Queen. Lords, knights, and gentlemen, what I

should say,

My tears gainsay; for every word I speak,

Ye see, I drink the water of mine eyes.

Therefore, no more but this:-Henry, your sovereign,

Is prisoner to the foe; his state usurp'd,
His realm a slaughter-house, his subjects slain,
His statutes cancell'd, and his treasure spent ;
And yonder is the wolf, that makes this spoil.
You fight in justice: then, in God's name, lords,
Be valiant, and give signal to the fight.

270

[Both Parties go out. Alarum. Retreat. Excursions.

SCENE V.

Enter King EDWARD, GLOSTER, CLARENCE, &c. The Queen, OXFORD, and SOMERSET, Prisoners.

K. Edw. Lo, here a period of tumultuous broils. Away with Oxford to Hammes' Castle straight; For Somerset, off with his guilty head.

Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak.
Oxf. For my part, I'll not trouble thee with words.
Som. Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune.
[Exeunt OXFORD and SOMERSET, guarded.
Queen. So part we sadly in this troublous world,
To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.

K. Edw. Is proclamation made-that, who finds

Edward,

Shall

Shall have a high reward, and he his life?

280

Gle. It is; and, lo, where youthful Edward comes.

Enter Soldiers with the Prince.

K. Edw. Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak :

What! can so young a thorn begin to prick?—
Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make,
For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects,
And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to?
Prince. Speak like a subject, proud ambitious
York!

290

Suppose, that I am now my father's mouth:
Resign thy chair, and, where I stand, kneel thou,
Whilst I propose the self-same words to thee,
Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
Queen. Ah, that thy father had been so resolv'd!
Glo. That you might still have worn the petticoat,
And ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster.
Prince. Let Æsop fable in a winter's night;
His currish riddles sort not with this place.

Glo. By heaven, brat, I'll plague you for that word.

Queen. Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men. Glo. For God's sake, take away this captive scold. Prince. Nay, take away this scolding crook-back

rather.

300

K. Edw. Peace wilful boy, or I will charm your

tongue.

Clar. Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert.

Prince.

Prince. I know my duty, you are all undutiful : Lascivious Edward-and thou perjur'd George— And thou mis-shapen Dick-I tell ye all,

I am your better, traitor as ye are ;

And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine.

K. Edw. Take that, thou likeness of this railer here.

[Stabs him. Glo. Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy agony.

[GLO. stabs him.

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

Queen. Oh, kill me too!

Glo. Marry, and shall.

[CLAR. stabs him.

311

[Offers to kill her.

K. Edw. Hold, Richard, hold, for we have done

too much.

Glo. Why should she live to fill the world with words?

K. Edw. What! doth she swoon? use means for

her recovery.

Glo. Clarence, excuse me to the king my brother; I'll hence to London on a serious matter:

Ere ye come there, be sure to hear more news.

Clar. What? what?

Glo. The Tower, man, the Tower!

[Exit.

Queen. Oh, Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother,

boy!

Canst thou not speak -O traitors! murderers!-
They, that stabb'd Cæsar, 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 respect, a child;

And men ne'er spend their fury on a child.
What's worse than murderer, that I may name it?
No, no; my heart will burst, an if I speak :-

And I will speak, that so my heart may burst. 330
Butchers and villains, bloody cannibals!

How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd!
You have no children, butchers! if you had,
The thought of them would have stirr'd up remorse:
But, if you ever chance to have a child,

Look in his youth to have him so cut off,

As, deathsmen ! you have rid this sweet young prince.

K. Edw. Away with her; go, bear her hence by

force.

338 Queen. Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch me here; Here sheath thy sword, 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 ease. Queen. Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it.

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

Queen. Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself; 'Twas sin 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 put'st back.

350 K. Edw.

K. Edw. Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her hence. 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 supper in the Tower.

K. Edw. He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head. Now march we hence; discharge the common sort, With pay and thanks, and let's away to London, And see our gentle queen how well she fares; By this, I hope she hath a son for us.

359

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

The Tower of London.

Enter King HENRY with a Book, and GLOSTER with the Lieutenant, on the Tower Walls.

1

Glo. Good day, my lord! What, at your book so

hard?

K. Henry, Ay, my good lord: My lord, I should say rather;

'Tis sin to flatter, good was little better:

Good Gloster, and good devil, were alike,

And both preposterous; therefore, not good lord.

Glo. Sirrah, leave us to ourselves: we must confer. [Exit Lieutenant.

K. Henry. So flies the reckless shepherd from the

wolf:

So