Page 1252 - Shakespeare - Vol. 1

Now fills thy sleep with perturbations. [Exit.]
Tomorrow in the battle think on me,
And fall thy edgeless sword: despair and die.
To Richmond
Thou quiet soul, sleep thou a quiet sleep; [165]
Dream of success and happy victory.
Thy adversary’s wife doth pray for thee.

Enter the ghost of Buckingham.

GHOST OF BUCKINGHAM

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 of Buckingham, [170]
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. [175]
God and good angels fight on Richmond’s side;
And Richard fall in height of all his pride.
[Exit.]
Richard starteth up out of a 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! [180]
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 and I.
Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am! [185]
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 [190]