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Look here, I throw my infamy at thee:
I will not ruinate my father's house,

Who gave his blood to lime the stones together,
And set up Lancaster. Why, trow'st thou, Warwick,
That Clarence is so harsh, so blunt, unnatural,
To bend the fatal instruments of war
Against his brother and his lawful king?
Perhaps, thou wilt object my holy oath :
To keep that oath were more impiety

Than Jephtha's, when he sacrificed his daughter.
I am so sorry for my trespass made,
That, to deserve well at my brother's hands,
I here proclaim myself thy mortal foe;
With resolution, wheresoe'er I meet thee,
(As I will meet thee, if thou stir abroad,)
To plague thee for thy foul misleading me.
And so, proud-hearted Warwick, I defy thee,
And to my brother turn my blushing cheeks.-
Pardon me, Edward, I will make amends;
And, Richard, do not frown upon my faults,
For I will henceforth be no more inconstant.

K. Edw. Now welcome more, and ten times more
Than if thou never hadst deserv'd our hate. [belov'd,
Glo. Welcome. good Clarence; this is brother-like.
War. O passing traitor, perjur'd, and unjust!
K. Edw. What, Warwick, wilt thou leave the town,
and, fight?

Or shall we beat the stones about thine ears?

War. Alas, I am not coop'd here for defence:
I will away towards Barnet presently,
And bid thee battle, Edward, if thou dar'st.

K. Edw. Yes, Warwick, Edward dares, and leads the way :

Lords, to the field; Saint George, and victory. [March. Exeunt.

SCENE II.-A Field of Battle near Barnet. Alarums, and Excursions. Enter KING EDWARD, bringing in WARWICK wounded.

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[Exit.

War. Ah, who is nigh! come to me, friend or foe, And tell me, who is victor, York, or Warwick? Why ask I that? my mangled body shews, My blood, my want of strength, my sick heart shews, That I must yield my body to the earth, And, by my fall, the conquest to my foe. Thus yields the cedar to the axe's edge, Whose arms gave shelter to the princely eagle, Under whose shade the ramping lion slept: Whose top-branch overpeer'd Jove's spreading tree, And kept low shrubs from winter's powerful wind. These eyes, that now are dimm'd with death's black Have been as piercing as the mid-day sun, [veil, To search the secret treasons of the world: The wrinkles in my brows, now fill'd with blood, Were liken'd oft to kingly sepulchres; For who liv'd king, but I could dig his grave' And who durst smile, when Warwick bent his brow? Lo, now my glory smear'd in dust and blood! My parks, my walks, my manors that I had, Even now forsake me; and of all my lands, Is nothing left me, but my body's length ! Why, what is pomp, rule, reign, but earth and dust? And, live we how we can, yet die we must.

?

We might recover all our loss again;
The queen from France hath brought a puissant power:
Even now we heard the news: Ah, could'st thou fly!

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 awhile!
Thou lov'st me not; for, brother, if thou didst,
Thy tears would wash this cold congealed blood,
That glews my lips, and will not let me speak.
Come quickly, Montague, or I am dead.

[last;

Som. Ah, Warwick, Montague hath breath'd his And to the latest gasp, cried 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 cannon in a vault, That might not be distinguish'd; but, at last, I well might hear deliver'd with a groan,— O, farewell, Warwick!

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SCENE III.-Another Part of the Field. Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD, in triumph; with CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and the rest.

K. Edw. Thus far our fortune keeps an upward
And we are grac'd with wreaths of victory. [course,
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:
Thy very beams will dry those vapours up;
For every cloud engenders not a storm.

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.

K. Edw. We are advértis'd by our loving friends. That they do hold their course toward 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.

March.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-Plains near Tewksbury
Enter QUEEN MARGARET, PRINCE EDWARD,
SOMERSET, OXFORD, and Soldiers.

Q. Mar. 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-boa, The cable broke, the 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, And give more strength to that which hath too» ch; Whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the roc Which industry and courage might have sav'dAh, what a shame! ah, what a fault were this Som. Ah, Warwick, Warwick! wert thou as we are, Say, Warwick was our anchor; What of that?

Enter OXFORD and SOMERSET.

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?

say-no,

The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings?
And, though unskilful, why not Ned and I
For once allow'd the skilful pilots charge?
We will not from the helm, to sit and weep;
But keep our course, though the rough wind
From shelves and rocks that threaten us with wreck.
As good to chide the waves, as speak them fair.
And what is Edward, but a ruthless sea!
What Clarence, but a quicksand of deceit ?
And Richard, but a ragged fatal rock?
All these the enemies to our poor bark.
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 1, 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.

