If you be ta'en, we then should see the bottom
Of all our fortunes: but, if we haply scape,
(As well we may, if not through your neglect,)
We shall to London get; where you are lov'd;
And where this breach, now in our fortunes made,
May readily be stopp'd.

Enter Young CLIFFORD.

Y. Clif. But that my heart's on future mischief set,
I would speak blasphemy, ere bid you fly;
But fly you must; uncurable discomfit
Reigns in the hearts of all our present parts.
Away, for your relief and we will live

To see their day, and them our fortune give:
Away, my lord, away!

[Exeunt.

Three times bestrid him, thrice I led him off,
Persuaded him from any further act:
But still, where danger was, still there I met him;
And like rich hangings in a homely house,
So was his will in his old feeble body.
But, noble as he is, look where he comes.
Enter SALISBURY.

Sal.Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought to-day;
By the mass, so did we all. I thank you, Richard:
God knows, how long it is I have to live;
And it hath pleas'd him, that three times to-day
You have defended me from imminent death.-
Well, lords, we have not got that which we have;
'Tis not enough our foes are this time fled,

SCENE III.-Fields near Saint Albans.
Alarum: Retreat. Flourish; then enter YORK, RI-Being opposites of such repairing nature.
CHARD PLANTAGENET, WARWICK, and Soldiers,
with drum and colours.

York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him;
That winter lion, who, in rage, forgets
Aged contusions and all brush of time;
And, like a gallant in the brow of youth,
Repairs him with occasion? this happy day
Is not itself, nor have we won one foot,
If Salisbury be lost.

Rich. My noble father,

There times to-day I holp him to his horse,

York. Iknow, our safety is to follow them;
For, as I hear, the king is fled to London,
To call a present court of parliament.
Let us pursue him, ere the writs go forth:
What says lord Warwick? shall we after them?-
War. After them! nay, before them, if we can!
Now by my faith, lords, 'twas a glorious day:
Saint Albans' battle, won by famous York,
Shall be eterniz'd in all age to come.-
Sound, drums and trumpets; and to London all:
And more such days as these to us befall! [Exeunt.

-

RICHARD, afterwards duke of
GLOCESTER,

Duke of NORFOLK,

Marquis of MONTAGUE,

Earl of WARWICK,

Earl of POMBROKE,

Lord HASTINGS,

Lord STAFFORD,

A Father that has killed his son.

Queen MARGARet.

Lady GREY, afterwards queen to EDWARD IV.
BONA, sister to the French queen.

of the duke of York's Soldiers, and other Attendants on king HENRY and
king EDWARD, Messengers, Watchmen etc.

party.

SCENE,- during part of the third act, in France; during all the rest of the play, in England.

АСТ I.

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.

our hands.

War. I wonder, how the king escap'd
York. While we pursu'd the horsemen of the north,
He slily stole away, and left his men:
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 a-breast,
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 Buckingham,
Is either slain, or wounded dangerous:
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 battles join'd.
Rich. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I did.
[Throwing down the duke of Somerset's head.
York. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my sons.-
What, is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset?
Norf. Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt!
Rich. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's head.
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 will;
For hither we have broken in by force.

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
violence,

Unless he seek to thrust you out by force. [They retire.
York. The queen, this day,here holds her 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.
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, NorthUм-
BERLAND, 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.

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 beck?
Exe. But, when the duke is slain, they'll quickly fly.
K. Hen. Far be the thought of this from Henry's
heart,

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, 1 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, sith 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;
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? Conditionally, that here thou take an oath
To cease this civil war, and, whilst I live,
To honour me as thy king and sovereign;
And neither by treason, nor hostility,
To seek to put me down, and reign thyself.
York. This oath I willingly take, and will perform.
[Coming from the throne.
Plantagenet, em-

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.
War. Depos'd he shall be, in despite 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 matter 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.

War. Long live king Henry!

brace him.

K. Hen. And long live thou, and these thy for-
ward sons!

York. Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd.
Exe. Accurs'd be he, that seeks to make them

foes! [Senet. The Lords come forward.
York. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle.
War. And I'll keep London, with my soldiers.
Norf. And I to Norfolk, with my followers.
Mont. And I unto the sea, from whence I came.
[Exeunt York and his Sons, Warwick,
Norfolk, Montague, Soldiers, and

[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.

Attendants.

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 the 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.

K. Hen. Exeter, so will I.

[Going.

Q. Mar. Nay, go not from me, I will follow thee.
K. Hen. Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay.
Q. Mar. Who can be patient in such extremes?
Ah, wretched man! 'would I had died a maid,
And never seen thee, never borne thee son,
Seeing thou hast prov'd so unnatural a father!
Hath he deserv'd to lose his birthright thus?
Hadst thou but lov'd him half so well as I;
Or felt that pain, which I did for him once;
Or nourish'd 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 thine only son.

Clif. Come, consin, let us tell the queen these news
West. Farewell, 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!
Or live in peace, abandon'd, and despis'd!

Prince. Father, you cannot disinherit me:
If you be king, why should not I succeed?
K. Hen. Pardon me, Margaret; - pardon me, sweet

[Exeunt Northumberland, Clifford, und

Westmoreland,

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

War, Why should you sigh, my lord?

fore'd?

