And fall thy edgeless sword; Despair, and die !- [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 fear, Let fall thy lance! Despair, and die! [To King RICHARD. [TO RICHMOND. All. Awake! and think, our wrongs in Richard's bosom 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!— [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 Let us be lead within thy bosom, Richard, And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death! 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, And fall thy edgeless sword; Despair, and die !— [TO RICHMOND. Dream of success and happy victory; The Ghost of BUCKINGHAM rises. Ghost. The first was I, that help'd thee to the crown; [To King RICHARD. The last was I that felt thy tyranny: O, in the battle think on Buckingham, Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death; [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. out of his dream. K. Rich. Give me another wounds, King RICHARD starts horse,-bind up my Have mercy, Jesu! Soft; I did but dream.- 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? Wherefore? for any good, For hateful deeds committed by myself. Fool, of thyself speak well: Fool, do not flatter. Nay, wherefore should they? since that I myself Methought, the souls of all that I had murder'd Rat. My lord, Enter RATCLIFF. K. Rich. Who's there? Rat. 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. dream! What thinkest thou? Will our friends prove all true? Rat. No doubt, my lord. K. Rich. Ratcliff, I fear, I fear, Rat. Nay, good my lord, be not afraid of shadows. 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 men, That you have ta'en a tardy sluggard here. Richm. 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! Richm. Why, then 'tis time to arm, and give direction.- [He advances to the troops. More than I have said, loving countrymen, One rais'd in blood, and one in blood establish'd; A base foul stone, made precious by the foil enemy: Then, if you fight against God's enemy, Shall be this cold corpse on the earth's cold face; [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. ransom, for fine, penalty. |