Think not that Henry fhall be fo depos'd.

War. Depos'd he fhall be in defpight of all.

North. Thou art deceiv'd: 'tis not thy fouthern power Of Effex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,

Which makes thee thus 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!

1

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 this houfe with armed men,

And o'er the chair of state where now he fits

Write up his title with ufurping blood.

[He ftamps with his foot, and the Soldiers fhew themselves. K. Henry. My Lord of Warwick, hear me but one word; Let me for the time prefent reign as King.

York. Confirm the crown to me and to mine heirs,
And thou shalt 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 fan!
War. What good is this to England and himself!
Weft. Bafe, fearful and defpairing Henry
Clif. How haft thou injur'd both thy self and us!
Weft I cannot stay to hear these articles.

North. Nor I.

Clif. Come, coufin, let us tell the Queen these news. Weft. Farewel, faint-hearted and degen'rate King, In whofe cold blood no fpark of honour bides!

North. Be thou a 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! [Ex.Nor.Clif. Weft.

of this time

SCENE

War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not.. Exe. They feek revenge, and therefore will not yield. K. Henry. Ah, Exeter!

War. Why fhould you figh, my Lord?

K. Henry. Not for my felf, Lord Warwick, but my fon, 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 thou take an oath
To ceafe this civil war; and whilft I live,

To honour me as 5 'thy true King and Sovereign;
Neither by treafon nor hoftility

To seek to put me down, and reign thy self.

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 fons! York. Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd.

Exe. Accurs'd be he that feeks to make them foes!

[Tucket. Here they come down. York. Farewel, my gracious Lord, I'll to my caftle. War. And I'll keep London with my foldiers. Norf. And I to Norfolk with my followers. Mont. And I unto the fea, from whence I came.

[Ex. York, War. Norf, and Mont.

K. Henry. And I with grief and forrow to the Court.

Enter Queen Margaret, and the Prince of Wales.

Exe. Here comes the Queen, whofe looks bewray her I'll fteal away.

K. Henry. So, Exeter, will I.

[anger. [Going.

Q. Mar. Nay, go not from me, I will follow thee.

K. Henry. Be patient, gentle Queen, and I will stay.. Q. Mar. Who can be patient in fuch extreams? Ah wretched man! would I had dy'd a maid,

N4

And

5 thy King

And never feen thee, never born thee son,
Seeing thou haft prov'd fo unnatural a father.
Hath he deferv'd to lofe his birth-right thus?
Hadft thou but lov'd him half fo much 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 favage Duke thine heir,
And difinherited thine only fon.

Prince. Father, you cannot difinherit me:

If you be King, why fhould not I fucceed?

4

K. Henry. Pardon me, Margret; pardon me, fweet fon;
The Earl of Warwick and the Duke enforc'd me. [forc'd?
Q. Mar. Enforc'd thee? art thou King, and wilt be
I fhame to hear thee fpeak; ah tim'rous wretch!
Thou haft undone thy felf, thy fon, and me,
And given unto the house of York fuch head,
As thou shalt reign but by their fufferance.
To entail him and his heirs unto the crown,
What is it but to make thy fepulchre,
And creep into it far before thy time?
Warwick is Chancellor and the Lord of Calais,
Stern Faulconbridge commands the narrow feas,
The Duke is made Protector of the realm,
And yet fhalt thou be fafe? fuch fafety finds
The trembling lamb, invironed with wolves.
Had I been there, which am a filly woman,
The foldiers fhould have tofs'd me on their pikes,
Before I would have granted to that act.
But thou preferr'ft thy life before thine honour,
And feeing thou doft, I here divorce my felf
Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed,
Until that act of Parliament be repealed,
Whereby my fon is difinherited.

The northern Lords, that have forfworn thy colours,
Will follow mine, if once they fee them fpread;
And spread they fhall be, to thy foul difgrace,
And utter ruin of the houfe of York.

Thus

Thus do I leave thee; come, fon, let's away,
Our army's ready, come, we'll after them.

K.Henry. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me fpeak. Q.Mar. Thou haft fpoke too much already; get thee gone. K. Henry. Gentle fon Edward, thou wilt stay with me? Q. Mar. Ay, to be murther'd by his enemies. Prince. When I return with victory from the field I'll fee your Grace; 'till then I'll follow her.

Q. Mar. Come, fon, away, we may not linger thus.
[Exeunt Q. Mar, and Prince.
K. Henry. Poor Queen, how love to me and to her fon
Hath made her break out into terms of rage!
Reveng'd may she be on that hateful Duke,
Whofe haughty fpirit winged with defire
Will trufs my crown, and like an empty eagle
Tire on the flesh of me and of my son!

The lofs of those three Lords torments my heart;
I'll write unto them, and intreat them fair;

Come, coufin, you shall be the messenger.

Exe. And as I hope fhall reconcile them all. [Exeunt.

Changes to Sandal-Caftle in Yorkshire.

Enter Richard Plantagenet, Edward Plantagenet, 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 the Duke of York.

York. Why, how now, fons and brother, at a ftrife?

What is your quarrel? how began it first?
Edw. No quarrel, but a sweet contention.

6 coft

York.

York. About what?

Rich. About that which concerns your Grace and us, 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 th' houfe of Lancaster leave to breathe, It will out-run you, father, in the end.

York. I took an oath that he fhould quietly reign. Edw. But for a kingdom any oath may be broken: I'd break a thoufand oaths to reign one year.

Rich. No; God forbid your Grace fhould be forfworn! York. I fhall be, if I claim by open war.

Rich. I'll prove the contrary, if you'll hear me fpeak. York. Thou can't not, fon, it is impoffible.

Rich. An oath is of no moment, being not took
Before a true and lawful magiftrate,

That hath authority o'er him that fwears.
Henry had none, but did ufurp the place."
Then feeing 'twas he that made you to depofe,
Your oath, my Lord, is vain and frivolous;
Therefore to arms! and, father, do but think
How fweet a thing it is to wear a crown,
Within whofe circuit is Elyfium
And all that poets feign of blifs and joy.
Why do we linger thus? I cannot rest,
Until the white rofe that I wear be dy'd
Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart.
York. Richard, enough: I will be King, or die.
Brother, thou shalt to London prefently,

And whet on Warwick to this enterprize.

Thou, Richard, fhalt to th' Duke of Norfolk go,
And tell him privily of our intent.

You, Edward, fhall unto my 7'Lord of Cobham,
With whom the Kentifhmen will willingly rife.
In them I truft; for they are foldiers,

''Wealthy and courteous, liberal, full of fpirit

While

7 Lord Cobham, 8 Witty, courteous, old edit. Theob. emend.