Impairing Henry, strengthening misproud York: And, Henry, hadst thou sway'd as kings should do, Giving no ground unto the house of York, They never then had sprung like summer flies; I and ten thousand in this luckless realm ΙΟ 15 Or as... no ground had neuer scorch't.. liued Yorke Q. 17. They flies] omitted Q. realm. death out. pity; For chair too much lenity hath got ... deadly 17-29. I and wofull land sway'd York] 10-16. And who And as 18-30. I and nor strength fathers' bosoms. throne . . lenity hold breast] · · no strength... hold our pittie me, And . . . is got . . . bleeding . . . fathers, now come split my brest Q. again. Spenser uses the word in Colin Clouts Come Home againe, 1. 802, of the union of male and female. This would perhaps precede any example in New Eng. Dict. (1591), for the 1588 date of Love's Labour 's Lost is impossible. Greene has the word in his Farewell to Follie, about the same date. 7. misproud] Peele uses this word, "this misproud malcontent," Descensus Astrææ (542, b), 1593. But the word is very old though uncommon at this time. Wrongly proud, arrogant. 8. The... flies] Theobald, followed by most editors (including Cambridge), introduced here this Quarto line. The following line, "And who," etc., serves to introduce the metaphor however, albeit abruptly, but not unpoetically. There are reasons for its omission. The line, "The common people by numbers swarm to us," below, iv. ii. 2, is very nearly a repetition of it. And again, in Peele's David and Bethsabe (477, a): "To whom the people do by thousands swarm," preceded both. Shakespeare wearied of it. Shakespeare used" common people" in 2 Henry VI. 1. i. 158, not elsewhere, excepting in the two passages. Very possibly Shake speare intended to transpose 9 and 10, and forgot. Moreover, "summer flies " is much too near in 19 below. A strong argument in favour of the omission is that "sun" is equivalent here to York, being the badge, as in Richard III. 1. i. 2. See above, II. i. 40, and below, v. vi. 23. 12. Phaethon] See above, I. iv. 33. 12. fiery steeds] Golding has (of Phoebus): "His fierifoming Steedes full fed with juice of Ambrosie" (ii. 160). Shakespeare has "fiery steed" in All's Well that Ends Well, and Richard II. "Check" here means control, drive. Milton used the word similarly in Il Penseroso (New Eng. Dict.). Here it seems an unhappy term. 17. summer flies] See Love's Labour 's Lost, v. ii. 408, and Othello, IV. ii. 66. See below, IV. ii. 2. This line is not in Q, giving a further argument against insertion of line at 8. 18. luckless] See again below, v. vi. 45 (but not elsewhere in Shakespeare), and note the assemblage of words with -less in these lines: merciless, bootless, cureless and luckless. "Luckless" is in Golding's Ovid, xiv. 603; Spenser, I. vi. 19; and Peele, Arraignment of Paris, Act iv. Had left no mourning widows for our death, 20 25 30 [He faints. Alarum and retreat. Enter EDWARD, GEORGE, RICHARD, Edw. Now breathe we, lords: good fortune bids us pause, 31. Alarum .] Ff; 30. Enter Edward, Richard and Warwike, and souldiers Q. 31, 32. Now... looks] 30, 31. Thus farre our fortunes keepes an vpward Course, and we are grast with wreathes of victorie Q. 33-37. Some troops queen, That . . . But think . . . with them?] 32-34. Some troopes. Queene, 19. mourning widows for our death] A good example of Shakespeare's trick of transposing words-widows mourn ing for our death (or deaths, as Q read preferably). There is an early instance in Hall's Chronicle, quoted above at 1. iv. 80: 66 'the dukes head of York." See note at "blind bitch's puppies" (Merry Wives of Windsor, III. V. II, in this edition). 22. lenity] See 1 Henry VI. v. iv. 125, and above, 11. ii. 9. This asinine line is better in Q, omitting" too much." 23. cureless] Again in Merchant of Venice, IV. i. 142. Incurable. Compare Sylvester's Du Bartas (Sixt Day of the First Week, p. 136): "a surgeon minding off-to-cut Som cureless limb." An early case of amputation under anæsthetics (1591). 