The Dramatic Works of William Shakspeare

K. Hen. The head of Cade ?-Great God, how just art thon !—

O let me view his visage being dead,
That living wrought me such exceeding trouble.
Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew
him?

Iden. I was, an't like your majesty.

K. Hen. How art thou call'd?" and what is thy degree?

Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name;
A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king.
Buck. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not
amiss

He were created knight for his good service.
K. Hen. Iden, kneel down; [He kneels.]

Rise up a knight.
We give thee for reward a thousand marks;
And will that thou henceforth attend on us.
Iden. May Iden live to merit such a bounty,
And never live but true unto his liege!

K. Hen. See, Buckingham! Somerset comes with the queen ;

Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke.
Enter Queen MARGARET and SOMERSET.
Q. Mur. For thousand Yorks he shall not hide
his head,

But boldly stand, and front him to his face.
York. How now! Is Somerset at liberty?
"Then, York, unloose thy long-imprison'a thoughts,
And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart.
Shall I endure the sight of Somerset ?-
False king why hast thou broken faith with me,
Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse?
King did I call thee? no, thou art not king;
Not fit to govern and rule multitudes,
Which dar'st not, no, nor caust not rule a traitor,
That head of thine doth not become a crown;
Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer's staff,
And not to grace an awful princely sceptre :
That gold must round engirt these brows of
mine ;

Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear,
Is able with the change to kill and cure.
Here is a hand to hold a sceptre up,
And with the same to act controlling laws.
Give place; by heaven, thou shalt rule no more
O'er him, whom heaven created for thy ruler.
Som. O monstrous traitor!—I arrest thee,
York,

Of capital treason 'gainst the king and crown:
Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace.
York. Would'st have me kneel? first let me
ask of these,

If they can brook I how a knee to man.-
Sirrah, call in my sons to be my bail;
[Exit an ATTENDANT.
I know, ere they will have me go to ward, ⚫
They'll pawn their swords for any enfranchise-

ment.

Q. Mar. Call hither Clifford; bid him come To say, if that the bastard boys of York [amain, Shall be the surety for their traitor father.

York. O blood-bespotted Neapolitan, Outcast of Naples, England's bloody scourge ! The sons of York, thy betters in their birth, Shall be their father's bail; and bane to those That for my surety will refuse the boys. Enter EDWARD and RICHARD PLANTAGENET, with Forces, at one side; at the other, with Forces also, old CLIFFORD and his Son. See where they come; I'll warrant they'll make it good.

Q. Mar. And here comes Clifford to deny their bail.

Clif. Health and all happiness to my lord the
king!
[Kneels.
York. I thank thee, Clifford; Say, what news
with thee?

Nay, do not fright us with an angry look :
We are thy sovereign, Clifford, kneel again;
For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee.

Custody, confinement.

Clif. This is my king, York, I do not mistake;

But thou mistak'st me much, to think I do :To Bedlam with him! is the man grown mad? K. Hen. Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambitious humour

Makes him oppose himself against his king. Clif. He is a traitor; let him to the Tower, And chop away that factions pate of his

Q. Mar. He is arrested, but will not obey; His sons, he says, shall give their words for him.

York. Will you not, sons?

Edw. Ay, noble father, if our words will

York. Look in a glass, and call thy image so; I am thy king, and thou a false-heart traitor.Cali hither to the stake my two brave bears,⚫ That, with the very shaking of their chains, They may astonish these fell lurking curs; Bid Salisbury and Warwick come to me. Drums. Enter WARWICK and SALISBURY. with Forces.

Clif. Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears to death,

And manacle the bear-ward + in their chains, If thou dai'st bring them to the baiting-place:

Rich. Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening cur Run back and bite, because he was withheld : Who, being suffer'd with the bear's fell pa:v, Hath clapp'd his tail between his legs, and cry'd : And such a piece of service will you do, If you oppose yourselves to match lord War. wick.

