3 KING HENRY VI, Act 5 Scene 2 The Third part of King Henry the Sixth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 3  | Act 5, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. A field of battle near Barnet. 

 Alarum and excursions. Enter KING EDWARD IV, bringing	forth WARWICK wounded 

 KING EDWARD IV  So, lie thou there: die thou, and die our fear; 

 For  Warwick was a  bug  that fear'd us all. 

 Now, Montague, sit  fast  ; I seek for thee, 

 That  Warwick's bones may  keep  thine company. 



 Exit 

 WARWICK  Ah, who is nigh? come to me,  friend  or foe, 

 And  tell me who is victor, York or Warwick? 

 Why  ask  I that? my mangled body shows, 

 My  blood, my want of strength, my sick heart shows. 

 That  I must  yield  my body to the earth 

 And, by my fall, the conquest to my foe. 

 Thus  yields the cedar to the axe's edge, 

 Whose  arms gave shelter to the princely eagle, 

 Under  whose shade the ramping lion slept, 

 Whose  top-branch overpeer'd Jove's spreading tree 

 And  kept low shrubs from winter's powerful wind. 

 These  eyes, that now are dimm'd with death's black veil, 

 Have  been as piercing as the mid-day sun, 

 To  search  the secret treasons of the world: 

 The  wrinkles in my brows, now filled with blood, 

 Were  liken'd oft to kingly sepulchres; 

 For  who lived king, but I could dig his  grave  ? 

 And  who durst mine when Warwick bent his brow? 

 Lo, now my glory smear'd in dust and blood! 

 My  parks, my walks, my manors that I had. 

 Even  now forsake me, and of all my lands 

 Is  nothing left me but my body's length. 

 Why, what is pomp, rule, reign, but earth and dust? 

 And, live we how we can, yet die we must. 



 Enter OXFORD and SOMERSET 

 SOMERSET  Ah, Warwick, Warwick! wert thou as we are. 

 We  might recover all our loss again; 

 The  queen from France hath brought a puissant  power  : 

 Even  now we heard the news: ah, could'st thou fly! 





 WARWICK  Why, then I would not fly. Ah, Montague, 

 If  thou be there, sweet brother, take my hand. 

 And  with thy lips  keep  in my soul awhile! 

 Thou  lovest me not; for, brother, if thou didst, 

 Thy  tears would wash this cold congealed blood 

 That  glues my lips and will not let me speak. 

 Come  quickly, Montague, or I am dead. 





 SOMERSET  Ah, Warwick! Montague hath breathed his last; 

 And  to the latest gasp cried out for Warwick, 

 And  said 'Commend me to my valiant brother.' 

 And  more he would have said, and more he spoke, 

 Which  sounded like a clamour in a vault, 

 That  mought not be distinguished; but at last 

 I  well might hear, delivered with a groan, 

 'O, farewell, Warwick!' 





 WARWICK  Sweet  rest his soul! Fly, lords, and save yourselves; 

 For  Warwick bids you all farewell to meet in heaven. 



 Dies 

 OXFORD  Away, away, to meet the queen's great  power  ! 

 Here they bear away his body. Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 3  | Act 5, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene 