The plays (poems) of Shakespeare, ed. by H. Staunton, the illustr. by J. Gilbert engr. by the brothers Dalziel

Bruis'd underneath the yoke of tyranny,
Thus far into the bowels of the land
Have we march'd on without impediment;
And here receive we from our father Stanley
Lines of fair comfort and encouragement.
The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar,
That spoil'd your summer fields and fruitful vines,
Swills your warm blocd like wash, and makes his
trough

In your embowell'd bosoms,-this foul swine
Lies* now even in the centre of this isle,
Near to the town of Leicester, as we learn:
From Tamworth thither is but one day's march.
In God's name, cheerly on, courageous friends,
To reap the harvest of perpetual peace
By this one bloody trial of sharp war!
OXF. Every man's conscience is a thousand
swords,+

To fight against that bloody‡ homicide.

HERB. I doubt not but his friends will turn to

[My lord of Oxford,-you, sir William Brandon,—
And you, sir Walter Herbert, stay with me:]"
The earl of Pembroke keep his regiment;
Good captain Blunt, bear my good night to him,
And by the second hour in the morning
Desire the earl to see me in my tent:

Yet one thing more, good Blunt, before thou
goest; -
Where is lord Stanley quarter'd, do you know?
BLUNT. Unless I have mista'en his colours
much,

(Which well I am assur'd I have not done,)
His regiment lies half a mile at least
South from the mighty power of the king.

RICHM. If without peril it be possible, Sweet Blunt, make some good means to speak with him,

And give him from me this most needful scroll.¶ BLUNT. Upon my life, my lord, I'll undertake it;

[And so, God give you quiet rest to-night!]"
RICHM. Good night, good captain Blunt.
Give me some ink and paper in my tent;b
I'll draw the form and model of our battle,
Limit each leader to his several charge,
And part in just proportion our small power.
Come, gentlemen,

Let us consult upon to-morrow's business;
In to my tent, the air* is raw and cold.
[They withdraw into the tent.

Enter, to his tent, KING RICHARD, NORFolk,
RATCLIFF, and CATESBY.

RICH. What is 't o'clock?

CATE.

It's six o'clock.

It's supper time, my lord;

K. RICH. I will not sup to-night.-
Give me some ink and paper.

What, is my beaver easier than it was?
And all my armour laid into my tent?

CATE. It is, my liege; and all things are in
readiness.

K. RICH. Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge;
Use careful watch, choose trusty sentinels.
NOR. I
go, my lord.

K. RICH. Bid my guard watch; leave me.
Ratcliff, about the mid of night, come to my

tent

And help to arm me.-Leave me, I say.

[KING RICHARD retires into his tent. Exeunt RATCLIFF and CATESBY.

RICHMOND's tent opens, and discovers him, and his Officers, &c.

Enter STANLEY.

STAN. Fortune and victory sit on thy helm!
RICHм. 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,
Who prays continually for Richmond's good:
So much for that.-The silent hours steal on,
And flaky darkness breaks within the east.
In brief, for so the season bids us be,
Prepare thy battle early in the morning;
And put thy fortune to the arbitrement
Of bloody strokes and mortal-staring war,d
I, as I may, (that which I would, I cannot,)
With best advantage will deceive the time,
And aid thee in this doubtful shock of arms:
But on thy side I may not be too forward,
[Exit. Lest, being seen, thy brother, tender George,
Be executed in his father's sight.(1)
Farewell: the leisure and the fearful time
Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love,
And ample interchange of sweet discourse,
Which so long sunder'd friends should dwell upon;
God give us leisure for these rites of love!
Once more, adieu :-be valiant, and speed well!
RICHM. Good lords, conduct him to his regi-

K. RICH. Stir with the lark to-morrow, gentle
Norfolk.

NOR. I warrant you, my

K. RICH. Ratcliff,

RAT. My lord?

K. RICH.

lord.

Send out a pursuivant-at-arms

To Stanley's regiment; bid him bring his power
Before sun-rising, lest his son George fall

Into the blind cave of eternal night.—
Fill me a bowl of wine.-Give me a watch:-
[TO CATESBY.
Saddle white Surrey for the field to-morrow.
Look that my staves be sound, and not too heavy.
Ratcliff,-

RAT. My lord?

