More like a king, more kingly in my thoughts:
But I must make fair weather yet a while, 30
Till Henry be more weak and I more strong.-
O Buckingham, I prithee, pardon me,
That I have given no answer all this while;
My mind was troubled with deep melancholy.
The cause why I have brought this army
hither

Is to remove proud Somerset from the king,
Seditious to his grace and to the state.

Buck. That is too much presumption on thy part:

But if thy arms be to no other end,

The king hath yielded unto thy demand: 40 The Duke of Somerset is in the Tower.

York. Upon thine honour, is he prisoner?
Buck. Upon mine honour, he is prisoner.
York. Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my
powers.

Soldiers, I thank you all; disperse yourselves;
Meet me to-morrow in Saint George's field,
You shall have pay and every thing you wish.
And let my sovereign, virtuous Henry,
Command my eldest son, nay, all my sons,
As pledges of my fealty1 and love;
I'll send them all as willing as I live:
Lands, goods, horse, armour, any thing I have,
Is his to use, so Somerset may die.

50

99

[[Pointing to the crown] That gold must round engirt these brows of mine, Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear, Is able with the change to kill and cure. Here is a hand to hold a sceptre up,

And with the same to act1 controlling laws.]
Give place: by heaven, thou shalt rule no more
O'er him whom heaven created for thy ruler.
Som. O monstrous traitor!-I arrest thee,
York,

Of capital treason 'gainst the king and crown:
Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace.
York. Wouldst have me kneel? first let me
ask of these, [pointing to his Attendants]
If they can brook I bow a knee to man.-
Sirrah, call in my sons to be my bail:

111

Enter, on one side, EDWARD and RICHARD PLANTAGENET, with Forces; on the other old CLIFFORD and his Son, with Forces also. Queen. And here comes Clifford to deny their bail.

(lif. Health and all happiness to my lord the King! [Kneels to King Henry.

York. I thank thee, Clifford: say, what news with thee?

Nay, do not fright us with an angry look: We are thy sovereign, Clifford; kneel again; For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee.

Clif. This is my king, York, I do not mistake;

129

But thou mistak'st me much to think I do:

Iden. Lo, I present your grace a traitor's head.-(Act v. 1. 66.)

Clif. He is a traitor; let him to the Tower, And chop away that factious pate of his.

Queen. He is arrested, but will not obey; His sons, he says, shall give their words for him.

York. Will you not, sons?

Edw. Ay, noble father, if our words will

To act to put in action. VOL. II.

2 Ward, prison.

serve.

65

27

ļ

Clif. Why, what a brood of traitors have we here!

York. Look in a glass, and call thy image so: I am thy king, and thou a false-heart traitor.— Call hither to the stake my two brave bears,1 That with the very shaking of their chains They may astonish these fell-lurking curs: Bid Salisbury and Warwick come to me. [Exit an Attendant.

Enter WARWICK and SALISBURY, with Forces. Clif. Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears to death,

148

And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles?-]
O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty?
If it be banish'd from the frosty head,
Where shall it find a harbour in the earth?—
[Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And stain thine honourable age with blood?]
Why art thou old, and want'st experience?
Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?

1 Bears; the Bear and Ragged Staff were the cognizance of the house of Neville.

2 Being suffer'd with, i.e. being allowed to engage with. Indigested, shapeless. 4 In, on.

War. Now, by my father's badge, old Nevil's
crest,

The rampant bear chain'd to the ragged staff,
This day I'll wear aloft my burgonet,
As on a mountain top the cedar shows
That keeps his leaves in spite of any storm,
E'en to affright thee with the view thereof.
Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy bear,

Whom angry heavens do make their minister, Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part

Hot coals of vengeance! [Let no soldier fly: He that is truly dedicate to war

Hath no self-love; nor he that loves himself

Hath not essentially, but by circumstance,
The name of valour.-]

[Seeing his dead father. O, let the vile world end, And the premised flames of the last day Knit earth and heaven together! [Now let the general trumpet blow his blast, Particularities and petty sounds

42