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EDWARD’S Camp near Warwick. | |
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Enter certain Watchmen to guard the KING’S tent. | |
| First Watch. Come on, my masters, each man take his stand; | |
| The king, by this, is set him down to sleep. | |
| Sec. Watch. What, will he not to bed? | 5 |
| First Watch. Why, no: for he hath made a solemn vow | |
| Never to lie and take his natural rest | |
| Till Warwick or himself be quite suppress’d. | |
| Sec. Watch. To-morrow then belike shall be the day, | |
| If Warwick be so near as men report. | 10 |
| Third Watch. But say, I pray, what nobleman is that | |
| That with the king here resteth in his tent? | |
| First Watch. ’Tis the Lord Hastings, the king’s chiefest friend. | |
| Third Watch. O! is it so? But why commands the king | |
| That his chief followers lodge in towns about him, | 15 |
| While he himself keeps in the cold field? | |
| Sec. Watch. ’Tis the more honour, because the more dangerous. | |
| Third Watch. Ay, but give me worship and quietness; | |
| I like it better than a dangerous honour. | |
| If Warwick knew in what estate he stands, | 20 |
| ’Tis to be doubted he would waken him. | |
| First Watch. Unless our halberds did shut up his passage. | |
| Sec. Watch. Ay; wherefore else guard we his royal tent, | |
| But to defend his person from night-foes? | |
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Enter WARWICK, CLARENCE, OXFORD, SOMERSET, and Forces. | 25 |
| War. This is his tent; and see where stand his guard. | |
| Courage, my masters! honour now or never! | |
| But follow me, and Edward shall be ours. | |
| First Watch. Who goes there? | |
| Sec. Watch. Stay, or thou diest. [WARWICK and the rest cry all, ‘Warwick! Warwick!’ and set upon the Guard; who fly, crying, ‘Arm! Arm!’ WARWICK and the rest following them. | 30 |
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Drums beating, and Trumpets sounding, re-enter WARWICK and the rest, bringing the KING out in his gown, sitting in a chair. GLOUCESTER and HASTINGS fly over the stage. | |
| Som. What are they that fly there? | |
| War. Richard and Hastings: let them go; here’s the duke. | |
| K. Edw. The duke! Why, Warwick, when we parted last, | |
| Thou call’dst me king! | 35 |
| War. Ay, but the case is alter’d: | |
| When you disgrac’d me in my embassade, | |
| Then I degraded you from being king, | |
| And come now to create you Duke of York. | |
| Alas! how should you govern any kingdom, | 40 |
| That know not how to use ambassadors, | |
| Nor how to be contented with one wife, | |
| Nor how to use your brothers brotherly, | |
| Nor how to study for the people’s welfare, | |
| Nor how to shroud yourself from enemies? | 45 |
| K. Edw. Yea, brother of Clarence, art thou here too? | |
| Nay, then, I see that Edward needs must down. | |
| Yet, Warwick, in despite of all mischance, | |
| Of thee thyself, and all thy complices, | |
| Edward will always bear himself as king: | 50 |
| Though Fortune’s malice overthrow my state, | |
| My mind exceeds the compass of her wheel. | |
| War. Then, for his mind, be Edward England’s king: [Takes off his crown. | |
| But Henry now shall wear the English crown, | |
| And be true king indeed, thou but the shadow. | 55 |
| My Lord of Somerset, at my request, | |
| See that forthwith Duke Edward be convey’d | |
| Unto my brother, Archbishop of York. | |
| When I have fought with Pembroke and his fellows, | |
| I’ll follow you, and tell what answer | 60 |
| Lewis and the Lady Bona send to him: | |
| Now, for a while farewell, good Duke of York. | |
| K. Edw. What fates impose, that men must needs abide; | |
| It boots not to resist both wind and tide. [Exit, led out; SOMERSET with him. | |
| Oxf. What now remains, my lords, for us to do, | 65 |
| But march to London with our soldiers? | |
| War. Ay, that’s the first thing that we have to do; | |
| To free King Henry from imprisonment, | |
| And see him seated in the regal throne. [Exeunt. | |
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