SCENE IV. Plains wear Tewksbury

Flourish. March. Enter QUEEN MARGARET, PRINCE EDWARD, SOMERSET, OXFORD, and SOLDIERS

  QUEEN MARGARET. Great lords, wise men ne'er sit and wail their
      loss,
    But cheerly seek how to redress their harms.
    What though the mast be now blown overboard,
    The cable broke, the holding-anchor lost,
    And half our sailors swallow'd in the flood;
    Yet lives our pilot still. Is't meet that he
    Should leave the helm and, like a fearful lad,
    With tearful eyes add water to the sea
    And give more strength to that which hath too much;
    Whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock,
    Which industry and courage might have sav'd?
    Ah, what a shame! ah, what a fault were this!
    Say Warwick was our anchor; what of that?
    And Montague our top-mast; what of him?
    Our slaught'red friends the tackles; what of these?
    Why, is not Oxford here another anchor?
    And Somerset another goodly mast?
    The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings?
    And, though unskilful, why not Ned and I
    For once allow'd the skilful pilot'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 threaten us with wreck,
    As good to chide the waves as speak them fair.
    And what is Edward but a ruthless sea?
    What Clarence but a quicksand of deceit?
    And Richard but a ragged fatal rock?
    All these the enemies to our poor bark.
    Say you can swim; alas, 'tis but a while!
    Tread on the sand; why, there you quickly sink.
    Bestride the rock; the tide will wash you off,
    Or else you famish- that's a threefold death.
    This speak I, lords, to let you understand,
    If case some one of you would fly from us,
    That there's no hop'd-for mercy with the brothers
    More than with ruthless waves, with sands, and rocks.
    Why, courage then! What cannot be avoided
    'Twere childish weakness to lament or fear.
  PRINCE OF WALES. Methinks a woman of this valiant spirit
    Should, if a coward hear her speak these words,
    Infuse his breast with magnanimity
    And make him naked foil a man-at-arms.
    I speak not this as doubting any here;
    For did I but suspect a fearful man,
    He should have leave to go away betimes,
    Lest in our need he might infect another
    And make him of the like spirit to himself.
    If any such be here- as God forbid!-
    Let him depart before we need his help.
  OXFORD. Women and children of so high a courage,
    And warriors faint! Why, 'twere perpetual shame.
    O brave young Prince! thy famous grandfather
    Doth live again in thee. Long mayst thou Eve
    To bear his image 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 mock'd and wond'red at.
  QUEEN MARGARET. Thanks, gentle Somerset; sweet Oxford, thanks.
  PRINCE OF WALES. And take his thanks that yet hath nothing else.

Enter a MESSENGER

  MESSENGER. Prepare you, lords, for Edward is at hand
    Ready to fight; therefore be resolute.
  OXFORD. I thought no less. It is his policy
    To haste thus fast, to find us unprovided.
  SOMERSET. But he's deceiv'd; we are in readiness.
  QUEEN MARGARET. This cheers my heart, to see your forwardness.
  OXFORD. Here pitch our battle; hence we will not budge.

      Flourish and march. Enter, at a distance, KING EDWARD,
               GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE, and soldiers

  KING EDWARD. Brave followers, yonder stands the thorny wood
    Which, by the heavens' assistance and your strength,
    Must by the roots be hewn up yet ere night.
    I need not add more fuel to your fire,
    For well I wot ye blaze to burn them out.
    Give signal to the fight, and to it, lords.
  QUEEN MARGARET. Lords, knights, and gentlemen, what I should say
    My tears gainsay; for every word I speak,
    Ye see, I drink the water of my eye.
    Therefore, no more but this: Henry, your sovereign,
    Is prisoner to the foe; his state usurp'd,
    His realm a slaughter-house, his subjects slain,
    His statutes cancell'd, and his treasure spent;
    And yonder is the wolf that makes this spoil.
    You fight in justice. Then, in God's name, lords,
    Be valiant, and give signal to the fight.
                             Alarum, retreat, excursions. Exeunt