| ACT V SCENE IV | Plains near Tewksbury. | |
| | March. Enter QUEEN MARGARET, PRINCE EDWARD,SOMERSET, OXFORD, and soldiers | |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Great lords, wise men ne'er sit and wail their loss, | |
| | But cheerly seek how to redress their harms. | |
| | What though the mast be now blown overboard, | |
| | The cable broke, the holding-anchor lost, | 5 |
| | And half our sailors swallow'd in the flood? | |
| | Yet lives our pilot still. Is't meet that he | |
| | Should leave the helm and like a fearful lad | |
| | With tearful eyes add water to the sea | |
| | And give more strength to that which hath too much, | 10 |
| | Whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock, | |
| | Which industry and courage might have saved? | |
| | Ah, what a shame! ah, what a fault were this! | |
| | Say Warwick was our anchor; what of that? | |
| | And Montague our topmost; what of him? | 15 |
| | Our slaughter'd friends the tackles; what of these? | |
| | Why, is not Oxford here another anchor? | |
| | And Somerset another goodly mast? | |
| | The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings? | |
| | And, though unskilful, why not Ned and I | 20 |
| | For once allow'd the skilful pilot's charge? | |
| | We will not from the helm to sit and weep, | |
| | But keep our course, though the rough wind say no, | |
| | From shelves and rocks that threaten us with wreck. | |
| | As good to chide the waves as speak them fair. | 25 |
| | And what is Edward but ruthless sea? | |
| | What Clarence but a quicksand of deceit? | |
| | And Richard but a ragged fatal rock? | |
| | All these the enemies to our poor bark. | |
| | Say you can swim; alas, 'tis but a while! | 30 |
| | Tread on the sand; why, there you quickly sink: | |
| | Bestride the rock; the tide will wash you off, | |
| | Or else you famish; that's a threefold death. | |
| | This speak I, lords, to let you understand, | |
| | If case some one of you would fly from us, | 35 |
| | That there's no hoped-for mercy with the brothers | |
| | More than with ruthless waves, with sands and rocks. | |
| | Why, courage then! what cannot be avoided | |
| | 'Twere childish weakness to lament or fear. | |
| PRINCE EDWARD | Methinks a woman of this valiant spirit | 40 |
| | Should, if a coward heard her speak these words, | |
| | Infuse his breast with magnanimity | |
| | And make him, naked, foil a man at arms. | |
| | I speak not this as doubting any here | |
| | For did I but suspect a fearful man | 45 |
| | He should have leave to go away betimes, | |
| | Lest in our need he might infect another | |
| | And make him of like spirit to himself. | |
| | If any such be here--as God forbid!-- | |
| | Let him depart before we need his help. | 50 |
| OXFORD | Women and children of so high a courage, | |
| | And warriors faint! why, 'twere perpetual shame. | |
| | O brave young prince! thy famous grandfather | |
| | Doth live again in thee: long mayst thou live | |
| | To bear his image and renew his glories! | 55 |
| SOMERSET | And he that will not fight for such a hope. | |
| | Go home to bed, and like the owl by day, | |
| | If he arise, be mock'd and wonder'd at. | |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Thanks, gentle Somerset; sweet Oxford, thanks. | |
| PRINCE EDWARD | And take his thanks that yet hath nothing else. | 60 |
| | Enter a Messenger | |
| Messenger | Prepare you, lords, for Edward is at hand. | |
| | Ready to fight; therefore be resolute. | |
| OXFORD | I thought no less: it is his policy | |
| | To haste thus fast, to find us unprovided. | |
| SOMERSET | But he's deceived; we are in readiness. | 65 |
| 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 IV, GLOUCESTER,CLARENCE, and soldiers | |
| KING EDWARD IV | 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. | 70 |
| | 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, | 75 |
| | 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; | 80 |
| | 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 | |
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