To hear, if any mean to fhrink from me.

[Exeunt K. Richard and Ratcliff

Enter the Lords to Richmond, fitting in his Tent.

Lords. Good-morrow, Richmond.

Rich. 'Cry mercy, Lords, and watchful gentlemen,
That you have ta'en a tardy fluggard here.
Lords. How have you flept, my Lord?

Richm. The fweeteft fleep and faireft-boding dreams, 'That ever enter'd in a drowfy head,

Have I fince your departure had, my Lords.
Methought, their fouls, whofe bodies Richard murder'd,
Came to my tent, and cry'd on victory.

I promise you, my heart is very jocund,
In the remembrance of fo fair a dream.
How far into the morning, is it, Lords?
Lords. Upon the ftroke of four.

Richm. Why, then 'tis time to arm and give direction. More than I have faid, loving countrymen,

'The leifure and enforcement of the time
Forbids to dwell on; yet remember this,
God and our good caufe fight upon our fide,
The pray'rs of holy Saints, and wronged fouls,
Like high-rear'd bulwarks, ftand before our faces.
Richard except, thofe, 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 flaughter'd those that were the means to help him.
A base foul ftone, made precious by the foil
Of England's chair, where he is falfely fet;
One, that hath ever been God's enemy;
Then if you fight against God's enemy,
God will in juftice 'ward you as his foldiers.
If you do fweat to put a tyrant down,
You fleep in peace, the tyrant being flain:
If you do fight against your country's foes,
Your country's fat fhall pay your pains the hire.

If

If you do fight in fafeguard of your wives,
Your wives fhall welcome home the
conquerors.
If you do free your children from the fword,
Your childrens' children quit it.in your age.
Then, in the name of God, and all thefe rights,
Advance your standards; draw your willing fwords.
For me, the ranfom of my bold attempt

Shall be this cold corps on the earth's cold face:
But if I thrive, the gain of my attempt,
'The leaft of you fhall fhare his part thereof.
Sound, drums and trumpets, boldly, cheerfully;
God, and Saint George! Richmond, and Victory!

Enter King Richard, Ratcliff and Catesby.'

K. R. What faid Northumberland, as touching Richmond? Rat. That he was never trained up in arms. K. Rich. He faid the truth; and what faid Surrey then? Rat. He fmil'd and faid, the better for our purpose. K. Rich. He was i'th' right, and fo, indeed, it is. Tell the clock there-give me a Kalendar. [Clock ftrikes. Who faw the Sun to-day?

Rat. Not I, my Lord.

K. Rich. Then he difdains to shine; for, by the book, He should have brav'd the Eaft an hour ago

A black day it will be to fome body. Ratcliff.
Rat. My Lord ?

K. Rich. The Sun will not be feen to-day;
The sky doth frown and lowre upon our army.
I would thefe dewy tears were from the ground-
Not fhine to-day? why, what is that to me
More than to Richmond? for the self-fame heav'n,
That frowns on me, looks fadly upon him.

Enter Norfolk.

Nor. Arm, arm, my Lord, the foe vaunts in the field. K. Rich. Come, buftle, buftle-caparifon my horse. Call up Lord Stanley, bid him bring his power;"

I will lead forth my foldiers to the plain,

N 5

And

And thus my battle fhall be ordered.
My forward fhall be drawn out all in length,
Confifting equally of horfe and foot:
Our archers fhall be placed in the midft;
John Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Earl of Surrey,
Shall have the leading of the foot and horfe.
They thus directed, we ourself will follow
In the main battle, which on either fide
Shall be well winged with our chiefeft horse:
This, and St. George to boot!-What think'ft thou, Norfolk
Nor. A good direction, warlike Sovereign.
paper found I on my tent this morning.

