6 York. Mine, boy? not till king Henry be dead. * Rich. Your right depends not on his life, or death. *Edw. Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it now: *By giving the house of Lancaster leave to breathe, * It will outrun you, father, in the end. "York. I took an oath, that he should quietly reign. Edw. But, for a kingdom, any oath may be broken: 'I'd break a thousand oaths, to reign one year. Rich. No; God forbid, your grace should be forsworn. "York. I shall be, if I claim by open war. York. Thou canst not, son; it is impossible. • Before a true and lawful magistrate, 'That hath authority over him that swears: Henry had none, but did usurp the place; Then, seeing 'twas he that made you to depose, "Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous. 'Therefore, to arms. * And, father, do but think, * How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown; * Within whose circuit is Elysium, * And all that poets feign of bliss and joy. * Why do we linger thus? I cannot rest, * Until the white rose, that I wear, be died * Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart. · York. Richard, enough; I will be king, or die.'Brother, thou shalt to London presently, And whet on Warwick to this enterprise. 2 An oath is of no moment,] The obligation of an oath is here eluded by very despicable sophistry. A lawful magistrate alone has the power to exact an oath, but the oath derives no part of its force from the magistrate. The plea against the obligation of an oath obliging to maintain an usurper, taken from the unlawfulness of the oath itself in the foregoing play, was rational and just. 'Thou, Richard, shalt unto the duke of Norfolk, And tell him privily of our intent. You, Edward, shall unto my lord Cobham, With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise: In them I trust; for they are soldiers, Witty and courteous, liberal, full of spirit.— While you are thus employ'd, what resteth more, But that I seek occasion how to rise; And yet the king not privy to my drift, 'Nor any of the house of Lancaster? Enter a Messenger. 'But, stay; What news? why com'st thou in such post? 'Mess. The queen, with all the northern earls and lords,3 Intend here to besiege you in your castle: 'She is hard by with twenty thousand men; And therefore fortify your hold, my lord. * York. Ay, with my sword. What! think'st thou, that we fear them? Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me;— My brother Montague shall post to London: * Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest, * Whom we have left protectors of the king, * With powerful policy strengthen themselves, * And trust not simple Henry, nor his oaths. *Mont. Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it not: *And thus most humbly I do take my leave. 3 [Exit. The queen, with all, &c.] I know not whether the author intended any moral instruction, but he that reads this has a striking admonition against that precipitancy by which men often use unlawful means to do that which a little delay would put honestly in their power. Had York staid but a few moments, he had saved his cause from the stain of perjury. JOHNSON. The whole, however, is a violation of historic truth. Enter Sir JOHN and Sir HUGH MORTIMER. York. Sir John, and Sir Hugh Mortimer, mine uncles! 'You are come to Sandal in a happy hour; The army of the queen mean to besiege us. Sir John. She shall not need, we'll meet her in the field. York. What, with five thousand men? Rich. Ay, with five hundred, father, for a need. A woman's general; what should we fear? [A March afar off. Edw. I hear their drums; let's set our men in order; And issue forth, and bid them battle straight. "York. Five men to twenty!-though the odds be great, 'I doubt not, uncle, of our victory. Many a battle have I won in France, 'When as the enemy hath been ten to one; Why should I not now have the like success? [Alarum. Exeunt. SCENE III. Plains near Sandal Castle. Alarums: Excursions. Enter RUTLAND, and his Tutor. Rut. Ah, whither shall I fly to 'scape their hands! Ah, tutor! look, where bloody Clifford comes! Enter CLIFFORD, and Soldiers. Clif. Chaplain, away! thy priesthood saves thy life. As for the brat of this accursed duke, Whose father* slew my father,-―he shall die. Tut. Ah, Clifford! murder not this innocent child, Lest thou be hated both of God and man. [Exit, forced off by Soldiers. Clif. How now! is he dead already? Or, is it fear, That makes him close his eyes ?—I'lÏ open them. "Rut. So looks the pent-up lion o'er the wretch That trembles under his devouring paws: And so he walks, insulting o'er his prey; And so he comes to rend his limbs asunder.- Clif. In vain thou speak'st, poor boy; my father's blood Hath stopp'd the passage where thy words should enter. Rut. Then let my father's blood open it again; He is a man, and, Clifford, cope with him. Clif. Had I thy brethren here, their lives, and thine Were not revenge sufficient for me; No, if I digg'd up thy forefathers' graves, It could not slake mine ire, nor ease my heart. Is as a fury to torment my soul; 6 ' And till I root out their accursed line, 'And leave not one alive, I live in hell. Therefore [Lifting his hand. Whose father-] i, e. the father of which brat, namely the Duke of York. Rat. O, let me pray before I take my death:To thee I pray; Sweet Clifford, pity me! C. Such pity as my rapier's point affords. I never did thee harm; Why wilt thou slay me? Thy father hath. But 'twas ere I was born. that one son, for his sake pity me; Los ir revenge thereof,-sith God is just,— x & miserab's sizin as I. 3,7, 6 me ive 1 prison my days; snow her 2 pure necasion of offence, Der et me de, fr now thou hast no cause. father slew my father; therefore, die. CLIFFORD stabs him. Rat. Di facian iaudis sunna sit ista tuæ! [Dies. C Plantagenet: I come. Plantagenet! And this thy son's hood cleaving to my blade, Shall rust upon my weapon, till thy blood, Congeal'd with this, ar make me wipe off both. [Exit. • York. The army of the queen bath got the field: My uncles both are slain in rescuing me; And all my followers to the eager foe Turn back, and fly, like ships before the wind, 'Or lambs pursu'd by hungry-starved wolves. My sons God knows, what hath bechanced them: But this I know,—they have demean'd themselves |