tip from his most loyal lieutenant that a car is waiting in the company parking garage at 11pm. He's supposed to be using the company gym, but there's a driver with fake plates and his brother-in-law has arranged a private flight out of a small airport. The whole thing takes fifteen minutes. He leaves his company laptop behind and texts 'bishop, farewell' — which his assistant does not understand.