If by the way they be not fought withal.

STANLEY

Well, hie thee to thy lord. Commend me to him.

Tell him the Queen hath heartily consented

He should espouse Elizabeth her daughter.

My letter will resolve him of my mind.

Farewell.

Exeunt severally

5.1 Enter the Duke of Buckingham with halberdiers, led by a Sheriff to execution

BUCKINGHAM

Will not King Richard let me speak with him?

SHERIFF

No, my good lord, therefore be patient.

BUCKINGHAM

Hastings, and Edward’s children, Gray and Rivers,

Holy King Henry and thy fair son Edward,

Vaughan, and all that have miscarried

By underhand, corrupted, foul injustice:

If that your moody, discontented souls

Do through the clouds behold this present hour,

Even for revenge mock my destruction.

This is All-Souls’ day, fellow, is it not?

SHERIFF It is.

BUCKINGHAM

Why then All-Souls’ day is my body’s doomsday.

This is the day which, in King Edward’s time,

I wished might fall on me, when I was found

False to his children and his wife’s allies.

This is the day wherein I wished to fall

By the false faith of him whom most I trusted.

This, this All-Souls’ day to my fearful soul

Is the determined respite of my wrongs.

That high all-seer which I dallied with

Hath turned my feigned prayer on my head,

And given in earnest what I begged in jest.

Thus doth he force the swords of wicked men

To turn their own points in their masters’ bosoms.

Thus Margaret’s curse falls heavy on my neck.

‘When he’, quoth she, ‘shall split thy heart with sorrow,

Remember Margaret was a prophetess.’

Come lead me, officers, to the block of shame.

Wrong hath but wrong, and blame the due of blame.

Exeunt

5.2 Enter Henry Earl of Richmond with a letter, the Earl of Oxford, Sir James Blunt, Sir Walter Herbert, and others, with drum and colours

HENRY EARL OF RICHMOND

Fellows in arms, and my most loving friends,

Bruised underneath the yoke of tyranny,

Thus far into the bowels of the land

Have we marched on without impediment,

And here receive we from our father Stanley

Lines of fair comfort and encouragement.

The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar,

That spoils your summer fields and fruitful vines,

Swills your warm blood like wash, and makes his trough

In your inbowelled bosoms, this foul swine

Lies now even in the centry of this isle,

Near to the town of Leicester, as we learn.

From Tamworth thither is but one day’s march.

In God’s name, cheerly on, courageous friends,

To reap the harvest of perpetual peace

By this one bloody trial of sharp war.

OXFORD

Every man’s conscience is a thousand swords

To fight against this guilty homicide.

HERBERT

I doubt not but his friends will turn to us.

BLUNT

He hath no friends but what are friends for fear,

Which in his dearest need will fly from him.

HENRY EARL OF RICHMOND

All for our vantage. Then, in God’s name, march.

True hope is swift, and flies with swallows’ wings;

Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.

Exeunt marching

5.3 Enter King Richard in arms, with the Duke of Norfolk, Sir Richard Ratcliffe, ⌈Sir William Catesby, and others⌉

KING RICHARD

Here pitch our tent, even here in Bosworth field.

Soldiers begin to pitch ⌈a tent⌉

Why, how now, Catesby? Why look you so sad?

⌈CATESBY⌉

My heart is ten times lighter than my looks.

KING RICHARD

My lord of Norfolk.

NORFOLK

Here, most gracious liege.

KING RICHARD

Norfolk, we must have knocks. Ha, must we not?

NORFOLK

We must both give and take, my loving lord.

KING RICHARD

Up with my tent! Here will I lie tonight.

But where tomorrow? Well, all’s one for that.

Who hath descried the number of the traitors?

NORFOLK

Six or seven thousand is their utmost power.

KING RICHARD

Why, our battalia trebles that account.

Besides, the King’s name is a tower of strength,

Which they upon the adverse faction want.

Up with the tent! Come, noble gentlemen,

Let us survey the vantage of the ground.

Call for some men of sound direction.

Let’s lack no discipline, make no delay—

For, lords, tomorrow is a busy day.

Exeunt ⌈at one door⌉

5.4 Enter ⌈at another door⌉ Henry Earl of Richmond, Sir James Blunt, Sir William Brandon, ⌈the Earl of Oxford, Marquis Dorset, and others⌉

HENRY EARL OF RICHMOND

The weary sun hath made a golden set,

And by the bright track of his fiery car

Gives token of a goodly day tomorrow.

Sir William Brandon, you shall bear my standard.

The Earl of Pembroke keeps his regiment;

Good Captain Blunt, bear my good night to him,

And by the second hour in the morning

Desire the Earl to see me in my tent.

Yet one thing more, good Captain, do for me:

Where is Lord Stanley quartered, do you know?

BLUNT

Unless I have mista’en his colours much,

Which well I am assured I have not done,

His regiment lies half a mile, at least,

South from the mighty power of the King.