The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 450

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: G.o.d 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 b.l.o.o.d.y 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 G.o.d's enemy.

Then if you fight against G.o.d's enemy, G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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; G.o.d 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.

Enter NORFOLK

NORFOLK. Arm, arm, my lord; the foe vaunts in the field.

KING RICHARD. 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 Surrey, Shall have the leading of this foot and horse.

They thus directed, we 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?

NORFOLK. A good direction, warlike sovereign.

This found I on my tent this morning.

[He sheweth him a paper]

KING RICHARD. [Reads]

'Jockey of Norfolk, be not so bold, For d.i.c.kon 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.

March on, join bravely, let us to it pell-mell; If not to heaven, then hand in hand to h.e.l.l.

His ORATION to his ARMY

What shall I say more than I have inferr'd?

Remember whom you are to cope withal- A sort of vagabonds, rascals, and runaways, A sc.u.m of Britaines, and base lackey peasants, Whom their o'er-cloyed country vomits forth To desperate adventures and a.s.sur'd destruction.

You sleeping safe, they bring to you unrest; You having lands, and bless'd with beauteous wives, They would restrain the one, distain the other.

And who doth lead them but a paltry fellow, Long kept in Britaine at our mother's cost?

A milk-sop, one that never in his life Felt so much cold as over shoes in snow?

Let's whip these stragglers o'er the seas again; Lash hence these over-weening rags of France, These famish'd beggars, weary of their lives; Who, but for dreaming on this fond exploit, For want of means, poor rats, had hang'd themselves.

If we be conquered, let men conquer us, And not these b.a.s.t.a.r.d Britaines, whom our fathers Have in their own land beaten, bobb'd, and thump'd, And, in record, left them the heirs of shame.

Shall these enjoy our lands? lie with our wives, Ravish our daughters? [Drum afar off] Hark! I hear their drum.

Fight, gentlemen of England! Fight, bold 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?

MESSENGER. My lord, he doth deny to come.

KING RICHARD. Off with his son George's head!

NORFOLK. My lord, the enemy is pa.s.s'd the marsh.

After the battle let George Stanley die.

KING RICHARD. A thousand hearts are great within my bosom.

Advance our standards, set upon our foes; Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George, Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!

Upon them! Victory sits on our helms. Exeunt

SCENE 4.

Another part of the field

Alarum; excursions. Enter NORFOLK and forces; to him CATESBY

CATESBY. 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.

Alarums. Enter KING RICHARD