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Buck. Why, then All-Souls' day is my body's
This is the day, which, in king Edward's time,
I wish'd might fall on me, when I was found
Falfe to his children, or his wife's allies:
This is the day, wherein I wish'd to fall

By the falfe faith of him whom most I trusted:
This, this All-Souls' day to my fearful foul,
Is the determin'd respite of my wrongs 2.
That high All-feer whom I dally'd with,
Hath turn'd my feigned prayer on my head,
And given in earnest what I begg'd in jest.
Thus doth he force the swords of wicked men
To turn their own points on their mafters' bofoms:
Thus Margaret's curfe falls heavy on my neck,-
When be, quoth fhe, fhall Split thy beart with forrow,
Remember Margaret was a prophetess.

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In God's name, chearly on, courageous friends,
To reap the harvest of perpetual peace
By this one bloody trial of sharp war.

Oxf. Every man's confcience is a thousand fwords,
To fight against that bloody homicide.

Herb. I doubt not, but his friends will turn to us. Blunt. He hath no friends, but who are friends for fear;

Which, in his dearest need, will fly from him. Richm. All for our vantage. Then, in God's name march:

True hope is fwift, and flies with swallow's wings; Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings. [Excunt

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Come, firs, convey me to the block of fhame;
Wrong hath but wrong, and blame the due of blame.
[Exeunt Buckingham, &c.35
SCENE II.

Tamworth, on the borders of Leicestershire. A camp.
Enter Henry Earl of Richmond, Earl of Oxford, Sir
James Blunt, Sir Walter Herbert, and others, with 40
drum and colours.

But where, to-morrow?-Well, all's one for
Who hath defcry'd the number of the traitors?

Nor. Six or feven thousand is their utmost power. K. Rich. Why, our battalia trebles that account: Befides, the king's name is a tower of ftrength, Which they upon the adverfe faction want.Up with the tent.---Come, noble gentlemen, Let us furvey the vantage of the ground;-Call for fome men of found direction 4:--Let's want no difcipline, make no delay; For, lords, to-morrow is a busy day. [Exeunt. Enter on the other fide of the field, Richmond, Sir William Brandon, Oxford, Dorfet, &c. Ricbm. The weary fun hath made a golden fet, 45 And, by the bright track of his fiery car, Gives token of à goodly day to-morrow.--Sir William Brandon, you shall bear my standard.--Give me fome 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 juft 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;--From Tamworth thither, is but one day's march.|55|Good captain Blunt, bear my good night to him,

Richm. Fellows in arms, and my most loving
Bruis'd underneath the yoke of tyranny, [friends,
Thus far into the bowels of the land
Have we march'd on without impediment;
And here receive we from our father Stanley
Lines of fair comfort and encouragement.
The wretched, bloody, and ufurping boar,
That spoil'd your fummer fields, and fruitful vines,
Swills your warm blood like wash, and makes his

trough

In your embowell'd 3 bofoms,-this foul fwine
Lies now even in the centre of this ifle,

Near to the town of Leicester, as we learn:

50

The reason why the duke of Buckingham solicited an interview with the king, is explained in K. Henry VIII. A& f. 2 i. e. the time to which the punishment of his wrongs was refpited. Wrongs here means wrongs done, or injurious practices. i. e. ripped up, i, e. true judgement; tried military fkill

And

And by the fecond hour in the morning
Defire 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 mifta'en his colours much, 5
(Which, well I am affur'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 poffible,
Sweet Blunt, make fome good means to speak with 10
And give him from me this moft needful note.

[him,

Blunt. Upon my life, my lord, I'll undertake it ;} And fo, God give you quiet rest to-night!

Richm. Good night, good captain Blunt. Come,
gentlemen,

Let us confult upon to-morrow's bufinefs;
In to my tent, the air is raw and cold.

[They withdraw into the tent. Enter, to his tent, King Richard, Ratcliff, Norfolk,

and Catesby.

K. Ricb. What is't o'clock ?

Catef. It's fupper time, my lord;

It's nine o'clock.

