K. Henry. Sad-hearted men, much overgone with care, Here sits a king more woful than you are. Alarums. Excursions, Enter the Cueen, Prince of

WALES, and Exeter. Prince. Fly, father, fly! for all your friends are fled, And Warwick rages like a chafed bull :

581 Away! for death doth hold us in pursuit. Queen. Mount you, my lord, towards Berwick post

amain :
Edward and Richard, like a brace of greyhounds
Having the fearful flying hare in sight,
With fiery eyes, sparkling for very wrath,
And bloody steel grasp'd in their ireful hands,
Are at our backs ; and therefore hence amàin.

Exe. Away! for vengeance comes along with them :
Nay, stay not to expostulate, make speed; 590
Or else come after, I'll away before.
K. Henry. Nay, take me with thee, good sweet

Exeter;
Not that I fear to stay, but love to go
Whither the queen intends. Forward; away!

[ Exeuni.

SCENE VI.

A loud Alarum. Enter CLIFFORD, wounded. Clif. Here burns my candle out, ay, here it dies, Which, while it lasted, gave king Henry light.

Ah,

Ah, Lancaster! I fear thine overthrow,
More than my body's parting with my soul.
My love, and fear, glew'd many friends to thee;
And, now I fall, thy tough commixture melts, 600
Impairing Henry, strength'ning mis-proud York.
The common people swarm like summer flies :
And whither fly the gnats, but to the sun ?
And who shines now, but Henry's enemy?
'O Phoebus! hadst thou never given consent
That Phaeton should check thy fiery steeds,
Thy burning car had never scorch'd the earth
And Henry, hadst thou sway'd as kings should do,
And as thy father, and his father, did,
Giving no ground unto the house of York,

610
They never then had sprung like summer flies--
I, and ten thousand in this luckless realm,
Had left no mourning widows for our deaths,
And thou this day hadst kept thy throne in peace.
For what doth cherish weeds, but gentle air ?
And what makes robbers bold, but too much lenity?
Bootless are plaints, and cureless are my wounds;
No way to fly, nor strength to hold out flight:
The foe is merciless, and will not pity;
And, at their hands, I have deserv'd no pity. 620
The air hath got into my deadly wounds,
And much effuse of blood doth make me faint :-
Come, York, and Richard, Warwick, and the rest;
I stabb'd your fathers' bosoms, split niy breast.

{He faints.

Alarum, Alarum, and Retreat. Enter EDWARD, CLARENCE, RICHARD, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and Soldiers. Edw. Now breathe we, lords; good fortune bids us

pause, And smooth the frowns of war with peaceful looks, Some troops pursue the bloody-minded queen ;That led calm Henry, though he were a king, As doth a sail, fill'd with a frętting gust, Command an argosy to stem the waves.

690 But think you, lords, that Clifford flew with them ?

War. No, 'tis impossible he should escape :
For, though before his face I speak the word,
Your brother Richard mark'd him for the grave ;
And, wheresoe'er he is, he's surely dead,

[CLIFFORD groans, and dics. Edw. Whose soul is that which takes her heavy

leave? Rich. A deadly groan, like life and death's depart

ing. Edw. See who it is : and, now the battle's ended, If friend, or foe, let him be gently us’d.

Rich. Revoke that doom of mercy, for ’tis Clifford; Who not contented that he lopp'd the branch In hewing Rutland when his leaves put forth, But set his murdering knife unto the root From whence that tender spray did sweetly spring, I mean, our princely father, duke of York. War. From off the gates of York fetch down the head, F

Your

641

Your father's head, which Clifford placed there :
Instead whereof, let his supply the room ;
Measure for measure must be answered.
Edw. Bring forth that fatal screech-owl to our
house,

650
That nothing sung but death to us and ours:
Now death shall stop his dismal threatening sound,
And his ill-boding tongue no more shall speak.

[Attendants bring the Body forward. War. I think his understanding is bereft :Say, Clifford, dost thou know who speaks to thee i Dark cloudy death o'ershades his beams of life, And he nor sees, nor hears us what we say.

Rich. O, 'would he did! and so, perhaps, he doth; 'Tis but his policy to counterfeit, Because he would avoid such bitter taunts 660 As in the time of death he gave our father.

Cla. If so thou think'st, vex him with eager words. Rich. Clifford, ask mercy, and obtain no grace. Edw. Clifford, repent in bootless penitence. War. Clifford, devise excuses for thy faults. Cla. While we devise felt tortures for thy faults. Rich. Thou didst love York, and I am son to York. * Edw. Thou pitied'st Rutland, I will pity thee. Cla. Where's captain Margaret, to fence you now? War. They mock thee, Clifford; swear as thou wast wont.

670 Rich. What, not an oath ? nay, then the world

goes hard, When Clifford cannot spare his friends an oath :

I know by that, he's dead ; and, by my soul,
Would this right hand buy but an hour's life,
That I in all despight might rail at him,
I'd chop it off; and with the issuing blood
Stife the villain, whose unstanched thirst
York and young Rutland could not satisfy.

War. Ay, but he's dead: Off with the traitor's head, And rear it in the place your father's stands.

680 And now to London with triumphant march, There to be crowned England's royal king. From thence shall Warwick cut the sea to France, And ask the lady Bona for thy queen : So shalt thou sinew both these lands together ; And, having France thy friend, thou shalt not dread The scatter'd foe, that hopes to rise again ; For though they cannot greatly sting to hurt, Yet look to have them buz, to offend thine ears. First, will I see the coronation;

690 And then to Britany I'll cross the sea, To effect this marriage, so it please my lord.

Edw. Even as thou wilt, sweet Warwick, let it be: For on thy shoulder do I build my seat; And never will I undertake the thing, Wherein thy counsel and consent is wanting.Richard, I will create thee duke of Gloster ; And George, of Clarence ;-Warwick, as ourself, Shall do, and undo, as him pleaseth best. Rich. Let me be duke of Clarence; George, of Gloster ;

700 For Gloster's dukedom is too ominous. Fij

War.