K. Hen. Well, for this night, we will rePose us here: To-morrow, toward London, back again, To look into this business thoroughly,

And call these foul offenders to their answers ; And poise the cause in justice' equal scales, Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails. [Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE IT.

London. The Duke of York's Garden.

Enter YORK, SALISBURY, and WARWICK.

York. Now, my good Lords of Salisbury and
Warwick,

Our simple supper ended, give me leave, In this close walk, to satisfy myself, In craving your opinion of my title, < Which is infallible, to Englaud's crown. Sal. My Lord, I long to hear it at full, War. Sweet York, begin: and if thy claim be good,

The Nevils are thy subjects to command.

York. Then thus: Edward the Third, my Lords, had seven sons: The first, Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales;

The second, William of Hatfield; and the third, Lionel, Duke of Clarence; next to whom, • Was John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster: The fifth, was Edmond Langley, Duke of York; The sixth, was Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloster;

William of Windsor was the seventh, and last. Edward, the Black Prince, died before his father;

And left behind him Richard, his only son, Who, after Edward the Third's death, reign'd as King;

Till Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, The eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt, Crown'd by the name of Henry the Fourth, Seiz'd on the realm; depos'd the rightful King; Sent his poor Queen to France, from whence she came,

And him to Pomfret; where, as all you know, Harmless Richard was murder'd traiterously. * War. Father, the Duke hath told the truth; Thus got the house of Lancaster the crown. * York. Which now they hold by force,

not by right;

and

For Richard, the first son's heir, being dead, The issue of the next son should have reign'd. *Sal. But William of Hatfield died without ↑ an heir

*York. The third son, Duke of Clarence, (from whose line

* I claim the crown,) had issue

daughter,

Philippe, a

* Who married Edmund Mortimer, Earl of

March.

* Edmund had issue Roger, Earl of March: Roger had issue-Edmund, Anne, and Eleanor. Sal. This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke,

As I have read, laid claim unto the crown; And, but for Owen Glendower, had been King, Who kept him in captivity, till he died. * But, to the rest.

York. His eldest sister, Anne,

My mother, being heir unto the crown, Married Richard, Earl of Cambridge; who

Was son

To Edmund Langley, Edward the third's fifth son.

V

By her I claim the kingdom; she was heir To-Roger, Earl of March; who was the son Of Edmund Mortimer; who married Philippe, Sole daughter unto Lionel, Duke of Clarence: 4 So, if the issue of the elder son

Succeed before the younger, I am King.

War. What plain proceedings are more plain
than this?

Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,
The fourth son; York claims it from the third.
Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign:
It fails not yet; but flourishes in thee,
And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.
Then, father Salisbury, kneel we both together;
And, in this private plot, be we the first,
That shall salute our rightful Sovereign
With honour of his birthright to the crown.
Both. Long live our Sovereign Richard, Eng-
land's King!

་

York. We thank you, Lords, But I am not your King

Till I be crown'd; and that my sword be stain'd With heart- blood of the house of Lancaster: *End that's not suddenly to be perform'd; * But with advice, and silent secrecy,

Do you, as I do, in these dangerous days, Wink at the Duke of Suffolk's insolence, *At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition, * At Buckingham, and all the crew of them,

Till they have snar'd the shepherd of the flock,

* That virtuous Prince, the good Duke Humphrey: * 'Tis that they seek; and they, in seeking that, * Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy. *Sal. My Lord, break we off; we know your

mind at full.

War. My heart assures me, that the Earl of
Warwick

Shall one day make the Duke of York a King.
York. And, Nevil, this I do assure myself.
Richard shall live to make the Earl of Warwick
The greatest man in England, but the King.

SCENE III.

The same. A Hall of justice.

[Exeunt.

Trumpets sounded. Enter King HENRY, Queen' MARGARET, GLOSTER, YORH, SUFFOLK, and SALISBURY; the Duchess of GLOSTER, MARGERY JOURDAIN, SOUTHWELL, HUME, and BoLINGBROKE, Under guard,

K. Hen. Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloster's wife: In sight of God, and us, your guilt is great; Receive the sentence of the law, for sins Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death. You four, from hence to prison back again; [to Jourd, &c. * From thence, unto the place of execution: *The witch in Smithfield shall be burn'd to

ashes,

And you three shall be strangled on the gal

lows.

You, Madam, for you are more nobly born,

[to the Duchess. Despoiled of your honour in your life, shall, after three days' open penance done, Live in your country here, in banishment, With Sir John Stanley, in the isle of Man. • Duch. Welcome is banishment, welcome were my death. *Glo. Eleanor, the law, thou seest,

judged thee;

hath

I cannot justify whom the law condemns. [Exeunt the Duchess, and the other Prisoners, guarded. Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief. Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour in thine age Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground! I beseech your Majesty, give me leave to go; Sorrow would solace, and mine age would ease. 'K. Hen, Stay, Humphrey Duke of Gloster : ere thou go,

-

Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself
Protector be: and God shall be my hope,
My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet;
And go in peace, Humphrey; no less belov'd,
Than when thou wert Protector to thy King.

Q. Mar. I see no reason, why a King of

years

Should be to be protected like a child.

God and King Henry govern England's helm: Give up your staff, Sir, and the King his realm. Glo. My staff? here, noble Henry, is

my staff:

As willingly do I the same resign,

As e'er thy father Henry made it mine; And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it, As others would ambitiously receive it.