3 KING HENRY VI, Act 5 Scene 1 The Third part of King Henry the Sixth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 3  | Act 5, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. Coventry. 

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

 WARWICK  Where  is the post that came from valiant Oxford? 

 How  far  hence  is thy lord, mine  honest  fellow? 





 First Messenger  By  this at Dunsmore, marching hitherward. 



 WARWICK  How  far  off is our brother Montague? 

 Where  is the post that came from Montague? 





 Second Messenger  By  this at Daintry, with a puissant troop. 

 Enter SIR JOHN SOMERVILLE 

 WARWICK  Say, Somerville, what says my loving son? 

 And, by thy guess, how nigh is Clarence now? 





 SOMERSET  At  Southam I did leave him with his forces, 

 And  do  expect  him here some two hours  hence  . 



 Drum heard 

 WARWICK  Then  Clarence is at hand, I hear his drum. 



 SOMERSET  It  is not his, my lord; here Southam lies: 

 The  drum your honour hears marcheth from Warwick. 





 WARWICK  Who  should that be? belike, unlook'd-for friends. 



 SOMERSET  They  are at hand, and you shall quickly know. 

 March: flourish. Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER,	and soldiers 

 KING EDWARD IV  Go, trumpet, to the walls, and sound a  parle  . 



 GLOUCESTER  See  how the surly Warwick mans the wall! 



 WARWICK  O  unbid spite! is sportful Edward come? 

 Where  slept our scouts, or how are they seduced, 

 That  we could hear no news of his  repair  ? 





 KING EDWARD IV  Now, Warwick, wilt thou  ope  the city gates, 

 Speak  gentle  words and humbly bend thy knee, 

 Call  Edward king and at his hands beg mercy? 

 And  he shall pardon thee these outrages. 





 WARWICK  Nay, rather, wilt thou draw thy forces  hence  , 

 Confess  who set thee up and pluck'd thee own, 

 Call  Warwick patron and be penitent? 

 And  thou shalt still remain the Duke of York. 





 GLOUCESTER  I  thought  , at least, he would have said the king; 

 Or  did he make the  jest  against his will? 





 WARWICK  Is  not a dukedom, sir, a goodly gift? 



 GLOUCESTER  Ay, by my faith, for a poor earl to give: 

 I'll  do thee service for so good a gift. 





 WARWICK  'Twas I that gave the kingdom to thy brother. 



 KING EDWARD IV  Why  then 'tis mine, if but by Warwick's gift. 



 WARWICK  Thou  art no Atlas for so great a weight: 

 And  weakling, Warwick takes his gift again; 

 And  Henry is my king, Warwick his subject. 





 KING EDWARD IV  But  Warwick's king is Edward's prisoner: 

 And, gallant Warwick, do but  answer  this: 

 What  is the body when the head is off? 





 GLOUCESTER  Alas, that Warwick had no more forecast, 

 But,  whiles  he  thought  to steal the  single  ten, 

 The  king was slily finger'd from the  deck  ! 

 You  left poor Henry at the Bishop's palace, 

 And, ten to one, you'll meet him in the Tower. 





 EDWARD  'Tis even so; yet you are Warwick still. 



 GLOUCESTER  Come, Warwick, take the time; kneel down, kneel down: 

 Nay, when? strike now, or else the iron cools. 





 WARWICK  I  had rather chop this hand off at a  blow  , 

 And  with the other fling it at thy face, 

 Than  bear so low a sail, to strike to thee. 





 KING EDWARD IV  Sail  how thou canst, have wind and tide thy  friend  , 

 This  hand,  fast  wound  about thy coal-black  hair 

 Shall,  whiles  thy head is warm and new  cut  off, 

 Write  in the dust this sentence with thy blood, 

 'Wind-changing Warwick now can change no more.' 



 Enter OXFORD, with drum and colours 

 WARWICK  O  cheerful colours! see where Oxford comes! 



 OXFORD  Oxford, Oxford, for Lancaster! 

 He and his forces enter the city 

 GLOUCESTER  The  gates are  open  , let us enter too. 



 KING EDWARD IV  So  other foes may set upon our backs. 

 Stand  we in good array; for they no doubt 

 Will  issue out again and bid us  battle  : 

 If  not, the city being but of small  defence  , 

 We'll  quickly  rouse  the traitors in the same. 





 WARWICK  O, welcome, Oxford! for we want thy help. 

 Enter MONTAGUE with drum and colours 

 MONTAGUE  Montague, Montague, for Lancaster! 

 He and his forces enter the city 

 GLOUCESTER  Thou  and thy brother both shall buy this treason 

 Even  with the dearest blood your bodies bear. 





 KING EDWARD IV  The  harder  match  'd, the greater victory: 

 My  mind presageth happy gain and conquest. 



 Enter SOMERSET, with drum and colours 

 SOMERSET  Somerset, Somerset, for Lancaster! 

 He and his forces enter the city 

 GLOUCESTER  Two  of thy name, both Dukes of Somerset, 

 Have  sold their lives unto the house of York; 

 And  thou shalt be the third if this sword hold. 



 Enter CLARENCE, with drum and colours 

 WARWICK  And  lo, where George of Clarence sweeps along, 

 Of  force  enough to bid his brother  battle  ; 

 With  whom an upright zeal to right prevails 

 More  than the nature of a brother's love! 

 Come, Clarence, come; thou wilt, if Warwick call. 





 CLARENCE  Father  of Warwick, know you what this means? 

 Taking his red rose out of his hat  Look  here, I throw my infamy at thee 

 I  will not ruinate my father's house, 

 Who  gave his blood to  lime  the stones together, 

 And  set up Lancaster. Why,  trow  'st thou, Warwick, 

 That  Clarence is so harsh, so blunt, unnatural, 

 To  bend the fatal instruments of war 

 Against  his brother and his lawful king? 

 Perhaps  thou wilt object my holy oath: 

 To  keep  that oath were more impiety 

 Than  Jephthah's, when he sacrificed his daughter. 

 I  am so  sorry  for my trespass made 

 That, to deserve well at my brother's hands, 

 I  here proclaim myself thy  mortal  foe, 

 With  resolution, wheresoe'er I meet thee-- 

 As  I will meet thee, if thou stir abroad-- 

 To  plague thee for thy foul misleading me. 

 And  so, proud-hearted Warwick, I  defy  thee, 

 And  to my brother  turn  my blushing cheeks. 

 Pardon  me, Edward, I will make amends: 

 And, Richard, do not frown upon my faults, 

 For  I will henceforth be no more unconstant. 





 KING EDWARD IV  Now  welcome more, and ten times more beloved, 

 Than  if thou never hadst deserved our hate. 





 GLOUCESTER  Welcome, good Clarence; this is brotherlike. 



 WARWICK  O  passing  traitor, perjured and  unjust  ! 



 KING EDWARD IV  What, Warwick, wilt thou leave the town and fight? 

 Or  shall we  beat  the stones about thine ears? 





 WARWICK  Alas, I am not coop'd here for  defence  ! 

 I  will away  towards  Barnet presently, 

 And  bid thee  battle  , Edward, if thou darest. 





 KING EDWARD IV  Yes, Warwick, Edward dares, and leads the way. 

 Lords, to the field; Saint George and victory! 



 Exeunt King Edward and his company. March. Warwick	and his company follow  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 3  | Act 5, Scene 1 

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