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Henry VI part three

Act V, Scene 4

Plains near Tewksbury.
 
[March. Enter QUEEN MARGARET, PRINCE EDWARD, SOMERSET, OXFORD, and soldiers]
 
QUEEN MARGARET
        T     T      T        2      ,          ,            ,
      Great lords, wise | men* nere sit | and wail | their loss,
            ,        ,     ,           ,             ,
      But cheer|ly seek | how to | redress | their harms.
              ,           ,        ,          ,      ,
      What though | the mast | be now | blown^ov|erboard,
           ,       ,          ,        ,        ,
      The cab|le broke,| the hold|ing-anch|or lost,
            ,         ,         ,         ,         ,
      And half | our sai|lors swal|lowed in | the flood?
            ,          ,       ,       2     ,          ,
      Yet lives | our pi|lot still.| Is it meet,| that he
               ,           ,          ,        ,       ,
      Should leave | the helm,| and like | a fear|ful lad,
             ,        ,     ,   ,               ,
      With tear|ful eyes | add wat/er to | the sea,
            ,              ,           ,            ,          ,
      And give | more* strength | to that | which hath | too much,
              ,         ,          ,       ,              ,
      Whiles^in | his moan,| the ship | splits on | the rock,
             ,     ,         ,         ,            ,
      Which in|dustry | and cour|age might | have saved?
            ,        ,           ,        ,            ,
      Ah* what | a shame,| ah* what | a fault | were this.
           ,        ,          ,        ,         ,
      Say War|wick was | our anch|or: what | of that?
           ,     ,         ,    ,              ,
      And Mont|ague | our top|mast: what | of him?
             ,            ,            ,         ,         ,
      Our slaught|ered friends,| the tack|les: what | of these?
       ,    2       ,         ,      ,        ,
      Why is not | Oxford | here, a|nother | anchor?
           ,     ,      ,        ,       ,
      And Som|erset,| anoth|er good|ly mast?
             ,            ,            ,            ,     ,
      The friends | of France | our shrouds | and tack|lings?
             ,         ,        ,         ,        ,
      And though | unskil|ful, why | not Ned | and I,
            ,        ,           ,       ,          ,
      For once | allowed | the skil|ful pil|ot'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 threat|en us | with wrack.
           ,         ,           ,          ,            ,
      As good | to chide | the waves,| as speak | them fair.
            ,        ,        ,        ,        ,
      And what | is Ed|ward, but | a ruth|less sea?
            ,          ,        ,     ,           ,
      What Clar|ence, but | a quick|sand of | deceit?
            ,        ,       ,       ,       ,
      And Rich|ard, but | a rag|ged fat|al rock?
       T    T     .   T    ,     .  T    T    T
      All these, the en|emies | to our poor bark.
       ,              ,      ,         ,        ,
      Say you | can swim,| alas |'tis but | a while:
        ,              ,          ,           ,        ,
      Tread on | the sand,| why there | you quick|ly sink,
           ,           ,          ,           ,         ,
      Bestride | the rock,| the tide | will wash | you off,
           ,         ,          ,     .   T    T    T
      Or else | you fam|ish, that's | a threefold death.
             ,          ,         ,         ,      ,
      This^speak | I (lords)| to let | you und|erstand,
           ,          ,        ,           ,          ,
      If case | some one | of you | would fly | from us,
              ,           ,         ,       ,         ,        ->
      That there's | no hoped-|for mer|cy with | the broth||ers,
        ,        2       ,         ,            ,           ,
      More | than with ruth|less waves,| with sands | and rocks.
           ,         ,      ,       ,    2   ,
      Why cour|age then,| what can|not be a|voided,
               ,         ,        ,       ,         ,
      'Twere child|ish weak|ness to | lament,| or fear.
 
