Aufsatz 
Richard III. in Shakespeares plays compared with Richard III. in history
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traitors. That he did not find it out in time was partly because he was not of a suspicious turn of mind, partly because they lmew too well how to hide their true disposition. The most dangerous spy was his attorney general, Morgan Kydwelly who knew all his master's plans, and betrayed them to Richmond. Another hidden enemy was Lord Stanley. At the beginning of Richard's reign he had been arrested with bisnop Morton and others, but had soon been released, and promoted to the highest dignities, and even when had been found out that his wife, Henry of Richmond's mother, was in secret intelligence with her son, even then Stanley remained unmolested in his place. But when at last Richard's suspicion was awaked by Sir William's ambiguous behaviour, he was closely watched, and was not allowed to leave the presence of Richard until having left his son, Lord Strange as a hostage in Richard's hands. Had the treacherous man been arrested at once, things would very likely have turned out quite differently. While Richard took his measures for repelling the intruders, Richmond had landed at Milford Haven in Wales(1st of August 1485), well received by the Welsh who saw in his landing the fulfillment of an old prediction, and silently advancing into the country, had nearly reached the middle of it before Richard knew anything of his landing. At this alarming news, however, he ordered his forces to assemble at Nottingham. The summons were promptly answered, only Lord Stanley, pretending illness, refused at first to come, but obeyed when his son implored him to think of his dangerous position. The city of York again showed her attachment to Richard by sending him 600 men in harness. So Richard was soon enabled to go to meet his enemy with about 16000 men, an army by far superior in every respect to his adversary's. The two armies soon stood face to face not far from Leicester, on a common called Bosworth Field. Richard looked pale and fatigued. In nervous excitement, less about the struggle itself that was imminent than on account of the doubtful faith of some of his chiefs, he had not slept well, and his sleep had been troubled by fearful dreams of which writers of after times and Shakespeare, too, have made supernatural visions foreboding his death as a punishment for his crimes. It was long after dawn on the 22nd of August when the decisive battle began, and there is no doubt but that Richard would have been successful, had all his chiefs done their duty, had not, in the midst of the battle, the one of the Stanleys, who had posted his 5000 men at some distance behind Richard's battle-line, passed over to Henry, and the Earl of Northumber- land, instead of supporting his master, remained inactive. Seeing this treason of his leaders, and the death of his best friends, Richard left his central position, rushed towards the spot where his mortal enemy was standing, cut down every one in his way that dared oppose him, and would have reached, and very likely killed Henry, had not Sir William Stanley, seeing the imminent danger of Richmond, left his neutral position, joined Henry, and surrounded Richard, and his few brave companions. It is said, that when Catesby saw the first suspicious movements of Stanley, he brought Richard a fresh horse imploring him to save his life by flight, but that Richard refused to do so saying: Not one foot will I fly so long as breath bides within my breast; for by Him that shaped both sea and land, this day shall end my battles or my life; I will die King of Eng- land. And so he fought on cutting down every one that approached him; his followers fell one by one at his side, yet Richard fought on, he fought on still for a time when he was quite alone in the midst of his enemies. But at last he was overpowered, his strength being exhausted by the utmost exertions, and loss of blood, and he received the fatal stroke. When his men saw their king cut down they fled in all directions hotly pursued by the victors. The most zealous friends