• 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, 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 Westmoreland. Clif. 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.

2

North. Well hast thou spoken, cousin; be it so.

if Warwick shake his bells.] The allusion is to falconry. The hawks had sometimes little bells hung upon them, perhaps to dare the birds; that is, to fright them from rising.

K. Hen. 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 hear,

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 deceiv'd, I am thine. Exe. For shame, come down; he made thee duke of York.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

War. Talk not of France, sith3 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 lov'st 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;

sith] i, e. since.

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 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. 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 depos'd.

— prejudicial to his crown?] i. e. to the prerogative of the

crown.

' War. Depos'd he shall be, in despight 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 my kingdom after my decease.

Clif. What wrong is this unto the prince your son?
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 news. *West. Farewell, faint-hearted and degenerate king,

* In whose cold blood no spark of honour bides.