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:
But shall we wear these glories for a day?
Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?

Buck. Still live they, and for ever let them last! K. Rich. Aḥ, 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 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:
Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead:
And I would have it suddenly perform'd.
What say'st thou now? speak suddenly, be brief.
Buck. Your grace may do your pleasure.

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:

I will resolve you herein presently. [Exit BUCK.
Cate. The king is angry; see, he gnaws his lip.
[Aside.
K. Rich. I will converse with iron-witted fools,
[Descends from his throne.
And unrespective boys; none are for me
That look into me with considerate eyes.
High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
Boy!

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.

Tyr.

Prove me, my gracious lord. K. Rich. Dar'st thou resolve to kill a friend of mine?

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.
[Whispers.

There is no more but so :-Say, it is done,
And I will love thee, and prefer thee for it.
Tyr. I will despatch it straight.

SCENE.-Ante-room in the Palace.

Enter TYRREL alone.

[Exit.

Within their alabaster innocent arms:
Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,
And, in the summer beauty, kiss'd each other.
A book of prayers on their pillow lay:
Which once," quoth Forrest, "almost chang'd
my mind:

But, O, the devil,"-there the villain stopp'd;
When Dighton thus told on,-"we smothered
The most replenished sweet work of Nature,
That, from the prime creation, e'er she fram'd."
Hence both are gone with conscience and remorse;
They could not speak: and so I left them both
To bear this tidings to the bloody king.

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?
Cate. Here, my good lord.
K. Rich.

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? Čate. 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,
When thou mayst tell thy tale the nearest way?
Once more, what news?
Richmond is on the seas.

Stan.

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
'd?

Is the king dead? the empire unpossess❜d?
What heir of York is there alive but we?
And who is England's king but great York's heir?
Then, tell me, what makes he upon the seas?

Stan. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess.
K. Rich. Unless for that he comes to be your

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?
Are they not now upon the western shore,
Safe conducting the rebels from their ships?
Stan. No, my good lord, my friends are in the
north.

K. Rich. Cold friends to me; What do they in the north,

When they should serve their sovereign in the

west?

Stan. They have not been commanded, mighty king;

Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave,
I'll muster up my friends, and meet your grace,
Where, and what time, your majesty shall please.
K. Rich. Ay, thou wouldst be gone to join with
Richmond.
But I'll not trust thee.
Stan.
Most mighty sovereign,
You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful;
I never was, nor never will be, false.
K. Rich. Go, then, and muster men. But leave
behind

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,

SCENE.-The Field of Bosworth.
Both RICHARD's and RICHMOND's Tents in view.
Richm. Fellows in arms, and my most loving
friends,

Bruis'd underneath the yoke of tyranny,
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 usurping boar,
That spoil'd your summer fields and fruitful vines,
Swills your warm blood like wash, and makes his
trough

In your embowell'd bosoms,-this foul swine
Lies now even in the centre of this isle,
Near to the town of Leicester, as we learn:
From Tamworth thither is but one day's march.
In God's name, cheerly on, courageous friends,
To reap the harvest of perpetual peace
By this one bloody trial of sharp war.

Oxf. Every man's conscience is a thousand men, To fight against this bloody homicide.

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. Richm. All for our vantage. Then, in God's name, march;

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

I'll draw the form and model of our battle,
Limit each leader to his several charge,
And part in just 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;
Good Captain Blunt, bear my good night to him,
And by the second hour in the morning
Desire 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 mista'en his colours much
(Which well I am assur'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 possible, Sweet Blunt, make some good means to speak with him,

And give him from me this most needful note.
Blunt. Upon my life, my lord, I'll undertake it;
And so, God give you quiet rest to-night!
Richm. Good night, good Captain Blunt. Come,
gentlemen,

Let us consult upon to-morrow's business;
In to my tent, the dew is raw and cold.

[They withdraw into the tent.

Enter, to his tent, King RICHARD, Norfolk,
RATCLIFF, and CATESBY.

K. Rich. What is't o'clock ?
Cate.

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.
What, is my beaver easier than it was?
And all my armour laid into my tent?

Cate. It is, my liege; and all things are in readiness.

K. Rich. Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge; Use careful watch, choose trusty sentinels. Nor. I go, my lord.

K. Rich. Stir with the lark to-morrow, gentle

Norfolk.

Nor. I warrant you, my lord. K. Rich. Ratcliff!

Rat. My lord ?

K. Rich.

[Exit.

Send out a pursuivant at arms To Stanley's regiment: bid him bring his power Before sunrising, lest his son George fall Into the blind cave of eternal night.

Fill me a bowl of wine.-Give me a watch.
[TO CATESBY.
Saddle white Surrey for the field to-morrow.-
Look that my staves be sound, and not too heavy.
Ratcliff!

Rat. My lord?

