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And by the second hour in the morning
Desire the earl to see me in my tent:
Yet one thing more, good captain, do for me;
Where is lord Stanley quarter'd, do you know?
Blunt. Unless I have mista'en his colours much,
(Which, well I am assur'd, I have not done)
His regiment lies half a mile at least
South from the mighty power of the king.
Richm. If without peril it be possible,
Sweet Blunt, make some good means to speak with 10
And give him from me this most needful note.
Blunt. Upon my life, my lord, I'll undertake it;
And so, God give you quiet rest to-night!
Richm. Good night, good.captain Blunt. Come,
gentlemen,

Let us consult upon to-morrow's business;
In to my tent, the air is raw and cold.

[him,

[They withdraw into the tent. Enter, to his tent, King Richard, Ratcliff, Norfolk, and Catesby.

K. Rich. What is't o'clock?

Cates. It's supper-time, my lord;

It's nine o'clock.

K. Rich. I will not sup to-night.→→
Give me some ink and paper.—

What, is my beaver easier than it was?—
And all my armour laid into my tent? [diness.
Cates. It is, my liege; and all things are in rea-
K. Rich. Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge;
Use careful watch, chuse trusty centinels.
Nor. I go, my lord.

[Norfolk. K. Rich. Stir with the lark to-morrow, gentle Nor. I warrant you, my lord,

K. Rich. Ratcliff,

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[Exit.

To Stanley's regiment; bid him bring his power
Before sun-rising, lest his son George fall
Into the blind cave of eternal night.—

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Fill me a bowl of wine:-Give me a watch':-
[To Catesby.
Saddle white Surrey for the field to-morrow.-
Look that my staves' be sound, and not too
Ratcliff,-
[heavy.
Rat. My lord!
[thumberland 45
K. Rich. Saw'st thou the melancholy lord Nor-
Rat. Thomas the earl of Surrey and himself,
Much about cock-shut time 3, from troop to troop,
Went through the army, cheering up the soldiers.
K. Rich. I am satisfy'd. Give me a bowl of 50
I have not that alacrity of spirit,
[wine:
Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.
So, set it down.-Is ink and paper ready?

Rat. It is, my lord.

K. Rich. Bid my guard watch, and leave me. About the mid of night, come to my tent,

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Stanl. Fortune and victory sit on thy helm!
Richm. All comfort that the dark night can af-
Be to thy person, noble father-in-law !
Tell me, how fares our loving mother?

[ford, [ther,

Stanl. I, by attorney, bless thee from thy mo-
Who prays continually for Richmond's good:-
So much for that.-The silent hours steal on,
And flaky darkness breaks within the east.
In brief, for so the season bids us be,
Prepare thy battle early in the morning!
And put thy fortune to the arbitrement
Of bloody strokes, and mortal staring war'.
I, as I may, (that which I would, I cannot)
With best advantage will deceive the time,
And aid thee in this doubtful shock of arnis :
But on thy side I may not be too forward,
Lest, being seen, thy tender brother George
Be executed in his father's sight.

Farewell: the leisure', and the fearful time
Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love,
And ample enterchange of sweet discourse,
Which so-long-sundred friends should dwell upon;
God give us leisure for these rites of love!
Once more, adieu :-Be valiant, and speed well!
Richm. Good lords, conduct him to his regiment:
I'll strive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap;
Lest leaden slumber peize' me down to-morrow,
When I should mount with wings of victory:
Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen.
[Exeunt lords, &c.
O Thou! whose captain I account myself,
Look on my forces with a gracious eye;
Put in their hands thy bruising irons of wrath,
That they may crush down with a heavy fall
The usurping helmets of our adversaries!
Make us thy ministers of chastisement,
That we may praise thee in thy victory!
To thee I do commend my watchful soul,
Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes:
Sleeping, and waking, O, defend me still! [Sleeps.
Enter the Ghost of Prince Edward, Son to Henry
the Sixth.

Ghost. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow!
[To K. Rich.
Think how thou stabb'dst me in the prime of youth
At Tewksbury; despair therefore, and die!-
Be cheerful, Richmond; for the wronged souls
[To Richm.
55 Of butcher'd princes fight in thy behalf:
King Henry's issue, Richmond, comforts thee.

