If thou dar'st bring them to the baiting-place. * Rich. Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening cur * Run back and bite, because he was withheld; * Who, being suffer'd' with the bear's fell paw, *Hath clapp'd his tail between his legs, and cry'd: * And such a piece of service will you do,

* If you oppose yourselves to match lord Warwick. *Clif. Hence, heap of wrath, foul indigested lump, *As crooked in thy manners as thy shape!

*York. Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly anon. *Clif. Take heed, lest by your heat you burn yourselves.

* K. Hen. Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow?

* Old Salisbury,―shame to thy silver hair,
* Thou mad misleader of thy brain-sick son!-
What, wilt thou on thy death-bed play the ruffian,
* And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles?
*O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty?
*If it be banish'd from the frosty head,

* Where shall it find a harbour in the earth?—
*Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
* And shame thine honourable age with blood?
* Why art thou old, and want'st experience?
* Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?
* For shame! in duty bend thy knee to me,
* That bows unto the grave with mickle age.

* Sal. My lord, I have consider'd with myself
*The title of this most renowned duke;
* And in my conscience do repute his grace
*The rightful heir to England's royal seat.

*K. Hen. Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto

me?

7-being suffer'd-] Being suffer'd to approach to the bear's fell paw. Such may be the meaning. I am not, however, sure, but the poet meant, being in a state of sufferance or pain.

MALONE.

*Sal. I have.

* K. Hen. Canst thou dispense with heaven for such an oath?

*Sal. It is great sin, to swear unto a sin;
*But greater sin, to keep a sinful oath.
* Who can be bound by any solemn vow
*To do a murderous deed, to rob a man,
*To force a spotless virgin's chastity,

* To reave the orphan of his patrimony,
* To wring the widow from her custom'd right;
*And have no other reason for this wrong,
But that he was bound by a solemn oath?
Q. Mar. A subtle traitor needs no sophister.

K. Hen. Call Buckingham, and bid him arm
himself.

'York. Call Buckingham, and all the friends thou hast,

'I am resolv'd for death, or dignity.

Clif. The first I warrant thee, if dreams prove

true.

'War. You were best to go to bed, and dream

again,

To keep thee from the tempest of the field.
Clif. I am resolv'd to bear a greater storm,
Than any thou canst conjure up to-day;
And that I'll write upon thy burgonet,

Might I but know thee by thy household badge.
War. Now, by my father's badge old Nevil's crest,
The rampant bear chain'd to the ragged staff,
This day I'll wear aloft my burgonet,

(As on a mountain-top the cedar shows,
That keeps his leaves in spite of any storm,)
Even to affright thee with the view thereof.

Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy bear, And tread it under foot with all contempt,

burgonet,] Is a helmet.

Despight the bear-ward that protects the bear.
Y. Clif. And so to arms, victorious father,
To quell the rebels, and their 'complices.

Rich. Fye! charity, for shame! speak not in spite, For you shall sup with Jesu Christ to-night.

Y. Clif. Foul stigmatick, that's more than thou canst tell.

* Rich. If not in heaven, you'll surely sup in

hell.

[Exeunt severally.

SCENE II.

Saint Albans.

Alarums: Excursions.

Enter WARWICK.

War. Clifford of Cumberland, 'tis Warwick calls! And if thou dost not hide thee from the bear, Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarm, And dead men's cries do fill the empty air,Clifford, I say, come forth and fight with me! Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland, Warwick is hoarse with calling thee to arms.

Enter YORK.

• How now, my noble lord? what, all a-foot? "York. The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed; * But match to match I have encounter'd him, • And made a prey for carrion kites and crows ⚫ Even of the bonny beast he lov'd so well.

Enter CLIFFord.

'War. Of one or both of us the time is come.

9 Foul stigmatick,] A stigmatick is one on whom nature has set a mark of deformity, a stigma. A stigmatick originally and properly signified a person who has been branded with a hot iron for some crime.

York. Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chace,

For I myself must hunt this deer to death.

War. Then, nobly, York; 'tis for a crown thou

fight'st.

As I intend, Clifford, to thrive to-day,

It grieves my soul to leave thee unassail'd. [Exit WARWICK. 'Clif. What seest thou in me, York? why dost thou pause?

York. With thy brave bearing should I be in love, • But that thou art so fast mine enemy.

Clif. Nor should thy prowess want praise and

esteem,

But that 'tis shown ignobly, and in treason.

York. So let it help me now against thy sword, As I in justice and true right express it!

Clif. My soul and body on the action both!• York. A dreadful lay!'—address thee instantly. [They fight, and CLIFFORD falls. [Dies.2 • York. Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou

Clif. La fin couronne les oeuvres.

art still.

Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will!

Enter young CLifford.

[Exit.

*Y. Clif. Shame and confusion! all is on the

rout;

A dreadful lay!] A dreadful wager; a tremendous stake.

2 Dies.] Our author, in making Clifford fall by the hand of York, has departed from the truth of history; a practice not uncommon to him when he does his utmost to make his characters considerable. This circumstance, however, serves to prepare the reader or spectator for the vengeance afterwards taken by Clifford's son on York and Rutland.

It is remarkable, that at the beginning of the third part of this historical play, the poet has forgot this occurrence, and there represents Clifford's death as it really happened.

* Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds *Where it should guard. O war, thou son of hell, * Whom angry heavens do make their minister, *Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part

* Hot coals of vengeance!-Let no soldier fly: *He that is truly dedicate to war,

* Hath no self-love; nor he, that loves himself, * Hath not essentially, but by circumstance,

* The name of valour.-O, let the vile world end, [Seeing his dead Father. * And the premised flames of the last day. * Knit earth and heaven together!

* Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
* Particularities and petty sounds

*To cease! Wast thou ordain'd, dear father,
* To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve
*The silver livery of advised age;

* And, in thy reverence, and thy chair-days, thus
*To die in ruffian battle?-Even at this sight,
* My heart is turn'd to stone: and, while 'tis mine,
* It shall be stony. York not our old men spares;
* No more will I their babes: tears virginal
*Shall be to me even as the dew to fire;
* And beauty, that the tyrant oft reclaims,
* Shall to my flaming wrath be oil and flax.
* Henceforth, I will not have to do with pity:
* Meet I an infant of the house of York,
* Into as many gobbets will I cut it,

* As wild Medea young Absyrtus did:7

3 And the premised flames-] Premised, for sent before their time. The sense is, let the flames reserved for the last day be sent now.

The silver livery of advised age;] Advised is wise, experienced, or cautious, considerate.

7 As wild Medea, &c.] When Medea fled with Jason from Colchos, she murdered her brother Absyrtus, and cut his body