King HENRY the Sixth: EDWARD, prince of Wales, his son. LEWIS XI. king of France. Duke of SOMERSET. Duke of EXETER. Lords on Earl of OXFORD. Earl of NORTHUM-K. Henry's BERLAND. Earl of WESTMORELAND. Lord CLIFFORD. RICHARD PLANTAGENET, duke of York: EDMUND, earl of Rutland, GEORGE, afterwards duke of Clarence, Marquis of MONTAGUE, Earl of WARWICK, side. his sons. Earl of PEMBROKE, Lord HASTINGS, of the duke of York's party' uncles to the duke of York. HENRY, earl of Richmond, a youth. Lord RIVERS, brother to Lady Grey. Sir WILLIAM STANLEY. Sir JOHN MONTGOMERY. Sir JOHN SOMERVILLE. Tutor to RUTLAND. Mayor of York. Lieutenant of the Tower. A Nobleman. Two Keepers. A Huntsman. A Son that has killed his Father. A Father that has killed his Son. Queen MARGARET. Lady GREY, afterwards queen to Edward IV. Soldiers, and other Attendants on king Henry and king Edward, Messengers, Watchmen, &c. SCENE, during part of the third Act, in France; during all the rest of the Play, in England. The Third Part of King Henry the VI.-The action of this play (which was at first printed under this title, The true Tragedy of Richard Duke of York, and the good King Henry the Sixth; or, The Second Part of the Contention of York and Lancaster) opens just after the first battle at St. Albans, [May 23, 1455,] wherein the York faction carried the day; and closes with the murder of King Henry VI. and the birth of prince Edward, afterwards king Edward V. (November 4, 1471,] So that this history takes in the space of full sixteen years. THEOBALD, THIRD PART OF KING HENRY VI. ACT 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.* I 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, I cleft his beaver with a downright blow; [Showing his bloody sword. Mont. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's blood, [To YORK, showing his. Whom I encountered as the battles join'd. Rich. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I did.2 [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 ! [1] This play is only divided from the former for the convenience of exhibition; for the series of action is continued without interruption, nor are any two scenes of any play more closely connected than the first scene of this play with the last of the former. JOHNS. [2] Here, as Mr. Elderton has observed to me, is a gross anachorism. At the time of the first battle of Saint Albans, at which Richard is represented in the last scene of the preceding play to have fought, he was, according to that gentleman's calculation, not one year old, having (as he conceives been born at Frotheringay Castle, October 21, 1454. MAL Rich. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's head. Which now the house of Lancaster usurps, 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, Dare stir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells.3 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. [3] The allusion is to falconry. The hawk had sometimes little bells hung apon them, perhaps to dare the birds; that is, to fright them from rising. JOHNS. North. If I be not, heavens, be reveng'd on me! K.Hen. Be patient, gentle earl of Westmoreland. North. Well hast thou spoken, cousin; be it so. [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.4 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, I remember it to my grief; And, by his soul, thou and thy house shall rue it. [4] York means, I suppose, that the dukedom of York was his inheritance from his father, as the earldom of March was his inheritance from his mother, Anne Mortimer, the wife of the Earl of Cambridge; and by naming the earldom, he covertly asserts his right to the crown; for his title to the crown was not as Duke of York, but Earl of March. MALONE. West. Plantagenet, of thee, and these thy sons, Clif. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of words, War. Poor Clifford ! how I scorn his worthless threats! 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: Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop, War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all. Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head. 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? War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. [5] The military reputation of Henry the Fifth is the sole support of his The name of Henry the Fifth dispersed the followers of Cade. JOH son. |