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to-day;

Enter Salisbury.

Sal. Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought 'By the mass, so did we all. -I thank you, Richard: God knows, how long it is I have to live;

And it hath pleased 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,
* Being opposites of such repairing nature.
'York. I know, our safety is to follow them:

'For, as I hear, the king is filed 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 ali:
And more such days as these to us befall!

[Exeunt. (2) i. e. Being enemies that are likely so soon to (1) ie. We have not secured that which we rally and recover themselves from this defcat. have acquired.

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Duke of Somerset,

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Sir John Mortimer,
Sir Hugh Mortimer,
the duke of
Henry, earl of Richmond, a youth.
Lord Rivers, brother to Lady Grey. Sir William

Duke of Exeter,

Earl of Oxford,

Stanley. Sir John Montgomery. Sir John Somlords on King Henry's erville. Tutor to Rutland. Mayor of York.

Earl of Northumberland,

side.

Earl of Westmoreland,

Lord Clifford,

Lieutenant of the Tower. A Nobleman. Twe Keepers. A Huntsman. A Son that has killed his father. A Father that has killed his son.

Richard Plantagenet, duke of York.

Edward, earl of March, afterwards

King Edward IV.
Edmund, earl of Rutland,

George, afterwards duke of Clarence,
Richard, afterwards duke of Glocester,
Duke of Norfolk,

Marquis of Montague,
Earl of Warwick,
Earl of Pembroke,

Lord Hastings,

Queen Margaret.

Lady Grey, afterwards queen to Edward IV.

his sons. Bona, sister to the French queen.

Soldiers, and other attendants on King Henry and
King Edward, Messengers, Watchmen, &c.

of the duke of York's Scene, during part of the third act, in France,
during all the rest of the play, in England.

party.

Lord Stafford,

ACT I.

War. And sc do I.-Victorious prince of York, Before I see thee seated in that throne

SCENE I.-London. The Parliament House. Which now the house of Lancaster usurps,

Drums. Some soldiers of York's party break I vow by heaven, these eyes shall never close. in. Then, enter the Duke of York, Edward, This is the palace of the fearful king, Richard, Norfolk, Montague, Warwick, and 'And this is the regal seat: possess it, York: others, with white roses in their hats.

Warwick.

[WONDER, how the king escap'd our hands.

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.

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.

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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,1

(1) Hawks had sometimes little bells hung on them, perhaps to dare the birds; that is, to fright them from rising.

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as

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 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 vour 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. 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?

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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.

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 Fifch,

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, Shail be my winding sheet. Why faint you, lords? '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 hím. 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 the defence: May that ground gape, and swallow me alive,

War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worth- Where I shall kneel to him that slew my father!

less threats!

4) Since.

(2) i. e. Detrimental to the general rights of Thereditary royalty.

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