Sur. My heart is ten times lighter than my looks.
K. Rich. My lord of Norfolk,-
Nor.
Here, most gracious liege. A Rich. Norfolk, we must have knocks; Ha! must we not?
Nor. We must both give and take, my loving lord. K. Rich. Up with my tent: Here will I lie tonight.
[Soldiers begin to set up the KING's tent. But where, to-morrow?-Well, all's one for that. Who hath descried the number of the traitors?
Nor. Six or seven thousand is their utmost power.
K. Rich. Why, our battalia trebles that account:
Besides, the king's name is a tower of strength,
Which they upon the adverse faction want.
Up with the tent.-Come, noble gentlemen,
Let us survey the vantage of the ground;—
Call for some inen of sound directions:-
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 other
Lords. Some of the Soldiers pitch RICHMOND'S
Richm. The weary san hath made a golden set,
And, by the bright track of his fiery car,
Gives token 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 power.
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 captain, do for me;
Where is lord Stanley quarter'd, do you know?
Blunt. Unless I have mista'en his colors 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
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.
Rat. Thomas the earl of Surrey, and himself,
Much about cock-shut" time, from troop to troop
Went through the army, cheering up the soldiers
K. Rich. 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.—
So, set it down.-Is ink and paper ready?
Rat. It is, my lord.
K. Rich.
Bid my guard watch; leave me.
About the mid of night, come to my tent,
And help to arm me.-Leave me, I say.
[KING RICHARD retires into his Tent. Exeunt
RATCLIFF and CATESBY.
RICHMOND'S Tent opens, and discovers him, and
his Officers, &c.
Stan. Fortune and victory sit on thy helm!
Richm. All comfort that the dark night can affo.d,
Be to thy person, noble father-in-law!
Tell me, how fares our loving mother?
Stan. 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,
Be executed in his father's sight.
Lest, being seen, thy brother tender George
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 wel!
Richm. Good lords, conduct him to his regiment
It's supper time, my lord: I'll strive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap;
[They withdraw into the Tent. Enter, to his Tent, KING RICHARD, NORFOLK, RATCLIFF, and CATESBY.
K. Rich. What is't o'clock?
Cate.
It's nine o'clock.
I will not sup to-night.
Give me some ink and paper.-
What, is my beaver easier than it was?—
And all my armor laid into my tent?
Cate. It is, my liege; and all things are in readi
K. Rich. Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge;
Use careful watch, choose trusty sentinels.
Nor. I go, my lord.
Lest leaden slumber peise' me down to-morrow
When I should mount with wings of victory:
Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemon.
[Exeunt Lords, &c. with STANIS
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
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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. The Ghost of PRINCE EDWARD. son to HENRY THE SIXTH, rises between the two Tents.
Ghost. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow! [TO KING RICHARD. Think, how thou stab'dst me in my prime of youth At Tewksbury; Despair, therefore, and die!Be cheerful, Richmond; for the wronged souls Of butcher'd princes fight in thy behalf: King Henry's issue, Richmond, comforts thee.
The Ghost of KING HENRY THE SIXTH rises. Ghost. When I was mortal, my anointed body [TO KING RICHARD. 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.— Virtuous and ly, be thou conqueror! [To RICHMOND. Harry, that prophesied thou shouldst be king, Doth comfort thee in thy sleep; Live, and flourish! The Ghost of CLARENCE rises.
Ghost. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow! [TO KING RICHARD. 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 re, And fall thy edgeless sword; Despair, and die!— Thou offspring of the house of Lancaster, [To RICHMOND. The wronged heirs of York do pray for thee; Good angels guard thy battle! Live, and flourish! The Ghosts of RIVERS, GREY, and VAUGHAN, rise. Riv. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow, [TO KING RICHARD. Rivers, that died at Pomfret! Despair, and die! Grey. Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair! [To KING RICHARD. Vaugh. Think upon Vaughan; and, with guilty
Let fall thy laro. Despair, and die!
[TO KING RICHARD. All. Awake! and think, our wrongs in Richard's [To RICHMOND. Will conquer him;-Awake, and win the day!
The Ghost of HASTINGS rises.
Ghost. Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake;
To KING RICHARD.
And in a bloody battle end thy days!
Think on lord Hastings; and despair, and die!—
Quiet untroubled soul, awake, awake!
[To RICHMOND.
Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's sake!
The Ghosts of the two young Princes rise.
Ghosts. Dream on thy cousins smother'd in the
Tower;
Let rs be lead within thy bosom, Richard,
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
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.
