KING RICHARD III. William Shakespeare

       CATESBY

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

       KING RICHARD

       Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge;

       Use careful watch, choose trusty sentinels.

       NORFOLK

       I go, my lord.

       KING RICHARD

       Stir with the lark tomorrow, gentle Norfolk.

       NORFOLK

       I warrant you, my lord.

       [Exit.]

       KING RICHARD

       Ratcliff,—

       RATCLIFF

       My lord?

       KING RICHARD

       Send out a pursuivant-at-arms

       To Stanley’s regiment; bid him bring his power

       Before sunrising, lest his son George fall

       Into the blind cave of eternal night.—

       Fill me a bowl of wine.—Give me a watch.—

       Saddle white Surrey for the field tomorrow.—

       Look that my staves be sound, and not too heavy.—

       Ratcliff,—

       RATCLIFF

       My lord?

       KING RICHARD

       Saw’st thou the melancholy Lord Northumberland?

       RATCLIFF

       Thomas the Earl of Surrey and himself,

       Much about cockshut time, from troop to troop

       Went through the army, cheering up the soldiers.

       KING RICHARD

       So, I am satisfied.—Give me a bowl 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?

       RATCLIFF

       It is, my lord.

       KING RICHARD

       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.]

       STANLEY

       Fortune and victory sit on thy helm!

       RICHMOND

       All comfort that the dark night can afford

       Be to thy person, noble fatherin-law!

       Tell me, how fares our loving mother?

       STANLEY

       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.

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

       With best advantage will deceive the time,

       And aid thee in this doubtful stroke of arms:

       But on thy side I may not be too forward,

       Lest, being seen, thy brother, tender George,

       Be executed in his father’s sight.

       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!

       RICHMOND

       Good lords, conduct him to his regiment:

       I’ll strive with troubled thoughts to take a nap,

       Lest leaden slumber peise me down tomorrow,

       When I should mount with wings of victory:

       Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen.

       [Exeunt Lords, &c, with STANLEY.]

       O Thou Whose captain I account myself,

       Look on my forces with a gracious eye;

       Put in their hands Thy bruising irons of wrath,

       That they may crush down with a heavy fall

       The usurping helmets of our adversaries!

       Make us Thy ministers of chastisement,

       That we may praise Thee in Thy victory!

       To Thee I do commend my watchful soul

       Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes:

       Sleeping and waking, O, defend me still!

       [Sleeps.]

       [The Ghost of PRINCE EDWARD, son to HENRY THE SIXTH, rises between the two tents.]

       GHOST

       [To KING RICHARD.] Let me sit heavy on thy soul tomorrow!

       Think how thou stabb’dst me in my prime of youth

       At Tewksbury: despair, therefore, and die!—

       [To RICHMOND.] Be cheerful, Richmond; for the wrongèd souls

       Of butcher’d princes fight in thy behalf:

       King Henry’s issue, Richmond, comforts thee.

       [The Ghost of HENRY THE SIXTH rises.]

       GHOST

       [To KING RICHARD.] When I was mortal, my anointed body

       By thee was punchèd full of deadly holes:

       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 KING RICHARD.] Let me sit heavy in thy soul tomorrow!

       I that was wash’d to death with fulsome wine,

       Poor Clarence, by thy guile betray’d to death!

       Tomorrow in the battle think on me,

       And fall thy edgeless sword: despair, and die!—

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

       The wrongèd heirs of York do pray for thee:

       Good angels guard thy battle! live, and flourish!

       [The Ghosts of RIVERS, GREY, and VAUGHAN rise.]

       GHOST OF RIVERS

       [To KING RICHARD.] Let me sit heavy in thy soul tomorrow,

       Rivers that died at Pomfret! despair and die!

       GHOST OF GREY