'That particular kind of candle is here meant, anciently called a watch, because, being marked out into sections, each of which was a certain proportion of time in burning, it supplied the place of the more modern instrument by which we measure the hours. 2 Staves are the wood of the lances. As it was usual to carry more lances than one into the field, the lightness of them was an object of consequence. 'i. e. twilight.-Cockshut is said to be a net to catch woodcocks; and as the time of taking them in this manner is in the twilight, either after sun-set or before its rising, cockshut light may very properly express the evening or the morning twilight. i. e, by deputation, or by virtue of letter of attorney. By staring war is probably meant war that looks big. • Leisure in this passage stands for want of leisure. j. e. weigh me down; from peser, French.

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4

Enter

Enter the Ghost of Henry the Sixth. Ghost. When I was mortal, my anointed body [To K. Rich,

5

Thy adversary's wife doth pray for thee.
Enter the Ghost of Buckingham,

crown;

Ghost. The first was I, that help'd thee to the
[To K. Rich
The last was I, that felt thy tyranny:
O, in the battle think on Buckingham,
And die in terror of thy guiltiness!

Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death;
Fainting, despair; despairing, yield thy breath!—
10 I dy'd for hope', ere I could lend thee aid:
[To Richm
But cheer thy heart, and be thou not dismay'd:
God and good angels fight on Richmond's side;
And Richard falls in height of all his pride.
[The Ghosts vanish,

15

By thee was punched full of deadly holes:
Think on the Tower and me; despair and die;
Henry the sixth bids thee despair and die!—
Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror! [To Richm
Harry, that prophesy'd thou shouldst be king,
Doth comfort thee in thy sleep; live, and flourish.
Enter the Ghost of Clarence.
Ghost. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow!
[To K, Rich.
I, that was wash'd to death with fulsome wine,
Poor Clarence, by thy guile betray'd to death!
To-morrow in the battle think on me,
And fall thy edgeless sword; despair, and die !—
Thou offspring of the house of Lancaster,
[To Richm.
The wronged heirs of York do pray for thee;
Good angels guard thy battle! Live, and flourish!
Enter the Ghosts of Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan.
Riv. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow!
[To K. Rich.
Rivers, that dy'd at Pomfret; despair, and die!
Grey. Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair! 25
[To K. Rich.
Vaugh. Think upon Vaughan; and, with guilty
fear,

Let fall thy lance! despair, and die!

[To K. Rich. All. Awake! and think, our wrongs in Richard's bosom

[K. Richard starts out of his dream, K. Rich. Give me another horse,bind up

my wounds,

Have mercy, Jesu!-Soft; I did but dream.-
200 coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!-
The lights burn blue. Is it not dead midnight?
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
What do I fear? myself? there's none else by:
Richard loves Richard: that is, I am I.

Is there a murd'rer here? No;-Yes; I am:
Then fly,--What, from myself? Great reason: Why?
Lest I revenge. What? Myself on myself?
I love myself. Wherefore? for any good,
That I myself have done unto myself?
30O, no; alas! I rather hate myself,

For hateful deeds committed by myself,
I am a villain: Yet I lye, I am not.
Fool, of thyself speak well:-Fool, do not flatter.
My conscience hath a thousand several tongues
35 And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain.
Perjury, perjury, in the highest degree,
Murder, stern murder, in the dir'st degree;
All several sins, all us'd in each degree,
Throng to the bar, crying all,-Guilty! guilty!
I shall despair,-There is no creature loves me;
And, if I die, no soul shall pity me:-

Will conquer him ;-awake, and win the day!
[To Richm.
Enter the Ghost of Lord Hastings,
Ghost. Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake;
[To K. Rich.
And in a bloody battle end thy days!
Think on lord Hastings; and despair, and die!-
Quiet untroubled soul, awake, awake! [ToRichm. 40
Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's sake!
Enter the Ghosts of the two Young Princes.
Ghosts. Dream on thy cousins smother'd in the
Tower!

45

Let us be lead within thy bosom, Richard,
[To K. Rich.
And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death!
Thy nephews' souls bid thee despair, and die.-
Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and wake in
joy;
[To Richm. 50
Good angels guard thee from the boar's annoy!
Live, and beget a happy race of kings!
Edward's unhappy sons do bid thee flourish.
Enter the Ghost of Lady Anne.
Ghost. Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne 55
thy wife,
[To K, Rich.

That never slept a quiet hour with thee,
Now fills thy sleep with perturbations:
To-morrow in the battle think on me,
And fall thy edgeless sword; despair, and die!-60
Thou, quiet soul, sleep thou a quiet sleep;
[To Richm.
Dream of success and happy victory;

Nay, wherefore should they? since that I myself
Find in myself no pity to myself.

