The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (96 page)

[To Richmond]

You descendant of the house of Lancaster,

the wronged heirs of York are praying for you.

May good angels stand by you in battle! Live and prosper!

Enter the GHOSTS of RIVERS, GREY, and VAUGHAN

GHOST OF RIVERS.[To RICHARD]Let me sit heavy in thy

soul to-morrow,

Rivers that died at Pomfret! Despair and die!

[To Richard] Let me sit heavily on your conscience tomorrow,

Rivers who died at Pomfret! Despair and die!

GHOST OF GREY.

[To RICHARD]Think upon Grey, and let

thy soul despair!

[To Richard] Think of Grey, and let your soul despair!

GHOST OF VAUGHAN.

[To RICHARD]Think upon Vaughan,

and with guilty fear

Let fall thy lance. Despair and die!

[To Richard] Think of Vaughan, and drop your lance

with guilty fear. Despair and die!

ALL.

[To RICHMOND]Awake, and think our wrongs in

Richard's bosom

Will conquer him. Awake and win the day.

Wake up, and believe that the wrong Richard has done

Will conquer him. Awake and be victorious.

Enter the GHOST of HASTINGS

GHOST.

[To RICHARD]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!

[To Richard] Bloody and guilty, wake up guilty,

and end your days in a bloody battle!

Think of Lord Hastings. Despair and die.

[to Richmond] Quiet untroubled soul, wake up, wake up!

Arm yourself, fight and conquer for the sake of fair England!

Enter the GHOSTS of the two young PRINCES

GHOSTS.

[To RICHARD]Dream on thy cousins smothered in

the Tower.

Let us be lead 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.

Dream of your cousins smothered in the tower.

Let us be like lead inside your heart, Richard,

and weigh you down to cause you ruin, shame and death!

The souls of your nephews order you to despair and die.

[To Richmond] Sleep, Richmond, sleep in peace, and wake happy;

may good angels guard you from the attacks of the boar!

Live, and be father to a happy line of kings!

Edward's unhappy sons order you to prosper.

Enter the GHOST of LADY ANNE, his wife

GHOST.

[To RICHARD]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.

[To Richard] Richard, your wife, wretched Anne your wife,

who never had a quiet hour of sleep with you

now fills your sleep with worry.

Think of me in battle tomorrow,

and let your blunt sword fall. Despair and die.

[ to Richmond] You innocent soul, sleep a quiet sleep;

dream of success and happy victory.

Your enemy's wife is praying for you.

Enter the GHOST of BUCKINGHAM

GHOST.

[To RICHARD]The first was I that help'd 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 angels fight on Richmond's side;

And Richard falls in height of all his pride.

[To Richard] I was the leader in helping you to the Crown;

I was the last one who suffered your tyranny.

Oh, in the battle think of Buckingham,

and die in terror at your guilt!

Dream on, dream of bloody deeds and death;

in your weakness, despair; when you despair, die!

[To Richmond] I died in despair before I could help you;

but be cheerful, do not be dismayed:

God and the good angels are fighting on your side;

and Richard shall fall at the height of his pride.

[The GHOSTS vanish. RICHARD starts out of his dream]

KING RICHARD.

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, stern murder, in the dir'st degree;

All several sins, all us'd 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 will pity me:

And 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.

Give me another horse! Bandage my wounds!

Have mercy, Jesus!–Wait, I was just dreaming.

You cowardly conscience, how you make me suffer!

The light is burning blue; it is now the stroke of midnight.

Cold sweat stands on my trembling skin.

What do I fear? Myself? There's no one else here;

Richard loves Richard, I am with me.

Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am!

Then run. What, from myself? Why should I,

unless I'm taking revenge? What, revenge on myself?

Alas, I love myself. Why? Have I done

myself any good?

Oh no, alas, I actually hate myself

for the hateful things I have done.

I am a villain–I'm lying, I am not!

Fool, speak well of yourself! Fool, do not flatter.

My conscience has several thousand voices,

and every voice has several stories,

and every story shows me to be a villain:

perjury, perjury of the highest order;

murder, terrible murder, of the worst type;

many sins, all explored to the fullest,

bear witness against me, all crying, ‘Guilty, guilty!’

I shall despair. There is no creature who loves me,

and if I die, no soul will pity me–

and why should they, since I can find

nothing in myself to pity?

I thought that the souls of all whom I had murdered

came to my tent, and every one threatened

that tomorrow Richard would suffer their revenge.

Enter RATCLIFF

RATCLIFF.

My lord!

My Lord!

KING RICHARD.

Zounds, who is there?

By God, 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.

It is I, my lord, Ratcliffe. The early cockerel

has greeted the morning twice;

your friends are up and arming themselves.

KING RICHARD.

O Ratcliff, I have dream'd a fearful dream!

What think'st thou-will our friends prove all true?

Oh Ratcliff, I had a terrible dream!

What do you think–will our friends all be loyal?

RATCLIFF.

No doubt, my lord.

There is no doubt, my lord.

KING RICHARD.

O Ratcliff, I fear, I fear.

Ratcliffe, I am afraid.

RATCLIFF.

Nay, good my lord, be not afraid of shadows.

No, my good lord, do not be afraid of shadows.

KING RICHARD.

By the apostle Paul, shadows to-night

Have stuck more terror to the soul of Richard

Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers

Armed in proof and led by shallow Richmond.

'Tis 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.

By the apostle Paul, tonight the shadows

have given the soul of Richard more terror

than the reality of ten thousand soldiers

armed to the teeth and led by pathetic Richmond.

It's not close to daylight yet. Come with me;

I shall listen in around our tents,

to see if anyone intends to fail me.

Exeunt

Enter the LORDS to RICHMOND sitting in his tent

LORDS.

Good morrow, Richmond!

Good day, Richmond!

RICHMOND.

Cry mercy, lords and watchful gentlemen,

That you have ta'en a tardy sluggard here.

Forgive me, lords and watchful gentlemen,

you are following a lazy man.

LORDS.

How have you slept, my lord?

How did you sleep, my lord?

RICHMOND.

The sweetest sleep and fairest-boding dreams

That ever ent'red 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.

I promise you my soul is very jocund

In the remembrance of so fair a dream.

How far into the morning is it, lords?

Since you left me, my lords, I have had

the sweetest sleep and the most propitious dreams

that ever came into a sleepy head.