*Hast. The good old man would fain that all were well,a *So 'twere not 'long of him: but, being enter'd, * I doubt not, I, but we shall soon persuade * Both him, and all his brothers, unto reason.

Re-enter the Mayor and Two Aldermen, below. 'K. Edw. So, master mayor: these gates must not be

shut,

But in the night, or in the time of war.
What! fear not, man, but yield me up

the keys; [Takes his Keys. For Edward will defend the town, and thee, 'And all those friends that deign to follow me. Drum. Enter MONTGOMERY, and Forces, marching. Glo. Brother, this is sir John Montgomery,

Our trusty friend, unless I be deceiv'd.

K. Edw. Welcome, sir John! But why come you in arms?

Mont. To help king Edward in his time of storm, As every loyal subject ought to do.

K. Edw. Thanks, good Montgomery: But we now forget

Our title to the crown; and only claim

• Our dukedom, till God please to send the rest. 'Mont. Then fare you well, for I will hence again; I came to serve a king, and not a duke,— Drummer, strike up, and let us march away. [A March begun. K. Edw. Nay, stay, sir John, a while; and we'll

debate,

By what safe means the crown may be recover'd, Mont. What talk you of debating? in few words, 'If you'll not here proclaim yourself our king, 'I'll leave you to your fortune; and be gone, To keep them back that come to succour you: Why should we fight, if you pretend no title?

Glo. Why, brother, wherefore stand you on nice points?

* K. Edw. When we grow stronger, then we 'll make our claim:

*Till then, 'tis wisdom to conceal our meaning.

1 The good old man would fain that all were well,] The Mayor is willing we should enter, so he may not be blamed. Johnson.

* Hast. Away with scrupulous wit! now arms must

rule.

Glo. And fearless minds climb soonest unto crowns. * Brother, we will proclaim you out of hand; * The bruit thereof will bring you many friends. *K. Edw. Then be it as you will; for 'tis my right, * And Henry but usurps the diadem.

Mont. Ay, now my sovereign speaketh like himself; And now will I be Edward's champion.

Hast. Sound, trumpet; Edward shall be here proclaim'd:

Come, fellow-soldier, make thou proclamation.

[Gives him a Paper. Flourish. Sold. [reads] Edward the fourth, by the grace of God, king of England and France, and lord of Ireland, &c. Mont. And whosoe'er gainsays king Edward's right, By this I challenge him to single fight.

[Throws down his Gauntlet. All. Long live Edward the fourth!

'K. Edw. Thanks, brave Montgomery;—and thanks unto you all. 3

If fortune serve me, I'll requite this kindness.
Now, for this night, let 's harbour here in York:
And, when the morning sun shall raise his car
Above the border of this horizon,

♦ We 'll forward towards Warwick, and his mates;

2 The bruit-] i. e. noise, report. So, in Preston's Cambises: whose manly acts do fly

"By bruit of fame."

See Vol. VII, p. 236, n. 7.

Steevens.

This French word bruit was very early made a denizen of our language. Thus in the Bible: "Behold the noise of the bruit is come."-Jeremiah, x, 22. Whalley.

The word bruit is found in Bullokar's English Expositor, 8vo. 1616, and is defined " A reporte spread abroad." Malone. 3 Thanks, brave Montgomery;—and thanks unto you all.] Surely we ought to read:

"Thanks, brave Montgomery;—and thanks to all.” Instead of this speech, the quartos have only the following:

"Edw. We thank you all: lord mayor, lead on the way. "For this night we will harbour here in York; "And then as early as the morning sun

"Lifts up his beams above this horizon,

"We'll march to London to meet with Warwick,

" And pull false Henry from the regal throne." Steevens.

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.

SCENE VIII.4

London. A Room in the Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter King HENRY, WARWICK, CLARENCE, MON-
TAGUE, EXETER, and OXFORD.

War. What counsel, lords? Edward from Belgią,
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.

* Oxf. Let's levy men, and beat him back again.

