Enter Salisbury. 'Sal. Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought to-day; "By the mass, so did we all.-I thank you, Richard: "God knows, how long it is I have to live; And it hath pleas'd him, that three times to-day "You have defended me from imminent death. *Well, lords, we have not got that which we have:2 'Tis not enough our foes are this time fled, *Being opposites of such repairing nature.3 'York. I know, our safety is to follow them: 'For, as I hear, the king is fled to London, [Exeunt. (3) i. e. Being enemies that are likely so soon to (2) i. e. We have not secured that which we rally and recover themselves from this defeat. have acquired. ACT I. SCENE I.-London. The Parliament House. Drums. Some soldiers of York's party break||I in. Then, enter the Duke of York, Edward, Richard, Norfolk, Montague, Warwick, and others, with white roses in their hats. Warwick. I WONDER, how the king escap'd our hands. York. While we pursu'd the horsemen of the north, He slily stole away, and left his men: [Showing his bloody sword. sons. What, is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset? Rich. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's War. And so do I.-Victorious prince of York, For hither we have broken in by force. And, soldiers, stay, and lodge by me this night. violence, Unless he seek to thrust you out by force. [They retire. *York. The queen, this day, here holds her parliament, But little thinks we shall be of her council: *By words, or blows, here let us win our right. Rich. Arm'd as we are, let's stay within this house. War. The bloody parliament shall this be call'd, "York. Then leave me not, my lords; be resolute; I mean to take possession of my right. War. Neither the king, nor he that loves him best, (1) Hawks had sometimes little bells hung on them, perhaps to dare the birds; that is, to fright them from rising. I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares:Resolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown. [Warwick leads York to the throne, who seats himself. York. Will you, we show our title to the crown? If not, our swords shall plead it in the field. K. Hen. What title hast thou, traitor, to the crown? Flourish. Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northum-Thy father was, as thou art, duke of York; red roses in their hats. K. Hen. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits, Even in the chair of state! belike, he means (Back'd by the power of Warwick, that false peer,) To aspire unto the crown, and reign as king.Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy father;And thine, lord Clifford; and you both have vow'd revenge On him, his sons, his favourites, and his friends. North. If I be not, heavens, be reveng'd on me! Clif. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in steel. West. What, shall we suffer this? let's pluck him down: 'My heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it. K. Hen. Be patient, gentle earl of Westmoreland. Clif. Patience is for poltroons, and such as he; He durst not sit there had your father liv'd. My gracious lord, here in the parliament Let us assail the family of York. North. Well hast thou spoken, cousin; be it so. K. Hen. Ah, know you not, the city favours them, And they have troops of soldiers at their beck? Exe. But when the duke is slain, they'll quickly fly. K. Hen. Far be the thought of this from Henry's heart, To make a shambles of the parliament-house! York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was. Exe. Thy father was a traitor to the crown. War. Exeter, thou art a traitor to the crown, In following this usurping Henry. Clif. Whom should he follow, but his natural king? War. True, Clifford; and that's Richard, duke of York. 'K. Hen. And shall I stand, and thou sit in my throne? York. It must and shall be so. Content thyself War. Be duke of Lancaster, let him be king. West. He is both king and duke of Lancaster: And that the lord of Westmoreland shall maintain. War. And Warwick shall disprove it. You forget, That we are those, which chas'd you from the field, And slew your fathers, and with colours spread March'd through the city to the palace gates. 'North. Yes, Warwick, I remember it to my grief; And, by his soul, thou and thy house shall rue it. West. Plantagenet, of thee, and these thy sons, Thy kinsmen, and thy friends, I'll have more lives, Than drops of blood were in my father's veins. Clif. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger, War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worth- (1) Since. War. Talk not of France, sith' thou hast lost it all. K. Hen. The lord protector lost it, and not I; When I was crown'd, I was but nine months old. Rich. You are old enough now, and yet, methinks you lose :- Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head. Edw. Sweet father, do so; set it on your head. Mont. Good brother, [To York.] as thou lov'st and honour'st arms, Let's fight it out, and not stand cavilling thus. Rich. Sound drums and trumpets, and the king will fly. York. Sons, peace! K. Hen. Peace thou! and give king Henry leave to speak. War. Plantagenet shall speak first :-hear him, lords; And be you silent and attentive too, 'K. Hen. Think'st thou, that I will leave my kingly throne, Wherein my grandsire, and my father, sat? Ay, and their colours-often borne in France; And now in England, to our heart's great sorrow,--Shall be my winding sheet.