And every tongue brings in a several tale, Rat. My lord, K. Rich. Who's there? [cock Rat. Ratcliff, my lord; 'tis I. The early village Hath twice done salutation to the morn; Your friends are up, and buckle on their armour. K. Rich. O, Ratcliff, I have dream'd a fearful dream! [true? What think'st thou? will our friends prove all Rat. No doubt, my lord. K. Rich. Ratcliff, I fear, I fear,R. Nay, good my lord, be not afraid of shadows. K.Rich. By the apostle Paul, shadows to-night Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard, Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers, Arm'd 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 hear, if any mean to shrink from me. [Exeunt King Richard and Ratcliff. Came to my tent, and cried-On! victory! tion.- [He advances to the Troops. More than I have said, loving countrymen, The leisure and enforcement of the time Forbids to dwell on: Yet remember this,God, and our good cause, fight upon our side; The prayers of holy saints, and wronged souls, Like high-rear'd bulwarks, stand before our faces; Richard except, those, whom we fight against, A base foul stone, made precious by the foil Of England's chair, where he is falsely set; For me, the ransom of my bold attempt God, and saint George! Richmond, and victory! [Exeunt. Re-enter King Richard, Ratcliff, Attendants, and Forces. K. Rich. What said Northumberland, as touching Richmond? Rat. That he was never trained up in arms. K. Rich. He said the truth: And what said Surrey, then? [purpose. Rat. He smil'd and said, the better for our K. Rich. He was i' the right; and so, indeed, it is. Tell the clock there.-Give me a calendar.[Clock strikes. Who saw the sun to-day? Rat. Not I, my lord. K. Rich. Then he disdains to shine; for, by the book, He should have brav'd the east an hour ago: A black day will it be to somebody.— Ratcliff, Rat. My lord? The sky doth frown and lour upon our army. That frowns on me, looks sadly upon him. Nor. Arm, arm, my lord; the foe vaunts in Nor. A good direction, warlike sovereign. March on, join bravely, let us to't pell-mell; They would restrain the one, disdain the other. If we be conquer'd, let men conquer us, Enter a Messenger. What says lord Stanley? will he bring his power? K. Rich. A thousand hearts are great within my bosom: Advance our standards, set upon our foes; Our ancient word of courage, fair saint George, Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons! Upon them! Victory sits on our helms. [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! Daring an opposite to every danger; Alarum. Enter King Richard. K. Rich. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! 1 C. 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 arms, be prais'd, victorious friends; The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead. Stan. Courageous Richmond, well hast thou acquit thee! Lo, here, this long-usurp'd royalty, R. 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, [us. Whither, if it please you, we may now withdraw Richm. What men of name are slain on either side? [Ferrers, Stan. John duke of Norfolk, Walter lord Sir Robert Brackenbury, and Sir William Brandon. [births. Richm. Inter their bodies as becomes their Proclaim a pardon to the soldiers fled, That in submission will return to us; And, then, as we have ta'en the sacrament, We will unite the white rose with the red :Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction, That long hath frown'd upon their enmity!What traitor hears me, and says not-Amen? England hath long been mad, and scarr'd herself; The brother blindly shed the brother's blood, The father rashly slaughter'd his own son, The son, compell'd, been butcher to the sire; All this divided York and Lancaster, Divided, in their dire division.O, now, let Richmond and Elizabeth, The true succeeders of each royal house, By heaven's fair ordinance conjoin together! And let their heirs, (God, if thy will be so,) Enrich the time to come with smooth-fac'd peace, With smiling plenty, and fair prosperous days! Abate the edge of traitors, gracious lord, That would reduce these bloody days again, And make poor Englandweep in streams of blood! Let them not live to taste this land's increase, That would with treason wound this fair land's peace! Now civil wounds are stopp'd, peace lives again; That she may long live here, God say-Amen. [Exeunt. King Henry VIII. KING HENRY THE EIGHTH. Persons Represented. CAPUCIUS, Ambassador from the Emperor CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury. DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. DUKE OF SUFFOLK. EARL OF SURREY. GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester. BISHOP OF LINCOLN. LORD ABERGAVENNY. SIR HENRY GUILDFORD. SIR THOMAS LOVELL. GRIFFITH, Gentleman-usher to Queen Three other Gentlemen. DOCTOR BUTTS, Physician to the King. Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham. Page to Gardiner. A Crier. QUEEN KATHARINE, Wife to King Henry, afterwards divorced. ANNE BULLEN, her Maid of Honour; after- An old Lady, Friend to Anne Bullen. Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb shows; SCENE.