Make war with him that climb'd unto their nest, Should lose his birthright by his father's fault? What my great-grandfather and grandsire got, Ah, what a shame were this! Look on the boy; To hold thine own, and leave thine own with him. But, Clifford, tell me, didst thou never hear,— Ah, cousin York! 'would thy best friends did know, [nigh, K. Hen. Edward Plantagenet, arise a knight; And in that quarrel use it to the death. Cliff. Why, that is spoken like a toward prince. Enter a Messenger. Mess. Royal commanders, be in readiness: For, with a band of thirty thousand men, Comes Warwick, backing of the duke of York; Cliff. I would, your highness would depart the field; The queen hath best success when you are absent. Q. Mar. Ay, good, my lord, and leave us to our fortune. K. Hen. Why, that's my fortune too; therefore I'll North. Be it with resolution then to fight. [stay. Prince. My royal father, cheer these noble lords, And hearten those that fight in your defence: Unsheath your sword, good father; cry, Saint George! March. Enter EDWARD, GEORGE, RICHARD, WARWICK, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, and Soldiers. Edw. Now, perjur'd Henry! wilt thou kneel for grace, And set thy diadem upon my head; Or bide the mortal fortune of the field? Q. Mar. Go rate thy minions, proud insulting boy! Becomes it thee to be thus bold in terms, Before thy sovereign, and thy lawful king? Edw. I am his king, and he should bow his knee; I was adopted heir by his consent: Since when, his oath is broke; for, as I hear, You-that are king, though he do wear the crown,Have caus'd him, by new act of parliament, To blot out me, and put his own son in. Cliff. And reason too; Who should succeed the father, but the son? Rich. Are you there, butcher?-O, I cannot speak! Cliff. Ay, crook-back; here I stand, to answer thee, Or any he the proudest of thy sort. Rich. "Twas you that killed young Rutland, was it not? Cliff. Ay, and old York, and yet not satisfied. Rich. For God's sake, lords, give signal to the fight. War. What say'st thou, Henry, wilt thou yield the [dare you speak? Q. Mar. Why, how now, long-tongu'd Warwick? When you and I met at St. Albans last, crown? Your legs did better service than your hands. War. Then 'twas my turn to fly, and now 'tis thine. thence. North. No, nor your manhood, that durst make you Rich. Northumberland, I hold thee reverently;- Upon that Clifford, that cruel child-killer. Cliff. I slew thy father: Call'st thou him a child? K. Hen. Have done with words, my lords, and hear Q. Mar. Defy them then, or else hold close thy lips. Cliff. My liege, the wound, that bred this meeting here, Rich. Then, executioner, unsheath thy sword: Prince. If that be right, which Warwick says is right, Rich. Whoever got thee, there thy mother stands; For, well I wot, thou hast thy mother's tongue. Q. Mar. But thou art neither like thy sire, nor dam ; But like a foul mis-shapen stigmatic, Mark'd by the destinies to be avoided, As venom toads, or lizards' dreadful stings. Rich. Iron of Naples, hid with English gilt, (As if a channel should be call'd the sea), Sham'st thou not, knowing whence thou art extraught, To let thy tongue detect thy base-born heart? Edw. A wisp of straw were worth a thousand crowns, To make this shameless callet know herself.Helen of Greece was fairer far than thou, Although thy husband may be Menelaus; And ne'er was Agamemnon's brother wrong'd By that false woman, as this king by thee. His father revell'd in the heart of France, And tam'd the king, and made the dauphin stoop; And, had he match'd according to his state, He might have kept that glory to this day: But, when he took a beggar to his bed, And grac'd thy poor sire with his bridal day; Even then that sunshine brew'd a shower for him, That wash'd his father's fortunes forth of France, And heap'd sedition on his crown at home. For what hath broach'd this tumult, but thy pride? Hadst thou been meek, our title still had slept, And we, in pity of the gentle king, Had slipp'd our claim until another age. Geo. But, when we saw our sunshine made thy spring, And though the edge hath something hit ourselves, Since thou deny'st the gentle king to speak.- Q. Mar. Stay, Edward. Edw. No, wrangling woman; we'll no longer stay: These words will cost ten thousand lives to-day. [Exeunt. SCENE 111. A Field of Battle between TowTON Alarums: Excursions. Enter WARWICK. For strokes receiv'd, and many blows repaid, Enter EDWARD, running. Edw. Smile, gentle heaven! or strike, ungentle death! For this world frowns, and Edward's sun is clouded. War. How now, my lord? what hap? what hope of good? Enter GEORGE. Geo. Our hap is loss, our hope but sad despair; Enter RICHARD. Rich. Ah,Warwick, why hast thou withdrawn thyself? That stain'd their fetlocks in his smoking blood, War. Then let the earth be drunken with our blood: I'll kill my horse, because I will not fly. Why stand we like soft-hearted women here, Were play'd in jest by counterfeiting actors? |