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 For Warwick was a bug that fear'd us all. War. Ah! who is nigh? come to me, friend And tell me who is victor, York or Warwick? Lo! now my glory smear'd in dust and blood; 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. 30 The queen from France hath brought a puissant power; Even now we heard the news. Ah! could'st thou fly. Which sounded like a clamour in a vault, War. Sweet rest his soul! Fly, lords, and For Warwick bids you all farewell, to meet in heaven. Dies. Oxf. Away, away, to meet the queen's great power! Exeunt, bearing of WARWICK'S body. SCENE III.-Another Part of the Field. Flourish. Enter King EDWARD in triumph; with CLARENCE, GLOUCESTER, and the rest. K. Edw. Thus far our fortune keeps an upward course, And we are grac'd with wreaths of victory. I mean, my lords, those powers that the queen 12 Clar. A little gale will soon disperse that cloud, And Somerset, with Oxford, fled to her: K. Edw. We are advertis'd by our loving friends Strike up the drum! cry Courage!' and away. SCENE IV.-Plains near Tewksbury, March. Enter Queen MARGARET, Prince EDWARD, SOMERSET, OXFORD, and Soldiers. Q. Mar. Great lords, wise men ne'er sit and But cheerly seek how to redress their harms. War. Why, then I would not fly. Ah! And give more strength to that which hath too If thou be there, sweet brother, take my hand, Som. Ah! Warwick, Montague hath breath'd 40 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, much; Whiles in his moan the ship splits on the rock, 10 20 We will not from the helm to sit and weep, As good to chide the waves as speak them fair. Why, courage then! what cannot be avoided 41 Prince. Methinks a woman of this valiant spirit Should, if a coward heard her speak these words, 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. 49 Oxf. Women and children of so high a courage, And warriors faint! why, 'twere perpetual shame. O brave young prince! thy famous grandfather 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. Therefore, no more but this: Henry, your sovereign, Is prisoner to the foe; his state usurp'd, Alarum. Retreat. Excursions. Exeunt. SCENE V. Another Part of the Field. Flourish. Enter King EDWARD, CLARENCE, GLOUCESTER, and Forces; with Queen MARGARET, OXFORD, and SOMERSET, Prisoners. K. Edw. Now here a period of tumultuous broils. Away with Oxford to Hames castle straight: Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak. Oxf. For my part, I'll 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 Enter Soldiers, with Prince EDWARD. K. Edw. Bring forth the gallant: let us hear 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 ambitious York. Suppose that I am now my father's mouth : Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou, Which, traitor, thou would'st have me answer to. Whilst I propose the self-same words to thee, 20 Q. Mar. Ah! that thy father had been so resolv'd. Glou. That you might still have worn the petticoat, And ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster. Prince. Let Esop fable in a winter's night; His currish riddles sort not with this place. Glou. By heaven, brat, I 'll plague ye for that word. Q. Mar. Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to Exeunt. Clar. And there's for perjury. K. Edw. Take that, thou likeness of this railer | Now march we hence: discharge the common sort here. Stabs him. With pay and thanks, and let 's away to London Glou. Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy And see our gentle queen how well she fares: agony. Stabs him. By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. twitting me with Stabs him. 40 Offers to kill her. hold! for we have Q. Mar. O kill me too. Glou. Why should she live, to fill the world with words? K. Edw. What! doth she swoon? use means for her recovery. SCENE VI.-London. The Tower. King HENRY is discovered sitting with a book in his hand, the Lieutenant attending. Enter GLOUCESTER. Glou. Good day, my lord. What! at your book so hard? K. Hen. Ay, my good lord: my lord, I should say rather; Glou. Clarence, excuse me to the king my 'Tis sin to flatter; 'good' was little better: brother; Q. Mar. O Ned! sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy! Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers! remorse: But if you ever chance to have a child, Look in his youth to have him so cut off 61 Q. Mar. Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it. Clar. Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it? Q. Mar. Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself: 'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity. What! wilt thou not? Where is that devil's butcher, Hard-favour'd Richard? Richard, where art thou? Thou art not here: murder is thy alms-deed; Petitioners for blood thou ne'er putt'st back. 80 K. Edw. Away, I say! I charge ye, bear her hence. Q. Mar. So come to you and yours, as to this prince! Exit. K. Edw. Where's Richard gone? Clar. To London, all in post; and, as I guess, To make a bloody supper in the Tower. K. Ed. He's sudden if a thing comes in his head. 