That nothing sung but death to us and ours:
Now death shall stop his dismal threatening sound,
And his ill-boding tongue no more shall speak.

WAR. I think his understanding is bereft.
Speak, Clifford, dost thou know who speaks to thee?
Dark cloudy death o'ershades his beams of life,
And he nor sees, nor hears us what we say.

RICH. O, would he did! and so perhaps he doth: 'Tis but his policy to counterfeit,

Because he would avoid such bitter taunts
Which in the time of death he gave our father.

GEO. If so thou think'st, vex him with eager words.
RICH. Clifford, ask mercy and obtain no grace.
EDW. Clifford, repent in bootless penitence.
WAR. Clifford, devise excuses for thy faults.
GEO. While we devise fell tortures for thy faults.
RICH. Thou didst love York, and I am

York.

son to

EDW. Thou pitied'st Rutland; I will pity thee.
GEO. Where's Captain Margaret, to fence you now?
WAR. They mock thee, Clifford: swear as thou wast

wont.

RICH. What, not an oath? nay, then the world goes

hard,

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,

“Whilst the screech-owl screeching loud, Puts the wretch that lies in woe In remembrance of a shroud."

68 eager] sharp, biting,

60

70

80

That I in all despite might rail at him,

This hand should chop it off, and with the issuing blood

Stifle the villain, whose unstanched thirst

York and young Rutland could not satisfy.

WAR. Ay, but he's dead: off with the traitor's head,
And rear it in the place your father's stands.
And now to London with triumphant march,
There to be crowned England's royal king:
From whence shall Warwick cut the sea to France,
And ask the Lady Bona for thy queen:

So shalt thou sinew both these lands together;
And, having France thy friend, thou shalt not dread
The scatter'd foe that hopes to rise again;
For though they cannot greatly sting to hurt,
Yet look to have them buzz to offend thine ears.

First will I see the coronation;

And then to Brittany I'll cross the sea,

To effect this marriage, so it please my lord.

EDW. Even as thou wilt, sweet Warwick, let it be; For in thy shoulder do I build

my seat,

And never will I undertake the thing

Wherein thy counsel and consent is wanting.
Richard, I will create thee Duke of Gloucester,
And George, of Clarence: Warwick, as ourself,
Shall do and undo as him pleaseth best.

81 in all despite] in all spite or malignity. Cf. II, i, 59, supra. 89 cut] cut through, sail.

91 sinew] bind as with sinews.

100 in thy shoulder] relying on thy support.

90

100

RICH. Let me be Duke of Clarence, George of

Gloucester;

For Gloucester's dukedom is too ominous.

WAR. Tut, that's a foolish observation:

Richard, be Duke of Gloucester. Now to London,
To see these honours in possession.

[Exeunt. 110

107 Gloucester's dukedom... ominous] Hall and Holinshed both point out that the three most recent Dukes of Gloucester had all met violent ends.

FIRST KEEPER

grown brake we'll shroud ourselves;

For through this laund anon the deer will come;

And in this covert will we make our stand,

Culling the principal of all the

deer.

SEC. KEEP. I'll stay above the hill, so both so both may shoot.

FIRST KEEP. That cannot be; the noise of thy cross-bow

Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost.
Here stand we both, and aim we at the best:
And, for the time shall not seem tedious,

ACT III, SCENE I. (stage direction). Enter two keepers] Thus the
Quartos. The Folios read Enter Sinklo, and Humfrey, - clearly

I'll tell thee what befel me on a day

In this self-place where now we mean to stand. SEC. KEEP. Here comes a man; let's stay till he be past.

Enter KING HENRY, disguised, with a prayer-book

K. HEN. From Scotland am I stol'n, even of pure love, To greet mine own land with my wishful sight.

No, Harry, Harry, 't is no land of thine;

Thy place is fill'd, thy sceptre wrung from thee,
Thy balm wash'd off wherewith thou wast anointed:
No bending knee will call thee Cæsar now,
No humble suitors press to speak for right,
No, not a man comes for redress of thee;
For how can I help them, and not myself?

FIRST KEEP. Ay, here's a deer whose skin's a keeper's fee:

This is the quondam king; let's seize upon him.
K. HEN. Let me embrace thee, sour adversity,
For wise men say it is the wisest course.

SEC. KEEP. Why linger we? let us lay hands upon him.

the names of the actors who filled these parts. Cf. I, ii, 48, supra. Sinklo is similarly introduced into the Folio version of T. of Shrew, Induction, 189, and into the Quarto version of 2 Hen. IV, V, iv, 1. Sinclo or Sinkler is mentioned as the name of an actor of Shakespeare's company in the Induction to Marston's Malcontent, 1604. Malone identified Humfrey with Humphrey Jeaffes or Jeffes, an actor of the day who is noticed in Henslowe's Diary.

1 brake] thicket.

2 laund] lawn, glade.

24 thee, sour adversity] Dyce's correction of the Folio reading the sower Adversaries.

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