true.

War. You were best to go to bed, and dream again,

To keep thee from the tempest of the field.
Clif. I am resolved 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,
This day I'll wear aloft my burgonet,
(As on a mountain top the cedar shews,
That keeps his leaves in spite of any storm),
Even to affright thee with the view thereof.
Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy bear,
And tread it under foot with all contempt,
Despight the bear-ward 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.-St. Albans.

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 alarm, And dead men's cries do till 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.

Enter YORK.

How now, my noble lord? What, all a-foot!
York. The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed;
But match to match I have encountered him,
And made a prey for carrion kites and crows
Even of the borny beast he loved so well.

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 es

teem,

But that 'tis shewn 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!Yok. A dreadful lay f!-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

Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
| Particularities and petty sounds
To cease1-Wast thou ordain'd, dear father,
To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve t
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 Absyrus did:
In cruelty will I seek out my fame.
Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford's house;
[Taking up the Body.
As did Æneas old Anchises bear,
So bear I thee úpon my manly shoulders;
But then Æneas bare a living load,
Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine.

[Exit,

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. [Erit. Alarums Excursions.—Enter King HENRY, Queen MARGABET, 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.

[Alarum afar eft. If you be taken, we then should see the bottom 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 loved; 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 mischiet set,

I would speak blasphemy ere bid you fly;
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 SA diers, with Drum and Colours.

York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him;
That winter lion, who, in rage, forgets
Aged contusions and all brash 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,

Taree 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, still there 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:
God knows, how long it is I have to live;
And it hath pleased him, that three times to-day
You have defended me from imminent death.-
Well, lords, we have not got that which we have+:

⚫i. e. Three times I saw him fallen, and, striding over him, defended him till he recovered. ↑ We have not secured what we have acquired.

SCENE I.-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 escaped our hands. York. While we pursued the horsemen of the north,

He slyly 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,
Charged our main battle's front, and breaking in,
Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.
Edw. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Bucking-
ham,

Is either slain, or wounded dangerous:
I cleft his beaver with a downright blow;
That this is true, father, behold his blood.
[Shewing his bloody Sword.
Mont. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's
blood,
[To York, shewing his.
Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd.
Rich. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I
[Throwing down the Duke of

did.

Somerset's Head. York. Richard hath best deserved of all my

sons.

What, 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 by force.

[They retire. York. The queen, this day, here holds her parlia ment,

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 deposed, whose cowardice Hath made us by-words to our enemies.

York. Then leave me not, my lords; be resolute; I mean to take possession of my right. War. Neither the king, nor he that loves him best,

The proudest he that holds up Lancaster, Dares stir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells. I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares :Resolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown. [Warwick leads York to the Throne, whe seats himself.

Flourish: Enter King HENRY, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and others, with Red Roses in their Hats.

K. Ken. 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 revenged on me! Clif. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn 10 steel.

West. What, shall we suffer this? Let's plack him down:

My heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it.
K. Ken. Be patient, gentle earl of Westmoreland.
Clif. Patience is for poltroons, and such as he:

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

He durst not sit there, had your father lived.
My gracious lord, here in the parliament
Let us assail the family of York.

North. Well hast thou spoken, cousin; be it so. K. Ken. 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 deceived, I am thine.

Exe. For shame, come down; he made thee duke of York.

York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the carldom

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. You forget, That we are those, which chased 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. West. Plantagenet, of thee, and these thy sons, Thy kinsmen, and thy friends, I'll have more lives,

Than drops of blood were in my father's veins.

Clif. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of words I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger, As shall revenge his death, before I stir.

War. Poor Clifford ! How I scorn his worthless threats!

York. Will you, we shew 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 ;
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 seized upon their towns and provinces.

War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all.

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 lovest 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 my kingly throne,

Wherein my grandsire, and my father sat?
No: first shall war unpeople this thy realm;
Ay, and their colours-often borne in France;
And now in England, to our heart's great sorrow,-
Shall be my winding-sheet.-Why faint you, lords?
My title's good, and better far than his.
War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king.

• Since.

K. Hen, Henry the fourth by conquest got the

crown.

York. Twas by rebellion against his king.
K. Hen. I know not what to say; my title's
weak.

Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir?
York. What then?

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.