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Rat. My lord?
[thumberland 45
K. Rich. Saw'ft thou the melancholy lord Nor-
Rat. Thomas the earl of Surrey and himself,
Much about cock-fhut time 3, from troop to troop,
Went through the army, cheering up the foldiers.
K. Rich. I am fatisfy'd. Give me a bowl of wine: 50
I have not that alacrity of spirit,

Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.-
So, fet it down.-Is ink and paper ready?

Rat. It is, my lord.

K. Rich. Bid my guard watch, and leave me. About the mid of night, come to my tent

And help to arm me, Ratcliff.-Leave me, I say.
[Exit Ratcliff.

Richmond's Tent opens, and difcovers bim, and bit
Officers, &c.

Enter Stanley.

Stanl. Fortune and victory fit on thy helm!
Richm. All comfort that the dark night can afford,
Be to thy perfon, noble father-in-law !
Tell me, how fares our loving mother?

Stanl. I, by attorney 4, blefs thee from thy mother,
Who prays continually for Richmond's good;
So much for that.-The filent hours steal on,
And flaky darkness breaks within the east.
In brief, for fo the season bids us be,
Prepare thy battle early in the morning!
And put thy fortune to the arbitrement
Of bloody ftrokes, and mortal staring war 5.
I, as I may, (that which I would, I cannot)
With beft advantage will deceive the time,
And aid thee in this doubtful shock of arms:
But on thy fide I may not be too forward,
Left, being feen, thy tender brother George
Be executed in his father's fight.
Farewell: the leisure 6, and the fearful time
Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love,
And ample enterchange of fweet difcourfe,
Which fo long fundred friends should dwell upon;
God give us leifure for thefe rites of love!
Once more, adieu :-Be valiant and speed well!
Richm. Good lords, conduct him to his regiment:
I'll ftrive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap;
Left leaden flumber peize? me down to-morrow,
When I fhould mount with wings of victory:
Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen:
[Exeunt lords, &c.
O, Thou! whofe 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
The ufurping helmets of our adversaries!
Make us thy minifters of chastisement,
That we may praife 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 ftill! [Sleeps.
Enter the Ghoft of Prince Edward, Son to Henry the
Sixth.

Gboft. Let me fit heavy on thy foul to-morrow!
[To K. Rich.
Think how thou ftabb'ft me in the prime of youth
At Tewksbury; defpair therefore, and die !--
Be cheerful, Richmond; for the wronged fouls
[To Richm
55 Of butcher'd princes fight in thy behalf:
King Henry's iffue, Richmond, comforts thee.

That particular kind of candle is here meant anciently called a watch, because, being marked out into fections, each of which was a certain proportion of time in burning, it supplied the place of the more modern inftrument by which we measure the hours. 2 Staves are the wood of the lances. As it was usual to carry more lances than one into the field, the lightnefs of them was an object of confequence. 3 i. e. twilight. Cockshut is faid to be a net to catch woodcocks; and as the time of taking them in this manner is in the twilight, either after fun-fet or before its rifing, cock/but light may very properly express the evening or the morning twilight. 4 i. e. by deputation, or by virtue of letter of attorney. 5 By ftaring war is probably meant war that looks big. Leifure in this paffage ftands for want of leifure. 7 i. e. weigh me down, from pefer, French.

Enter

Enter the Ghoft of Henry the Sixth. Gbuft. When I was mortal, my anointed body [To K. Rich.

By thee was punched full of deadly holes : Think on the Tower and me; despair and die; Henry the fixth bids thee despair and die !—

Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror ! [To Richm. Harry, that prophefy'd thou shouldst be king, Doth comfort thee in thy fleep; live, and flourish. Enter the Ghuft of Clarence.

Ghoff. Let me fit heavy on thy foul to-morrow! [To K. Rich.

