King Henry VI, Part II

King Henry VI, Part II

ACT V SCENE II	Saint Alban's.
	Alarums to the battle. Enter WARWICK
WARWICK	Clifford of Cumberland, 'tis Warwick calls:
	And if thou dost not hide thee from the bear,
	Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarum
	And dead men's cries do fill the empty air,	5
	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 afoot?
YORK	The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed,	10
	But match to match I have encounter'd him
	And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
	Even of the bonny beast he loved so well.
	Enter CLIFFORD
WARWICK	Of one or both of us the time is come.
YORK	Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chase,	15
	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?	20
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	25
	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.	30
	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	35
	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	40
	The name of valour.
	Seeing his dead father
	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,	45
	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	50
	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,	55
	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	60
	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;	65
	But then AEneas bare a living load,
	Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine.
	Exit, bearing off his father
	Enter RICHARD and SOMERSET to fight. SOMERSETis killed
RICHARD	So, lie thou there;
	For underneath an alehouse' paltry sign,
	The Castle in Saint Alban's, Somerset	70
	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 HENRY VI, QUEENMARGARET, and others
QUEEN MARGARET	Away, my lord! you are slow; for shame, away!
KING HENRY VI	Can we outrun the heavens? good Margaret, stay.	75
QUEEN MARGARET	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	80
	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.	85
	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	90
	To see their day and them our fortune give:
	Away, my lord, away!
	Exeunt