Complete Plays, The

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Complete Plays, The Page 248

by William Shakespeare


  Herbert

  I doubt not but his friends will fly to us.

  Blunt

  He hath no friends but who are friends for fear.

  Which in his greatest need will shrink from him.

  Richmond

  All for our vantage. Then, in God’s name, march:

  True hope is swift, and flies with swallow’s wings:

  Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.

  Exeunt

  SCENE III. BOSWORTH FIELD.

  Enter King Richard III in arms, with Norfolk, Surrey, and others

  King Richard III

  Here pitch our tents, even here in Bosworth field.

  My Lord of Surrey, why look you so sad?

  Surrey

  My heart is ten times lighter than my looks.

  King Richard III

  My Lord of Norfolk,—

  Norfolk

  Here, most gracious liege.

  King Richard III

  Norfolk, we must have knocks; ha! must we not?

  Norfolk

  We must both give and take, my gracious lord.

  King Richard III

  Up with my tent there! here will I lie tonight;

  But where to-morrow? Well, all’s one for that.

  Who hath descried the number of the foe?

  Norfolk

  Six or seven thousand is their utmost power.

  King Richard III

  Why, our battalion trebles that account:

  Besides, the king’s name is a tower of strength,

  Which they upon the adverse party want.

  Up with my tent there! Valiant gentlemen,

  Let us survey the vantage of the field

  Call for some men of sound direction

  Let’s want no discipline, make no delay,

  For, lords, to-morrow is a busy day.

  Exeunt

  Enter, on the other side of the field, Richmond, Sir William Brandon, Oxford, and others. Some of the Soldiers pitch Richmond’s tent

  Richmond

  The weary sun hath made a golden set,

  And by the bright track of his fiery car,

  Gives signal, of a goodly day to-morrow.

  Sir William Brandon, you shall bear my standard.

  Give me some ink and paper in my tent

  I’ll draw the form and model of our battle,

  Limit each leader to his several charge,

  And part in just proportion our small strength.

  My Lord of Oxford, you, Sir William Brandon,

  And you, Sir Walter Herbert, stay with me.

  The Earl of Pembroke keeps his regiment:

  Good Captain Blunt, bear my good night to him

  And by the second hour in the morning

  Desire the earl to see me in my tent:

  Yet one thing more, good Blunt, before thou go’st,

  Where is Lord Stanley quarter’d, dost thou know?

  Blunt

  Unless I have mista’en his colours much,

  Which well I am assured I have not done,

  His regiment lies half a mile at least

  South from the mighty power of the king.

  Richmond

  If without peril it be possible,

  Good Captain Blunt, bear my good-night to him,

  And give him from me this most needful scroll.

  Blunt

  Upon my life, my lord, I’ll under-take it;

  And so, God give you quiet rest to-night!

  Richmond

  Good night, good Captain Blunt. Come gentlemen,

  Let us consult upon to-morrow’s business

  In to our tent; the air is raw and cold.

  They withdraw into the tent

  Enter, to his tent, King Richard III, Norfolk, Ratcliff, Catesby, and others

  King Richard III

  What is’t o’clock?

  Catesby

  It’s supper-time, my lord;

  It’s nine o’clock.

  King Richard III

  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?

  Catesby

  If is, my liege; and all things are in readiness.

  King Richard III

  Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge;

  Use careful watch, choose trusty sentinels.

  Norfolk

  I go, my lord.

  King Richard III

  Stir with the lark to-morrow, gentle Norfolk.

  Norfolk

  I warrant you, my lord.

  Exit

  King Richard III

  Catesby!

  Catesby

  My lord?

  King Richard III

  Send out a pursuivant at arms

  To Stanley’s regiment; bid him bring his power

  Before sunrising, lest his son George fall

  Into the blind cave of eternal night.

  Exit Catesby

  Fill me a bowl of wine. Give me a watch.

  Saddle white Surrey for the field to-morrow.

  Look that my staves be sound, and not too heavy.

  Ratcliff!

  Ratcliff

  My lord?

  King Richard III

  Saw’st thou the melancholy Lord Northumberland?

  Ratcliff

  Thomas the Earl of Surrey, and himself,

  Much about cock-shut time, from troop to troop

  Went through the army, cheering up the soldiers.

  King Richard III

  So, I am satisfied. Give me a bowl of wine:

  I have not that alacrity of spirit,

  Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.

  Set it down. Is ink and paper ready?

  Ratcliff

  It is, my lord.

  King Richard III

  Bid my guard watch; leave me.

  Ratcliff, about the mid of night come to my tent

  And help to arm me. Leave me, I say.

  Exeunt Ratcliff and the other Attendants

  Enter Derby to Richmond in his tent, Lords and others attending

  Derby

  Fortune and victory sit on thy helm!

  Richmond

  All comfort that the dark night can afford

  Be to thy person, noble father-in-law!

  Tell me, how fares our loving mother?

  Derby

  I, by attorney, bless thee from thy mother

  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 arms:

  But on thy side I may not be too forward

  Lest, being seen, thy brother, tender George,

  Be executed in his father’s sight.

  Farewell: the leisure and the fearful time

  Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love

  And ample interchange of sweet discourse,

  Which so long sunder’d friends should dwell upon:

  God give us leisure for these rites of love!

  Once more, adieu: be valiant, and speed well!

  Richmond

  Good lords, conduct him to his regiment:

  I’ll strive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap,

  Lest leaden slumber peise me down to-morrow,

  When I should mount with wings of victory:

  Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen.

