3433Rich. Here pitch our Tent, euen here in Bosworth field,

3434My Lord of Surrey, why looke you so sad?

3435Sur. My heart is ten times lighter then my lookes.

3436Rich. My Lord of Norfolke.

3437Nor. Heere most gracious Liege.

3438Rich. Norfolke, we must haue knockes:

3439Ha, must we not?

3440Nor. We must both giue and take my louing Lord.

3441Rich. Vp with my Tent, heere wil I lye to night,

3442But where to morrow? Well, all's one for that.

3443Who hath descried the number of the Traitors?

3444Nor. Six or seuen thousand is their vtmost power.

3445Rich. Why our Battalia trebbles that account:

3446Besides, the Kings name is a Tower of strength,

3447Which they vpon the aduerse Faction want.

3448Vp with the Tent: Come Noble Gentlemen,

3449Let vs suruey the vantage of the ground.

3450Call for some men of sound direction:

3451Let's lacke no Discipline, make no delay,

3452For Lords, to morrow is a busie day. Exeunt

3455Richm. The weary Sunne, hath made a Golden set,

3456And by the bright Tract of his fiery Carre,

3457Giues token of a goodly day to morrow.

3458Sir William Brandon, you shall beare my Standard:

3459Giue me some Inke and Paper in my Tent:

3460Ile draw the Forme and Modell of our Battaile,

3461Limit each Leader to his seuerall Charge,

3462And part in iust proportion our small Power.

3463My Lord of Oxford, you Sir William Brandon,

3464And your Sir Walter Herbert stay with me:

3465The Earle of Pembroke keepes his Regiment;

3466Good Captaine Blunt, beare my goodnight to him,

3467And by the second houre in the Morning,

3468Desire the Earle to see me in my Tent:

3469Yet one thing more (good Captaine) do for me:

3470Where is Lord Stanley quarter'd, do you know?

3471Blunt. Vnlesse I haue mistane his Colours much,

3472(Which well I am assur'd I haue not done)

3473His Regiment lies halfe a Mile at least

3474South, from the mighty Power of the King.

3475Richm. If without perill it be possible,

3476Sweet Blunt, make some good meanes to speak with him

3477And giue him from me, this most needfull Note.

3478Blunt. Vpon my life, my Lord, Ile vndertake it,

3479And so God giue you quiet rest to night.

3480Richm. Good night good Captaine Blunt:

3481Come Gentlemen,

3482Let vs consult vpon to morrowes Businesse;

3483Into my Tent, the Dew is rawe and cold.

3486Rich. What is't a Clocke?

3487Cat. It's Supper time my Lord, it's nine a clocke.

3488King. I will not sup to night,

3489Giue me some Inke and Paper:

3490What, is my Beauer easier then it was?

3491And all my Armour laid into my Tent?

3492Cat. It is my Liege: and all things are in readinesse.

3493Rich. Good Norfolke, hye thee to thy charge,

3494Vse carefull Watch, choose trusty Centinels,

3495Nor. I go my Lord.

3496Rich. Stir with the Larke to morrow, gentle Norfolk.

3497Nor. I warrant you my Lord. Exit

3498Rich. Ratcliffe.

3499Rat. My Lord.

3500Rich. Send out a Pursuiuant at Armes

3501To Stanleys Regiment: bid him bring his power

3502Before Sun-rising, least his Sonne George

fall

3503Into the blinde Caue of eternall night.

3504Fill me a Bowle of Wine: Giue me a Watch,

3505Saddle white Surrey for the Field to morrow:

3506Look that my Staues be sound, & not too heauy. Ratcliff.

3507Rat. My Lord.

3508Rich. Saw'st the melancholly Lord Northumberland?

3509Rat. Thomas the Earle of Surrey, and himselfe,

3510Much about Cockshut time, from Troope to Troope

3511Went through the Army, chearing vp the Souldiers.

3512King. So, I am satisfied: Giue me a Bowle of Wine,

3513I haue not that Alacrity of Spirit,

3514Nor cheere of Minde that I was wont to haue.

3515Set it downe. Is Inke and Paper ready?

3516Rat. It is my Lord.

3517Rich. Bid my Guard watch. Leaue me.

3518Ratcliffe, about the mid of night come to my Tent

3519And helpe to arme me. Leaue me I say. Exit Ratclif.

3521Der. Fortune, and Victory sit on thy Helme.

3522Rich. All comfort that the darke night can affoord,

3523Be to thy Person, Noble Father in Law.

3524Tell me, how fares our Noble Mother?

3525Der. I by Attourney, blesse thee from thy Mother,

3526Who prayes continually for Richmonds good:

3527So much for that. The silent houres steale on,

3528And flakie darkenesse breakes within the East.

