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, To cease!t-Wast thou ordain'd, dear father, 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; Enter RICHARD PLANTAGENET and SOMERSET, fighting, und 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 [Alarum afar off. f you be ta'en, 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 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 Scidiers, 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. Rich. My noble father, Three times to-day I holp him to his horse, And like rich hangings in a homely house, Enter SALISBURY. Sal. Now, by my sword, well hast thou By the mass, so did we all.-I thank you, Tis not enough our foes are this time fled, I. c. We have not secured that which we have acquired. +1. e. Being enemies that are likely so soon to rally and recover themselves from this defeat. DUKE OF SOMERSET, DUKE OF EXE- Lords EDMUND, Earl of Rutland, Uncles to the Duke of York. SIR JOHN MORTIMER, -SIR JOHN SOMERVILLE.-TUTOR to Rutland.-MAYOR of York.-LIEUTENANT of the Tower. A NOBLEMAN.-Two KEEPERS.—A HUNTSMAN.-A Son that has killed his Father. A Father that has killed his Son. GEORGE, afterwards Duke of Cla-His Sons. QUEEN MARGARET. LADY GREY, afterwards Queen to Edward IV. BONA, Sister to the French Queen. Soldiers, and other attendants on King Henry and King Edward, Messengers, Watchmen, &c. SCENE, during part of the third Act, in France; during all the rest of the Play, in England. ACT I. 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 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: [Showing his bloody Sword. Mont. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's blood, [To YORK, showing his. Whom 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. 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 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:(crown. | Resolve thee, Richard; claim the English [WARWICK Leads YORK to the Throne, who seats himself. 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: My heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it. K. Hen. Be patient, gentle earl of West | 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, 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, [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 Mont. Good brother, [To YORK.] as thou lov'st and honour'st arms, Let's fight it out, and not stand cavilling thus. 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, K. Hen. Think'st thou, that I will leave my kingly throne, Wherein my grandsire, and my father, sat? War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. * Since. K. Hen. An if he may, then am I lawful king: For Richard, in the view of many lords, 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, [reign. But that the next heir should succeed and K. Hen. Art thou against us, duke of Exe ter? Clif. Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these news. West. Farewell, faint-hearted and degenerate king, In whose cold blood no spark of honour bides. And die in bands for this unmanly deed! K. Hen. Ah, Exeter! War. Why should you sigh, my lord? Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit. perform. [Coming from the Throne. 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 recon Ah, wretched man! 'would I had died a maid, And never seen thee, never borne thee son, Seeing thou hast prov'd so unnatural a father. Hath he deserv'd to lose his birthright thus? Hadst thou but lov'd him half so well as 1; 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 heartblood there, Rather than made that savage duke thine heir, And disinherited thine only son. Betray, discover. |