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Clif. Health and all happiness to my lord the
king!
[Kneels.
York. I thank thee, Clifford : Say, what news
with thee?

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

Clif. This is my king, York, I do not mis-
take;

Sal. My lord, I have consider'd with my
The title of this most renowned duke;
And in my conscience do repnte his grace
The rightful heir to England's royal seat.
K. Hen. Hast thou not sworn allegiance

unto me?

Sal. I have.

K. Hen. Canst thou dispense with heaven for such an oath?

But thou mistak'st me much, to think I do:- Sal. It is great sin, to swear unto a sin;
To Bedlam with him! is the man grown mad? But greater sin, to keep a sinful oath.
K. Hen. Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambi- | Who can be bound by any solemn vow
tious humour
To do a murderous deed, to rob a man,
To force a spotless virgin's chastity,
To reave the orphan of his patrimony,
To wring the widow from her custom'd right;
And have no other reason for this wrong,
But that he was bound by a solemn oath?

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

Q. Mar. He is arrested, but will not obey;
His sons, he says, shall give their words for

him.

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were best to go to bed, and dream again,

I am thy king, and thou a false-heart trai-To keep thee from the tempest of the field.

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 to death,

And manacle the bear-ward† in their chains, If thou dar'st bring them to the baitingplace.

Rich. Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening

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ruffian,

And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles?
O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty?
If it be banish'd from the frosty head,
Where shall it find a harbour in the earth ?—
Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And shame thine honourable age with blood?
Why art thou old, and want'st experience?
Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?
For shame! in duty bend thy knee to me,
That bows unto the grave with mickle age.

The Nevils, carls of Warwick, had a bear and ragged
staff for their crest.
+ Bear-keeper.

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 Ne-
vil's crest,

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

Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy

bear,

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But match to match I have encounter'd him, And made a prey for carrion kites and crows Even of the bonny beast he lov'd so well.

Enter CLIFFORD.

War. Of one or both of us the time is come. York. Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chace,

For I myself must hunt this deer to death. War. Then, nobly, York; 'tis for a crown thou fight'st.

As I intend, Clifford, to thrive to-day, It grieves my soul to leave thee unassail'd. [Exit WARWICK. Clif. What seest thou in me, York? why dost thou pause?

York. With thy brave bearing should I be in love,

But that thou art so fast mine enemy.

Clif. Nor should thy prowess want praise

and esteem,

But that 'tis shown ignobly and in treason. York. So let it help me now against thy sword,

As I in justice and true right express it! Clif. My soul and body on the action both!

York. A dreadful lay!*-address thee instantly.

[They fight, and CLIFFORD falls. Clif. La fin couronne les oeuvres. [Dies. York. Thus war hath given thee peace, for

thou art still. Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will! [Exit.

Enter young CLIFFORD.

Y. Clif. Shame and confusion! all is on the rout;

Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds Where it should guard. O war, thou son of hell,

Whom angry heavens do make their minister,

Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part
Hot coals of vengeance!-Let no soldier fly:
He that is truly dedicate to war,
Hath no self-love; nor he, that loves himself,
Hath not essentially, but by circumstance,
The name of valour.-O, let the vile world
end,
[Seeing his dead Father.
And the premised+ flames of the last day
Knit earth and heaven together!
Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds

To cease!t-Wast thou ordain'd, dear father,
To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve
The silver livery of advised|| age;

And, in thy reverence, and thy chair-days, thus

To die in ruffian battle?-Even at this sight, My heart is turn'd to stone: and, while 'tis mine,

It shall be stony. York not our old men spares;
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:
Meet I an infant of the house of York,
Into as many gobbets will I cut it,
As wild Medea young Absyrtus did:
In cruelty will I seek out my fame.

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Enter RICHARD PLANTAGENET and SOMERSET, fighting, and SOMERSET is killed.

Rich. So, lie thou there,--

For, underneath an alehouse' paltry sign,
The Castle in Saint Albans, Somerset
Hath made the wizard famous in his death.-
Sword, hold thy temper; heart, be wrathful
still:

Priests pray for enemies, but princes kill.
[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, To give the enemy way: and to secure us By what we can, which can no more but fly. If you be ta'en, we then should see the bottom [Alarum afar off. Of all our fortunes: but if we haply scape, (As well we may, if not through your neglect,) We shall to London get; where you are lov'd; And where this breach, now in our fortunes made, May readily be stopp'd.

Enter young CLIFFORD.

Y. Clif. But that my heart's on future misI would speak blasphemy ere bid you fly; chief 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 Albans. 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;t 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.

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Enter SALISBURY.

Sul. Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought to-day; [Richard: By the mass, so did we all.-I thank you, God knows, how long it is I have to live; And it hath pleas'd him, that three times to-day You have defended me from imminent death.Well, lords, we have not got that which we have:

"Tis not enough our foes are this time fled, Being opposites of such repairing nature.t

1. c. We have not sec ni dat which we have acquired.

I. e. Being enemies that are likely so soon to rally and

recover themselves from this defeat.

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THIRD PART

OF

KING HENRY VI.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Lords on King Henry's

KING HENRY THE SIXTH.
EDWARD, Prince of Wales, his Son.
LEWIS XI. King of France.
DUKE OF SOMERSET,-DUKE OF EXE-
TER, EARL OF OXFORD,-EARL
OF NORTHUMBERLAND,-EARL OF
WESTMORELAND, LORD CLIFFORD,
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, Duke of York.
EDWARD, Earl of March, after-
wards King Edward IV.

EDMUND, Earl of Rutland,

side.

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GEORGE, afterwards Duke of Cla-His Sons. QUEEN MARGARET.

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LADY GREY, afterwards Queen to Edward IV. BONA, Sister to the French Queen.

Soldiers, and other attendants on King Henry and King Edward, Messengers, Watch men, &c.

SCENE, during part of the third Act, in France; during all the rest of the Play, in England.

ACT I.

SCENE 1.-London.-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 pursu'd the horsemen of the north,

He slily stole away, and left his men: Whereat the great lord of Northumberland, Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat, Cheer'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,

Were by the swords of common soldiers slain. Edw. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Buckingham,

Is either slain, or wounded dangerous:
I cleft his beaver with a downright blow;
That this is true, father, behold his blood.

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[Showing his bloody Sword. Mout. And, brother, here's the earl of Wilt-Unless shire's blood, [To YORK, showing his. Whor 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.

parliament,

But little thinks we shall be of her council: By words, or blows, here let us win our right.

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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, (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:

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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.

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?

Hawks had sometimes little bells hung on them, perhaps to dare the birds; that is, to fright them from rising.

War. True, Clitford; 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 thy. self.

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, [field, That we are those, which chas'd you from the 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

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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,

methinks, 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. 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.

K. Hen. Think'st thou, that I will leave m

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 sor-
[lords!
Shall be my winding sheet.-Why faint you,
My title's good, and better far than his.
War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be

row,

king.

* Since.

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