-Why faint you, lords? My title's good, and better far than his. War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. K. Hen. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown. York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king. K. Hen. I know not what to say; my title's weak. Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir? York. What then? 'K. Hen. An if he may, then am I lawful king: For Richard, in the view of many lords, Resign'd the crown to Henry the Fourth; Whose heir my father was, and I am his. York. He rose against him, being his sovereign, And made him to resign his crown perforce. War. Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd, Think you, 'twere prejudicial to his crown ?2 Exe. No; for he could not so resign his crown, But that the next heir should succeed and reign. K. Hen. Art thou against us, duke of Exeter? Exe. His is the right, and therefore pardon me. *York. Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not? Exe. My conscience tells me he is lawful king. K. Hen. All will revolt from me, and turn to him. North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st, Think not, that Henry shall be so depos'd. 'War. Depos'd he shall be, in despite of all. North. Thou art deceiv'd: 'tis not thy southern K. Hen. O Clifford, how thy words revive my heart! York. Henry of Lancaster, resign thy crown:What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords? War. Do right unto this princely duke of York;| Or I will fill the house with armed men, And, o'er the chair of state, where now he sits, Write up his title with usurping blood. [He stamps, and the soldiers show themselves. 'K. Hen. My lord of Warwick, hear me but one word ; Let me, for this my life-time, reign as king. York. Confirm the crown to me, and to mine heirs, And thou shalt reign in quiet whilst thou liv'st. K. Hen. I am content: Richard Plantagenet, Enjoy the kingdom after my decease. Clif. What wrong is this unto the prince your son? War. What good is this to England, and himself? West. Base, fearful, and despairing Henry! Clif. How hast thou injured both thyself and us! West. I cannot stay to hear these articles. North. Nor I. Clif. Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these news. * West. Farewell, faint-hearted and degenerate king, K. Hen. Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay 'Q. Mar. Who can be patient in such extremes? Ah, wretched man! would I had died a maid, And never seen thee, never borne thee son, *Seeing thou hast prov'd so unnatural a father! * Hath he deserv'd to lose his birthright thus? Hadst thou but lov'd him half so well as I; *Or felt that pain which I did for him once; *Or nourish'd him, as I did with my blood; Thou wouldst have left thy dearest heart-blood there, *Rather than made that savage duke thine heir, *And disinherited thine only son. * Prince. Father, you cannot disinherit me : If you be king, why should not I succeed? *K. Hen. Pardon me, Margaret;-pardon me, sweet son; The earl of Warwick, and the duke, enforc'd me. *Q. Mar. Enforc'd thee! art thou king, and wilt be forc'd? I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch! Thou hast undone thyself, thy son, and me; * In whose cold blood no spark of honour 'bides. North. Be thou a prey unto the house of York, And die in bands for this unmanly deed! Chif. In dreadful war may'st thou be overcome!* Or live in peace, abandon'd, and despis'd! [Exeunt North. Cliff. and West. *War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them son, Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit. The crown to thee, and to thine heirs for ever; Conditionally, that here thou take an oath To cease this civil war, and, whilst I live, To honour me as thy king and sovereign; *And neither by treason, nor hostility, *To seek to put me down, and reign thyself. York. This oath I willingly take, and will perform. [Coming from the throne. War. Long live king Henry!-Plantagenet, em brace him. And given unto the house of York such head, As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance. *To entail him and his heirs unto the crown, What is it, but to make thy sepulchre, And creep into it far before thy time? *Warwick is chancellor, and the lord of Calais; Stern Faulconbridge commands the narrow seas; The duke is made protector of the realm; And yet shalt thou be safe? * such safety finds *The trembling lamb, environed with wolves. Had I been there, which am a silly woman, The soldiers should have toss'd me on their pikes, 'Before I would have granted to that act. *But thou preferr'st thy life before thine honour: And seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself, Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed, Until that act of parliament be repeal'd, Whereby my son is disinherited. The northern lords, that have forsworn thy colours, Will follow mine, if once they see them spread: And spread they shall be; to thy foul disgrace, And utter ruin of the house of York. Thus do I leave thee:-Come, son, let's away; Q. Mar. Thou hast spoke too much already; get thee gone. K. Hen. Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay with me? Q. Mar. Ay, to be murder'd by his enemies. Prince. When I return with victory from the field, |