I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch!
Thou hast undone thyself, thy son, and me;
And given unto the house of York such head,
As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance.
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 Falconbridge commands the narrow seas;
The duke is made protector of the realm;
And yet shalt thou be safe? such safety finds
The trembling lamb, environed with wolves:
Had I been there, which am a silly woman,
The soldiers should have toss'd me on their pikes,
Before I would have granted to that act.
But thou preferr'st thy life before thine honour;
And seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself,
Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed,
Until that act of parliament be repeal'd,
Whereby my son is disinherited.
The northern lords, that have forsworn thy colours,
Will follow mine, if once they see them spread:

K. Hen. Not for myself, lord Warwick, but my son, And spread they shall be; to thy foul disgrace,

Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.
But, be it as it may:-I here entail

The crown to thee, and to thine heirs for ever;

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.

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?

SCENE III.- Plains near Sandal Castle.
Alarums: Excursions. Enter RUTLAND and his Tutor.
Rut. Ah, whither shall I fly to 'scape their hands?
Ah, tutor! look where bloody Clifford comes!
Enter CLIFFORD, and Soldiers.
Clif. Chaplain, away! thy priesthood saves thy life.
As for the brat of this accursed duke,
Whose father slew my father, - he shall die.
Tut. And I, my lord, will bear him company.
Clif. Soldiers, away with him!

Tut. Ah, Clifford ! murder not this innocent child, Lest thou be hated both of God and man.

[Exit, forced off by Soldiers.
Clif. How now! is he dead already? Or, is it fear,
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.
Clif. In vain thou speak'st, poor boy; my father's

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.
Clif. Had I thy brethren here, their lives, and thine,
Were not revenge sufficient for me:
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;

But, stay; what news? Why com'st thou in such post? 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!
Clif. Such pity as my rapier's point affords.
Rut. I never did thee harm; why wilt thou slay me?
Clif. Thy father hath.

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.
Clif. No cause?

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.
Clif. 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

Thy father slew my father; therefore, die!
[Clifford stabs him.
Rut. Dii faciant, laudis summa sit ista tuae! [Dies.
Clif. 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.

causes,

I would prolong ahwile the traitor's life:-
Wrath makes him deaf: speak thou, Northumberland.
North. Hold, Clifford; do not honour him so much,
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.

SCENE IV. The same.
Alarum. Enter YORK.
York. The army of the queen hath got the field:
My uncles both are slain in rescuing me;
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;

[They lay hands on York, who struggles. Clif. Ay, ay, so strives the woodcock with the gin. North. So doth the coney struggle in the net. [York is taken prisoner.

York. So triumph thieves upon their conquer'd booty;

So true men yield, with robbers so o'ermatch'd. North. What would your grace have done unto him now?

Q. Mar. Brave warriors, Clifford, and Northumber-
land,

Come, make him stand upon this molehill here;
That raught at mountains with outstretched arms,
Yet parted but the shadow with his hand. -
What! was it you, that would be England's king?
Was't you, that revell'd in our parliament,
And made a preachment of your high descent?

And thrice cried,- Courage, father! fight it out! Where are your mess of sons to back you now?

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
ground!
And cried,

of

The wanton Edward, and the lusty George?
And where's that valiant crook-back prodigy,
Dicky, your boy, that, with his grumbling voice,
Was wont to cheer his dad in mutinies?

Or, with the rest, where is your darling Rutland?
Look, York; I stain'd this napkin with the blood,
That valiant Clifford with his rapier's point
Made issue from the bosom of the boy;
And, if thine eyes can water for his death,
I give thee this to dry thy cheeks withal.
Alas, poor York! but that I hate thee deadly,
I should lament thy miserable state.
I pr'ythee, grieve, to make me merry, York;
Stamp, rave, and fret, that I may sing and dance,
What, hath thy fiery heart so parch'd thine entrails,
That not a tear can fall for Rutland's death?
Why art thou patient, man? thou shouldst be mad;
And I, to make thee mad, do mock thee thus.

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, NORTHUMBER-Thou wouldst be fee'd, I see, to make me sport;

LAND, and Soldiers.

Come, bloody Clifford, rough Northumberland, -
I dare your quenchless fury to more rage;
I am your butt, and I abide your shot.

North. Yield to our mercy, proud Plantagenet,
Clif. 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?
Clif. So cowards fight, when they can fly no further;
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,

-

York cannot speak, unless he wear a crown.
A crown for York; and, lords, bow low to him.-
Hold you his hands, whilst I do set it on.-
[Putting a paper crown on his head.
Ay, marry, sir, now looks he like a king!
Ay, this is he that took king Henry's chair;
And this is he was his adopted heir. -
But how is it, that great Plantagenet
Is crown'd so soon, and broke his solemn oath?
As I bethink me, you should not be king,
Till our king Henry had shook hands with death.
And will you pale your head in Henry's glory,
And rob his temples of the diadem,
Now in his life, against your holy oath?
O, 'tis a fault, too too unpardonable!-
Off with the crown; and, with the crown, his head;
And, whilst we breathe, take time to do him dead!
Clif. That is my office, for my father's sake.
Q. Mar. Nay, stay; let's hear the orisons he makes.