King. 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 loved;
And where this breach, now in our fortunes made,
May readily be stopp'd.

Re-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 part.7
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 Alban's.

Alarums: retreat. Flourish; then enter YORK, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, WARWICK, and Soldiers, with drum and colours.

York. Old Salisbury, who can report of him,— That winter lion, who in rage forgets

Agèd contusions and all bruise of time,

Part for party; the two being often used interchangeably. So before in this scene: 'Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part hot coals of vengeance!"

And, like a gallant in the bloom of youth,
Repairs him with occasion? This happy day
Is not itself, nor have we won one foot,
If Salisbury be lost.

Three times to-day I holp him to his horse,
Three times bestrid him,1 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 th' Mass, so did we all. — I thank you, Richard:
God knows how long it is I have to live;

And it hath pleased Him that three times to-day
You have defended me from imminent death.—
Well, lords, we have not got that which we have: 2
'Tis not enough our foes are this time fled,
Being opposites of such repairing nature.3

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?

1 That is, "three times I saw him fallen, and striding over him defended him till he recovered." This act of friendship Shakespeare has frequently mentioned. See vol. i. page 140, note 13.

2 Meaning, we have not secured that which we have won.

3 Being enemies that are likely so soon to rally and recover themselves from this defeat. To repair, in old language, is to renovate, to restore to

a former condition.

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 etérnized in all age to come.

Sound drums and trumpets;—and to London all :
And more such days as this to us befall!

[Exeunt.

CRITICAL NOTES.

ACT 1., SCENE 1.

Page 134. I did perform my task, and was espoused.· -The folio reads "I have perform'd my Taske." The quarto reading is clearly to be preferred, as there ought to be no change of tense in the line.

P. 136. They please us well. Lord marquess, kneel thee down. — So Collier's second folio. The old text lacks thee. Pope printed "kneel you down."

P. 137. And was his Highness in his infancy

Crowned in Paris in despite of foes?

"And hath his Highnesse," &c.

The old text reads

Corrected by Rowe.

P. 140. Thou or I, Somerset, will be protector. The old text reads "Or thou, or I Somerset will be Protectors." Capell's correction.

P. 141. And, as we may, cherish Duke Humphrey's deeds,
While they do tend to profit of the land.

text has "tend the profit."

So Capell. The old

P. 141. 'Tis mine they give away, and not their own. mine, the old text has thine. The correction is White's.

P. 142. Whileas the silly owner of the goods

Weeps over them, and wrings his helpless hands,
And shakes his head, and trembling stands aloof,
Ready to starve, and dare not touch his own,

While all is shared, and all is borne away. The old text transposes the last two of these lines: in the second line also, it has haplesse instead of helpless, which is from Collier's second folio.

P. 143. Till, Henry surfeiting in joys of love,

With his new bride and England's dear-bought Queen,

Duke Humphrey with the peers be fall'n at jars. — The old text has "And Humfrey with the Peeres," &c. This leaves the sentence in utter unhingement, insomuch that some have thought a line must have been lost between the second and third. Be this as it may, there is no way to cure the defect but either by getting rid of And or by changing surfeiting to surfeiteth. The former mode gives the more fitting sense.

ACT I., SCENE 2.

P. 144. And in that chair where kings and queens are crown'd;

There Henry and Dame Margaret kneel'd to me. - The old text has wer instead of are in the first of these lines, and Where instead of There in the second. Staunton's correction.

P. 145. Come, Nell; thou'lt ride with us, I'm sure. I'm sure are from the quarto.

P. 147. Yet am I Suffolk's and the Cardinal's broker.—The old text has Suffolk instead of Suffolk's.

ACT I., SCENE 3.

P. 148. For my Lord Protector! - So Capell. The old text has To instead of For. The context prompts, and indeed requires the change.

P. 148. That my master was? no forsooth: my master said that he was. The old text reads "That my Mistresse was?”

P. 149. Besides the haught Protector. - So the second folio. The first has "the haughtie Protector."

P. 150. And placed a quire of such enticing birds,

That she will light to listen to their lays. -The folio has "listen

to the lays." Corrected by Rowe.

P. 152. She's tickled now; her fury needs no spurs,

She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction. In the first of these lines the old text has Fume instead of fury. Corrected by Dyce

and Walker. Also, in the second, farre instead of fast. Corrected by Pope.