Enter the Ghost of King Henry VI
Ghost of King Henry VI [To KING RICHARD III]
When I was mortal, my anointed body By thee was punched 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!
Enter the Ghost of CLARENCE Ghost of CLARENCE [To KING RICHARD III]
Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow!
I, that was wash'd to death with fulsome wine, Poor Clarence, by thy guile betrayed 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!
Enter the Ghosts of RIVERS, GRAY, and VAUGHAN Ghost of RIVERS [To KING RICHARD III]
Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow, Rivers. that died at Pomfret! despair, and die! Ghost of GREY [To KING RICHARD III]
Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair! Ghost of VAUGHAN [To KING RICHARD III]
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!
Enter the Ghost of HASTINGS Ghost of HASTINGS [To KING RICHARD III]
Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake, And in a bloody battle end thy days!
Think on Lord Hastings: despair, and die!
To RICHMOND
Quiet untroubled soul, awake, awake!
Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's sake!
Enter the Ghosts of the two young Princes Ghosts of young Princes [To KING RICHARD III]
Dream on thy cousins smother'd in the Tower:
Let us be led within thy bosom, Richard, And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death!
Thy nephews' souls bid thee despair and die!
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.
Enter the Ghost of LADY ANNE Ghost of LADY ANNE [To KING RICHARD III]
Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife, That never slept a quiet hour with thee, 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.
Enter the Ghost of BUCKINGHAM
Ghost of BUCKINGHAM [To KING RICHARD III]
The last was I that helped 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 angel fight on Richmond's side;
And Richard falls in height of all his pride.
The Ghosts vanish KING RICHARD III starts out of his dream KING RICHARD III 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, stem murder, in the direst degree;
All several sins, all used 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 murder'd Came to my tent; and every one did threat To-morrow's vengeance on the head of Richard.
Enter RATCLIFF RATCLIFF My lord! KING RICHARD III 'Zounds! who is there? RATCLIFF Ratcliff, my lord; 'tis I. The early village-cock Hath twice done salutation to the morn;
Your friends are up, and buckle on their armour. KING RICHARD III O Ratcliff, I have dream'd a fearful dream!
What thinkest thou, will our friends prove all true? RATCLIFF No doubt, my lord. KING RICHARD III O Ratcliff, I fear, I fear,-- RATCLIFF Nay, good my lord, be not afraid of shadows. KING RICHARD III By the apostle Paul, shadows to-night Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers Armed in proof, and led by shallow Richmond.
It is not yet near day. Come, go with me;
Under our tents I'll play the eaves-dropper, To see if any mean to shrink from me.
Exeunt Enter the Lords to RICHMOND, sitting in his tent LORDS Good morrow, Richmond! RICHMOND Cry mercy, lords and watchful gentlemen, That you have ta'en a tardy sluggard here. LORDS How have you slept, my lord? RICHMOND The sweetest sleep, and fairest-boding dreams That ever enter'd in a drowsy head, Have I since your departure had, my lords.
Methought their souls, whose bodies Richard murder'd, Came to my tent, and cried on victory: