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, 6 And flaky darkness breaks within the east. Farewell: The leisure and the fearful time 5 by attorney,] By deputation. 6 mortal-staring war,] I suppose, by mortal-staring war is meant-war that looks big, or stares fatally on its victims. 7 I, as I may, STEEVENS. With best advantage will deceive the time,] I will take the best opportunity to elude the dangers of this conjuncture. 8 I'll strive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap; [Sleeps. 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 : [TO RICHMOND. 8 peise me down to-morrow,] To peize, i. e. to weigh down, from peser, French. Harry, that prophecy'd thou should'st be king,9 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! 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 [To RICHMOND. Will conquer him; — awake, and win the day! bosom The Ghost of HASTINGS rises. Ghost. Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake, [To King RICHARD. 9 Harry, that prophecy'd thou should'st be king,] The prophecy, to which this allusion is made, is uttered in one of the parts of Henry the Sixth. And fall thy edgeless sword:] Fall, in the present instance, is a verb active, signifying to drop, or let fall. And in a bloody battle end thy days! [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 weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death! Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and wake in joy; 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! - Dream of success and happy victory; [TO RICHMOND. The Ghost of BUCKINGHAM rises. Ghost. The first was I, that help'd thee to the crown; The last was I that felt thy tyranny: [To King RICHARD. O, in the battle think on Buckingham, Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death; I died for hope, ere I could lend thee aid: [To RICHMOND. But cheer thy heart, and be thou not dismay'd: [The Ghosts vanish. King RICHARD starts K. Rich. Give me another horse, - bind up my wounds, Have mercy Jesu! - Soft; I did but dream. — Is there a murderer here? No; - Yes; I am: I love myself. + Wherefore? for any good, 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. ? I died for hope,] i. e. I died for wishing well to you. 3 Give me another horse,] There is in this, as in many of our author's speeches of passion, something very trifling, and something very striking. Richard's debate, whether he should quarrel with himself, is too long continued, but the subsequent exaggeration of his crimes is truly tragical. JOHNSON. + "Alack! I love myself." - MALONE. |