And tread it underfoot with all contempt,
Despight the bear-ward that protects the bear.
Y. Clif. And so to arms, victorious father,
To quell the rebels, and their 'complices.
Rich. Fie! charity, for shame! speak not in spite,
For you shall sup with Jesu Christ to-night.
Y. Clif. Foul stigmatic,* that's more than thou canst tell.
Rich. If not in heaven, you'll surely sup in hell.
[Exeunt severally.
Alarums: Excursions. Enter WARWICK.
War. Clifford of Cumberland, 'tis Warwick calls!
And if thou dost not hide thee from the bear,
Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarm,
And dead men's cries do fill the empty air,-
Clifford, I say, come forth and fight with me!
Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland,
Warwick is hoarse with calling thee to arms.
Enter YORK.
How now, my noble lord? what, all a-foot?
York. The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed!
But match to match I have encounter'd him,
And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
Even of the bonny beast he loved so well.
Enter CLIFFord.
War. Of one or both of us the time is come.
York. Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chace, For I myself must hunt this deer to death.
War. Then, nobly, York; 'tis for a crown thou fight'st.— As I intend, Clifford, to thrive to-day,
It grieves my soul to leave thee unassail'd.
[Exit WARWICK.
Clif. What seest thou in me, York? why dost thou pause? York. With thy brave bearing should I be in love, But that thou art so fast mine enemy.
Clif. Nor should thy prowess want praise and esteem,
But that 'tis shown ignobly and in treason.
York. So let it help me now against thy sword,
As I in justice and true right express it!
Clif. My soul and body on the action both !---
York. A dreadful lay !+-address thee instantly.
[They fight, and CLIFFORD falls.
Dies.
Clif. La fin couronne les œuvres.
York. Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou art still.
Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will!
[Exit.
*Stigmatized by deformity.
Enter young CLIFFORD.
Y. Clif. Shame and confusion! all is on the rout;
Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds
Where it should guard. O war, thou son of hell,
Whom angry heavens do make their minister,
Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part
Hot coals of vengeance !-Let no soldier fly:
He that is truly dedicate to war,
Hath no self-love; nor he, that loves himself,
Hath not essentially, but by circumstance,
The name of valour.-O, let the vile world end,
And the premised* flames of the last day
Knit earth and heaven together!
Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds
To cease!+Wast thou ordain'd, dear father,
To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve
The silver livery of advised § age;
And, in thy reverence, and thy chair-days, thus
To die in ruffian battle ?-Even at this sight,
My heart is turn'd to stone: and, while 'tis mine,
It shall be stony. York not our old men spares;
No more will I their babes: tears virginal
Shall be to me even as the dew to fire;
And beauty, that the tyrant oft reclaims,
Shall to my flaming wrath be oil and flax.
Henceforth, I will not have to do with pity:
Meet I an infant of the house of York,
Into as many gobbets will I cut it,
As wild Medea young Absyrtus did:
In cruelty will I seek out my fame.
Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford's house;
As did Æneas old Anchises bear,
So bear I thee upon my manly shoulders;
But then Eneas bare a living load,
Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine.
[Exit.
Enter RICHARD PLANTAGENET and SOMERSET, fighting, and
SOMERSET is killed.
Rich. So, he thou there;
For, underneath an alehouse' paltry sign,
The Castle in Saint Albans, Somerset
Hath made the wizard famous in his death.-
Sword, hold thy temper; heart, be wrathful still:
Priests pray for enemies, but princes kill.
Alarums: Excursions. Enter KING HENRY, QUEEN
MARGARET, and others retreating.
Q. Mar. Away, my lord! you are slow; for shame away !
* Sent before their time. + Stop. * Obtain.
> Experienced.
[Alarum afar off.
K. Hen. Can we outrun the heavens? good Margaret, stay. Q. Mar. What are you made of? you'll not fight, nor fly: Now is it manhood, wisdom, and defence, To give the enemy way: and to secure us By what we can, which can no more but fly. If you be ta'en, we then should see the bottom" Of all our fortunes: but if we haply scape (As well we may, if not through your neglect), We shall to London get; where you are loved'; And where this breach, now in our fortunes made, May readily be stopp'd.
Enter young CLIFFORD.
*
Y. Clif. But that my heart's on future mischief set,
I would speak blasphemy ere bid you fly;
But fly you must; uncurable discomfit
Reigns in the hearts of all our present parts.*
Away, for your relief! and we will live
To see their day, and them our fortune give:
Away, my lord, away!
York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him;
That winter lion, who, in rage forgets
Aged contusions and all brush+ of time;
And, like a gallant in the brow of youth,
Repairs him with occasion? this happy day
Is not itself, nor have we won one foot,
If Salisbury be lost.
SCENE III.-Fields near Saint Albans.
Alarum: Retreat. Flourish! then enter YORK, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, WARWICK, and Soldiers, with Drum and Colours.
Rich. My noble father,
Three times to-day I holp him to his horse,
Three times bestrid him, thrice I led him off,
Persuaded him from any further act:
But still, where danger was, still there I met him;
And like rich hangings in a homely house,
So was his will in his old feeble body.
But, noble as he is, look where he comes.
Enter SALISBURY.
Sal. Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought to-day;
By the mass, so did we all.-I thank you, Richard;
God knows, how long it is I have to live;
And it hath pleased him, that three times to-day
You have defended me from imminent death.-
Well, lords, we have not got that which we have
+ Detrition.
* Parties.
§ I. e. defending him against his assailants.
"Tis not enough our foes are this time fled,
Being opposites of such repairing nature.*
York. I know, our safety is to follow them;
For, as I hear, the king is fled to London,
To call a present court of parliament.
Let us pursue him, ere the writs go forth:
What says lord Warwick; shall we after them?
War. After them! nay, before them, if we can.
Now by my faith, lords, 'twas a glorious day:
Saint Albans battle, won by famous York,
Shall be eternized in all age to come.-
Sound, drums and trumpets;-and to London all:
And more such days as these to us befall!
* Enemies likely soon to recover.
SCENE, during part of the third Act, in France; during all the rest of the Play, in England.
ACT I.
SCENE I.-London. The Parliament-House.
Drums. Some Soldiers of YORK's party break in. Then, Enter the Duke of YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and others, with White Roses in their Hats.
War. I wonder how the king escaped our hands.
York. While we pursued the horsemen of the north, He slily stole away, and left his men:
|