Enter the GHOST of BUCKINGHAM
GHOST.[To RICHARD]The first was I that help'd thee to the crown;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![To RICHMOND]I died for hope ere I could lend thee aid;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.RICHARD starts out of his dream]KING RICHARD.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 murderer 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.Fool,of thyself speak well.Fool,do not flatter.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;Murder,stern murder,in the dir'st degree;All several sins,all us'd 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 will pity me:And wherefore should they,since that I myself Find in myself no pity to myself?Methought the souls 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
RATCLIFF.My lord!KING RICHARD.Zounds,who is there?RATCLIFF.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.KING RICHARD.O Ratcliff,I have dream'd a fearful dream!
What think'st thou-will our friends prove all true?RATCLIFF.No doubt,my lord.KING RICHARD.O Ratcliff,I fear,I fear.RATCLIFF.Nay,good my lord,be not afraid of shadows.KING RICHARD By the apostle Paul,shadows to-night Have stuck more terror to the soul of Richard Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers Armed in proof and led by shallow Richmond.'Tis not yet near day.Come,go with me;Under our tents I'll play the eaves-dropper,To see if any mean to shrink from me.Exeunt
Enter the LORDS to RICHMOND sitting in his tent
LORDS.Good morrow,Richmond!RICHMOND.Cry mercy,lords and watchful gentlemen,That you have ta'en a tardy sluggard here.LORDS.How have you slept,my lord?RICHMOND.The sweetest sleep and fairest-boding dreams That ever ent'red 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.I promise you my soul is very jocund In the remembrance of so fair a dream.How far into the morning is it,lords?LORDS.Upon the stroke of four.RICHMOND.Why,then 'tis time to arm and give direction.
His ORATION to his SOLDIERS
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;Richard except,those whom we fight against Had rather have us win than him they follow.For what is he they follow?Truly,gentlemen,A bloody tyrant and a homicide;One rais'd in blood,and one in blood establish'd;One that made means to come by what he hath,And slaughtered those that were the means to help him;A base foul stone,made precious by the foil Of England's chair,where he is falsely set;One that hath ever been God's enemy.Then if you fight against God's enemy,God will in justice ward you as his soldiers;If you do sweat to put a tyrant down,You sleep in peace,the tyrant being slain;If you do fight against your country's foes,Your country's foes shall pay your pains the hire;If you do fight in safeguard of your wives,Your wives shall welcome home the conquerors;
If you do free your children from the sword,Your children's children quits it in your age.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 KING RICHARD,RATCLIFF,attendants,and forces
KING RICHARD.What said Northumberland as touching Richmond?RATCLIFF.That he was never trained up in arms.KING RICHARD.He said the truth;and what said Surrey then?RATCLIFF.He smil'd,and said 'The better for our purpose.'KING He was in the right;and so indeed it is.[Clock strikes]Tell the clock there.Give me a calendar.Who saw the sun to-day?RATCLIFF.Not I,my lord.KING RICHARD.Then he disdains to shine;for by the book He should have brav'd the east an hour ago.A black day will it be to somebody.Ratcliff!RATCLIFF.My lord?KING RICHARD.The sun will not be seen to-day;The sky doth frown and lour upon our army.I would these dewy tears were from the ground.Not shine to-day!Why,what is that to me More than to Richmond?For the selfsame heaven That frowns on me looks sadly upon him.