Oaf. Women and children of so high a courage! And warriors faint' why, 'twere perpetual shame!O brave young prince! thy famous grandfather Doth live again in thee; Long may'st thou live, To bear his image au 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. [thanks. Q. Mar. Thanks, gentle Somerset;-sweet Oxford, 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.

Oaf. 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. [ness. Q. Mar. This cheers my heart, to see your forwardOxf. Here pitch our battle; hence we will not budge. March. Enter, at a distance, KING EDWARD, CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and Forces.

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

Which, by the heavens' 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.

Q. Mar. 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.

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SCENE V.-Another Part of the same. Alarums: Excursions: and afterwards a retreat. Then, enter KING EDWARD, CLARENCE, GLOSTER, and Forces: with QUEEN MARGARET, OXFORD, and SOMERSET, prisoners.

K. Edw. Now, 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. Of. 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. Q. Mar. So part we sadly in this troublous world, To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.

K. Edw. Is proclamation made,-that, who finds Shall have a high reward, and he his life? [Edward, Glo. It is and lo, where youthful Edward comes.

Enter Soldiers, with PRINCE EDWARD.

K. Edw. Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him What! can so young a thorn begin to prick? [speak. 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. 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 would'st have me answer to. Q. Mar. 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 Esop 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 Q. Mar. 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 [congue.

rather.

K. Edw. Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your Clar. Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert. Prince. I know my duty, you are all undutiful: Lascivious Edward,-and thou perjur'd George.— And thou misshapen Dick,-I tell ye all I am your better, traitors as ye are ;And thou usurp'st my father's light and mine. K. Edw. Take that, the likeness of this railer here.

Glo. Sprawl'st thou ? take that,

Clur. And there's for twitting

Q. Mar. O, kill me too! Glo. Marry, and shall.

[Stabs him. to end thy agony. [GLO stubs him. me with perjury. [CLAR. Stubs hin

[Offers to kill her !words?

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

too much.

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Q. Mar. O, Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, | Thy brother Edward; and thyself, the sea,
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.-
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 perforce.
Q.Mar. Nay, never bear me hence, despatch 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.
Q. Mar. Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do
thou do it.
[do it?
Clar. Didst thou not hear me swear, I would not
Q. Mar. 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;
Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back.
K. Edw. Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her hence.
Q. Mar. So come to you, and yours, as to this
prince!
[Exit, led out forcibly.
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 me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.-London. A Room in the Tower.
KING HENRY is discovered sitting with a book in his
hand, the Lieutenant attending. Enter GLOSTER.
Glo. Good day, my lord! What, at your book so hard?
K. Hen. Ay, my good lord: My lord, I should say
'Tis sin to flatter, good was little better: [rather:
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. Hen. So flies the reckless shepherd from the wolf:
So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece,
And next his throat unto the butcher's knife.-
What scene of death hath Roscius now to act?
Glo. Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind;
he thief doth fear each bush an officer.

K. Hen. The bird that hath been limed in a bush,
With trembling wings misdoubteth every bush :
And I, the hapless male to one sweet bird,
Have now the fatal object in my eye, [kill'd.
Where my poor young was lim'd, was caught, and
Glo. Why, what a peevish fool was that of Crete,
That taught his son the office of a fowl?
And yet, for all his wings, the fool was drown'd.
K. Hen 1, Dædalus; my poor boy. Icarus ;
Thy father. Minos, that denied our course;
The sun, that sear'd the wings of my sweet boy,

Whose envious gulf did swallow up his life.
Ah, kill me with thy weapon, not with words!
My breast can better brook thy dagger's point,
Than can my ears that tragic history.-
But wherefore dost thou come? is't for my life?
Glo. Think'st thou, I am an executioner?
K. Hen. A persecutor, I am sure, thou art;
If murdering innocents be executing,
Why, then thou art an executioner.

Glo. Thy son I kill'd for his presumption.

