K. Edw. What, Warwick, wilt thou leave the) And faid,-Commend me to my valiant brother.

But chearly feek how to redress their harms.
What though the mast be now blown over-board,

Som. Ah, Warwick, Warwick wert thou as The cable broke, our holding anchor lost,

And half our failors fwallow'd in the flood? Yet lives our pilot ftill: Is't meet, that he The queen from France hath brought a puitfant Should leave the helm, and, like a fearful lad, Even now we heard the news: Ah, couldft thou fly ! | With tearful eyes add water to the fea, [much; War. Why, then I would not fly.-Ah, Montague, And give more ftrength to that which hath too If thou be there, fweet brother, take my hand, And with thy lips keep in my foul a while! Thou lov'ft me not; for, brother, if thou didst, Thy tears would wash this cold congealed blood, That glews my lips, and will not let me speak. Come quickly, Montague, or I am dead.

1 Bug means a bugbear. 2 i. e. which made us all fear, 3 i. . a clamour of tongues.

Sf3

The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings?
And, though unfkilful, why not Ned and I
For once allow'd the fkilful pilot's charge?
We will not from the helm, to fit and weep; [no,
But keep our course, though the rough winds fay-
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 quick-fand of deceit ?
And Richard, but a ragged fatal rock?
All these the enemies to our poor bark.
Say, you can fwim; alas, 'tis but a while:
Tread on the fand; why, there you quickly fink:
Beftride the rock; the tide will wash you off,
Or else you famish, that's a threefold death.
This fpeak I, lords, to let you understand,
In cafe fome one of you would fly from us,
That there's no hop'd-for mercy with the brothers,
More than with ruthlefs waves, with fands, and
rocks.

Why, courage then! what cannot be avoided,
'Twere childish weakness to lament, or fear.

Prince. Methinks, a woman of this valiant fpirit
Should, if a coward heard her fpeak thefe words,
Infufe his breaft 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 fhould have leave to go away betimes:
Left, in our need, he might infect another,
And make him of like fpirit to himself.
If any fuch be here, as God forbid !
Let him depart, before we need his help.

Oxf. Women and children of fo high a courage!
And warriors faint! why, 'twere perpetual fhame.--
O brave young prince! thy famous grandfather
Doth live again in thee; Long may'ft thou live,
To bear his image, and renew his glories!

Som. And he that will not fight for fuch a hope,
Go home to bed, and, like the owl by day,
If he arife, be mock'd and wonder'd at. [thanks.
Queen. Thanks, gentle Somerfet ;---fweet Oxford,
Prince. And take his thanks, that yet hath no-
thing elfe.

Enter a Mefferger.

My tears gainfay 1; for every word I speak,
Ye fee, I drink the water of mine eyes. [vereign,
Therefore, no more but this :-Henry, your fo-
Is prifoner to the foe; his state ufurp'd,
His realm a flaughter-house, his subjects flain,
His ftatutes cancell'd, and his treasure spent ;
And yonder is the wolf that makes this spoil.
You fight in juftice: then, in God's name, lords,
Be valiant, and give fignal to the fight.

[Both parties go out. Alavum. Retreat. Excurfions.
SCENE

V.

Enter King Edward, Glofter, Clarence, &c. The
Queen, Oxford, and Somerset, prifoners.
K. Edw. Lo, here a period of tumultuous broils.
Away with Oxford to Hammes' Castle straight:
For Somerfet, off with his guilty head.
Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them fpeak.
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 Somerfet, guarded. 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 Soldiers with the Prince.

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 stirring up my fubjects,
And all the trouble thou haft turn'd me to?

Prince. Speak like a fubject, proud ambitious
York!

Suppofe, that I am now my father's mouth;
Refign thy chair, and, where I ftand, kneel thou,
Whilft I propofe the felf-fame words to thee,
Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me antwer to.

Queen. Ah, that thy father had been fo refolv'd!
Glo. That you might still have worn the petti
coat,

And ne'er have ftol'n the breech from Lancafter.
Prince. Let Æfop 2 fable in a winter's night;

Me. Prepare you, lords, for Edward is at hand, His currith riddles fort not with this place.
Ready to fight; therefore be refolute.

