And Montague our top-mast; What of him?
Our slaughter'd friends the tackles; What of these?
"Why, is not Oxford here another anchor?
And Somerset another goodly mast;

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;
But keep our course, though the rough wind say-

no,

:

* From shelves and rocks that threaten us with wreck. As good to chide the waves, as speak them fair. And what is Edward, but a ruthless sea? What Clarence, but a quicksand 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 whit 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 dike spirit to himself.
If any such be here, as God forbid !

Let him depart, before we need his help.

Oxf. Women and children of so high a courage!

And warriors faint! why, 'twere perpetual shame.

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!Demands 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.

Q. Mar. Thanks, gentle Somerset:-sweet Ox ford, thanks.

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.

Orf. 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. Q. Mar. This cheers my heart, to see your forwardness.

Orf. Here pitch our battle, hence we will not budge.

March. Enter, at a distance, KING EDWARD, CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and Forces.

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

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,

3 This scene is ill contrived, in which the king and queen appear at once on the stage at the head of opposing armies. It had been easy to make one retire before the other entered.Johnson.

+ Know.

My tears gainsay5; for every word I speak, Ye see, I drink the water of mine eyes. 'Therefore, no more but this:-Henry, your sovedareign,

Is prisoner to the foe; 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, 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 castle1 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 for[Exeunt Oxr. and Son. guarded. Q. Mar. So part we sadly in this troublous world, To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.

tune.

K. Edw. Is proclamation made,-that who finds o Edward,

*Shall have a high reward, and he his life? Gle. It is: and lo, where youthful Edward comes.

Enter Soldiers, with PRINCE EDWARD.

K. Edw. Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak:

Unsay, deny.

A castle in Picardy, where Oxford was confined for many years.

See note 6, on p. 341.

* 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 to3?
Prince. Speak like a subject, proud ambitious
Madale 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 Esopt 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 charms
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,

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

heres.

[Stabs him.

2 We have nearly the same words in The Tempest:O, my heart bleeds,

To think of the teen that I have turn'd you to.

The prince calls Richard Esop for his crookedness; and the poet following nature makes Richard highly incensed at the reproach.

5 See King Henry VI. Part II. Act iv. Sc. 1, p. 196, note 10. GThat is, thou who art the likeness, &c. The old copies describe Edward as striking the first blow, and Gloster the next; and this is according to history, which informs us that Edward smote the prince with his gauntlet, on which the rest dispatched

him.

Glo. Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy

HO

Q. Mar. O, kill me too!
Glo. Marry, and shall.
K. Edw. Hold, Richard,
done too much.

[GLO. stabs him. me with perjury. [CLA. stabs him.

[Offers to kill her. hold, for we have

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! the How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd! You have no children, butchers! if you had8, 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.

i. e. dispute, contention. Thus in one of the former parts of King Henry VI.:

Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me.'

The same sentiment is repeated by Macduff in the tragedy of Macbeth; and this passage may serve as a comment on that.