PRINCE EDWARD
           ,        ,            ,   ,   2      x
      Methinks | a wom|an of / this val|iant spirit,
         ,            ,        ,           ,             ,
      Should, if | a cow|ard heard | her speak | these^words,
          ,           ,           ,     ,    ,
      Infuse | his breast | with mag|nanim|ity,
            ,          ,        ,       ,         ,
      And make | him, nak|ed, foil | a man | at arms.
          ,           ,         ,       ,      ,
      I speak | not this,| as doubt|ing an|y here:
           ,       ,        ,         ,       ,
      For did | I but | suspect | a fear|ful man,
            ,            ,         ,     ,        ,
      He should | have leave | to go | away | betimes,
        ,    2        ,         ,        ,     ,
      Lest in our | need he | might in|fect a|nother,
            ,               ,   ,       ,        ,
      And make | him of / like spir|it to | himself.
         ,      ,         ,        ,        ,
      If an|y such | be here,| as God | forbid,
       ,            ,        ,         ,          ,
      Let him | depart,| before | we need | his help.
 
OXFORD
       ,   2        ,            ,     ,        ,
      Women and | children | of so | high a | courage,
           ,    2     ,            ,         ,   2    ,
      And war|riors faint,| why 'twere | perpe|tual shame.
       .   T     T      T          ,        ,    ,
      Oh brave young prince:| thy fam|ous grand|father
             ,       ,         ,           ,            ,
      Doth live | again | in thee;| long mayst | thou live,
           ,        ,        ,         x       ,
      To bear | his im|age, 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 mocked | and wond|ered at.
 
QUEEN MARGARET
         T     Tx    T     ,            ,         ,
      Thanks gentle Som|erset,| sweet* Ox|ford thanks.
 
PRINCE EDWARD
            ,           ,           ,          ,         ,
      And take | his thanks,| that yet | hath noth|ing else.
 
[Enter a Messenger]
 
MESSENGER
           ,          ,          ,       ,        ,
      Prepare | you lords,| for Ed|ward is | at hand,
       ,           ,            ,        ,     ,
      Ready | to fight:| therefore | be res|olute.
 
OXFORD
           ,           ,        ,        ,    ,
      I thought | no less:| it is | his pol|icy,
           ,            ,           x      ,     ,
      To haste | thus fast,| to find us | unpro|vided.
 
SOMERSET
            ,         ,         ,         ,     ,
      But he's | deceived,| we are | in read|iness.
 
QUEEN MARGARET
              ,          ,         ,          ,        ,
      This cheers | my heart,| to see | your for|wardness.
 
OXFORD
             ,          ,         ,                ,    ,
      Here pitch | our bat|tle, hence | we will / not budge.
 
[Flourish and march. Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE, and soldiers]
 
KING EDWARD IV
             ,    2      ,         ,           ,       ,
      Brave^fol|lowers, yond|er stands | the thor|ny wood,
        ,               x          ,                ,      ,
      Which by | the heavens'| assist|ance, and / your strength,
        ,             ,          ,        ,          ,
      Must by | the roots | be hewn | up yet | ere night.
          ,         ,          ,     ,          ,
      I need | not add | more fu|el to | your fire,
            ,       ,         ,          ,          ,
      For well | I wot,| ye blaze,| to burn | them out:
            ,       ,         ,          ,        ,
      Give^sig|nal to | the fight,| and to | it lords.
 
QUEEN MARGARET
        T       T      .   T      ,         ,           ,
      Lords, knights, and gent|lemen,| what I | should say,
           ,           ,        ,        ,        ,
      My tears | *gainsay:| for ev|ery word | I speak,
          ,        ,          ,      ,       ,
      Ye see | I drink | the wat|er of | my^eye.
             ,         ,          ,     ,   2         , 
      Therefore | no more | but this:| Henry your | sovereign
           ,    2   ,        ,          ,         ,
      Is pris|oner to | the foe,| his state | usurped,
            ,          ,         ,          ,          ,
      His realm | a slaught|er-house,| his sub|jects slain,
           ,    ,    ,                      ,         ,
      His sta|tutes can/celled, and | his treas|ure spent:
           ,       ,         ,           ,            ,
      And yond|er is | the wolf,| that makes | this^spoil.
            ,      ,  ,            2       T     T     T
      You fight | in just/ice: then in | God's name, lords,
          ,   2            ,   ,       ,         ,
      Be val|iant, and / give sig|nal to | the fight.
 
[Alarum. Retreat. Excursions. Exeunt]

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