K. Rich. Saw'st thou the melancholy Lord Northumberland ?

Rat. Thomas the Earl of Surrey, and himself, Much about cock-shut time, from troop to troop, Went through the army cheering up the soldiers. K. Rich. So, I am satisfied. Give me a bowl of wine:

I have not that alacrity of spirit,
Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.
Set it down.-Is ink and paper ready?
Rat. It is, my lord.
K. Rich. Bid my guard watch; leave me.
Ratcliff, about the mid of night come to my tent,
And help to arm me.-Leave me, I say.

[K. RICHARD retires into his tent.
RATCLIFF and CATESBY.

Exeunt

RICHMOND'S tent opens, and discovers him and his Offic rs, &c.

Enter STANley.

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

Stan. I, by attorney, bless thee from thy mother,
Who prays continually for Richmond's good:
So much for that. The silent hours steal on,
And flaky darkness breaks within the east.
In brief, for so the season bids us be,
Prepare thy battle early in the morning:
Of bloody strokes, and mortal-staring war.
And put thy fortune to the arbitrement
With best advantage will deceive the time,
I. as I may (that which I would, I cannot),

And aid thee in this doubtful shock of arms;
But on thy side I may not be too forward,
Lest, being seen, thy brother, tender George,
Be executed in his father's sight.
Farewell: The leisure and the fearful time
Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love,
And ample interchange of sweet discourse,
Which so long sunder'd friends should dwell upon;
God give us leisure for these rites of love!
Once more, adieu :-Be valiant, and speed well!

Richm. Good lords, conduct him to his regiment:
I'll strive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap;
Lest leaden slumber peize me down to-morrow,
When I should mount with wings of victory:
Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen.
[Exeunt Lords, fc. with STANley.
O Thou! whose 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 usurping helmets of our adversaries!
Make us thy ministers of chastisement,
That we may praise 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 still! [Sleeps.
The Ghost of Prince EDWARD, son to HENRY THE
SIXTH, rises between the two tents.

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;
Think on the Tower and me: Despair and die:
Harry the Sixth bids thee despair and die !—
The Ghost of HASTINGS rises.
Ghost. Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake,
[To K. RICH.
And in a bloody battle end thy days!
Think on Lord Hastings: and despair and die!—
Quiet, untroubled soul, awake! awake!

[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,
And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death!
Thy nephews' souls bid thee despair and die!
Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and wake in joy;
Good angels guard thee from the boar's annoy!
Live, and beget a happy race of kings!
Edward's unhappy sons do bid thee flourish.
Ghosts vanish. K. RICH. starts out of his dream.

K. Rich. Give me another horse,-bind up my wounds,

Have mercy, Jesu!-Soft; I did but dream.
O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!
The lights burn blue.-It is now dead midnight.
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
What, do I fear myself? there's none else by;
Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I.

Is there a murtherer here? No;-Yes; I am;
Then fly,-What, from myself? Great reason:

Why?

Lest I revenge. What? Myself upon myself?
Alack, I love myself. Wherefore? for any good
That I myself have done unto myself?

O, no: alas, I rather hate myself,
For hateful deeds committed by myself.
I am a villain; Yet I lie, I am not.

My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,
And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain.
Perjury, perjury, in the high'st degree,
Murther, stern murther, in the dir'st degree:
All several sins, all used in each degree,
Throng to the bar, crying all,-Guilty! guilty!
I shall despair.-There is no creature loves me;
And if I die, no soul shall pity me;-
Nay, wherefore should they? since that I myself
Find in myself no pity to myself.
Methought, the souls of all that I had murther'd
Came to my tent; and every one did threat
To-morrow's vengeance on the head of Richard.
Enter RATCLIFF.

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;
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 eavesdropper,
To hear if any mean to shrink from me.

[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 Sound, drums and trumpets, boldly and cheerfully. The least of you shall share his part thereof. 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;
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 Surry,
Shall have the leading of the 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. [Reads.] "Jocky of Ñorfolk, be not too bold,

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. Fight, gentlemen of England! fight boldly, yeomen! Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head! Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood; Amaze the welkin with your broken staves!

Enter a Messenger.

What says Lord Stanley will he bring his power?
Mess. My lord, he doth deny to come.
K. Rich. Off with his son George's head!
Nor. My lord, the enemy is pass'd the marsh;
After the battle let George Stanley die.

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

Advance our standards, set upon our foes:
Our ancient word of courage, fair St. George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!
Upon them! Victory sits on our helms. [Exeunt.
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 !

[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.

Stan. Courageous Richmond, well hast thou acquit thee!

Lo, here, this long-usurped royalty,
From the dead temples of this bloody wretch
Have I pluck'd off, to grace thy brows withal;
Wear it, enjoy it, and make much of it.

Richm. Great God of Heaven, say, Amen, to all! But, tell me, is young George Stanley living? Stan. He is, my lord, and safe in Leicester

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,
That in submission will return to us;
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,
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!
[Exeunt.