| 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, |
| And half our sailors swallow'd in the flood? | 5 |
| 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, |
| Whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock, | 10 |
| 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? |
| Our slaughter'd friends the tackles; what of these? | 15 |
| 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 |
| For once allow'd the skilful pilot's charge? | 20 |
| 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. |
| And what is Edward but ruthless sea? | 25 |
| 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! |
| Tread on the sand; why, there you quickly sink: | 30 |
| 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, |
| That there's no hoped-for mercy with the brothers | 35 |
| 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 |
| Should, if a coward heard her speak these words, | 40 |
| 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 |
| He should have leave to go away betimes, | 45 |
| 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. |
| OXFORD | Women and children of so high a courage, | 50 |
| 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! |
| SOMERSET | And he that will not fight for such a hope. | 55 |
| 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. |
| [Enter a Messenger] |
| Messenger | Prepare you, lords, for Edward is at hand. | 60 |
| 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. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | This cheers my heart, to see your forwardness. | 65 |
| 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. |
| I need not add more fuel to your fire, | 70 |
| 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. | 75 |
| 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. | 80 |
| You fight in justice: then, in God's name, lords, |
| Be valiant and give signal to the fight. |
[Alarum. Retreat. Excursions. Exeunt] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)