K. Ed. Then be it as you will; for 'tis my right; And Henry but ufurps the diadem.

Mont. Ay, now my Sov'reign fpeaketh like himself; And now will I be Edward's champion.

Haft. Sound trumpet, Edward fhall be here proclaim'd: Come, fellow-foldier, make thou proclamation. [Flourish. Sold. Edward the fourth by the grace of God, King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, &c.

Mont. And whofoe'er gainfays King Edward's right, By this I challenge him to fingle fight.

[Throws down his Gauntlet.

All. Long live Edward the fourth!

K.Edw. Thanks, brave Montgomery; and thanks to all.

If fortune serve me, I'll requite this kindness.

Now, for this night, let's harbour here in York:

And when the morning fun fhall raise his car
Above the border of this horizon,

We'll forward towards Warwick, and his mates;
For well I wot, that Henry is no foldier.
Ah, froward Clarence, evil it befeems thee
To flatter Henry, and forfake thy brother!

Yet as we may, we'll meet both thee and Warwick.
Come on, brave foldiers, doubt not of the day:
And that once gotten, doubt not of large pay. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes again to London.

Enter King Henry, Warwick, Montague, Clarence, Oxford, and Somerset.

War.

With hafty Germans, and blunt Hollanders,

7 Hat counfel, Lords? Edward from Belgia,

Hath pafs'd in fafety through the narrow feas;
And with his troops doth march amain to London;
And many giddy people flock to him.

K. Henry. Let's levy men, and beat him back again.
Clar. A little fire is quickly trodden out,

Which, being fuffer'd, rivers cannot quench.
War. In Warwickshire I have true-hearted friends,
Not mutinous in peace, yet bold in war,

H 2

Thofe

Thofe will I mufter up; and thou, fon Clarence,
Shalt ftir, in Suffolk, Norfolk, and in Kent,
The Knights and gentlemen to come with thee.
Thou, brother Montague, in Buckingham,
Northampton, and in Leicestershire, fhalt find
Me well inclin'd to hear what thou command'ft.
And thou, brave Oxford, wondrous well belov'd,
In Oxfordshire fhalt mufter up thy friends.
My Sov'reign, with the loving citizens,
Like to his ifland girt with th' ocean,
Or modeft Dian circled with her nymphs)
Shall reft in London, till we come to him:
Fair Lords, take leave, and stand not to reply.
Farewel, my Sovereign.

K. Henry. Farewel, my Hector, and my Troy's true hope.
Clar. In fign of truth, I kifs your Highnefs hand.
K. Hen. Well-minded Clarence, be thou fortunate!
Mont. Comfort, my Lord, and fo I take my leave.
Oxf. And thus I feal my truth, and bid adieu.
K. Henry. Sweet Oxford, and my loving Montague,
And all at once, once more a happy farewel.
War. Farewel, fweet Lords; let's meet at Coventry.
[Exeunt.
K. Henry. Here at the palace will I rest awhile.
Coufin of Exeter, what thinks your Lordship?
Methinks, the pow'r that Edward hath in field,
Should not be able to encounter mine.

Exe. The doubt is, that he will feduce the rest. K. Hen. That's not my fear, my meed hath got me fame: I have not stopt mine ears to their demands, Nor pofted off their fuits with flow delays; My pity hath been balm to heal their wounds, My mildness hath allay'd their fwelling griefs, My mercy dry'd their water-flowing tears. I have not been defirous of their wealth, Nor much oppreft them with great fubfidies, Nor forward of revenge, though much they err'd. Then why fhould they love Edward more than me? No, Exeter, thefe graces challenge grace:

And

And when the Lion fawns upon the lamb,

The lamb will never ceafe to follow him.

[Shout within. A Lancaster! a Lancaster! Exe. Hark, hark, my Lord, what shouts are these?

Enter King Edward and his Soldiers.

K.Edw.Seize on the fhame-fac'd Henry, bear him hence, And once again proclaim us King of England. You are the fount, that make small brooks to flow; Now ftops thy fpring, my fea fhall fuck them dry, And fwell fo much the higher, by their ebb. Hence with him to the Tower, let him not speak.

[Exe. with King Henry. And, Lords, to Coventry bend we our course, Where peremptory Warwick now remains. The Sun fhines hot; and if we use delay, Cold biting winter mars our hop'd-for hay. Glo. Away betimes, before his forces join;

And take the great-grown traitor unawares:

Brave warriors, march amain towards Coventry. [Exeunt.

