By what we can, which can no more but fly.
[Alarum afar off.
If 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, 80
We shall to London get, where you are loved
And where this breach now in our fortunes
made

May leadily be stopp'd.

Re-enter young CLIFFORD.

Y. Clif. But that my heart's on future mischief 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 St. Alban's. Alarum. Retreat. Enter YORK, RICHARD, WARWICK, and Soldiers, with drum and colors.

York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him, That winter lion, who in rage forgets Aged contusions and all brush 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, Three times to-day I holp him to his horse

'Tis not enough our foes are this time fled, Being opposites of such repairing nature. York. I know our safety is to follow them; For, as I hear, the king is fled to London, To call a present court of parliament. Let us pursue him ere the writs go forth. What says Lord Warwick ? shall we after them ? [can.

War. After them! nay, before them, if we Now, by my faith, lords, 'twas a glorious day: Saint Alban's battle won by famcus York 30 Shall be eternized in all age to come. Sound drums and trumpets, and to London 211: And more such days as these to us befall!

[Exeunt

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 escaped our hands.

York. While we pursued 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, Charged our main battle's front, and breaking

in

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

Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd.
Rich. Speak thou for me and tell then
what I did.

[Throwing down the Duke of Somerset's head

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

20 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.

30 York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk: stay by me, my lords;

And, soldiers, stay and lodge by me this night. [They go up. War. And when the king comes, offer him no violence,

Unless he seek to thrust you out perforce. York. The queen this day here holds her parliament,

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, 40 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

K. Hen. Far be the thought of this from Henry's heart, 70 To make a shambles of the parliament-house ! Cousin of Exeter, frowns, words and threats Shall be the war that Henry means to use. Thou factious Duke of York, descend my throne,

And kneel for grace and mercy at my feet;
I am thy sovereign.
York.
Exe. For shame, come down he made thee
Duke of York.

I am thine.

:

York. 'Twas 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 usurping Henry.

81

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 iny 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 90

And slew your fathers, and with colors 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.

York. Will you we show our title to the crown ?

If not, our swords shall plead it in the field. K. Hen. What titlo 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.

110

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. 150

K. Hen. [Aside] All will revolt from me, and turn to him. [lay'st North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou 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.

Clif King Henry, be thy title right or

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 honor me as thy king and sovereign,
And neither by treason nor hostility

To seek to put me down and reign thyself 200 York. This oath I willingly take and will perform.

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 reconciled.

Exe. Accursed be he that seeks to make them foes! [Sennet. Here they come down.

York. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my 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

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 birthright thus ?
Hadst thou but loved him half so well as I, 220
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 have 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 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 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

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

or:

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.

250 The northern lords that have forsworn thy colors

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 is 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.
[with me?
K. Hen. Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay
Q. Mar. Ay, to be murder'd by his ene-
mies.
260

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.

[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
Revenged may she be on that hateful duke,
Whose haughty 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:
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.