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 readiness.

Queen. This cheers my heart, fo fee your for

wardness.

[budge. Oxf. Here pitch our battle, hence we will not March. Enter King Edward, Glofier, Clarence, and Soldiers, on the other fide of the stage.

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

Which, by the heavens' assistance, and your strength,
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,

To gainsay is to deny, to contradict.

Glo. By heaven, brat, I'll plague you for that
word.
[men,
Queen. Ay, thou waft born to be a plague to
Glo. For God's fake, take away this captive

fcold.

[rather.

Prince. Nay, take away this fcolding crook-back 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:
Lafcivious Edward,-and thou perjur'd George,-

| And thou mishapen Dick,-I tell ye all,
I am your better, traitors as ye are ;-
And thou ufurp'ft my father's right and mine.
K. Edw. Take that, thou likeness of this railer
here 3.
[Stabs bim
Glo. Sprawl'ft thou? take that, to end thy agony.
[Glo. ftabibim

2 The Prince calls Richard, for his crookedness,
Cla

e. Thou that refembleft thy railing mother.

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

And see our gentle queen how well she fares;
By this, I hope, the hath a fon for us.

[Exeunt.

Queen. Oh, kill me too!
Glo. Marry, and shall.

VI.

[Clar. ftabs him. [Offers to kill her. K. Edw. Hold, Richard, hold, for we have done too much.

Glo. Why should the live, to fill the world with
words?
[her recovery.

K. Edzu. What! doth fhe fwoon? ufe means for
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 more news.
Clar. What? what?

[Exit.)

Glo. The Tower, man, the Tower!
Queen. Oh, Ned, fweet Ned! fpeak to thy

mother, boy!

Canft thou not speak?—O traitors! murderers!
They, that ftabb'd Cæfar, 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 refpect, a child;
And men ne'er spend their fury on a child.
What's worfe than murderer, that I may name it?
No, no; my heart will burit, an if I speak :-
And I will speak, that fo my heart may burst.-
Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals !
How fweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd!
You have no children, butchers; if you had,
The thought of them would have stirr'd up re-
morfe :

But, if you ever chance to have a child,
Look in his youth to have him so cut off,
As, deathímen! you have rid this fweet young
[force.
prince.
K. Edw. Away with her; go, bear her hence by
Queen. Nay, never bear me hence, difpatch me

here;

Here fheath thy fword, 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 eafe.
Queen. Good Clarence, do; fweet Clarence, do
thou do it.

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

Queen. Ay, but thou usest to forfwear thyself;
'Twas fin 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;
Petitioner for blood thou ne'er putt'it back.

K. Edw. Away, I fay; I charge ye, bear her

hence.

SCENE

The Tower of London.

Enter King Henry with a book, and Glofter with the
Lieutenant, on the Tower walls.

Glo. Good day, my lord! What, at your book
fo hard?
[fay rather;

K. Henry. Ay, my good lord: My lord, Ifhould
'Tis fin to flatter, good was little better :
Good Glotter, and good devil, were alike,
And both prepofterous; therefore, not good lord.
Glo. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves: we must
[Exit Lieutenant.
K. Henry. So flies the reckless fhepherd from
the wolf;

confer.

So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece,
And next his throat unto the butcher's knife.-
What fcene of death hath Rofcius now to act?
Glo. Sufpicion always haunts the guilty mind;
The thief doth fear each bufh an officer.

I

K. Henry. The bird, that hath been limed in a
buth,
With trembling wings mifdoubteth every bush:
And I, the hapless male to one fweet bird,
Have now the fatal object in my eye, [kill'd.
Where my poor young was lim'd, was caught, and
Glo. Why, what a peevish 2 fool was that of
Crete,

That taught his fon the office of a fow!?
And yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd.

