1

SCENE changes to another Part of Bofworth

Field.

Enter Richmond, Sir William Brandon, Oxford, and
Dorfet.

Richm. And, by the bright tract of his fiery car,

Gives fignal of a goodly day to morrow.

Sir William Brandon, you fhall bear my ftandard;
The Earl of Pembroke keep his regiment;
Good Captain Blunt, bear my good night to him;
And by the second hour in the morning
Defire the Earl to fee me in my tent.

Yet one thing more, good Blunt, before thou goeft;
Where is lord Stanley quarter'd, doft thou know?
Blunt. Unless I have mifta'en his quarters much,
(Which, well I am affur'd, I have not done)
His regiment lyes 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 him,
And give him from me this most needful Note.

Blunt. Upon my life, my lord, I'll undertake it,
Richm. Give me fome ink and paper; in my tent
I'll draw the form and model of our battle,
Limit each leader to his feveral charge,
And part in juft proportion our small strength.
Let us confult upon to morrow's business;
In to our tent, the air is raw and cold.

[They withdraw into the Tent.

SCENE changes back to King Richard's Tent.
Enter King Richard, Ratcliff, Norfolk, and Catesby.

K. Rich. WHAT is't o'clock?

It's nine a clock.

Catef. It's fupper time, my lord;

K. Rich. I will not fup to night.
Give me some Ink and Paper.
VOL. V.

N

What,

What, is my

beaver eafier than it was?

And all my armour laid into my tent?

Catef. It is, my Liege, and all things are in readiness. K. Rich. Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge, Use careful watch, chufe trufty centinels,

Nor. I go, my lord.

K. Rich. Stir with the lark to morrow, gentle Norfolk: Nor. I warrant you, my lord.

K. Rich. Catesby,

Cates. My lord.

K. Rich. Send out a purfuivant at arms

To Stanley's regiment; bid him bring his Power
Before Sun-rifing, left his fon George fall
Into the blind Cave of eternal Night.
Fill me a bowl of wine-give me a watch

[Exit,

[To Ratcliff

Saddle white Surrey for the field to morrow:
Look, that my ftaves be found, and not too heavy.
Ratcliff,

Rat. My lord?

K. Rich. Saw'st thou the melancholy lord Northum. berland?

Rat. Thomas the Earl of Surrey, and himself,
Much about cock-fhut time, from troop to troop,
Went through the army, cheering up the foldiers.
K. Rich. I am fatisfy'd; give me a bowl of wine.
I have not that alacrity of spirit,

Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have -
There, 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. Leave me now, I fay. [Exit Ratcliff.

SCENE changes back to Richmond's Tent.

Stan, F

Enter Stanley to Richmond: Lords, &c.

Ortune and Victory fit on thy helm !

Rich. All comfort, that the dark night can

afford,

Be

Be to thy perfon, noble father-in-law !
Tell me, how fares our loving mother?

Stan. I, by attorney, bless thee from thy mother;
Who prays continually for Richmond's good:
So much for that-The filent hours fteal on,
And flaky darkness breaks within the Eaft.
In brief, for fo the season bids us be,
Prepare thy battle early in the morning;
And put thy fortune to th' Arbitrement
Of bloody ftrokes, and mortal ftaring war.'
I, as I may, (that which I would, I cannot)
With beft advantage will deceive the time,
And aid thee in this doubtful fhock of arms.
But on thy fide I may not be too forward,
Left (being feen) thy brother, tender George,
Be executed in his father's Sight.

Farewel; the leisure, and the fearful time
Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love,
And ample enterchange of fweet discourse,
Which fo-long-fundred friends fhould dwell upon."
God give us leifure for these Rites of love!
Once more, adieu; be valiant, and speed well.
Rich. Good lords, conduct him to his regiment:
I'll ftrive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap;
Left leaden flumber poize me down to morrow,
When I should mount with wings of victory:
Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen.
[Exeunt. Manet Richmond,
O thou! whose Captain I account myself,
Look on my forces with a gracious eye:
Put in their hands thy bruifing irons of wrath,
That they may crush down with a heavy fall
Th' ufurping helmets of our adversaries!
Make us thy Minifters of chastisement,
That we may praise thee in thy victory.
To thee I do commend my watchful foul,
Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes:
Sleeping and waking, oh, defend me still!

N 2

[Sleeps.

SCENE,

SCENE, between the Tents of Richard and Richmond: They fleeping.

Enter the Ghoft of Prince Edward, Son to Henry the Sixth.

Ghoft. LET me fit heavy on thy foul to morrow!

[To K. Rich Think, how thou ftab'dft me in the prime of youth At Tewksbury; therefore despair and die.

Be chearful, Richmond; for the wronged fouls

Of butcher'd Princes fight in thy behalf:
King Henry's iffue, Richmond, comforts thee.

[To Richm

Enter the Ghost of Henry the Sixth. Ghoft. 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 Sixth bids thee despair and die.
Virtuous and holy, be thou Conqueror: [To Richm
Harry, that prophefy'd thou should'st be King,
Doth comfort thee in fleep; live thou and flourish.
Enter the Ghost of Clarence.

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

I, that was wash'd to death in fulfom wine,
Poor Clarence, by thy guile betray'd to death :
To morrow in the battle think on me,
And fall thy edgeless fword; despair and die.

Thou off-fpring of the Houfe of Lancaster, [To Richm.
The wronged heirs of York do pray for thee;
Good angels guard thy battle! live, and flourish.

Enter the Ghofts of Rivers, Gray, and Vaughan. Riv. Let me fit heavy on thy foul to morrow!

[To K. Rich:

Rivers, "that dy'd at Pomfret: despair and die.

Gray.

Gray. Think upon Gray, and let thy foul despair. [To K. Rich. Vaugh. Think upon Vaughan, and with guilty fear Let fall thy launce! Richard, defpair and die.

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

Will conquer him.-Awake, and win the day.

Enter the Ghost of Lord Haftings.

[To Richm.

Ghoft. Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake; [To K. Rich. And in a bloody battle end thy days:

Think on lord Haftings; and defpair and die.

Quiet, untroubled foul, awake, awake! [To Richm. Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's fake.

Enter the Ghofts of the two young Princes. Ghofts. Dream on thy coufins fmother'd in the Torver: Let us be lead within thy bosom, Richard, (13)

[To K. Rich. And weigh thee down to ruin, fhame, and death! Thy Nephews' fouls bid thee despair and die. Sleep, Richmond, fleep in peace; and wake in joy. [To Richm. Good angels guard thee from the boar's annoy! Live, and beget a happy race of KingsEdward's unhappy fons do bid thee flourish.

(13) Let us be laid within thy bofom, Richard,] This is a poor feeble Reading, which has obtain'd by Corruption, ever since the first Edition put out by the Players; and, indeed, up as high as the Quarto in 1602. But I have reftor'd from the elder Quarto, publish'd in 1597, which Mr. Pope does not pretend to have feen;

Let us be Lead within thy Bofom, Richard, This correfponds with what is faid in the Line immediately following.

And weigh thee down to Ruin, Shame, and Death! And likewife with what the Generality of the Ghosts fay threatningly to Richard;

Let me fit heavy on thy Soul to morrow!