Harry, that prophesied thou shouldst be king, The Ghost of Clarence rises. Ghost. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow! [TO KING RICHARD. I, that was washed to death with fulsome1 wine, Poor Clarence, by thy guile betrayed 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 RICHMOND. The wronged heirs of York do pray for thee; Good angels guard thy battle! Live, and flourish! The Ghosts of Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan, rise. Riv. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow, [TO KING RICHARD. Rivers, that died at Pomfret! Despair, and die! Grey. Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair! [To KING RICHARD. Vaugh. Think upon Vaughan; and, with guilty fear, Let fall thy lance! Despair, and die !— [TO KING RICHARD. All. Awake! and think our wrongs in Richard's bosom [TO RICHMOND. Will conquer him;-awake, and win the day! The Ghost of Hastings rises. Ghost. Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake; [To KING RICHARD. And in a bloody battle end thy days! Think on lord Hastings; and despair, and die !— [TO RICHMOND. Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's sake! 1 i. e. teeming or superabundant wine. Clarence was killed before he was thrown into the Malmsey butt. 2 Fall is here a verb active, signifying to drop or let fall. The Ghosts of the two young Princes rise. Ghosts. Dream on thy cousins smothered in the Tower; [TO RICHARD. Let us be lead 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; [TO RICHMOND. 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. The Ghost of Queen Anne rises. Ghost. Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne, thy wife, And fall thy edgeless sword; despair, and die!- HOND [TO RICHMOND. Dream of success and happy victory; The Ghost of Buckingham rises. Ghost. The first was I, that helped 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! [TO RICHARD. Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death; [To RICHMOND. [The Ghosts vanish. KING RICHARD starts out of his dream. 1 Buckingham's hope of aiding Richmond induced him to take up arms. K. Rich. Give me another horse,-bind up my Have wounds, mercy, Jesu-Soft; I did but dream.— Is there a murderer here? No;—Yes; I am. I love myself. Wherefore? For any good I am a villain; yet I lie, I am not. Fool, of thyself speak well:-Fool, do not flatter. Nay, wherefore should they? since that I myself Methought the souls of all that I had murdered Rat. My lord, Enter RATCliff. K. Rich. Who's there? Rat. Ratcliff, my lord; 'tis I. The early village cock Hath twice done salutation to the morn. Your friends are up, and buckle on their armor. K. Rich. O, Ratcliff, I have dreamed a fearful dream!1 1 This and the two following lines are omitted in the folio. 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 eaves-dropper, To hear if any mean to shrink from me. [Exeunt KING RICHARD and RATCLIFF. RICHMOND wakes. Enter OXFORD and others. Lords. Good-morrow, Richmond. Richm. 'Cry mercy, lords, and watchful gentlemen, That you have ta'en a tardy sluggard here. Lords. How have you slept, my lord? Richm. The sweetest sleep, and fairest-boding dreams, That ever entered in a drowsy head, Have I since your departure had, my lords. Methought their souls, whose bodies Richard murdered, I promise you, my heart is very jocund Richm. Why, then 'tis time to arm, and give direction.- [He advances to the troops. More than I have said, loving countrymen, A bloody tyrant, and a homicide; One raised in blood, and one in blood established; A base, foul stone, made precious by the foil If Shall be this cold corpse on the earth's cold face; [Exeunt. Re-enter KING RICHARD, RATCLIFF, Attendants, and Forces. K. Rich. What said Northumberland, as touching Richmond? Rat. That he was never trained up in arms. K. Rich. He said the truth. And what said Surrey then? Rat. He smiled, and said, the better for our purpose. 1 England's chair is the throne. The allusion is to the practice of setting gems of little worth, with a bright-colored foil under them. 2 Requite. 3 i. e. the fine paid by me in atonement for my rashness. |