- Nay, then I see, that Edward needs must down. See that forthwith duke Edward be convey'd Unto my brother, archbishop of York. Or by his foe surpriz'd at unawares : Riv. But, madam, where is Warwick then become? To set the crown once more on Henry's head: Guess thou the rest; king Edward's friends must down. But to prevent the tyrant's violence, [Exeunt. A Park near Middleham Castle in Yorkshire. Enter GLOSTER, HASTINGS, SIR WILLIAM STANLEY, and others. Glo. Now, my lord Hastings, and sir William Leave off to wonder why I drew you hither, Thus stands the case: You know, our king, my brother, When I have fought with Pembroke and his fellows, Is prisoner to the bishop here, at whose hands I'll follow you, and tell what answer Lewis, and the lady Bona, send to him: It boots not to resist both wind and tide. [Exit KING EDWARD, led out; SOMERSET with him. Enter QUEEN ELIZABETH and RIVERS. Riv. Madam, what makes you in this sudden change? Q. Eliz. Why, brother Rivers, are you yet to learn, What late misfortune is befall'n king Edward? Riv. What, loss of some pitch'd battle against Warwick? Q. Eliz. No, but the loss of his own royal person. Riv. Then is my sovereign slain? Q. Eliz. Ay, almost slain, for he is taken prisoner; Either betray'd by falsehood of his guard, 4 i. e. In his mind; as far as his own mind gocs. He hath good usage and great liberty; Enter KING EDWARD, and a Huntsman. Hunt. This way, my lord; for this way lies the game. K. Edw. Nay, this way, man; see, where the huntsmen stand. Now, brother of Gloster, lord Hastings, and the rest, Stand you thus close, to steal the bishop's deer? Glo. Brother, the time and case requireth haste; Your horse stands ready at the park corner. K. Edw. But whither shall we then? Hast. To Lynn, my lord, and ship from thence to Flanders. Glo. Well guess'd, believe me; for that was my meaning. K. Edw. Stanley, I will requite thy forwardness. Glo. But wherefore stay we? 'tis no time to talk. K. Edw. Huntsman, what say'st thou? wilt thou go along. Enter KING HENRY, CLARENCE, WARWICK, So- K. Hen. Master lieutenant, now that God and Have shaken Edward from the regal seat; Lieut. Subjects may challenge nothing of their But, if an humble prayer may prevail, K. Hen. For what, lieutenant? for well using me? But, Warwick, after God, thou set'st me free, To Henry's body, and supply his place; War. Ay, therein Clarence shall not want his K. Hen. But, with the first of all your chief Let me entreat, (for I command no more,) Clar. It shall be done, my sovereign, with all K. Hen. My lord of Somerset, what youth is that, Of whom you seem to have so tender care? Som. My liege, it is young Henry, earl of Rich mond. powers, K. Hen. Come hither, England's hope: If secret War. What news, my friend? Mess. That Edward is escaped from your brother, War. Your grace hath still been fam'd for vir- And fled, as he hears since, to Burgundy. tuous; And now may seem as wise as virtuous, By spying and avoiding fortune's malice, War. And I choose Clarence only for protector. Now join your hands, and with your hands, your hearts, Clar. That he consents, if Warwick yield consent; For on thy fortune I repose myself. War. Unsavoury news: But how made he escape? Mess. He was convey'd by Richard duke of And the lord Hastings, who attended him War. My brother was too careless of his charge.- [Exeunt KING HENRY, WAR., CLAR., Lieut., Som. My lord, I like not of this flight of Ed- For, doubtless, Burgundy will yield him help; Did glad my heart, with hope of this young Rich mond; So doth my heart misgive me, in these conflicts Orf. Ay; for, if Edward repossess the crown, War. Why then, though loath, yet must I be 'Tis like that Richmond with the rest shall down. content: SCENE VII.— Before York. Mont. Then fare you well, for I will hence again; Forces. K. Edw. Now, brother Richard, lord Hastings, and the rest; Yet thus far fortune maketh us amends, And says Glo. The gates made fast!-Brother, I like not this; K. Edw. Tush, man! abodements must not now affright us; By fair or foul means we must enter in, Hast. My liege, I'll knock once more to summon them. [A March begun. K. Edw. Nay, stay, sir John, a while; and we'll debate, By what safe means the crown may be recover'd. K. Edw. When we grow stronger, then we'll make our claim: Till then, 'tis wisdom to conceal our meaning. Hast. Away with scrupulous wit! now arms must rule. Glo. And fearless minds climb soonest unto crowns. Brother, we will proclaim you out of hand; K. Edw. Then be it as you will; for 'tis my right, Enter, on the Walls, the Mayor of York, and his And Henry but usurps the diadem. Brethren. May. My lords, we were forewarned of your coming, And shut the gates for safety of ourselves; K. Edw. But, master mayor, if Henry be your king, Yet Edward, at the least, is duke of York. May. True, my good lord; I know you for no less. K. Edw. Why, and I challenge nothing but my dukedom; As being well content with that alone. Glo. But when the fox hath once got in his nose, He'll soon find means to make the body follow. [Aside. Hast. Why, master mayor, why stand you in a doubt? Open the gates, we are king Henry's friends. So 'twere not 