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K. Hen. Sweet Oxford, and my loving Montague, And all at once, once more a happy farewell. War. Farewell, sweet lords; let's meet at Coventry.

[Exeunt WAR. CLAR. OxF. and MONT. * K. Hen. Here at the palace will I rest a while. *Cousin of Exeter, what thinks your lordship? *Methinks, the power, that Edward hath in field * Should not be able to encounter mine.

*Exe. The doubt is, that he will seduce the rest. K. Hen. That's not my fear, my meed hath got me fame.

I have not stopp'd mine ears to their demands,
Nor posted off their suits with slow delays;
My pity hath been balm to heal their wounds,
My mildness hath allay'd their swelling griefs,
My mercy dry'd their water-flowing tears:
I have not been desirous of their wealth,
Nor much oppress'd them with great subsidies,
Nor forward of revenge, though they much err'd:
Then why should they love Edward more than me?
No, Exeter, these graces challenge grace;
And, when the lion fawns upon the lamb,
The lamb will never cease to follow him.

[Shout within. A Lancaster! A Lancaster! Ere. Hark, hark, my lord! what shouts are these?

Enter KING EDWARD, GLOSTER, and Soldiers,
K. Edw. Seize on the shame-fac'd Henry, bear
him hence,

And once again proclaim us king of England.-
You are the fount that makes small brooks to flow:

expression to the duke of York, where his overthrow at Wakefield is described:

· Environed he was with many foes,

And stood against them as the hope of Troy

Against the Greeks.'

In the former instance no trace is to be found of these lines in the old play. Several similar repetitions are found in this Third Part of King Henry VI.

4 Merit. Vide p. 270, note 7.

Vol. VI.

15

Now stops thy spring; my sea shall suck them dry, * And swell so much the higher by their ebb.Hence with him to the Tower; let him not speak. [Exeunt some with KING HENRY. And, lords, towards Coventry bend we our course, Where peremptory Warwick now remains5: The sun shines hot, and, if we use delay, Cold biting winter mars our hop'd-for hay6. Glo. Away betimes, before his forces join, * And take the great-grown traitor unawares: * Brave warriors, march amain towards Coventry. [Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I Coventry.

Enter, upon the Walls, WARWICK, the Mayor of
Coventr
Two Messengers, and Others..
War. Where is the post that came from valiant

Oxford?

How far hence is thy lord, mine honest fellow? 1 Mess. By this at Dunsmore, marching hitherward.

War. How far off is our brother Montague? Where is the post that came from Montague ? 2 Mess. By this at Daintry, with a puissant troop.

Enter SIR John Somerville.

War. Say, Somerville, what says my loving son? And, by the guess, how nigh is Clarence now?

Warwick has but just left the stage, declaring his intention to go to Coventry. How then could Edward know of that intention? Shakspeare here again followed the old play. Some of the old dramatic writers seem to have thought that all the persons of the drama must know whatever was known to the writers themselves, or to the audience.

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6 The allusion is to the proverb, Make hay while the sun. chines."

Som. At S
Southam I did leave him with his forces,
And do expect him here some two hours hence.
[Drum heard.

War. Then Clarence is at hand, I hear his drum.
Som. It is not his, my lord: here Southam lies:
The drum your honour hears, marcheth from
Warwick.

War. Who should that be? belike, unlook'd-for friends.

Som. They are at hand, and you shall quickly know.

Drums. Enter KING EDWARD, GLOSTER, and Forces,

marching.

* K. Edw. Go, trumpet, to the walls, and sound a parle.

Glo. See how the surly Warwick mans the wall. War. O, unbid spite! is sportful Edward come? Where slept our scouts, or how are they seduc'd, That we could hear no news of his repair?

K. Edw. Now, Warwick, wilt thou ope the city gates, Speak gentle words, and humbly bend thy knee? Call Edward-king, and at his hands beg mercy, And he shall pardon thee these outrages.