Methought, the souls of all that I had murder'd
Came to my tent; and every one did threat
To-morrow's vengeance on the head of Richard.
Enter Ratcliff.

Rat. My lord,

K. Rich. Who's there?

Rat. My lord, 'tis I: The early village cock
Hath twice done salutation to the morn;
Your friends are up, and buckle on their armour.
K. Rich. O, Ratcliff, I have dream'd a fearful
dream!-

What thinkest thou? will our friends prove all
Rat. No doubt, my lord.
[true?
K. Rich, Ratcliff, I fear, I fear,- [dows.
Rat. Nay, good my lord, be not afraid of sha-
K. Rich. By the apostle Paul, shadows to-night
Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard,
Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers,
Armed in proof, and led by shallow Richmond.

i. e. I died for wishing well to you,

It

[Exeunt K. Richard, and Ratcliff
Richmond wakes. Enter Oxford, and others.
Lords. Good morrow, Richmond, [men,
Richm. 'Cry mercy, lords, and watchful gentle-
That you have ta'en a tardy sluggard here.
Lords, How have you slept, my lord?

K.Rich. He was i' the right; a 5 Tell the clock there.-Give me

Who saw the sun to-day?
Rat. Not I, my lord.
K. Rich. Then he disdains to

Richm. The sweetest sleep, and fairest-boding 10 He should have brav'd the east A black day it will be to someb Ratcliff,

dreams,

That ever enter'd in a drowsy head,

Have I since your departure bad, my lords, [der'd,
Methought, their souls, whose bodies Richard mur-
Came to my tent, and cry'd-On! victory!
I promise you, my heart is very jocund
In the remembrance of so fair a dream,
How far into the morning is it, lords?
Lords. Upon the stroke of four.
Richm, Why, then 'tis time to arm, and give 20

direction. [He advances to the troops.
More than I have said, loving countryinen,
The leisure and enforcement of the time
Forbids to dwell upon; Yet remember this,—
God and our good cause fight upon our side;
The prayers of holy saints, and wronged souls,
Like high-rear'd bulwarks, stand before our faces;
Richard except, those, whom we fight against,
Had rather have us win, than him they follow.
For what is he they follow truly, gentlemen,
A bloody tyrant, and a homicide;

Rat. My lord!

K. Rich, The sun will not be 15 The sky doth frown and lour up I would, these dewy tears were f Not shine to-day! Why, what is More than to Richmond? for the s That frowns on me, looks sadly Enter Norfolk.

Nor. Arm, arm, my lord; the

field.

K. Rich. Come, bustle, bustle Call up lord Stanley, bid him bri 25I will lead forth my soldiers to th And thus my battle shall be orde My foreward shall be drawn out Consisting equally of horse and f Our archers shall be placed in the John duke of Norfolk, Thomas e Shall have the leading of this foo They thus directed, we will follo In the main battle; whose puissan Shall be well winged with our ch This, and Saint George to boot 3! thou, Norfolk?

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Nor. A good direction, warlike This found I on my tent this mor

[G 40 K.Rich. Jocky of Norfolk, be not t For Dickon thy master is

One rais'd in blood, and one in blood establish'd;
One that made means to come by what he hath,
And slaughter'd those that were the means to help
A base foul stone, made precious by the foil [him: 35
Of England's chair, where he is falsely set;
One that hath ever been God's enemy:
Then, if you fight against God's enemy,
God will, in justice, ward you as his soldiers:
If you do sweat to put a tyrant down,
You sleep in peace, the tyrant being slain:
If you do fight against your country's focs,
Your country's fat shall pay your pains the hire;
If you do fight in safeguard of your wives,
Your wives shall welcome home the conquerors;
If you do free your children from the sword,
Your children's children quit it in your age.
Then, in the name of God, and all these rights,
Advance your standards, draw your willingswords:
For me, the ransom of my hold attempt
Shall be this cold corpse on the earth's cold face;
But if I thrive, the gain of my attempt→
The least of you shall share his part thereof,
Sound, drums and trumpets, boldly and cheerfully:
God, and Saint George! Richmond, and victory! 55
[Exeunt.

Re-enter King Richard, Ratcliff, &c.
K. Rich. What said Northumberland, as touch-
ing Richmond?

Rat. That he was never trained up in arms.

