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,

[reign,

My tears gainsay; for every word I speak,
Ye see, I drink the water of mine eyes.
Therefore, no more but this :-Henry, your sove-
Is prisoner to the for; his state usurp'd,
His realm a slaughterhouse, 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,
Be valiant, and give signal to the fight.

lords, [Exeunt 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: For Somerset, 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.

[tune.

Som. Nor I, but stoop with patience to my for[Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded. Q. Mar. So part we sadly in his 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 Prince EDWARD.

K. Edie. 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. Q. Mar. Ah, that thy father had been so resolv'd! {coat,

Glo. That you might still have worn the pettiAnd ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster. Prince. Let Esop fable in a winter's night; ilis currish riddles sort not with this place. Glo. By heaven, brat, I'll plague you for that word. [men.

Q. Mar. Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to Glo. For God's sake, take away this captive scold, Prince. Nay, take away this scolding crook-back rather. [tongue. your

K. Edw. Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm
Clar. Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert.
Prince. I know my duty, you are ali undutiful:
Lascivious Edward, and thon perjur'd George,-
And thou mis shapen Dick,-I fell
ye all,

I am your better, traitors as ye are ;-
And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine.

K. Edw. Take that, the likeness of this railer here.
(Stabs him.)
Glo. Sprawl'st thou ? take that, to end thy agony.
(Glo. stabs him)
Clar. And there's for twitting me with perjury.
(Clar. stabs him.)
(Offers to kill her.)
K. Edw. Hold. Richard, hold, for we have done
too much.
[words?

Q. Mar. O, kill me too!
Gro. Marry, and shall.

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

K. Edw. What! doth she swoon? use means for her recovery,

Glo. Clarence, excuse me to the king, my brother; I'll hence to London, on a serious matter Ere ve come there, be sure to hear some news. Clar. What? what?

Glo. The Tower, the Tower!

Exit.

Q. Mar. O, Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mo ther, boy!

Canst thou not speak?-O traitors! murderers!-
They, that stabb'd Casar, 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 remorse:
But, if you ever chance to have a child,
Look in his youth to have him so cut off, [prince!
As. deathsmen! you have rid this sweet young
K. Edw. Away with her; go, bear her hence

perforce.

up

[here;

Q. Mar. Nay, never bear me hence, despatch me Here sheath thy sword. I'll pardon thee my death What! wilt thou not?-then, Clarence, do it thou. Clar. By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease. Q. Mar. Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it. ido it?

Clar. Didst thou not hear me swear, I would not Q. Mar. 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; Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back.

K. Edw. Away, I sa; I charge ye, bear her hence Q. Mar. So come to you, and yours, as to this Exit, led out forcibly

prince!

K. Edie. Where's Richard.gone? Clar. To London, all in post; and, as I guess, To make a bloody supper in the Tower.

K. Ed. He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head. Now march we hence: discharge the common sort With pay and thanks, and let's away to London, And see our gentle queen how well she fares: By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. Exeunt.

SCENE VI-London. A Room in the Tower. King HENRY is discovered sitting with a book in his hand, the Lieutenant attending. Enter GLOSTER.

Glo. Good day, my lord! What, at your book so hard? [say rather: K. Hen. 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. Sirral, leave us to ourselves: we must confer. [Exit Lieutenant, K. Hen. 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.What scene of death hath Roscius now to act? Glo. Suspicion always haunts the guilty nind The thief doth fear each bush an officer.

kill'a

K. Hen. The bird, that hath been limed in a bush, With trembling wings misdonbteth every bush : And I the hapless male to one sweet bird, 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 Crets That taught his son the office of a fowl? And yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd. K. Hen. I, Daedalus; my poor boy, Icarus;

Tay father, Minos, that denied our course;
The that sear'd the wings of my sweet boy,
Thy brother Edward : and thyself. the sea,
Whose envious gulf did swallow up his life.
Ah, kill me with thy weapon, not with words!
My breast can better brook thy dagger's point,
Than can my ears that tragic history.-
Ba' wherefore dost thou come? is't for my life?
Glo. Think'st thoa, I am an executioner?
K. Hen. A persecutor, I am sure, thou art;
If murdering innocents be executing,
Why, then thou art au executioner.

Glo. Thy son I kill'd for his presumption.

