HENRY THE SIXTH PART 3

Act 5 Scene 1

(Enter the Earl of Warwick, the Mayor of Coventry, two Messengers, and others upon the walls)
l1l	Warwick	 Where is the post that came from valiant Oxford?
		(The First Messenger steps forward)
l2l		How far hence is thy lord, mine honest fellow?
l3l	First Messenger	By this at Dunsmore, marching hitherward.
l4l	Warwick	How far off is our brother Montague?
l5l		Where is the post that came from Montague?
		(The Second Messenger steps forward)
l6l	Second Messenger	 By this at Da’ntry, with a puissant troop.
		(Enter Somerville to them, above)
l7l	Warwick	 Say, Somerville—what says my loving son?
l8l		And, by thy guess, how nigh is Clarence now?
l9l	Somerville	At Southam I did leave him with his forces,
l10l		And do expect him here some two hours hence.
		(A march afar off)
l11l	Warwick	 Then Clarence is at hand—I hear his drum.
l12l	Somerville	It is not his, my lord. Here Southam lies.
l13l		The drum your honour hears marcheth from Warwick.
l14l	Warwick	Who should that be? Belike, unlooked-for friends.
l15l	Somerville	They are at hand, and you shall quickly know.
		( 15 Flourish. Enter below King Edward and Richard Duke of Gloucester, with soldiers)
l16l	King Edward	 Go, trumpet, to the walls, and sound a parley.
		(Sound a parley)
l17l	Richard Of Gloucester	 See how the surly Warwick mans the wall.
l18l	Warwick	O, unbid spite—is sportful Edward come?
l19l		Where slept our scouts, or how are they seduced,
l20l		That we could hear no news of his repair?
l21l	King Edward	Now, Warwick, wilt thou ope the city gates,
l22l		Speak gentle words, and humbly bend thy knee,
l23l		Call Edward king, and at his hands beg mercy?
l24l		And he shall pardon thee these outrages.
l25l	Warwick	Nay, rather, wilt thou draw thy forces hence,
l26l		Confess who set thee up and plucked thee down,
l27l		Call Warwick patron, and be penitent?
l28l		And thou shalt still remain the Duke of York.
l29l	Richard Of Gloucester	I thought at least he would have said “the King”.
l30l		Or did he make the jest against his will?
l31l	Warwick	Is not a dukedom, sir, a goodly gift?
l32l	Richard Of Gloucester	Ay, by my faith, for a poor earl to give.
l33l		I’ll do thee service for so good a gift.
l34l	Warwick	’Twas I that gave the kingdom to thy brother.
l35l	King Edward	Why then, ’tis mine, if but by Warwick’s gift.
l36l	Warwick	Thou art no Atlas for so great a weight#
l37l		And, weakling, Warwick takes his gift again#
l38l		And Henry is my king, Warwick his subject.
l39l	King Edward	But Warwick’s king is Edward’s prisoner,
l40l		And, gallant Warwick, do but answer this:
l41l		What is the body when the head is off?
l42l	Richard Of Gloucester	Alas, that Warwick had no more forecast,
l43l		But whiles he thought to steal the single ten,
l44l		The king was slyly fingered from the deck.
l45l		(To Warwick)
		 You left poor Henry at the Bishop’s palace,
l46l		And ten to one you’ll meet him in the Tower.
l47l	King Edward	’Tis even so—
		(to Warwick)
		 yet you are Warwick still.
l48l	Richard Of Gloucester	Come, Warwick, take the time—kneel down, kneel down.
l49l		Nay, when? Strike now, or else the iron cools.
l50l	Warwick	I had rather chop this hand off at a blow,
l51l		And with the other fling it at thy face,
l52l		Than bear so low a sail to strike to thee.
l53l	King Edward	Sail how thou canst, have wind and tide thy friend,
l54l		This hand, fast wound about thy coal-black hair,
l55l		Shall, whiles thy head is warm and new cut off,
l56l		Write in the dust this sentence with thy blood:
l57l		“Wind-changing Warwick now can change no more”.
		(Enter the Earl of Oxford, with a drummer and soldiers bearing colours)
l58l	Warwick	 O cheerful colours! See where Oxford comes.
l59l	Oxford	Oxford, Oxford, for Lancaster!
