SCENE I. [London. The Parliament-house.] Alarum. Enter the DUKE OF YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and Soldiers.

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 abreast,
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,

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Is either slain or wounded dangerous;
I cleft his beaver with a downright blow.
That this is true, father, behold his blood.
Mont. And, brother, here's the Earl of Wilt-
shire's blood,

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Whom I encount'red as the battles join'd.
Rich. Speak thou for me and tell them what
I did.

[Showing the Duke of Somerset's
head.]

York. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my

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

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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; be re

solute;

I mean to take possession of my right.

Than drops of blood were in my father's veins. Clif. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of words,

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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 we show 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; 186 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 seiz'd upon their towns and provinces. War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all.

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K. Hen. The Lord Protector lost it, and

not I.

K. Hen. [Aside.] All will revolt from me, and turn to him.

North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st,

Think not that Henry shall be so depos'd.
War. Depos'd he shall be, in despite of all.
North. Thou art deceiv'd. 'Tis not thy
southern power,

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Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent, Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,

Can set the Duke up in despite of me.

Clif. King Henry, be thy title right or wrong, Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence. 160 May that ground gape and swallow me alive, Where I shall kneel to him that slew my father! K. Hen. O Clifford, how thy words revive my heart!

York. Henry of Lancaster, resign thy crown. What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords? War. Do right unto this princely Duke of York,

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Or I will fill the house with armed men, And over the chair of state, where now he sits,

Write up his title with usurping blood. [He stamps with his foot, and the Soldiers show themselves.

Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.
But be it as it may. [To York.] 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.

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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!

206

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, 225
What is it, but to make thy sepulchre
And creep into it far before thy time?

Warwick is chancellor and the lord of Calais ;
Stern Falconbridge commands the narrow seas;
The Duke is made Protector of the realm; 240
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

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Before I would have granted to that act.
But thou preferr'st thy life before thine hon-

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

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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, 56
Whose haughty spirit, winged with desire,
Will coast 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.

270

I'll write unto them and entreat them fair.
Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger.
Exe. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all.
[Exeunt.

[SCENE II. Sandal Castle.]

Enter RICHARD, EDWARD, 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, sons and brother! at a strife?

What is your quarrel! How began it first? 5 Edw. No quarrel, but a slight contention. 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.

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Rich. Your right depends not on his life or death.

Edw. Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it

now.

By giving the house of Lancaster leave to breathe,

It will outrun you, father, in the end.
York. I took an oath that he should quietly

reign.

Edw. But for a kingdom any oath may be

broken.

I would break a thousand oaths to reign one

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;

When as the enemy hath been ten to one; Why should I not now have the like success? 78 [Alarum. Exeunt.

[SCENE III. Field of battle betwixt Sandal Castle and Wakefield.]

[Alarums.] Enter RUTLAND 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.

As for the brat of this accursed duke,
Whose father slew my father, he shall die.
Tut. And I, my lord, will bear him company.
Clif. Soldiers, away with him!

Tut. Ah, Clifford, murder not this innocent

child,

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. 15 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 father's blood

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Were not revenge sufficient for me;
No, if I digg'd up thy forefathers' graves
And hung their rotten coffins up in chains,
It could not slake mine ire, nor ease my heart.
The sight of any of the house of York
Is as a fury to torment my soul;
And till I root out their accursed line
And leave not one alive, I live in hell.
Therefore
[Lifting his hand.
Rut. O, let me pray before I take my death
To thee I pray; sweet Clifford, pity me!
Clif. Such pity as my rapier's point affords.
Rut. I never did thee harm; why wilt thou
slay me?
Clif. Thy father hath.
Rut.
But 'twas ere I
was born.
Thou hast one son; for his sake pity me,
Lest in revenge thereof, sith God is just,
He be as miserably slain as I.

Ah, let me live in prison all my days;
And when I give occasion of offence,

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Then let me die, for now thou hast no cause, us