In the remembrance of so fair a dream, rection. Richm. Why, then 'tis time to arm and give di One raised in blood, and one in blood establish'd; A base foul stone, made precious by the foil Shall be this cold corpse on the earth's cold face; [Exeunt. Re-enter King RICHARD, RATCLIFF, Attendants, and K. Rich. What said Northumberland, as touching Rat. That he was never trained up in arms. • Throne. + Guard. * Requite. Forces. K. Rich. He said the truth: And what said Surrey then? Rat. He smiled and said, the better for our purpose. K. Rich. He was i' the right; And so, indeed, it is. [Clock strikes. Tell the clock there.-Give me a calendar.- Rat. Not I, my lord. K. Rich. Then he disdains to shine; for, by the book, He should have braved the east an hour ago: Ratcliff, Rat. My lord? K. Rich. The sun 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 shine to-day! Why, what is that to me, More than to Richmond? For the self-same heaven, That frowns on me, looks sadly 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:- Nor. A good direction, warlike sovereign.This found I on my tent this morning. [Giving a Scrowl. K. Rich. Jocky of Norfolk, be not too bold, [Reads. For Dickon thy master is bought and sold. A thing devised by the enemy. Go, gentlemen, every man unto his charge: Let not our babbling dreams affright our souls; Made it splendid. + The ancient familiarization of Richard. Conscience is but a word that cowards use, And not these bastard Bretagnes; whom our fathers Have in their own land beaten, bobb'd, and thump'd, And, on record, left them the heirs of shame. Shall these enjoy our lands? Lie with our wives? Ravish our daughters ?-Hark, I hear their drum. [Drum afar off. Fight, gentlemen of England! Fight, bold yeomen! Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head! Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood; Amaze the welkin with your broken staves +! Enter a MESSENGER. What says lord Stanley? Will he bring his power? head. Nor. My lord, the enemy is pass'd the marsh; After the battle let George Stanley die. K. Rich. A thousand hearts are great within my bosom: Advance our standards, set upon our foes; • Company. + Fright the skies with the shivers of your lances. Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George, [Exeunt. SCENE IV-Another Part of the Field. Alarum: Excursions.-Enter NORFOLK, and Forces ; to him CATESBY. Cate. Rescue, my lord of Norfolk, rescue, rescue! The king enacts more wonders than a man, Daring an opposite to every danger; His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights, Seeking for Richmond, in the throat of death: Rescue, fair lord, or else the day is lost! Alarum. Enter King RICHARD. K. Rich. A horse! a horse! My kingdom for a horse! Cate. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a horse. K. Rich, Slave, I have set my life upon a cast,. And I will stand the hazard of the die: I think, there be six Richmonds in the field; Five have I slain to-day, instead of him :A horse! a horse! My kingdom for a horse! [Exeunt. Alarums.-Enter King RICHARD and RICHMOND; and exeunt, fighting.-Retreat and Flourish.-Then enter RICHMOND, STANLEY, bearing the Crown, with divers other Lords, and Forces. Richm. God, and your armıs, be praised, victorious friends; The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead. Stan. Courageous Richmond, well hast thou acquit thee! Lo, here, this long-usurped royalty, From the dead temples of this bloody wretch Richm. Great God of heaven, say, amen, to all!But, tell me first, is young George Stanley living? Stan. He is, my lord, and safe in Leicester town; Whither, if it please you, we may now withdraw us. Richm. What men of name are slain on either side? Stan. John duke of Norfolk, Walter lord Ferrers, Sir Robert Brakenbury, and Sir William Brandon. Richm. Inter their bodies as becomes their birth. Proclaim a pardon to the soldiers fled, That in submission will return to us; And then, as we have ta'en the sacrament, O, now, let Richmond and Elizabeth, peace! Now civil wounds are stopp'd, peace lives again; That she may long live here, God say-Amen! [Exeunt. KING RICHARD III.-This is one of the most ce. Jebrated of our author's performances; yet I know not whether it has not happened to him as to others, to be praised most, when praise is not most deserved. That this play has scenes noble in them. selves, and very well contrived to strike in the exhibition, cannot be denied. But some parts are trifling, others shocking, and some improbable. JOHNSON. I agree entirely with Dr. Johnson in thinking that this play from its first exhibition to the present hour has been estimated greatly beyond its merit. From the many allusions to it in books of that age, and the great number of editions it passed through, I suspect it was more often represented and more admired than any of our author's tragedies. Its |