28. effuse of blood] Nowhere else in Shakespeare. Compare the beginning of Peele's Tale of Troy (1589):— ... "whose bosom bleeds with great effuse ... ... 33. Some troops pursue . .] "Edward, that he might use well the victory, after he had a litle refreshed his souldiers from so great travaile and payne, sent out certaine light horsemen to apprehend King Henry or the queene in the flight" (Polydore Vergil, Camden Soc. p. 111). 33. bloody-minded] Only in 2 Henry VI. IV. i. 36. In the Quartos both here, and there. After this line occurs the "post amain to Berwick transferred to II. v. 128. (Q) That led calm Henry, though he were a king, Command an argosy to stem the waves. 35 But think you, lords, that Clifford fled with them? War. No, 'tis impossible he should escape; For, though before his face I speak the words, 40 [Clifford groans and dies. Edw. Whose soul is that which takes her heavy leave? Rich. A deadly groan, like life and death's departing. Edw. See who it is: and, now the battle's ended, If friend or foe let him be gently us'd. 45 But set his murdering knife unto the root From whence that tender spray did sweetly spring, 50 I mean our princely father, Duke of York. War. From off the gates of York fetch down the head, That now towards Barwike doth poste amaine, But thinke you that Clifford is fled awaie with them? Q. 38-41. No .. he is, he's ... dead] 35-38. No he be I warrant him dead. Clifford grones and then dies Q. 42-45. Whose soul is that . . . her departing If friend... gently us'd] 39-42. Harke, what soule is this... his. departure Friend friendlie vsed Q. 46-51. Revoke . Who.. our princely York] 43-45. Reverse. Clifford, Who kild our tender brother Rutland, And stabd our princely York Q. 52-55. From Instead whereof let this answered] 46-49. From... Instead of that, let his answered Q. 36. argosy] A merchant ship of the largest kind, especially Venetian. In Marlowe's Tamburlaine, Part II. 1. i. 40. mark'd him for the grave] See Richard II. iv. 236 and Part II. IV. ii. 131: "mark'd for the gallows.' 41. Clifford groans and dies] Hall describes Clifford's death: "After this proclamacion [Scene 11. iii. 50-52, note] ended, the lord Fawconbridge... with the forward. . . entended to haue environed and enclosed the lord Clyfford and his company, but they beyng thereof aduertised, departed in great haste toward Kyng Henrie's army, but they met with some that they loked not for, and were attrapped or they were ware. For the lord Clifforde, either for heat or payne, putting off his gorget, sodainly Clifford; ... with an arrowe (as some say without an hedde) was striken into the throte and incontinent rendered hys spirit ... not farr from Towton. This ende had he, which slew the yong erle of Rutland, kneling on his knees" (p. 255). 43. departing] parting, separating. See Cymbeline, 1. i. 108: "the loathness to depart would grow." So, in the Marriage Service [until 1662], “Till death us depart." 49-51. root.... spray... York] Compare Part I. II. v. 41: "Sweet stem from York's great stock." 51. I mean] See below, IV. vi. 51, and v. III. 7. This poor sort of filling has been noted on in Part I. v. v. 20. It occurs several times in Locrine. Peele uses it. Instead whereof let this supply the room: 55 Edw. Bring forth that fatal screech-owl to our house, Speak, Clifford; dost thou know who speaks to thee? Because he would avoid such bitter taunts 60 65 70 75 sung 60-63. I 56-59. Bring. sung ill-boding... speak] 50-52. Bring. to vs but bloud and death, Now his euill boding speake Q. think... Speak, Clifford .. we say] 53-56. I think . Say Clifford. we saie Q. 64-67. O, would . . . 'Tis but . father] 57-60. Oh would And tis his policie that in the time of death, He might auoid such bitter storms as he In his houre of death did giue vnto our father Q. 68-73. If.. son to York] 61-66. Richard if thou thinkest so, vex him fault fault pittiedst Yorke and I am sonne to Yorke Q. Thou pitied'st vex him I will ... 74-77. I will not an oath ?] 