-Chiefly in London and Westminster; once at Kimbolton. PROLOGUE. I come no more to make you laugh; things now, The play may pass; if they be still and willing, The first and happiest hearers of the town, As they were living; think you see them great, Nor. Then you lost The view of earthly glory: Men might say, Till this time, pomp was single; but now married To one above itself. Each following day Became the next day's master, till the last Made former wonders it's: To-day, the French, All clinquant,1 all in gold, like heathen gods, Shone down the English: and, to-morrow, they Made Britain, India: every man that stood, Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were As cherubin, all gilt: the madams too, Not us'd to toil, did almost sweat to bear The pride upon them, that their very labour Was to them as a painting: now this mask Was cry'd incomparable; and the ensuing night Made it a fool, and beggar. The two kings Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst, As presence did present them; him in eye, Still him in praise: and, being present both, "Twas said, they saw but one; and no discerner Durst wag his tongue in censure.2 When these [leng'd (For so they phrase them,) by their heralds chalThe noble spirits to arms, they did perform Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story, suns Surely, sir, Nor. There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends: For, being not propp'd by ancestry, (whose grace Chalks successors their way,) nor call'd upon For high feats done to the crown; neither allied To eminent assistants, but, spider-like, Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note, The force of his own merit makes his way; A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys A place next to the king. Aber. I cannot tell What heaven hath given him, let some graver eye Pierce into that; but I can see his pride Peep through each part of him: Whence has he If not from hell, the devil is a niggard; [that? Or has given all before, and he begins A new hell in himself. Buck. Why, Upon this French going-out, took he upon him, Without the privity o' the king, to appoint Who should attend on him? He makes up the file Of all the gentry; for the most part such Too, whom as great a charge as little honour He meant to lay upon: and his own letter,1 The honourable board of council out,2 Must fetch him in the papers. Aber. I do know Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have By this so sicken'd their estates, that never They shall abound as formerly. Buck. O, many Have broke their backs with laying manors on them Which is budded out; The ambassador is silenced? Marry, is't. Aber. A proper title of a peace; and purchas'd At a superfluous rate! Buck. Why, all this business Our reverend cardinal carried.4 Nor. 'Like it, your grace, The state takes notice of the private difference Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you, (And take it from a heart that wishes towards you Honour and plenteous safety,) that you read The cardinal's malice and his potency Together: to consider further, that What his high hatred would effect, wants not A minister in his power: You know his nature, That he's revengeful; and I know, his sword Hath a sharp edge: it's long, and, it may be said, It reaches far; and where 'twill not extend, Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel, You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that That I advise your shunning. [rock, Enter Cardinal Wolsey, (the Purse borne before him,)certain of the Guard, and two Secretaries with Papers. The Cardinal in his passage fixeth his eye on Buckingham, and Buckingham on him, both full of disdain. Wol. The duke of Buckingham's surveyor? ha! Where's his examination? 1 Secr. Here, so please you. Wol. Is he in person ready? 1 Secr. 1 Orders. 3 An old romance. 6 Lump of fat. Ay, please your grace. 3 (Note him down for duty.) 2 (The council unconsulted.) 4 Conducted. Wol. Well, we shall then know more; and Shall lessen this big look. [Buckingham [Exeunt Wolsey, and Train. B.This butcher's cur1 is venom-mouth'd, and I Have not the power to muzzle him: therefore best Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar's book Out-worths a noble's blood. Nor. What, are you chaf'd? Ask heaven for temperance; that's the appliance Which your disease requires. [only: Buck. I read in his looks Matter against me; and his eye revil'd Me, as his abject object: at this instant He bores2 me with some trick: He's gone to the I'll follow, and out-stare him. [king; Nor. Stay, my lord, And let your reason with your choler question What 'tis you go about: To climb steep hills Requires slow pace at first: Anger is like A full-hot horse; who being allow'd his way, Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England Can advise me like you; be to yourself As you would to your friend. Buck. I'll to the king, And from a mouth of honour quite cry down This Ipswich fellow's insolence; or proclaim, There's difference in no persons. Nor. Be advis'd: Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot Buck. Sir, I am thankful to you: and I'll go along As shore of rock. Attend. This holy fox, The articles o' the combination drew, As give a crutch to the dead: But our countcardinal 1 He was the son of a butcher. 2 Stabs. 8 Incites. Has done this, and 'tis well; for worthy Wolsey, Ere it was ask'd;-but when the way was made, Buck. No, not a syllable; I do pronounce him in that very shape, He shall appear in proof. Enter Brandon; a Sergeant at Arms before him, and two or three of the Guard. Bran. Your office, sergeant; execute it. Sir, My lord the duke of Buckingham, and earl Bran. Buck. Lo you, my lord, The net has fall'n upon me; I shall perish Under device and practice.1 I am sorry To see you ta'en from liberty, to look on The business present: 'Tis his highness' pleasure You shall to the Tower. Buck. It will help me nothing, To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me, Which makes my whitest part black. The will of heaven Be done in this and all things!-I obey.O my lord Aberga'ny, fare you well. Bran. Nay, he must bear you company:-The king [To Abergavenny. Is pleas'd, you shall to the Tower, till you know How he determines further. Aber. As the duke said, The will of heaven be done, and the king's By me obey'd. [pleasure Bran. Here is a warrant from The king, to attach lord Montacute; and the Of the duke's confessor, John de la Court, [bodies One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor,Buck. So, so; These are the limbs of the plot: no more, I hope. Bran. A monk o' the Chartreux. Buck. O, Nicholas Hopkins? Bran. He. Bu. My surveyor is false;the o'er-greatcardinal 1 Unfair stratagem. |