The Ghost of QUEEN ANNE rises.
Ghost. 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!--
Thou, quiet soul, sleep thou a quiet sleep;
[TO RICHMOND.
Dream of success and happy victory;
Thy adversary's wife doth pray for thee.
The Ghost of BUCKINGHAM rises. Ghost. The first was I, that help'd thee to the [To KING RICHARD. 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! I died for hope, ere I could lend thee aid: [TO RICHMOND, 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. KING RICHARD starts out of his Dream.
K. Rich. 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 on myself?
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, stern murder, in the dir'st 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 will 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.
Rat. My lord,
K. Rich. Who's there?
Rat. Ratcliff, my lord; 'tis I. The early village cock
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. It is not yet near day. Come, go with me; Under our tents I'll play the eaves-dropper, To hear, if any mean to shrink from me.
[Exeunt KING RICHARD and RATCLIFF. RICHMOND wakes. Enter OXFORD and others. Lords. Good morrow, Richmond.
Richm 'Cry mercy, lords, and watchful gentle
That you have ta'en a tardy sluggard here.
Lords. How have you slept, my lord? Richm. The sweetest sleep, and fairest-boding dreams,
l'hat ever enter'd in a drowsy head,
Have I since your departure had, my lords.
Methought, their souls, whose bodies Richard mur-
der'd,
Came to my tent, and cried-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 di-
rection.- [He advances to the Troops.
More than I have said, loving countrymen,
The leisure and enforcement of the times
Forbids to dwell on: 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 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
him;
A base 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 vouchsafe to 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
9 Quard.
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.
K. Rich. What said Northumberland, as touching Richmond?
Rat. That he was never trained up in arms. K. Rich. He said the truth: And what said Surrey then?
Rat. He smil'd and said, the better for our purpose K. Rich. He was i' the right; and so, indeed, it is [Clock strikes Tell the clock there.-Give me a calendar.Who saw the sun to-day?
Rat.
Not I, my lord.
K. Rich. Then he disdains to shine; for, by the
book,
He should have brav'd the east an hour ago:
A black day will it be to somebody.—
Ratcliff,-
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Nor. Arm, arm, my lord; the foe vaunts in the field.
K. Rich. Come, bustle, bustle;-Caparison my horse;
Call up lord Stanley, bid him bring his power:→→
I will lead forth my soldiers to the plain,
And thus my battle shall be ordered.
My foreward shall be drawn out all in length,
Consisting equally of horse and foot;
Our archers shall be placed in the midst :
John duke of Norfolk, Thomas earl of Surrey,
Shall have the leading of this foot and horse.
They thus directed, we ourself will follow
In the main battle; whose puissance on either side
Shall be well winged with our chiefest horse.
This, and Saint George to boot!-What think'st
thou, Norfolk?
Nor. A good direction, warlike sovereign.—
This found I on my tent this morning.
[Giving a Serli K. Rich. Jocky of Norfolk, be not too bold, [Reads. For Dickon thy master is bought and sold A thing devised by the enemy.—
Go, gentlemen, every man unto his charge:
Let not our babbling dreams affright our souls
Conscience is but a word that cowards use,
Devised at first to keep the strong in awe;
Our strong arms be our conscience, swords our law
March on, join bravely, let us to't pell-mell;
If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell.—-
What shall I say more than I have inferr'd?
Remember whom you are to cope withal;-
A sort of vagabonds, rascals, and run-aways
A scum of Bretagnes, and base lackey peasants,
Whom their o'er-cloyed country vomits forth
To desperate ventures and assured destruction.
You sleeping safe, they bring you to unrest;
The ancient familiarization of Richard. • Company
You having lands, and bless'd with beauteous wives, | And I will stand the hazard of the dis:
They would restrain the one, distain the other.
And who doth lead them, but a paltry fellow,
Long kept in Bretagne at our mother's cost?
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,
For want of means, poor rats, had hang'd them-
selves:
If we be conquer'd, let men conquer us,
And not these bastard Bretagnes; whom our fathers
Have in their own land beaten, bobb'd, and thump'd,
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 proud horses hard, and ride in blood;
Amaze the welkin with your broken staves!
What says lord Stanley? will he bring his power?
Mess. My lord, he doth deny to come.
K. Rich. Offinstantly with his son George's head.
Nor. My lord, the enemy is pass'd the marsh;
After the battle let George Stanley die.
K. Rich. A thousand hearts are great within
my bosom:
Advance our standards, set upon our foes;
Dur ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!
