Come, York, and Richard, Warwick, and the rest; 'I ftabb'd your father's bofoms, split my breast." [He faints. Alarum and Retreat, Enter EDWARD, GEORGE, RICHARD, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and Soldiers. EDW. Now breathe we, lords; good fortune bids us paufe, And smooth the frowns of war 9 with peaceful looks. * Some troops pursue the bloody-minded queen ;That led calm Henry, though he were a king, As doth a fail, fill'd with a fretting guft, 7 Iftabb'd your fathers' bofoms, Split my breast.] So the folio. The quartos read: "I stabb'd your father's, now come split my breast." STEEVENS. Now breathe we, lords ;] Inftead of this speech the quartos have the following: "Thus far our fortunes keep an upward course, "And we are grac'd with wreaths of victory. "Some troops purfue the bloody-minded queen, STEEVENS. This battle, in which the house of York was victorious, was fought on a plain between Towton and Saxton, on the 29th of March, (Palm Sunday) 1461. The royal army confifted, according to Hall, of about forty thousand men; and the young Duke of York's forces were 48,760. In this combat, which lafted fourteen hours, and in the actions of the two following days, thirty-fix thousand seven hundred and feventy-fix perfons are faid to have been killed; the greater part of whom were undoubtedly Lancaftrians. MALONE. • And smooth the frowns of war-] So, in K. Richard III: "Grim-vifag'd war hath finooth'd his wrinkled front." STEEVENS. Command an argofy to ftem the waves. But think you, lords, that Clifford fled with them? [CLIFFORD groans, and dies. EDW. Whofe foul is that which takes her heavy leave? RICH. A deadly groan, like life and death's departing.3 EDW. See who it is: and, now the battle's ended, If friend, or foe, let him be gently us'd. I mark'd him for the grave:] Young has transferred this expreffion to Alonzo in The Revenge : "This only marks my body for the grave." A fimilar phrafe occurs in Chapman's verfion of the fifth Iliad : "Our braveft foe is mark'd for death; he cannot long fuftain 2 My violent fhaft,-" STEEVENS. Edw. Whofe foul &c.] I have diftinguithed this and the two following speeches according to the authority of the quarto. The folio gave all to Richard, except the last line and half. STEEVENS. I have also followed the original regulation, because it seems abfurd that Richard fhould firft fay to his brother, or to one of the foldiers," See who it is ;"-and then, himself declare that it is Clifford; and therefore I fuppofe the variation in the folio arofe, not from Shakspeare, but from some negligence or inaccuracy of a compofitor or tranfcriber. MALONE. 3 like life and death's departing.] Sir Thomas Hanmer reads, like life in death departing; which Dr. Warburton has received. JOHNSON. The quartos read, like life and death's departure. STEEVENS. -like life and death's departing.] Departing for feparation. MALONE. There is no occafion for correction. ""Till death us depart" was the expreffion in the old Marriage Service. FARMER. "RICH. Revoke that doom of mercy, for 'tis Clifford; 'Who not contented that he lopp'd the branch "In hewing Rutland when his leaves put forth,4 'But fet his murdering knife unto the root 'From whence that tender spray did sweetly spring, I mean, our princely father, duke of York. WAR. From off the gates of York fetch down the head, Your father's head, which Clifford placed there: 'Inftead whereof, let this fupply the room; Measure for measure must be answered. EDW. Bring forth that fatal fcreech-owl to our house, "That nothing fung but death to us and ours:5 'Now death fhall ftop his difmal threatening found, • And his ill-boding tongue no more shall speak. -[Attendants bring the Body forward. WAR. I think his understanding is bereft : 4 In hewing Rutland when his leaves put forth,] It is manifeft from this and many other paffages, that the author of the old play, where the correfponding line stands thus: : "Who killed our tender brother Rutland-." imagined that Rutland was younger than George and Richard ; whereas he was in fact older than them both, being the Duke of York's fecond fon; in confequence of which he bore a title by courtefy and a particular ftipulation was made in the compact entered into between Henry and the Duke of York, that Rutland, as well as his elder brother Edward Earl of March, fhould fwear to the due obfervance of the agreement. Shakspeare has, we fee, fallen into the fame error; as have Habington in his nervous and elegant History of Edward IV. and several other hiftorians. MALONE. 5 -fcreech-owl to our house, That nothing fung but death &c.] So, in K. Richard III: "Out on you, owls! nothing but fongs of death ?" STEEVENS, Speak, Clifford, doft thou know who speaks to thee? Dark cloudy death o'erfhades his beams of life, RICH. O, 'would he did! and fo, perhaps, he doth; ''Tis but his policy to counterfeit, 'Because he would avoid fuch bitter taunts "Which in the time of death he gave our father. GEO. If fo thou think'ft, vex him with eager words." RICH. Clifford, afk mercy, and obtain no grace. EDW. Thou pitied'ft Rutland, I will pity thee. now? WAR. They mock thee, Clifford ! fwear as thou waft wont. RICH. What, not an oath? nay, then the world goes hard, 'When Clifford cannot fpare his friends an oath :I know by that, he's dead; And, by my soul, 'If this right hand would buy two hours' life, That I in all defpite might rail at him, JOHNSON. • — cager words.] Sour words; words of afperity. So, in Hamlet: "It is a nipping and an eager air." STEEVENS. This hand fhould chop it off; and with the iffuing blood Stifle the villain, whofe unftaunched thirst WAR. Ay, but he's dead: Off with the traitor's head, And rear it in the place your father's stands.— • From whence fhall Warwick cut the fea to France, And ask the lady Bona for thy queen : So fhalt thou finew both these lands together; · And, having France thy friend, thou shalt not dread The scatter'd foe, that hopes to rife again; ' And then to Britany I'll cross the sea," To effect this marriage, fo it please my lord. EDW. Even as thou wilt, fweet Warwick, let it be: *For on thy fhoulder do I build my feat; * And never will I undertake the thing, * Wherein thy counsel and confent is wanting.6 Richard, I will create thee duke of Glofter;And George, of Clarence ;-Warwick, as ourself, 'Shall do, and undo, as him pleaseth best. RICH. Let me be duke of Clarence; George, of Glofter; 7 And then to Britany I'll cross the fea,] Thus the folio. The quartos thus : "And afterward I'll cross the feas to France." STEEVENS. |