Against his brother, and his lawful king?
Perhaps, thou wilt object my holy oath :
To keep that oath, were more impiety

Than Jepthah's, 8 when he sacrific'd 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 belov'd,

Than if thou never hadst deserv'd our hate.

Glo. Welcome, good Clarence; this is brother-like. War. O passing traitor, perjur'd, 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 dar'st.

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

Lords, to the field; Saint George and victory &

SCENE II.

[March. Exeunt.

A Field of Battle near Barnet. Alarums and Excursions. ter King EDWARD, bringing in WARWICK wounded.

En

K.Edw. So, lie thou there: die thou, and die our fear; For Warwick was a bug, that fear'd us all. 9— Now, Montague, sit fast; I seek for thee,

That Warwick's bones may keep thine company. [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,

[8] See the book of Judges, xi. 30.
[9] Bug is a bugbear, a terrifick being.

STEEV.

JOHNS

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 over-peer'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,2
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 puissant power;
Even now we heard the news: Ah, couldst thou fly !
War. Why, then I would not fly.-Ah, Montague,
If thou be there, sweet brother, take my hand,
And with thy lips keep in my soul awhile!
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, cry'd out for Warwick,
And said-Commend me to my valiant brother.
And more he would have said; and more he spoke,
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,—

[1] It has been observed to me, that the 31st chapter of the prophet Ezekiel suggested these images to Shakspeare: "All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young." STEEV.

[2]

Cedes coemptis saltibus, et domo,
Villaque. Hor.

This mention of his parks and manors diminishes the pathetick effect of the foregoing lines. JOHNS.

O, farewel, Warwick !

War. Sweet rest to his soul !

Fly, lords, and save yourselves; for Warwick bids
You all farewel, to meet again in heaven.

[Dies. Oxf. Away, away, to meet the queen's great 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.
K.Edw. Thus far our fortune keeps an upward course,
And we are grac'd with wreaths of victory.
But, in the midst of this bright-shining day,-
I 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 cloud,
And blow it to the source from whence it came :
The very beams will dry those vapours up;
For every cloud engenders not a storm.

Glo. The queen is valu'd thirty thousand strong,
And Somerset, with Oxford, fled to her;

If she have time to breathe, be well assur'd,
Her faction will be full as strong as ours.

K.Edw. We are advértis'd by our loving friends,
That they do hold their course toward Tewksbury:
We having now the best at Barnet field,

Will thither straight, for willingness rids way;
And, as we march, our strength will be augmented
In every county as we go along.-

Strike up the drum ; cry-courage and away. [Exe.

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 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?

Yet lives our pilot still: Is't meet, that he
Should leave the helm, and, like a fearful lad,
With tear-full eyes add water to the sea,

And give more strength to that which hath too much;
Whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock,
Which industry and courage might have sav❜d?
Ah, what a shame! ah, what a fault were this!
Say, Warwick was our anchor; what of that ?
And Montague our top-mast; what of him?
Our slaughter'd friends the tackle; what of these?
Why, is not Oxford here another anchor ?
And Somerset another goodly mast?

The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings?
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,
From shelves and rocks that threaten us with wreck.
As good to chide the waves, as speak them fair.
And what is Edward, but a ruthless sea?
What Clarence, but a quick-sand 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 brothers,
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 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.

Oxf. Women and children of so high a courage!

24

VOL. V.

And warriors faint! why, 'twere perpetual shame.➡
Oh, brave young prince! thy famous grandfather
Doth live again in thee; Long mayst 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.

Oxf. 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.Ed. 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 I should say,
My tears gainsay; for every word I speak,
You 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 slaughter-house, his subjects slain,
His statutes cancell'd, and his treasure spent ;
And yonder is the wolf, that makes this spoil.
You fight in justice then, in God's name, lords,
Be valiant, and give signal to the fight. [Ex.both Armies.

SCENE V.

Another Part of the same. Alarums: Excursions and afterwards a Retreat. Then Enter King EDWARD, CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and Forces; with Queen MARGARet, Oxford, and SOMERSET, Prisoners.

K.Edw. Now, here a period of tumultuous broils. Away with Oxford to Hammes' castle straight ;