Haft. Befides, the king hath wafted all his rods
On late offenders, that he now doth lack
The very inftruments of chaftifement:

So that his power, like to a fangless lion,
May offer, but not hold.

York. 'Tis very true;

And therefore be affur'd, my good lord marshal,
If we do now make our atonement well,
Our peace will, like a broken limb united,
Grow stronger for the breaking.

Mowb. Be it fo.

Here is return'd my lord of Westmorland.

Enter Westmorland.

Weft. The prince is here at hand, pleaseth your lord hip

To meet his grace, juft diftance 'tween our armies? Mowb. Your grace of York in God's name then fet forward.

Enter on one fide Mowbray, the Archbishop, Haftings, and others: from the other fide prince John of Lancaster, Westmorland, Officers, &c.

Lan. You are well encounter'd here, my cousin
Mowbray :

Good day to you, gentle lord archbishop ;-
And fo to you, lord Haftings, and to all.-
My lord of York, it better fhew'd with you,
When that your flock, affembled by the bell,
Encircled you, to hear with reverence
Your expofition on the holy text,

Than now to fee you here an iron man,
Cheering a rout of rebels with

your

drum,

Turning

Turning the word to fword, and life to death.
That man that fits within a monarch's heart,
And ripens in the fun-fhine of his favour,
Would he abuse the countenance of the king,
Alack, what mischiefs might he fet abroach
In fhadow of fuch greatnefs! With you, lord bishop,
It is even fo. Who hath not heard it fpoken,
How deep you were within the books of heaven?
To us, the fpeaker in his parliament;

To us, the imagin'd voice of heaven itself;
The very opener, and intelligencer

Between the grace, 4 the fanctities of heaven,
And our dull workings. O, who shall believe
But you mifufe the reverence of your place,
Employ the countenance and grace of heaven,
As a falfe favourite doth his prince's name,
In deeds difhonourable? 5 You have taken up,
Under the counterfeited zeal of God,
The fubjects of his fubftitute, my father;
And both againft the peace of heaven and him
Have here up-fwarm'd them.

York. Good my lord of Lancaster,

I am not here against your father's peace:
But, as I told my lord of Westmorland,
The time mif-order'd doth, 6 in common fenfe,
Crowd us, and crufh us, to this monftrous form,
To hold our fafety up. I fent your grace

The parcels and particulars of our grief;

The which hath been with fcorn fhov'd from the court,

4 the fanctities of heaven,] This expreffion Milton has copied,

"Around him all the fanctities of heaven
"Stood thick as ftars." JOHNSON.

5 You have taken up,] To take up is to levy, to raise in arms. JOHNSON.

6

in common fenfe,] I believe Shakespeare wrote com mon fence, i. e. drove by felf-defence. WARBURTON.

Common fenfe is the general fenfe of gencral danger.

JOHNSON.

Whereon

Whereon this Hydra fon of war is born:

Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm'd asleep
With grant of our most juft and right defires;
And true obedience, of this madness cur'd,
Stoop tamely to the foot of majesty.

Mowb. If not, we ready are to try our fortunes
To the laft man.

Haft. And though we here fall down,
We have fupplies to fecond our attempt;
If they mifcarry, theirs fhall fecond them:
7 And fo fuccefs of mischief fhall be born,
And heir from heir fhall hold this quarrel up,
While England shall have generation.

Lan. You are too fhallow, Haftings, much too fhallow,

To found the bottom of the after-times.

Weft. Pleaseth your grace to answer them directly, How far-forth you do like their articles?

Lan. I like them all, and do allow them well;
And fwear here, by the honour of my blood,
My father's purposes have been mistook;
And fome about him have too lavishly
Wrefted his meaning and authority.-

My lord, these griefs fhall be with speed redrefs'd;
Upon my life they fhall. If this may please you,
Discharge your powers unto their feveral counties,
As we will ours: and here, between the armies,
Let's drink together friendly, and embrace;
That all their eyes may bear those tokens home
Of our restored love and amity.

York. I take your princely word for these redreffes.
Lan. I give it you, and will maintain my word:

And thereupon I drink unto your grace.
Haft. Go, captain, and deliver to the army

And fo fuccefs of mischief-] Success for fucceffion.

WARBURTON.

This news of peace; let them have pay, and part :
I know it will well please them. Hie thee, captain.
[Exit Colevile.
York. To you, my noble lord of Westmorland.
Weft. I pledge your grace: and if you knew what
pains

I have beftow'd to breed this present peace,
You would drink freely: but my love to you
Shall fhew itself more openly hereafter.

York. I do not doubt

you.

Weft. I am glad of it.

Health to my lord, and gentle coufin Mowbray. Mowb. You wish me health in very happy season, For I am, on the fudden, fomething ill.

York. Againft ill chances men are ever merry; But heaviness fore-runs the good event.

Weft. Therefore be merry, coz; fince fudden for

row

Serves to fay thus:-fome good thing comes to-mor

row.

York. Believe me, I am paffing light in fpirit.
Mowb. So much the worfe, if your own rule be

true.

[Shouts. Lan. The word of peace is render'd; hark! how they shout.

Mowb. This had been cheerful after victory. York. A peace is of the nature of a conqueft; For then both parties nobly are fubdu'd,

And neither

party lofer.

Lan. Go, my lord,

And let our army be discharged too.

[Exit Weft.

-And, good my lord, fo please you, 9 let our trains

Therefore be merry, coz ;-] That is, Therefore, notwithftanding this fudden impulfe to heavinefs, be merry, for fuch fudden dejections forebode good. JOHNSON.

9

let our trains, &c.] That is, Our army on each part, that we may both fee thofe that were to have oppofed us.

JOHNSON.

March

March by us; that we may peruse the men
We should have cop'd withal.

York. Go, good lord Haftings;

And, ere they be difmifs'd, let them march by.

[Exit Haftings. Lan. I truft, lords, we fhall lie to-night together.

Re-enter Westmorland.

Now, coufin, wherefore ftands our army ftill?
Weft. The leaders, having charge from you to

ftand,

Will not go off until they hear you speak.

Lan. They know their duties.

Re-enter Haftings.

Haft. My lord, our army is difpers'd already: Like youthful fteers unyoak'd, they took their courfe Eaft, weft, north, fouth; or, like a school broke up, Each hurries towards his home and fporting place. Weft. Good tidings, my lord Haftings; for the which

-

I do arreft thee, traitor, of high treason :-
And you, lord archbishop; and you, lord Mowbray ;-
Of capital treason I attach you both.

Mowb. Is this proceeding juft and honourable?
Weft. Is your affembly fo?

York. Will you thus break your faith?

Lan. I pawn'd thee none;

I promis'd you redrefs of these fame grievances
Whereof you did complain; which, by mine honour,
I will perform with a moft chriftian care.
But, for you, rebels, look to taste the due
Meet for rebellion, and such acts as yours.
Moft fhallowly did you these arms commence,
Fondly brought here, and foolishly fent hence.-
Strike up our drums, purfue the scatter'd stray;
Heaven, and not we, have fafely fought to-day.

Some