Let us consult upon to-morrow's business;
In to my tent, the air is raw and cold.

[They withdraw into the Tent.

Enter, to his Tent, King RICHARD, NORFOLK, RATCLIFF, and CATESBY.

K. Rich. What is't o'clock?

Cate.

It's nine o'clock.

K. Rich.

It's supper time, my lord;

I will not sup to-night.

Give me some ink and paper.

What, is my beaver easier than it was?

And all my armour laid into my tent?

Cate. It is, my liege; and all things are in readiness.

K. Rich. Good Norfolk, hie thee to thy charge; Use careful watch, choose trusty sentinels.

Nor. I go, my lord.

K. Rich. Stir with the lark to-morrow, gentle

Norfolk.

Nor. I warrant you, my lord.

K. Rich. Ratcliff,

Rat. My lord?

K. Rich.

[Exit.

Send out a pursuivant at arms

To Stanley's regiment; bid him bring his power
Before sun-rising, lest his son George fall

Into the blind cave of eternal night.

Fill me a bowl of wine.-Give me a watch:'[TO CATESBY.

9 It's nine o'clock.] I think, we ought to read-six instead of nine, as in the quarto edition. A supper at so late an hour as nine o'clock, in the year 1485, would have been a prodigy. STEEVENS.

Give me a watch:] A watch has many significations, but I should believe that it means in this place not a sentinel, which would be regularly placed at the king's tent; nor an instrument to measure time, which was not used in that age; but a watchlight, a candle to burn by him; the light that afterwards burnt blue. JOHNSON.

Saddle white Surrey for the field to-morrow.--Look that my staves' be sound, and not too heavy. Ratcliff,

Rat. My lord?

K. Rich. Saw'st thou the melancholy lord Northumberland?3

Rat. Thomas the earl of Surrey, and himself, Much about cock-shut time, from troop to troop, Went through the army, cheering up the soldiers.

K. Rich. I am satisfied. Give me a bowl of wine: I have not that alacrity of spirit,

Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.-
So, set it down.-Is ink and paper ready?
Rat. It is, my lord.

K. Rich.

Bid my guard watch; leave me.

About the mid of night, come to my tent

And help to arm me.-Leave me, I say.

[King RICHARD retires into his Tent. Exeunt RATCLIFF and CATESBY.

RICHMOND'S Tent opens, and discovers him and his Officers, &c.

Enter STANLEY.

Stan. Fortune and victory sit on thy helm!
Richm. All comfort that the dark night can afford,

Be to thy person, noble father-in-law!

Tell me, how fares our loving mother?

Stan. I, by attorney,' bless thee from thy mo

ther,

Who prays continually for Richmond's good:
So much for that.-The silent hours steal on,

3

2 Look that my staves-] Staves are the wood of the lances. the melancholy lord Northumberland?] Richard calls him melancholy, because he did not join heartily in his cause.

4 Cock-shut time,] i. e. twilight.

5 by attorney,] By deputation.

And flaky darkness breaks within the east.
In brief, for so the season bids us be,
Prepare thy battle early in the morning;
And put thy fortune to the arbitrement
Of bloody strokes, and mortal-staring war,"
I, as I may, (that which I would, I cannot,)
With best advantage will deceive the time,7
And aid thee in this doubtful shock of arms:
But on thy side I may not be too forward,
Lest, being seen, thy brother tender George
Be executed in his father's sight.

Farewell: The leisure and the fearful time
Cuts off the ceremonious vows of love,
And ample interchange of sweet discourse,
Which so long sunder'd friends should dwell upon;
God give us leisure for these rites of love!
Once more, adieu:-Be valiant, and speed well!
Richm. Good lords, conduct him to his regiment:
I'll strive, with troubled thoughts, to take a nap;
Lest leaden slumber peise me down to-morrow,*
When I should mount with wings of victory:
Once more, good night, kind lords and gentlemen.
Exeunt Lords, &c. with STANLEY.
O Thou! whose captain I account myself,
Look on my forces with a gracious eye;
Put in their hands thy bruising irons of wrath,
That they may crush down with a heavy fall
The usurping helmets of our adversaries!
Make us thy ministers of chastisement,
That we may praise thee in thy victory!

6 mortal-staring war,] I suppose, by mortal-staring war is meant-war that looks big, or stares fatally on its victims.

7 I, as I may,

STEEVENS.

With best advantage will deceive the time,] I will take the best opportunity to elude the dangers of this conjuncture.

8

peise me down to-morrow,] To peize, i. e. to weigh down, from peser, French,

To thee I do commend my watchful soul,
Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes;
Sleeping, and waking, O, defend me still!

[Sleeps.

The Ghost of Prince EDWARD, Son to HENRY the Sixth, rises between the two Tents.

Ghost. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow!

[To King RICHARD. Think, how thou stab'dst me in my prime of youth At Tewksbury; Despair therefore, and die!Be cheerful, Richmond; for the wronged souls Of butcher'd princes fight in thy behalf: King Henry's issue, Richmond, comforts thee.

The Ghost of King HENRY the Sixth rises. Ghost. When I was mortal, my anointed body [To King RICHArd. 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.— Virtuous and holy, be thou conqueror!

[TO RICHMOND.

Harry, that prophecy'd thou should'st be king,' Doth comfort thee in thy sleep; Live, and flourish'

The Ghost of CLARENCE rises.

Ghost. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow! [To King RICHARD. I, that was wash'd to death with fulsome wine, Poor Clarence, by thy guile betray'd to death! To-morrow in the battle think on me,

And fall thy edgeless sword;' Despair, and die!—

9 Harry, that prophecy'd thou should'st be king,] The prophecy, to which this allusion is made, was uttered in one of the parts of Henry the Sixth.

Thou offspring of the house of Lancaster,

[TO RICHMOND. for thee;

he wronged heirs of York do pray ood angels guard thy battle! Live, and flourish !

he Ghosts of RIVERS, GREY, and VAUGHAN, rise. Riv. Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow, [To King RICHARD. ivers, that died at Pomfret! Despair, and die! Grey. Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair! [To King RICHARD.

Vaugh. Think upon Vaughan; and, with guilty

fear,

Let fall thy lance! Despair, and die!

All. Awake! and think, our wrongs in Richard's

bosom

[To King RICHArd.

[TO RICHMOND.

Will conquer him;-awake, and win the day!

The Ghost of HASTINGS rises.

Ghost. Bloody and guilty, guiltily awake!

[To King RICHard.

And in a bloody battle end thy days!

Think on lord Hastings; and despair, and die!Quiet untroubled soul, awake, awake!

[TO RICHMOND. Arm, fight, and conquer, for fair England's sake!

The Ghosts of the Two young Princes rise. Ghosts. Dream on thy cousins smother'd in the Tower,

Let us be lead within thy bosom, Richard,
And weigh thee down to ruin, shame, and death!

And fall thy edgeless sword;] Fall, in the present instance, is a verb active, signifying to drop, or let fall.