thinks that for a kingdom any oath may be broken, and that he himself would break a thousand oaths to reign one year. And Richard, who, of course, fully agrees with his brother's immoral principles, offers, moreover, to show his father, that he may very well break his oath without doing a sin. By a truly casuistic argumentation Richard gets easily rid of the oath, and we may suppose that he will never be at a loss to find reasons, sufficiently strong, for getting rid of any ather oath.

An oath,(he says) is of no moment, being not took

Before a true and lawful magistrate,

That hath authority over him that swears;

Henry had none, but did usurp that place;

Then, seeing't was he that made you to depose,

Your oath, my Lord, is vain and frivolous,

Therefore, to arms.— And, father, do but think

How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown;

Within whose circuit is Elysium,

And all that poets feign of bliss and joy.

Why do we linger thus? I cannot rest,

Until the white rose that I wear be dyed

Even in the luckewarm blood of Henry's heart.(Henry VI. 3 P. I. 2.) His father cannot resist such cunning argumentation, and declares himself ready to break his oath: he will be king, or die. The words have hardly been uttered, when a messenger brings the alarming news that Queen Margaret is drawing near with a powerful army of 20000 men to give him battle. York himself, brave as he is, does not think it wise to meet with his comparatively small army of but 5000 men the host of the enemy, and intends retiring within the fortress. But Richard is not at all afraid of meeting the superior army: he should not hesitate had he but five hundred men, and yet be sure to gain the day because, he says,"a woman's the general, what should we fear?“ His confidence relies partly upon his own strong arm and his bravery, partly upon the contempt of the sex the leader of the opposing army belongs to. His father allows himself again to be misled by his courageous, but imprudent son; he meets the Lancastrian army, is peaten, taken prisoner, and, after having been cruelly derided by Margaret, stabbed by Clifford, whose sword is still reeking with the blood of young Rutland. The two brothers Edward and Richard, who are with their forces encamped near Mortimer's Cross, know nothing of the sad fate of their father and brother, when a messenger arrives with the awful tidings. Edward will not hear the particulars of the sad event; the death of his beloved father breaks down his courage. But the grief which nearly enervates Edward, kindles in Richard the hottest feelings of revenge; he will hear every detail.“Speak“, he says to the messenger, ‧I will hear it all.“ And when he has heard the mournful news, he breaks forth into the most touching words proving the depth of his kilial love, but at the same time the intensity of his feelings of revenge.

I cannot weep; for all my body's moisture

Scarce serves to quench my furnace-burning heart;

Nor can my tongue unload my heart'’s great burthen;

For selfsame wind, that I should speak withal,