K. RICH. Why, what wouldst thou do there, before I go? RAT. Your highness told me I should post before.

Enter STANLEY.

K. RICH. My mind is chang'd.—Stanley, what news with you?

STAN. None good, my liege, to please you with the hear

ing;

Nor none so bad but well may be reported.

K. RICH. Heyday, a riddle! neither good nor bad!
What need'st thou run so many miles about,

When thou mayst tell thy tale the nearest way?
Once more, what news?

STAN.

Richmond is on the seas.

K. RICH. There let him sink, and be the seas on him!
White-liver'd runagate, what doth he there?

STAN. I know not, mighty sovereign, but by guess.
K. RICH. Well, as you guess?

STAN. Stirr'd up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton,
He makes for England, here to claim the crown.

K. RICH. Is the chair empty? Is the sword unsway'd? Is the king dead? the empire unpossess'd?

What heir of York is there alive but we?

And who is England's king but great York's heir?
Then, tell me, what makes he upon the seas?

STAN. Unless for that, my liege, I cannot guess.
K. RICH. Unless for that he comes to be your liege,
You cannot guess wherefore the Welshman comes.
Thou wilt revolt, and fly to him, I fear.

STAN. No, my good lord, therefore mistrust me not.
K. RICH. Where is thy power then, to beat him back?
Where be thy tenants and thy followers?

Are they not now upon the western shore,
Safe-conducting the rebels from their ships?

STAN. No, my good lord, my friends are in the north.
K. RICH. Cold friends to me: What do they in the north,

When they should serve their sovereign in the west?
STAN. They have not been commanded, mighty king:
Pleaseth your majesty to give me leave,

I'll muster up my friends, and meet your grace,

Where, and what time, your majesty shall please.

K. RICH. Ay, thou wouldst be gone to join with Richmond:

But I'll not trust thee.

STAN.

Most mighty sovereign,

You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful;

I never was, nor never will be, false.

K. RICH. Go then, and muster men.

But leave behind

Your son, George Stanley; look your heart be firm,
Or else his head's assurance is but frail.

STAN. So deal with him as I prove true to you.

Enter a Messenger.

[Exit STANLEY.

MESS. My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire,
As I by friends am well advertised,

Sir Edward Courtney, and the haughty prelate,
Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother,

With many more confederates, are in arms.

Enter another Messenger.

2 MESS. In Kent, my liege, the Guilfords are in arms; And every hour more competitors

Flock to the rebels, and their power grows strong.

Enter another Messenger.

3 MESS. My lord, the army of great BuckinghamK. RICH. Out on ye, owls! nothing but songs of death? [He strikes him.

There, take thou that, till thou bring better news.

3 MESS. The news I have to tell your majesty Is, that, by sudden floods and fall of waters, Buckingham's army is dispers'd and scatter'd; And he himself wander'd away alone,

No man knows whither.

K. RICH.

I cry thee mercy:

There is my purse, to cure that blow of thine.
Hath any well-advised friend proclaim'd

Reward to him that brings the traitor in?

3 MESS. Such proclamation hath been made, my liege.

Enter another Messenger.

4 MESS. Sir Thomas Lovel, and lord marquis Dorset,
"T is said, my liege, in Yorkshire are in arms.
But this good comfort bring I to your highness,
The Bretagne navy is dispers'd by tempest:
Richmond, in Dorsetshire, sent out a boat
Unto the shore, to ask those on the banks
If they were his assistants, yea, or no;
Who answer'd him, they came from Buckingham
Upon his party: he, mistrusting them,

Hois'd sail, and made his course again for Bretagne.

K. RICH. March on, march on, since we are up in arms;

If not to fight with foreign enemies,

Yet to beat down these rebels here at home.

Enter CATESBY.

CATE. My liege, the Duke of Buckingham is taken, That is the best news. That the earl of Richmond

Is with a mighty power landed at Milford,

Is colder news, but yet they must be told.

K. RICH. Away towards Salisbury; while we reason here

A royal battle might be won and lost:

Some one take order Buckingham be brought

To Salisbury-the rest march on with me.

SCENE V.-A Room in Lord Stanley's House.

[Exeunt.

Enter STANLEY and SIR CHRISTOPHER URSWICK.

STAN. Sir Christopher, tell Richmond this from me:That, in the sty of this most bloody boar,

My son George Stanley is frank'd up in hold;
If I revolt, off goes young George's head;
The fear of that holds off my present aid.
So, get thee gone; commend me to thy lord.
Withal, say, that the queen hath heartily consented
He shall espouse Elizabeth her daughter.

But, tell me, where is princely Richmond now?

CHRIS. At Pembroke, or at Ha'rford-west, in Wales.
STAN. What men of name resort to him?
CHRIS. Sir Walter Herbert, a renowned soldier;
Sir Gilbert Talbot, sir William Stanley;
Oxford, redoubted Pembroke, sir James Blunt,
And Rice ap Thomas, with a valiant crew;
And many other of great fame and worth:
And towards London do they bend their power,
If by the way they be not fought withal.

STAN. Well, hie thee to thy lord; I kiss his hand.
My letter will resolve him of my mind.
Farewell.

[Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I.-Salisbury. An open Place.

Enter the Sheriff and Guard, with BUCKINGHAM, led to

execution.

BUCK. Will not king Richard let me speak with him?
SHER. No, my good lord: therefore be patient.

BUCK. Hastings, and Edward's children, Grey, 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?

SHER. It is, my lord.

BUCK. Why, then All-Souls' day is my body's doomsday.

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

I wish'd might fall on me, when I was found
False to his children, and his wife's allies:
This is the day wherein I wish'd to fall

By the false faith of him whom I most trusted:

This, this All-Souls' day to my fearful soul,
Is the determin'd respite of my wrongs.
That high All-seer which I dallied with
Hath turn'd my feigned prayer on my head,
And given in earnest what I begg❜d in jest.
Thus doth he force the swords of wicked men

To turn their own points on 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 BUCKINGHAM, &c.

SCENE II-Plain near Tamworth.

Enter with drum and colours, RICHMOND, OXFORD, SIR JAMES BLUNT, SIR WALTER HERBERT, and others, with Forces, marching.

RICHM. Fellows in arms, and my most loving friends, Bruis'd underneath the yoke of tyranny,

Thus far into the bowels of the land

Have we march'd on without impediment;

And here receive we from our father Stanley

Lines of fair comfort and encouragement.

The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar,

That spoil'd your summer fields and fruitful vines,
Swills your warm blood like wash, and makes his trough

In your embowell'd bosoms,-this foul swine

Lies now even in the centre 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.

OXF. Every man's conscience is a thousand men,

To fight against this bloody homicide.

HERB. 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.