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.

[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' castle3 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. Som. Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune.

[Exeunt OXFORD and SOMERSET, guarded. * Q. Mar. 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 Prince EDWARD.

* 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,

to Hammes' castle-] A castle in Picardy, where Oxford was confined for many years.

VOL. VI.

M M

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!
Glo. That you might still have worn the petticoat,
And ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster.
Prince. Let Æsop* fable in a winter's night;
His currish riddles sort not with this place.

Glo. By heaven, brat, I'll plague you for that word.
Q. Mar. Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men.
Glo. For God's sake, take away this captive scold.
Prince. Nay, take away this scolding crook-back
rather.

'K. Edw. Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue.

Clar. Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert.

Prince. I know my duty, you are all undutiful: Lascivious Edward, and thou perjur'd George,And thou misshapen Dick,-I tell 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.5

[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.

* Let Esop, &c.] The Prince calls Richard, for his crookedness, sop; and the poet, following nature, makes Richard highly incensed at the reproach.

5

the likeness of this railer here, &c.] That thou resemblest thy railing mother.

Q. Mar. O, kill me too!

Glo. Marry, and shall.

[Offers to kill her.

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

too much.

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

'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 ye 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 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 remorse: '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!

K. Edw. Away with her; go, bear her hence perforce.

Q. Mar. Nay, never bear me hence, despatch me

here;

with words?] i. e. dispute, contention.

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.

Clar. Didst thou not hear me swear, I would not do it.

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 say; I charge ye, bear her
hence.

Q. Mar. So come to you, and yours, as to this
Exit, led out forcibly.

prince!

K. Edw. Where's Richard gone?

'Clar. To London, all in post; and, as I To make a bloody supper in the Tower.

guess,

K. Edw. 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?

"'Twas sin before,] She alludes to the desertion of Clarence.

K. Hen. Ay, my good lord: My lord, I should

rather;

'Tis sin to flatter, good was little better:

Good Gloster, and good devil, were alike,

say

* And both preposterous; therefore, not good lord. *Glo. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves: we must [Exit Lieutenant.

confer.

* 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 mind; The thief doth fear each bush an officer.

'K. Hen. The bird, that hath been limed in a bush, 'With trembling wings misdoubteth 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 kill'd.

'Glo. Why, what a peevish fool was that of Crete, That taught his son the office of a fowl? And yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd. K. Hen. I, Dædalus; my poor boy, Icarus; Thy father, Minos, that denied our course;

The sun, 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 tragick history.

* But wherefore dost thou come? is't for my life? 'Glo. Think'st thou, I am an executioner? K. Hen. A persecutor, I am sure, thou art;

hapless male-] The word male is here used in a very uncommon sense, not for the male of the female, but for the male parent: the sweet bird is evidently his son Prince Edward.