Henry VI, Part III

thus fast, to find us unprovided. Somerset But he’s deceived; we are in readiness. Queen Margaret This cheers my heart, to see your forwardness. Oxford Here pitch our battle; hence we will not budge. Flourish and march. Enter King Edward, Gloucester, Clarence, and soldiers. King Edward

Brave followers, yonder stands the thorny wood,
Which, by the heavens’ assistance and your strength,
Must by the roots be hewn up yet ere night.
I need not add more fuel to your fire,
For well I wot ye blaze to burn them out:
Give signal to the fight, and to it, lords!

Queen Margaret

Lords, knights, and gentlemen, what I should say
My tears gainsay; for every word I speak,
Ye see, I drink the water of mine eyes.
Therefore, no more but this: Henry, your sovereign,
Is prisoner to the foe; his state usurp’d,
His realm a slaughter-house, his subjects slain,
His statutes cancell’d and his treasure spent;
And yonder is the wolf that makes this spoil.
You fight in justice: then, in God’s name, lords,
Be valiant and give signal to the fight. Alarum: Retreat: Excursions. Exeunt.

Scene V

Another part of the field.

	Flourish. Enter King Edward, Gloucester, Clarence, and soldiers; with Queen Margaret, Oxford, and Somerset, prisoners.
King Edward	Now here a period of tumultuous broils. Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight: For Somerset, off with his guilty head. Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak.
Oxford	For my part, I’ll not trouble thee with words.
Somerset	Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune. Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded.
Queen Margaret	So part we sadly in this troublous world, To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.
King Edward	Is proclamation made, that who finds Edward Shall have a high reward, and he his life?
Gloucester	It is: and lo, where youthful Edward comes!
	Enter soldiers, with Prince Edward.
King Edward	Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak. What! can so young a thorn begin to prick? Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects, And all the trouble thou hast turn’d me to?
Prince	Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York! Suppose that I am now my father’s mouth; Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou, Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee, Which, traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
Queen Margaret	Ah, that thy father had been so resolved!
Gloucester	That you might still have worn the petticoat, And ne’er have stol’n the breech from Lancaster.
Prince	Let Aesop fable in a winter’s night; His currish riddles sort not with this place.
Gloucester	By heaven, brat, I’ll plague ye for that word.
Queen Margaret	Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men.
Gloucester	For God’s sake, take away this captive scold.
Prince	Nay, take away this scolding crook-back rather.
King Edward	Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue.
Clarence	Untutor’d lad, thou art too malapert.
Prince	I know my duty; you are all undutiful: Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George, And thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all I am your better, traitors as ye are: And thou usurp’st my father’s right and mine.
King Edward	Take that, thou likeness of this railer here. Stabs him.
Gloucester	Sprawl’st thou? take that, to end thy agony. Stabs him.
Clarence	And there’s for twitting me with perjury. Stabs him.
Queen Margaret	O, kill me too!
Gloucester	Marry, and shall. Offers to kill her.
King Edward	Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done too much.
Gloucester	Why should she live, to fill the world with words?
King Edward	What, doth she swoon? use means for her recovery.
Gloucester	Clarence, excuse me to the king my brother; I’ll hence to London on a serious matter: Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news.
Clarence	What? what?
Gloucester	The Tower, the Tower. Exit.
Queen Margaret	O Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy! Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers! They that stabb’d Caesar shed no blood at all, Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame, If this foul deed were by to equal it: He was a man; this, in respect, a child: And men ne’er spend their fury on a child. What’s worse than murderer, that I may name it? No, no, my heart will burst, and if I speak: And I will speak, that so my heart may burst. Butchers and villains! bloody cannibals! How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp’d! You have no children, butchers! if you had, The thought of them would have stirr’d up remorse: But if you ever chance to have a child, Look in his youth to have him so cut off As, deathsmen, you have rid this sweet young prince!
King Edward	Away with her; go, bear her hence perforce.
Queen Margaret	Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch me here; Here sheathe thy sword, I’ll pardon thee my death: What, wilt thou not? then, Clarence, do it thou.
Clarence	By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease.
Queen Margaret	Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it.
Clarence	Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it?
Queen Margaret	Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself: ’Twas sin before, but now ’tis charity. What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil’s butcher, Hard-favour’d Richard? Richard, where art thou? Thou art not here: murder is thy alms-deed; Petitioners for blood thou ne’er put’st back.
King Edward	Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her hence.
Queen Margaret	So come to you and yours, as to this prince! Exit, led out forcibly.
King Edward	Where’s Richard gone?
Clarence	To London, all in post; and, as I guess, To make a bloody supper in the Tower.
King Edward	He’s sudden, if a thing comes in his head. Now march we hence: discharge the common sort With pay and thanks, and let’s away to London And see our gentle queen how well she fares: By this, I hope, she hath a son for me. Exeunt.

Scene VI

London. The Tower.

	Enter King Henry and Gloucester, with the Lieutenant, on the walls.
Gloucester	Good day, my lord. What, at your book so hard?
King Henry	Ay, my good lord:⁠—my lord, I should say rather; ’Tis sin to flatter; “good” was little better: “Good Gloucester” and “good