3 KING HENRY VI, Act 5 Scene 4 The Third part of King Henry the Sixth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 3  | Act 5, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. Plains near Teaksbury. 

 March. Enter QUEEN MARGARET, PRINCE EDWARD,	SOMERSET, OXFORD, and soldiers 

 QUEEN MARGARET  Great  lords, wise men ne'er sit and wail their loss, 

 But  cheerly seek how to redress their harms. 

 What  though the mast be now blown overboard, 

 The  cable  broke  , the holding-anchor lost, 

 And  half our sailors swallow'd in the flood? 

 Yet  lives our pilot still. Is't meet that he 

 Should  leave the  helm  and like a  fearful  lad 

 With  tearful eyes add water to the sea 

 And  give more strength to that which hath too much, 

 Whiles  , in his moan, the ship splits on the rock, 

 Which  industry and courage might have saved? 

 Ah, what a  shame  ! ah, what a fault were this! 

 Say  Warwick was our  anchor  ; what of that? 

 And  Montague our topmost; what of him? 

 Our  slaughter'd friends the tackles; what of these? 

 Why, is not Oxford here another  anchor  ? 

 And  Somerset another goodly mast? 

 The  friends of France our shrouds and tacklings? 

 And, though unskilful, why not Ned and I 

 For  once  allow  'd the skilful pilot's charge? 

 We  will not from the  helm  to sit and weep, 

 But  keep  our course, though the rough wind say no, 

 From  shelves and rocks that threaten us with wreck. 

 As  good to chide the waves as speak them fair. 

 And  what is Edward but ruthless sea? 

 What  Clarence but a quicksand of deceit? 

 And  Richard but a ragged fatal rock? 

 All  these the enemies to our poor bark. 

 Say  you can swim; alas, 'tis but a while! 

 Tread  on the sand; why, there you quickly sink: 

 Bestride  the rock; the tide will wash you off, 

 Or  else you famish; that's a threefold death. 

 This  speak I, lords, to let you understand, 

 If  case some one of you would fly from us, 

 That  there's no hoped-for mercy with the brothers 

 More  than with ruthless waves, with sands and rocks. 

 Why, courage then! what cannot be avoided 

 'Twere childish weakness to lament or fear. 





 PRINCE EDWARD  Methinks  a woman of this valiant spirit 

 Should, if a coward heard her speak these words, 

 Infuse  his  breast  with magnanimity 

 And  make him, naked,  foil  a man at arms. 

 I  speak not this as doubting any here 

 For  did I but  suspect  a  fearful  man 

 He  should have leave to go away betimes, 

 Lest  in our need he might infect another 

 And  make him of like spirit to himself. 

 If  any such be here--as God  forbid  !-- 

 Let  him  depart  before we need his help. 





 OXFORD  Women  and children of so  high  a courage, 

 And  warriors faint! why, 'twere perpetual  shame  . 

 O  brave  young prince! thy famous grandfather 

 Doth  live again in thee: long mayst thou live 

 To  bear his  image  and renew his glories! 





 SOMERSET  And  he that will not fight for such a hope. 

 Go  home  to bed, and like the owl by day, 

 If  he arise, be mock'd and wonder'd at. 





 QUEEN MARGARET  Thanks,  gentle  Somerset; sweet Oxford, thanks. 



 PRINCE EDWARD  And  take his thanks that yet hath nothing else. 

 Enter a Messenger 

 Messenger  Prepare  you, lords, for Edward is at hand. 

 Ready  to fight; therefore be resolute. 





 OXFORD  I  thought  no less: it is his policy 

 To  haste thus  fast  , to find us unprovided. 





 SOMERSET  But  he's deceived; we are in readiness. 



 QUEEN MARGARET  This  cheers my heart, to see your forwardness. 



 OXFORD  Here  pitch our  battle  ;  hence  we will not budge. 

 Flourish and march. Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER,	CLARENCE, and soldiers 

 KING EDWARD IV  Brave  followers, yonder stands the thorny  wood  , 

 Which, by the heavens' assistance and your strength, 

 Must  by the roots be hewn up yet ere night. 

 I  need not add more fuel to your fire, 

 For  well I  wot  ye blaze to burn them out 

 Give  signal to the fight, and to it, lords! 





 QUEEN MARGARET  Lords, knights, and gentlemen, what I should say 

 My  tears gainsay; for every word I speak, 

 Ye  see, I drink the water of mine eyes. 

 Therefore, no more but this: Henry, your sovereign, 

 Is  prisoner to the foe; his  state  usurp'd, 

 His  realm a slaughter-house, his subjects slain, 

 His  statutes cancell'd and his treasure spent; 

 And  yonder is the wolf that makes this spoil. 

 You  fight in justice: then, in God's name, lords, 

 Be  valiant and give signal to the fight. 



 Alarum. Retreat. Excursions. Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 3  | Act 5, Scene 4 

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