'Ill plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares :- Flourish. Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northum- K. Hen. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits, On him, his sons, his favourites, and his friends. West. What, shall we suffer this? let's pluck him 'My heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it. K. Hen. Be patient, gentle earl of Westmoreland. North. Well hast thou spoken, cousin; be it so. To make a shambles of the parliament-house! of York. York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was. Clif. Whom should he follow, but his natural 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, I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger, (1) Since. 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 Thy grandfather, Roger Mortimer, earl of March: War. Talk not of France, sith' thou hast lost it all. you lose : Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head. Let's fight it out, and not stand cavilling thus. K. Hen. Peace thou! and give king Henry leave War. Plantagenet shall speak first:-hear him, lords; And be you silent and attentive too, For he, that interrupts him, shall not live. Wherein my grandsire, and my father, sat? War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. crown. York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king. 'K. Hen. An if he may, then am I lawful king: York. He rose against him, being his sovereign, Exe. No; for he could not so resign his crown, 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 power, Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,- Clif King Henry, be thy title right or wrong, (2) i. e. Detrimental to the general rights of hereditary royalty. 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 Why should you sigh, my lord? K. Hen. Not for myself, lord Warwick, but my 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 form. [Coming from the throne. War. Long live king Henry!-Plantagenet, embrace him. '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 born 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, I 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? 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 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: The northern lords, that have forsworn thy colours, And spread they shall be; to thy foul disgrace, And utter ruin of the house of York. per-Thus do I leave thee: Come, son, let's away; Our army's ready; come, we'll after them. K. Hen. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak. 'K. Hen. And long live thou, and these thy forward sons! York. Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd. Exe. Accurs'd be he, that seeks to make them foes! [Senet. The lords come forward. "York. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle. 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, I'll see your grace; till then, I'll follow her. Q. Mar. Come, son, away; we may not linger thus. [Exe. Queen Mar. and the Prince. 'K. Hen. Poor queen! how love to me, and to her son, Hath made her break out into terms of rage! Reveng'd may she be on that hateful duke; Whose haughty spirit, winged with desire, *Will cost my crown, and, like an empty eagle, Tire2 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 [Exeunt, SCENE II-A room in Wakefield, in Yorkshire. ard, and Montague. Sandal Castle, near Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me ;Enter Edward, Rich-My brother Montague shall post to London :" Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest, Rich. Brother, though I be youngest, give me With powerful policy strengthen themselves, *Whom we have left protectors of the king, leave. Edo. No, I can better play the orator. 'York. Why, how now, sons and brother, at a strife? What is your quarrel? how began it first? Rich. About that which concerns your grace, '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. *Edw. 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. Edw. But, for a kingdom, any oath may be broken: "York. I shall be, if I claim by open war. 'Rich. I'll prove the contrary, if you'll hear me speak. '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 hath authority over him that swears: Henry had none, but did usurp the place; 'Then, seeing 'twas 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 died * Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart. York. Richard, enough; I will be king, or die. 'Brother, thou shalt to London presently, 'And whet on Warwick to this enterprise.Thou, Richard, shalt unto the duke of Norfolk, "And tell him privily of our intent.'You, Edward, shall unto my lord Cobham, With whom the Kentish-men will willingly rise: 'In them I trust; for they are soldiers, 'Witty' and courteous, liberal, full of spirit.While you are thus employ'd, what resteth more, 'But that I seek occasion how to rise; And yet the king not privy to my drift, Nor any of the house of Lancaster? Enter a Messenger. 'But, stay; What news? Why com'st thou in such post? 'Mess. The queen, with all the northern earis and lords, Intend here to besiege you in your castle: 'She is hard by with twenty thousand men ; "And therefore fortify your hold, my lord. * York. Ay, with my sword. What! think'st thou, that we fear them? VOL. II. (1) Of sound judgment. And trust not simple Henry, nor his oaths. *Mont. Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it not⚫ *And thus most humbly I do take my leave. [Ex. Enter Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer. York. Sir John, and sir Hugh Mortimer, mine uncles! You are come to Sandal in a happy hour; The army of the queen mean to besiege us. A Sir John. She shall not need, we'll meet her in the field. "York. What, with five thousand men? Rich. Ay, with five hundred, father, for a need. woman's general; what should we fear? A march afar off. 'Edw. I hear their drums; let's set our men in order; And issue forth, and bid them battle straight. "York. Five men to twenty-though the odds be great, I doubt not, uncle, of our victory. Many a battle have I won in France, 'When as the enemy hath been ten to one; 'Why should I not now have the like success? [Alarum. Exeunt. SCENE III.-Plains near Sandal Castle. Alarums: Excursions. Enter Rutland, and his Tutor. 'Rut. Ah, whither shall I fly to 'scape their hands? Ah, tutor! look, where bloody Clifford comes! Enter Clifford, and Soldiers. Clif. Chaplain, away! thy priesthood saves thy life. As for the brat of this accursed duke, Whose father slew my father, he shall die. Tut. Ah, Clifford murder not this innocent 'Lest thou be hated both of God and man. [Exit, forced off by Soldiers Clif. How now! is he dead already? Or, is it fear, That makes him close his eyes?-I'll open them. 'Rut. So looks the pent-up lion o'er the wretch That trembles under his devouring paws: And so he walks, insulting o'er his prey; 'And so he comes to rend his limbs asunder.'Ah, gentle Clifford, kill me with thy sword, And not with such a cruel threat'ning look." Sweet Clifford, hear me speak before I die ;I am too mean a subject for thy wrath, Be thou reveng'd on men, and let me live. Clif. In vain thou speak'st, poor boy; my father's blood Hath stopp'd the passage where thy words should enter. Rut. Then let my father's blood open it again; He is a man, and, Clifford, cope with him. Clif. Had I thy brethren here, their lives, and thine, Were not revenge sufficient for me; X |