Duke of Exeter,

Earl of Oxford,

Earl of Northumberland, Earl of Westmoreland, Lord Clifford,

Lords on King Henry's side.

his Sons.

of the Duke of York's Party.

Sir John Mortimer,

Uncles to the Duke of York. Henry, Earl of Richmond, a Youth.

Sir Hugh Mortimer,

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. [hands, War. I WONDER how the king escap'd our York. While we pursu'd the horsemen of the He slily stole away, and left his men : [north, 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 BuckingIs either slain, or wounded dangerous: [ham, I cleft his beaver with a downright blow; That this is true, father, behold his blood. [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 battle join'd. [I did. Rich. Speak thou for me, and tell them what throwing down the Duke of Somerset's head.

t

Lord Rivers, Brother to Lady Grey. Sir William Stanley, Sir John Montgomery. 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,

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.

York. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my

sons.

What, is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset?
Norf. Such hopo have all the line of John of
Gaunt!
[head.
Rich. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's
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 For hither we have broken in by force. [will; 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 Unless he seek to thrust you out by force. [violence, [they retire. York. The queen, this day, here holds har 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;
And bashful Henry depos'd, whose cowardice
Hath made us by-words to our enemies.

[ute;

York. Then leave me not, my lords; be resolI mean to take possession of my right.

War. Neither the king, nor he that loves him The proudest he that holds up Lancaster, [best, 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, who seats himself. Flourish. Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northumberland, Westmoreland, Exeter, and others, with red roses in their hats. [sits, K. Hen. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel 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! Cliff. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in steel. [him down: West. What shall we suffer this? let's pluck My heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it.

K. Hen. Be patient, gentle earl of Westinoreland.

Cliff. Patience is for poltroons, and such as he; He durst not sit there, had your father liv'd. My gracious lord, here in the parliament Let us assail the family of York.

North. Well hast thou spoken, cousin: be it so. K. Hen. Ah, know you not, the city favours them.

And they have troops of soldiers at their back?
Exe. But when the duke is slain, they'll quickly
fly.
[Henry's heart,
K. Hen. Far be the thoughts of this from
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.

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 chas'd 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.

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

War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worthless 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 ;
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. [it all.

War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost 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 lov'st and honour'st arms,

York. Thou art deceiv'd, I am thine. [of York. Exe. For shame, come down; he made thee duke York.'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was. Exe. Thy father was a traitor to the crown. York. Exeter, thou art a traitor to the crown, In following this usurping Henry. [king? Cliff. Whom should he follow, but his natural War. True, Clifford ; and that's Richard, duke of York. [my throne? K. Hen. And shall I stand, and thou sit in York. It must and shall be so. Content thyself.

War. Be duke of Lancaster, let him be king.

Let's fight it out, and not stand cavilling thus. Rich. Sound drums and trumpets, and the king York. Sons, peace! [will fly. K. Hen. Peace thou! and give king Henry leave to speak. [him, lords; War. Plantagenet shall speak first:-hear 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 my realm;
Ay, and their colours-often borne in France,
And now in England, to our heart's great sor-
[lords?
Shall be my winding-sheet.-Why faint you,
My title's good, and better far than his. [king.

row,

War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be 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 Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir? [weak. 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.

Whereby my son is disinherited.

[colours,

The northern lords, that have foresworn thy
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.
[get thee gone.
Q. Mar. Thou hast spoke too much already;
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.

|

[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;
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:
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.

BCENE II. A ROOM IN SANDAL CASTLE, NEAR
WAKEFIELD, IN YORKSHIRE.
Enter Edward, Richard, and Montague.
Rich. Brother, though I be youngest, give me

leave. td

Edw. No, I can better play the orator.
Mont. But I have reasons strong and forcible.
Enter York.

York. Why, how now, sons, and brother, at a What is your quarrel? how began it first? [strife? Edw. No quarrel, but a slight contention. York. About what?

Rich. About that which concerns our grace, and us;

The crown of England, father, which is yours. York. Mine, boy? not till king Henry be dead. Rich. Your right depends not on his life, or death.

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,

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 usurn the place;

3

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 Cobham,
With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise:
In them I trust; for they are soldiers,
Witty and courteous, liberal, full of spirit.—
While you are thus employ'd, what resteth mort,
But that I seek occasion how to rise;
And yet the king not privy to my drift,
Nor any of the house of Lancaster?
Enten a Messenger.