I, that was wash'd to death with fulfome 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 Richm.
The wronged heirs of York do pray for thee;
Good angels guard thy battle! Live, and flourish!
Enter the Gbefts of Rivers, Grey, and Vaugban.
Riv. Let me fit heavy on thy foul to-morrow!
[To K. Rich.
Rivers, that dy'd at Pomfret? despair, and die!
Grey. Think upon Grey, and let thy foul defpair!
[To K. Rich.
Vaugh. Think upon Vaughan; and, with guilty
fear,

Let fall thy lance! despair, and die!

[To K. Rich. All. Awake! and think, our wrongs in Richard's bofom

Will conquer him;-awake, and win the day!

[To Ricbm.

Enter the Ghoft of Lord Haftings. Gheft. Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake; [To K. Rich.

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Thy adverfary's wife doth pray for thee. Enter the Ghoft of Buckingham.

Gboft. The first was I, that help'd thee to the [To K. Rich.

crown;

5 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 dy'd for hope 1, ere I could lend thee aid: [To Richm. But cheer thy heart, and be thou not dismay'd: God and good angels fight on Richmond's fide; And Richard falls in height of all his pride. [The Gbofts vanifb. [K. Richard farts out of bis dream. K. Rich. Give me another horse,

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my wounds,

-bind up

Have mercy, Jefu!-Soft; I did but dream.200 coward confcience, how doft thou afflict me !— The lights burn blue.-Is it not dead midnight? Cold fearful drops ftand on my trembling flesh. What do I fear? myfelf? there's none else by: Richard loves Richard: that is, I am I.

25

Is there a murd'rer here? No;—Yes; I am:
Then fly,--What, from myself? Great reason: Why?
Left I revenge. What? Myself on myself?
I love myself. Wherefore? for any good,
That I myself have done unto myself?
300, no; alas, I rather hate myself,

For hateful deeds committed by myself.
I am a villain: Yet I lye, I am not.

Fool, of thyfelf fpeak well :-Fool, do not flatter.
My confcience hath a thousand several tongues,
35 And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain.
Perjury, perjury, in the highest degree,
Murder, ftern murder, in the dir'st degree;
All feveral fins, all us'd in each degree,
Throng to the bar, crying all,-Guilty! guilty!
I fhall despair,-There is no creature loves me;
And, if I die, no foul fhall pity me :-

And in a bloody battle end thy days!
Think on lord Haftings; and despair, and die !—
Quiet untroubled foul, awake, awake! [To Ricbm. 40
Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's fake!

Enter the Gbofts of the two young Princes.
Ghefts. Dream on thy coufins fmother'd in the
Tower!

Let us be lead within thy bosom, Richard,

Nay, wherefore should they? fince that I myself
Find in myself no pity to myself.

45 Methought, the fouls 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.

[To K. Rich.
And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death!
Thy nephews' fouls bid thee despair, and die.-
Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and wake in
[To Rickm. 50

joy;
Good angels guard thee from the boar's annoy!
Live, and beget a happy race of kings!
Edward's unhappy fons do bid thee flourish.
Enter the Gheft of Lady Anne.

Gbft. Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne 55
thy wife,

[To K. Ricb.

That never flept a quiet hour with thee,
Now fills thy fleep with perturbations:
To-morrow in the battle think on me,
And fall thy edgeless fword; defpair, and die! 6c
Thou, quiet foul, fleep thou a quiet fleep;
[To Richm.

Dream of fuccefs and happy victory;

Rat. My lord,

K. Rich. Who's there?

Rat. My lord, 'tis I: The early village cock Hath twice done falutation to the morn Your friends are up, and buckle on their armour. K. Rich. O Ratcliff, I have dream'd a fearful dream!

What thinkeft 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 fhadows. K. Rich. By the apostle Paul, shadows to-night Have ftruck more terror to the foul of Richard, Than can the fubftance of ten thousand soldiers, Armed in proof, and led by fhallow Richmond,

i. e. I died for wifhing well to you.

It

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Richm. 'Cry mercy, lords, and watchful gentle

That you have ta'en a tardy fluggard here.

Lords. How have you slept, my lord?

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Rat. Not I, my lord.

