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Somerv. AtSouthamI did leave him withhis forces,]
And do expect him here some two hours hence.
War. Then Clarence is at hand, I hear his drum.
Somerv. It is not his, my lord; here Southam lies;
The drum your honour hears, marcheth from 5
Warwick.
[friends.
War. Who should that be? belike, unlook'd-for
Somero. They are at hand, and you shall
quickly know.

March. Flourish. Enter King Edward, Gloster,
and Soldiers.

K. Edw. Go, trumpet, to the walls, and sound

a parley.

10

Glo. See, how the surly Warwick mans the wall.
War. Oh, unbid spight! is sportful Edward 15
come?

Where slept our scouts, or how are they seduc'd,
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. [hence,

20

War. Nay, rather, wilt thou draw thy forces
Confess who set thee up and pluck'd thee down?—25
Call Warwick-patron, and be penitent,
And thou shalt still remain the duke of York.
Glo. 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? Glo. Ay, by my faith, for a poor earl to give; I'll do thee service for so good a gift.

Enter Oxford, with drum and colours.
War. O chearful colours! see, where Oxford
comes!

Oxf. Oxford, Oxford, for Lancaster!
Glo. 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 of small defence,
We'll quickly rouse the traitors in the same.
War.O,welcome, Oxford! for we want thy help.
Enter Montague, with drum and colours.
Mont. Montague, Montague, for Lancaster!
Glo. Thou and thy brother both shall buy this

treason

Even with the dearest blood your bodies bear.
K.Edw. The harder match'd,the greatervictory;
My mind presageth happy gain, and conquest.
Enter Somerset, with drum and colours.
Som. Somerset, Somerset, for Lancaster!
Glo. Two of thy name, both dukes of Somerset,
Have sold their lives unto the house of York;
And thou shalt be the third, if this sword hold.
Enter Clarence, with 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: [calls 30 Come, Clarence, come; thou wilt if Warwick [A parley is sounded; Richard and Clarence whisper together; and then Clarence takes his red rose out of his hat, and throws it at Warwick. Clar. Father of Warwick, know you what this

War. 'Twas I, that gave the kingdom to thy
brother.
Twick's gift. 35
K. Edw. Why, then 'tis mine, if but by War-
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.

means?

Look here, I throw my infamy at thee:

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,

K. Edw. But Warwick's king is Edward's 40 That Clarence is so harsh, so blunt, unnatural,

prisoner:

And, gallant Warwick, do but answer this,-
What is the body, when the head is off?

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
45 Than Jephthah's 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,

Glo. Alas, that Warwick had no more fore-cast,
But, whiles he thought to steal the single ten,
The king was slily finger'd from the deck'!-
You left poor Henry at the bishop's palace,
And, ten to one, you'll meet him in the Tower.
K.Edw. 'Tis even so; yet you are Warwick still.
Glo. Come, Warwick, take the time, kneel|50(As I will meet thee, if thou stir abroad)

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;

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;
55 And, Richard, do not frown upon my faults,
For I will henceforth be no more unconstant.

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,-60
Wind-changing Warwick now can change no more.

K. Edw. Now welcome more, and ten times

more belov'd,

Than if thou never hadst deserv'd our hate. [like.
Glo. Welcome, good Clarence; this is brother-
Wur. O passing traitor, perjur'd and unjust!

A pack of cards was anciently, and is still in Staffordshire, term'd a deck of cards. cement the stones. Lime makes mortar. Stupid, insensible of fraternal fondness.

1i.e. to i.e. emi

Rent, egregious.

K. Edw

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Lords, to the field; Saint George, and victory!
[Exeunt. 10

March. Warwick and his company follow.

SCENE II.

A Field of Battle near Barnet. Alarum and Excursions. Enter Edward, bring-15 ing forth 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 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, [shows,
My blood, my want of strength, my sick heart
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;
Whosetopbranchover-peer'dJove'sspreadingtree,
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, whenWarwick bent hisbrow?
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.

(And said,-Commend me to my valiant brother.
And more he would have said; and more he spoke
Which sounded like a clamour' in a vault,
That could not be distinguish'd; but, at last,
well might hear deliver'd with a groan,—
O, farewell, Warwick!

War. Sweet rest his soul!

Fly, lords, and save yourselves; for Warwick bids
You all farewell, to meet in heaven. [Dies.
Orf.Away,away, tomeet the queen's great power!
[They bear away his body, and Exeunt.
SCENE III

Another Part of the Field.
Flourish. Enter King Edward in triumph; with
Gloster, Clarence, 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, 2011 spy a black, suspicious, threat'ning cloud, That will encounter with our glorious sun, Ere he attain his easeful western bed:

25

30

35

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:
Thy 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 advertis'd by our loving friends,
That they do hold their coursetowards 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.-

40 Strike up the drum: cry-Courage! and away..
[Exeunt.

45

Som. Ah, Warwick, Warwick! wert thou as 50

we are,

We might recover all our loss again! [power;
The queen from France hath brought a puissant
Even now we heard the news: Ah,couldst thou fly!
War. Why, thenIwouldnot fly.-Ah, Montague, 55
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. [last;
Som. Ah, Warwick, Montague hath breath'd his
And to the latest gasp, cry'd out for Warwick,

Bug means a bugbear.