K. Henry. I, Dædalus; my poor son, Icarus;
Thy father, Minos, that deny'd our course;
The fun, that fear'd the wings of my fweet boy,
Thy brother Edward; and thyfelf, the fea,
Whole envious gulph did fwallow 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 hiftory.-
But wherefore doft thou come ? is't for my life?
Glo. Think'it thou, I am an executioner?
K. Henry. A perfecutor, I am fure, thou art;
If murdering innocents be executing,
Why, then thou art an executioner.

Glo. Thy fon I kill'd for his presumption.
K. Henry. Hadft thou been kill'd, when first
thou didst prefume,

Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a fon of mine.
And thus I prophefy,—that many a thousand,
Which now miftruft no parcel of my fear;
And many an old man's figh, and many a widow's,
And many an orphan's water-ftanding eye,-
Men for their fons, wives for their husbands' fate,
And orphans for their parents' timeless death,→→
Shall rue the hour that ever thou wait born.
The owl fhriek'd at thy birth, an evil fign;
The night-crow cry'd, aboding lucklefs time;
[head,Dogs howl'd, and hideous tempefts fhook down

Queen. So come to you, and yours, as to this [Exit Queen. prince ! K. Edw. Where's Richard gone? Clar. To London, all in post; and, as I guess, To make a bloody fupper in the Tower.

trees;

The raven rook'd 3 her on the chimney's top,
And chattering pyes in difmal difcords fung.

K. Edw. He's fudden, if a thing comes in his Now march we hence: difcharge the common fort With pay and thanks, and let's away to London, 3 To rok, or rather to ruck, is a north-country word, 1 i. e. fears, or fufpects. 2 i. e. childish. fignifying to fquat down, or lodge on any thing. All of a ruck is a Staffordshire expreffion for all on a heap.

1

Thy mother felt more than a mother's pain,
And yet brought forth less than a mother's hope;
To wit, an undigest deformed lump,
Not like the fruit of fuch a goodly tree.
Teeth hadft thou in thy head, when thou waft born,
To fignify, thou cam'ft to bite the world:
And, if the rest be true which I have heard,
Thou cam'ft into the world with thy legs forward.
Gla. I'll hear no more;-Die, prophet, in thy
fpeech.
[Stabs bim.

For this, amongst the reft, was I ordain'd.
K. Henry. Ay, and for much more flaughter
after this.

O God! forgive my fins, and pardon thee! [Dies.
Glo. What, will the afpiring blood of Lancaster
Sink in the ground? I thought, it would have
mounted.
[death
See, how my fword weeps for the poor king's
O, may fuch purple tears be alway shed
From thofe that with the downfal of our house!
If any fpark of life be yet remaining,
Down, down to hell; and fay,I fent thee thi-
ther,
[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 reafon, think ye, to make haste,
And feek their ruin that ufurp'd our right?
The midwife wonder'd, and the women cry'd,
"O, Jefus blefs us, he is born with teeth!"
And fo I was; which plainly fignify'd→→→
That I fhould fnarl, and bite, and play the dog.
Then, fince the heavens have fhap'd my body fo,
Let hell make crook'd my mind, to answer it.
I had no father, I am like no father:

I have no brother, I am like no brother: [vine,

Re-purchas'd with the blood of enemies.

What valiant foe-men, like to autumn's corn,
Have we mow'd down, in top of all their pride!
Three dukes of Somerfet, threefold renown'd
For hardy and undoubted champions:
Two Cliffords, as the father and the fon,
And two Northumberlands: two braver men
Ne'er fpurr'd their courfers at the trumpet's found :
With them, the two brave bears, Warwick and
Montague,

That in their chains fetter'd the kingly lion,
And made the foreft tremble when they roar'd.
Thus have we swept fufpicion from our seat,
And made our footstool of security.—
Come hither, Befs, and let me kifs my boy :—
[Taking the child.
Young Ned, for thee, thine uncles and myself
Have in our armours watch'd the winter's night;
Went all afoot in fummer's fcalding heat,
That thou might'it repoffefs the crown in peace;
And of our labours thou shalt reap the gain.

