To signify thou camest to bite the world:
And, if the rest be true which I have heard,
Thou camest-

Glou. I'll hear no more: die, prophet, in thy speech:

55

[Stabs him.

For this, amongst the rest, was I ordain'd.
K. Hen. Ay, and for much more slaughter after this.
O! God forgive my sins, and pardon thee.
Glou. What! will the aspiring blood of Lancaster

[Dies. 60

Sink in the ground? I thought it would have mounted.
See how my sword weeps for the poor king's death!
O, may such purple tears be always shed
From those that wish the downfall of our house!
If any spark of life be yet remaining,

Down, down to hell; and say I sent thee thither,

48, 49. I and thought... O,

65

[Stabs him again.

For ... ordain'd] 46, 47. Die prophet

.. die, prophet.
.for... ordainde Q.
pardon thee. He dies Q.

may

.

shed . . . wish

59, 60. Ay, and

61-65. What

pardon thee] in the

the... had thought... Now maie... shed,

house] 50-54. What?... into For such as seeke... house Q. 66, 67. If life... Down thither] 55, 56. If life remaine in thee, Stab him againe. Downe . . . thither Q.

61, 62. aspiring blood of Lancaster mounted] Dyce, arguing that Marlowe had a large share in the compilation of the Contention and True Tragedie, produced parallels of these two lines from his Edward the Second (pp. 184, b, 212, b): "Frownst thou thereat, aspiring Lancaster," and "highly scorning that the lowly earth Should drink his blood, mounts up to the air." As I believe the True Tragedie is earlier than Edward II., these coincidences prove something else. For "earth drinking blood," see II. iii. 15, 23 (note). For "aspiring," see Part I. v. iv. 99.

66. spark of life] Another passage, in The Spanish Tragedy: "O speak if any sparke of life remaine" (II. v. 17, Boas).

67. Down, down I sent thee] Collier advanced these lines as a proof that Greene wrote this play, on the likeness of them to a passage in Alphonsus (Grosart, xiii. 347):

"Go packe thou hence unto the
Stygian lake...

And if he ask thee who did send
thee downe,
Alphonsus say, who now must
weare thy crowne."

I, that have neither pity, love nor fear.
Indeed, 'tis true that Henry told me of;
For I have often heard my mother say
I came into the world with my legs forward.
Had I not reason, think ye, to make haste,
And seek their ruin that usurp'd our right?
The midwife wonder'd, and the women cried
"O! Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth."
And so I was; which plainly signified
That I should snarl and bite and play the dog.
Then, since the heavens have shaped my body so,
Let hell make crook'd my mind to answer it.
I have no brother, I am like no brother;

And this word "love," which greybeards call divine,
Be resident in men like one another
And not in me: I am myself alone.

Clarence, beware; thou keep'st me from the light;
But I will sort a pitchy day for thee;
For I will buzz abroad such prophecies
That Edward shall be fearful of his life;
And then, to purge his fear, I'll be thy death.
King Henry and the prince his son are gone :
Clarence, thy turn is next, and then the rest,
Counting myself but bad till I be best.
I'll throw thy body in another room,
And triumph, Henry, in thy day of doom.

68-73. I, that . . . 'tis true right?] 57-62. I that.

had I. you... ruines

...

brother . . call

...

rights? Q.

70

75

80

85

90

[Exit, with the body.

74-77. The

...

...

was; which dog] 63-66. The women wept and the midwife cride . was indeed, which dogge Q. 78-83. Then my body... brother alone] 67-72. Then since Heauen hath made my bodie answere it. I had no father, I am like no father, I have no brothers, I am like no brothers, And . . . tearme.. alone Q. 84-88. Clarence . keep'st That Edward . death] 74-78. Clarence. keptst... As Edward 89-93. King Henry the rest... throw... doom] 79-83. Henry and his sonne are gone, thou Clarence next, And by one and one I will dispatch the rest drag doome. Exit. Q.

Flourish. Enter King EDWARD, Queen ELIZABETH, CLAR-
ENCE, GLOUCESTER, HASTINGS, a Nurse with the young
Prince, and Attendants.

K. Hen. Once more we sit in England's royal throne,
Re-purchas'd with the blood of enemies.
What valiant foemen, like to autumn's corn,
Have we mow'd down in tops of all their pride!
Three Dukes of Somerset, threefold renown'd

5

For hardy and undoubted champions;

Two Cliffords, as the father and the son;
And two Northumberlands: two braver men

Ne'er spurr'd their coursers at the trumpet's sound;

With them, the two brave bears, Warwick and Montague,

That in their chains fetter'd the kingly lion,

And made the forest tremble when they roar'd.
Thus have we swept suspicion from our seat,
And made our footstool of security.
Come hither, Bess, and let me kiss my boy.
Young Ned, for thee, thine uncles and myself
Have in our armours watch'd the winter's night,
Went all afoot in summer's scalding heat,

ΙΟ

15

SCENE VII. Flourish] F 1; omitted Q, F 2, 3, 4. Enter...] Enter King, Queene... Nurse, and Attendants Ff; Enter. (Gloucester omitted) and others Q. 1-20. Once more... renown'd... brave bears . . . Went all afoot gain] 1-20. Once more. renowmd. rough Beares... Marcht all a foote gaine Q.

