. " 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.2 • 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. Clif. Patience is for poltroons, and such as he; He durst not sit there had your father liv'd. 4 1 * T North, Well hast thou spoken, cousin; be it so. if Warwick shake his bells.] The allusion is to falconry. hung upon them, perhaps to The hawks had sometimes little bells K. Hen. Ah, know you not, the city favours them, And they have troops of soldiers at their beck? Ere. 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! [They advance to the duke. Thou factious duke of York, descend my throne, York. Thou art deceiv'd, I am thine. Ere. For shame, come down; he made thee duke of York. York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was. Ere. 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. ८ 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; 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, And be you silent and attentive too, 120For he, that interrupts him, shall not livemed to 'K. Hen. Think'st thou, that I will leave my kingly ... throne, Wherein my grandsire, and my father satt bass I No: first shall war unpeople this my realmone PA '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 får than hisno Jo 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. 701 K. Hen. I know not what to say; my title's weak. Tell me, may not a king adopt an heird: 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? Eve. 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? Ere. His is the right, and therefore pardon me. * York. Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not? Ere. 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. 4 - prejudicial to his crown?] i. e. to the prerogative of the crown. : 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 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. Clif. What wrong is this unto the prince your son? Clif. How hast thou injur'd both thyself and us ? Clif. Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these news. king, * In whose cold blood no spark of honour bides. |