K. Hen. Hadst thou been killed, when first thou didst presume,

Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a son of mine.
And thus I prophecy,-that many a thousand,
Which now mistrust no parcel of my fear;
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,
And orphans for their parents' timeless death,-
Stall rue the hour that ever thou wast born.
The owl shriek'd at thy birth, an evil sign;
The night-crow cried, aboding luckless time ;
Dogs howl'd, and hideous tempests shook down
trees;

The raven rook'd her on the chimney's top,
Aad chattering pies in dismal discords sung.
Thy mother felt more than a mother's pain,
And yet brought forth less than a mother's hope;
To wit, an indigest deformed lamp,
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,
Thon cam'st-

Glo. I'll hear no more;-Die, prophet, in thy
speech;
(Stabs him.)
For this, amongst the rest, was I ordain'd. (this.
K. Hen. Ay, and for much more slaughter after
O God! forgive my sins, and pardon thee! (Dies.)
Glo. What, will the aspiring blood of Lancaster
Sink in the ground? I thought it would have

mounted.

See, how my sword weeps for the poor king's death!
9. may such purple tears be always shed
From those that wish the downfal of our house!
If any spark of life be yet remaining,
Down, down to hell; and say-I sent thee thither,
(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 say,
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 cried,
0. Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth?
And so I was, which plainly signified-
That I should snarl, and bite, and play the dog.
Then, since the heavens have shap'd my body so,
Let bell make crook'd my mind to answer it.
I have no brother, I am like no brother:

And this word-love, which greybeards call divine,
Be resident in men like one another,
Ard not in me; I am myself alone. --

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.
SCENE VII.-The same. A Room in the Palace.
King EDWARD is discovered sitting on his throne;
Queen ELIZABETH with the infant Prince,
CLARENCE, GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and others
near kim.

[Exit.

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

Re-purchas'd with the blood of enemies.
What valiant foe-men, like to autumn's corn,
Have we mow'd down, in tops of all their pride?
Three dukes of Somerset, threefold renown'd
For hardy and undoubted champions:

Two Clifferds, as the father and the son:
And two Northumberlands; two braver men
Ne'er spurr'd their coursers at the trumpet's sound:
With them, the two brave bears, Warwick and

Montague,

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:
Young Ned, for thee, thine uncles and myself
Have in our armours watch'd the winter's night;
Went all a-foot in summer's scalding heat,
That thon 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 laid;
For yet I am not look'd on in the world.
This shoulder was ordain'd so thick, to heave;
And heave it shall some weight, or break my
back:-

Work thou the way,-and thou shalt execute.

(Aside.)

K. Edw. Clarence, and Gloster, love my lovely

Reignier, her father, to the king of France
Hath pawn'd the Sicils and Jerusalem,
And hither have they sent it for her ransome.

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 befit the pleasures of the court?

Bet I will sort a pitchy day for thee:

For here, I hope, begins our lasting joy. [Exeunt.

20

5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

ACT L

SCENE I.

P. 165. Third Part of King Henry VI.] This play is only divided from the former for the convenience of exhibition; for the series of action is continued without interruption, nor are any two scenes of any play more closely connected than the first scene of this play with the last of the former. JOHNSON.

Id. c. 2, 1. 30. - - if Warwick shake his bells. The allusion is to falconry. The hawks had sometimes little bells hung upon them, perhaps to dare the birds; that is, to fright them from

rising.

P. 166. c. 1, 19. "Patience is for póltroons, such as he."-MALONE.

Id 1.77 sith-] i. e. since.

Id. c. 2, 1, 24. Mr. Malone omits But.

Id. 1. 39.

- prejudicial to his crown?]i. e. to the prerogative of the crown.

Id. 1.70. hear but one word :”--MALONE. P. 167. c. 1, l. 15. They seek revenge,] They go away, not because they doubt the justice of this determination, but because they have been conquered, and seek to be revenged. They are not influenced by principle, but passion. Id. 1. 35.--Ill to my castle.] Sandal Castle, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire.

Id 1.45.

bewray--] i. e. betray, discover. Id. L. 61. Rather than have made"-MALONE.

Id 1.75. What is it, but to make thy sepulchre,] The queen's reproach is founded on a position long received among politicians, that the loss of a king's power is soon followed by loss of

life.