Clif. Hence, heap of wrath, foul indigested lump,

As crooked in thy manners as thy shape!
York. Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly

anon.

Clif. Take heed, lest by your heat you burn yourselves.

K. Hen. Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow ?

Old Salisbury,-shame to thy silver hair,
Thou mad misleader of thy brain-sick son !--
What, wilt thou on thy death-bed play the
ruffian,

And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles ?
O where is faith? O where is loyalty!
If it be banish'd from the frosty head,
Where shall it fiud a harbour in the earth 1-
Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And shame thine honourable age with blood?
Why art thou old, and want'st experience?
Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?
For shame! in duty bend thy knee to me,
That bows unto the grave with mickle age.

Sal. My lord, I have consider'd with myself
The title of this most renowned duke;
And, in my conscience, do repute his grace
The rightful heir to England's royal seat.
K. Hen. Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto
me?

Sal. I have.

K. Hen. Canst thou dispense with heaven for such an oath?

Sal. It is great sin, to swear unto a sin; But greater sin, to keep a sinful oath. Who can be bound by any solemn vow To do a murderous deed, to rob a man, To force a spotless virgin's chastity, To reave the orphan of his patrimony, To wring the widow from her custom'd right; And have no other reason for this wrong, But that he was bound by a solemn oath? Q. Mar. A subtle traitor needs no sophister.

The Nevils, earls of Warwick, had a bea, and ragged staff for their crest. + Bear-keeper.

K. Hen. Call Buckingham, and bid him arm himself.

York. Call Buckingham, and all the friends thou hast,

I am resolv'd for death or dignity.

Clif. The first I warrant thee, if dreams prové true,

War. You were best to go. to bed, and dream again,

To keep thee from the tempest of the field.

Clif. I am resolv'd to bear a greater storm,
Than any thou canst conjure up to-day;
And that I'll write upon thy burgonet,
Might I but know thee by thy household badge.
War. Now, by my father's badge, old Nevil's

crest.

The rampant bear chain'd to the ragged staff,
This day I'll wear aloft my burgonet,
(As on a mountain-top the cedar shows,
That keeps his leaves in spite of any storm,)
Even to affright thee with the view thereof.
Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy bear,
And tread it under foot with all contempt,
Despite the bear-ward that protects the bear.

Y. Clif. And so to arms, victorious father,
To quell the rebels, and their 'complices.

Rich. Fie charity, for shame! speak not in
spite,

For you shall sup with Jesu Christ to-night.
Y. Clif. Foul stigmatic, + that's more than
thou canst tell.

Rich. If not in heaven, you'll surely sup in
[Exeunt severally.

hell.

SCENE 11.-Saint Albans..
Alarums: Excursions. Enter WARWICK.
War. Clifford of Cumberland, 'tis Warwick
calls!

And if thou dost not hide thee from the bear,"
Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarm,
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 a-foot?
York. The deadly-handed Clifford slew my

steed;

But match to match I have encounter'd him,
And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
Even of the bonny beast he lov'd so well.

Enter CLIFFORD,

War. 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.
War. 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 WARWICK. Clif. What seest thou in me, York? why dost thou pause?

York. With thy brave bearing should I be in love,

But that thou art so fast mine enemy.

Clif. 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!
Clif. My soul and body on the action
both!-

York. A dreadful lay! -address thee in-
stantly.

[They fight, and CLIFFORD falls. Clif. La fin couronne les œuvres. [Dies.

• Helmet. One on whom nature hath set a mark of deformity, A stigma. A dreadful wager; a tremendous stake.,

York. Thus war hath given thee peace, for
thou art still.

Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will!
[Erit.

Enter young CLIFFORD.

Y. Clif. 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 I-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 valour.-0 let the vile world end,
[Seeing his dead Father,
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 t
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,

shall be stony. York not our old men

spares;

No more will I their babes: tears virgina!
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.
Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford's house;
[Taking up the Body.