4 Scene VIII.] This scene is, perhaps, the worst contrived of any in these plays. Warwick has but just gone off the stage when Edward says:

"And towards Coventry bend we our course, "Where peremptory Warwick now remains." M Mason. This scene in the original play follows immediately after Henry's observation on young Richmond, which is in the sixth scene of the present play. Malone.

5 Let's levy men, and beat him back again.] This line expresses a spirit of war so unsuitable to the character of Henry, that I would give the first cold speech to the King, and the brisk answer to Warwick. This line is not in the old quarto; and when Henry said nothing, the first speech might be as properly given to Warwick as to any other Johnson

I

Every judicious reader must concur in Dr. Johnson's opinion, as far as it relates to the second of these two speeches. Steevens. This line is given in the folio to the King, to whom it is so unsuitable, that I have no doubt it was merely a printer's error. have not, however, assigned it to Warwick, and the preceding speech to Henry, as Dr Johnson proposes, because it appears to me safer to take the old play as a guide; in which, as in Shakspeare's piece, the first speech is attributed to Warwick. The second speech is given to Oxford, and stands thus:

"Oxf "Tis best to look to this betimes;

"For if this fire do kindle any further
"It will be hard for us to quench it out."

Shakspeare, in new-modelling this scene, probably divided

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;

6

Those will I muster up:—and thou, son Clarence,
Shalt stir, in Suffolk, Norfolk, and in Kent,
'The knights and gentlemen to come with thee :—
Thou, brother Montague, in Buckingham,
'Northampton, and in Leicestershire, shalt find
Men well inclin'd to hear what thou command'st:-
And thou, brave Oxford, wondrous well belov'd,
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.-
Farewel, my sovereign.

K. Hen. Farewel, my Hector, and my Troy's true

hope.7

this speech between Oxford and Clarence, substituting the line before us in the room of the words-""Tis best to look to this betimes." I have therefore given this line to Oxford. It might with equal, or perhaps with more propriety, be assigned to Warwick's brother, Montague. Malone.

6 Shalt stir, in Suffolk, &c.] The old copy-stir up. But the omission of the adverb, which hurts the metre, is justified by the following passages in King John, &c.—

"I'll stir them to it :-Come, away, away!"

Again, ibid:

"An Até stirring him to war and strife." Again, in King Lear:

"If it be you that stir these daughters' hearts
Against their father, -." Steevens.

66

7

my Hector, und my Troy's true hope.] This line having probably made an impression on our author, when he read over the old play, he has applied the very same expression to the Duke of York, where his overthrow at Wakefield is described, and yet suffered the line to stand here as he found it:

"Environed he was with many foes,

"And stood against them, as the hope of Troy
"Against the Greeks."

The two latter lines, as the reader may find in p 317, were new, no trace of hem being there found in the old play. Many similar repetitions may be observed in this Third Part of King Henry VI, from the same cause. Malone.

* 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 [kissing HENRY's hand] I seal my truth, and bid adieu.

*K. Hen. Sweet Oxford, and my loving Montague, * And all at once, once more a happy farewel. War. Farewel, sweet lords; let 's meet at Coventry. [Exeunt. WAR. CLAR. OXF. and MONT. *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. *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 dry'd 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.

8

[Shout within. A Lancaster! A Lancaster!

my meed hath got me fame:] Meed signifies reward. We should read-my deed, i. e. my manners, conduct in the administration. Warburton.

This word signifies merit, both as a verb and a substantive: that it is used as a verb, is clear from the following foolish couplet which I remember to have read:

"Deem if I meed,

"Dear madam, read."

A specimen of Verses that read the same way backward and forward. Sir J. Hawkins.

Meed here means merit, as it did in a former passage, [p. 315, n. 1,] when Edward says of himself and his brothers:.

"Each one already blazing by our meeds." M. Mason.

9 Shout within. A Lancaster!] Surely the shouts that ushered King Edward should be, A York! A York! I suppose the author VOL. X.

M m