North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st, Think not, that Henry shall be so deposed.

War. Deposed he shall be, in despite of all. North. Thou art deceived: 'tis not thy southern

power,

Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,-
Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,-
Can set the duke up, in despite of me.

Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence:
Clif. King Henry, be thy title right or wrong,
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; Or I will fill the house with armed men, And, o'er the chair of state, where now he sits, Write up his title with usurping blood.

[He stamps, and the Soldiers shew themselves. K. Hen. My lord of Warwick, hear me but one word;

Let me, for this my life-time, reign as king.
York. Confirm the crown to me and to mine

heirs,

Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.
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 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.

* i. e. Detrimental to the general rights of hereditary royalty.

Whose hanghty spirit, winged with desire,
Will cost 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:
I'll write unto them, and entreat them fair;-
Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger.
Ere. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all.
[Exeunt.

castle.

War. And I'll keep London with my soldiers.
Norf. And I to Norfolk, with my followers.
Mont. And I unto the sea, from whence I came.
[Exeunt York, and his Sons, Warwick, Norfolk,
Montagne, Soldiers, and Attendants.

K. Hen. And I, with grief and sorrow, to the

court.

Enter Queen MARGARET and the Prince of WALES. Exe. Here comes the queen, whose looks bewray her anger:

I'll steal away.

K. Hen. Exeter, so will I.

[Going.

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

K. Hen. Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay. Q. Mar. Who can be patient in such extremes? Ah, wretched man! 'would I had died a maid, And never seen thee, never borne thee son, Seeing thou hast proved so unnatural a father! Hath he deserved to lose his birth-right thus Hadst thou but loved him half so well 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 savage duke thine heir, And disinherited thine only son.

Prince. Father, you cannot disinherit me: If you be king, why should not I succeed?

K. Hen. Pardon me, Margaret ;-Pardon me

sweet son

The earl of Warwick, and the duke enforced me. Q. Mar. Enforced thee! Art thou king, and wilt be forced?

I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch!
Thou hast undone thyself, thy son, and 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,
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 Faulconbridge commands the narrow seas;
The duke is made protector of the realm;
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,
Before I would have granted to that act.
But thou preferr'st thy life before thine honour:
And, seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself,
Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed,
Until that act of parliament be repeal'd,
Whereby my son is disinherited.

The northern lords, that have forsworn thy colours,
Will follow mine, if once they see them spread:
And spread they shall be; to thy foul disgrace,
And utter ruin of the house of York.
Thus do I leave thee:-Come, son, let's away;.
Our army's ready; come, we'll after them.

K. Hen. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak.

Q. Mar. Thou hast spoke too much already; get thee gone.

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,

I'll see your grace: till then, I'll follow her.
Q. Mar. Come, son, away; we may not linger

thus.

field, in Yorkshire.

York. I shall be, if I claim by open war. Rich. I'll prove the contrary, if you'll hear me speak.

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;
Then, seeing 'twas he that made you to depose,
Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous.
Therefore, to arms. And, father, do but think,
How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown;
Within whose circuit is Elysium,
And all that poets feign of bliss and joy.
Why do we finger thus? I cannot rest,
Until the white rose, that I wear, be dyed
Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart.
York. Richard, enough; I will be king, or die.-
Brother, thou shalt to London presently,
And whet on Warwick to this enterprise.-
Thou, Richard, shalt unto the duke of Norfolk,
And tell him privily of our intent.-

You, Edward, shall unto my lord Cobham,
With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise:
In them I trust; for they are soldiers,
Witty and courteous, liberal, fall of spirit.-
While you are thus employ'd, what resteth more,
But that I seek occasion how to rise;
And yet the king not privy to my drift,
Nor any of the house of Lancaster?

Enter a MESSENGER.

But, stay; what news? Why comest thou in such post?

Mess. The queen, with all the northern earls and lords,

Intend here to besiege you in your castle:
She is hard by with twenty thousand men;
And therefore fortify your hold, my lord.
York. Ay, with my sword. What! think'st thou,
that we fear them-

Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me;-
My brother Montague shall post to London:
Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest,
Whom we have left protectors of the king,
With powerful policy strengthen themselves,
And trust not simple Henry, nor his oaths.
Mont. Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it not:
And thus most humbly I do take my leave. [Erit