A poor efquire of Kent, that loves the king.

Buck. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amifs He were created knight for his good fervice.

K. Henry. Iden, kneel down; [be kneels] Rife
up a knight.

We give thee for reward a thousand marks;
And will, that thou henceforth attend on us.
Iden. May iden live to merit fuch a bounty,
And never live but true unto his liege!

5

K. Henry. See, Buckingham! Somerfet comes 10
with the queen;

Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke.
Enter Queen Margaret, and Somerset.

2. Mar. For thousand Yorks he shall not hide]

his head,

But boldly stand, and front him to his face.

York. How now! is Somerfet at liberty?
Then, York, unloofe thy long imprison`d thoughts,
And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart.
Shall I endure the fight of Somerset ?-
False king! why haft thou broken faith with me,
Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse?
King did I call thee? no, thou art not king;
Not fit to govern and rule multitudes,

Nay, do not fright us with an angry look:
We are thy fovereign, Clifford, kneel again;
For thy mistaking fo, we pardon thee.

Clif. This is my king, York, I do not mistake;
But thou miftak'st me much, to think I do :-
To Bedlam with him! is the man grown mad?
K. Henry. Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambitious
humour

Makes him oppofe himself against his king.
Clif. He is a traitor; let him to the Tower,
And crop away that factious pate of his.

2. Mar. He is arrested, but will not obey;
15 His fons, he fays, fhall give their words for him.
York. Will you not, fons?

20

[ferve. E. Plan. Ay, noble father, if our words will R. Plan. And if words will not, then our weapons fhall.

Clif. Why, what a brood of traitors have we here!
York. Look in a glass, and call thy image fo;

I am thy king, and thou a falfe-heart traitor.→→→
Call hither to the stake my two brave bears',
That, with the very shaking of their chains,

Which dar'ft not, no, nor canst not rule a traitor. 25 They may aftonish these fell lurking curs:

That head of thine doth not become a crown;
Thy hand is made to grafp a palmer's staff,
And not to grace an awful princely scepter.
That gold muft round engirt these brows of mine;
Whofe fmile and frown, like to Achilles' fpear,
Is able with the change to kill and cure.
Here is a hand to hold a fcepter up,
And with the fame to act controlling laws.
Give place; by heaven, thou shalt rule no more
O'er him, whom heaven created for thy ruler.

Scm. O monstrous traitor !I arreft thee, York,
Of capital treafon 'gainst the king and crown:
Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace.

Bid Salisbury, and Warwick, come to me.
Drums. Enter the Earls of Warwick and Salisbury.
Clif. Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears
to death,

30 And manacle the bear-ward in their chains,
If thou dar'ft bring them to the baiting-place.
R. Plan. Oft have I feen 2 a hot o'er-weening cur
Run back and bite, because he was withheld;
Who, being fuffer'd with the bear's fell paw,
35 Hath clapp'd his tail between his legs, and cry'd
And fuch a piece of fervice will you do,
If you oppose yourselves to match lord Warwick.
Clif. Hence, heap of wrath, foul indigested lump,
As crooked in thy manners as thy shape!

York. Sirrah, call in my fons to be my bail.—
[Exit an Attendant. 40
Wouldft have me kneel? first let me afk of these,
If they can brook I bow a knee to man.-
I know, ere they will let me go to ward,
They'll pawn their swords for my enfranchisement.
2. Mar. Cali hither Clifford; bid him come 45
amain,

To fay, if that the baftard boys of York
Shall be the furety for their traitor father.

York. O blood-befpotted Neapolitan,
Out-caft of Naples, England's bloody scourge!
The fons of York, thy betters in their birth,
Shall be their father's bail; and bane to those
That for my furety will refufe the boys.

Enter Edward and Richard.

York. Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly anon.
Clif. Take heed, left by your heat you burn
yourselves.
[to bow?
K. Henry. Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot
Old Salisbury,-shame to thy filver hair,
Thou mad mif-leader of thy brain-fick fon!
What, wilt thou on thy death-bed play the ruffian,
And feek for forrow with thy fpectacles?—
Oh, where is faith? oh, where is loyalty?
If it be banish'd from the frofty head,
50 Where fhall it find a harbour in the earth?
Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And fhame thine honourable age with blood?
Why art thou old, and want'ft experience?
Or wherefore doft abuse it, if thou haft it?