3, 4. foemen

mow'd down] Compare Troilus and Cressida, v. v. 25:

"the strawy Greeks, ripe for
his edge,

Fall down before him like the
mower's swath."

And Henry V. 111. iii. 13:—

·

mowing like grass

"Who seeming sorely chauffed at his band,

As chained beare whom cruell dogs
doe bait."

Referred to in Part II. v. i. 143-150.
See "forest-bear" above, II. ii. 13.
See note to "bear and ragged staff,"
Part II. v. i. 203.

14. And made . . . security] Marlowe Your fresh-fair virgins and your has this line in The Massacre at Paris

flowering infants."

And Sonnet 60.

4. tops of all their pride] Lodge has this: "Unhappy Rome.. Now to eclipse, in top of all thy pride" (Wounds of Civil War (Hazlitt's Dodsley, vii. 116)).

10, 11. bears... in their chains] Alluding to the "chained beare" at the stake, as in Faerie Queene, 1. xii. 35:

(Dyce, 238, a) :

"But he doth lurk within his drowsy couch;

And makes his footstool on security"

(first acted January, 1593, Dyce).

18. scalding] Not a happy term here, but "parching" had been used up. Scalding sighs" in Soliman and Perseda is more natural.

That thou might'st repossess the crown in peace;
And of our labours thou shalt reap the gain.

20

Glou. [Aside.] I'll blast his harvest, if your head were laid;
For yet I am not look'd on in the world.

This shoulder was ordain'd so thick to heave;
And heave it shall some weight, or break my back.

Work thou the way, and thou shalt execute.

K. Edw. Clarence and Gloucester, love my lovely queen ;
And kiss your princely nephew, brothers both.

Clar. The duty that I owe unto your majesty

I seal upon the lips of this sweet babe.

25

Q. Eliz. Thanks, noble Clarence; worthy brother, thanks. 30
Glou. And, that I love the tree from whence thou sprang'st,
Witness the loving kiss I give the fruit.

[Aside.] To say the truth, so Judas kiss'd his master,
And cried "all hail!" when as he meant all harm.

K. Edw. Now am I seated as my soul delights,

Having my country's peace and brothers' loves.
Clar. What will your grace have done with Margaret?
Reignier, her father, to the King of France
Hath pawn'd the Sicils and Jerusalem,

And hither have they sent it for her ransom.

K. Edw. Away with her, and waft her hence to France.
And now what rests, but that we spend the time

21-25. I'll.

...

if

tree. . . fruit .

35

40

thou shalt execute] 21-25. Ile . . . and (if Q 3) thou shalt execute (that shalt Ff 1, 2) Q. 26-36. Clarence . . upon the lips when as he meant brothers' loves] 26-36. Clarence vpon the rosiate lips . fruit. . . child. . . And so he cride... and meant .. brothers loues Q. 37-46. What . . . Reignier . . . Sicils . . triumphs, mirthful pleasure... farewell sour lasting joy] 37-46. What Ranard .. Cyssels... triumphs and mirthfull pleasures .. farewell to sower . . . lasting ioie. Exeunt Omnes. Finis. Q.

29. upon the lips]" upon the rosiate lips," Q. "Roseal" was not a rare word, but "roseate was later except as a painter's colour term. "Rosate," "rosett," and "oil-rosat," are all in Holland's Pliny. And in Cunningham's Revels Accounts (Shakespeare Soc. p. 117). "Rosett... paynters percell appears in 1577. Nashe calls women's breasts "Roseate buds " (Christ's Teares (Grosart, iv. 208), 1593).

33. Judas kiss'd] Lest this should cause a charge of irreverence here, it may be mentioned that this was a familiar proverb. Many earlier examples could be quoted, and later.

37. have done with Margaret ?]

"Queene Margaret lyke a prisoner was brought to London, where she remayned till kyng Reiner her father ransomed her with money, which summe (as the French writers afferme) he borrowed of Kyng Lewes... to repaye so great a dutie, he solde to the French King & his heires, the Kyngdomes of Naples and both the Siciles, with the county of Prouynce. . . . After the ransome payed, she was conveyed in to Fraunce with small honor" (Hall, p. 301).

40. sent it] Can only mean the money. Identical in Q. The sum is stated at 50,000 crowns by the French histories. 41. waft] "to carry or send over the

With stately triumphs, mirthful comic shows,
Such as befits the pleasure of the court?
Sound drums and trumpets! farewell sour annoy!
For here, I hope, begins our lasting joy.

(Schmidt) occurs twice in this play, and in the last, but only once elsewhere in Shakespeare, in King John.

43. triumphs] public rejoicings. See Two Gentlemen of Verona, v. iv. 160, 161. And 1 Henry VI. v. v. 31. 43. mirthful] Not again in Shake

45

[Exeunt.

speare. "Mirthful glee" is in Kyd's Cornelia, IV. ii. 193.

45, 46. Sound drums. . . joy] Similarly in Locrine, end of Act ii. : "Sound drums and trumpets, sound up cheerfully, Sith we return with joy and victory." See the last words of Part II. From these two Locrine derived the example.

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