War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be King.
K. Henry. Henry the Fourth by Conquest got th: Crown.
York. 'Twas by Rebellion against his King.

K.Henry. I know not what to say, 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,
Resign'd the Crown to Henry the Fourth,
Whose Heir my Father was, and I am his.
York. He rose against him, being his Soveraign,
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 fo resign 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 answer 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 shall be depos'd.

War. Depos'd he shall be, in despite of all.
North. Thou art deceived:

'Tis not thy Southern Power
Of Effex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,
Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,
Can set the Duke up in despight 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 flew my Father.
K. Henry. Oh 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 fits,

Write up his Title with ufurping Blood.

[He stamps with his foot, and the Soldiers shew themselves. K. Hanry

B4

North. Yes, Wawick, I remember it to my grief
And by his Soul, thou and thy House shall rue it.
West. Plantagener, of thee and these thy Sons,
Thy Kinfmen, and thy Friends, I'll have more lives
Than drops of Blood were in my Father's Veins.

Clif. Urge it no more, left that instead of words
I fend thee, Warwick, such a Messenger,
As shall revenge his Death, before I ftir.

War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worthless Threats.
York. Will you, we shew our Title to the Crown ?

If not, our Swords shall plead it in the Field.

K. Henry. What Title haft 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 feiz'd upon their Towns and Provinces.

War. Talk not of France, fith thou hast 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 lose:

Father, tear the Crown from the Usurper's Head.
Edw. Sweet Father do so, set it on your Head.
Mount. Good Brother,

As thou lov'st and honourest Arms,

Let's fight it out, and not stand cavelling thus.

Ay.

Rich. Sound Drums and Trumpets, and the King will

York. Sons, Peace.

K. Henry. Peace thou, and give King Henry leave to speak. War. Plantagenet shall speak first: Hear him Lords,

And be you filent and attentive too,

For he that interrupts him, shall not live.

K. Henry. Thinkst thou that I will leave my Kingly Throne,

Wherein my Grandfire and my Father fat?

No; first shall War unpeople this my Realm;

Ay, and their Colours often born in France,

And now in England, to our Hearts great Sorrow,

Shall be my Winding-sheet: Why faint you, Lords?

My Title's good, and better far than his.

War.

War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be King.
K. Henry. Henry the Fourth by Conquest got th: Crown.
York. 'Twas by Rebellion against his King.

K.Henry. I know not what to say, 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,
Resign'd the Crown to Henry the Fourth,
Whose Heir my Father was, and I am his.
York. He rose against him, being his Soveraign,
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 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 answer 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 shall be depos'd.

War. Depos'd he shall be, in despite of all.
North. Thou art deceiv'd:

'Tis not thy Southern Power
Of Effex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,
Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,
Can fet the Duke up in despight 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 flew my Father.

K. Henry. Oh 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 fits,
Write up his Title with ufurping Blood.

[He stamps with his foot, and the Soldiers shew themselves. K. Hanry

B4

K. Henry. My Lord of Warwick, hear me but one word; Letm for this 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.Henry. I am content: Richard Plantagenet,

Enjoy the Kingdom after my decease.

Clif. What wrong is this unto the Prince, your Son?
War. What good is this to England, and himself?
Weft. Bafe, fearful, and despairing Henry!

Clif. How haft thou injur'd both thy felf and us!
Weft. I cannot stay to hear these Articles.

Nor b. Nor I.

Clif. Come Coufin, let us tell the Queen these News. West. Farewel, faint-hearted and degenerate King, In whose cold Blood no spark of Honour bides. North. Be thou a prey unto the House of York, And die in Bands, for this unmanly deed.

Clif. In dreadful War, may'st thou be overcome, O live in Peace abandon'd and defpis'd.

[Exttunt Nor. Cliff. Westm.

War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not. Exe. Th y feck revenge, and therefore will not yield. K. Henry. Ah Exeter!

War. Why should you figh, my Lord?

K. Henry. Not for my felf, Lord Warwick, but my Son,

Whom I unnaturally shall difitherit.

But be it as it may; I here entail
The Crown to thee, and to thine Heirs for ever
Conditionally, that here you take an Oath,
To ceafe this Civil War; and whilft I live,
To honour me as thy King and Soveraign:
Neither by Treason nor Hostility,

To feek to put me down, and Reign thy felf.

York. This Oath I willingly take, and will perform.
War. Long live King Henry: Plantagenet, embrace him.
K. Hery. And long live thou, and these thy forward Sons.
York. Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd.
Exe. Accurft be he that seeks 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 Soldiers.

Norf.

Norf. And I to Norfolk with my Followers.
Mount. And I unto the Sea from whence I came. [Exe.
K.Henry. And I with grief and forrow to the Court.

Enter the Queen, and the Prince of Wales.

Exe. Here comes the Queen,

Wh fe looks bewray her anger:

I'll steal away.

K. Henry. Exeter so will I:
[Going.
Queen. Nay, go not from me I will follow thee----
K. Henry. Be patient, gentle Queen, and I will stay.
Queen. Who can be patient in fach extreams?
Ah wretched Man! would I had dy'd a Maid,
And never seen thee, never born thee Son,
Seeing thou hast prov'd so unnatural a Father.
Hath he defe v'd to lose his Birth-right thus?
Hadst thou but lov'd him half so much as I,
Or felt that pain which I did for him once,
Or nourisht him, as I did with my Blood;
Thou wouldst have left thy dearest Heart-blood there,
Rather than made that Savage Duke thine Heir,
And disinherited thire on'y Son.

Prince. Father, you cannot disinherit me:
If you be King, why should not I succeed?

K. Henry. Pardon me, Margaret; pardon me, sweet Son; The Earl of Warwick and the Duke enforced me.

Qusen. Enforc'd thee? art thou King, and wilt be forc'd? I thame to hear thee speak; ah timorous Wretch! Thou haft undore thy felf, thy Son, and me, And given unto the House of York such head, As thou shalt Reign but by their fufferance. 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, invironed with Wolves. Had I been there, which am a filly Woman, The Soldiers should have toss'd me on their Pikes, Before I would have granted to that At.

But