Enter OLD CLIFFORD
WARWICK.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.WARWICK.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 CLIFFORD.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.CLIFFORD.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!CLIFFORD.My soul and body on the action both!YORK.A dreadful lay!Address thee instantly.[They fight and CLIFFORD falls]CLIFFORD.La fin couronne les oeuvres.[Dies]YORK.Thus war hath given thee peace,for thou art still.Peace with his soul,heaven,if it be thy will!Exit
Enter YOUNG CLIFFORD
YOUNG CLIFFORD.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!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.[Sees his father's body]O,let the vile world end 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 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 It shall be stony.York not our old men spares;No more will I their babes.Tears virginal 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;As did Aeneas old Anchises bear,So bear I thee upon my manly shoulders;But then Aeneas bare a living load,Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine.Exit with the body
Enter RICHARD and SOMERSET to fight.SOMERSET is killed RICHARD.So,lie thou there;For underneath an alehouse'paltry
sign,The Castle in Saint Albans,Somerset Hath made the wizard famous in his death.Sword,hold thy temper;heart,be wrathful still:Priests pray for enemies,but princes kill.Exit
Fight.Excursions.Enter KING,QUEEN,and others
QUEEN.Away,my lord!You are slow;for shame,away!KING HENRY.Can we outrun the heavens?Good Margaret,stay.QUEEN.What are you made of?You'll nor 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 bottom 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.
Re-enter YOUNG CLIFFORD
YOUNG CLIFFORD.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.Enter YORK,RICHARD,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.RICHARD.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
SALISBURY.Now,by my sword,well hast thou fought to-day!By th'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?WARWICK.After them?Nay,before them,if we can.Now,by my faith,lords,'twas a glorious day:Saint Albans'battle,won by famous York,Shall be eterniz'd in all age to come.Sound drum and trumpets and to London all;And more such days as these to us befall!
