Mess. He was convey'd by Richard duke of
Gloster,

And the lord Hastings, who attended* him
In secret ambush on the forest side,
And from the bishop's huntsmen rescued him;
For hunting was his daily exercise.

War. My brother was too careless of his
charge.-

But let us hence, my sovereign, to provide
A salve for any sore 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 shall have more wars, before't be
long.

As Henry's late presaging prophecy
Did glad my heart, with hope of this young
Richmond;

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

Oxf. Ay; for, if Edward repossess the crown, 'Tis like, that Richmond with the rest shall down.

Som. It shall be so; he shall to Britany. Come therefore, let's about it speedily.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.-Before York. Enter King EDWARD, GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and Forces.

K. Edu. Now, brother Richard, lord Hast-
ings, and the rest;

Yet thus far fortune maketh us amends,
And says-that once more I shall interchange
My waned state for Henry's regal crown.
Well have we pass'd, and now repass'd the

seas,

And brought desired help from Burgundy:
What then remains, we being thus arriv'd
From Ravenspurg haven before the gates of
York,

But that we enter, as into our dukedom?
Glo. The gates made fast!-Brother, I like
not this;

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

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

were well,

So 'twere not 'long of him:* but, being enter'd,
I doubt not, I, but we shall soon persuade
Both him, and all his brothers, unto reason.
Re-enter the MAYOR and two ALDERMEN, below.
K. Edw. So, master mayor: these gates must
But in the night, or in the time of war.
not be shut,
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 Sir John Montgomery,
Our trusty friend, unless I be deceiv'd.
K. Edw. Welcome, Sir John! But why come
you in arms?

As

Mont. To help king Edward in his time of

storm,

every loyal subject 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 serve a king, and not a duke,-
Drummer, strike up, and let us march away.
[A March begun.

K. Edw. Nay, stay, Sir John, a while; and

we'll debate,

By what safe 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 succour you:
Why should we fight, if you pretend no title?
Glo. Why, brother, wherefore stand you on
nice points?

K. Edw. When we grow stronger, then we'll
make our claim:

Hast. My liege, I'll knock once more, to Till then, 'tis wisdom to conceal our meaning.

summon 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 safety of ourselves;
For now we owe allegiance unto Henry.

K. Edw. But, master mayor, if Henry be
your king,

Yet Edward, at the least, is duke of York. May. True, my good lord; I know you for no less.

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

nose,

I. e. Waited for him.

Hast. Away with scrupulous wit! now arms must rule.

Glo. And fearless minds climb soonest unto
crowns.

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

K. Edw. Then be it as you will; for 'tis my
And Henry but usurps the diadem. [right,
Mont. Ay, now my sovereign speaketh like
himself;

And now will I be Edward's champion.
Hast. Sound, trumpet; Edward shall be here
proclaim'd:-

Come, fellow-soldier, make thou proclamation.
[Gives him a Paper. Flourish.
Sold. [Reads.] Edward the fourth, by the
grace of God, king of England and France, and
lord of Ireland, &c.

The mayor is willing we should enter, so he may not be blamed. +Noise, report,

Mont. And whosoe'er gainsays king Edward's | Cousin of Exeter, what thinks your lordship? By this I challenge him to single fight. [right, Methinks, the power, that Edward hath in field, [Throws down his Gauntlet. Should not be able to encounter mine. All. Long live king Edward the fourth! K. Edw. Thanks, brave Montgomery;—and thanks unto you all.

If fortune serve me, I'll requite this kindness.
Now, for this night, let's harbour here in York:
And when the morning sun shall raise his car
Above the border of this horizon,
We'll forward towards Warwick, and his
[mates;
For, well I wot, that Henry is no soldier.-
Ah, froward Clarence!-how evil it beseems
thee,

And do expect him here some two hours hence. [Drum heurd.

War. Then Clarence is at hand, I hear his drum.

Som. It is not his, my lord; here Southam lies; [Warwick The drum your honour hears, marcheth from

+ The illusion is to the proverb, "Make hay while the sun shines "

War. Alas, I am not coop'd here for de-
fence:

1 will away towards Barnet presently,
And bid thee battle, Edward, if thou dar'st.
K. Edw. Yes, Warwick, Edward dares, and
leads the way :-

Lords to the field; Saint George, and victory.
[March. Exeunt.
SCENE II-A Field of Battle near Barnet.
Alarums, and Excursions. Enter King EDWARD,
bringing in WARWICK wounded.