Id. c. 2, 1. 34. Tire on the flesh of me,] To tire is to fasten, to fix the talons, from the French tirer; or rather, to peck.

Id. 1. 35-those three lords-] that is, of Northumberland, Westmoreland, and Clifford, who had left him in disgust.

SCENE II.

Id. 1.69. An oath is of no moment,] The obligation of an oath is here eluded by very despicable sophistry. A lawful magistrate alone has the power to exact an oath, but the oath derives no part of its force from the magistrate. The plea against the obligation of an oath obliging to maintain an usurper, taken from the unlawfulness of the oath itself in the foregoing play, was rational and just.

P. 168, c. 1, l. 20. The queen, with all, &c.] 1 know not whether the author intended any moral instruction, but he that reads this has a striking admonition against that precipitancy by which men often use unlawful means to do

that which a little delay would put honestly in

their power. Had York staid but a few moments, he had saved his cause from the stain of perjury. JOHNSON.

The whole, however, is a violation of historic truth.

Id. l. 51.

kerchief.

this napkin-] A napkin is a hand

circle with a crown.

Id. 1. 76. And will you pale-] i. e. impale, en--to do him dead.] To kill him. Id. c. 2, l. 1.Id. l. 17. the type-] i. e. the distinguishing mark; an obsolete use of the word.

Id. 1. 28. Tis government, that makes them seem divine] Government, in the language of that time, signified evenness of temper, and decency of manners. JOHNSON.

Id. 1. 32. · septentrion.] i. e. the north. Septentrio, Lat.

P. 170, e 1, l. 45. ——blazing by our meeds,] Meed here means merit.

Id. l. 59. O speak no more! The generous tenderness of Edward, and savage fortitude of Richard are well dist nguished by their different reception of their father's death. JOHNSON.

Id 1 62. the hope of Troy- Hector. P. 171, c. 17 28 --haught Northumberland, 1 e. high spirited, or haughty.

Id. 1. 71. Why then it sorts, Why then things are as they should be.

Id. l. 74 Darreign-] that is, range your host. put your host in order.

P. 172 c.1, 7 60. I am resolv'd,] It is my firm persuasion; I am no longer in doubt. Id. 1. 77. (As if a channel should be call'd the sea) A channel, in our author's time, sig. nified what we now call a kennel. Id. c. 2, 1. To let thy tongue detect-] To show thy meanness of birth by the indecency of language with which thou railest at my deformity. JOHNSON.

Id. 1. 2. A wisp of straw-] A instrument of correction that might disgrace, but not hurt her. A wisp was also the punishment for

a scold. Id. 1. 4 To make this shameless callet-] Callet, a lewd woma), a drab, perhaps so called fom the French calotte, which was a sort of headdress worn by country girls. Id. 1. 6. Menelaus; i. e. a cuckold. Id. 1. 23. --we saw our sunshine made thy

Id.

expected glimpse of rural innocence and pastoral tranquillity, JOHNSON.

c 2.1 23. Enter a Sou, &c.] These two horrible incidents are selected to show the innumerable calamities of civil war. JOHNSON,

In the battle of Constantine and Maxentius by Raphael, the second of these incidents is introduced on a similar occasion. Id. 1. 45. And let our hearts, and eyes, like cr vil war.

Be bind with tears, and break o'er. chary'd with grief] The meaning is here inaccurately expressed. The king interdis to say that the state of their hearts and eyes shall be like that of the kingdom in a cru war, all shall be destroyed by power formed within themselves, JoHNSON

Id. 1. 61. What stratagems, Stratagem is used by Shakspeare not merely to express the events and surprises of war -The word means in this place some dreadful event. Id. 1. 65. O boy, thy father gave thee life

too soon, &. Of the various meanios giveD to these two lines, the following seems the most probable. Had the son been younger, he would have been precluded from the levy that brought ham into the field; and had the father recognised him before the mortal blow, it would not have been too late to have saved him from death. HENLEY

Id. 1. 77. Take on with me,] To take on is a phrase still in use among the vulgar. and Siguities to persist in clamorous" lamentation.

P. 174, c. 1.7. 4. Mis-think,] i. e. to think ill, unjevourably.

Id. 1. 17 And so obsequious will thy father be Obsequious is here careful of obsequies, or of funereal rites.