William Shakespeare: The Life and Death of King Richard III

ACT V. 3. SCENE III. Bosworth Field. (continued)

GHOST OF RIVERS.
[To KING RICHARD.] Let me sit heavy in thy soul to-morrow,
Rivers that died at Pomfret! despair and die!

GHOST OF GREY.
[To KING RICHARD.] Think upon Grey, and let thy soul despair!

GHOST OF VAUGHAN.
[To KING RICHARD.] Think upon Vaughan, and, with guilty fear,
Let fall thy lance: despair and die!--

ALL THREE.
[To RICHMOND.] Awake, and think our wrongs in Richard's bosom
Will conquer him!--awake, and win the day!

[The GHOST of HASTINGS rises.]

GHOST.
[To KING 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!

[The Ghosts of the two young PRINCES rise.]

GHOSTS.
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!--
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.

[The GHOST of QUEEN ANNE rises.]

GHOST.
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.

[The Ghost of BUCKINGHAM rises.]

GHOST.
[To KING 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.