* But let us hence, my fovereign, to provide * A falve for any fore that may betide.

[Exeunt King HENRY, WAR. CLAR. Lieut. and Attendants.

SOM. My lord, I like not of this flight of Edward's:

* For, doubtless, Burgundy will yield him help; *And we fhall have more wars, before't be long. * As Henry's late prefaging prophecy

* Did glad my heart, with hope of this young Richmond;

* So doth my heart mifgive me, in these conflicts *What may befall him, to his harm, and ours: *Therefore, lord Oxford, to prevent the worst, * Forthwith we'll fend him hence to Britany, *Till forms be paft of civil enmity.

*OXF. Ay; for, if Edward repoffefs the crown, * 'Tis like, that Richmond with the reft fhall down. *SOM. It fhall be fo; he fhall to Britany. * Come therefore, let's about it speedily.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.5

Before York.

Enter King EDWARD, GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and Forces.

'K. EDW. Now, brother Richard," lord 7 Haftings, and the reft;

Scene VII.] This fcene in the old play precedes that which Shakspeare has made the fixth of the prefent A&t. MALONE.

Now, brother Richard, &c.] Inftead of this and the three following fpeeches, the quartos read only:

Yet thus far fortune maketh us amends, And fays-that once more I fhall interchange My waned ftate for Henry's regal crown. Well have we pafs'd, and now repafs'd the feas, And brought defired help from Burgundy: 'What then remains, we being thus arriv'd From Ravenspurg haven before the gates of York,3 'But that we enter, as into our dukedom?

"Enter Edward and Richard, with a troop of Hollanders. "Edw. Thus far from Belgia have we paft the feas, "And march'd from Raunfpur-haven unto York: "But foft! the gates are fhut; I like not this.

7

"Rich. Sound up the drum, and call them to the walls."

STEEVENS.

lord - Mr. M. Mason recommends the omiffion of this word. REED.

lord Haftings, and the reft ;] "Leave out the word lord," fays one of our author's commentators. If we do not closely attend to his phraseology and metre, and should think ourselves at liberty to fubftitute modern phrafeology and modern metre, almoft every line in his plays might be altered.-Brother, like many fimilar words, (rather, whether, either, &c.) is here used by Shakspeare, as a monofyllable, and the metre was to his ear perfect. MALONE.

That there is a marked difcrimination between ancient and modern phrafeology, no man will deny ; but, furely, ancient and modern five-foot verfes can have no corresponding difference. Where, in general, fhall we find more perfect and harmonious metre than that of Shakspeare? His irregular lines are therefore justly fufpected of having fuffered from omiffion or interpolation. -As to the latter part of Mr. Malone's note, in which brother is faid to be used as a monofyllable,-valeat quantum valere poteft. STEEVENS.

Malone fays that brother is to be pronounced as one fyllable; but that alone will not be fufficient to complete the metre. We must also lay the accent on the last fyllable of the word Richard, and the line must run thus :

"Now bro'r Richárd, Lord Haftings and the reft." which would not be very harmonious. M. MASON.

• From Ravenfpugh haven before the gates of York,] We may infer from the old quarto (See note 6, in the preceding page,) VOL. XIV.

M

'GLO. The gates made fast!-Brother, I like not this;

* For many men, that ftumble at the threshold, * Are well foretold-that danger lurks within. *K. Edw. Tufh, man! abodements must not now affright us:

* By fair or foul means we must enter in, *For hither will our friends repair to us.

*HAST. My liege, I'll knock once more, to fummon them.

Enter, on the Walls, the Mayor of York, and his Brethren.

'MAY. My lords, we were forewarned of your coming,

And shut the gates for fafety of ourselves;
For now we owe allegiance unto Henry.

'K. EDW. But, mafter mayor, if Henry be your

king,

Yet Edward, at the least, is duke of York.

MAY. True, my good lord; I know

lefs.

you

for no

'K. EDW. Why, and I challenge nothing but my dukedom;

* As being well content with that alone.

'GLO. But, when the fox hath once got in his

nofe,

'He'll foon find means to make the body follow.

[Afide.

that Ravenfpurgh was occafionally pronounced as a diffyllableRaunfpurgh. This line will therefore become ftrictly metrical, if we read (adopting an elifion common to Shakspeare :)

"From Ravenfpurgh haven 'fore the gates of York."

STEEVENS.

Open the gates, we are king Henry's friends.

in a

'MAY. Ay, say you fo? the gates fhall then be [Exeunt from above.

open'd.

'GLO. A wife ftout captain, and perfuaded foon !9 *HAST. The good old man would fain that all were well,1

* So 'twere not 'long of him: but, being enter'd, * I doubt not, I, but we fhall foon perfuade

* Both him, and all his brothers, unto reason.

Re-enter the Mayor and Two Aldermen, below.

'K. EDW. So, mafter mayor: these gates must not be shut,

"But in the night, or in the time of war. What! fear not, man, but yield me up the keys; [Takes his Keys. For Edward will defend the town, and thee, And all those friends that deign to follow me.

Drum. Enter MONTGOMERY, and Forces, marching.

GLO. Brother, this is fir John Montgomery, Our trufty friend, unlefs I be deceiv'd.

'K. EDW. Welcome, fir John! But why come you in arms?

perfuaded foon!] Old copy-foon perfuaded. This tranfpofition, which requires no apology, was made by Sir T. Hanmer. STEEVENS.

I

The good old man would fain that all were well,] The Mayor is willing we should enter, fo he may not be blamed.

JOHNSON,

MONT. To help king Edward in his time of ftorm,

As every loyal fubject ought to do.

'K. EDW. Thanks, good Montgomery : But we now forget

'Our title to the crown; and only claim
"Our dukedom, till God please to send the rest.
'MONT. Then fare you well, for I will hence
again;

I came to ferve a king, and not a duke,—
'Drummer, strike up, and let us march away.

C

[4 March begun. 'K. EDW. Nay, ftay, fir John, a while; and we'll

debate,

By what fafe means the crown may be recover'd. 'MONT. What talk you of debating? in few words,

If you'll not here proclaim yourself our king, I'll leave you to your fortune; and be gone, To keep them back that come to fuccour you: Why fhould we fight, if you pretend no title ? 'GLO. Why, brother, wherefore stand you on nice points?

* K. EDW. When we grow ftronger, then we'll make our claim:

*Till then, 'tis wifdom to conceal our meaning. *HAST. Away with fcrupulous wit! now arms muft rule.

*GLO. And fearlefs minds climb fooneft unto

crowns.

* Brother, we will proclaim you out of hand; * The bruit thereof will bring you many friends.

The bruit i. e. noife, report. So, in Prefton's Cambifes: