Shouldst raise so great a power without his leave, Or dare to bring thy force so near the court. York. Scarce can I speak, my choler is so great. On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury! Buck. That is too much presumption on thy part: York. Upon thine honour, is he prisoner? Soldiers, I thank you all; disperse yourselves; Buck. York, I commend this kind submission: We twain will go into his highness' tent. Enter King HENRY, attended. K. Hen. Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us, That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm ? [hence; York. To heave the traitor Somerset from And fight against that monstrous rebel Cade, Who since I heard to be discomfited. Enter IDEN, with CADE's head. Iden. If one so rude, and of such mean con- O, let me view his visage, being dead, Iden. I was, an't like your majesty. Iden. May Iden live to merit such a bounty, And never live but true unto his liege! K. Hen. See, Buckingham! Somerset comes with the queen ; Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke. But boldly stand, and front him to his face. Som. O monstrous traitor!-I arrest thee, York, If they can brook I bow a knee to man. [Exit an Attendant. I know ere they will have me go to ward, They'll pawn their swords for my enfranchise ment. Q. Mar. Call hither Clifford: bid him come amain, [Exit BUCKINGHAM. To say, if that the bastard boys of York Shall be the surety for their traitor father. York. O blood-bespotted Neapolitan, Outcast of Naples, England's bloody scourge ! The sons of York, thy betters in their birth, Shall be their father's bail: and bane to those That for my surety will refuse the boys. Enter EDWARD and RICHARD PLANTAGENET, with Forces, at one side; at the other, with Forces also, Old CLIFFORD and his Son. See, where they come; I'll warrant they'll make it good. [bail. Q. Mar. And here comes Clifford to deny their Člif. Health and all happiness to my lord the [Kneels. York. I thank thee, Clifford: Say, what news with thee? king? Nay, do not fright us with an angry look. K. Hen. How art thou call'd? and what is thy For thy mistaking so we pardon thee. degree? Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name; A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king. Buck. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amiss He were created knight for his good service. We give thee for reward a thousand marks; Clif. This is my king, York, I do not mistake; But thou mistak'st me much to think I do :To Bedlam with him! is the man grown mad? K. Hen. Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambitious humour Makes him oppose himself against his king. Q. Mar. He is arrested, but will not obey; His sons, he says, shall give their words for him. Tork. Will you not, sons? Edw. Ay, noble father, if our words will serve. Rich. And if words will not, then our weapons shall. Olif. Why, what a brood of traitors have we here! York. Look in a glass, and call thy image so; I am thy king, and thou a false-heart traitor. Call hither to the stake my two brave bears, That, with the very shaking of their chains, They may astonish these fell lurking curs; Bid Salisbury and Warwick come to me. Drums. Enter WARWICK and SALISBURY, with Forces. Clif. Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears And manacle the bearward in their chains, Rich. Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening cur As crooked in thy manners as thy shape! York. Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly anon. Clif. Take heed, lest by your heat you barn yourselves. K. Hen. Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow? Old Salisbury,-shame to thy silver hair, [me? K. Hen. Canst thon dispense with heaven for such an oath? Sal. It is great sin, to swear unto a sin; To wring the widow from her accustom'd right; Q. Mar. A subtle traitor needs no sophister. K. Hen. Call Buckingham, and bid him arm himself. [thou hast, York. Call Buckingham, and all the friends I am resolved for death or diguity. Clif. The first I warrant thee. if dreams prove true. War. You were best to go to bed, and dream again, To keep thee from the tempest of the field. Clif. I am resolv'd to bear a greater storm Than any thou canst conjure up to-day; And that I'll write upon thy burgonet Might I but know thee by thy household badge. War. Now, by my father's badge, old Nevil's crest, The rampant bear, chain'd to the ragged staff, Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy bear, And tread it under foot with all contempt, Despite the bearward that protects the bear. Y. Clif. And so to arms, victorious father, To quell the rebels and their 'complices. Rich. Fie! charity, for shame! speak not in spite, For you shall sup with Jesu Christ to-night. Y. Clif. Foul stigmatic, that's more than thou canst tell, Rich. If not in heaven, you'll surely sup in hell. [Exeunt severally. SCENE II.-Saint Alban's. Alarums: Excursions. Enter WARWICK. War. Clifford of Cumberland, 'tis Warwick calls! And if thou dost not hide thee from the bear, Now when the angry trumpet sounds alarum, And dead men's cries do fill the empty air, Clifford, I say, come forth and fight with me! Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland, Warwick is hoarse with calling thee to arms. But that 'tis shown ignobly, and in treason. Peace with his soul, Heaven, if it be thy will. Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds To cease! Wast thou ordain'd, dear father, And in thy reverence, and thy chair days, thus [Exit. Enter RICHARD PLANTAGENET and SOMERSET, [Exit. Alarums: Excursions. Enter King HENRY, Queen MARGARET, and others, retreating. Q. Mar. Away, my lord! you are slow; for shame, away! K. Hen. Can we outrun the heavens? good Margaret, stay. Q. Mar. What are you made of? you'll not fight nor fly: Now is it manhood, wisdom, and defence, By what we can, which can no more but fly. Of all our fortines: but if we haply scape, Enter Young CLIFFORD. Y. Clif. But that my heart's on future mischief I would speak blasphemy ere bid you fly; [set, But fly you must; uncurable discomfit Reigns in the hearts of all our present parts. Away, for your relief! and we will live To see their day, and them our fortune give: Away, my lord, away. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-Fields near Saint Alban's. Alarum: Retreat. Flourish: then enter YORK, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, WARWICK, and Soldiers, with drum and colours. York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him?— That winter lion, who in rage forgets Aged contusions and all brush of time; And, like a gallant in the brow of youth, Repairs him with occasion? This happy day Is not itself, nor have we won one foot, If Salisbury be lost. Rich. My noble father, Three times to-day I holp him to his horse, Three times bestrid him, thrice I led him off, Persuaded him from any further act: But still where danger was, there still I met him; And like rich hangings in a homely house, So was his will in his old feeble body. But, noble as he is, look where he comes. Enter SALISBURY. Sal. Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought to-day; By the mass, so did we all.-I thank you, Richard: York. I know our safety is to follow them, War. After them! nay, before them, if we can. Now, by my hand, lords, 'twas a glorious day: Saint Alban's battle, won by famous York, Shall be eterniz'd in all age to come. Sound drum and trumpets:-and to London all: And more such days as these to us befall! [Exeunt EDWARD, Prince of WALES, son to Henry VI LEWIS XI., King of France. Duke of SOMERSET, on King Henry's side. Duke of EXETER, on King Henry's side. Earl of OXFORD, on King Henry's side. Earl of NORTHUMBERLAND, on King Henry's side. Earl of WESTMORELAND, on King Henry's side. Lord CLIFFORD, on King Henry's side. RICHARD PLANTAGENET, Duke of York. EDWARD. earl of March, afterwards King Edward IV., son to the Duke of York. EDMUND, Earl of Rutland, son to the Duke of York. GEORGE, afterwards Duke of Clarence, son to the Duke of York. RICHARD, afterwards Duke of Gloster, son to the Duke of York. DUKE of NORFOLK, of the Duke of York's party.. Marquis of MONTAGUE, of the Duke of York's party. Earl of WARWICK of the Duke of York's party. Earl of PEMBROKE, of the Duke of York's party. Lord HASTINGS, of the Duke of York's party. Lord STAFFORD, of the Duke of York's party. Sir JOHN MORTIMER, uncle to the Duke of York, Sir HUGH MORTIMER, uncle to the Duke of York. HENRY, Earl of Richmond, a Youth. Lord RIVERS, brother to Lady Grey. Slr WILLIAM STANLEY. Sir JOHN MONTGOMERY. Sir JOHN SOMERVILLE. Tutor to Rutland, Mayor of London. Lieutenant of the Tower. A Nobleman, Two Keepers. A Huntsman. A Son that has killed his Father. Lady GREY, afterwards Queen to Edward IV. SCENE.-During part of the Third Act, in France; during all the rest of the Play, in England. SCENE I.-London. ACT I. The Parliament House. Drums. Some Soldiers of YORK's Party break in. Then enter the Duke of YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and others, with white roses in their hats. War. I wonder how the king escap'd our hands. York. While we pursued the horsemen of the north, He slily stole away, and left his men: Whereat the great lord of Northumberland, Is either slain or wounded dangerous: sons. But, 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 so do 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 perforce. [They retire. York. The queen, this day, here holds her parliament, But little thinks we shall be of her council: house. War. The bloody parliament this shall be call'd Unless Plantagenet, duke of York, be king; And bashful Henry depos'd, whose cowardice War. Neither the king, nor he that loves him best, The proudest he that holds up Lancaster, 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 To make a shainbles of the parliament-house! York. I am thine. Exe. For shame, come down; he made thee Duke of York. York. It was 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. forget You 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. I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger, War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worthless threats? 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; War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost Let's fight it out, and not stand cavilling thus. 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? War. Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. crown. York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king. Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir? 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? 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. |