See, where they come; I'll warrant, they'll make 55 For fhame! in duty bend thy knee to me,

it good.

Enter Clifford.

2. Mar. And here comes Clifford, to deny

That bows unto the grave with mickle age.

Sal. My lord, I have confider'd with myself The title of this most renowned duke;

And in my conscience do repute his grace

The rightful heir to England's royal feat.
K. Henry. Haft thou not fworn allegiance unto me?
Sal, I have.

The Nevils, earls of Warwick, had a bear and[ragged faff for their cognizance. was anciently a royal sport.

2 Bear-baiting

K. Henry

K. Henry. Canft thou difpenfe with heaven for
fuch an oath ?

Sal. It is great fin, to swear unto a fin;
But greater fin, to keep a finful oath.
Who can be bound by any folemn vow
To do a murderous deed, to rob a man,
To force a spotlefs virgin's chastity,
To reave the orphan of his patrimony,

To wring the widow from her custom'd right;
And have no other reafon for this wrong,
But that he was bound by a folemn oath ?

ΙΟ

As I intend, Clifford, to thrive to-day,
It grieves my foul to leave thee unaffail'd.
[Exit Warwick.
Clif. What feest thou in me, York? why doft
thou pause?

York. With thy brave bearing fhould I be in love,
But that thou art so fast mine enemy. [efteem,
Clif. Nor should thy prowefs want praise and
But that 'tis fhewn ignobly, and in reason.

York. So let it help me now against thy fword,
As I in juftice and true right exprefs it!

Clif. My foul and body on the action both!-
York. A dreadful lay 3 !-addrefs + thee inftantly.
[Fight, and Clifford falls.
Clif. La fin couronne les œuvres.
[Dies
York. Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou
art ftill.

War. Now by my father's badge, old Nevil's 25 Peace with his foul, heaven, if it be thy will!

creft,

The rampant bear chain'd to the ragged staff,
This day I'll wear aloft my burgonet,
(As on a mountain top the cedar fhews,
That keeps his leaves in spight of any storm)
Even to affright thee with the view thereof.

Enter young Clifford.

[Exit.

r. Clif. Shame and confufion! all is on the rout; Fear frames diforder, and diforder wounds

30 Where it fhould guard. O war, thou fon of hell,
Whom angry heavens do make their minifter,
Throw in the frozen bofoms of our part
Hot coals of vengeance !-Let no foldier fly:
He that is truly dedicate to war,
Hath no self-love; nor he, that loves himself,
Hath not effentially, but by circumstance,
The name of valour.-O let the vile world end,
[Seeing bis dead father.

Old Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy bear,
And tread it under foot with all contempt,
Despight the bear-ward that protects the bear.
Y. Clif. And fo to arms, victorious noble father, 35
To quell these traitors and their 'complices.
R. Plan. Fie charity, for fhame! fpeak not
in fpight,

For you shall fup with Jefu Chrift to-night.

r. Clif. Foul ftigmatic 2, that's more than thou 40
can't tell.

R. Plan. If not in heaven, you'll furely fup in
hell.
[Exeunt feverally.

War. Clifford of Cumberland, 'tis Warwick calls!
And if thou doft not hide thee from the bear,
Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarm,
And dead men's cries do fill the empty air,-
Clifford, I fay, come forth and fight with me!
Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland,
Warwick is hoarfe with calling thee to arms.
Enter York.

How now, my noble lord? what, all a-foot?
York. The deadly-handed Clifford flew my fteed;
But match to match I have encounter'd him,
And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
Even of the bonny beaft he lov'd fo well.

