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Have ftruck more terror to the foul of Richard,
Than can the fubftance of ten thoufand foldiers,
Armed in proof, and led by fhallow Richmond.
It is not yet near day. Come, go with me;
Under our tents I'll play the eaves-dropper,
To hear, if any mean to fhrink from me.

[Exeunt King RICHARD and RATCLIFF.

RICHMOND wakes. Enter OXFORD and Others.

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 fweetest sleep, and fairest-boding dreams,

That ever enter'd in a drowsy 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.

Rich. Why, then 'tis time to arm, and give direction.

[He advances to the troops.

More than I have faid, loving countrymen,

The leisure and enforcement of the time
Forbids to dwell on: Yet remember this,-
God, and our good caufe, fight upon our fide;
The
prayers of holy faints, and wronged fouls,
Like high-rear'd bulwarks, stand 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

'L

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 stone, 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 sweat 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 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 these rights,
Advance your standards, draw your willing fwords:
For me, the ranfom of my bold attempt

Shall be this cold corpfe on the earth's cold face;
But if I thrive, the gain of my attempt

The least of you shall share his part thereof.
Sound, drums and trumpets, boldly and cheerfully;
God, and faint George! Richmond, and victory!

[Exeunt.

Re-enter King RICHARD, RATCLIFF, Attendants, and

Forces.

K. Rich. What faid Northumberland, as touching Rich

mond?

Rat. That he was never trained up in arms.

K. Rich. He faid the truth: And what said Surrey then?

Rat.

Rat. He fmil'd and faid, the better for our purpose.
K. Rich. He was i'the right; and fo, indeed, it is.
[Clock ftrikes.

Tell the clock there.-Give me a calendar.-
Who faw the fun to-day?

Rat.

Not I, my lord.

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

A black day will it be to fomebody.—

Ratcliff,

Rat. My lord?

K. Rich.

The fun will not be seen to day;

The sky doth frown and lour upon our army.
I would, these dewy tears were from the ground.
Not fhine to-day! Why, what is that to me,
More than to Richmond? for the self-fame heaven,
That frowns on me, looks fadly upon him.

Enter NORFOLK.

Nor. Arm, arm, my lord; the foe vaunts in the field. K. Rich. Come, bustle, bustle ;-Caparison my horse ;Call up lord Stanley, bid him bring his power :I will lead forth my foldiers to the plain,

And thus my battle fhall be ordered.

My foreward fhall be drawn out all in length,
Confifting equally of horfe and foot;

Our archers shall be placed in the midst :
John duke of Norfolk, Thomas earl of Surrey,
Shall have the leading of this foot and horse.
They thus directed, we ourself will follow
In the main battle; whofe puiffance on either fide
Shall be well winged with our chiefeft horse.

This,

This, and faint George to boot!-What think'st thou,

Norfolk ?

Nor. A good direction, warlike sovereign.

This found I on my tent this morning. [Giving a fcrowl. K. Rich. Jocky of Norfolk, be not too bold,

For Dickon thy mafter is bought and fold.

A thing devised by the enemy.

[reads.

Go, gentlemen, every mán unto his charge:
Let not our babbling dreams affright our fouls;
Confcience is but a word that cowards ufe,
Devis'd at first to keep the ftrong in awe;
Our strong arms be our confcience, fwords our law.
March on, join bravely, let us to't pell-mell;
If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell.-
What fhall I fay more than I have infer'd?
Remember whom you are to cope withal ;-
A fort of vagabonds, rafcals, and run-aways,
A fcum of Bretagnes, and bafe lackey peasants,
Whom their o'er-cloyed country vomits forth
To defperate ventures and affur'd deftruction.
You fleeping fafe, they bring you to unreft;
You having lands, and blefs'd with beauteous wives,
They would restrain the one, diftain the other.
And who doth lead them, but a paltry fellow,
Long kept in Bretagne at our mother's cost?
A milk-fop, one that never in his life
Felt fo much cold as over fhoes in fnow?
Let's whip thefe ftragglers o'er the feas again;
Lash hence thefe 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

S,

r law.

wives,

What fays lord Stanley? will he bring his
Mef. My lord, he doth deny to come.
K. Rich. Off inftantly with his fon Geo
Nor. My lord, the enemy is pafs'd the
After the battle let George Stanley die.
K. Rich. A thousand hearts are great wi
Advance our standards, fet upon our foes
Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint C
Infpire us with the spleen of fiery dragon
Upon them! Victory fits on our helms.

SCENE IV.

Another part of the field.

Alarum. Excurfions.

Enter NORFOLK, a

lves:

CATESBY.

Cate. Refcue, my lord of Norfolk, ref The king enacts more wonders than a ma Daring an oppofite to every danger ;,

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