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Therefore to Arms: and, Father, do but think,
How fweet a thing it is to wear a Crown,
Within whofe Circuit is Elysium,

And all that Poets feign of Blifs and Joy.
Why do we linger thus? I cannot rest,
Until the white Rofe that I wear, be dy'd
Even in the lukewarm Blood of Henry's Heart.
York. Richard, enough: I will be King, or die.
Brother, thou fhalt to London prefently,
And whet on Warwick to this Enterprize.
Thou, Richard, fhall go to the Duke of Norfolk,
And tell him privily of our Intent.

You, Edward, fhall unto my Lord Cobham,
With whom the Kentifhmen will willingly rife.
In them I truft; for they are Soldiers,
Witty, courteous, liberal, full of Spirit.
While you are thus employ'd, what refteth more,
But that I feek occafion how to rife?
And yet the King not privy to my drift,
Nor any of the House of Lancaster.

Enter Gabriel.

But ftay, what News? why com'ft thou in fuch poft?

Gab. The Queen,

With all the Northern Earls and Lords,
Intend here to besiege you in your Caftle.
She is hard by, with twenty thousand Men;
And therefore fortifie your Hold, my Lord.
York. Ay, with my
Sword.

What, think't thou that we fear them?
Edward and Richard, you fhall stay with me,
My Brother Mountague fhall poft to London.
Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the reft,
Whom we have left Protectors of the King,
With powerful Policy ftrengthen themselves,
And truft not fimple Henry, nor his Oaths.

Mount. Brother, I go: I'll win them, fear it not.
And thus most humbly I do take my leave.

[Exit Mountague.

Enter

Enter Sir John Mortimer, 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 means to befiege us.

Sir John. She fhall not need, we'll meet her in the Field Tork. What, with five thousand Men?

Rich. Ay, with five hundred, Father, for a need.

A Woman's General; what fhould we fear?

Edw. I hear their Drums:

Let's fet our Men in order,

[A March afar offs

And iffue forth, and bid them Battel ftreight.

York. Five Men to twenty, though the odds be great, I doubt not, Uncle, of our Victory.

Many a Battel have I won in France,

When as the Enemy hath been ten to one:

Why should I not now have the like Success?

Enter Rutland and his Tutor.

[Alarm. Exis

Rut. Ah, whither fhall I flie, to fcape their Hands? Ab, Tutor, look where bloody Clifford comes.

Enter Clifford.

Clif. Chaplain, away, thy Priefthood faves thy Life; As for the Brat of this accurfed Duke,

Whofe Father flew my Father, he fhall die.

Tutor. And I, my Lord, will bear him Company.
Clif. Soldiers, away with him.

Tutor. Ah Clifford, murther not this innocent Child,

Left thou be hated both of God and Man.
Clif. How now? is he dead already?

Or is it fear that makes him close his Eyes?
I'll open them.

Rut. So looks the pent-up Lion o'er the Wretch,
That trembles under his devouring Paws:
And fo he walks, infulting o'er his Prey,
And fo he comes to rend his Limbs afunder,

[Exit

Ab

Ah, gentle Clifford, kill me with thy Sword,
And not with fuch a cruel threatning Look."
Sweet Clifford, hear me fpeak before I die:
I am too mean a fubject of thy Wrath,01 5.no
Be thou reveng'd on Men, and let me live.
Cliff. In vain thou fpeak'ft, poor Boy:
My Father's Blood hath ftopt the Paffage
Where thy Words fhould 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 fufficient for me :

No, if I digg'd up thy Fore-fathers Graves,
And hung their rotten Coffins up in Chains,
It could not flake mine Ire, nor cafe my Heart.
The fight of any of the Houfe of York,
Is as a Fury to torment my Soul:

And 'till I root out their accurfed Line,
And leave not one alive, I live in Hell.
Therefore-

Rut. O let me pray y before I take my Death:
To thee, I pray fweet Clifford, pity me.
Clif. Such pity as my Rapier's Point affords.

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Rut. I never did thee harm; why wilt thou flay me? Clif. Thy Father hath.

Rut. But 'twas ere I was born.