K. Edw. So, lie thou there: die thou, and die
our fear;

For Warwick was a bug,* that fear'd+ us all.—
Now, Montague, sit fast; I seek for thee,
That Warwick's bones may keep thine com-
pany.
[Exit.
War. Ah, who is nigh? come to me, friend,
or foe,

And tell me, who is victor, York, or Warwick?
Why ask I that? my mangled body shows,
My blood, my want of strength, my sick heart
shows,

That I must yield my body to the earth,
And, by my fall, the conquest to my foe.
Thus yields the cedar to the axe's edge,
Whose arms gave shelter to the princely eagle,
Under whose shade the ramping lion slept?
Whose top-branch overpeer'd Jove's spreading
tree,
And kept low shrubs from winter's powerful
[wind.
These eyes, that now are dimm'd with death's
black veil,

Have been as piercing as the mid-day sun,
To search the secret treasons of the world:
The wrinkles in my brows, now fill'd with
blood,

Were liken'd oft to kingly sepulchres;
For who liv'd king, but I could dig his grave?
And who durst smile, when Warwick bent his

brow?

Lo, now my glory smear'd in dust and blood!
My parks, my walks, my manors that I had,
Even now forsake me; and, of all my lands,
Is nothing left me, but my body's length!
Why, what is pomp, rule, reign, but earth and
dust?

And, live we how we can, yet die we must.

Enter OXFORD and SOMERSET.

Som. Ah, Warwick, Warwick! wert thou as

we are,

We might recover all our loss again!
The queen from France hath brought a puis-
sant power;

Even now we heard the news: Ah, could'st
thou fly!

War. Why, then I would not fly.-Ah, Montague,

559

| Which sounded like a cannon in a vault,
That might not be distinguish'd; but, at last,
I well might hear deliver'd with a groan,—
O, farewell, Warwick!

If thou be there, sweet brother, take my hand,
And with thy lips keep in my soul a while!
Thou lov'st me not; for, brother, if thou didst,
Thy tears would wash this cold congealed
blood,

That glews my lips, and will not let me speak.
Come quickly, Montague, or I am dead.
Som. Ah, Warwick, Montague hath breath'd

his last;
And to the latest gasp, cried out for Warwick,
And said-Commend me to my valiant brother.
And more he would have said; and more he
spoke,

[bids

War. Sweet rest to his soul!-
You all farewell, to meet again in heaven.
Fly, lords, and save yourselves; for Warwick

Oxf. Away, away, to meet the queen's great
[Dies.
power!

[Exeunt, bearing off WARWICK's Body. SCENE III-Another part of the Field. Flourish.—Enter King EDWARD in triumph; with CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and the rest.

I

K. Edw. Thus far our fortune keeps an up-
ward course,

And we are grac'd with wreaths of victory.
But, in the midst of this bright-shining day,
spy a black, suspicious, threat'ning cloud,
That will encounter with our glorious sun,
Ere he attain his easeful western bed:

I mean, my lords,-those powers, that the
queen

Hath rais'd in Gallia, have arriv'd our coast,
And, as we hear, march on to fight with us.
Clar. A little gale will soon disperse that
And blow it to the source from whence it came:
Thy very beams will dry those vapours up;
For every cloud engenders not a storm.

cloud,

And Somerset, with Oxford, fled to her;
Glo. The queen is valu'd thirty thousand
strong,
If she have time to breathe, be well assur'd,
Her faction will be full as strong as ours.

friends,

K. Edw. We are advértis'd by our loving
That they do hold their course toward Tewks-
[bury;
Will thither straight, For willingness rids way;
We having now the best at Barnet field,
And, as we march, our strength will be aug-

mented,

In every county as we go along.-
Strike up the drum; cry-Courage! and away.
[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-Plains near Tewksbury.
March.-Enter Queen MARGARET, Prince ED-
WARD, SOMERSET, OXFORD, and Soldiers.
Q. Mar. Great lords, wise men ne'er sit and
wail their loss,

But cheerly seek how to redress their harms.
What though the mast be now blown over-
board,

The cable broke, the holding anchor lost,
And half our sailors swallow'd in the flood?
Should leave the helm, and, like a fearful lad,
Yet lives our pilot still: Is't meet, that he
And give more strength to that which hath to
With tearful eyes add water to the sea.
much;

Whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock,
Which industry and courage might have sav'd?
Say, Warwick was our anchor; What of that?
Ah, what a shame! ah, what a fault were this!
Our slaughter'd friends the tackles; What of
And Montague our top-mast; What of him?
Why, is not Oxford here another anchor?
these?
The friends of France our shrouds and tack-
And Somerset another goodly mast; [lings.
And, though unskilful, why not Ned and I
For once allow'd the skilful pilot's charge?
We will not from the helm, to sit and weep:

But keep our course, though the rough wind
say-no,
[wreck.
From shelves and rocks that threaten us with
As good to chide the waves, as speak them

fair.