[Clock ftrikes

[book,

K. Rich. Then he difdains to shine; for, by the

Ricbm. The sweetest fleep, and faireft-boding 10 He fhould have brav'd the east an hour ago:

dreams,

That ever enter'd in a drowsy head,

Have I fince your departure had, my lords. [der'd,
Methought, their fouls, whofe bodies Richard mur-
Came to my tent, and cry'd-On! victory!
I promise you, my heart is very jocund
In the remembrance of so fair a dream.

A black day it will be to fomebody.-
Ratcliff,-

Rat. My lord?

K. Rich. The fun will not be feen to-day;
15 The fky doth frown and lour upon our army.
I would, thefe dewy tears were from the ground.
Not fhine to-day! Why, what is that to me,
More than to Richmond? for the felf-fame heaven,
That frowns on me, looks fadly upon him.
Enter Norfolk.

How far into the morning is it, lords?
Lords. Upon the ftroke of four.
Richm. Why, then 'tis time to arm, and give di-20
rection.- [He advances to the troops.
More than I have faid, loving countrymen,
The leifure and enforcement of the time
Forbids to dwell upon: Yet remember this,
God and our good caufe fight upon our fide;
The prayers of holy faints, and wronged fouls,
Like high-rear'd bulwarks, ftand before our faces;
Richard except, thofe, whom we fight againft,
Had rather have us win, than him they follow.
For what is he they follow? truly, gentlemen,
A bloody tyrant, and a homicide;

Nor. Arm, arm, my lord; the foe vaunts in the
field.
[horfe :-
K. Rich. Come, bustle, bustle;-Caparison my
Call up lord Stanley, bid him bring his power :-
25I will lead forth my foldiers to the plain,
And thus my battle fhall be ordered.
My foreward fhall be drawn out all in length,
Confifting equally of horfe and foot;
Our archers thall be placed in the midft:
John duke of Norfolk, Thomas earl of Surrey,
Shall have the leading of this foot and horfe.
They thus directed, we will follow

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40

One rais'd in blood, and one in blood establish'd ;|
One that made means to come by what he hath,
And flaughter'd thofe that were the means to help
A bafe foul stone, made precious by the foil [him; 35
Of England's chair, where he is falfely fet;
One that hath ever been God's enemy:
Then, if you fight against God's enemy,
God will, in juftice, ward you as his foldiers:
If you do fweat to put a tyrant down,
You fleep in peace, the tyrant being flain:
If you do fight against your country's foes,
Your country's fat fhall pay your pains the hire;
If you do fight in fafeguard of your wives,
Your wives fhall 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 fwords:
For me, the ranfom of my bold attempt
Shall be this cold corpfe on the earth's cold face;
But if I thrive, the gain of my attempt
The leaft of you shall share his part thereof.
Sound, drums and trumpets, boldly and cheerfully;
God, and Saint George 2! Richmond, and victory! 55
[Exeunt.

Re-enter King Richard, Rateliff, &c.

K. Rich. What faid Northumberland, as touching
Richmond?

Rat. That he was never trained up in arms.

150

In the main battle; whofe puiffance on either fide
Shall be well winged with our chiefeft horfe.
This, and Saint George to boot 3!-what think'st
thou, Norfolk ?

Nor. A good direction, warlike fovereign.-
This found I on my tent this morning.

[Giving a ferozol. K. Rich. Jocky of Norfolk, be not too beld, [Reads. For Dicken4 tby mafter is bought and fold.

A thing devised by the enemy.

Go, gentlemen, every man unto his charge:
Let not our babbling dreams affright our fouls;
45 For confcience is but a word that cowards use,
Devis'd at firft to keep the strong in awe ;
Our ftrong arms be our confcience, fwords our law.
March on, join bravely, let us to 't pell-mell;
If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell.-
What fhall I fay more than I have inferr'd?
Remember whom you are to cope withal;—
A fort of vagabonds, rafcals, and run-aways,
A fcum of Brittains, and bafe lackey peasants,
Whom their o'er-cloyed country vomits forth
To defperate ventures and affur'd deftruction.
You fleeping fafe, they bring you to unreft;
You having lands, and bleft with beauteous wives,
They would diftrain the one, diftain the other.
And who doth lead them, but a paltry fellow,
60 Long kept in Brittaine° at our brother's cost?

