I am the fon of Henry the Fifth,
Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop,
And feiz'd upon their towns and provinces.

War. Talk not of France, fith thou haft lost it all.
K. Henry. The Lord Protector loft 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 lofe:

Father, tear the crown from the ufurper's head.
Edw. Sweet father, do fo; fet it on your head.
Mont Good brother, as thou lov'ft and honour'ft
Let's fight it out, and not stand cavilling thus, [arms,
Rich. Sound drums and trumpets, and the King
will fly.

York. Sons, peace.

K. Henry. Peace thou, and give King Henry leave to speak.

War. Plantagenet shall speak firft: hear him, Lords, And be you filent and attentive too;

For he that interrupts him, shall not live.

[throne,

K. Henry. Think'st thou that I will leave my kingly Wherein my grandfire and my father fat? No: firft fhall war unpeople this my realm; Ay, and their colours often borne in France, And now in England to our heart's great forrow, Shall be my winding-fheet. Why faint you, Lords? My title's good, and better far than his.

War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be King. K. Henry. Henry the Fourth by conqueft got the

crown.

York. 'Twas by rebellion against his King.

K. Henry. I know not what to fay, my title's weak: Tell me, may not a King adopt an heir?

York. What then?

K. Henry. And if he may, then am I lawful King: For Richard, in the view of many Lords, Refign'd the crown to Henry the Fourth; Whofe heir my father was, and I am his.

York. He rofe against him, being his Sovereign, And made him to refign his crown perforce. War. Suppofe, my Lords, he did it unconstrain'd, Think you 'twere prejudicial to his crown?

Exe. No, for he could not fo refign his crown, But that the next heir should fucceed and reign. K. Henry. Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter? Exe. His is the right, and therefore pardon me. York. Why whisper you, my Lords, and anfwer not? Exe. My confcience tells me he is lawful King. K. Henry. All will revolt from me, and turn to him. North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st, Think not that Henry fhall be fo depos'd.

War. Depos'd he fhall be in despight of thee. North. Thou art deceiv'd: 'tis not thy fouthern power Of Effex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent, Which makes thee thus prefumptuous and proud, Can fet the Duke up in defpight 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 fhall kneel to him that flew my father! K. Henry. Oh Clifford, how thy words revive my heart!

York. Henry of Lancafter, refign thy crown: What mutter you, or what confpire you, Lords? War. Do right unto this princely Duke of York, Or I will fill this houfe with armed men,

And o'er the chair of state where now he fits,
Write up his title with ufurping blood.

[Heftamps with his foot, and the foldiers fhew themselves. K. Henry. My Lord of Warwick, hear me but one Let me but reign in quiet while I live. [word;

York. Confirm the crown to me and to mine heirs, And thou fhalt reign in quiet while thou liv'ft.

K. Henry. I am content: Richard Plantagenet,
Enjoy the kingdom after my decease.

Clif. What wrong is this unto the Prince your fon?
War. What good is this to England and himself?
Weft. Bafe, fearful, and defpairing Henry!
Clif. How haft thou injur'd both thyself and us!
Weft. I cannot ftay to hear these articles.
North. Nor I.

Clif. Come, coufin, let us tell the Queen thefe news. Weft. Farewel, faint-hearted and degen'rate King, In whofe cold blood no spark of honour bides.

North.

North. Be thou a prey unto the house of York, And die in bands for this unmanly deed!.

Clif. In dreadful war may't thou be overcome, Cr live in peace abandon'd and defpis'd!

[Exeunt Nor. Cliff. Weftin

SCENE III.

War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not. Exe. They feek revenge, and therefore will not yield. K. Henry. Ah, Exeter?

War. Why fhould you figh, my Lord?

K. Henry. Not for myfelf, Lord Warwick, but my Whom I unnaturally fhall difinherit.

But be it as it may; I hear 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;
Neither by treason nor hoftility

To feek to put me down, and reign thyself.

[fon,

York. This oath I willingly take, and will perform. War. Long live King Henry! Plantagenet embrace

him.

K.Hen. And long live thou,and thefe thy forward fons.
York. Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd.
Exe. Accurs'd be he that feeks to make them foes?
[Sonet. Here they come down.
York. Farewel, my gracious Lord, I'll to my castle.
War. And I'll keep London with my foldiers.
Norf. And I to Norfolk with my followers.