'Good Gloucester' and 'good devil' were alike, And both preposterous; therefore, not 'good lord.' Glou. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves: we must confer. Exit Lieutenant. K. Hen. So flies the reckless shepherd from the wolf; So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece, And next his throat unto the butcher's knife. What scene of death hath Roscius now to act? Glou. Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind; The thief doth fear each bush an officer. 12 K. Hon. The bird that hath been limed in a bush, With trembling wings misdoubteth every bush; And I, the hapless male to one sweet bird, Have now the fatal object in my eye Where my poor young was lim'd, was caught, and kill'd. Glou. Why, what a peevish fool was that of That taught his son the office of a fowl! K. Hen. I, Dædalus; my poor boy, Icarus; a Glou. Thy son I kill'd for his presumption. K. Hen. Hadst thou been kill'd when first thou didst presume, 40 Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a son of mine. The raven rook'd her on the chimney's top, SCENE VI.] THIRD PART OF KING HENRY VI. 51 To wit an undigest deformed lump, Glou. I'll hear no more: die, prophet, in thy For this, amongst the rest, was I ordain'd. 60 Dies. Glou. What! will the aspiring blood of Lancaster O! God forgive my sins, and pardon thee. Sink in the ground? I thought it would have See how my sword weeps for the poor king's death! 70 I, that have neither pity, love, nor fear. divine, Be resident in men like one another And not in me: I am myself alone. 80 539 What valiant foemen, like to autumn's corn, Three Dukes of Somerset, threefold renown'd Montague, 10 That in their chains fetter'd the kingly lion, Thus have we swept suspicion from our seat, night, Went all a-foot in summer's scalding heat, 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. Work thou the way, and thou shalt execute. K. Edw. Clarence and Gloucester, love my Clar. The duty that I owe unto your majesty Q. Eliz. Thanks, noble Clarence; worthy 30 Glou. And, that I love the tree from whence thou sprang'st, Clarence, beware; thou keep'st me from the light; Witness the loving kiss I give the fruit. But I will sort a pitchy day for thee; A Room in the Palace. SCENE VII.-The Same. Attendants. K. Edw. Once more we sit in England's royal throne, Re-purchas'd with the blood of enemies. Aside. To say the truth, so Judas kiss'd his master, And cried 'all hail!' when as he meant all harm. R. Edw. Now am I seated as my soul delights, Clar. What will your grace have done with Reignier, her father, to the King of France 40 K. Edw. Away with her, and waft her hence to France. And now what rests but that we spend the time With stately triumphs, mirthful comic shows, THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD THE THIRD. KING EDWARD THE FOURTH. EDWARD, Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward the Fifth, RICHARD, Duke of York, GEORGE, Duke of Clarence, RICHARD, Duke of Gloucester, after wards King Richard the Third, A young Son of Clarence. DRAMATIS PERSONE. Sons to the King. Brothers to the King. HENRY, Earl of Richmond, afterwards King Henry the Seventh. CARDINAL BOURCHIER, Archbishop of Canter LORD LOVEL. SIR THOMAS VAUGHAN. SIR ROBERT BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower. CHRISTOPHER URSWICK, a Priest. Another Priest, TRESSEL and BERKELEY, Gentlemen attending on the Lady Anne. Lord Mayor of London. Sheriff of Wiltshire. ELIZABETH, Queen to King Edward the Fourth. MARGARET, Widow of King Henry the Sixth. DUCHESS OF YORK, Mother to King Edward the Fourth, Clarence, and Gloucester. LADY ANNE, Widow of Edward Prince of Wales, son to King Henry the Sixth; afterwards married to Richard. A young Daughter of Clarence, Margaret Plantagenet. Lords and other Attendants; a Pursuivant, Scrivener, Citizens, Murderers, Messengers, Soldiers, etc. ACT I. SCENE I.-London. A Street. Enter GLOUCESTER. Glou. Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York; And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried. Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths; Our bruised arms hung up for monuments; Our stern alarums chang'd to merry meetings; Our dreadful marches to delightful measures. Grim-visag'd war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front; And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds 10 To fright the souls of fearful adversaries, He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber To the lascivious pleasing of a lute. But I, that am not shap'd for sportive tricks, Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass; I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty To strut before a wanton ambling nymph; I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion, * Cheated of feature by dissembling nature, ence comes. |