3 To

• To make means, in our author's time, always fignified to come at any thing by indirect practices. 2 Saint George was the common cry of the English foldiers when they charged the enemy. boot here would feem to mean to help. 4 The ancient abbreviation of Richard, 5. e. a company. • Bretagne.

A milk

A horfe! a horfe! my kingdom for a horse!

[Exeunt.

Alarums. Enter King Richard and Richmond; they fight, Richard is flain.

5 Retreat, and flourish. Enter Richmond, Stanley, bearing the crown, with divers other Lords. Richm. God, and your arms, be prais'd, victorious friends;

A milk-fop, one that never in his life
Felt fo much cold as over fhoes in fnow?
Let's whip these stragglers o'er the seas again;
Lafh hence these over-weening rags of France,
Thefe famish'd beggars, weary of their lives;
Who, but for dreaming on this fond exploit,
For want of means, poor rats,had hang'd themselves:
If we be conquer'd, let men conquer us,
And not these baftard Brittains; whom our fathers
Have in their own land beaten, bobb'd,andthump'd, 10
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 ftaves !-
Enter a Meffenger.

15

What fays lord Stanley? will he bring his power?20
Mef. My lord, he doth deny to come.

K. Rich. Off with his fon George's head.

Nor. My lord, the enemy hath past the marsh; After the battle let George Stanley die.

The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead.

Stanl. Courageous Richmond, well haft thou
acquit thee!

Lo, here, these long-ufurped royalties
From the dead temples of this bloody wretch
Have I pluckt off, to grace thyʻbrows withal;
Wear it, enjoy it, and make use of it 3.

Richm. Great God of heaven, fay, Amen, to all !-
But tell me, is young George Stanley living?

Stanl. 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 flain on either fide? Stanl. 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 foldiers fied,

K. Ricb. A thousand hearts are great within my 25 That in fubmiffion will return to us;

bofom:

Advance our standards, fet upon our foes;

Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!

And then, as we have ta'en the facrament,
We will unite the white rofe and the red :-
Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction,
That long hath frown'd upon their enmity!—

Upon them! Victory fits on our helms. [Exeunt. 30 What traitor hears me, and says not,-Amen?

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Another part of the field.

Alarum. Excurfions. Enter Catesby.

Cates. Rescue, my lord of Norfolk! rescue!
refcue!

The king enacts more wonders than a man,
Daring an oppofite2 to every danger;
His horfe is flain, and all on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death:
Refcue, fair lord, or elfe the day is loft!

Alarum. Enter King Richard.

K. Rich. A horfe! a horfe! my kingdom for a
horfe!

Catef. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a horfe.
K. Rich. Slave, I have fet my life upon a caft,
And I will ftand the hazard of the dye:
I think, there be fix Richmonds in the field;
Five have I flain to-day, instead of him :-

England hath long been mad, and scarr'd herself;
The brother blindly fhed the brother's blood,
The father rafhly flaughter'd his own fon,
The fon, compell'd, been butcher to the fire;
35 All this divided York and Lancaster,
Divided, in their dire divifion.-

O, now let Richmond and Elizabeth,
The true fucceeders of each royal house,
By God's fair ordinance conjoin together!
40 And let their heirs (God, if thy will be fo)
Enrich the time to come with smooth-fac'd peace,
With fmiling plenty, and fair profperous days!
Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord,
That would reduce these bloody days again,
45 And make poor England weep in ftreams of blood!
Let them not live to taste this land's encreafe,
That wouldwithtreafonwound this fairland's peace!
Now civil wounds are stopp'd, peace lives again;
That the may long live here, God fay-Amen!

50

[Exeunt.

That is, fright the skies with the fhivers of your lances. 2 i. e. an adversary. 3 i, e. don't abufe

it like the tyrant you have destroyed.

KING

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