KING RICHARD THE THIRD

Act 5 Scene 6

(Enter King Richard, Sir Richard Ratcliffe, Sir William Catesby, and others)
l1l	King Richard	 What said Northumberland, as touching Richmond?
l2l	Ratcliffe	That he was never trainèd up in arms.
l3l	King Richard	He said the truth. And what said Surrey then?
l4l	Ratcliffe	He smiled and said, “The better for our purpose.”
l5l	King Richard	He was in the right, and so indeed it is.
		( 5 Clock strikes)
l6l		Tell the clock there. Give me a calendar.
l7l		Who saw the sun today?
		(A book is brought)
		
	Ratcliffe	 Not I, my lord.
l8l	King Richard	Then he disdains to shine, for by the book
l9l		He should have braved the east an hour ago.
l10l		A black day will it be to somebody.
l11l		Ratcliffe.
l12l	Ratcliffe	My lord?
	King Richard	The sun will not be seen today.
l13l		The sky doth frown and lour upon our army.
l14l		I would these dewy tears were from the ground.
l15l		Not shine today—why, what is that to me
l16l		More than to Richmond? For the selfsame heaven
l17l		That frowns on me looks sadly upon him.
		(Enter the Duke of Norfolk)
l18l	Norfolk	 Arm, arm, my lord! The foe vaunts in the field.
l19l	King Richard	Come, bustle, bustle! Caparison my horse.
		( 19 Richard arms)
l20l		Call up Lord Stanley, bid him bring his power.
		(Exit one)
l21l		I will lead forth my soldiers to the plain,
l22l		And thus my battle shall be orderèd.
l23l		My forward shall be drawn out all in length,
l24l		Consisting equally of horse add foot,
l25l		Our archers placèd strongly in the midst.
l26l		John Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Earl of Surrey,
l27l		Shall have the leading of this multitude.
l28l		They thus directed, we ourself will follow
l29l		In the main battle, whose puissance on both sides
l30l		Shall be well wingèd with our chiefest horse.
l31l		This, and Saint George to boot! What think’st thou, Norfolk?
l32l	Norfolk	A good direction, warlike sovereign.
		(He showeth him a paper)
l33l		This paper found I on my tent this morning.
l34l		(He reads)
		> “Jackie of Norfolk be not too bold,
l35l		For Dickon thy master is bought and sold.”
l36l	King Richard	 A thing devisèd by the enemy.—
l37l		Go, gentlemen, each man unto his charge.
l38l		Let not our babbling dreams affright our souls.
l39l		Conscience is but a word that cowards use,
l40l		Devised at first to keep the strong in awe.
l41l		Our strong arms be our conscience# swords, our law.
l42l		March on, join bravely! Let us to ’t, pell mell—
l43l		If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell.
		(His oration to his army)
l44l		What shall I say, more than I have inferred?
l45l		Remember whom you are to cope withal:
l46l		A sort of vagabonds, rascals and runaways,
l47l		A scum of Bretons and base lackey peasants,
l48l		Whom their o’ercloyèd country vomits forth
l49l		To desperate ventures and assured destruction.
l50l		You sleeping safe, they bring to you unrest#
l51l		You having lands and blessed with beauteous wives,
l52l		They would distrain the one, distain the other.
l53l		And who doth lead them, but a paltry fellow?
l54l		Long kept in Bretagne at our mother’s cost#
l55l		A milksop# one that never in his life
l56l		Felt so much cold as over shoes in snow.
l57l		Let’s whip these stragglers o’er the seas again,
l58l		Lash hence these overweening rags of France,
l59l		These famished beggars, weary of their lives,
l60l		Who—but for dreaming on this fond exploit—
l61l		For want of means, poor rats, had hanged themselves.
l62l		If we be conquered, let men conquer us,
l63l		And not these bastard Bretons, whom our fathers
l64l		Have in their own land beaten, bobbed, and thumped,
l65l		And in record left them the heirs of shame.
l66l		Shall these enjoy our lands? Lie with our wives?
l67l		Ravish our daughters?
		(Drum afar off)
		 Hark, I hear their drum.
l68l		Fight, gentlemen of England! Fight, bold yeomen!
l69l		Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head!
l70l		Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood!
l71l		Amaze the welkin with your broken staves!
		(Enter a Messenger)
l72l		What says Lord Stanley? Will he bring his power?
l73l	Messenger	My lord, he doth deny to come.
l74l	King Richard	Off with young George’s head!
l75l	Norfolk	My lord, the enemy is past the marsh.
l76l		After the battle let George Stanley die.
l77l	King Richard	A thousand hearts are great within my bosom.
l78l		Advance our standards! Set upon our foes!
l79l		Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
l80l		Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons.
l81l		Upon them! Victory sits on our helms!
		(Exeunt)