60

SCENE IV.
Tewksbury.

March. Enter the Queen, Prince of Wales, Somerset, Orford, and Soldiers.

Queen. Great lords, wise men ne'er sit and wail

their loss,

But chearly seek how to redress their harms.
What though the mast be now blown over-board,
The cable broke, our 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 tearful-eyes add water to the sea, [much;
And give more strength to that which hath too
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?
Ourslaughter'd friends the tackles; What of these!
Why, is not Oxford here, another anchor?
And Somerset another goodly mast?

? i. e. which made us all fear. 3 i. e. a clamour of tongues.

Ss 3

The

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; [no,
But keep our course, though the rough winds say
From shelves and rocks that threatenuswithwreck.
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.

5

My tears gainsay; for every word I speak,
Ye see, I drink the water of mine eyes. [vereign,
Therefore, no more but this:-Henry, your so-
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.
10[Both parties go out. Alarum. Retreat. Excursions.
SCENE

V.

Enter King Edward, Gloster, Clarence, &c. The
Queen, Oxford, and Somerset, prisoners.

K. Edw. Lo, here a period of tumultuous broils. 15 Away with Oxford to Hammes' Castle straight: For Somerset, off with his guilty head.

20

25

30

Orf. Women and children of so high a courage! And warriors faint! why,'twereperpetualshame.-35| 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. [thanks. Queen. Thanks, gentleSomerset;-sweetOxford, 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. Queen. This cheers my heart, to see your forwardness. [budge.

Oxf. Here pitch our battle, hence we will not March. Enter King Edward, Gloster, Clarence, and Soldiers, on the other side of the stage. K. Edw. Brave followers, yonder stands the thorny wood,

Which, bytheheavens'assistanceandyourstrength,
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.
Queen. Lords, knights, and gentlemen, what I
should say,

To gainsay is to deny, to contradict.

40

45

50

55

Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak. Oxf. For my part, I'll not trouble thee with words. [fortune. Som. Nor I, but stoop with patience to my [Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded. Queen. 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 the Prince.

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, Whilst I propose the self-same words to thee, Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to. Queen. Ah, that thy father had been so resolv❜d! Glo. That you might still have worn the pet

ticoat,

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Clar. Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert. Prince. I know my duty, you are all undutiful: Lascivious Edward, andthouperjur'dGeorge,And thou mishapen Dick,-l'tell ye all,

I am your better, traitors as ye are;60 And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine. K. Edw. Take that, thou likeness of this railer

here 3.

[Stabs him. Glo.Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy agony. [Glo. stabs him.

2 The Prince calls Richard, for his crookedness, Esop.

i. e. Thou that resemblest thy railing mother,

Clar.

Act 5. Scene 6.]

THIRD PART OF KING HENRY VI.

Clar. And there's for twitting me with perjury. [Clar, stabs him. [Offers to kill her.

Queen. Oh, kill me too!

Glo. Marry, and shall.

K.Edw. Hold, Richard, hold, for we have done 5 too much.

Glo. Why should she live, to fill the world with

words?

[her recovery.
K.Ed. What! doth she swoon? use means for
Glo. Clarence, excuse me to the king my 10
brother;

I'll hence to London on a serious matter:
Ere ye come there, be sure to hear more news.
Clar. What? what?

[Exit. 15
Glo. The Tower, man, the Tower!
Queen. Oh, Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy

mother, boy!

631

And see our gentle queen how well she fares;
By this, I hope, she hath a son for us. [Exeunt.

SCENE

VI.

The Tower of London.

Enter King Henry with a book, and Gloster with
the Lieutenant, on the Tower walls.
Glo. Good day, my lord! What, at your book
[say rather;
so hard?
K.Henry.Ay, my good lord: My lord, I should
Tis sin to flatter, good was little better:
Good Gloster, and good devil, were alike,
And both preposterous; therefore, not good lord.
Glo. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves: we must
[Exit Lieutenant.
confer.
K. Henry. 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.-
20 What scene of death hath Roscius now to act?
Glo. Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind;
The thief doth fear each bush an officer.

Canst thou not speak?-O traitors! murderers!-
They, that stabb'd Cæsar, shed no blood at all,
Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,
If this foul deed were by, to equal it.
He was a man; this, in respect, a child;
And men ne'er spend their fury on a child.
What's worse than murderer, that I may name it?
No, no; my heart will burst, an if I speak :-
And I will speak, that so my heart may burst.-
Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals!
How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd!
You have no children, butchers; if you had,
The thought of them would have stirr'd up re-30

morse:

But, if you ever chance to have a child,
Look in his youth to have him so cut off,
As, deathsmen! you have rid this sweet young
prince.

