Clifford, I say, come forth and fight with me:
Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland,
Warwick is hoarse with calling thee to arms.

Enter YORK

How now, my noble lord! what, all a-foot?
YORK. The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed,
But match to match I have encounter'd him,
And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
Even of the bonny beast he loved so well.

Enter CLIFFORD

WAR. Of one or both of us the time is come. YORK. Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chase,

For I myself must hunt this deer to death.

WAR. Then, nobly, York; 't is for a crown thou fight'st.

As I intend, Clifford, to thrive to-day,

It grieves my soul to leave thee unassail'd.

[Exit.

CLIF. What seest thou in me, York? why dost thou

pause?

10

YORK. With thy brave bearing should I be in love, 20 But that thou art so fast mine enemy.

CLIF. Nor should thy prowess want praise and

esteem

But that 't is shown ignobly and in treason.

YORK. So let it help me now against thy sword, As I in justice and true right express it.

CLIF. My soul and body on the action both! YORK. A dreadful lay! Address thee instantly. [They fight, and Clifford falls.

[Dies.

CLIF. La fin couronne les œuvres.
YORK. Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou art

still.

Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will!

Enter young CLIFFORD

[Exit. 30

Y. CLIF. Shame and confusion! all is on the rout; Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds

Where it should guard. O war, thou son of hell,
Whom angry heavens do make their minister,
Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part
Hot coals of vengeance! Let no soldier fly.
He that is truly dedicate to war

Hath no self-love, nor he that loves himself

Hath not essentially but by circumstance

The name of valour. [Seeing his dead father] O, let the vile world end,

And the premised flames of the last day

27 lay] wager, stake.

28 La fin... œuvres] Cf. All's Well, IV, iv, 35: The fine's the crown, an English version of this proverb, which is best known in its Latin form "Finis coronat opus."

29 Thus war .. peace] There is no historic foundation for the death

of Clifford at York's hand. He was killed by the rank and file of the enemy in a desperate charge. Cf. 3 Hen. VI, I, i, 7, where the facts are correctly narrated.

35 part] party, side. Cf. line 87, infra.

39 not essentially but by circumstance] not by nature but by accident. 41 premised] sent before their time, premature.

40

Knit earth and heaven together!

Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds

To cease! Wast thou ordain'd, dear father,
To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve
The silver livery of advised age,

And, in thy reverence and thy chair-days, thus
To die in ruffian battle? Even at this sight

My heart is turn'd to stone: and while 't is mine,
It shall be stony. York not our old men spares;
No more will I their babes: tears virginal
Shall be to me even as the dew to fire,
And beauty that the tyrant oft reclaims
Shall to my flaming wrath be oil and flax.
Henceforth I will not have to do with pity:
Meet I an infant of the house of York,
Into as many gobbets will I cut it
As wild Medea young Absyrtus did:
In cruelty will I seek out my fame.
Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford's house:
As did Æneas old Anchises bear,

So bear I thee upon my manly shoulders;

47 advised age] wise experience.

48 in thy reverence] in the period of life which entitles you to reverence. chair-days] Cf. 1 Hen. VI, IV, v, 5, and note.

58 gobbets] fragments. See note on IV, i, 85, supra.

59 Medea] The story that Medea, when fleeing from Colchos with Jason,

murdered her young brother Absyrtus and hacked his body into pieces, so as to delay her father's pursuit of her, is told by Ovid in Tristia, III, Elegy 9.

50

60

But then Æneas bare a living load,

Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine.

[Exit, bearing off his father.

Enter RICHARD and SOMERSET to fight. SOMERSET is killed

RICH. So, lie thou there;

For underneath an alehouse' paltry sign,

The Castle in Saint Alban's, Somerset

Hath made the wizard famous in his death.
Sword, hold thy temper; heart, be wrathful still:
Priests pray for enemies, but princes kill.

[Exit.

Fight. Excursions. Enter KING, QUEEN, and others QUEEN. Away, my lord! you are slow; for shame,

away!

KING. Can we outrun the heavens? good Margaret,

stay.

QUEEN. What are you made of? you 'll nor fight nor

fly:

Now is it manhood, wisdom and defence,

To give the enemy way, and to secure us
By what we can, which can no more but fly.

[Alarum afar off.

If
you be ta'en, we then should see the bottom
Of all our fortunes: but if we haply scape,
As well we may, if not through your neglect,

69 the wizard famous in his death] a reference to the spirit's prediction about Somerset, I, iv, 34 seq. and 66 seq.: “Let him shun castles,” etc. Somerset is slain before an alehouse bearing the sign of "The Castle."

70

80

We shall to London get, where you are loved,

And where this breach now in our fortunes made
May readily be stopp'd.

Re-enter young CLIFFORD

Y. CLIF. But that my heart's on future mischief set,

I would speak blasphemy ere bid you fly:
But fly you must; uncurable discomfit
Reigns in the hearts of all our present parts.
Away, for your relief! and we will live

To see their day and them our fortune give:
Away, my lord, away!

[Exeunt. 90

SCENE III - FIELDS NEAR SAINT ALBAN'S

Alarum. Retreat. Enter YORK, RICHARD, WARWICK, and
Soldiers, with drum and colours

YORK. Of Salisbury, who can report of him,
That winter lion, who in rage forgets
Aged contusions and all brush of time,
And, like a gallant in the brow of youth,

86 uncurable discomfit] irremediable discomfiture, irretrievable disaster. 87 parts] party. Cf. line 35, supra: "our part." This is the Folio reading. Dyce substituted part.

3 Aged... time] The contusions or injuries of age and the rub of time. 4 brow] height, full flush, as of the brow of a hill. Cf. K. John, V, vi, 17: "in the black brow of night."