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Thou haft one Son, for his fake pity me,

Left in revenge thereof, fith God is just,
He be as miferably flain as I. -

Ah, let me live in Prifon all my Days,

And when I give occafion of Offence,

Then let me die, før now thou haft no cause.

Clif. No caufe? thy Father flew my Father, therefore die.
Rut. Dii faciant, laudis fumma, fit ifta tua. [Stabs him.
Clif. Plantagenet, I come, Plantagenet.

And this thy Son's Blood cleaving to my Blade,
Shall ruft upon my Weapon, 'till thy Blood

Congeal'd with this, do make me wipe off both. [Exit.

Alarum

·Alarum. Enter Richard Duke of York.
York. The Army of the Queen hath got the Field
My Uncles both are flain in rescuing me,
And all my Followers, to the eager Foe
Turn back, and fly, like Ships before the Wind,
Or Lambs purfu'd by hunger-ftarved Wolves.
My Sons, God knows what hath bechanced them
But this I know, they have demean'd themselves
Like Men born to Renown, by Life or Death.
Three times, did Richard make a Lane to me,
And thrice cry'd, Courage, Father, fight it out:
And full as oft come Edward to my Side,
With Purple Falchion, painted to the Hilt
In Blood of those that had encountred him;
And when the hardieft Warriors did retire,
Richard cry'd, Charge, and give no foot of Ground,
And cry'd, a Crown, or elfe a glorious Tomb,
A Scepter, or an Earthly Sepulcher.
With this we charg'd again, but out alas,,
We bodg'd again; as I have feen a Swan
With bootlefs labour swim against the Tide,
And spend her Strength with over-matching Waves.

[A Short Alarum within,

Ah hark, the fatal Followers do purfue,
And I am faint, and cannot fly their Fury.
And were I ftrong, I would not fhun their Fury
The Sands are numbred that make up my Life,
Here muft I stay, and here my Life muft end,

1

Enter the Queen, Clifford, Northumberland, the Princè
Wales, and Soldiers.

Come, bloody Clifford, rough Northumberland,
I dare your quenchlefs Fury to more rage:
I am your Butt, and I abide your fhot.

North. Yield to our Mercy, proud Plantagenet.
Clif. Ay, to fuch Mercy as his ruthless Arm
With downright payment fhew'd unto my Father,
Now Phaeton hath turabled from his Car,

And

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And made an Evening at the Noon-tide Prick.
Tork. My Afhes, as the Phoenix, may bring forth
A Bird, that will revenge upon you all:

And in that hope I throw mine Eyes to Heav'n,
Scorning whate'er you can afflict me with.
Why come you not? what! Multitudes and fear?
Clif. So Cowards fight when they can fly no farther,
So Doves do peck the Falcons piercing Talons,
So desperate Thieves, all hopeless of their Lives,
Breath out Invectives 'gainst the Officers.

Tork. Oh, Clifford, but bethink thee once again,
And in thy thought o'er-run my former time
And if thou canft for blushing, view this Face,
And bite thy Tongue that flanders him wth Cowardice,
Whose frown hath made thee faint and fly ere this.
Clif. I will not bandy with thee Word for Word,
But buckler with thee Blows twice two for one.

Queen. Hold, valiant Clifford, for a thousand Causes
I would prolong a while the Traitor's Life: "
Wrath makes him deaf; fpeak thou, Northumberland.
North. Hold Clifford, do not honour him so much,
To prick thy Finger, though to wound his Heart.
What Valour were it, when a Cur doth grin,
For one to thrust his Hand between his Teeth,
When he might fpurn him with his Foot away?
It is Wars prize to take all vantages,

And ten to one is no impeach of Valour.

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Clif. Ay, ay, fo ftrives the Woodcock with the Gin. North. So doth the Cony ftruggle in the Net.

York. So triumph Thieves upon their conquer'd Booty, So true Men yield, with Robbers so o'er-matcht.

North. What would your Grace have done unto him now? Queen. Brave Warriors, Clifford and Northumberland, Come make him ftand upon, this Mole-hill here, That raught at Mountains with out-ftretched Arms, Yet parted but the fhadow with his Hand. What, was it you that would be England's King? Was't you that revell'd in our Parliament, And made a Preachment of your high Defcent?

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