The Plays of Shakspeare

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, 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 cheer-
fully;

God, and Saint George! Richmond, and victory!
Exeunt.

Re-enter King RICHARD, RATCLIFF, Attend-
ants, 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. 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 scroll. 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,
Devis'd 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 assur'd destruction.
You, sleeping safe, they bring you to unrest;
You, having lands, and bless'd with beauteous
wives,

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,

K. Rich. Then he disdains to shine; for, by These famish'd beggars, weary of their lives; the book,

He should have brav'd the east an hour ago :
A black day will it be to somebody.-
Ratcliff,-

Rat. My lord?

K. Rich. The sun will not be seen to-day; The sky doth frown and low'r upon our army. I would, these dewy tears were from the ground. Not shine to-day! Why, what is that to me, More than to Richmond? for the self-same heaven,

That frowns on me, looks sadly upon him.

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! Nor. Arm, arm, my lord; the foe vaunts in Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood; Amaze the welkin with your broken staves !

the field.

Enter NORFOLK.

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

Adrance 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.

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,
Seeking 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!

Cate. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a horse.

K. Rich. Slave, I have set my life upon a cast, And I will stand the hazard of the die:

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!
[Exeunt.

Alharums. Enter King RICHARD and RICHMOND; and exeunt, fighting. Retreat, and flourish. Then enter RICHMOND, STANLEY, bearing the crown, with divers other Lords, and Forces.

Rickm. 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!

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 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 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-fac'd 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! [Exeunt.

SCENE,-chiefly in London and Westminster; once, at Kimbolton.

PROLOGUE.

I come to more to make you laugh; things | Will be deceiv'd: for, gentle hearers, know,

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,

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,) Will leave us never an understanding friend. Therefore, for goodness' sake, and as you are known

The first and happiest hearers of the town,

May here find truth too. Those, that come to Be sad, as we would make ye: Think, ye sce

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, bawdy play,
A noise of targets; or to see a fellow
In a long motley coat, guarded with yellow,

The very persons of our noble story,

As they were living; think you see them great
And follow'd with the general throng, and swest.
Of thousand friends; then, in a moment, sue
How soon this mightiness meets misery!
And, if you can be merry then, I'll say,
A man may weep upon his wedding day.

ACT I.

Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect SCENE L-London. An ante-chamber in the In honour honesty, the tract of every thing palace.

To one above itself. Each following day
Became the next day's master, till the last
Made former wonders it's: To-day, the French,
All elinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the English; and, to-morrow, they
Made Britain, India: every man, that stood,
Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As cherubims, all gilt: the madams too,
Not us'd to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting: now this mask
Was cry'd incomparable; and the ensuing night
Made it a fool, and beggar. The two kings,
Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,
As presence did present them; him in eye,
Sall him in praise: and, being present both,
Twas said they saw but one; and no discerner
Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these

Would by a good discourser lose some life, Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal;

To the disposing of it nought rebell'd,
Order gave each thing view; the office did
Distinctly his full function.

Buck. Who did guide,
I mean, who set the body and the limbs
Of this great sport together, as you guess?
Nor. One, certes, that promises no element
In such a business.

Buck. I pray you, who, my lord?

Nor. All this was order'd by the good discre

tion

Of all the gentry; for the most part such
Too, whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon; and his own letter,
The honourable board of council out,
Must fetch him in he papers.

Aber. I do know

Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have By this so sickened their estates, that never They shall abound as formerly.

Buck. O, many

king;

I'll follow, and out-stare him.

Nor. Stay, my lord,

A most poor issue?

Nor. Grievingly I think,

The peace between the French and us not values He bores me with some trick: He's gone to the The cost that did conclude it.

Buck. Every man,

After the hideous storm that follow'd, was

A thing inspir'd; and, not consulting, broke
Into a general prophecy, -That this tempest,
Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded

The sudden breach on't.

Nor. Which is budded out;

And let your reason with your choler question
What 'tis you go about: To climb steep hills,
Requires slow pace at first: Anger is like
A full hot horse; who being allow'd his way,
Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England.

For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath at- Can advise me like you: be to yourself

tach'd

As you would to your friend.

Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux.

Aber. Is it therefore

The ambassador is silenc'd?

Nor. Marry is't.

Aber. A proper title of a peace; and purchas'd

At a superfluous rate!

Buck. Why, all this business

Our reverend cardinal carried.

Nor. 'Like it your grace,

The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you,
(And take it from a heart, that wishes towards you
Honour and plenteous safety,) that you read
The cardinal's malice and his potency
Together: to consider further, that

What his high hatred would effect, wants not
A minister in his power: You know his nature,
That he's revengeful; and I know, his sword
Hath a sharp edge: it's long, and, it may be said,
It reaches far; and where 'twill not extend,
Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel,
You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that
rock,

That I advise your shunning.

Enter Cardinal WOLSEY, (the Purse borne before him,) certain of the Guard, and two Secretaries with papers. The Cardinal in his passage fixeth his eye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM on him, both full of disdain.

Wol. The duke of Buckingham's surveyor? ha?

Where's his examination?

1 Secr. Here, so please you.

Wol. Is he in person ready?

1 Secr. Ay, please your grace.

Buck. I'll to the king;

And from a mouth of honour quite cry down
This Ipswich fellow's insolence; or proclaim,
There's difference in no persons.

Nor. Be advis'd;

Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot,
That it do singe yourself: We may outrun,
By violent swiftness, that which we run at,
And lose by over-running. Know you not,
The fire, that mounts the liquor till it run o'er,
In seeming to augment it, wastes it? Beadvis'd:
I say again, there is no English soul
More stronger to direct you than yourself,
If with the sap of reason you would quench,
Or but allay, the fire of passion..

vouch as strong

As shore of rock. Attend. This holy fox,
Or wolf, or both, (for he is equal ravenous,
As he is subtle; and as prone to mischief,
As able to perform it: his mind and place
Infecting one another, yea, reciprocally,)
Only to show his pomp as well in France
As here at home, suggests the king our master
To this last costly treaty, the interview,

That swallow'd so much treasure, and like a glass

Wol. Well, we shall then know more; and Did break i'the rinsing.

Buckingham

Shall lessen this big look.

[Exeunt Wolsey and Train.

Buck. This butcher's cur is venom-mouth'd, and I

Have not the power to muzzle him; therefore,

best

Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar's book
Out-worths a noble's blood.

Nor. What, are you chaf'd?

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The Plays of Shakspeare, Svazek 2