Saddle white Surrey for the field to-morrow.Look that my staves2 be sound, and not too heavy. Ratcliff, Rat. My lord? K. Rich. Saw'st thou the melancholy lord Nor thumberland ?3 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. 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.— K. Rich. Bid my guard watch; leave me. About the mid of night, come to my tent, And help to arm me.-Leave me, I say. [King RICHARD retires into his Tent. Exeunt RATCLIFF and CATESBY. RICHMOND'S Tent opens, and discovers him and his Officers, &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 loving mother? Stan. I, by attorney,' bless thee from thy mother, Who prays continually for Richmond's good: 3 2 Look that my staves-] Staves are the wood of the lauces. the melancholy lord Northumberland?] Richard calls him melancholy, because he did not join heartily in his cause. + Cock-shut time,] i. e. twilight. 5 by attorney,] By deputation. 6 And flaky darkness breaks within the east. Farewell: The leisure and the fearful time 8 And ample interchange of sweet discourse, 6 mortal-staring war,] I suppose, by mortal-staring var is meant-war that looks big, or stares fatally on its victims. STEEVENS, 1 I, as I may,With best advantage will deceive the time,] I will take the best opportunity to elude the dangers of this conjuncture. 8 peise me down to-morrow,] To peize, i. e. to weigh peser, French. down, from To thee I do commend my watchful soul, 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 stab'dst 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.Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror! [To RICHMOND. Harry, that prophecy'd thou should'st be king,' Doth comfort thee in thy sleep; Live, and flourish! The Ghost of CLARENCE rises. Ghost. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow! [To King RICHARD. I, that was wash'd to death with fulsome wine, Poor Clarence, by thy guile betray'd to death! To-morrow in the battle think on me, And fall thy edgeless sword;' Despair, and die! Harry, that prophecy'd thou should'st be king,] The prophecy, to which this allusion is made, was uttered in one of the parts of Henry the Sixth. 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!— Quiet untroubled soul, awake, awake! [TO RICHMOND. 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 lead within thy bosom, Richard, And fall thy edgeless sword:] Fall, in the present instance, is a verb active, signifying to drop, or let fall. Thy nephews' souls bid thee despair, and die.- The Ghost of Queen ANNE rises. Ghost. Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife, That never slept a quiet hour with thee, And fall thy edgeless sword; Despair, and die!— [TO RICHMOND. Dream of success and happy victory; Thy adversary's wife doth pray for thee. The Ghost of BUCKINGHAM rises. Ghost. The first was I, that help'd thee to the crown; [To King RICHARD. The last was I that felt thy tyranny: O, in the battle think on Buckingham, Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death; [TO RICHMOND. 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. King RICHARD starts out of his dream. 9 I died for hope,] i. e. I died for wishing well to you. |