Queen. Thanks, gentle Somerfet; fweet Oxford, thanks.

Prince. And take his thanks, that yet hath nothing else.

Enter a Messenger.

Me. Prepare you, Lords, for Edward is at hand, Ready to fight; therefore be resolute.

Oxf. I thought no lefs; it is his policy,
To hafte thus faft to find us unprovided.

Som. But he's deceiv'd; we are in readinefs.
Queen. This cheers my heart, to fee your forwardness,
Oxf. Here pitch our battle, hence we will not budge.

SCENE VI

March. Enter King Edward, Gloucefter, Clarence, and Soldiers, on the other fide of the stage.

*K. Edw. Brave followers, yonder stands the thorny wood,

Which, by the heav'n's affiftance and your ftrength, Muft 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 fignal to the fight, and to it, Lords.

Queen. Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen, what I fhould fay,

My tears gainfay, for every word I speak,
Ye fee, I drink the water of my eye;

Therefore no more but this: Henry, your Sov'reign,

Is pris'ner to the foe, his State ufurp'd,

His Realm a flaughter-houfe, his Subjects flain,
His Statutes cancell'd, and his Treasure spent,
And yonder is the wolf that makes this fpoil.
You fight in juftice; then, in God's name, Lords,
Be valiant, and give fignal to the battle.

K. Edw. Brave followers, &c.] This fcene is ill contrived, in which the king and queen appear at once on the

flage at the head of oppofite armies. It had been easy to make one retire before the other en tered.

P 4

Alarm,

Alarm. Retreat. Excurfions. Both Parties go out, Re Enter King Edward, Gloucefter, Clarence, &c. The Queen, Oxford, and Somerfet, Prisoners.

K. Edw. Now here's a period of tumultuous broils. Away with Oxford to Hammes-caftle straight; For Somerfet, off with his guilty head.

-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 ftoop with patience to my fortune.

[Exeunt. Queen. So part we fadly in this troublous world, To meet with joy in fweet Jerufalem.

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 the Prince of Wales.

K. Edw. Bring forth the Gallant, let us hear him fpeak.

-What can fo young a thorn begin to prick?
Edward, what fatisfaction canft thou make,
For bearing arms, for ftirring up my Subjects,
And all the trouble thou haft turn'd me to?

Prince. Speak like a Subject, proud ambitious York,
Suppofe that I am now my father's mouth;
Refign thy Chair; and where I stand, kneel thou,
Whilft I propose the self-fame words to thee,
Which, Traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
Queen. Ah! that thy father had been fo refolv'd!
Glo. That you might ftill have worn the petticoat,
And ne'er have ftoln the breech from Lancaster.
Prince. Let Efop fable in a winter's night,

Let Elop, &c.] The prince calls Richard, for his crookednefs, fop; and the poet, fol

lowing nature, makes Richard highly incenfed at the reproach.

His

His currifh riddles fort not with this place.

Glo. By heav'n, Brat, I'll plague ye for that word.
Queen. Ay, thou waft born to be a plague to men.
Glo. For God's fake, take away this captive fcold.
Prince.Nay, take away this fcolding crook-back rather,
K. Edw. Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your
tongue.

Cla. Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert.
Prince. I know my duty, you're undutiful:
Lafcivious Edward, and thou perjur'd George,
And thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all,
I am your Better, Traitors as ye are,
And thou ufurp'ft my Father's Right and mine.
Glo. Take that, thou likeness of this railer here,

[Stabs him. K. Edw. And take thou that, to end thy agony.

[Edw. ftabs him,

Cla. And there's for twitting me with perjury.

Queen. Oh, kill me too!

Glo. Marry, and shall——

[Clar. ftabs him.

[Offers to kill her.

K. Edw. Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done

too much.

Glo. Why fhould the live, to fill the world with words? K. Edw. What? doth fhe fwoon? ufe means for

her recov❜ry.

Glo. Clarence, excufe me to the King my brother; I'll hence to London on a ferious matter.