  Exeunt all but Richmond

  O Thou, whose captain I account myself,

  Look on my forces wit
h 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 the 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 King Henry VI

  Ghost of Prince Edward

  [To King Richard III]

  Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow!

  Think, how thou stab’dst me in my prime of youth

  At Tewksbury: despair, therefore, and die!

  To Richmond

  Be cheerful, Richmond; for the wronged souls

  Of butcher’d princes fight in thy behalf

  King Henry’s issue, Richmond, comforts thee.

  Enter the Ghost of King Henry VI

  Ghost of King Henry VI

  [To King Richard III]

  When I was mortal, my anointed body

  By thee was punched full of deadly holes

  Think on the Tower and me: despair, and die!

  Harry the Sixth bids thee despair, and die!

  To Richmond

  Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror!

  Harry, that prophesied thou shouldst be king,

  Doth comfort thee in thy sleep: live, and flourish!

  Enter the Ghost of Clarence

  Ghost of Clarence

  [To King Richard III]

  Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow!

  I, that was wash’d to death with fulsome wine,

  Poor Clarence, by thy guile betrayed to death!

  To-morrow in the battle think on me,

  And fall thy edgeless sword: despair, and die!—

  To Richmond

  Thou offspring of the house of Lancaster

  The wronged heirs of York do pray for thee

  Good angels guard thy battle! live, and flourish!

  Enter the Ghosts of Rivers, Gray, and Vaughan

  Ghost of Rivers

  [To King Richard III]

  Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow,

  Rivers. that died at Pomfret! despair, and die!

  Ghost of Grey

  [To King Richard III]

  Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair!

  Ghost of Vaughan

  [To King Richard III]

  Think upon Vaughan, and, with guilty fear,

  Let fall thy lance: despair, and die!

  All

  [To Richmond]

  Awake, and think our wrongs in Richard’s bosom

  Will conquer him! awake, and win the day!

  Enter the Ghost of Hastings

  Ghost of 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!

  Enter the Ghosts of the two young Princes

  Ghosts of young Princes

  [To King Richard III]

  Dream on thy cousins smother’d in the Tower:

  Let us be led within thy bosom, Richard,

  And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death!

  Thy nephews’ souls bid thee despair and die!

  To Richmond

  Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and wake in joy;

  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 of Lady Anne

  [To King Richard III]

  Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife,

  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!

  To Richmond

  Thou quiet soul, sleep thou a quiet sleep

  Dream of success and happy victory!

  Thy adversary’s wife doth pray for thee.

  Enter the Ghost of Buckingham

  Ghost of Buckingham

  [To King Richard III]

  The last was I that helped thee to the crown;

  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!

  To Richmond

  I died for hope ere I could lend thee aid:

  But cheer thy heart, and be thou not dismay’d:

  God and good angel fight on Richmond’s side;

  And Richard falls in height of all his pride.

  The Ghosts vanish

  King Richard III starts out of his dream

  King Richard III

  Give me another horse: bind up my wounds.

  Have mercy, Jesu!— Soft! I did but dream.

  O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!

  The lights burn blue. It is now 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 murderer here? No. Yes, I am:

  Then fly. What, from myself? Great reason why:

  Lest I revenge. What, myself upon myself?

  Alack. I love myself. Wherefore? for any good

  That I myself have done unto myself?

  O, no! alas, I rather hate myself

  For hateful deeds committed by myself!

  I am a villain: yet I lie. I am not.

  Fool, of thyself speak well: fool, do not flatter.

  My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,

  And every tongue brings in a several tale,

  And every tale condemns me for a villain.

  Perjury, perjury, in the high’st degree

  Murder, stem murder, in the direst degree;

  All several sins, all used 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:

  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

  Ratcliff

  My lord!

  King Richard III

  ’Zounds! who is there?

  Ratcliff

  Ratcliff, my lord; ’tis I. The early village-cock

  Hath twice done salutation to the morn;

  Your friends are up, and buckle on their armour.

  King Richard III

  O Ratcliff, I have dream’d a fearful dream!

  What thinkest thou, will our friends prove all true?

  Ratcliff

  No doubt, my lord.

  King Richard III

  O Ratcliff, I fear, I fear,—

  Ratcliff

  Nay, good my lord, be not afraid of shadows.

  King Richard III

  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.

  It is not yet near day. Come, go with me;

  Under our tents I’ll play the eaves-dropper,

  To see if any me
an to shrink from me.

  Exeunt

  Enter the Lords to Richmond, sitting in his tent

  Lords

  Good morrow, Richmond!

  Richmond

  Cry mercy, lords and watchful gentlemen,

  That you have ta’en a tardy sluggard here.

  Lords

  How have you slept, my lord?

  Richmond

  The sweetest sleep, and fairest-boding dreams

  That ever enter’d in a drowsy head,

  Have I since your departure had, my lords.

  Methought their souls, whose bodies Richard murder’d,

  Came to my tent, and cried on victory:

  I promise you, my soul 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.

  Richmond

  Why, then ’tis time to arm and give direction.

  His oration to his soldiers

  More than I have said, loving countrymen,

  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;

  One raised 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 him;

  Abase foul stone, made precious by the foil

  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 foes,

  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 willing swords.

  For me, the ransom of my bold 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!

  Exeunt

  Re-enter King Richard, Ratcliff, Attendants and Forces

  King Richard III

  What said Northumberland as touching Richmond?

 

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