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War. Why, then I would not fly.-Ah, Montague, If thou be there, sweet brother, take my hand, And with thy lips keep in my soul a while! Thou lov'st me not; for, brother, if thou didst, Thy tears would wash this cold congealed blood, 150 That glews my lips, and will not let me speak. Come quickly, Montague, or I am dead.

Som. Ah, Warwick, Montague hath breath'd his last;

And to the latest gasp, cry'd out for Warwick,
And said Commend me to my valiant brother.
And more he would have said; and more he spoke,
Which sounded like a clamour in a vault,
That could not be distinguish'd; but, at last,
I well might hear deliver'd with a groan-
O, farewel, Warwick!

War. Sweet rest his soul!

160

Fly, lords, and save yourselves; for Warwick bids You all farewel, to meet in heaven.

[Dies.

Oxf. Away, away, to meet the queen's great power! [They bear away his Body, and Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Another Part of the Field. Flourish. Enter King EDWARD in Triumph; with GLOSTER, CLARENCE, and the Rest.

K, Edw. Thus far our fortune keeps an upward

course,

L

And

And we are grac'd with wreaths of victory.
But, in the midst of this bright-shining day,
I spy a black, suspicious, threat'ning cloud,
That will encounter with our glorious sun,
Ere he attain his easeful western bed:
I mean, my lords-those powers, that the queen
Hath rais'd in Gallia, have arriv'd our coast,
And, as we hear, march on to fight with us.

Clar. A little gale will soon disperse that cloud,
And blow it to the source from whence it came :
The very beams will dry those vapours up;
For every cloud engenders not a storm.

170

Glo. The queen is valu'd thirty thousand strong, And Somerset, with Oxford, fled to her; If she have time to breathe, be well assur'd, Her faction will be full as strong as ours.

180

K. Edw. We are advertis'd by our loving friends, That they do hold their course towards Tewksbury: We, having now the best at Barnet field,

Will thither straight, For willingness rids way;
And as we march our strength will be augmented
In every county as we go along.-

Strike up the drum; cry-Courage! and away.

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SCENE W.

Tewksbury. March. Enter the Queen, Prince of WALES, SOMERSET, OXFORD, and Soldiers.

Queen. Great lords, wise men ne'er sit and wail their loss,

But cheerly seek how to redress their harms.

What though the mast be now blown over-board,
The cable broke, our holding anchor lost,
And half our sailors swallow'd in the flood?
Yet lives our pilot still: Is't meet, that he
Should leave the helm, and, like a fearful lad,
With tearful eyes add water to the sea,

190

And give more strength to that which hath too much;
Whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock,
Which industry and courage might have sav'd ?
Ah, what a shame! ah, what a fault were this! 200
Say, Warwick was our anchor; What of that?
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.

209

As good to chide the waves, as speak them fair.
And what is Edward, but a ruthless sea?
What Clarence, but a quick-sand of deceit ?
And Richard, but a ragged fatal rock ?
All these the enemies to our poor bark.

220

Say, you can swim; alas, 'tis but a while:
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 like spirit to himself.
If any such be here, as God forbid !

Let him depart, before we need his help.

230

Oxf. Women and children of so high a courage! And warriors faint! why, 'twere perpetual shame.Oh, brave young prince! thy famous grandfather

Doth

Doth live again in thee; Long may'st thou live, 241 To bear his image, and renew his glories!

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. Queen. Thanks, gentle Somerset ;-sweet Oxford, 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.

Oxf. 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.

250

Queen. This cheers my heart, to see your forward

ness.

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

March. Enter King EDWARD, GLOSTER, CLARENCE, and Soldiers, on the other Side of the Stage.

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

Which, by the heaven's 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.

Liij

269

Queen.

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