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Tork. Richard hath beft deferv'd of all my 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 fo do I, victorious Prince of York
Before I fee thee feated in the Throne,
Which now the Houfe of Lancaster ufurps,
I vow by Heav'n, thefe Eyes fhall never close.
This is the Palace of the fearful King,
And this the Regal Seat; poffefs it York.
For this is thine, and not King Henry's Heirs.
York. Affift me then, fweet Warwick, and I will;
For hither we have broken in by force.

Norf. We'll all affift you; he that flies fhall die.
York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk; ftay by me my Lords,
And Soldiers ftay and lodge by me this Night. [They go up.
War. And when the King comes, offer him no violence,
Unless he feek to thrust you out by force.

Tork. The Queen this day here holds her Parliament,
But little thinks we fhall be of her Counfel;
By Words or Blows here let us win our right.
Rich. Arm'd as we are, let's ftay within this House.
War. The bloody Parliament fhall this be call'd,
Unless Plantagenet, Duke of York, be King,
Ard bashful Henry depos'd, whofe Cowardise
Hath made us by-words to our Enemies.

York. Then leave me not, my Lords, be refolute,
I mean to take poffeffion of my Right.

War. Neither the King, nor he that loves him best, The proudest He that holds up Lancafter.

Dares ftir a Wing, if Warwick shake his Bells.

I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dare:
Refolve thee Richard, claim the English Crown.

Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northumberland, Weftmorland, Exeter, and others.

K. Henry. My Lords, look where the fturdy Rebel fits, Even in the Chair of State; belike he means,

Back'd by the Power of Warwick, that falfe Peer,
To afpire unto the Crown, and Reign as King.
Earl of Northumberland, he flew thy Father,

And

And thine, Lord Clifford, and you have both vow'd revenge
On him, his Sons, his Favourites, and his Friends.
North. If I be not, Heav'ns be reveng'd on me.
Clif. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in Steel.
Weft. What, fhall we fuffer this? Let's pluck him down.
My Heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it.

K. Henry. Be patient, gentle Earl of Westmorland.
Clif. Patience is for Poltroons, and fuch is he :
He durft not fit there had your Father liv'd.
My gracious Lord, here in the Parliament
Let us affail the Family of York.

North. Well haft thou spoken, Coufin be it fo.
K. Henry. Ah, know you not the City favours them,
And they have Troops of Soldiers at their beck?

Weft. But when the Duke is flain, they'll quickly fly.
K. Henry. Far be the thought of this from Henry's Heart,
To make a Shambles of the Parliament House.

Coufin of Exeter, Frowns, Words, and Threats,

Shall be the War that Henry means to use.

Thou factious Duke of York, defcend my Throne,

And kneel for Grace and Mercy at my

I am thy Soveraign.

York, Henry I am thine.

Feet,

Exe. For fhame 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 ufurping Henry.

Clif. Whom should he follow, but his natural King?
War. True, Clifford, and that's Richard Duke of York.
K. Henry. And thall I ftand, and thou fit in my Throne?
Tork. It muft and fhall be fo, content thy felf.

War. Be Duke of Lancaster, let him be King. Weft. He is both King and Duke of Lancaster, And that the Lord of Westmorland fhall maintain. War. And Warwick fhall difprove it. You forget, That we are thofe which chas'd you from the Field, And flew your Fathers, and with Colours fpread March'd threw the City to the Palace Gates.

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North. Yes, Warwick, I remember it to my grief.
And by his Soul, thou and thy Houfe fhall rue it.
Weft. Plantagenet, of thee and thefe thy Sons,
Thy Kinfmen, and thy Friends, I'll have more lives
Thin drops of Blood were in my Father's Veins.
Clif. Urge it no more, left that inftead of words
I fend thee, Warwick, fuch a Meffenger,
As fhall revenge his Death, before I ftir.

War. Poor Clifford! how I fcorn his worthless Threats.
Tork. Will you, we fhew our Title to the Crown?
If not, our Swords fhall plead it, in the Field.

K. Henry. What Title haft 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 feiz'd upon their Towns and Provinces.

War. Talk not of France, fith thou haft loft it all.
K. Henry. The Lord Protector loft 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 lofe:

Father, tear the Crown from the Ufurper's Head.
Edw. Sweet Father do fo, fet it on your Head.
Mount. Good Brother,

As thou lov'ft and honoureft Arms,

Let's fight it out, and not ftand cavelling thus.

fly.