		(Oxford and his men pass over the stage and exeunt into the city)
l60l	Richard Of Gloucester	(to King Edward)
		 The gates are open—let us enter too.
l61l	King Edward	So other foes may set upon our backs?
l62l		Stand we in good array, for they no doubt
l63l		Will issue out again and bid us battle.
l64l		If not, the city being but of small defence,
l65l		We’ll quickly rouse the traitors in the same.
l66l	Warwick	(to Oxford, within)
		 O, welcome, Oxford—for we want thy help.
		(Enter the Marquis of Montague with a drummer and soldiers bearing colours)
l67l	Montague	 Montague, Montague, for Lancaster!
		( 67 Montague and his men pass over the stage and exeunt into the city)
l68l	Richard Of Gloucester	 Thou and thy brother both shall bye this treason
l69l		Even with the dearest blood your bodies bear.
l70l	King Edward	The harder matched, the greater victory.
l71l		My mind presageth happy gain and conquest.
		(Enter the Duke of Somerset with a drummer and soldiers bearing colours)
l72l	Somerset	 Somerset, Somerset, for Lancaster!
		( 72 Somerset and his men pass over the stage and exeunt into the city)
l73l	Richard Of Gloucester	 Two of thy name, both dukes of Somerset,
l74l		Have sold their lives unto the house of York—
l75l		And thou shalt be the third, an this sword hold.
		(Enter George Duke of Clarence with a drummer and soldiers bearing colours)
l76l	Warwick	 And lo, where George of Clarence sweeps along,
l77l		Of force enough to bid his brother battle#
l78l		With whom an upright zeal to right prevails
l79l		More than the nature of a brother’s love.
l80l	George Of Clarence	Clarence, Clarence, for Lancaster!
l81l	King Edward	Et tu, Brute—wilt thou stab Caesar too?
l82l		(To a trumpeter)
		 A parley, sirra, to George of Clarence.
		(Sound a parley. Richard of Gloucester and George of Clarence whisper together)
l83l	Warwick	 Come, Clarence, come—thou wilt if Warwick call.
l84l	George Of Clarence	Father of Warwick, know you what this means?
		(He takes his red rose out of his hat and throws it at Warwick)
l85l		Look—here I throw my infamy at thee!
l86l		I will not ruinate my father’s house,
l87l		Who gave his blood to lime the stones together,
l88l		And set up Lancaster. Why, trowest thou, Warwick,
l89l		That Clarence is so harsh, so blunt, unnatural,
l90l		To bend the fatal instruments of war
l91l		Against his brother and his lawful king?
l92l		Perhaps thou wilt object my holy oath.
l93l		To keep that oath were more impiety
l94l		Than Jephthah, when he sacrificed his daughter.
l95l		I am so sorry for my trespass made
l96l		That, to deserve well at my brothers’ hands,
l97l		I here proclaim myself thy mortal foe,
l98l		With resolution, wheresoe’er I meet thee—
l99l		As I will meet thee, if thou stir abroad—
l100l		To plague thee for thy foul misleading me.
l101l		And so, proud-hearted Warwick, I defy thee,
l102l		And to my brothers turn my blushing cheeks.
l103l		(To King Edward)
		 Pardon me, Edward—I will make amends.
l104l		(To Richard)
		 And, Richard, do not frown upon my faults,
l105l		For I will henceforth be no more unconstant.
l106l	King Edward	Now welcome more, and ten times more beloved,
l107l		Than if thou never hadst deserved our hate.
l108l	Richard Of Gloucester	(to George)
		 Welcome, good Clarence—this is brother-like.
l109l	Warwick	(to George)
		 O, passing traitor—perjured and unjust!
l110l	King Edward	What, Warwick, wilt thou leave the town and fight?
l111l		Or shall we beat the stones about thine ears?
l112l	Warwick	(aside)
		 Alas, I am not cooped here for defence.
l113l		(To King Edward)
		 I will away towards Barnet presently,
l114l		And bid thee battle, Edward, if thou dar’st.
l115l	King Edward	Yes, Warwick—Edward dares, and leads the way.
l116l		Lords, to the field—Saint George and victory!
		(Exeunt below King Edward and his company.)
		March. The Earl of Warwick and his company descend and follow