67-70. Thou pittiedst . and not an oth? Q. 56. screech-owl] Variously written at this time as skritch owl, shrieke owl, or, as here, in Golding's Ovid, xv. 887. "A signe of mischiefe unto men, the sluggish skreching Owle" (Golding, v. 682); "The messenger of death, the ghastly owle" (Spenser, Faerie Queene, I. v. 30). Properly the screech-owl is the white owl: not the hooter or tawny. 59. ill-boding] Occurs again 1 Henry VI. IV. v. 6 and see note. See" nightOwl" above, II. i. 130; a real bird. The owl here is rather a poet's or folklore imagination. Q has "evill-boding." 60. bereft] destroyed, annihilated. Compare Spenser, Faerie Queene, 1. ii. 42: "all my senses were bereaved quight." ... 62. Dark life] Compare this poetic line with Richard III. 1. iii. 268: "my son... Whose bright out-shining beams thy cloudy wrath Hath in eternal darkness folded up." 68. eager] "full of asperity, bitter" (Schmidt). Compare "the bitter clamour of two eager tongues" (Richard II. I. i. 49). See above, 1. iv. 4. An applied use of the literal sense, sour, as in Sonnet 118, and Hamlet, 1. v. 69. 75. to fence] to protect. So Golding's Ovid: "As if they had bene plates of War. They mock thee, Clifford: swear as thou wast wont. When Clifford cannot spare his friends an oath. I know by that he's dead; and, by my soul, If this right hand would buy two hours' life, That I in all despite might rail at him, 80 This hand should chop it off, and with the issuing blood York and young Rutland could not satisfy. War. Ay, but he's dead: off with the traitor's head, 85 From whence shall Warwick cut the sea to France, 90 77-84. nay, then . hours' despite... him, This . chop unstaunched. satisfy] 70-77. Nay, then I know hees dead. Tis hard, when Clifford cannot foord his friend an oath. By this I know hees dead, and by my sowle, Would this right hand buy but an howres contempt... him, Ide cut. instanched... satisfy Q. 85-90. Ay, but he's' royal king cut the sea. queen] 78-83. I, but he is dead. lawfull king Queene Q. From thence ... crosse the seas. mayle did fence him well inough" (iii. 76). And Peele's Edward I. sc. ii. (384, b): "not to guard her safe Or fence her sacred person." See again, III. iii. 98. And Timon of Athens, IV. i. 3. 77. the world goes hard] Compare "the world goes well" (Coriolanus, IV. vi. 5). Compare Peele's Old Wives Tale (449, b): "Yet, father, here is a piece of cake for you, as hard as the world goes." Dyce quotes from the Return from Parnassus (1606), at the passage in Peele. 78. Clifford .. oath] Probably an allusion to the swearing habits of the Northerns, taken as a whole. It is often referred to. See note to Othello, v. ii. 218 (in this edition). 79. I know by that he's dead] The removal of the repetition in Q is to be noted. 82. This hand... blood] Capell altered to "I'd chop it off," following the Quarto's "Ide cut it off," nearly. But Richard meant that with his left hand he'd chop off his right. He must not be denied this delicate attention, especially as it occurs below, v. i. 50, 51. 83. unstaunched thirst] unquenchable thirst. Compare Peele, David and Bethsabe, Chorus, sc. iv. (470, a) :— "Pursues with eager and unstanched thirst The greedy longings of his loathsome flesh." And Lyly's Endymion, 11. ii. 70: "teare the flesh with my teeth. ... so eger is my unstaunched stomacke." "Instanched" in Q. 85, 86. head. place your father's stands] See extract at II. v. 125. 87, 88. triumphant march crowned king] Hall says, after the "glorious victory at Towton: "the commons of the Realme began to drawe to hym, and to take his parte after the fashion and maner of a triumphant conqueror and victorious champion, with great pompe (he) returned to London . and the xxix daie of June, was at Westminster with all solempnitie crouned and anoynted Kyng" (p. 257).. 89, 90. Warwick Lady Bona for thy queen] See below at III. i. 89, 90. 89. cut the sea] cleave the sea. Compare Spenser, Faerie Queene, II. viii. 5: "to cut his airy ways." Golding has, however, "Cut over the Ionian |