He 'll soon find means to make the body follow. Hast. Why, master mayor, why stand you in a doubt? Open the gates; we are King Henry's friends. May. Aye, say you so? the gates shall then be [They descend. Glou. A wise stout captain, and soon persuaded! 30 Hast. The good old man would fain that all were open'd. well, So 'twere not 'long of him; but being enter'd, Enter the Mayor and two Aldermen, below. K. Edw. So, master mayor: these gates must not be shut But in the night or in the time of war. For Edward will defend the town and thee, And all those friends that deign to follow me. March. Enter Montgomery, with drum and soldiers. 40 Glou. Brother, this is Sir John Montgomery, in arms? Montg. To help King Edward in his time of As every loyal subject ought to do. K Edw. Thanks, good Montgomery; but we now storm, 30. "A wise stout captain, and soon persuaded", "captain” probably trisyllabic; Keightley, "I' faith, a wise"; Collier MS. "captain he"; Delius (Lettsom conj.), "capitain”; Cartwright, "captain, faith"; Pope, "persuaded soon."-I. G. forget Our title to the crown, and only claim Our dukedom till God please to send the rest. Montg. Then fare you well, for I will hence again: I came to serve a king, and not a duke. Drummer, strike up, and let us march away. 50 [The drum begins to march. K. Edw. Nay, stay, Sir John, a while, and we'll debate By what safe means the crown may be recover'd. Montg. What talk you of debating? in few words, If you 'll not here proclaim yourself our king, I 'll leave you to your fortune, and be gone To keep them back that come to succor you: Why shall we fight, if you pretend no title? Glou. Why, brother, wherefore stand you on nice points? K. Edw. When we grow stronger, then we'll make our claim: Till then, 'tis wisdom to conceal our meaning. 60 Hast. Away with scrupulous wit! now arms must rule. Glou. And fearless minds climb soonest unto crowns. Brother, we will proclaim you out of hand; The bruit thereof will bring you many friends. K. Edw. Then be it as you will; for 'tis my right, And Henry but usurps the diadem. 57. "shall"; Capell (from Qq.), "should."-I. G. Montg. Aye, now my sovereign speaketh like him self; And now will I be Edward's champion. Hast. Sound trumpet; Edward shall be here pro claim'd: Come, fellow-soldier, make thou proclamation. [Flourish. Sold. Edward the Fourth, by the grace of God, 71 king of England and France, and lord of Ireland, &c. Montg. And whosoe'er gainsays King Edward's right, By this I challenge him to single fight. [Throws down his gauntlet. All. Long live Edward the Fourth! K. Edw. Thanks, brave Montgomery; and thanks unto you all: If fortune serve me, I'll requite this kindness. We 'll forward towards Warwick and his mates; Come on, brave soldiers: doubt not of the day, 88. In October, 1470, about a year after his escape from York, Edward, having failed in several schemes for recovering his power, embarked from Lynn, and sought refuge with the duke of Burgundy, who had lately been married to his sister. Being there fitted out with a fleet and fifteen hundred men, he returned to England, and landed at Ravenspurg, the same place where Bolingbroke had come on a similar errand in 1399. In less than two months after his landing, Edward was again on the throne: but his course was one of inexpressible perfidy; "still bruiting that his comming was not to chalenge the crowne, but onelie the duchie of Yorke"; and when at last, on this ground, he was let into the city of York, he "received the sacrament, and there solemnlie sware to keepe and observe two speciall articles, the one, that he should use the citizens after a gentle and courteous maner, the other, that he should be faithfull and obedient unto king Henries commandments."-H. Ν. Η. SCENE VIII London. The palace. Flourish. Enter King Henry, Warwick, Montague, Clarence, Exeter, and Oxford. War. What counsel, lords? Edward from Belgia, With hasty Germans and blunt Hollanders, Hath pass'd in safety through the narrow seas, And with his troops doth march amain to London; And many giddy people flock to him. K. Hen. Let 's levy men, and beat him back again. Clar. A little fire is quickly trodden out; Which, being suffer'd, rivers cannot quench. War. In Warwickshire I have friends, true-hearted "Enter." In the Folios, Somerset is named in the stage direction, though he had gone with young Richmond into Brittany. The mistake arose, as the Cambridge Eds. point out, from the Quartos, in which Scenes vi. and viii. form but one.-I. G. 2. "hasty Germans"; S. Walker, "lusty"; Cartwright, "hardy." I. G. 10 Not mutinous in peace, yet bold in war; mand'st: And thou, brave Oxford, wondrous well beloved, In Oxfordshire shalt muster up thy friends. 20 K. Hen. Farewell, my Hector, and my Troy's true hope. Clar. In sign of truth, I kiss your highness' hand. K. Hen. Well-minded Clarence, be thou fortu nate! Mont. Comfort, my lord; and so I take my leave. [Exeunt all but King Henry and Exeter. K. Hen. Here at the palace will I rest a while. Cousin of Exeter, what thinks your lordship? Methinks the power that Edward hath in field |