Exe. My conscience tells me he is lawful king. 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,

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:
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 show 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,

And thou shalt reign in quiet while thou liv'st.
K. Hen. I am content: Richard Plantagenet,
Enjoy the kingdom after my decease.

[son!

Clif. What wrong is this unto the prince your
War. What good is this to England, and himself!
West. Base, fearful, and despairing Henry!
Clif. How hast thou injur'd both thyself and us!
West. I cannot stay to hear these articles.
North. Nor I.

Clif. Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these

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.
York. This oath I willingly take, and will per-
form.
[Coming from the throne.
War. Long live king Henry!-Plantagenet, em-

brace him.

Enter QUEEN MARGARET and the PRINCE OF Wales,
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 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 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 have 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,

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 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 is ready; come, we'll after them.

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 linger thus? I cannot rest

Until the white rose, 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 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 of Cobham,
With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise:
In them I trust; for they are soldiers,
Witty, courteous, liberal, full 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?

SCENE III.-Plains near Sandal Castle. Alarums: Excursions. 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.

SCENE IV.]

Tut. Ah, Clifford, murder not this innocent child, Lest thou be hated both of God and man!

[Exit, forced off by Soldiers.

Clif. How now! is he dead already? Or is it fear That makes him close his eyes?-I'll open them. 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.Ah, gentle Clifford, kill me with thy sword, And not with such a cruel threatening 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

Hath stopp'd the passage where thy words should

enter.

Rut. Then let my father's blood open it again: He is a man, and, Clifford, cope with him.

Clif. Had I thy brethren here, their lives and thine

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 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.

SCENE IV. Another part of the plains.

Alarum. Enter YORK.

66

Enter QUEEN MARGARET, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND, and Soldiers.

Come, bloody Clifford,―rough Northumberland,— I dare your quenchless fury to more rage:

I am your butt, and I abide your shot.

North. Yield to our mercy, proud Plantagenet. Clif. Ay, to such mercy as his ruthless arm, With downright payment, show'd unto my father. Now Phaeton hath tumbled from his car, And made an evening at the noontide prick.

York. My ashes, as the phoenix, may bring forth A bird that will revenge upon you all: And in that hope I throw mine eyes to heaven, Scorning whate'er you can afflict me with. Why come you not? what! multitudes, and fear? Clif. So cowards fight when they can fly nc

farther;

So doves do peck the falcon's piercing talons;
So desperate thieves, all hopeless of their lives,
Breathe out invectives 'gainst the officers.

Jork. O Clifford, but bethink thee once again,
And in thy thought o'er-run my former time;
And, if thou canst for blushing, view this face,
And bite thy tongue, that slanders him with cow-

ardice,

Whose frown hath made thee faint and fly ere this. Clif. I will not bandy with thee word for word, But buckle with thee blows, twice two for one.

[Draws. Q. Mar. Hold, valiant Clifford! for a thousand

causes

I would prolong a while the traitor's life.Wrath makes him deaf:-speak thou, Northumberland.

North. Hold, Clifford! do not honour him so

much

To prick thy finger, though to wound his heart:
What valour were it, when a cur doth grin,
For one to thrust his hand between his teeth,
When he might spurn him with his foot away?
It is war's prize to take all vantages;
And ten to one is no impeach of valour.

[They lay hands on YORK, who struggles.
Clif. Ay, ay, so strives the woodcock with the gin.
North. So doth the coney struggle in the net.
[YORK is taken prisoner.
York. So triumph thieves upon their conquer'd
booty;

So true men yield, with robbers so o'er-match'd. North. What would your grace have done unto him now?