For well I wot that Henry is no soldier.

Ah, froward Clarence! how evil it beseems thee,
To flatter Henry and forsake thy brother!

Yet, as we may, we'll meet both thee and Warwick.
Come on, brave soldiers: doubt not of the day,
And, that once gotten, doubt not of large pay. [Exeunt.

SCENE VIII - LONDON

THE PALACE

Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, WARWICK, MONTAGUE, CLARENCE, EXETER, and OXFORD

WAR. What counsel, lords? Edward from Belgia, With hasty Germans and blunt Hollanders,

Hath pass'd in safety through the narrow seas,

And with his troops doth march amain to London;
And many giddy people flock to him.

K. HEN. Let's levy men, and beat him back again.
CLAR. A little fire is quickly trodden out;

Which, being suffer'd, rivers cannot quench.

WAR. In Warwickshire I have true-hearted friends, Not mutinous in peace, yet bold in war;

Those will I muster up: and thou, son Clarence,
Shalt stir up in Suffolk, Norfolk and in Kent,

3 the narrow seas] See note on I, i, 239, where the term is applied to the St. George's Channel, between Dover and Calais. Here it is used of the passage between England and Holland.

8 suffer'd] sc. to spread.

10

The knights and gentlemen to come with thee:
Thou, brother Montague, in Buckingham,
Northampton and in Leicestershire, shalt find
Men well inclined to hear what thou command'st:
And thou, brave Oxford, wondrous well beloved,
In Oxfordshire shalt muster up thy friends.
My sovereign, with the loving citizens,
Like to his island girt in with the ocean,
Or modest Dian circled with her nymphs,
Shall rest in London till we come to him.
Fair lords, take leave and stand not to reply.
Farewell, my sovereign.

K. HEN. Farewell, my Hector, and my Troy's true hope.

20

CLAR. In sign of truth, I kiss your highness' hand. K. HEN. Well-minded Clarence, be thou fortunate! MONT. Comfort, my lord; and so I take my leave. OXF. And thus I seal my truth, and bid adieu. K. HEN. Sweet Oxford, and my loving Montague, 80 And all at once, once more a happy farewell. WAR. Farewell, sweet lords: let's meet at Coventry.

[Exeunt all but King Henry and Exeter. K. HEN. Here at the palace will I rest a while. Cousin of Exeter, what thinks your lordship? Methinks the power that Edward hath in field Should not be able to encounter mine.

EXE. The doubt is that he will seduce the rest.

25 Hector... hope] See II, i, 51, supra, where Richard, Duke of York, is described as the "hope of Troy."

37 The doubt is] The fear is.

K. HEN. That's not my fear; my meed hath got

me fame:

I have not stopp'd mine ears to their demands,
Nor posted off their suits with slow delays;
My pity hath been balm to heal their wounds,
My mildness hath allay'd their swelling griefs,
My mercy dried their water-flowing tears;
I have not been desirous of their wealth,
Nor much oppress'd them with great subsidies,
Nor forward of revenge, though they much err'd:
Then why should they love Edward more than me?
No, Exeter, these graces challenge grace:
And when the lion fawns upon the lamb,
The lamb will never cease to follow him,

[Shout within, "A Lancaster! A Lancaster!" EXE. Hark, hark, my lord! what shouts are these?

Enter KING EDWARD, GLOUCESTER, and Soldiers

K. EDW. Seize on the shame-faced Henry, bear him hence;

And once again proclaim us king of England.

You are the fount that makes small brooks to flow:
Now stops thy spring; my sea shall suck them dry,

38 meed] merit.

40 posted off] put off. Cf. 2 Hen. VI, III, i, 255: “posted over,” i. e., hurriedly passed by.

43 water-flowing tears] tears flowing like water. Cf. II, i, 80, supra, furnace-burning, i. e., "burning like a furnace," and V, i, 57, infra, "Wind-changing Warwick."

46 forward of] eager for.

40

50

And swell so much the higher by their ebb.
Hence with him to the Tower; let him not speak.
[Exeunt some with King Henry.
And, lords, towards Coventry bend we our course,
Where peremptory Warwick now remains:
The sun shines hot; and, if we use delay,
Cold biting winter mars our hoped-for hay.
GLOU. Away betimes, before his forces join,
And take the great-grown traitor unawares:
Brave warriors, march amain towards Coventry.

[Exeunt.

61 Cold... hay] A variant of the common proverb “Make hay while the sun shines."

60

Enter WARWICK, the Mayor of Coventry, two Messengers, and others upon the walls

WARWICK

HERE IS THE POST THAT

came from valiant Oxford ? How far hence is thy lord, mine honest fellow?

FIRST MESS. By this at Dunsmore, marching hitherward.

WAR. How far off is our brother Montague? Where is the post that came from Montague?

SECOND MESS. By this at Daintry, with a puissant troop.

Enter SIR JOHN SOMERVILLE

WAR. Say, Somerville, what says my loving son ? And, by thy guess, how nigh is Clarence now?

6 Daintry] Daventry, a town in Northamptonshire, about thirty miles from Coventry.