War. Nay, rather, wilt thou draw thy forces hence,

Confess who set thee up and pluck'd thee down?Call Warwick-patron, and be penitent,

And thou shalt still remain t

the duke of York. Glo. I thought, at least, he would have said-the king;bot

Or did he make the jest against his will?

War. Is not a dukedom, sir, a goodly gift? Glo. Ay, by my faith, for a poor earl to give; I'll do thee service for so good a gift2.

1 Thus in King John:

O, where hath our intelligence been drunk?

Where hath it slept ?"

* That is, enroll myself among thy dependents. Cowell in

War. 'Twas I, that gave the kingdom to thy brother.

K. Edw. Why, then 'tis mine, if but by Warwick's gift.

War. Thou art no Atlas for so great a weight: And, weakling, Warwick takes his gift again: And Henry is my king, Warwick his subject.

K. Edw. But Warwick's king is Edward's prisoner: • And, gallant Warwick, do but answer this,What is the body, when the head is off?

Glo. Alas, that Warwick had no more forecast, But, whiles he thought to steal the single ten, The king was slily finger'd from the decks! You left poor Henry at the bishop's palacet, and, ten to one, you'll meet him in the Tower. K. Edw. 'Tis even so; yet you are Warwick still. Glo. Come, Warwick, take the time, kneel down,

kneel down:

Nay, when5? strike now, or else the iron cools. War. I had rather chop this hand off at a blow, And with the other fling it at thy face,

Than bear so low a sail, to strike to thee. » K. Edw. Sail how thou canst, have wind and tide thy friend;

This hand, fast wound about thy coal-black hair, * Shall, whiles the head is warm, and new cut off, * Write in the dust this sentence with thy blood,* Wind-changing Warwick now can change no more.

Enter OXFORD, with Drum and Colours.

War. O cheerful colours! see, where Oxford comes! Oxf. Oxford, Oxford; for Lancaster!

[OXFORD and his Forces enter the City.

forms us that servitium is that service which the tenant by reason of his fee oweth unto his lord.roko

3 A pack of cards was anciently termed a deck of cards, or a pair of cards. An instance of a pack of cards being called a deck occurs in the Sessions Paper for January, 1788. The term is said to be still used in Ireland.

4 The palace of the bishop of London.

This expression of impatience has been already noticed in The Tempest and King Ribcard II.

t us enter too.

Glo. The gates are open, let
K. Edw. So other foes may set upon our backs.
Stand we in good array; for they, no doubt,

* Will issue out again, and bid us battle:

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If not, the city, being but of small defence, We'll quickly rouse the traitors in the same. War. O, welcome, Oxford, for we want thy help.

Enter MONTAGUE, with Drum and Colours. Mont. Montague, Montague, for Lancaster!

[He and his Forces enter the City. Glo. Thou and thy brother both shall buy this

treason

Even with the dearest blood your bodies bear. K. Edw. The harder match'd, the greater victory! *My mind presageth happy gain, and conquest.

Enter SOMERSET, with Drum and Colours. Som. Somerset, Somerset, for Lancaster!

[He and his Forces enter the City. Glo. Two of thy name, both dukes of Somerset, Have sold their lives unto the house of York; And thou shalt be the third, if this sword hold.

Enter CLARENCE, with Drum and Colours. War. And lo, where George of Clarence sweeps Sesalong,

Of force enough to bid his brother battle; With whom an upright zeal to right prevails, More than the nature o of a brother's love:* Come, Clarence, come; thou wilt, if Warwick calls, e

Clar. Father of Warwick, know you what this

means;

[Taking the red Rose out of his Cap.

6 The first of these noblemen was Edmund, slain at the battle of St. Albans, 1455. The second was Henry his son, beheaded after the battle of Hexham, 1463. The present duke, Edmund, brother to Henry, was taken prisoner at Tewksbury, 1471, and there beheaded; his brother John losing his life in the same

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