Ere ye come there, be fure to hear fome news.

Cla. What? what?

Glo. The Tower, man, the Tower!- I'll root 'em

out.

[Exit.

Queen. Oh Ned! fweet Ned! fpeak to thy mother,

Boy.

Canft thou not fpeak? O traitors, murderers!
They, that ftabb'd Cæfar, fhed no blood at all;

-thou likeness of this railr here.] Thou that refembleft thy failing mother,

Did not offend, and were not worthy blame,
If this foul deed were by, to equal it.
He was a man; this (in refpect) a child;
And men ne'er fpend their fury on a child.
What's worse than murderer, that I may name it ?
No, no, my heart will burft, and if I fpeak-
And I will speak, that fo
my heart may burft.
Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals,

How fweet a plant have you untimely cropt!
You have no children, Butchers; if you had,
The thought of them would have ftirr'd up remorse;
But if you ever chance to have a child,

Look in his youth to have him fo cut off;

As, Deathfmen!* you have rid this fweet young Prince. K. Edw. Away with her, go bear her hence by force. Queen. Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch me here, Here fheath thy fword, I'll pardon thee my death. What, wilt thou not? Then, Clarence, do it thou. Cla. By heav'n, I will not do thee fo much eafe. Queen. Good Clarence, do; fweet Clarence, do thou do it.

Cla. Didit thou not hear me fwear I would not do it? Queen, Ay, but thou ufeft to forfwear thyself. 'Twas fin before, but now 'tis charity.

What, wilt thou not? 7 where is that Devil's butcher, Richard? hard-favour'd Richard, where art thou? Thou art not here; Murder is thy Alms-deed, Petitioner for blood thou ne'er put'ft back.

- you have rid this feet young Prince.] The condition of this warlike queen would move compaffion could it be forgotten that he gave York, to wipe his eyes in his captivity, a handkerchief ttained with his young child's blood.

'Twas fin.] She alludes to the defertion of Clarence. 7 Where is that Devil's Butcher, Richard?] Thus all the Editions. But Devil's Butcher, in other

Terms, I think, is Kill-devil: rare News for the Free-Thinkers, if there were any Grounds for depending on it. But the Poet certainly wrote devil-Butcher; and the firft Part of the Compound is to be taken adjectively, meaning, execrable, infernal, devilish. THEOBALD.

Devil's butcher is a butcher fet on by the devil. Either reading may ferve, without fo long a note.

K. Edw.

K. Edw. Away,, I fay; I charge ye, bear her hence. Queen. So come to you and yours, as to this Prince.. [Exit Queen.

K. Edw. Where's Richard gone ?

Cla. To London all in poft; and, as I guess, To make a bloody fupper in the Tower.

K. Edw. He's fudden, if a thing comes in his head.

Now march we hence, difcharge the common fort
With pay and thanks, and let's away to London,
And fee our gentle Queen, how well fhe fares,
By this, I hope, fhe hath a fon for me.

SCENE VII..

Changes to the Tower of London.

[Exeunt

Enter King Henry with a book, and Gloucefter, with the Lieutenant on the Tower Walls.

Glo.

OOD day, my Lord; what at your book fo hard?

K. Henry. Ay, my good Lord; my Lord, I should fay rather;

'Tis fin to flatter, good was little better;
Good Glofter, and good devil, were alike,
And both prepoft'rous, therefore not good Lord.
Glo. Sir, leave us to ourselves, we must confer.

[Exit Lieutenant, K. Henry, So flies the reckless fhepherd from the wolf.

So firft the harmless flock doth yield his fleece,

And next his throat unto the butcher's knife.
? What scene of death hath Rofcius now to act?

8 What fcene of death bath ROSCIUS now to act] Rofcius was certainly put for Richard by fome fimple conceitcd player, who had heard of

Rofcius and of Rome; but did not know that he was an Actor in Comedy, not in Tragedy.

WARBURTON.

Gle