ACT V.

*****

SCENE, before the Town of Coventry.

Enter Warwick, the Mayor of Coventry, two Meffengers, and others, upon the walls.

W

WARWICK.

Here is the poft, that came from valiant Oxford? How far hence is thy Lord, mine honest fellow? 1 Mef. By this at Dunfmore, marching hither-ward.. War. How far off is our brother Montague? Where is the poft, that came from Montague? 2 Mef. By this at Daintry, with a puiffant troop.

Enter Somervile.

War. Say, Somervile, what fays my loving fon? And by thy guefs how nigh is Clarence now? Somer. At Southam I did leave him with his forces, And do expect him here fome two hours hence. War. Then Clarence is at hand, I hear his drum. Somer. It is not his, my Lord: here Southam lies: The drum your honour hears, marcheth from Warwick. War. Who fhould that be? belike, unlook'd-for friends. Somer. They are at hand, and you fhall quickly know.

March. Flourish. Enter King Edward, Glocefter, and Soldiers.

K. Edw. Go, trumpet, to the walls, and found a parle. Glo. See, how the furly Warwick mans the wall. War. Oh, unbid fpight! is fportful Edward come ? Where flept our fcouts, or how are they feduc'd, That we could hear no news of his repair?

K. Edw. Now, Warwie, wilt thou ope the city gates, Speak gentle words, and humbly bend thy knee, Call Edward King, and at his hands beg mercy ? And he shall pardon thee thefe outrages.

War. Nay, rather, wilt thou draw thy forces hence, Confefs who fet thee up and pluck'd thee down,

Call Warwick patron, and be penitent?

And thou fhalt ftill remain the Duke of York.

Glo. I thought, at least, he would have faid the King;

Or did he make the jeft against his will?

War. Is not a dukedom, Sir, a goodly gift? Glo. Ay, by my faith, for a poor Earl to give : I'll do thee fervice for fo good a gift.

War. 'Twas I, that gave the kingdom to thy brother. K.Edw. Why, then 'tis mine, if but by Warwick's gift. War. Thou art no Atlas for fo great a weight: And, weakling, Warwick takes his gift again; And Henry is my King, Warwick his fubject. K. Edw. But Warwick's King is Edward's prisoner : And, gallant Warwick, do but answer this, What is the body when the head is off?

Glo.

Glo. Alas, that Warwick had no more fore-caft,
But while he thought to steal the fingle ten,
The king was flily finger'd from the deck: (20)
You left poor Henry at the Bishop's palace,
And, ten to one, you'll meet him in the Tower.
K. Edw. 'Tis even fo; yet you are Warwick ftill.
Glo. Come, Warwick, take the time, kneel down,
kneel down:

Nay, when? ftrike now, or elfe the iron cools.
War. I'd rather chop this hand off at a blow,
And with the other fling it at thy face,
Than bear fo low a fail to ftrike to thee.

[friend;

K. Edw. Sail, how thou canft; have wind and tide thy This hand, faft wound about thy coal-black hair, Shall, while thy head is warm and new cut off, Write in the duft this fentence with thy blood; Wind-changing Warwick now can change no more.

Enter Oxford, with Drum and Colours.

War. O chearful colours! fee, where Oxford comes! (20) But robile he thought to fteal the fingle ten,

The King was flily finger'd from the deck.] Tho' there may feem no confonance of metaphors betwixt a fingle ten, and a deck, the latter word being grown obfolete, and not acknowledg'd by our dictionaries in the fenfe here required; yet deck, in all our northern counties, is to this day used to fignify a pack or ftock of cards.

The allufion to cards every reader must have obferv'd is very familiar with our author; but I'll fubjoin a few inftances in proof, that occur to me at present.

Antony and Cleopatra.

-She Eros, the

Pack'd cards with Cafar.

Titus Andronicus.

As fure a card, as ever won the fet.

Taming the Shrew.

A vengeance on your crafty wither'd hide!
Yet I have fac'd it with a card of ten.

1 Henry VI.

There all is marr'd; there lies a cooling card.
King John.

Have I not here the beft cards for the game,
To win this eafy match play'd for a crown,
And fhall I now give o'er the yielded fett?

H 4

Oxf.