Or like a lazy thrasher with a flail,4Fell gently down, as if they ftruck their friends. I cheer'd them up with juftice of our caufe, With promise of high pay, and great rewards: But all in vain; they had no heart to fight, And we, in them, no hope to win the day, So that we fled; the king, unto the queen; Lord George your brother, Norfolk, and myself, In hafte, post-hafte, are come to join with you; For in the marches here, we heard, you were, Making another head to fight again.

'EDW.5 Where is the duke of Norfolk, gentle Warwick?

Dr. Johnson objects to this comparison as incongruous to the fubject; but I think, unjaftly. Warwick compares the languid blows of his foldiers, to the lazy ftrokes which the wings of the owl give to the air in its flight, which is remarkably flow.

M. MASON. • Or like a lazy thrasher-] The old play more elegantly reads-Or like an idle thrasher, &c. MALONE.

Edw. &c.] The exact ages of the Duke of York's children, introduced in the prefent play, will beft prove how far our author has, either intentionally or otherwise, deviated, in this particular, from hiftorical truth.

Edward, Earl of March, afterwards Duke of York, and King of England, his fecond fon, was born at Roüen, on Monday the 27th or 28th of April, 1442; Edmund, Earl of Rutland, his third lon, at the fame place, on Monday the 17th of May, 1443; George of York, afterwards Duke of Clarence, his fixth fon, in Dublin, on Tuesday the 21ft of October, 1449; and Richard of York, afterwards Duke of Glofter, and King of England, his eighth fon, at Fotheringay, on Monday the 2d of October, 1452 ; Henry, the first fon born in 1441, William, the fourth, in 1447. John the fifth, in 1448, and Thomas, the feventh, in 1451, died young. He had likewife four daughters. The battle of Wakefield was fought the 29th of December, 1460, when Edward, of course, was in his nineteenth year. Rutland in his eighteenth, George in his twelfth, and Richard in his ninth.

RITSON.

And when came George from Burgundy to Eng

land?

'WAR. Some fix miles off the duke is with the

foldiers:

And for your brother,

From your kind aunt,

he was lately sent duchefs of Burgundy,

"With aid of foldiers to this needful war.6

RICH. "Twas odds, belike, when valiant Warwick fled:

Oft have I heard his praises in purfuit,

But ne'er, till now, his fcandal of retire.

WAR. Nor now my fcandal, Richard, doft thou

hear:

For thou fhalt know, this ftrong right hand of mine
Can pluck the diadem from faint Henry's head,
And wring the awful scepter from his fift;
Were he as famous and as bold in war,
As he is fam'd for mildness, peace, and

prayer.

RICH. I know it well, lord Warwick: blame me

not;

'Tis love, I bear thy glories, makes me fpeak. But, in this troublous time, what's to be done? throw

Shall we go

Edw.
War.

away our coats of steel,

when came George from Burgundy to England? he was lately fent

From your kind aunt, duchess of Burgundy,

With aid of foldiers to this needful war.] This circumstance is not warranted by hiftory. Clarence and Glofter (as they were afterwards created) were fent into Flanders immediately after the battle of Wakefield, and did not return until their brother Edward got poffeffion of the crown. Befides, Clarence was not now more than twelve years old.

Ifabel, Duchefs of Burgundy, whom Shakspeare calls the Duke's aunt, was daughter of John I. King of Portugal, by Philippa of Lancaster, eldest daughter of John of Gaunt. They were, therefore, no more than third coufins. RITSON.

And wrap our bodies in black mourning gowns,
Numb'ring our Ave-Maries with our beads?
Or fhall we on the helmets of our foes
Tell our devotion with revengeful arms?
If for the laft, fay-Ay, and to it, lords.

WAR. Why, therefore Warwick came to seek you out;

And therefore comes my brother Montague.
Attend me, lords. The proud infulting queen,
With Clifford, and the haught Northumberland,7
And of their feather, many more proud birds,
Have wrought the eafy-melting king like wax.
He swore confent to your fucceffion,
His oath enrolled in the parliament;
And now to London all the crew are gone,
To fruftrate both his oath, and what befide
May make against the house of Lancaster.
"Their power, I think, is thirty thousand strong :9

7

haught Northumberland,] So, Grafton, in his Chronicle fays, p. 417: the lord Henry Percy, whom the Scottes for his haut and valiant courage called fir Henry Hotspurre."

PERCY.

The word is common to many writers. So, in Marlowe's King Edward II. 1598:

"This haught refolve becomes your majefty."

Again, in Kyd's Cornelia, 1594 :

Pompey, that fecond Mars, whofe haught renown," &c. Again, in Lyly's Woman in the Moon, 1597:

8

Thy mind as haught as Jupiter's high thoughts."

STEEVENS. -the eafy-melting king like wax.] So again, in this play, of the Lady Grey:

9

"As red as fire; nay, then her wax muft melt."

JOHNSON.

is thirty thousand ftrong:] Thus the folio. The old

play reads

"Their power, I guess them fiftie thousand strong." A little lower the fame piece has-eight and forty thousand.

MALONE.

Now, if the help of Norfolk, and myself,
With all the friends that thou, brave earl of March,
Amongst the loving Welshmen canft procure,
Will but amount to five and twenty thoufand,
Why, Via! to London will we march amain;
And once again beftride our foaming steeds,
'And once again cry-Charge upon our foes!
But never once again turn back, and fly.

RICH. Ay, now, methinks, I hear great Warwick fpeak:

Ne'er may he live to fee a funfhine day,

"That cries-Retire, if Warwick bid him stay. EDW. Lord Warwick, on thy fhoulder will I

lean;

'And when thou fall'ft, (as God forbid the hour!) Muft Edward fall, which peril heaven forefend!

WAR. No longer earl of March, but duke of

York;

'The next degree is, England's royal throne:
For king of England fhalt thou be proclaim'd
In every borough as we pafs along ;

And he that throws not up his cap for joy,
• Shall for the fault make forfeit of his head.
King Edward,-valiant Richard,-Montague,-
Stay we no longer dreaming of renown,

'But found the trumpets, and about our task.

* RICH. Then, Clifford, were thy heart as hard as fteel,

*(As thou haft fhown it flinty by thy deeds,) * I come to pierce it, or to give thee mine.

* Edw. Then strike up, drums ;-God, and Saint George, for us!

Enter a Meffenger.

WAR, How now? what news?

MESS. The duke of Norfolk fends

me,

you word by

The queen is coming with a puiffant hoft;

And craves your company for speedy counfel.

'WAR. Why then it forts,' brave warriors: Let's

away.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Before York.

Enter King HENRY, Queen MARGARET, the Prince of Wales, CLIFFORD, and NORTHUMBERLAND, with Forces.

Q. MAR. Welcome, my lord, to this brave town of York.

Yonder's the head of that arch-enemy,

That fought to be encompass'd with your crown: Doth not the object cheer your heart, my lord?

'K. HEN. Ay, as the rocks cheer them that fear their wreck ;

To fee this fight, it irks my very

foul.

Withhold revenge, dear God! 'tis not my fault, Not wittingly have I infring'd my vow.

Why then it forts,] Why then things are as they fhould be. JOHNSON. So, in Greene's Card of Fancy, 1608: "thy love fhall fort to fuch happy fuccefs as thou thyfelf doft feek for."

STEEVENS.