Make us thy ministers of chastisement, [Sleeps. 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 VI. 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 holy, be thou conqueror! [To Richmond. Harry, that prophecy'd thou should'st 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 me, 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 fear, Let fall thy lance! Despair, and die! [To King Richard. All. Awake! and think, our wrongs in Richard's bosom [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! [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 us be lead within thy bosom, Richard, And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death! The Ghost of QUEEN ANNE rises. Ghost. Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife, And fall thy edgeless sword; Despair, and die!- Dream of success and happy victory; 'Thy adversary's wife doth pray for thee. [To Richmond. 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: Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death; 4 [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 Have mercy, Jesu!-Soft; I did but dream.- Is there a murderer here? No;-Yes; I am : I love myself. Wherefore? for any good, That I myself have done unto 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. Nay, wherefore should they? since that I myself Methought, the souls of all that I had murder'd Rat. My lord, 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. K. Rich. O, Ratcliff, I have dream'd a fearful 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 gentlemen, That you have ta'en a tardy sluggard here. Lords. How have you slept, my lord? 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 direc- tion. More than I have said, loving countrymen, One rais'd in blood, and one in blood establish'd; 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? |