Look here, I throw my infamy at thee: Who gave his blood to lime the stones together, Than Jephtha's, when he sacrificed his daughter. K. Edw. Now welcome more, and ten times more Or shall we beat the stones about thine ears? War. Alas, I am not coop'd here for defence: 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. [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; War. Why, then I would not fly.-Ah, Montague, [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! 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 I mean, my lords, those powers, that the queen Clar. A little gale will soon disperse that cloud, 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 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? say-no, The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings? 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. 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, Q. Mar. Lords, knights, and gentlemen, what I should say, My tears gainsay; for every word I speak, 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. Q. Mar. O, Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, | Thy brother Edward; and thyself, the sea, Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers!— K. Edw. He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head. [Exeunt. SCENE VI.-London. A Room in the Tower. K. Hen. The bird that hath been limed in a bush, Whose envious gulf did swallow up his life. Glo. Thy son I kill'd for his presumption. K. Hen. Hadst thou been kill'd, when first thou didst Glo. I'll hear no more,-Die, prophet, in thy [Dies. Glo. What, will the aspiring blood of Lancaster [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. : } 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 And now what rests, but that we spend the time 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, brothers to the HENRY, Earl of Richmond, afterwards King CARDINEL BOURCHIER, Archbishop of Canterbury. DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. DUKE OF NORFOLK. EARL OF SURREY, his son. EARL RIVERS, brother to King Edward's Queen. LORD HASTINGS. Sir THOMAS VAUGHAN. Sir JAMES TYRREL. Sir WALTER Herbert. Sir ROBERT BRAKENBURY, Lieutenant of the Tower. Another Priest. Lord Mayor of London. Sheriff of Wiltshire. ELIZABETH, Queen of King Edward IV. Lady ANNE, widow of Edward, Prince of Wales, 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. Glo. Now is the winter of our discontent, But I,-that am not shap'd for sportive tricks, Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY. Clar. His majesty, Because my name is-George. |