Enter King Richard, Ratcliffe, and Soldiers. RICHARD
What said Northumberland as touching Richmond? RATCLIFFE
That he was never trainèd up in arms. RICHARD
He said the truth. And what said Surrey then? RATCLIFFE
He smiled and said “The better for our purpose.” RICHARD
He was in the right, and so indeed it is. 290 The clock striketh. Tell the clock there. Give me a calendar. He looks in an almanac. Who saw the sun today? RATCLIFFE Not I, my lord. RICHARD
Then he disdains to shine, for by the book
He should have braved the east an hour ago. 295
A black day will it be to somebody.
Ratcliffe! RATCLIFFE
My lord. RICHARD The sun will not be seen today.
The sky doth frown and lour upon our army. 300
I would these dewy tears were from the ground.
Not shine today? Why, what is that to me
More than to Richmond, for the selfsame heaven
That frowns on me looks sadly upon him. | [Note: In the Folger's edition, this is still Scene 3.] As Richmond takes to the field, Richard is still trying to get the weather report. He notes that the sun should have risen an hour ago but has yet to show. With the sun hiding and the sky crying, Richard thinks it's shaping up to be a bad day. Still, Richard figures the same heaven is looking over Richmond, so maybe a dark day is in store for everyone. |
NORFOLK
Arm, arm, my lord. The foe vaunts in the field. 305 RICHARD
Come, bustle, bustle. Caparison my horse.—
Call up Lord Stanley; bid him bring his power.—
I will lead forth my soldiers to the plain,
And thus my battle shall be orderèd:
My foreward shall be drawn out all in length, 310
Consisting equally of horse and foot;
Our archers shall be placèd in the midst.
John Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Earl of Surrey,
Shall have the leading of this foot and horse.
They thus directed, we will follow 315
In the main battle, whose puissance on either side
Shall be well wingèd with our chiefest horse.
This, and Saint George to boot!—What think’st
thou, Norfolk? | Richard moves to gather his men and hastily throws out their battle plan. |
NORFOLK
A good direction, warlike sovereign. 320
He sheweth him a paper.
This found I on my tent this morning. RICHARD reads
Jockey of Norfolk, be not so bold.
For Dickon thy master is bought and sold.
A thing devisèd by the enemy.—
Go, gentlemen, every man unto his charge. 325
Let not our babbling dreams affright our souls.
Conscience is but a word that cowards use,
Devised at first to keep the strong in awe.
Our strong arms be our conscience, swords our law.
March on. Join bravely. Let us to it pell mell, 330
If not to heaven, then hand in hand to hell. His oration to his army. What shall I say more than I have inferred?
Remember whom you are to cope withal,
A sort of vagabonds, rascals, and runaways,
A scum of Bretons and base lackey peasants, 335
Whom their o’ercloyèd country vomits forth
To desperate adventures and assured destruction.
You sleeping safe, they bring to you unrest;
You having lands and blessed with beauteous wives,
They would restrain the one, distain the other. 340
And who doth lead them but a paltry fellow,
Long kept in Brittany at our mother’s cost,
A milksop, one that never in his life
Felt so much cold as overshoes in snow?
Let’s whip these stragglers o’er the seas again, 345
Lash hence these overweening rags of France,
These famished beggars weary of their lives,
Who, but for dreaming on this fond exploit,
For want of means, poor rats, had hanged
themselves. 350
If we be conquered, let men conquer us,
And not these bastard Bretons, whom our fathers
Have in their own land beaten, bobbed, and
thumped,
And in record left them the heirs of shame. 355
Shall these enjoy our lands, lie with our wives,
Ravish our daughters? Drum afar off.
Hark, I hear their drum.
Fight, gentlemen of England.—Fight, bold
yeomen.— 360
Draw, archers; draw your arrows to the head.—
Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood.
Amaze the welkin with your broken staves.— Enter a Messenger. What says Lord Stanley? Will he bring his power? | John, Duke of Norfolk then shows Richard a note that was stuck onto his tent, amounting to "You guys are done for, and no one will stay on your side." Richard chooses to ignore the message (because what else is he going to do, give up?) and proceeds to give a little speech suggesting that conscience is for cowards. Essentially, Richard would have his men rely on their brass and brawn. Richard's pep talk to the troops essentially consists of, "They're coming from France [Bretons, from Brittany] and Wales. We're English. Hello, we'll crush them!" Richard calls Richmond a "milksop" and suggests that their duty as Englishman is to do what their forefathers have long done before them: to defeat those sniveling cowards. |
MESSENGER My lord, he doth deny to come. 365 RICHARD Off with his son George’s head! NORFOLK
My lord, the enemy is past the marsh.
After the battle let George Stanley die. RICHARD
A thousand hearts are great within my bosom.
Advance our standards. Set upon our foes. 370
Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons.
Upon them! Victory sits on our helms. They exit. | Richard is interrupted in his speech by the entrance of a messenger bringing news that Lord Stanley has no intention of bringing his troops to battle. Since there isn't time right now to kill George Stanley, Richard will have to do it after the battle. He leads his men off with the "spleen of fiery dragons." |