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Enter a Servant.

SERV. My lord, your fon was gone before 1

came.

YORK. He was?—Why, so !—go all which

it will!

way

The nobles they are fled, the commons cold,9
And will, I fear, revolt on Hereford's fide.
Sirrah,

2

Get thee to Plafhy, to my fifter Glofter;
Bid her fend me prefently a thousand pound:
Hold, take my ring.

SERV. My lord, I had forgot to tell your lord

fhip:

To-day, as I came by, I called there; -
But I fhall grieve you to report the rest.
YORK. What is it, knave?

SERV. An hour before I came, the duchefs died.
YORK. God for his mercy! what a tide of woes
Comes rufhing on this woeful land at once!
I know not what to do:- I would to God,
(So my untruth3 had not provok'd him to it,)
The king had cut off my head with my brother's. 4

9 The nobles they ere fled, the commons cold,] The old copies, injuriously to the metre, read

The nobles they are fled, the commons they are cold.

STEEVENS. Get thee to Plashy, ] The lordship of Plashy, was a town of the duchess of Glofter's in Effex. See Hall's Chronicle, p. 13.

3

THEOBALD.

untruth ] That is, disloyalty, treachery. JOHNSON. The king had cut off my head with my brother's. None of York's brothers had his head cut off, either by the King or any one else. The duke of Glofter, to whofe death he probably alludes, was - fecretly murdered at Calais, being fmothered between two beds. RITSON

5

What, are there pofts despatch'd for Ireland? How shall we do for money for these wars?— Come, fifter coufin, I would fay: pray, pardon

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Go, fellow, [To the Servant. ] get thee home, provide fome carts,

And bring away the armour that is there.

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[Exit Servant. Gentlemen, will you go mufter men? if I know How, or which way, to order thefe affairs, Thus thruft diforderly into my hands, Never believe me. Both are my kinsmen ; The one's my fovereign, whom both my oath And duty bids defend; the other again, Is my kinfman, whom the king hath wrong'd;" Whom confcience and my kindred bids to right. Well, fomewhat we muft do. — Come, cousin, I'll Difpofe of you: Go, mufter up your men, And meet me presently at Berkley-caftle. I fhould to Plafhy too; -

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But time will not permit: All is uneven,
And every thing is left at fix and feven.

[Exeunt YORK and Queen.

- BUSHY. The wind fits fair for news to go to Ire

land,

But none returns. For us to levy power,
Proportionable to the enemy,

Is all impoffible.

5 What, are there pofts defpatch'd for Ireland? Thus the folio. The quartos two pofts -andSTEEVENS. -no pofts.

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6 Come, fifter, coufin, I would fay:] This is one of Shakspeare's touches of nature. York is talking to the queen his coufin, but the recent death of his fifter is uppermoft in his mind. STEVENS. 7 Is my kinfman, whom the king hath wrong'd;] Sir T. Hanmer has completed this defe&tive line, by reading

My kinfman is, one whom the king hath wrong'd.

STELVENS.

GREEN. Befides, our nearness to the king in love, Is near the hate of thofe love not the king.

BAGOT. And that's the wavering commons: for their love

Lies in their purses; and whofo empties them,
By fo much fills their hearts with deadly hate.
BUSHY. Wherein the king ftands generally con-
demn'd.

BAGOT. If judgement lie in them, then fo do we, Because we ever have been near the king.

GREEN. Well, I'll for refuge ftraight to Bristol castle;

The earl of Wiltshire is already there.

BUSHY. Thither will I with you: for little office The hateful commons will perform for us; Except, like curs, to tear us all to pieces. Will you go along with us?

BAGOT. No; I'll to Ireland to his majesty. Farewell if heart's prefages be not vain,

We three here part, that ne'er fhall meet again. BUSHY. That's as York thrives to beat back Bolingbroke.

GREEN. Alas, poor duke! the task he undertakes Isnumb'ring fands, and drinking oceans dry; Where one on his fide fights, thoufands will fly. BUSHY. Farewell at once; for once, for all, and

ever.

GREEN. Well, me may meet again.
BAGOT.

I fear me, never.

[Exeunt

SCENE III.

The Wilds in Glofterfhire.

Enter BOLINGBROKE and NORTHUMBERLAND, with Forces.

BOLING. How far is it, my lord, to Berkley now? NORTH. Believe me, noble lord,

I am a ftranger here in Gloftershire.

These high wild hills, and rough uneven ways,
Draw out our miles, and make them wearifome:
And yet your fair discourse hath been as fugar,
Making the hard way fweet and délectable.
But, I bethink me, what a weary way
From Ravenfpurg to Gotfwold, will be found
In Rofs and Willoughby, wanting your company;
Which, I proteft, hath very much beguil'd
The tediousnefs and procefs of my travel:
But theirs is fweeten'd with the hope to have
The present benefit which I poffefs:

6

And hope to joy, is little lefs in joy,

5

Than hope enjoy'd: by this the weary lords. Shall make their way seem short! as mine hath done By fight of what I have, your noble company.

5

wanting your company;

Which, I proteft, hath very much beguil'd

The tedioufnefs and process of my travel:] So, in K. Leir, 1605:
Thy pleasant company will make the way feem fhort.

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MALONE.

6 And hope to joy,] To joy is, I believe, here used as a verb. So, in the fecond a&t of King Henry IV: Poor fellow never joy'd fince the price of oats rofe. Again, in King Henry VI. P. II: "Was ever king that joy'd an earthly throne

The word is again used with the fame fignification in the play before us. MALONE.

T

BOLING. Of much less value is my company, Than your good words. But who comes here?

Enter HARRY PERCY.

NORTH. It is my fon, young Harry Percy, Sent from my brother Worcester, whencefoever.Harry, how fares your uncle?

PERCY. I had thought, my lord, to have learn'd his health of you.

NORTH. Why, is he not with the queen? PERCY. No, my good lord; he hath forfook the

court,

Broken his ftaff of office, and difpers'd

The household of the king.

NORTH.

What was his reafon?

He was not fo refolv'd, when laft we fpake toge

ther.

PERCY. Because your lordship was proclaimed

traitor.

1

But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenspurg,
To offer fervice to the duke of Hereford!
And fent me o'er by Berkley, to discover
What power the duke of York had levied there;
Then with direction to repair to Ravenspurg.

NORTH. Have you forgot the duke of Hereford, boy?

PERCY. No, my good lord; for that is not forgot,

Which ne'er I did remember: to my knowledge, I never in my life did look on him.

NORTH. Then learn to know him now; this is

the duke.

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