Have mercy, Jesu!-Soft; I did but dream.-
O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!-
The lights burn blue. Is it not dead midnight?
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
What do I fear? myself? there's none else by: 240
Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I.
Is there a murd'rer here? No;-Yes; I am:
Then fly-What, from myself? Great reason: Why?
Lest I revenge. What? Myself on myself?
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, 251
And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain.
Perjury, perjury, in the highest 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 shall pity me;
Nay, 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.

261

Enter Enter RATCLIFF.

Rat. My lord

K. Rich. Who's there?

Rat. My lord, 'tis I: The early village cock Hath twice done salutation to the morn;

Your friends are up, and buckle on their armour.

K. Rich. O, Ratcliff, I have dream'd a fearful

dream!

270

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.

280

[Exeunt K. 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 enter'd in a drowsy head,

Have I since your departure had, my lords. Methought, their souls, whose bodies Richard mur

der'd,

Came to my tent, and cry'd-On! victory!

I promise you, my heart 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.

290

Richm. Why, then 'tis time to arm, and give direc

tion.

[He advances to the Troops.

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, 300
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 slaughter'd 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,

310

You

You sleep in peace, the 'tyrant being slain;
If you do fight against your country's foes,
Your country's fat 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 quit 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

320

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 !

[Exeant.

Re-enter King RICHARD, RATCLIFF, &c.

K. Rich. What said Northumberland, as touching 330

Richmond?

Rat. That he was never trained up in arms.
K. Rich. He said the truth: And what said Surrey

then ?

Rat. He smil'd and said, the better for our purpose. K. Rich. He was i'the right; and so, indeed, it is. Tell the clock there. - Give me a kalendar.

Who saw the sun to-day?
Rat. Not I, my lord.

[Clock strikes.

K. Rich.

K. Rich. Then he disdains to shine; for, by the

book,

He should have brav'd the east an hour ago:
A black day it will be to somebody.

Ratcliff

Rat. My lord?

340

K. Rich. 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 self-same heaven That frowns on me, looks sadly upon him.

Enter NORFOLK,

Nor. Arm, arm, my lord; the foe vaunts in the field.

K. Rich. Come, bustle, bustle; - Caparison my horse ;

359

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.

361