K. Hen. Hadst thou been kill'd, when first thou didst
Thou hadst not liv'd to kill a son of mine. [presume,
And thus I prophecy,-that many a thousand,
Which now mistrust no parcel of my fear;
And many an old man's sigh, and many a widow's,
And many an orphan's water standing eye,-
Men for their sons, wives for their husbands' fate,
And orphans for their parents' timeless death,—
Shall rue the hour that ever thou wast born.
The owl shriek'd at thy birth, an evil sign;
The night crow cried, aboding luckless time;
Dogs howl'd, and hideous tempests shook down trees,
The raven rook'd her on the chimney's top,
And chattering pies in dismal discords sung.
Thy mother felt more than a mother's pain,
And yet brought forth less than a mother's hope;
To wit,- -an indigest deformed lump,
Not like the fruit of such a goodly tree.
Teeth hadst thou in thy head, when thou wast born,
To signify, thou cam'st to bite the world:
And, if the rest be true which I have heard,
Thou cam st-

Glo. I'll hear no more,-Die, prophet, in thy
speech:
[Stabs him.
For this, amongst the rest, was I ordain'd.
K. Hen. Ay, and for much more slaughter after this.
O God! forgive my sins, and pardon thee!

[Dies.

Glo. What, will the aspiring blood of Lancaster
Sink in the ground? I thought it would have mounted
See, how my sword weeps for the poor king's death
O, may such purple tears be always shed
From those that wish the downfal of our house '-
If any spark of life be yet remaining,
Down, down to hell; and say-1 sent thee thither,
Stabs him again.
I, that have neither pity, love, nor fear-
Indeed, 'tis true, that Henry told me of;
For I have often heard my mother say,
I came into the world with my legs forward
Had I not reason, think ye, to make haste,
And seek their ruin that usurp'd our right?
The midwife wonder'd: and the women cried,
O, Jesus bless us, he is born with teeth!
And so I was; which plainly signified-
That I should snarl, and bite, and play the dog.
Then, since the heavens have shap'd my body so,
Let hell make crook'd my mind to answer it.
I have no brother, I am like no brother:
And this word-love, which greybeards call divine,
Be resident in men like one another,
And not in me; I am myself alone.
Clarence, beware; thou keep'st me from the light;
But I will sort a pitchy day for thee:
For I will buz abroad such prophecies,
That Edward shall be fearful of his life;
And, then, to purge his fear, I'll be thy death.
King Henry, and the prince his son, are gone:
Clarence, thy turn is next, and then the rest;
Counting myself but bad, till I be best.-
I'll throw thy body in another room,
And triumph, Henry, in thy day of doom.

[Exit.

SCENE VII.-The same A Room in the Palace. KING EDWARD is discovered sitting on his throne; QUEEN ELIZABETH with the infant PRINCE, CLARENCE, GLOSTER, HASTINGS, and others, near him.

K. Edw. Once more we sit in England's royal throne, Re-purchas'd with the blood of enemies. What valiant foe-men, like to autumn's corn, Have we mow'd down, in tops of all their pride? Three dukes of Somerset, threefold renown'd For hardy and undoubted champions: Two Cliffords, as the father and the son, And two Northumberlands: two braver men Ne er spurr'd their coursers at the trumpet's sound: With them, the two brave bears, Warwick and MonThat in their chains fetter'd the kingly lion, [tague, And made the forest tremble when they roar'd. Thus have we swept suspicion from our seat, And made our footstool of security.Come hither, Bess, and let me kiss my boy :Young Ned, for thee, thine uncles, and myself, Have in our armours watch'd the winter's night; Went all a foot in summer's scalding heat, That thou might'st repossess the crown in peace; And of our labours thou shalt reap the gain. Glo. I'll blast his harvest, if your head were laid; For vet I am not look'd on in the world.

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Aside.

K. Edw. Now am I seated as my soul delights, Having my country's peace, and brothers' loves.

Clar. What will your grace have done with MarReignier, her father, to the king of France [garet? Hath pawn'd the Sicils and Jerusalem

And hither have they sent it for her ransome.

K. Edw. Away with her, and waft her hence to
France.

And now what rests, but that we spend the time
With stately triumphs, mirthful comic shows,
Such as befit the pleasures of the court?—
Sound, drums and trumpets!-farewell, sour annoy!
For here, I hope, begins our lasting joy. [Exeunt.