Glo. I'll blaft his harvest, if your head were lay'd;
For yet I am not look'd on in the world.
This fhoulder was ordain'd fo thick, to heave;
And heave it fhall fome weight, or break my
back:-

Work thou the way,—and thou shalt execute 2.
[Afide.

K. Edw. Clarence and Glofter, love my lovely

queen ;

And kifs your princely nephew, brothers both.
Clar. The duty that I owe unto your majesty,
I feal upon the lips of this fweet babe.
Queen. Thanks, noble Clarence; worthy bro-
ther, thanks.

Glo. And, that I love the tree from whence thou
fprang'ft,

And this word-love, which grey-beards call di-Witnefs the loving kits I give the fruit :

Be refident in men like one another,
And not in me; I am myfelf alone.-
Clarence, beware; thou keep'ft me from the light;
But I will fort a pitchy day for thee:
'For I will buz abroad fuch 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 fon, are gone:
Clarence, thy turn is next; and then the reft;
Counting myself but bad, 'till I be best.-
I'll throw thy body in another room,
And triumph, Henry, in thy day of doom. [Exit.

SCEN E VII.
The Palace in London.

Enter King Edward, the Queen, with the young
Prince, Clarence, Gløjler, Haflings, and Attendants.
K. Edw. Once more we fit in England's royal
throne,

To fay the truth, so Judas kifs'd his master ;
And cry'd-All hail! when as he meant― Afide.

All harm.

}

K. Edw. Now am I feated as my foul delights,
Having my country's peace, and brothers' loves.
Clar. What will your grace have done with
Margaret ?

Reignier, her father, to the king of France
Hath pawn'd the Sicils and Jerufalem,
And hither have they fent it for her raniom.
K. Edw. Away with her, and waft her hence to
France.

And now what refts, but that we spend the time
With ftately triumphs, mirthful comic shows,
Such as befit the pleafures of the court?——
Sound, drums and trumpets! farewel, four annoy!
For here, I hope, begins our lafting joy.

[Exeunt omnes.

1i. e. I will felett or chufe fuch a day, whofe gloom shall be as fatal to thee. It is supposed he fpeaks this line, first touching his head, and then looking on his hand,

Earl RIVERS, Brother to King Edward's Queen. Queen MARGARET, Widow of Henry VI.

Marquis of DORSET,

Lord GREY,

DORSET,}

Sons.

Earl of RICHMOND, afterwards King Henry VII.

Lord HASTINGS.

Sir THOMAS VAUGHAN,

Sir RICHARD RATCLIFF.

ANNE, Widow of Edward Prince of Wales, Son to Henry VI. afterwards married to the Duke of Glofter.

Dutchess of YORK, Mother to Edward IV. Clarence, and Richard III.

Sheriff, Purfuivant, Scrivener, Citizens, Ghofts, Soldiers, and other Attendants.

Gio.

ACTI.

SCENE I.

England.

London. A Street.

Enter Richard Duke of Glofter.

OW is the winter of our difcontent

Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruifed arms hung up for monuments;
Our ftern alarums chang'd to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures,
Grim-vifag'd war hath fmooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now,-instead of mounting barbed 3 steeds,

N Made glorious fummer by this fon2 of To fright the fouls of fearful adverfaries,

York;

And all the clouds, that lowr'd'upon our house,
In the deep bofom of the ocean bury'd.

He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber,

To the lafcivious pleafing of a lute.

But I,-that am not hap'd for sportive tricks,

This tragedy, though it is call'd the Life and Death of this prince, comprizes, at most, but the laft eight years of his time; for it opens with George duke of Clarence being clapp'd up in the Tower, which happen'd in the beginning of the year 1477; and clofes with the death of Richard at Bofworth Field, which battle was fought on the 22d of Auguft, in the year 1485. 2 Alluding to the cognizance of Edward IV. which was a fun, in memory of the three funs, which are laid to have appear'd at the battle which he gain'd over the Lancaftrians at Mortimer's Cross. 3 i. e. feeds furnished with armour, or warlike trappings.

Nor