3529In breefe, for so the season bids vs be,

3530Prepare thy Battell early in the Morning,

3531And put thy Fortune to th' Arbitrement

3532Of bloody stroakes, and mortall staring Warre:

3533I, as I may, that which I would, I cannot,

3534With best aduantage will deceiue thet ime,

3535And ayde thee in this doubtfull shocke of Armes.

3536But on thy side I may not be too forward,

3537Least being seene, thy Brother, tender George

3538Be executed in his Fathers sight.

3539Farewell: the leysure, and the fearfull time

3540Cuts off the ceremonious Vowes of Loue,

3541And ample enterchange of sweet Discourse,

3542Which so long sundred Friends should dwell vpon:

3543God giue vs leysure for these rites of Loue.

3544Once more Adieu, be valiant, and speed well.

3545Riehm. Good Lords conduct him to his Regiment:

3546Ile striue with troubled noise, to take a Nap,

3547Lest leaden slumber peize me downe to morrow,

3548When I should mount with wings of Victory:

3549Once more, good night kinde Lords and Gentlemen.

3551O thou, whose Captaine I account my selfe,

3552Looke on my Forces with a gracious eye:

3553Put in their hands thy bruising Irons of wrath,

3554That they may crush downe with a heauy fall,

3555Th'vsurping Helmets of our Aduersaries:

3556Make vs thy ministers of Chasticement,

3557That we may praise thee in thy victory:

3558To thee I do commend my watchfull soule,

3559Ere I let fall the windowes of mine eyes:

3560Sleeping, and waking, oh defend me still. Sleeps.

3563 Gh. to Ri. Let me sit heauy on thy soule to morrow:

3564Thinke how thou stab'st me in my prime of youth

3565At Teukesbury: Dispaire therefore, and dye.

3566 Ghost to Richm. Be chearefull Richmond,

3567For the wronged Soules

3568Of butcher'd Princes, fight in thy behalfe:

3569King Henries issue Richmond comforts thee.

3571 Ghost. When I was mortall, my Annointed body

3572By thee was punched full of holes;

3573Thinke on the Tower, and me: Dispaire, and dye,

3574Harry the sixt, bids thee dispaire, and dye.

3575 To Richm. Vertuous and holy be thou Conqueror:

3576Harry that prophesied thou should'st be King,

3577Doth comfort thee in sleepe: Liue, and flourish.

3579Ghost. Let me sit heauy in thy soule to morrow.

3580I that was wash'd to death with Fulsome Wine:

3581Poore Clarence by thy guile betray'd to death:

3582To morrow in the battell thinke on me,

3583And fall thy edgelesse Sword, dispaire and dye.

3584 To Richm. Thou off-spring of the house of Lancaster

3585The wronged heyres of Yorke do pray for thee,

3586Good Angels guard thy battell, Liue and Flourish.

3588Riu Let me sit heauy in thy soule to morrow,

3589Riuers, that dy'de at Pomfret: dispaire, and dye.

3590Grey. Thinke vpon Grey, and let thy soule dispaire.

3591Vaugh. Thinke vpon Vaughan, and with guilty feare

3592Let fall thy Lance, dispaire and dye.

3593 All to Richm. Awake,

3594And thinke our wrongs in Richards Bosome,

3595Will conquer him. Awake, and win the day.

3597Gho. Bloody and guilty: guiltily awake,

3598And in a bloody Battell end thy dayes.

3599Thinke on Lord Hastings: dispaire, and dye.

3600 Hast. to Rich. Quiet vntroubled soule,

3601Awake, awake:

3602Arme, fight, and conquer, for faire Englands sake.

3604Ghosts. Dreame on thy Cousins

3605Smothered in the Tower:

3606Let vs be laid within thy bosome Richard,

3607And weigh thee downe to ruine, shame, and death,

3608Thy Nephewes soule bids thee dispaire and dye.

3609 Ghosts to Richm. Sleepe Richmond,

3610Sleepe in Peace, and wake in Ioy,

3611Good Angels guard thee from the Boares annoy,

3612Liue, and beget a happy race of Kings,

3613Edwards vnhappy Sonnes, do bid thee flourish.

3615 Ghost to Rich. Richard, thy Wife,

3616That wretched Anne thy Wife,

3617That neuer slept a quiet houre with thee,

3618Now filles thy sleepe with perturbations,

3619To morrow in the Battaile, thinke on me,

3620And fall thy edgelesse Sword, dispaire and dye:

3621 Ghost to Richm. Thou quiet soule,

3622Sleepe thou a quiet sleepe:

3623Dreame of Successe, and Happy Victory,

3624Thy Aduersaries Wife doth pray for thee.

3626Ghost to Rich. The first was I

3627That help'd thee to the Crowne:

3628That last was I that felt thy Tyranny.

