Alarum and excursions. Enter King Edward,
wearing the white rose, bringing forth Warwick,
wearing the red rose, wounded. KING EDWARD
So, lie thou there. Die thou, and die our fear,
For Warwick was a bug that feared us all.
Now, Montague, sit fast. I seek for thee,
That Warwick’s bones may keep thine company. He exits. | Edward drags in a wounded Warwick. He tells him to die and runs off to fight Montague. |
WARWICK
Ah, who is nigh? Come to me, friend or foe, 5
And tell me who is victor, York or Warwick?
Why ask I that? My mangled body shows,
My blood, my want of strength, my sick heart shows
That I must yield my body to the earth
And, by my fall, the conquest to my foe. 10
Thus yields the cedar to the axe’s edge,
Whose arms gave shelter to the princely eagle,
Under whose shade the ramping lion slept,
Whose top branch overpeered Jove’s spreading tree
And kept low shrubs from winter’s pow’rful wind. 15
These eyes, that now are dimmed with death’s black
veil,
Have been as piercing as the midday sun
To search the secret treasons of the world.
The wrinkles in my brows, now filled with blood, 20
Were likened oft to kingly sepulchers,
For who lived king but I could dig his grave?
And who durst smile when Warwick bent his brow?
Lo, now my glory smeared in dust and blood!
My parks, my walks, my manors that I had 25
Even now forsake me; and of all my lands
Is nothing left me but my body’s length.
Why, what is pomp, rule, reign, but earth and dust?
And live we how we can, yet die we must. | Warwick knows his time is near. He thinks about the fact that he gave his life for the cause. What good did it do? He doesn't even know which side won. Warwick thinks he was merely a tree to provide shade for the king for a while. Oh, well: even kings die, eventually. |
Enter Oxford and Somerset, both wearing the red rose. SOMERSET
Ah, Warwick, Warwick, wert thou as we are, 30
We might recover all our loss again.
The Queen from France hath brought a puissant
power;
Even now we heard the news. Ah, could’st thou fly— WARWICK
Why, then, I would not fly. Ah, Montague, 35
If thou be there, sweet brother, take my hand
And with thy lips keep in my soul awhile.
Thou lov’st me not, for, brother, if thou didst,
Thy tears would wash this cold congealèd blood
That glues my lips and will not let me speak. 40
Come quickly, Montague, or I am dead. | Somerset and Oxford come in and see Warwick. They deliver some good
news: Margaret has just arrived with a powerful army that might save the
day. |
SOMERSET
Ah, Warwick, Montague hath breathed his last,
And to the latest gasp cried out for Warwick,
And said “Commend me to my valiant brother.”
And more he would have said, and more he spoke, 45
Which sounded like a cannon in a vault,
That mought not be distinguished, but at last
I well might hear, delivered with a groan,
“O, farewell, Warwick.” WARWICK
Sweet rest his soul! Fly, lords, and save yourselves, 50
For Warwick bids you all farewell to meet in heaven. He dies. OXFORD
Away, away, to meet the Queen’s great power!
Here they bear away his body. They exit. | Then Somerset reports Montague's death. In his final breath, Montague cried out to "commend me to my valiant brother" (Warwick). Warwick is touched by this and bids them farewell. He dies. Oxford and Somerset run off to meet Margaret and her troops. |