Yet one thing more, good Blunt, before thon goeft;
Where is Lord Stanley quarter'd, dost thou know?
Blunt. Unless I have mifta'en his colours much,
(Which, well I am aftur'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 poffible,

Sweet Blunt, make fome good means to fpeak with him,
And give him from me this most needful note.

Blunt. Upon my life, my Lord, I'll undertake it.
Richm. Give me fome ink and paper; in my tent
I'll draw the form and model of our battle,
Limit each leader to his feveral charge,

And part in just proportion our small ftrength.
Let us confult upon to-morrow's business;
In to our tent, the air is raw and cold.

[They withdraw into the tent.

SCENE changes back to King Richard's Tent.

Enter King Richard, Ratcliff, Norfolk, and Catesby.

K. Rich. I will not fup to-night.

Give me some ink and paper.

What, is my beaver easier than it was?

And all my armour laid into my tent?

Catef. It is, my Liege, and all things are in readinefs. K. Rich. Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge,

Ufe careful watch, chufe trufty centinels.

Nor. I go, my Lord.

K. Rich. Stir with the lark to-morrow, gentle Norfolk. Nor. I warrant you, my Lord.

K. Rich. Catefoy,

Catef. My Lord.

K. Rich. Send out a pursuivant at arms

To Stanley's regiment; bid him bring his power
Before fun-rifing, left his fon George fall

Into the blind cave of eternal night.

VOL. V.

N

[Exit.

Fill

Fill me a bowl of wine-give me a watch

[To Ratcliff.

Saddle white Surrey for the field to-morrow:
Look, that my ftaves be found, and not too heavy.
Ratcliff

Rat. My Lord?

[land? K. Rich. Saw'st thou the melancholy Lord NorthumberRat. Thomas the Earl of Surrey, and himself, Much about cock-fhut time, from troop to troop Went through the army, cheering up the foldiers. K. Rich. I am fatisfy'd; give me a bowl of wine. I have not that alacrity of fpirit,

Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have-
'There, fet it down. Is ink and paper ready?
Rat. It is, my Lord.

K. Rich. Bid my guard watch, and leave me.
About the mid of night come to my tent,
And help to arm me. Leave me now, I fay.

[Exit Ratcliff.

SCENE changes back to Richmond's Tent. Enter Stanley to Richmond; Lords, &c.

Stan.

F

Ortune and Victory fit on thy helm!

Rich. All comfort, that the dark night can afford, Be to thy perfon, 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 fteal on,
And flaky darkness breaks within the east.
In brief, for fo the feafon bids us be,
Prepare thy battle early in the morning;
And put thy fortune to th' arbitrement
Of bloody ftrokes, and mortal ftaring war.
I, as I may, (that which I would, I cannot)
With beft advantage will deceive the time,
And aid thee in this doubtful fhock of arms.
But on thy fide I may not be too forward,
Left (being feen) thy brother tender George

Be

Be executed in his father's fight.
Farewel; the leifure, and the fearful time
Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love,
And ample enterchange of fweet discourse,
Which fo-long-fundred friends fhould 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 regiment:
I'll ftrive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap;
Left leaden flumber poize me down to-morrow,
When I fhould mount with wings of victory:
Once more, good night, kind Lords, and gentlemen.
[Exeunt. Manet Richmond.
O thou! whose Captain I account myself,
Look on my forces with a gracious eye:
Put in their hands thy bruifing irons of wrath,
That they may crush down with a heavy fall
Th' ufurping helmets of our adverfaries!
Make us thy minifters of chastisement,
That we may praise thee in thy victory.
To thee I do commend my watchful foul,
Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes:
Sleeping and waking, oh, defend me ftill!

[Sleeps.

SCENE, between the Tents of Richard and Richmond: They fleeping.

Enter the Ghost of Prince Edward, Son to Henry the Sixth.

Ghost. L

ET me fit heavy on thy foul to-morrow! [To K. Rich. Think, how thou ftab'd'ft me in the prime of youth At Tewksbury; therefore defpair and die.

Be cheerful, Richmond; for the wronged fouls

[To Richm.

Of butcher'd Princes fight in thy behalf;
King Henry's iffue, Richmond, comforts thee.

Enter the Ghoft of Henry the Sixth. Ghoft. When I was mortal, my anointed body

[To K. Rich.

By thee was punched full of deadly holes ;
Think on the Tower, and me; defpair, and die.
Henry the fixth bids thee despair, and die.

[To Richm.

Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror:
Harry, that prophefy'd thou should't be King,
Doth comfort thee in fleep; live thou and flourish.
Enter the Ghost of Clarence.

Ghoft. Let me fit heavy on thy foul to-morrow!

[To K. Rich.

I, that was wash'd to death in fulfom 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 off-fpring of the house of Lancaster, [To Richm. The wronged heirs of York do pray for thee; Good angels guard thy battle! live, and flourish.

Enter the Ghosts of Rivers, Gray, and Vaughan. Riv. Let me fit heavy on thy foul to-morrow!

[To K., Rich. Rivers, that dy'd at Pomfret: despair, and die. Gray. Think upon Gray, and let thy foul defpair. [To K. Rich. Vaugh. Think upon Vaughan, and with guilty fear Let fall thy lance! Richard, defpair and die.

[To K. Rich. All. Awake! and think, our wrongs in Richard's bosom Will conquer him. Awake, and win the day. [To Richm.

Enter the Ghost of Lord Haftings.

Ghoft. Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake; [To K. Rich. And in a bloody battle end thy days:

Think on Lord Haftings; and despair and die.

To Richm.

Quiet, untroubled foul, awake, awake!
Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's fake.

Enter

Enter the Ghosts of the two young Princes." Ghofts. Dream on thy coufins fmother'd in the Tower: Let us be lead within thy bofom, Richard, (24)

[To K. Rich. And weigh thee down to ruin, fhame, and death! Thy nephews fouls bid thee despair and die. Sleep, Richmond, fleep in peace; and wake in joy. [To Richm.

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

Enter the Ghost of Anne, his wife.

Ghoft. Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife, That never flept a quiet hour with thee, [To K. Rich. Now fills thy fleep with perturbations:

To-morrow in the battle think on me,

And fall thy edgelefs fword: defpair and die.

Thou, quiet foul, fleep thou a quiet fleep: [To Richm. Dream of fuccefs and happy victory,

Thy adverfary's wife doth pray for thee.

Enter the Ghost of Buckingham.

[To K. Rich.

Ghost. The first was, that help'd thee to the crown:
The laft was I, that felt thy tyranny.
O, in the battle think on Buckingham,
And die in terror of thy guiltinefs.

Dream on, dream on, of bloody deeds and death;
Fainting, defpair; despairing, yield thy breath.

(24) Let us be laid within thy bofom, Richard,] This is a poor feeble reading, which has obtain'd by corruption, ever fince the firk edition put out by the players: and, indeed, up as high as the quarte in 1602. But I have reftor'd from the elder quarto, publish'd in 1597, which Mr. Pope does not pretend to have feen;

Let us be lead within thy bofom, Richard.

This correfponds with what is faid in the line immediately following, And weigh thee down to ruin, fhame, and death!

And likewife with what the generality of the ghofts fay threateningly to Richard;

Let me fit heavy on thy foul to-morrow!

N 3