'long of him: but, being enter'd, Re-enter the Mayor and two Aldermen, below. But in the night or in the time of war. K. Edw. Welcome, sir John! But why come you in arms? Mont. To help king Edward in his time of storm, As every loyal subject ought to do. Mont. Ay, now my sovereign speaketh like himself; And now will I be Edward's champion. Hast. Sound, trumpet; Edward shall be here proclaim'd: Come, fellow-soldier, make thou proclamation. [Gives him a paper. Flourish. Sold. [Reads.] Edward the Fourth, by the grace of God, king of England and France, and lord of Ireland, &c. Mont. And whosoe'er gainsays king Edward's right, By this I challenge him to single fight, [Throws down his Gauntlet. All. Long live Edward the Fourth! K. Edw. Thanks, brave Montgomery; thanks unto you all. and If fortune serve me, I'll requite this kindness. [Exeunt. SCENE VIII. London. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING HENRY, WARWICK, CLARENCE, MONTAGUE, EXETER, and OXFORD. War. What counsel, lords? Edward from Belgia, With hasty Germans, and blunt Hollanders, Hath pass'd in safety through the narrow seas, And with his troops doth march amain to London; And many giddy people flock to him. Oxf. Let's levy men, and beat him back again. Clar. A little fire is quickly trodden out; K. Edw. Thanks, good Montgomery: But we Which, being suffer'd, rivers cannot quench. now forget Our title to the crown; and only claim Our dukedom, till Heaven please to send the rest. War. In Warwickshire I have true-hearted friends, Not mutinous in peace, yet bold in war; 9 Know. 8 Noise, report. 1 Those will I muster up-and thou, son Clarence, K. Hen. Farewell, my Hector, and my Troy's true hope. Cla. In sign of truth, I kiss your highness' hand. K. Hen. Well-minded Clarence, be thou fortunate! Mont. Comfort, my lord; — and so I take my leave. Orf. And thus [Kissing HENRY's hand.] I seal my truth, and bid adieu. K. Hen. Sweet Oxford, and my loving Montague, And all at once, once more a happy farewell. War. Farewell, sweet lords; let's meet at Coven try. [Exeunt WAR., CLAR., OXF., and MONT. K. Hen. Here at the palace will I rest a while. Cousin of Exeter, what thinks your lordship? Methinks, the power that Edward hath in field, Should not be able to encounter mine. Ere. The doubt is, that he will seduce the rest. K. Hen. That's not my fear, my meed hath got me fame. I have not stopp'd mine ears to their demands, A Lancaster! A Lancaster! Exe. Hark, hark, my lord! what shouts are these? Enter KING EDWARD, GLOSTER, and Soldiers. K. Edw. Seize on the shame-fac'd Henry, bear him hence, And once again proclaim us king of England. Glo. Away betimes, before his forces join, Glo. See, how the surly Warwick mans the wall. War. O, unbid spite! is sportful Edward come? Enter, upon the Walls, WARWICK, the Mayor of Where slept our scouts, or how are they seduc'd, Coventry, two Messengers, and others. War. Where is the post that came from valiant Oxford? How far hence is thy lord, mine honest fellow? 1 Mess. By this at Dunsmore, marching hither ward. 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 the 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. 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, Or did he make the jest against his will? 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; Som. They are at hand, and you shall quickly And Henry is my king, Warwick his subject. Drums. know. Enter KING EDWARD, GLOSTER, and K. Edw. Go, trumpet, to the walls, and sound a parle. 1 Merit. K. Edw. But Warwick's king is Edward's pri soner: And gallant Warwick, do but answer this, — Glo. Alas, that Warwick had no more forecast, The king was slily finger'd from the deck! 2 Nay, when? strike now, or else the iron cools. K. Edw. Sail how thou canst, have wind and tide thy friend; This hand, fast wound about thy coal-black hair, Shall, whiles the 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 Drum and Colours. War. O cheerful colours! see where Oxford comes! Oxf. Oxford, Oxford, for Lancaster! [OXFORD and his Forces enter the City. 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 but 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! [He and his Forces enter the City. Glo. Thou and thy brother both shall buy this treason Even with the dearest blood your bodies bear. Enter SOMERSET, with Drum and Colours. [He and his Forces enter the City. 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; Come, Clarence, come; thou wilt, if Warwick calls. A pack of cards was formerly termed a deck of cards. 3 Insensible. To plague thee for thy foul misleading me, Than if thou never hadst deserv'd our hate. Glo. Welcome, good Clarence; this is brother-like. Or shall we beat the stones about thine ears? Lords, to the field; saint George, and victory. SCENE II. Alarums and Excursions. Enter KING EDWARD, bringing in WARWICK wounded. K. Edw. So, lie thou there: die thou, and die our fear; For Warwick was a bug 5 that fear'd us all. [Erit. War. Ah, who is nigh? come to me friend, or foe, Have been as piercing as the mid-day sun, For who liv'd king, but I could dig his grave? 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 |