And take the great-grown traitor unawares : —
Brave warriors, march amain towards Coventry :
The Sun shines hot; and, if we use delay,
Cold-biting Winter mars our hoped-for hay.4

[Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I. Coventry.

Enter, upon the walls, WARWICK, the Mayor of Coventry, two Messengers, and others.

War. Where is the post that came from valiant Oxford ?— How far hence is thy lord, mine honest fellow?

I Mess. By this at Dunsmore, marching hitherward.
War. How far off is our brother Montague?
Where is the post that came from Montague?
2 Mess. By this at Daintry, with a puissant troop.

Enter Sir JOHN SOMERVILLE.

War. Say, Somerville, what says my loving son? And, by thy guess, how nigh is Clarence now?

Som. At Southam I did leave him with his forces, And do expect him here some two hours hence.

[Drum heard.

War. Then Clarence is at hand; I hear his drum. Som. It is not his, my lord; here Southam lies : The drum your Honour hears marcheth from Warwick. War. Who should that be? belike, unlook'd-for friends. Som. They are at hand, and you shall quickly know.

[Enters the city.

4 Alluding to the proverb, "Make hay while the Sun shines."

March: flourish. Enter King EDWARD, GLOSTER, and

Forces.

K. Edw. Go, trumpet, to the walls, and sound a parle.
Glos. See, how the surly Warwick mans the wall!
War. O unbid spite! is sportful Edward come?
Where slept our scouts, or how are they seduced,
That we could hear no news of his repair?

K. Edw. Now, Warwick, wilt thou ope the city-gates,
Speak gentle words, and humbly bend thy knee,
Call Edward king, and at his hands beg mercy?
And he shall pardon thee these outrages.

War. Nay, rather, wilt thou draw thy forces hence,
Confess who set thee up and pluck'd thee down,

Call Warwick patron, and be penitent?

And thou shalt still remain the Duke of York.

Glos. I thought, at least, he would have said the King;

Or did he make the jest against his will?

War. Is not a dukedom, sir, a goodly gift?

Glos. Ay, by my faith, for a poor earl to give :

I'll do thee service for so good a gift.1

War. 'Twas I that gave the kingdom to thy brother.
K. Edw. Why, then 'tis mine, if but by Warwick's gift.
War. Thou art no Atlas for so great a weight:

And, weakling, Warwick takes his gift again;
And Henry is my king, Warwick his subject.

K. Edw. But Warwick's king is Edward's prisoner :
And, gallant Warwick, do but answer this,

What is the body when the head is off?

Glos. Alas, that Warwick had no more forecast, But, whiles he thought to steal the single ten,

1 That is, enroll myself among thy dependants. Cowell informs us that servitium is "that service which the tenant by reason of his fee oweth unto his lord."

The King was slily finger'd from the deck !?
You left poor Henry at the bishop's palace,3
And, ten to one, you'll meet him in the Tower.

K. Edw. 'Tis even so; yet you are Warwick still.
Glos. Come, Warwick, take the time; kneel down, kneel

down:

Nay, when strike now, or else the iron cools.

War. I had rather chop this hand off at a blow,

And with the other fling it at thy face,

Than bear so low a sail, to strike to thee.

K. Edw. Sail how thou canst, have wind and tide thy friend,

This hand, fast wound about thy coal-black hair,
Shall, whiles thy head is warm and new cut off,
Write in the dust this sentence with thy blood, -
Wind-changing Warwick now can change no more.

Enter OXFORD, with Forces, drum, and colours.

War. O cheerful colours! see where Oxford comes !
Oxf. Oxford, Oxford, for Lancaster!

[He and his Forces enter the city.

Glos. The gates are open, let us enter too.

K. Edw. So other foes may set upon our backs.
Stand we in good array; for they no doubt
Will issue out again and bid us battle:

If not, the city being but of small defence,

We'll quickly rouse the traitors in the same.

War. O, welcome, Oxford! for we want thy help.

2 A pack of cards was anciently termed a deck of cards, or a pair of cards. An instance of a pack of cards being called a deck occurs in the Sessions Paper for January, 1788. The term is said to be still used in Ireland.

3 The palace of the Bishop of London is the place meant.

4 When! was a common exclamation of impatience.

So in Julius Cæsar, ii. 1: When, Lucius, when! Awake, I say! what, Lucius!'

"

Enter MONTAGUE, with Forces, drum, and colours.

Mont. Montague, Montague, for Lancaster!

[He and his Forces enter the city.

Glos. Thou and thy brother both shall 'by 5 this treason Even with the dearest blood your bodies bear.

K. Edw. The harder match'd, the greater victory: My mind presageth happy gain and conquest.

Enter SOMERSET, with Forces, drum, and colours.

Som. Somerset, Somerset, for Lancaster !

[He and his Forces enter the city. Glos. Two of thy name, both Dukes of Somerset,6 Have sold their lives unto the House of York ;

And thou shalt be the third, if this sword hold.

Enter CLARENCE, with Forces, drum, and colours.

War. And lo, where George of Clarence sweeps along, Of force enough to bid his brother battle;

With whom an upright zeal to right prevails

More than the nature of a brother's love!

Come, Clarence, come; thou wilt, if Warwick call.

Clar. Father of Warwick, know you what this means?

[Taking the red rose out of his hat.

Look here, I throw my infamy at thee:

5 Aby or 'by is an old form of abide, meaning to suffer, answer, or pay for. See vol. iii. page 54, note 17, and page 64, note 40.

6 Edmund Beaufort, the Somerset of the preceding play, was slain in the first battle of Saint Alban's, May 22, 1455. Henry, his oldest son, the Somerset of the present play, was taken and beheaded at Hexam, April 25, 1464. He was succeeded in the dukedom by his brother Edmund, who, having fled to sanctuary after the battle of Tewksbury, was seized and put to execution, May 6, 1471. The Poet here refers to the two former as having already fallen, though he continues the second till the death of the third, or at least does not distinguish between them.

I will not ruinate my father's House,

Who gave his blood to lime the stones together,
And set up Lancaster. Why, trow'st thou, Warwick,
That Clarence is so harsh, so blunt, unnatural,

To bend the fatal instruments of war

Against his brother and his lawful King?
Perhaps thou wilt object my holy oath :
To keep that oath, were more impiety
Than Jephtha's, when he sacrificed his daughter.
I am so sorry for my trespass made,
That, to deserve well at my brother's hands,
I here proclaim myself thy mortal foe;
With resolution, wheresoe'er I meet thee, -
As I will meet thee, if thou stir abroad, -
To plague thee for thy foul misleading me.
And so, proud-hearted Warwick, I defy thee,
And to my brother turn my blushing cheeks. -
Pardon me, Edward, I will make amends;
And, Richard, do not frown upon my faults,
For I will henceforth be no more unconstant.

K. Edw. Now welcome more and ten times more beloved

Than if thou never hadst deserved our hate.

Glos. Welcome, good Clarence; this is brother-like.

War. O passing traitor, perjured and unjust !

K. Edw. What, Warwick, wilt thou leave the town, and

fight?

Or shall we beat the stones about thine ears?

War. Alas, I am not coop'd here for defence !

I will away towards Barnet presently,

And bid thee battle, Edward, if thou darest.

K. Edw. Yes, Warwick, Edward dares, and leads the

way.

7 Blunt, in Shakespeare, sometimes means rough, rude, or reckless of common civilities and the claims of kindred.