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- $Unique_ID{SSP00323}
- $Title{King Henry VI, Part II: Act V, Scene II}
- $Author{Shakespeare, William}
- $Subject{}
- $Log{Dramatis Personae*00300.txt}
-
- Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989
-
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
-
- KING HENRY VI, PART II
-
-
- ACT V
- ................................................................................
-
-
- SCENE II: Saint Alban's.
- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-
- {Alarums to the battle. Enter WARWICK.}
-
- WARWICK: Clifford of Cumberland, 'tis Warwick calls:
- And if thou dost not hide thee from the bear,
- Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarum
- 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 afoot?
-
- YORK: The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed,
- But match to match I have encounter'd him 10
- And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
- Even of the bonny beast he loved so well.
-
- {Enter CLIFFORD.}
-
- WARWICK: Of one or both of us the time is come.
-
- YORK: Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chase,
- For I myself must hunt this deer to death.
-
- WARWICK: 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.]
-
- CLIFFORD: What seest thou in me, York? why dost thou pause?
-
- YORK: With thy brave bearing should I be in love, 20
- But that thou art so fast mine enemy.
-
- CLIFFORD: 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.
-
- CLIFFORD: My soul and body on the action both!
-
- YORK: A dreadful lay! Address thee instantly.
-
- [They fight, and CLIFFORD falls.]
-
- CLIFFORD: La fin couronne les oeuvres.
-
- [Dies.]
-
- YORK: Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou art still.
- Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will! 30
-
- [Exit.]
-
- {Enter YOUNG CLIFFORD.}
-
- YOUNG CLIFFORD: 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 valor.
-
- [Seeing his dead father.]
-
- O, let the vile world end, 40
- 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, 50
- 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. 60
- Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford's house:
- As did AEneas old Anchises bear,
- So bear I thee upon my manly shoulders;
- But then AEneas bare a living load,
- Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine.
-
- [Exit, bearing off his father.]
-
- {Enter RICHARD and SOMERSET to fight. SOMERSET
- is killed.}
-
- RICHARD: So, lie thou there;
- For underneath an alehouse' paltry sign,
- The Castle in Saint Alban's, Somerset
- Hath made the wizard famous in his death.
- Sword, hold thy temper; heart, be wrathful still: 70
- Priests pray for enemies, but princes kill.
-
- [Exit.]
-
- {Fight: excursions. Enter KING HENRY VI, QUEEN
- MARGARET, and others.}
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: Away, my lord! you are slow; for shame, away!
-
- KING HENRY VI: Can we outrun the heavens? good Margaret, stay.
-
- QUEEN MARGARET: What are you made of? you'll nor 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.
-
- [Alarum afar off.]
-
- 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, 80
- We shall to London get, where you are loved
- And where this breach now in our fortunes made
- May readily be stopp'd.
-
- {Re-enter YOUNG CLIFFORD.}
-
- YOUNG CLIFFORD: 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! 90
-
- [Exeunt.]
-