And the premised 5 flames of the last day
Knit earth and heaven together!
Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds

To ceafe 6!-Waft thou ordain'd, dear father, To lofe thy youth in peace, and to atchieve 7 45 The filver livery of advised age;

And, in thy reverence, and thy chair-days, thus
To die in ruffian battle?-Even at this fight,
My heart is turn'd to ftone: and, while 'tis mine,
It shall be ftony. York not our old men fpares;
50 No more will I their babes: tears virginal
Shall be to me even as the dew to fire;
And beauty, that the tyrant oft reclaims,
Shall to my flaming wrath be oil and flax.
Henceforth, I will not have to do with pity:
55 Meet I an infant of the house of York,
Into as many gobbets will I cut it,
As wild Medea young Abfyrtus did:
In cruelty will I feek out my fame.
Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford's house:
[Taking up the body.

60

3. i. e. a

1 i. e. thy belmet. 2 A ftigmatic is one on whom nature has fet a mark of deformity. dreadful wager. 4 i. e. prepare. 5 Premised, for fent before their time. The fenfe is, let the flames referved for the last day be sent now. 6 i. e. to stop 7 i. e. to obtain.

Ав

5

Alarum. Retreat. Enter York, Richard Planta-
genet, Warwick, and Soldiers, with Drum and
Colours.

York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him;
That winter lion, who, in rage, forgets
Aged contufions and all brush2 of time;
And, like a gallant in the brow of youth 3,
10 Repairs him with occafion? this happy day
Is not itself, nor have we won one foot,
If Salisbury be loft.

R. Plan. My noble father,

Three times to-day I holp him to his horse,

Fight. Excurfions. Enter King Henry, and Queen 15 Three times beftrid him 4; thrice I led him off,

* The death of Somerfet here accomplishes that equivocal prediction given by Jourdain, the witch, concerning this duke; which we met with at the clofe of the First Act of this Play. wear or ravage. 3 The brow of youth means the height or fummit of youth. faw him fallen, and, ftriding over him, defended him till he recovered.

Soldiers and other Attendants on King Henry and King Edward, &c.

In part of the Third A&t, the Scene is laid in France ; during all the reft of the Play in England.

SCENE I.

АСТ. І.

York. While we purfu'd the horsemen of the north,
He flily stole away, and left his men :
Whereat the great lord of Northumberland,
Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat,
Chear'd up the drooping army; and himself,
Lord Clifford, and lord Stafford, all a-breast,
Charg'd our main battle's front, and, breaking in, 15
Were by the fwords of common foldiers flain.
Edw. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Buck-
ingham,

Is either flain, or wounded dangerously:

I cleft his beaver with a downright blow;

That this is true, father, behold his blood.
[Shewing bis bloody fword
Mount. And, brother, here's the earl of Wilt.
fhire's blood,

[To Warwick, fhewing bis.
Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd.
Rich. Speak thou for me, and tell them what
I did.

[Throwing down the Duke of Somerset's head. York. Richard hath beft deferv'd of all my fons.Is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset ?

Norf. Such hope have all the line of John of

Gaunt !

Ricb. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's head.
War. And fo do I.-Victorious prince of York,

Before I fee thee feated in that throne
Which now the house of Lancaster ufurps,
I vow by heaven, thefe eyes fhall never clofe.
This is the palace of the fearful king,
29 And this the regal feat: poffefs it, York;

The action of this play opens juft after the first battle at Saint Albans, wherein the York faction carried the day; and clofes with the murder of king Henry VI. and the birth of prince Edward, afterwards king Edward V. So that this history takes in the space of full fixteen years.

For

For this is thine, and not king Henry's heirs'.

York. Affift me then, fweet Warwick, and I will; For hither are we broken in by force.

Norf. We'll all affift you; he that flies shall die.
York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk.-Stay by me, 5
my lords ;-

And, foldiers, stay, and lodge by me this night.
War. And, when the king comes, offer him no

violence,

Unless he feek to put us out by force. [ment; 10
York. The queen, this day, here holds her parlia-
But little thinks, we thall be of her council :
By words, or blows, here let us win our right.

Rich. Arm'd as we are, let's ftay within this house.
War. The bloody parliament shall this be call'd, 15
Unless Plantagenet, duke of York, be king;
And bashful Henry depos'd, whofe cowardice
Hath made us by-words to our enemies.