K. RICH. Saw'st thou the melancholy lord

Northumberland?

RAT. Thomas the earl of Surrey, and himself,
Much about cock-shut time, from troop to troop,
Went through the army, cheering up the soldiers.
Give me a bowl
K. RICH. SO; I am satisfied.
of wine:

I have not that alacrity of spirit,

Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.-
Set it down. Is ink and paper ready?
RAT. It is, my lord.

(1) First folio, nine.
(*) First folio, Dew.
(1) First folio omits, thou.

a And so, God give you quiet rest to-night!] Omitted in the quartos.

b Give me some ink and paper in my tent;] In the folio, this and the three following lines are introduced into Richmond's

[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

(*) First folio omits, deadly.

Think on the Tower and me; despair, and die! Harry the sixth bids thee despair and die !-[To RICHMOND.] Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror !

Harry, that prophesied thou shouldst be king, Doth comfort thee in thy* sleep; live, and flourish!

The Ghost of CLARENCE rises.

GHOST. [To K. RICH.] Let me sit heavy on t
thy soul to-morrow!

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!—
[To RICHMOND.] Thou offspring of the house of
Lancaster,

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. [To K. RICH.] Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow,

Rivers, that died at Pomfret! despair, and die! GREY. [To K. RICH.] Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair!

VAUGH. [To K. RICH.] Think upon Vaughan, and, with guilty fear,

Let fall thy lance! despair, and die!— ALL. [TO RICHMOND.] Awake! and think our wrongs in Richard's bosom

Will conquer him!-awake, and win the day!

[To RICHMOND.] Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and wake in joy;

Good angels guard thee from the boar's annoy! Live, and beget a happy race of kings! Edward's unhappy sons do bid thee flourish !

The Ghost of QUEEN ANNE rises.
GHOST. [To K. RICH.] Richard, thy wife, that
wretched Anne thy wife,

That never slept a quiet hour with thee,(2)
Now fills thy sleep with perturbations:
To-morrow in the battle think on me,

And fall thy edgeless sword; despair, and die!— [TO RICHMOND.] Thou, quiet soul, sleep thou a quiet sleep;

Dream of success and happy victory;
Thy adversary's wife doth pray for thee!

The Ghost of BUCKINGHAM rises.

GHOST. [To K. RICH.] The first was I that help'd thee to the crown;

The last was I that felt thy tyranny: O, in the battle think on Buckingham, And die in terror of thy guiltiness! Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death; Fainting, despair; despairing, yield thy breath! [To RICHMOND.] I died for hope ere I could lend thee aid:

But cheer thy heart, and be thou not dismay'd: God and good angels fight on Richmond's side; And Richard fall in height of all his pride!

[The Ghosts vanish. KING RICHARD starts out of his dream.

K. RICH. Give me another horse!-bind up my wounds!

Have mercy, Jesu!-Soft! I did but dream.-
O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!—
The lights burn blue.—It is now* dead midnight.
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
What, do I fear myself? there's none else by:
Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I.

Is there a murderer here? No;-yes; I am:
Then fly. What, from myself? great reason: why?
Lest I revenge. What, myself, upon myself?
Alack, 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,
And every tongue brings in a several tale,

And every tale condemns me for a villain.
Perjury, perjury,* in the high'st 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 murdered
Came to my tent; and every one did threat
To-morrow's vengeance on the head of Richard.

(*) First folio, perjury, once only.

(†) First folio inserts, all.

My lord; 'tis I.] The old texts read,-" Ratcliffe, my Lord,

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!

What thinkest thou? will our friends prove all true?

RAT. No doubt, my lord."

'tis I." Capell expelled the redundant word; but it has been reinserted by subsequent editors.

b No doubt, my lord. ] Richard's speech, and Ratcliff's answer, are omitted in the folio.

« Anterior Continuar »

Livros

The plays (poems) of Shakespeare, ed. by H. Staunton ..., Parte 169,Volume 2