But stay; what news? Why com'st thou in such post?

fan.

OAK

Mess. The queen, with all the northern carls 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. [ezit. Enter Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer. York. Sir John, and sir Hugh Mortimer, mine uncles! You are come to Sandal in an happy hour; The army of the queen mean to besiege us.

MT3N

Sir John. She shall not need, we'll meet her in the field.

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York. What, with five thousand men? Rich. Ay, with five hundred, father, for a need. A woman's general; what should we fear? [a march afar off. Edw. I hear their drums; let's set our men in order; And issue forth, and bid them battle straight. York. Five men to twenty tho' the odds be I doubt not, uncle, of our victory. Many a battle have I won in France, When as the enemy hath been ten to one; Why should I not now have the like success? [exeunt. Alarums; Excursions. Enter Rutland and his Tutor. Rut. Ah, whither shall I fly to 'scape their hands?

[great,

CAND

SCENE III. PLAINS NEAR SANDAL CASTLE.

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41302172

Ah, tutor look, where bloody Clifford comes!

Enter Clifford and Soldiers.

Cliff. Chaplain, away! thy priesthood saves thy As for the brat of this accursed duke, [life. Whose father slew my father, he shall die. Tut. And I, my lord, will bear him company. Cliff. Soldiers, away with him. Tut. Ah, Clifford! murder not this innocent Lest thou be hated both of God and man. [exit, forced off by Soldiers. Cliff. How now! is he dead already? Or, is it fear,

[child,

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 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.

Cliff. In vain thou speak'st, poor boy; my father's blood [enter. Hath stopp'd the passage where thy words should Rut. Then let my father's blood open it again; He is a man, and, Clifford, cope with him.

Cliff. Had I thy brethren here, their lives, and
Were not revenge sufficient for me; [thine,
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!

Cliff. Such pity as my rapier's point affords.
Rut. I never did thee harm; why wilt thou
Cliff. Thy father hath.
[slay me?

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,

Then let me die, for now thou hast no cause.
Cliff. No cause?

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Thy father slew my father; therefore, die. [Clifford stabs him. Rut. Dii faciant, laudis summa sit ista tua? [dies.

Cliff. Plantagenet! I come, Plantagenet! And this thy son's blood, cleaving to my blade, Shall rust upon my weapon, till thy blood, Congeal'd with this, do make me wipe off both. [exit.

SCENE IV. THE SAME.
Alarum. Enter York.

York. The army of the queen hath got the
My uncles both are slain in rescuing me; [field:
And all my followers to the eager foe
Turn back, and fly, like ships before the wind,
Or lambs pursu'd by hunger-starved wolves.
My sons God knows, what hath bechanced them ·

But this I know,-they have demean'd themselves
Like men born to renown, by life or death.
Three times did Richard make a lane to me;
And thrice cried,-Courage, father! fight it out!
And full as oft came Edward to my side,
With purple falchion, painted to the hilt,
In blood of those that had encounter'd him:
And when the hardiest warriors did retire,
Richard cried,-Charge! and give no foot of

ground!

And cried,-A crown, or else a glorious tomb!
A sceptre, or an earthly sepulchre!
With this, we charg'd again: but, out, alas!
We bodg'd again; as I have seen a swan
With bootless labour swim against the tide,
And spend her strength with over-matching waves.
[a short alarum within.
Ah, hark! the fatal followers do pursue;
And I am faint, and cannot fly their fury:
And, were I strong, I would not shun their fury:
The sands are number'd, that make up my life;
Here must I stay, and here my life must end.
Enter Queen Margaret, Clifford, Northumberland,
and Soldiers.
[land,-
Come, bloody Clifford,-rough Northumber-
I dare your quenchless fury to more rage;
I am your butt, and I abide your shot.

North. Yield to our mercy, proud Plantagenet.
Cliff. Ay, to such mercy, as this 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?
[further;
Cliff. So cowards fight, when they can fly no
So doves do peck the falcon's piercing talons:
So desperate thieves, all hopeless of their lives,
Breathe out invectives 'gainst the officers.

York. 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 cowardice,

Whose frown hath made thee faint and fly ere this. Cliff. 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 awhile the traitor's life:
Wrath makes him deaf: speak thou,, Northum
berland.
[much,
North. Hold, Clifford; do not honour him so
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.

Y

1501 960X

Sthey lay hands on York, who struggles.