This

[Giving a ferowl. Jocky of Norfolk, be not fo bold, [Reads. For Dickon thy mafter is bought and fold. K. Rich. A thing devifed by the enemy. Go, gentlemen; go, each man to his charge. Let not our babling dreams affright our fouls; Confcience is but a word that cowards ufe, Devis'd at firft to keep the ftrong in awe : Our ftrong arms be our confcience, fwords our law. March on, join bravely, let us to't pell-mell, If not to heav'n, then hand in hand to hell. What shall I fay more than I have inferr'd ? Remember, whom you are to cope withal; A fort of vagabonds, of rafcals, run-aways, A fcum of Britons, and bafe lackey-peasants, Whom their o'er-cloyed country vomits forth To defperate adventures and deftruction. You fleeping fafe, they bring you to unreft: You having lands, and bleft with beauteous wives, They would reftrain the one, diftain the other. And who doth lead them but a paltry fellow, (15) Long kept in Bretagne at his mother's coft

A milk

(15) And who doth lead them but a paltry fellow, Long kept in Britaine at our Mother's Coft ] This is spoken by Richard, of Henry Earl of Richmond: but they were, far from having any common Mother, but England: and the Earl of Richmand was not fubfifted abroad at the Nation's publick Charge. He

Red

A milk-fop, one that never in his life
Felt fo much cold, as over fhoes in fnow.
Let's whip these ftragglers o'er the feas again,
Lash hence these over-weening rags of France,
Thefe famifh'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 conquer'd, let men conquer us,

And not those bastard Britons, whom our fathers
Have in their own land beaten, bobb'd and thump'd;
And on record left them the heirs of shame.

Shall these enjoy our lands? lie with our wives?
Ravish our daughters ?-hark, I hear their drum.
[Drum afar off.
Fight, gentlemen of England; fight, bold yeomen!
Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head:
Spur your proud horfes hard, and ride in blood:
Amaze the welkin with your broken staves!

Enter a Meffenger.

What fays Lord Stanley, will he bring his power?
Mef. My Lord, he doth deny to come.
K. Rich. Off with his fon George's head.
Nor. My Lord, the enemy is paft the marsh;
After the battle let George Stanley die.

within my

K. Rich. A thousand hearts are great Advance our standards, fet upon our foes; Our ancient word of courage, fair St. George, Infpire us with the fpleen of fiery dragons. Upon them! victory fits on our helms.

bofom.

[Exeunt.

fled with the Earl of Pembroke into Bretagny in King Edward IVth's Reign: And many Artifices were tried both by that King first, and King Richard afterwards, to get him delivered up by the French King and Duke of Bretagny. But he happily escaped all the Snares laid for him. During the greatest part of his Refidence abroad, he was watched and reftrained almoft like a Captive; and fubfifted by Supplies conveyed from the Countefs of Richmond, his Mother. It ems probable therefore, that we must read;

Long kept in Bretagne at his Mother's Coft.

Alarm.

Alarm. Excurfions. Enter Catefby.

Catef. Refeue, my Lord of Norfolk, rescue, refcue:
The King enacts more wonders than a man,
Daring an oppofite to every danger!

His horfe is flain, and ali on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death.
Rescue, fair Lord, or elfe the day is loft.

Alarm. Enter King Richard.

K. Rich. A horfe! a horfe! my Kingdom for a horfe! Cates. Withdraw, my Lord, I'll help you to a horse. K. Rich. Slave, I have fet my life upon a caft, And I will ftand the hazard of the dye: I think, there be fix Richmonds in the field; Five have I flain to-day inftead of him. A horfe! a horfe! my Kingdom for a horfe!

[Exeunt.

Alarms. Enter King Richard and Richmond; they fight, Richard is flain.

Retreat and Flourish. Enter Richmond, Stanley bearing the crown, with divers other Lords.

Richm.God and your arms be prais'd,victorious friends, The day is ours! the bloody dog is dead.

Stanl. Couragious Richmond, well haft thou acquit thee: Lo, here thefe long-ufurped royalties,

From the dead temples of this bloody wretch,
Have I pluckt off, to grace thy brows withal.
Wear it, enjoy it, and make much of it.

Rich. Great God of heaven, fay, Amen, to all!
But tell me first, is young George Stanley living?
Stanl. He is, my Lord, and fafe in Lei'fter town:
Whither, if you fo please, we may withdraw us.
Richm. What men of name are flain on either fide?
Stanl. John Duke of Norfolk, Walter the Lord Ferris,
Sir Robert Brakenbury, Sir William Brandon.

Richm. Interr their bodies as becomes their births. Proclaim a pardon to the foldiers fled,

That