SCENE.-Room of State in the Palace. Flourish of trumpets. RICHARD, as King, upon. his throne; BUCKINGHAM, CATESBY, a l'age, and others. K. Rich. Stand all apart. Cousin of Buckingham, Buck. My gracious sovereign. K. Rich. Give me thy hand. Thus high, by thy advice, And thy assistance, is King Richard seated: Buck. Still live they, and for ever let them last! K. Rich. Ah, Buckingham, now do I play the touch, To try if thou be current gold indeed: Young Edward lives: Think now what I would speak. Buck. Say on, my loving lord. K. Rich. Why, Buckingham, I say I would be king. Buck. Why, so you are, my thrice-renowned lord. K. Rich. Ha! am I king? 'Tis so: but Edward lives. Buck. True, noble prince. K. Rich. O bitter consequence, That Edward still should live!-True, noble prince! Cousin, thou wast not wont to be so dull: K. Rich. Tut, tut, thou art all ice, thy kindness freezes : Say, have I thy consent that they shall die? Buck. Give me some little breath, some pause, dear lord, Before I positively speak in this: And unrespective boys; none are for me Page. My lord. K. Rich. Know'st thou not any whom corrupting gold Would tempt unto a close exploit of death? Page. I know a discontented gentleman, Whose humble means match not his haughty spirit: Gold were as good as twenty orators, And will, no doubt, tempt him to anything. K. Rich. What is his name? Page. His name, my lord, is Tyrrel. K. Rich. I partly know the man: Go, call him The deep revolving witty Buckingham Is thy name Tyrrel? Tyr. James Tyrrel, and your most obedient subject. K. Rich. Art thou indeed? Tyr. Tyr. Please you, but I had rather kill two enemies. K. Rich. Why then, thou hast it; two deep enemies, Foes to my rest, and my sweet sleep's disturbers, Are they that I would have thee deal upon : Tyrrel, I mean those bastards in the Tower. Tyr. Let me have open means to come to them, And soon I'll rid you from the fear of them. K. Rich. Thou sing'st sweet music. Hark, come hither, Tyrrel: Go, by this token :-Rise, and lend thine ear. There is no more but so :-Say, it is done, SCENE.-Ante-room in the Palace. Enter TYRREL alone. [Exit. Tyr. The tyrannous and bloody act is done; The most arch deed of piteous massacre That ever yet this land was guilty of. Dighton and Forrest, whom I did suborn To do this piece of ruthless* butchery, Albeit they were flesh'd villains, bloody dogs, Melting with tenderness and mild compassion, Wept like to children, in their death's sad story. "O thus," quoth Dighton, "lay the gentle babes." "Thus, thus," quoth Forrest, "girdling one another Within their alabaster innocent arms : But, O, the devil," there the villain stopp'd; SCENE.-London, before the Palace. Enter King RICHARD and his train, RATCLIFF and CATESBY. Rat. Most mighty sovereign, on the western coast Rideth a puissant navy; to our shores Through many doubtful hollow-hearted friends, Unarm'd, and unresolv'd to beat them back: 'Tis thought that Richmond is their admiral; And there they hull, expecting but the aid Of Buckingham to welcome them ashore. K. Rich. Some light-foot friend post to the Duke of Norfolk: Ratcliff, thyself,-or Catesby; where is he? Catesby, fly to the duke. Cate. I will, my lord, with all convenient haste. K. Rich. Ratcliff, come hither: Post to Salisbury; When thou com'st thither, -Dull, unmindful villain, [To CATESBY. Why stay'st thou here, and go'st not to the duke? Cate. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure, What from your grace I shall deliver to him. K. Rich. O, true, good Catesby :-Bid him levy straight The greatest strength and power that he can make, And meet me suddenly at Salisbury. Cate. I go. [Exit. Rat. What, may it please you, shall I do at Salisbury? K. Rich. Why, what wouldst thou do there, before I go? Rat. Your highness told me I should post before. Enter STANLEY. K. Rich. My mind is chang'd.-Stanley, what news with you? Stan. None good, my liege, to please you with the hearing: Nor none so bad but well may be reported. K. Rich. Heyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad! What need'st thou run so many miles about, K. Rich. There let him sink, and be the seas on him! White-liver'd runagate, what doth he there? Stan. I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess. K. Rich. Well, as you guess? Stan. Stirr'd up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton, He makes for England, here to claim the crown. K. Rich. Is the chair empty? Is the sword unsway'd? Is the king dead the empire unpossess❜d? Stan. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess. liege, You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman co:ues. Thou wilt revolt, and fly to him, I fear. Stan. No, my good lord, therefore mistrust me not. K. Rich. Where is thy power then, to beat him back? Where be thy tenants and thy followers? K. Rich. Cold friends to me; What do they in When they should serve their sovereign in the west? Stan. They have not been commanded, mighty king; Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave, Most mighty sovereign, Your son, George Stanley: look your heart be firm, or else his head's assurance is but frail. Stan. So deal with him as I prove true to you. [Exit STANLEY, ACT V. SCENE.-The Field of Bosworth. Bruis'd underneath the yoke of tyranny, Have we march'd on without impediment; In your From Tamworth thither is but one day's march. Oxf. Every man's conscience is a thousand men, Herb. I doubt not but his friends will turn to us. Blunt. He hath no friends but what are friends for fear; Which, in his dearest need, will fly from him. True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings. I'll draw the form and model of our battle, And give him from me this most needful note. Let us consult upon to-morrow's business; [They withdraw into the tent. Enter, to his tent, King RICHARD, Norfolk, K. Rich. What is't o'clock? It's nine o'clock. K. Rich. It's supper-time, my lord; I will not sup to-night. Give me some ink and paper. K. Rich. Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge; K. Rich. Stir with the lark to-morrow, gentle Nor. I warrant you, my lord. Rat. My lord ? K. Rich. [Exit. Send out a pursuivant at arms Fill me a bowl of wine.-Give me a watch. Rat. My lord? K. Rich. Saw'st thou the melancholy Lord Rat. Thomas the Earl of Surrey, and himself, I have not that alacrity of spirit, say. Stan. Fortune and victory sit on thy helm! Stan. I, by attorney, bless thee from thy mother, Richm. Good lords, conduct him to his regiment: Ghost. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow! [To King RICHARD. Think, how thou stabb'st 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; The Ghost of HASTINGS rises. [TO RICHM. 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 laid within thy bosom, Richard, K. Rich. Give me another horse,-bind up my wounds, Have mercy, Jesu!-Soft; I did but dream. Is there a murtherer here? No;-Yes; I am; Lest I revenge. What? Myself upon myself? My conscience bath a thousand several tongues, Rat. My lord! K. Rich. Who's there? Rat. Ratcliff, my lord; 'tis I. The carly village cock Hath twice done salutation to the morn; What thinkest thou, will our friends prove all true? Ratcliff, I fear, I fear,— [Exeunt King RICHARD and RATCLIFF. RICHMOND wakes. Enter OXFORD and others. Richm. 'Tis time to arm, and give direction.— [He advances to the troops. More than I have said, loving countrymen, The leisure and enforcement of the time Forbids to dwell upon; 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; 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 cheerfully. God and Saint George! Richmond and victory! [Exeunt. Re-enter to his tent RICHARD, with RATCLIFF, followed by NORFOLK. 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; Nor. A good direction, warlike sovereign. [Giving a scroll. K. Rich. [Reads.] "Jocky of Norfolk, be not too bold, For Dickon thy master is bought and sold." Go, gentlemen, every man unto his charge: Devis'd at first to keep the strong in awe; Enter a Messenger. What says Lord Stanley? will he bring his power? K. Rich. A thousand hearts are great within Advance our standards, set upon our foes: Cate. Rescue, my lord of Norfolk, rescue, rescue! 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! [Exit. Alarums. Enter KING RICHARD and RICHMOND They fight; RICHARD is slain. 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. Lo, here, this long-usurped royalty, Richm. Great God of Heaven, say, Amen, to all! town; Whither, if you please, we may 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, O, now let Richmond and Elizabeth, |