125

[force. 35

K. Edw. Away with her; go, bear her hence by
Queen. Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch
me here;

Here sheath thy sword, I'll pardon thee my death:
What! wilt thou not?-then, Clarence, do it thou. 40
Clar. By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease.
Queen. Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do
thou do it.

Clar. Didst thou not hear me swear, I would

not do it?

Queen. 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;
Petitioner for blood thou ne'er putt'st back.
K. Edw. Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her
hence.

Queen. So come to you, and yours, as to this
[Exit Queen.
prince !

45

K. Henry. The bird, that hath been limed in a
bush,
With trembling wings misdoubteth' every bush:
And I, the hapless male to one sweet bird,
[kill'd.
Have now the fatal object in my eye,
Where my poor young was lim'd, was caught, and
Glo. Why, what a peevish' fool was that of
Crete,

of

That taught his son the office of a fowl?
And yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd.
K. Henry. I, Dædalus; my poor son, Icarus;
Thy father, Minos, that deny'd our course;
sweet boy,
my
The sun, that sear'd the wings
Thy brother Edward; and thyself, the sea,
Whose envious gulph did swallow up his life.
Ah, kill me with thy weapon, not with words!
My breast can better brook thy dagger's point,
But wherefore dost thou come? is't for my life?
Than can my ears that tragic history.-
Glo. Think'st thou, I am an executioner?
K. Henry. A persecutor, I am sure, thou art;
If murdering innocents be executing,
Why, then thou art an executioner.

Glo. Thy son I kill'd for his presumption.
K. Henry. Hadst thou been kill'd, when first
thou didst presume,

Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a son of mine.
Which now mistrust no parcel of my fear;
50 And thus I prophesy,-that many a thousand,
And many an old man's sigh, and many a widow's,
And many an orphan's water-standing eye,-
Men for their sons, wives for their husbands' fate,
Shall rue the hour that ever thou wast born.
And orphans for their parents' timeless death,—
The owl shriek'd at thy birth, an evil sign;
The night-crow cry'd, aboding luckless time;
Dogs howl'd, and hideous tempests shook down

55

K. Edw. Where's Richard gone?
and, as I guess,
Clar. To London, all in post;
Tomake a bloody supper in the Tower. [head.
K. Edw. He's sudden, if a thing comes in his 60
Now march we hence: discharge the common sort
With pay and thanks, and let's away to London,

2 i. e. childish.

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To rook, or rather to ruck, is a north-country Thy Ss4 word, signifying to squat down, or lodge on any thing.-All of a ruck is a Staffordshire expression

1i. e. fears, or suspects.

for all on a heap.

Re-purchas'd with the blood of enemies.
What valiant foe-men, like to autumn's corn,
Have we mow'd down, in top 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'erspurr'd theircoursers at thetrumpet'ssound:
With them, the two brave bears, Warwick and
Montague,

Thy mother felt more than a mother's pain,
And yet brought forth less than a mother's hope;
To wit, an undigest deformed lump,
Not like the fruit of such a goodly tree.
Teeth hadst thou in thy head, when thou wast born,
To signify, thou cam'st to bite the world:
And, if the rest be true which I have heard,
Thou cam'st into the world with thy legs forward.
Glo. I'll hear no more;-Die, prophet, in thy
speech.
[Stabs him. 10
For this, amongst the rest, was I ordain'd.
K. Henry. Ay, and for much more slaughter
after this.

O God! forgive my sins, and pardon thee! [Dies.
Glo. What, will the aspiring blood of Lancaster 15
Sink in the ground? I thought, it would have
mounted.
[death!

say,

See, how my sword weeps for the poor king's
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 thi-
ther,
[Stabs him again.
I, that have neither pity, love, nor fear.-
Indeed, 'tis true, that Henry told me of;
For I have often heard my mother
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 cry'd,
"O, Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth!"'
And so I was; which plainly signify'd—
That I should snarl, and bite, and play the dog.
Then, since the heavens have shap'd my body so,
Let hell make crook'd my mind, to answer it.
I had no father, I am like no father:

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:-
[Taking the child.
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,
That thou might'st repossess the crown in peace;
And of our labours thou shalt reap the gain.
Glo. I'll blast his harvest, if your head were lay'd;
For yet I am not look'd on in the world.
This shoulder was ordain'd so thick, to heave;
25 And heave it shall some weight, or break my
back:-

20

30

135

40

I have no brother, I am like no brother: [vine,
And this word-love, which grey-beards call di-
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 buz 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. [Exit.50
SCENE VII.

The Palace in London.

Enter King Edward, the Queen, with the young Prince, Clarence, Gloster, Hastings, and Attendants.

K. Edw. Once more we sit in England's royal throne,

45

Work thou the way,—and thou shalt execute 2. [Aside.

K. Edw. Clarence and Gloster, 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.
Queen. Thanks, noble Clarence; worthy bro-
ther, thanks.

Glo. And, that I love the tree from whence thou

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

1i. e. I will select or chuse such a day, whose gloom shall be as fatal to thee. he speaks this line, first touching his head, and then looking on his hand.

[Exeunt omnes.

? It is supposed

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