That we are those which chased 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 words,
I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger

As shall revenge his death before I stir.

100

War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worthless threats!
York. Will you we show our title to the crown?

If not, our sword shall plead it in the field.

K. Hen. What title hast thou, traitor, to the crown? Thy father was, as thou art, Duke of York;

Thy grandfather, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March:

I am the son of Henry the Fifth,

Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop

And seized upon their towns and provinces.

War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all. 110

K. Ien. 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.

Edo. Sweet father, do so; set it on your head.

Mont. Good brother, as thou lovest and honourest 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,

For he that interrupts him shall not live.

120

K. Hen. Think'st thou that I will leave my kingly throne,

Wherein my grandsire and my father sat?

No: first shall war unpeople this my realm;

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. Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king.

130

K. Hen. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown.
York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king.

K. Hen. [Aside] 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?

140

Ere. 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? Ere. His is the right, and therefore pardon me. York. Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not? Ere. My conscience tells me he is lawful king. K. Ilen. [Aside] 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 deposed.

War. Deposed he shall be, in despite of all.

150

North. Thou art deceived: 'tis not thy southern power, Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,

Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,
Can set the duke up in despite of me.

Chf. King Henry, be thy title right or wrong,
Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence:
May that ground gape and swallow me alive,
Where I shall kneel to him that slew my father!

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 over the chair of state, where now he sits,

Write up his title with usurping blood.

160

[He stamps with his foot, 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 while thou livest.
King. 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. Basc, fearful and despairing Henry!

171

Cif. 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,
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!

Clif. In dreadful war mayst thou be overcome,
Or live in peace abandon'd and despised!

180

[Exeunt North., Cliff., and West. War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not. Ere. They seek revenge and therefore will not yield. K. Hen. Ah, Exeter!

War.

Why should you sigh, my lord? K. Hen. Not for myself, Lord Warwick, but my son, Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.

But be it as it may: I here entail

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.

191

200

York. This oath I willingly take and will perform. War. Long live King Henry! Plantagenet, embrace him.

K. Hen. And long live thou and these thy forward sons! York. Now York and Lancaster are reconciled.

Exe. Accursed be he that seeks to make them foes!

[Sennet. Here they come down. York. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle. War. And I'll keep London with my soldiers.

Norf. And I to Norfolk with my followers.
Mont. And I unto the sea from whence I came.

[Ereunt York and his Sons, Warwick, Norfolk, Montague, their Soldiers, and Attendants.

K. Hen. And I, with grief and sorrow, to the court. 210 Enter QUEEN MARGARET and the PRINCE OF WALES.

Ere. Here comes the queen, whose looks bewray her

anger:

I'll steal away.

K. Hen. Exeter, so will I.

Q. Mar. Nay, go not from me; I will follow thee.
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 proved so unnatural a father!
Hath he deserved to lose his birthright thus?
Hadst thou but loved 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 have 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?

220

K. Hen. Pardon me, Margaret; pardon me, sweet son:

The Earl of Warwick and the duke enforced me.

Q. Mar. Enforced thee! art thou king, and wilt be forced?

I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch!
Thou hast undone thyself, thy son and me;

And given unto the house of York such head
As thou shalt reign but by their sufferánce.
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 Falconbridge commands the narrow seas;
The duke is made protector of the realm;
And yet thou shalt 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;

Our army is ready; come, we'll after them.

K. Hen. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak.

230

240

250

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.

260

Prince. When I return with victory from the field I'll see your grace: till then I'll follow her.

Q. Mar. Come, son, away; we may not linger thus. [Exeunt Queen Margaret and the Prince. K. Hen. Poor queen! how love to me and to her son Hath made her break out into terms of rage! Revenged may she be on that hateful duke, Whose haughty spirit, winged with desire, Will cost my crown, and like an empty eagle Tire on the flesh of me and of my son! The loss of those three lords torments my heart: I'll write unto them and entreat them fair. Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger. Exe. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all.

SCENE II. Sandal Castle.

Enter RICHARD, EDWARD, and MONTAGUE.

270

[Exeunt.

Rich. Brother, though I be youngest, give me leave.
Edo. No, I can better play the orator.

Mont. But I have reasons strong and forcible.

Enter the DUKE OF YORK.

York. Why, how now, sons and brother! at a strife? What is your quarrel? how began it first?

Edu. No quarrel, but a slight contention.

York. About what?

Rich. About that which concerns your grace and us; The crown of England, father, which is yours.

York. Mine, boy? not till King Henry be dead. Rich. Your right depends not on his life or death. Edu. Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it now: By giving the house of Lancaster leave to breathe, It will outrun you, father, in the end.

York. I took an oath that he should quietly reign. Edo. But for a kingdom any oath may be broken: I would break a thousand oaths to reign one year. Rich. No; God forbid your grace should be forsworn. York. I shall be, if I claim by open war.

10

Rich. I'll prove the contrary, if you'll hear me speak. 20 York. Thou canst not, son; it is impossible.

Rich. An oath is of no moment, being not took

Before a true and lawful magistrate,

That had authority over him that swears:

Henry had none, but did usurp the place;

Then, seeing 'twas he that made you to depose,