Upon them! Victory sits on our helms. [Exeunt.
SCENE IV. Another Part of the Field.
Alarum: Excursions. Enter NORFOLK, and
Forces; to him CATESBY.
Cate. 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,
Beeking for Richmond in the throat of death:
Rescue fair lord, or else the day is lost!
Alarum. Enter KING RICHARD.
K. Rich. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a
horse!
Cete. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a horse.
Pich. Slave, I have set my life upon a cast,
I think there be six Richmonds in the field;
Five have I slain to-day instead of him :-
A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!
Alarums. Enter KING RICHARD and RICHMOND; and exeunt fighting. Retreat, and Flourish Then enter RICHMOND, STANLEY, bearing the Crown, with divers other Lords, and Forces. Richm. God, and your arms, be prais'd, victorious friends;
The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead.
Stan. Courageous Richmond, well hast thou
acquit thee!
Lo, here, this long-usurped royalty,
From the dead temples of this bloody wretch
Have I pluck'd off to grace thy brows withal;
Wear it, enjoy it, and make much of it.
Richm. Great God of heaven, say, amen, to all:
But, tell me first, is young George Stanley living?
Stan. 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?
Stan. John duke of Norfolk, Walter lord Ferrers,
Sir Robert Brackenbury, 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 with 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;
All this divided York and Lancaster,
Divided, in their dire division.—
O, now, let Richmond and Elizabeth,
The true succeeders of each royal house,
By God's fair ordinance conjoin together!
And let their heirs, (God, if thy will be so,)
Enrich the time to come with smooth-faced peace
With smiling plenty, and fair prosperous days!
Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord,
That would reduce these bloody days again,
And make poor England weep in streams of blood
Let them not live to taste this land's increase,
That would with treason wound this fair land's peace
Now civil wounds are stopp'd, peace lives again;
That she may long live here, God say--Amen.
KING HENRY the Eighth. CARDINAL WOLSEY.
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS.
CAPUCIUS, Ambassador from the Emperor
Charles V.
CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury.
DUKE OF NORFOLK.
DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.
DUKE OF SUFFOLK.
EARL OF SURREY.
Lord Chamberlain.
Lord Chancellor.
GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester.
BISHOP OF LINCOLN.
LORD ABERGAVENNY.
LORD SANDS.
SIR HENRY GUILDFORD.
SIR THOMAS LOVELL.
SIR ANTHONY DENNY.
SIR NICHOLAS Vaux.
Secretaries to Wolsey.
CROMWELL, Servant to Wolsey.
GRIFFITH, Gentleman-usher to Queen Katharing
Three other Gentlemen.
DOCTOR BUTTS, Physician to the King.
Gurter King at Arms.
Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham.
BRANDON, and a Sergeant at Arms.
Door-keeper of the Council-chamber.
Porter and his Man.
QUEEN KATHARINE, Wife to King Henry, after wards divorced.
ANNE BULLEN, her Maid of Honor; afterwards
Queen.
An old Lady, Friend to Anne Bullen.
PATIENCE, Woman to Queen Katharine.
Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb shows, Women attending upon the Queen; Spirits which appear to her; Scribes, Officers, Guarda and other Attendants.
SCENE, chiefly in London and Westminster; once at Kimbolton.
I come no more to make you laugh; things now,
That bear a weighty and a serious brow,
Sad, high, and working, full of state and woe,
Such noble scenes as draw the eye to flow,
We now present. Those that can pity, here
May, if they think it well, let fall a tear;
The subject will deserve it. Such as give
Their money out of hope they may believe,
May here find truth too. Those, that come to see
Only a show or two, and so agree,
The play may pass; if they be still and willing,
I'll undertake, may see away their shilling
Richly in two short hours. Only they,
That come to hear a merry, wanton play,
A noise of targets; or to see a fellow
In a long motley coat, guarded' with yellow,
Will be deceiv'd; for, gentle hearers, know,
To rank our chosen truth with such a show
As fool and fight is, beside forfeiting
Our own brains, and the opinion that we bring,
(To make that only true we now intend,2)
Will leave us never an understanding friend.
Therefore, for goodness' sake, and as you are knowa
The first and happiest hearers of the town,
Be sad, as we would make ye: Think, ye see
The very persons of our noble story,
As they were living; think you see them great,
And follow'd with the general throng, and sw 284
Of thousand friends: then, in a moment, sce
How soon this mightiness meets misery!
And, if you can be merry then, I'll say,
A man may weep upon his wedding day.
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