K. EDW. Now welcome more, and ten times more beloved, Than if thou never hadst deserved our hate. GLOU. Welcome, good Clarence; this is brotherlike. WAR. O passing traitor, perjured and unjust! K. Edw. What, Warwick, wilt thou leave the town and fight? Or shall we beat the stones about thine ears? WAR. Alas, I am not coop'd here for defence! I will away towards Barnet presently, And bid thee battle, Edward, if thou darest. K. EDW. Yes, Warwick, Edward dares, and leads Lords, to the field; Saint George and victory! [Exeunt KING EDWARD and his company. March. WARWICK and his company follow. SCENE II. A field of battle near Barnet. K. Edw. So, lie thou there: die thou, and die our fear; For Warwick was a bug that fear'd us all. Now, Montague, sit fast; I seek for thee, [Exit. WAR. Ah, who is nigh? come to me, friend or foe, And tell me who is victor, York or Warwick? My blood, my want of strength, my sick heart shows, And, by my fall, the conquest to my foe. Have been as piercing as the mid-day sun, To search the secret treasons of the world: For who lived king, but I could dig his grave? Enter OXFORD and SOMERSET. Soм. Ah, Warwick, Warwick! wert thou as we are, We might recover all our loss again : The queen from France hath brought a puissant power: Even now we heard the news: ah, couldst thou fly! H WAR. Why, then I would not fly. Ah, Montague, If thou be there, sweet brother, take my hand, And with thy lips keep in my soul awhile! Thou lovest me not; for, brother, if thou didst, Thy tears would wash this cold congealed blood That glues my lips and will not let me speak. Come quickly, Montague, or I am dead. SOM. Ah, Warwick! Montague hath breathed his last; And to the latest gasp cried out for Warwick And said Commend me to my valiant brother. And more he would have said, and more he spoke, That mought not be distinguish'd; but at last WAR. Sweet rest his soul! Fly, lords, and save yourselves; For Warwick bids you all farewell, to meet in heaven. [Dies. OXF. Away, away, to meet the queen's great power! [Here they bear away his body. SCENE III. Another part of the field. Exeunt. Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD in triumph; with GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE, and the rest. K. EDW. Thus far our fortune keeps an upward course, And we are graced with wreaths of victory. But, in the midst of this bright-shining day, I mean, my lords, those powers that the queen Hath raised in Gallia have arrived our coast CLAR. A little gale will soon disperse that cloud And blow it to the source from whence it came : The very beams will dry those vapours up, GLOU. The queen is valued thirty thousand strong, And Somerset, with Oxford, fled to her: If she have time to breathe, be well assured K. Edw. We are advertised by our loving friends That they do hold their course toward Tewksbury: We, having now the best at Barnet field, Will thither straight, for willingness rids way; And, as we march, our strength will be augmented In every county as we go along. Strike up the drum; cry Courage! and away. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Plains near Tewksbury. March. Enter QUEEN MARGARET, PRINCE Edward, SOMERSET, OXFORD, and Soldiers. Q. MAR. Great lords, wise men ne'er sit and wail their loss, But cheerly seek how to redress their harms. And give more strength to that which hath too much, And Somerset another goodly mast? The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings? What Clarence but a quicksand of deceit ? Say you can swim; alas, 'tis but a while! |