3629O, in the Battaile think on Buckingham,

3630And dye in terror of thy guiltinesse.

3631Dreame on, dreame on, of bloody deeds and death,

3632Fainting dispaire; dispairing yeeld thy breath.

3633 Ghost to Richm. I dyed for hope

3634Ere I could lend thee Ayde;

3635But cheere thy heart, and be thou not dismayde:

3636God, and good Angels fight on Richmonds side,

3637And Richard fall in height of all his pride.

3639 Rich. Giue me another Horse, bind vp my Wounds:

3640Haue mercy Iesu. Soft, I did but dreame.

3641O coward Conscience! how dost thou afflict me?

3642The Lights burne blew. It is not dead midnight.

3643Cold fearefull drops stand on my trembling flesh.

3644What? do I feare my Selfe? There's none else by,

3645Richard loues Richard, that is, I am I.

3646Is there a Murtherer heere? No; Yes, I am:

3647Then flye; What from my Selfe? Great reason: why?

3648Lest I Reuenge. What? my Selfe vpon my Selfe?

3649Alacke, I loue my Selfe. Wherefore? For any good

3650That I my Selfe, haue done vnto my Selfe?

3651O no. Alas, I rather hate my Selfe,

3652For hatefull Deeds committed by my Selfe.

3653I am a Vlllaine: yet I Lye, I am not.

3654Foole, of thy Selfe speake well: Foole, do not flatter.

3655My Conscience hath a thousand seuerall Tongues,

3656And euery Tongue brings in a seuerall Tale,

3657And euerie Tale condemnes me for a Villaine;

3658Periurie, in the high'st Degree,

3659Murther, sterne murther, in the dyr'st degree,

3660All seuerall sinnes, all vs'd in each degree,

3661Throng all to'th'Barre, crying all, Guilty, Guilty.

3662I shall dispaire, there is no Creature loues me;

3663And if I die, no soule shall pittie me.

3664Nay, wherefore should they? Since that I my Selfe,

3665Finde in my Selfe, no pittie to my Selfe.

3666Me thought, the Soules of all that I had murther'd

3667Came to my Tent, and euery one did threat

3668To morrowes vengeance on the head of Richard.

3670Rat. My Lord.

3671King Who's there?

3672Rat. Ratcliffe my Lord, 'tis I: the early Village Cock

3673Hath twice done salutation to the Morne,

3674Your Friends are vp, and buckle on their Armour.

3675King. O Ratcliffe, I feare, I feare.

3676Rat. Nay good my Lord, be not affraid of Shadows.

3677King. By the Apostle Paul, shadowes to night

3678Haue stroke more terror to the soule of Richard,

3679Then can the substance of ten thousand Souldiers

3680Armed in proofe, and led by shallow Richmond.

3681'Tis not yet neere day. Come go with me,

3682Vnder our Tents Ile play the Ease-dropper,

3683To heare if any meane to shrinke from me.

3687Richm. Good morrow Richmond.

3688Rich. Cry mercy Lords, and watchfull Gentlemen,

3689That you haue tane a tardie sluggard heere?

3690Lords. How haue you slept my Lord?

3691Rich. The sweetest sleepe,

3692And fairest boading Dreames,

3693That euer entred in a drowsie head,

3694Haue I since your departure had my Lords.

3695Me thought their Soules, whose bodies Rich. murther'd,

3696Came to my Tent, and cried on Victory:

3697I promise you my Heart is very iocond,

3698In the remembrance of so faire a dreame,

3699How farre into the Morning is it Lords?

3700Lor. Vpon the stroke of foure.

3701Rich. Why then 'tis time to Arme, and giue direction.

3703More then I haue said, louing Countrymen,

3704The leysure and inforcement of the time

3705Forbids to dwell vpon: yet remember this,

3706God, and our good cause, fight vpon our side,

3707The Prayers of holy Saints and wronged soules,

3708Like high rear'd Bulwarkes, stand before our Faces,

3709( Richard except) those whom we fight against,

3710Had rather haue vs win, then him they follow.

3711For, what is he they follow? Truly Gentlemen,

3712A bloudy Tyrant, and a Homicide:

3713One rais'd in blood, and one in blood establish'd;

3714One that made meanes to come by what he hath,

3715And slaughter'd those that were the meanes to help him:

3716A base foule Stone, made precious by the soyle

3717Of Englands Chaire, where he is falsely set:

3718One that hath euer beene Gods Enemy.

3719Then if you fight against Gods Enemy,

3720God will in iustice ward you as his Soldiers.

3721If you do sweare to put a Tyrant downe,

3722You sleepe in peace, the Tyrant being slaine:

3723If you do fight against your Countries Foes,

3724Your Countries Fat shall pay your paines the hyre.

3725If you do fight in safegard of your wiues,

3726Your wiues shall welcome home the Conquerors.

