* Until the white rose, that I wear, be died * Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart. • YORK. Richard, enough; I will be king, or die. 2 'Brother, thou shalt to London presently, 'You, Edward, shall unto my lord Cobham, With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise: • In them I trust; for they are soldiers, 2 Brother, thou shalt to London presently,] Thus the original play: "Edward, thou shalt to Edmond Brooke, lord Cobham, "Thou, cousin Montague, shalt to Norfolk straight, "And Richard, thou to London straight shall post, 66 My self here in Sandall castle will provide MALONE. 3 Witty and courteous, liberal, full of spirit.] What a blessed harmonious line have the editors given us! and what a promising epithet, in York's behalf, from the Kentishmen being so witty! I cannot be so partial, however, to my own county, as to let this compliment pass. I make no doubt to read: - for they are soldiers, Wealthy and courteous, liberal, full of spirit. Now these five characteristicks answer to Lord Say's description of them in the preceding play : “Kent, in the commentaries Cæsar writ, THEOBALD. This is a conjecture of very little import. JOHNSON. • While you are thus employ'd, what resteth more, But that I seek occasion how to rise; And yet the king not privy to my drift, 'Nor any of the house of Lancaster? Enter a Messenger. 'But, stay; What news? Why com'st thou in such post? 'MESS. The queen, with all the northern earls and lords,5 I see no reason for adopting Theobald's emendation. Witty anciently signified, of sound judgment. The poet calls Buckingham," the deep revolving, witty Buckingham." STEEVENS. * Enter a Messenger.] Thus the quartos; the folio reads, Enter Gabriel. STEEVENS. Gabriel was the actor who played this inconsiderable part. He is mentioned by Heywood, in his Apology for Actors, 1612. The correction has been made [by Mr. Theobald] from the old play. MALONE. 5 The queen, with all &c.] I know not whether the author intended any moral instruction, but he that reads this has a striking admonition against that precipitancy by which men often use unlawful means to do that which a little delay would put honestly in their power. Had York staid but a few moments, he had saved his cause from the stain of perjury. JOHNSON. It will be no more than justice to York, if we recollect that this scene, so far as respects the oath, and his resolution to break it, proceeds entirely from our author's imagination. Neither the Earl of March nor Richard was then at Sandal; the latter being likewise a mere child, barely turned of eight years old. His appearance, therefore, and actions in this, and, at least, the two first Acts of the following play, are totally unsupported by history and truth. It may be likewise observed that the Queen was not actually present at this battle, not returning out of Scotland till some little time after. This insurrection, which the Duke, not in breach of, but in strict conformity with, his oath to the King, and in dis • Intend here to besiege you in your castle : charge of his duty as protector of the realm, had marched from London to suppress, was headed by the Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Northumberland, and the Lord Nevil, who in direct violation of a mutual agreement, and before the day prefixed for the battle, fell suddenly upon the Duke's army, made him and Salisbury prisoners, and treated him in the manner here described. See Whethamstede. Salisbury was next day killed at Pontefract by a bastard son of the Duke of Exeter, and beheaded, with York, Rutland, and others, after death. W. Wyrcester. RITSON. In October 1460, when it was established in parliament that the Duke of York should succeed to the throne after Henry's death, the Duke and his two sons, the Earl of March, and the Earl of Rutland, took an oath to do no act whatsoever that might "sound to the abridgement of the natural life of King Henry the Sixth, or diminishing of his reign or dignity royal." Having persuaded the King to send for the Queen and the Prince of Wales, (who were then in York,) and finding that she would not obey his requisition, he on the second of December set out for his castle in Yorkshire, with such military power as he had; a messenger having been previously dispatched to the Earl of March, to desire him to follow his father with all the forces he could procure. The Duke arrived at Sandal Castle on the 24th of December, and in a short time his army amounted to five thousand men. An anonymous Remarker, [the author of the preceding note,] however, very confidently asserts, that "this scene, so far as respects York's oath and his resolution to break it, proceeds entirely from the author's imagination." His oath is on record; and what his resolution was when he marched from London at the head of a large body of men, and sent the message above stated to his son, it is not very difficult to conjecture. 6 MALONE ·with twenty thousand men ;] In the quarto this speech stands as follows: 66 My lord, the queene with thirty thousand men "Accompanied with the earles of Cumberland, "To besiedge you in your castle heere." STEEVENS. * YORK. Ay, with my sword. What! think'st thou, that we fear them?Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me ;My brother Montague shall post to London : * Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest, * Whom we have left protectors of the king, * With powerful policy strengthen themselves, * And trust not simple Henry, nor his oaths. * MONT. Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it not: * And thus most humbly I do take my leave. [Exit. Enter Sir JOHN and Sir HUGH MORTIMER. YORK. Sir John, and Sir Hugh Mortimer, mine uncles! 'You are come to Sandal in a happy hour ; The army of the queen mean to besiege us. SIR JOHN. She shall not need, we'll meet her in the field. YORK. What, with five thousand men? RICH. Ay, with five hundred, father, for a need. A woman's general; What should we fear? [A March afar off. • EDW. I hear their drums; let's set our men in order; And issue forth, and bid them battle straight. • YORK. Five men to twenty!-though the odds be great, 7 Five men to twenty! &c.] Thus, in the old play: "York. Indeed many brave battles have I won "In Normandy, whereas the enemy "Hath been ten to one, and why should I now "Come, let us go. I am resolv'd. "Edw. Let us march away. I hear their drums." MALONE. • I doubt not, uncle, of our victory. 6 • Many a battle have I won in France, • When as the enemy hath been ten to one; Why should I not now have the like success? [Alarum. Exeunt. SCENE III. Plains near Sandal Castle. Alarums: Excursions. Enter RUTLAND, and his Tutor.8 RUT. Ah, whither shall I fly to 'scape their hands !9 Ah, tutor! look, where bloody Clifford comes! Enter CLIFFORD, and Soldiers, CLIF. Chaplain, away! thy priesthood saves thy life. As for the brat of this accursed duke, Whose father1 slew my father, he shall die. his Tutor.] A priest called Sir Robert Aspall, Hall, Henry VI. fol. 99. RITSON. 9. Ah, whither &c.] This scene in the old play opens with these lines: "Tutor. Oh, fly my lord, let's leave the castle, "And fly to Wakefield straight." MALONE. 1 Whose father-] i. e. the father of which brat, namely the Duke of York. MALONE. |