⌈He takes his red rose out of his hat and throws it at Warwick⌉

Look—here I throw my infamy at thee!

I will not ruinate my father’s house,

Who gave his blood to lime the stones together,

And set up Lancaster. Why, trowest thou, Warwick,

That Clarence is so harsh, so blunt, unnatural,

To bend the fatal instruments of war

Against his brother and his lawful king?

Perhaps thou wilt object my holy oath.

To keep that oath were more impiety

Than Jephthah, when he sacrificed his daughter.

I am so sorry for my trespass made

That, to deserve well at my brothers’ hands,

I here proclaim myself thy mortal foe,

With resolution, wheresoe’er I meet thee—

As I will meet thee, if thou stir abroad—

To plague thee for thy foul misleading me.

And so, proud-hearted Warwick, I defy thee,

And to my brothers turn my blushing cheeks.

(To King Edward)

Pardon me, Edward—I will make amends.

(To Richard)

And, Richard, do not frown upon my faults,

For I will henceforth be no more unconstant.

KING EDWARD

Now welcome more, and ten times more beloved,

Than if thou never hadst deserved our hate.

RICHARD OF GLOUCESTER (to George)

Welcome, good Clarence—this is brother-like.

WARWICK (to George)

O, passing traitor—perjured and unjust!

KING EDWARD

What, Warwick, wilt thou leave the town and fight?

Or shall we beat the stones about thine ears?

WARWICK ⌈aside⌉

Alas, I am not cooped here for defence.

(To King Edward)

I will away towards Barnet presently,

And bid thee battle, Edward, if thou dar’st.

KING EDWARD

Yes, Warwick—Edward dares, and leads the way.

Lords, to the Held—Saint George and victory!

Exeunt below King Edward and his company.

March. The Earl of Warwick and his company

descend and follow

5.2 Alarum and excursions. Enter King Edward bringing forth the Earl of Warwick, wounded

KING EDWARD

So lie thou there. Die thou, and die our fear—

For Warwick was a bug that feared us all.

Now, Montague, sit fast—I seek for thee

That Warwick’s bones may keep thine company. Exit

WARWICK

Ah, who is nigh? Come to me, friend or foe,

And tell me who is victor, York or Warwick?

Why ask I that? My mangled body shows,

My blood, my want of strength, my sick heart shows,

That I must yield my body to the earth

And by my fall the conquest to my foe.

Thus yields the cedar to the axe’s edge,

Whose arms gave shelter to the princely eagle,

Under whose shade the ramping lion slept,

Whose top-branch over-peered Jove’s spreading tree

And kept low shrubs from winter’s powerful wind.

These eyes, that now are dimmed with death’s black

veil,

Have been as piercing as the midday sun

To search the secret treasons of the world.

The wrinkles in my brows, now filled with blood,

Were likened oft to kingly sepulchres—

For who lived king, but I could dig his grave?

And who durst smile when Warwick bent his brow?

Lo now my glory smeared in dust and blood.

My parks, my walks, my manors that I had,

Even now forsake me, and of all my lands

Is nothing left me but my body’s length,

Why, what is pomp, rule, reign, but earth and dust?

And, live we how we can, yet die we must.

Enter the Earl of Oxford and the Duke of Somerset

SOMERSET

Ah, Warwick, Warwick—wert thou as we are,

We might recover all our loss again.

The Queen from France hath brought a puissant

power.

Even now we heard the news. Ah, couldst thou fly!

WARWICK

Why, then I would not fly. Ah, Montague,

If thou be there, sweet brother, take my hand,

And with thy lips keep in my soul a while.

Thou lov’st me not—for, brother, if thou didst,

Thy tears would wash this cold congealed blood

That glues my lips and will not let me speak.

Come quickly, Montague, or I am dead.

SOMERSET

Ah, Warwick—Montague hath breathed his last,

And to the latest gasp cried out for Warwick,

And said ‘Commend me to my valiant brother.’

And more he would have said, and more he spoke,

Which sounded like a canon in a vault,

That mote not be distinguished; but at last

I well might hear, delivered with a groan,

‘O, farewell, Warwick.’

WARWICK

Sweet rest his soul. Fly, lords, and save yourselves—

For Warwick bids you all farewell, to meet in heaven.

He dies

OXFORD

Away, away—to meet the Queen’s great power!

Here they bear away Warwick’s body. Exeunt

5.3 Flourish. Enter King Edward in triumph, with Richard Duke of Gloucester, George Duke of Clarence, and ⌈soldiers⌉

KING EDWARD

Thus far our fortune keeps an upward course,

And we are graced with wreaths of victory.

But in the midst of this bright-shining day

I spy a black suspicious threatening cloud