Mont. And I unto the fea, from whence I came. K. Henry. And I with grief and forrow to the court. [Exeunt York, Warwick, Norfolk, and Montague.

Enter the Queen, and the Prince of Wales. Exe. Here comes the Queen, whofe looks bewray I'll feal away. [her anger. K. Henry. So, Exeter, will I. [Going. Queen. Nay, go not from me; I will follow theeK. Henry. Be patient, gentle Queen, and I will stay. Queen. Who can be patient in fuch extremes? Ah, wretched man! wou'd I had died a maid,

And never feen thee, never born thee fon,"
Seeing thou haft prov'd fo unnatural a father.
Hath he deferv'd to lose his birthright thus?
Hadit thou but lov'd him half fo well as I,
Or felt that pain which I did for him once,
Or nourish'd him, as I did with my blood;

Thou would't have left thy dearest heart-blood there,
Rather than made that favage Duke thine heir,
And difinherited thine only fon.

If

Prince. Father, you cannot difinherit me:

you be King, why fhould not I fucceed?

K. Henry. Pardon me, Marg'ret; pardon me, fweet The Earl of Warwick and the Duke inforce'd me. [ fon; Queen. Inforce'd thee! art thou King, and wilt be force'd?

I hame to hear thee fpeak. Ah, tim'rous wretch!
Thou haft undone thyfelf, thy fon, and me;
And given unto the house of York fuch head,
As thou fhalt reign but by their sufferance.
To entail him and his heirs unto the crown,
What is it but to make thy fepulchre,
And creep into it far before thy time?
Warwick is Chancellor, and the Lord of Calais;
Stern Faulconbridge commands the narrow feas;
The Duke is made Protector of the realm;
And yet fhalt thou be fafe?: ---fuch fafety finds
The trembling lamb invironed with wolves.
Had I been there, which am a filly woman,
The foldiers fhould have tofs'd me on their pikes,
Before I would have granted to that act.
But thou preferr'ft thy life before thine honour.
And feeing thou dost, I here divorce myself
Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed,
Until that act of parliament be repealed,
Whereby my fon is difinherited.

The northern Lords, that have forfworn thy colours,
Will follow mine, if once they fee them fpread:
And fpread they fhall be, to thy foul difgrace,

And utter ruin of the house of York.

Thus I do leave thee. Come, fon, let's away;
Our army's ready; come, we'll after them.

K. Henry. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me fpeak.
VOL. V.

I

Queen.

Queen. Thou haft spoke too much already; get thee

[me?
gone.
K. Henry. Gentle fon Edward, thou wilt ftay with
Queen. Ay, to be murther'd by his enemies.
Prince. When I return with victory from the field,
I'll fee your Grace; till then I'll follow her.
Queen. Come, son, away; we may not linger thus.
[Exeunt Queen and Prince.
K. Henry. Poor Queen, how love to me and to her
Hath made her break out into terms of rage!
Revenge'd may she be on that hateful Duke,
Whofe haughty spirit, winged with defire,
Will coaft my crown; and, like an empty eagle,
Tire on the flesh of me and of my fon!

The lofs of those three Lords torments my heart;
I'll write unto them, and intreat them fair.
Come, coufin, you fhall be the messenger.

Exe. And, as I hope, fhall reconcile them all.

SCENE IV.

[fon

[Exeunt.

Changes to Sandal-cafile, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire.
Enter Richard, Edward, and Montague.

Rich. Brother, tho' I be youngest, give me leave.
Edw. No; I can better play the orator.
Mont. But I have reasons strong and forcible.

Enter the Duke of York.

York. Why, how now, fons and brother, at a strife? What is your quarrel? how began it first?

Edw. No quarrel, but a sweet contention.

York. About what?

Rich. About that which concerns your Grace and us; The crown of England, father, which is your's. York. Mine, boy? not till King Henry be dead. Rich. Your right depends not on his life or death. Edw. Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it now: By giving th' house of Lancaster leave to breathe, It will outrun you, father, in the end.

York. I took an oath that he fhould quietly reign..

i, e, hover over it.

Edw.