I cleft his beaver with a downright blow;
That this is true, father, behold his blood.
Showing his bloody sword.
Mont. And, brother, here's the earl of Wilt-
shire's blood, [To York, showing his.
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 best deserv'd of all my

sons.

What, is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset? Norf. Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt!

Rich. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's head.

War. And sodo I.-Victorious prince of York,
Before I see thee seated in that throne
Which now the house of Lancaster usurps,
I vow by heaven, these eyes shall never close.
This is the palace of the fearful king,
And this the regal seat: possess it, York;
For this is thine, and not king Henry's heirs.
York. Assist me then, sweet Warwick, and I
will;

For hither we have broken in by force.
Norf. We'll all assist you; he, that flies, shall

die.

York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk,-Stay by me, my lords ;

And, soldiers, stay, and lodge by me this night. War. And, when the king comes, offer him no 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, Unless Plantagenet, duke of York, be king; And bashful Henry depos'd, whose cowardice Hath made us by-words to our enemies.

York. Then leave me not, my lords; beresolute; I mean to take possession of my right,

War. Neither the king, nor he that loves him

best,

The proudest he that holds up Lancaster, Dares stir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells. 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.

Flourish. Enter King HENRY, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and Others, with red roses in their hats. K. Hen. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits,

Even in the chair of state! belike, he means,

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!
Cousin of Exeter, frowns, words, and threats,
Shall be the war that Henry means to use.-
They advance to the Duke.
Thou factious duke of York, descend my throne,
And kneel for grace and mercy at my feet;
I am thy sovereign.

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

duke of York.

York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom

was.

Ere. 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 shali maintain. War. And Warwick shall disprove it. You

forget,

That we are those which chas'd you from thefield, 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.
War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worth-
less threats!

York. Will you, weshow 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?

Thy father was, as thou art, duke of York;
Thygrandfather, Roger Mortimer, earl of March:
I am the son of Henry the fifth,
Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop,
And seiz'd upon their towns and provinces.

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, me

thinks, 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. Son Sons, peace!

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.

K. Hen. Peace thou! and give king Henry

leave to speak.

[He stamps, and the Soldiers show themselves. K. Hen. My lord of Warwick, hear me but

War. Plantagenet shall speak first:-hear him,

one word ;

lords;

Let me, for this my life-time, reign as king.. York. Confirm the crown to me, and to mine heirs,

And be you silent and attentive too,

For he that interrupts him shall not live.

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.

York. This oath I willingly take, and will
perform.
[Coming from the throne.

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 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.

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

K. Hen. And I, with grief and sorrow, to the

court.

Enter Queen MARGARET and the Frince of

WALES.

Exe. Here comes the queen, whose looks bewray her anger :

I'll steal away.

K. Hen. Exeter, so will I. [Going. 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 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;
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,

Warwick is chancellor, and the lord of Calais ;
Stern Falconbridge 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 co

lours,

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's ready; come, we'll after them.

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

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.

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!
Reveng'd 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.

Eze. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all. [Exeunt.

SCENE H.-A room in Sandal Castle, near
Wakefield, in Yorkshire.

Enter EDWARD, RICHARD, and MONTAGUE.
Rich. Brother, though I be youngest, give me
leave.
Edw. No, I can better play the orator.
Mont. But I have reasons strong and forcible.

Enter YORK.

York. Why, how now, sons and brother, at a strife?

What is your quarrel? how began it first? Edw. No quarrel, but a slight contention. York. About what?

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.

[Exit.

Edw. Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it

Enter Sir JOHN and Sir HUGH MORTIMER.

now:

By giving the house of Lancaster leave to breathe, It will outrun you, father, in the end.

Tork. I took an oath, that he should quietly reign.

Edw. But, for a kingdom, any oath may be broken:

I'd 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.
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

we

that poets feign of bliss and joy. Why do linger thus? I cannot rest, Until the white rose, that I wear, be dy'd Even in the lukewarın 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 Kentishmen 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 earls 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? Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me ;My brother Montague shall post to London: Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest, Whom we have left protectors of the king,

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.
Sir John. She shall not need, we'll meet her
in the field.

York. What, with five thousand men?
Rich. Ay, withfive hundred, father, for a need.
A 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 BUTLAND 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.

Tut.

As for the brat of this accursed duke,
Whose father slew my father, he shall die.
And I, d I, my lord, will bear him company.
Clif. Soldiers, away with him.
Tut. Ah, Clifford! murder not this innocent
child,

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 fa ther's blood

Hath stopp'd the passage where thy words should