3727If you do free your Children from the Sword,

3728Your Childrens Children quits it in your Age.

3729Then in the name of God and all these rights,

3730Aduance your Standards, draw your willing Swords.

3731For me, the ransome of my bold attempt,

3732Shall be this cold Corpes on the earth's cold face.

3733But if I thriue, the gaine of my attempt,

3734The least of you shall share his part thereof.

3735Sound Drummes and Trumpets boldly, and cheerefully,

3736God, and Saint George, Richmond, and Victory.

3738K. What said Northumberland as touching Richmond?

3739Rat. That he was neuer trained vp in Armes.

3740King. He said the truth: and what said Surrey then?

3741Rat. He smil'd and said, the better for our purpose.

3742King. He was in the right, and so indeed it is.

3743Tell the clocke there. Clocke strikes.

3744Giue me a Kalender: Who saw the Sunne to day?

3745Rat. N t I my Lord.

3746King. Then he disdaines to shine: for by the Booke

3747He should haue brau'd the East an houre ago,

3748A blacke day will it be to somebody. Ratcliffe.

3749Rat. My Lord.

3750King. The Sun will not be seene to day,

3751The sky doth frowne, and lowre vpon our Army.

3752I would these dewy teares were from the ground.

3753Not shine to day? Why, what is that to me

3754More then to Richmond? For the selfe-same Heauen

3755That frownes on me, lookes sadly vpon him.

3757Nor. Arme, arme, my Lord: the foe vaunts in the field.

3758King. Come, bustle, bustle. Caparison my horse.

3759Call vp Lord Stanley, bid him bring his power,

3760I will leade forth my Soldiers to the plaine,

3761And thus my Battell shal be ordred.

3762My Foreward shall be drawne in length,

3763Consisting equally of Horse and Foot:

3764Our Archers shall be placed in the mid'st;

3765Iohn Duke of Norfolke, Thomas Earle of Surrey,

3766Shall haue the leading of the Foot and Horse.

3767They thus directed, we will fllow

3768In the maine Battell, whose puissance on either side

3769Shall be well-winged with our cheefest Horse:

3770This, and Saint George to boote.

3771What think'st thou Norfolke.

3772Nor. A good direction warlike Soueraigne,

3773This found I on my Tent this Morning.

3776 King. A thing deuised by the Enemy.

3777Go Gentlemen, euery man to his Charge,

3778Let not our babling Dreames affright our soules:

3779For Conscience is a word that Cowards vse,

3780Deuis'd at first to keepe the strong in awe,

3781Our strong armes be our Conscience, Swords our Law.

3782March on, ioyne brauely, let vs too't pell mell,

3783If not to heauen, then hand in hand to Hell.

3784What shall I say more then I haue inferr'd?

3785Remember whom you are to cope withall,

3786A sort of Vagabonds, Rascals, and Run-awayes,

3787A scum of Brittaines, and base Lackey Pezants,

3788Whom their o're-cloyed Country vomits forth

3789To desperate Aduentures, and assur'd Destruction.

3790You sleeping safe, they bring you to vnrest:

3791You hauing Lands, and blest with beauteous wiues,

3792They would restraine the one, distaine the other,

3793And who doth leade them, but a paltry Fellow?

3794Long kept in Britaine at our Mothers cost,

3795A Milke-sop, one that neuer in his life

3796Felt so much cold, as ouer shooes in Snow:

3797Let's whip these straglers o're the Seas againe,

3798Lash hence these ouer-weening Ragges of France,

3799These famish'd Beggers, weary of their liues,

3800Who (but for dreaming on this fond exploit)

3801For want of meanes (poore Rats) had hang'd themselues.

3802If we be conquered, let men conquer vs,

3803And not these bastard Britaines, whom our Fathers

3804Haue in their owne Land beaten, bobb'd, and thump'd,

3805And on Record, left them the heires of shame.

3806Shall these enioy our Lands? lye with our Wiues?

3807Rauish our daughters? Drum afarre off

3808Hearke, I heare their Drumme,

3809Right Gentlemen of England, fight boldly yeomen,

3810Draw Archers draw your Arrowes to the head,

3811Spurre your proud Horses hard, and ride in blood,

3812Amaze the welkin with your broken staues.

3814What sayes Lord Stanley, will he bring his power?

3815Mes. My Lord, he doth deny to come.

3816King. Off with his sonne Georges head.

3817Nor. My Lord, the Enemy is past the Marsh:

3818After the battaile, let George Stanley dye.

3819King. A thousand hearts are great within my bosom.

3820Aduance our Standards, set vpon our Foes,

3821Our Ancient word of Courage, faire S. George

3822Inspire vs with the spleene of fiery Dragons:

3823Vpon them, Victorie sits on our helpes.