Enter a Meffenger.

But what art thou, whofe heavy looks foretel "Some dreadful story hanging on thy tongue?

MESS. Ah, one that was a woful looker on, When as the noble duke of York was flain, * Your princely father, and my loving lord. 'EDW. O, fpeak no more!9 for I have heard too much.'

'RICH. Say how he died, for I will hear it all. 'MESS. Environed he was with many foes;"

O, Speak no more!] The generous tenderness of Edward, and favage fortitude of Richard, are well distinguished by their different reception of their father's death. JOHNSON.

I

thus:

-for I have heard too much.] So the folio. The quartos

for I can hear no more.

"Rich. Tell on thy tale," &c. STEEVENS.

* Environed he was with many foes ;] Thus, in the old play:

66

O, one that was a woeful looker on,

"When as the noble duke of York was flain.—
"When as the noble duke was put to flight,
"And then perfude by Clifford and the queene,
"And many foldiers moe, who all at once
"Let drive at him, and forft the duke to yield;
"And then they fet him on a moul-bill there,
"And crown'd the gracious duke in high defpight;
"Who then with tears began to wail his fall.
"The ruthleffe queene perceiving he did weepe,
"Gave him a handkerchief to wipe his eyes,

Dipt in the bloud of fweete young Ratland, by
"Rough Clifford flaine; who weeping tooke it up:
"Then through his breft they thruft their bloudie fwords,
"Who like a lambe fell at the butcher's feate.
"Then on the gates of Yorke they set his head,
"And there it doth remaine the piteous fpectacle
"That ere mine eyes beheld." MALONE.

And stood against them as the hope of Troy 3 Against the Greeks, that would have enter'd Troy. But Hercules himself muft yield to odds; * And many ftrokes, though with a little axe, *Hew down and fell the hardest-timber'd oak.

By many hands your father was fubdu'd;

But only flaughter'd by the ireful arm 'Of unrelenting Clifford, and the queen:

Who crown'd the gracious duke in high despite; Laugh'd in his face; and, when with grief he

wept,

The ruthless queen gave him, to dry his cheeks, 'A napkin steeped in the harmless blood

'Of sweet young Rutland, by rough Clifford flain : And, after many fcorns, many foul taunts, They took his head, and on the gates of York They fet the fame; and there it doth remain, 'The faddeft fpectacle that e'er I view'd.

EDW. Sweet duke of York, our prop to lear upon;

'Now thou art gone, we have no staff, no stay !*O Clifford, boift'rous Clifford, thou haft flain * The flower of Europe for his chivalry;

And treacherously haft thou vanquish'd him, *For, hand to hand, he would have vanquifh'd thee!

Now my foul's palace is become a prison :

Ah, would the break from hence! that this my body

Might in the ground be clofed up in reft:
For never henceforth fhall I joy again,

'Never, O never, fhall I see more joy.

' RICH. I cannot weep; for all my body's moisture

3- the hope of Troy-] Hector. MALONE.

Scarce ferves to quench my furnace-burning heart: *Nor can my tongue unload my heart's great burden;

*For felf-fame wind, that I fhould fpeak withal, *Is kindling coals, that fire all my breaft,

* And burn me up with flames, that tears would quench.

*To weep, is to make lefs the depth of grief:5 Tears, then, for babes; blows, and revenge, for

me!—

Richard, I bear thy name, I'll venge thy death, 'Or die renowned by attempting it.

EDW. His name that valiant duke hath left with

thee;

• His dukedom and his chair with me is left."

R.CH. Nay, if thou be that princely eagle's bird, Show thy defcent by gazing 'gainft the fun :7

And burn me up with flames, &c.] So, in King John:
"France, I am burn'd up with confuming wrath," &c.
STEEVENS.

To weep, &c.] Here, in the original play, instead of these two lines, we have

"I cannot joy, till this white rose be dy'd

"Even in the heart-bloud of the house of Lancaster."

MALONE.

6 His dukedom and his chair with me is left.] So the folio. The quarto thus:

"His chair, and dukedom, that remains for me."

STEEVENS.

Show thy defcent by gazing 'gainst the fun :] So, in Spenfer's Hymn of Heavenly Beauty:

like the native brood of eagle's kind, "On that bright fun of glory fix thine eyes."

Again, in Solyman and Perfeda:

"As air-bred eagles, if they once perceive
"That any
of their brood but close their fight,
"When they should gaze against the glorious fun;
They ftraitway seize upon him with their talons,

For chair and dukedom, throne and kingdom fay; Either that is thine, or elfe thou wert not his.

March. Enter WARWICK and MONTAGUE, with Forces.

WAR. How now, fair lords? What fare? what news abroad?

' RICH. Great lord of Warwick, if we fhould re

count

Our baleful news, and, at each word's deliverance, Stab poniards in our flefh till all were told,

The words would add more anguish than the wounds. O valiant lord, the duke of York is flain.

EDW. O Warwick! Warwick! that Plantagenet, Which held thee dearly, as his foul's redemption, Is by the stern lord Clifford done to death."

"That on the earth it may untimely die,
"For looking but afkew at heaven's bright eye."

STEEVENS.

* Enter Warwick &c.] This meeting was at Chipping-Norton. W. Wyrcefter, p. 488. RITSON.

9 Is by the stern lord Clifford done to death.] Done to death for killed, was a common expreffion long before Shakspeare's time. Thus Chaucer :

"And feide, that if ye done us both to dien." GRAY. Spenfer mentions a plague " which many did to dye."

JOHNSON.

Faire mourir, a French phrase. So, in The Battle of Alcazar, 1594:

"We understand that he was done to death."

Again, ibid:

done to death with many a mortal wound." Again, in Orlando Furiofo, 1599:

"I am the man that did the flave to death."

STEEVENS.

WAR. Ten days ago I drown'd these news in

tears:

And now, to add more measure to your woes,
I come to tell you things fince then befall'n.
After the bloody fray at Wakefield fought,
Where your brave father breath'd his latest gasp,
Tidings, as fwiftly as the pofts could run,
Were brought me of your lofs, and his depart.
I then in London, keeper of the king,
Mufter'd my foldiers, gather'd flocks of friends,
And very well appointed, as I thought,'

March'd towards Saint Alban's to incercept the queen,

Bearing the king in my behalf along :
For by my scouts I was advértifed,
That the was coming with a full intent
To dash our late decree in parliament,

'Touching king Henry's oath, and your fucceffion.
Short tale to make,-we at Saint Alban's met,
Our battles join'd, and both fides fiercely fought:
But, whether 'twas the coldness of the king,
Who look'd full gently on his warlike queen,
That robb'd my foldiers of their hated spleen;
Or whether 'twas report of her success;
Or more than common fear of Clifford's rigour,
'Who thunders to his captives-blood and death,
I cannot judge: but, to conclude with truth,
Their weapons like to lightning came and went ;
Our foldiers-like the night-owl's lazy flight,3

▾ And

very well &c.] This neceffary line I have restored from the old quartos. STEEVENS.

2

-to his captives -] So the folio. The old play readscaptaines. MALONE.

3 — like the night-owl's lazy flight,] This image is not very congruous to the fubject, nor was it neceffary to the comparison, which is happily enough completed by the thrasher. JOHNSON.