Rich. Sound Drums and Trumpet, and the King will

York. Sons, Peace.

K. Henry. Peace thou, and give King Henry leave to speak. War. Plantagenet fhall fpeak firft: Here him Lords, filent and attentive too,

And be you

For he that interrupts him, thall not live.

K. Henry. Think'ft thou that I will leave my Kingly Throne, Wherein my Grandfire and my Father fat? No; firft fhall War unpeople this my Realm; Ay, and their Colours often born in France, And now in England, to our Hearts great Sorrow, Shall be my Winding-fheet: Why faint My Title's good, and better far than his.

you,

Lords?

War.

War. But prøve it, Henry, and thou shalt be King.
K. Henry. Henry the Fourth by Conqueft got the Crown.
Tork. 'Twas by Rebellion against his King.

K. Henry. I know not what to fay, my Title's weak:
Tell me, may not a King adopt an Heir?

Tork. What then?

K. Henry. And if he may, then am I lawful King:
For Richard, in the view of many Lords,
Refign'd the Crown to Henry the Fourth,
Whose Heir my Father was, and I am his.
York. He rofe against him, being his Soveraign,
And made him to refign his Crown perforce.
War. Suppofe, my Lords, he did it unconstrain'd,
Think you 'twere prejudicial to his Crown?

Exe. No; for he could not fo refign his Crown,
But that the next Heir fhould fucceed and reign.
K. Henry. 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 Confcience tells me, he is lawful King.
K. Henry. All will revolt from me, and turn to him,
North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st,
Think not, that Henry fhall be depos'd.

War. Depos'd he fall be, in despite of all,
North. Thou art deceiv'd:

'Tis not thy Southern Power

Of Effex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,
Which makes thee thes prefumptuous and proud,
Can fet the Duke up in defpight of me.

Clif. King Henry, be thy Title right or wrong,
Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence;
May that ground gape, and fwallow me alive,
Where I fhall kneel to him that flew my Father.

K. Henry. Oh Clifford, how thy words revive my Heart.
York. Henry of Lancaster, refign thy Crown:
What mutter you, or what confpire you, Lords?
War. Do right unto this Princely Duke of York,
Or I will fill the Houfe with armed Men,
And o'er the Chair of State, where now he fits,
Write up his Title with ufurping Blood.

[He stamps with his foot, and the Soldiers fhew themselves.

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K Henry

R. Henry. My Lord of Warwick, hear me but one word; Let me for this time reign as King.

York Confirm the Crown to me, and to mine Heirs,
And thou fhalt Reign in quiet while thou liv'ft.
K. Henry. 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?
Weft. Bafe, fearful, and defpairing Henry!

Clif. How halt thou injur'd both thy felf and us!
Weft. I cannot ftay to hear thefe Articles.

North. Nor It

Clif. Come Coufin, let us tell the Queen thefe News.
Weft. Farewel, faint-hearted and degenerate King,
In whofe cold Blood no fpark of Honour bides.
North. Be thou à prey unto the House of York,
And die in Bands, for this unmanly deed.

Clif. In dreadful War, may'ft thou be overcome,
Or live in Peace abandon'd and defpis'd.

Exeunt Nor, Cliff. Weftm. War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not. Exe. They feek revenge, and therefore will not yield. K. Henry. Ah Exeter !

War. Why should you figh, my Lord?

K. Henry. Not for my felf, Lord Warwick, but my Son, Whom I unnaturally fhall difinherit.

But be it as it may; I here entail

The Crown to thee, and to thine Heirs for ever?
Conditionally, that here you take an Oath,
To cease this Civil War; and whilst I live,
To honour me as thy King and Soveraign:
Neither by Treafon nor Hoftility,

To feek to put me down, and Reign thy felf.

York. This Oath I willingly take, and will perform.
War. Long live King Henry: Plantagenet, embrace him.
K. Henry. And long live thou, and these thy forward Sons.
York. Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd.

Exe. Accurft be he that seeks to make them Foes.

Sonet. Here they come down.

York. Farewel, my gracious Lord, I'll to my Castle.
War. And I'll keep London with my Soldiers.

Norf.

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