And what is Edward, but a ruthless sea?
What Clarence, but a quicksand of deceit?
And Richard, but a ragged fatal rock?
All these the enemies to our poor bark.
Say, you can swim; alas, 'tis but a while:
Tread on the sand; why, there you quickly
sink:

Bestride the rock; the tide will wash you off,
Or else you famish, that's a threefold death.
This speak I, lords, to let you understand,
In case some one of you would fly from us,
That there's no hop'd-for mercy with the bro-
thers,

More than with ruthless waves, with sands,
and rocks.

Why, courage, then! what cannot be avoided,
"Twere childish weakness to lament, or fear.
Prince. Methinks, a woman of this valiant
spirit
[words,
Should, if a coward heard her speak these
Infuse his breast with magnanimity,
And make him, naked, foil a man at arms,
I speak not this, as doubting any here:
For, did I but suspect a fearful man,
He should have leave to go away betimes;
Lest, in our need, he might infect another,
And make him of like spirit to himself.
If any such be here, as God forbid !
Let him depart, before we need his help.
Oxf. Women and children of so high a
courage!
And warriors faint! why, 'twere perpetual
[shame.-
O, brave young prince! thy famous grand-
father
Doth live again in thee; Long may'st thou
[live,
To bear his image, and renew his glories!
Som. And he, that will not fight for such a
hope,

Go home to bed, and, like the owl by day,
If he arise, be mock'd and wonder'd at.
Q. Mar. Thanks, gentle Somerset;-sweet
Oxford, thanks.

Prince. And take his thanks, that yet hath

nothing else.

Enter a MESSENGER.

Mess. Prepare you, lords, for Edward is at hand,

Ready to fight; therefore be resolute.

Orf. I thought no less it is his policy, To haste thus fast, to find us unprovided.

Som. But he's deceiv'd, we are in readiness. Q. Mar. This cheers my heart, to see your forwardness.

Oxf. Here pitch our battle, hence we will
not budge.

March. Enter at a distance, King EDWARD,
CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and Forces.

K. Edw. Brave followers, yonder stands the
thorny wood,

Which, by the heavens' assistance, and your
strength,

Must by the roots be hewn up yet ere night.
I need not add more fuel to your fire,
For well I wot, ye blaze to burn them out:
Give signal to the fight, and to it, lords.

Q. Mar. Lords, knights, and gentlemen,
what, should say,

My tears gainsay ;t for every word I speak, + Unsay, deny.

• Know.

Ye see, I drink the water of mine eyes."
Therefore, no more but this:-Henry, your
sovereign,

Is prisoner to the foe; his state usurp'd,
His realm a slaughterhouse, his subjects slain,
His statutes cancell'd, and his treasure spent;
And yonder is the wolf, that makes this spor.
You fight in justice: then, in God's name,
lords,

Be valiant, and give signal to the fight.
[Exeunt both Armies.

SCENE V.-Another part of the same. Alarums: Excursions: und afterwards a Retreat Then Enter King EDWARD, CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and Forces; with Queen MARGARET, OXFORD, and SOMERSET, Prisoners.

K. Edu. Now, here a period of tumultuous Away with Oxford to Hammes' castle* straight: broils. Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them For Somerset, off with his guilty head. speak.

Oxf. For my part, I will not trouble thee with words.

Som. Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune.

[Exeunt OXFORD and SOMERSET, guarded. Q. Mar. So part we sadly in this troublous world,

To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.
K. Edw. Is proclamation made,—that, who
finds Edward,

Shall have a high reward, and he his life?
Glo. It is: and, lo, where youthful Edward

comes.

Enter Soldiers, with Prince Edward.
K. Edw. Bring forth the gallant, let us hea
him speak:

What! can so young a thorn begin to prick?
Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make,
For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects,
And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to?

Prince. Speak like a subject, proud ambi-
Suppose, that I am now my father's mouth;
tious York!
Resign thy chair, and, where I stand, kneel
thou,

Whilst I propose the self-same words to thee, Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.

Q. Mar. Ah, that thy father had been so re

solv'd!