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

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 Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE,	and soldiers; with QUEEN MARGARET, OXFORD, and	SOMERSET, prisoners 

 KING EDWARD IV  Now  here a period of tumultuous broils. 

 Away  with Oxford to Hames Castle  straight  : 

 For  Somerset, off with his guilty head. 

 Go, bear them  hence  ; I will not hear them speak. 





 OXFORD  For  my part, I'll not trouble thee with words. 



 SOMERSET  Nor  I, but stoop with patience to my fortune. 

 Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded 

 QUEEN MARGARET  So  part we  sadly  in this troublous world, 

 To  meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem. 





 KING EDWARD IV  Is  proclamation made, that who finds Edward 

 Shall  have a  high  reward, and he his life? 





 GLOUCESTER  It  is: and lo, where youthful Edward comes! 

 Enter soldiers, with PRINCE EDWARD 

 KING EDWARD IV  Bring  forth  the gallant, let us hear him speak. 

 What! can so young a thorn begin to  prick  ? 

 Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make 

 For  bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects, 

 And  all the trouble thou hast  turn  'd me to? 





 PRINCE EDWARD  Speak  like a subject, proud ambitious York! 

 Suppose  that  I am now my father's mouth; 

 Resign  thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou, 

 Whilst  I  propose  the selfsame words to thee, 

 Which  traitor, thou wouldst have me  answer  to. 





 QUEEN MARGARET  Ah, that thy father had been so resolved! 



 GLOUCESTER  That  you might still have worn the petticoat, 

 And  ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster. 





 PRINCE EDWARD  Let  AEsop fable in a winter's night; 

 His  currish riddles  sort  not with this place. 





 GLOUCESTER  By  heaven, brat, I'll plague ye for that word. 



 QUEEN MARGARET  Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men. 



 GLOUCESTER  For  God's sake, take away this captive scold. 



 PRINCE EDWARD  Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather. 



 KING EDWARD IV  Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue. 



 CLARENCE  Untutor'd  lad, thou art too malapert. 



 PRINCE EDWARD  I  know my duty; you are all undutiful: 

 Lascivious  Edward, and thou perjured George, 

 And  thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all 

 I  am your better, traitors as ye are: 

 And  thou usurp'st my father's right and mine. 





 KING EDWARD IV  Take  that, thou likeness of this railer here. 

 Stabs him 

 GLOUCESTER  Sprawl'st  thou? take that, to end thy agony. 

 Stabs him 

 CLARENCE  And  there's for twitting me with perjury. 

 Stabs him 

 QUEEN MARGARET  O, kill me too! 



 GLOUCESTER  Marry, and shall. 

 Offers to kill her 

 KING EDWARD IV  Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done too much. 



 GLOUCESTER  Why  should she live, to fill the world with words? 



 KING EDWARD IV  What, doth she swoon?  use  means for her recovery. 



 GLOUCESTER  Clarence, excuse me to the king my brother; 

 I'll  hence  to London on a serious matter: 

 Ere  ye come there, be sure to hear some news. 





 CLARENCE  What  ? what? 



 GLOUCESTER  The  Tower, the Tower. 

 Exit 

 QUEEN MARGARET  O  Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy! 

 Canst  thou not speak? O traitors! murderers! 

 They  that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all, 

 Did  not offend, nor were not worthy blame, 

 If  this foul deed were by to equal it: 

 He  was a man; this, in  respect  , a child: 

 And  men ne'er spend their fury on a child. 

 What's  worse than murderer, that I may name it? 

 No, no, my heart will  burst  , and if I speak: 

 And  I will speak, that so my heart may  burst  . 

 Butchers  and villains! bloody cannibals! 

 How  sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd! 

 You  have no children, butchers! if you had, 

 The  thought  of them would have stirr'd up  remorse  : 

 But  if you ever chance to have a child, 

 Look  in his youth to have him so  cut  off 

 As, deathmen, you have  rid  this sweet young prince! 





 KING EDWARD IV  Away  with her; go, bear her  hence  perforce. 



 QUEEN MARGARET  Nay, never bear me  hence  , dispatch me here, 

 Here  sheathe thy sword, I'll pardon thee my death: 

 What, wilt thou not? then, Clarence, do it thou. 





 CLARENCE  By  heaven, I will not do thee so much ease. 



 QUEEN MARGARET  Good  Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it. 



 CLARENCE  Didst  thou not hear me  swear  I would not do it? 



 QUEEN MARGARET  Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself: 

 'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity. 

 What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil's butcher, 

 Hard-favour'd  Richard? Richard, where art thou? 

 Thou  art not here: murder is thy alms-deed; 

 Petitioners  for blood thou ne'er  put  'st back. 





 KING EDWARD IV  Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her  hence  . 



 QUEEN MARGARET  So  come to you and yours, as to this Prince! 

 Exit, led out forcibly 

 KING EDWARD IV  Where's  Richard gone? 



 CLARENCE  To  London, all in post; and, as I guess, 

 To  make a bloody supper in the Tower. 





 KING EDWARD IV  He's  sudden  , if a thing comes in his head. 

 Now  march we  hence  : discharge the common  sort 

 With  pay  and thanks, and let's away to London 

 And  see our  gentle  queen how well she fares: 

 By  this, I hope, she hath a son for me. 



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