Richard III Translation Act 5, Scene 5
Alarum. Enter RICHARD and RICHMOND. They fight. RICHARD is slain. Retreat and flourish. Enter RICHMOND, STANLEY bearing the crown, with divers other lords and soldiers
RICHMOND
God and your arms be praised, victorious friends!The day is ours; the bloody dog is dead.
RICHMOND
May God and your swords be praised, victorious friends! The day is ours. The bloody dog is dead.
STANLEY
[offering him the crown] Courageous Richmond, well hast thou acquit thee. Lo, here this long-usurpèd royalty From the dead temples of this bloody wretch Have I plucked off, to grace thy brows withal. Wear it, enjoy it, and make much of it.
STANLEY
[Offering him the crown] Courageous Richmond, you fought well. See, I took this long-stolen crown from the dead forehead of that bloody wretch. Now let it grace your brows. Wear it, enjoy it, and do much with it.
RICHMOND
Great God of heaven, say amen to all!But tell me, is young George Stanley living?
RICHMOND
Great God of heaven, say amen to all of this! But tell me, is young George Stanley still alive?
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He is, my lord, and safe in Leicester town,Whither, if it please you, we may now withdraw us.
STANLEY
My lord, he is alive, and safe in Leicester, where we can now go, if you'd like.
RICHMOND
What men of name are slain on either side?
RICHMOND
What noblemen have been killed on either side?
STANLEY
John Duke of Norfolk, Walter, Lord Ferrers,Sir Robert Brakenbury, and Sir William Brandon.
STANLEY
John—the Duke of Norfolk; Lord Walter Ferrers; Sir Robert Brakenbury; and Sir William Brandon.
RICHMOND
Inter their bodies as becomes their births. Proclaim a pardon to the soldiers fled That in submission will return to us. And then, as we have ta'en the sacrament, We will unite the white rose and the red. Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction, That long have frowned upon their enmity. What traitor hears me and says not “Amen?” England hath long been mad and scarred herself. The brother blindly shed the brother’s blood. The father rashly slaughtered his own son. The son, compelled, been butcher to the sire. All this divided York and Lancaster, Divided, in their dire division. O, now let Richmond and Elizabeth, The true succeeders of each royal house, By God’s fair ordinance conjoin together, And let their heirs, God, if thy will be so, Enrich the time to come with smooth-faced peace, With smiling plenty and fair prosperous days! Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord, That would reduce these bloody days again, And make poor England weep in streams of blood! Let them not live to taste this land’s increase, That would with treason wound this fair land’s peace. Now civil wounds are stopped, peace lives again. That she may long live here, God say amen.
RICHMOND
Bury them in a manner appropriate to their social rank. Proclaim a pardon to the soldiers who fled, if they'll return and submit to me. And then—as I swore I would—I will marry Elizabeth, uniting the York and Lancaster families. God, smile upon this fair union now, after frowning so long upon the hatred between the two families. What traitor hears me and doesn't agree? England has been crazy for a long time, and injured herself. Brothers have blindly shed their brothers' blood. Fathers have impulsively slaughtered their own sons. Sons have been compelled to butcher their fathers. All this divided York and Lancaster even more, when they were already ominously divided. Oh, but now let Richmond and Elizabeth—the true heirs of each royal house—be joined together in holy marriage! And if God wills it, let their heirs enrich the future with peace, plenty, and beautiful, prosperous days! Gracious God, may you blunt the sharpness of traitors' swords and anyone who would bring back these violent days to make poor England weep tears of blood! If any would try to wound this land's fair peace with treason, then don't let them live to enjoy its prosperity. Now civil wounds are bandaged and can heal, and peace lives again. Long may she live here. Let God say amen!
Exeunt