A thing devised by the enemy.Go, gentlemen, every man unto h Let not our babbling dreams affri 45 For conscience is but a word that Devis'd at first to keep the strong Ourstrong arms be our conscience, March on, join bravely, let us to If not to heaven, then hand in har

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What shall I say more than I ha Remember whom you are to cop A sort of vagabonds, rascals, and A scum of Brittains, and base lack Whom their o'er-cloyed country To desperate ventures and assur'd You sleeping safe, they bring you You having lands, and blest with be They would distrain the one, dista And who doth lead them, but a pa 160 Long kept in Brittaine⚫ at our bro

To make means, in our author's time, always signified-to come at any thing by ind ? Saint George was the common cry of the English soldiers when they charged the e boot here would seem to mean to help. The ancient abbreviation of Richard,

Bretagne.

5

A milk-sop, one that never in his life
Felt so much cold as over shoes in snow?
Let's whip these stragglers o'er the seas again;
Lash hence these over-weening rags of France,
These famish'd beggars, weary of their lives;
Who, but for dreaming on this fond exploit,
Forwantofmeans, poor rats, had hang'dthemselves:
If we be conquer'd, let men conquer us,
And not these bastard Brittains; whom our fathers
Haveintheirownlandbeaten, bobb'd,and thump'd, 10
And, on record, left them the heirs of shame.
Shall these enjoy our lands? lie with our wives?
Ravish our daughters?-Hark, I hear their drum.
[Drum afar off
Fight, gentlemen of England! fight,bold yeomen!
Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head!
Spur your prouid horses hard, and ride in blood;
Amaze the welkin with your broken staves'!—
Enter a Messenger.

15

What says lord Stanley? will he bring his power: 20
Mes. My lord, he doth deny to come.

K. Rich. Off with his son George's head.
Nor. My lord, the enemy hath past the marsh;
After the battle let George Stanley die.

K. Rich. A thousand hearts are great within 25
my bosom:

A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!

[Exeunt. Alarums. Enter King Richard and Richmond; they fight, Richard is slain.

Retreat, and flourish. Enter Richmond, Stanley,
bearing the crown, with divers other Lords.
Richm. God, and your arms, be prais'd, vic-
torious friends;

The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead!
Stani. Courageous Richmond, well hast thou
acquit thee!

Lo, here, these long-usurped royalties
From the dead temples of this bloody wretch
Have I pluckt off, to grace thy brows withal;
Wear it, enjoy it, and make use of it'.

Richm. Great God of heaven, say, Amen, to all!-
But tell me, is young George Stanley living?
Stanl. He is, my lord, and safe in Leicester town;
Whither, if it please you, we may now withdraw us.
Richm. What men of name are slain on either side?
Stanl. John duke of Norfolk, Walter lord Ferrers,
Sir Robert Brakenbury, and Sir William Brandon.
Richm. Inter their bodies as becomes their births.
Proclaim a pardon to the soldiers fled,
That in submission will return to us;
And then, as we have ta’en the sacrament,
We will unite the white rose and the red:
Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction,
That long hath frown'd upon their enmity !—
What traitor hears me, and says not,-Amen?
England hath long been mad, and scarr'd herself;
The brother blindly shed the brother's blood,
The father rashly slaughter'd his own son,
The son, compell'd, been butcher to the sire
35 All this divided York and Lancaster,
Divided, in their dire division.-

Advance our standards, set upon our foes;
Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!
Upon them! Victory sits on our helms. [Exeunt. 30

SCENE IV.

Another part of the Field.

Alarum. Excursions. Enter Catesby. Cates. Rescue, my lord of Norfolk! rescue!

rescue!

The king enacts more wonders than a man,
Daring an opposite to every danger;
His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death:
Rescue, fair lord, or else the day is lost!

O, now let Richmond and Elizabeth,
The true succeeders of each royal house,
By God's fair ordinance conjoin together!
40 And let their heirs (God, if thy will be so)
Enrich the time to come with smooth-fac'd peace,
With smiling plenty, and fair prosperous days!
Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord,
That would reduce these bloody days again,
[horse. 45 And make poor England weep in streams of blood!
Let them not live to taste this land's increase,
Thatwouldwithtreasonwound this fair land'speace!
Now civil wounds are stopp'd, peace lives again;
That she may long live here, God say-Amen!

Alarum. Enter King Richard.
K. Rich. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for
a horse!

Cates. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a
K. Rich. Slave, I have set my life upon a cast,
And I will stand the hazard of the dye:
I think, there be six Richmonds in the field;
Five have I slain to-day, instead of him :-

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[Exeunt.

That is, fright the skies with the shivers of your lances. i. e. an adversary. 3 L. e. don't

abuse it like the tyrant you have destroyed.

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