York. Then leave me not, my lords; be refolute;
I mean to take poffeffion of my right.

20

War. Neither the king, nor he that loves him beft, The proudeft he that holds up Lancaster, Dares ftir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells '. I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares :Refolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown.25 [Warwick leads York to the throne, who feats himself. Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northumberland, Weftmoreland, Exeter, and others, at the further end of the ftage.

K. Henry. My lords, look where the sturdy 30
rebel fits,

Even in the chair of state! belike he means
(Back'd by the power of Warwick, that falfe peer)
To afpire unto the crown, and reign as king.-
Earl of Northumberland, he flew thy father ;-
And thine, lord Clifford; and you both vow'd
revenge

York. Thou art deceiv'd, I am thine.
Exe. For fhame, come down; he made thee
duke of York.

York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the kingdom is.
Exe. Thy father was a traitor to the crown.
War. Exeter, thou art a traitor to the crown,
In following this ufurping Henry.

[king?
Clif. Whom should he follow, but his natural
War. True, Clifford; and that's Richard, duke
of York.
[throne?
K. Henry. And fhall I stand, and thou fit in my
York. It muft and shall be fo.-Content thyself.
War. Be duke of Lancaster, let him be king.
Weft. He is both king and duke of Lancaster ;
And that the lord of Weftmoreland shall maintain.
War. And Warwick shall disprove it. You forget,
That we are thofe, which chas'd you from the field,
And flew your fathers, and with colours spread
March'd through the city to the palace-gates.

North. No, Warwick, I remember it to my grief;
And, by his foul, thou and thy houfe shall rue it.

Weft. Plantagenet, of thee, and these thy fons,
Thy kinfmen, and thy friends, I'll have more lives,
Than drops of blood were in my father's veins.

Clif. Urge it no more; left that, instead of words,
I fend thee, Warwick, fuch a messenger,
As fhall revenge his death, before I ftir.

War. Poor Clifford! how I fcorn his worthlefs
threats!

York. Will you, we fhew our title to the crown? If not, our fwords shall plead it in the field.

K. Henry. What title haft thou, traitor, to the crown?

Thy father was, as thou art, duke of York; 35 Thy grandfather, Roger Mortimer, earl of March: I am the fon of Henry the fifth,

On him, his fons, his favourites, and his friends.
North. If I be not, heavens, be reveng'd on me!
Clif. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in 40
fteel.
[down:

Weft. What, shall we fuffer this? let's pluck him
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 :45
He durft not fit there, had your father liv'd.
My gracious lord, here in the parliament
Let us affail the family of York.

North. Well haft thou spoken, coufin; be it fo.
K. Henry. Ah, know you not, the city favours 50

them,

And they have troops of foldiers at their beck?
Exe. But, when the duke is flain, they'll

quickly fly.

[heart,

Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop,
And feiz'd upon their towns and provinces.

War. Talk not of France, fith thou hast lost it all.
K. Henry. The lord protector loft it, and not I;
When I was crown'd, I was but nine months old.
Rich. You are old enough now, and yet, me-

thinks, you lofe :--
Father, tear the crown from the ufurper's head.

Ede. Sweet father, do fo; fet it on your head.
Mont. Good brother, as thou lov'st and honour'st

K. Henry. Peace thou! and give king Henry War. Plantagenet shall speak first :—hear him, lords;

K. Henry. Far be it from the thoughts of Henry's 55 And be you filent and attentive too,

To make a fhambles of the parliament house!
Coufin of Exeter, frowns, words, and threats,
Shall be the war that Henry means to use.—

[They advance to the Duke.

For he, that interrupts him, fhall not live.

K. Henry. Think'ft thou, that I will leave my kingly throne,

Wherein my grandfire, and my father, fat? Thou factious duke of York, defcend my throne, 60 No: firft fhall war unpeople this my realm; And kneel for grace and mercy at my feet;

I am thy sovereign.

Ay, and their colours-often borne in France-
And now in England, to our heart's great forrow,→→

The allufion is to falconry. The hawks had fometimes little bells hung upon them, perhaps to fright the birds from rifing.

Shall