Or the three parts of King Henry the Sixth, it is now agreed that the first part is entirely spurious, or at most does not contain above ten or twelve lines from the hand of Shakspeare: and that of the two last parts he was not the author, but merely the improver and enlarger. The total number of lines contained in these two plays is, according to Malone, six thousand and fortythree; of these, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one were written by Marlowe, or by Marlowe and his associates: two thousand three hundred and seventy three were framed by Shakspeare, on the foundation laid by his predecessors: one

thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine were entirely his own composition. Of the three plays, the first is indeed, as Mr. Morgan has justly described it, a drum-and-trumpet thing;" the second and third have some very beautiful passages. "They have not," says Dr. Johnson, sufficient variety of action, for the incidents are too often of the same kind; yet many of the characters are well discriminated. King Henry and his queen, king Edward, the duke of Gloster, and the earl. Warwick, are very strongly and distinctly painted."

KING RICHARD III.

Tais play was entered at Stationers' Hall by Andrew Wise, Oct. 20, 1597, and published in quarto the same year. It appears to have been a popular tragedy so early as 1595, as we learn from a small volume of epigrams by John Weever, in the collection of Mr. Comb, of Henley. Of this volume, which was written in the year 1595, the twentysecond epigram is addressed to William Shakspeare, and in

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

KING EDWARD THE FOURTH. EDWARD, Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward V.

RICHARD, Duke of York.

GEORGE, Duke of Clarence, RICHARD, Duke of Gloster, afterwards King Richard III.

A young Son of Clarence.

the poetical catalogue of his works enumerates Romeo and RICHARD.

The space of time comprised in this drama, is about fourteen years; the second scene commences with the funeral of King Henry VI., who, according to the received account, was mur dered on the 21st of May, 1471, and closes with the death of Richard at Bosworth-field, 22d of August, 1485.

And all the clouds, that lowr'd upon our house,
In the deep bosom of the ocean bury'd.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths:
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
sons to the King. Our stern alarums chang'd to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-visag'd war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now-instead of mounting barbed steeds,
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,-
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber,
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.

brothers to the
King.

HENRY, Earl of Richmond, afterwards King
Henry VII.

CARDINEL BOURCHIER, Archbishop of Canterbury.
THOMAS ROTHERAM, Archbishop of York.
JOHN MORTON, Bishop of Ely.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

DUKE OF NORFOLK.

EARL OF SURREY, his son.

EARL RIVERS, brother to King Edward's Queen.
MARQUIS OF DORSET and LORD GREY, her sons.
EARL OF OXFORD.

LORD HASTINGS.
LORD STANLEY.
LORD LOVEL.

Sir THOMAS VAUGHAN.
Sir RICHARD RATCLIFF.
Sir WILLIAM CATESBY.

Sir JAMES TYRREL.
Sir JAMES BLOUNT.

Sir WALTER Herbert.

Sir ROBERT BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower.
CHRISTOPHER URSWICK, a Priest.

Another Priest.

Lord Mayor of London.

Sheriff of Wiltshire.

ELIZABETH, Queen of King Edward IV.
MARGARET, widow of King Henry VI.
DUCHESS OF YORK, mother to King Edward IV.,
Clarence, and Gloster.

Lady ANNE, widow of Edward, Prince of Wales,
son to King Henry VI.; afterwards married to the
Duke of Gloster.

A young Daughter of Clarence.

Lords, and other Attendants; two Gentlemen, a Pursuivant, Scrivener, Citizens, Murderers, Messengers, Ghosts, Soldiers, &c.

SCENE,-ENGLAND.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-London. A Street.
Enter GLOSTER.

Glo. Now is the winter of our discontent,
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;

But I,-that am not shap'd for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass:
1, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty:
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world. scarce half made up
And that so lamely and unfashionable,
The dogs bark at me, as I halt by them;
Why I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time;
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun,
And descant on mine own deformity;
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,-
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams,
To set my brother Clarence, and the king,
In deadly hate the one against the other
And, if king Edward be as true and just,
As I am subtle, false, and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up;
About a prophecy, which says-that G
Of Edward's heirs, the murderer shall be.
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul! hereClarence comes

Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY.
Brother, good day: What means this armed guard,
That waits upon your grace?

Clar.

His majesty,
Tendering my person's safety, hath appointed
This conduct to convey me to the Tower.
Glo. Upon what cause?
Clar.

Because my name is-George.
Glo. Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours:
He should, for that, cominit your godfathers:-
O, belike, his majesty hath some intent,
That you should be new christen'd in the Tower.
But what's the matter, Clarence? may I know?
Clar. Yea, Richard, when I know; for, I protest
As yet I do not: But, as I can learn,
He hearkens after prophecies, and dreams;
And from the cross-row plucks the letter G,
And says
a wizard told him, that by G

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