As did Æneas old Anchises bear,
So bear I thee upon my manly shoulders;
But then Æneas bare a living load,
Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine.

[Exit.

Alarums: Excursions. Enter King HENRY,
Queen MARGARET, and others, retreating.
Q. Mar. Away, my lord! you are slow; for
shame away!

K. Hen. Can we outrun the heavens ? good
Margaret, stay.

Q. Mar. What are you made of? you'll not
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 bottoni
Of all our fortunes: but if we haply scape,
(As well we may, if not through your neglect,)
We shall to London get; where you are lov'd;
And where this breach, now in our fortunes
made,
May readily be stopp'd.

Enter young CLIFFORD.

Y. Clif. 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!
[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-Fields near Saint Albans.
Alarum: Retreat. Flourish; then enter YORK,
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, WARWICK, and
Soldiers, with Drum and Colours.
York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him;
That winter lion, who in rage forgets
Aged contusions and all brush of time; +
And, like a gallant in the brow of youth,
Repairs him with occasion? this happy day
Is not itself, nor have we won one foot,
If Salisbury be lost.

Rich. My noble father,

Three times to-day I holp him to his horse, Three times bestrid him, thrice I led him off, Persuaded him from any further act:

But still, where danger was, still there I met him;
And like rich hangings in a homely house,
So was his will in his old feeble body,
But, noble as he is, look where he comes.
Enter SALISBURY.

Sal. Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought to-day;

By the mass, so did we all.-I thank you, Richard :
God knows how long it is I have to live;
And it hath pleas'd him, that three times to-day
You have defended me from imminent death.--
Well, lords, we have not got that which we have:
Tis not enough our foes are this time fled,
Being opposites of such repairing nature. +

York. I know our safety is to follow them;
For, as I hear, the king is fled to London,
To call a present court of parliament.
Let us pursue him ere the writs go forth:-
What says lord Warwick; shall we after them?
War. After them! nay, before them, if we can.
Now by my faith, lords, 'twas a glorious day:
Saint Alban's battle, won by famous York,
Shall be eterniz'd in all age to come.-
Sound, drums and trumpets;-and to London al:
And more such days as these to us befall!

[Exeunt.

1. e. We have not secured that which we have acquired.

tle. Being enemies that are likely so soon to rally and recover themselves from this defeat

THIRD PART

KING HENRY VI.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE.

THE action of this play comprehends a period of sixteen years. It commences with the events immediately suc ceeding the disastrous battle of St. Alban's, 1455, and concludes with the murder of King Henry VI. and the birth of Prince Edward, (afterwards Edward V.) 1471. Dr. Johnson says, "Of these three plays, I think the second the best. The truth is, they have not sufficient variety of action, for the incidents are too often of the same kind; yet many of the characters are well discriminated. King Henry and his queen, Kin? Fdward, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Earl of Warwick, are very strongly and distinctly painted."

SCENE, during part of the third Act, in France; during all the rest of the Play, in England.

ACT I.

SCENE 1.-London -The Parliament-
House.

Drums. Some Soldiers of YORK's party break in. Then, enter the Duke of YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and others with White Roses in their Hats.

War. I wonder how the king escap'd our hands. York. While we pursued the horsemen of the He slily stole away, and left his men: [north, Whereat the great lord of Northumberland, Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat, Cheer'd up the drooping army; and himself, Lord Clifford, and lord Stafford, all abreast, Charg'd our main battle's front, and, break

ing in,

Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.

Edw. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Buckingham;

Is either slain, or wounded Jangerous: I cleft his beaver with a downright blow; That this is true, father, behold his blood. [Showing his bloody Sword. Mont. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's blood,

[To YORK, showing his Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd. Rich. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I did,

[Throwing down the duke of SOMERSET'S Head.

York. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my

[graphic][graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][graphic][merged small][merged small]

« Anterior Continuar »

Libros

The Dramatic Works of William Shakspeare, Volumen9