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 foldiers fhew themselves.] K. HEN. My lord of Warwick, hear me but one word. Let me but reign in quiet while I live.

YORK. Confirm the crown to me and to mine heirs,
And thou shalt reign in quiet while thou liv'ft.
K. HEN. I am content. Richard Plantagenet,
Enjoy the kingdom after my decease.

CLIF. What wrong is this unto the prince your fon?
WAR. What good is this to England and himself?
WEST. Base, fearful, and despairing Henry!
CLIF. How haft thou injur'd both thyself and us!
WEST. I cannot stay to hear these articles.

NORTH. Nor I.

CLIF. Come, coufin, 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'ft thou be overcome, Or live in peace abandon'd and defpis'd!

[Exeunt Nor. Cliff. Weftm.

SCENE III.

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 figh, my lord?

K. HEN. Not for myself, lord Warwick, but my fon, Whom I unnaturally shall difinherit.

But be it as it may, I here entail

The crown to thee, and to thine heirs for ever;
Conditionally, that here thou take an oath
To cease this civil war; and, whilst I live,
To honour me as thy king and fovereign,
Neither by treason nor hostility

To feek to put me down, and reign thyself.

YORK. This oath I willingly take, and will perform. WAR. Long live king Henry! Plantagenet embrace him. K. HEN. And long live thou, and these thy forward fons ! 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 caftle. WAR. And I'll keep London with my foldiers. NOR. And I to Norfolk with my followers. MONT. And I unto the fea from whence I came.

[Exeunt York, Warwick, Norfolk and Montague. K. HEN. And I with grief and forrow to the court.

Enter the queen and the prince of Wales.

EXE. Here comes the queen, whofe looks bewray her anger. I'll fteal away.

K. HEN. So, Exeter, will I.

[Going.

QUEEN. Nay, go not from me; I will follow thee—

K. HEN. Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay.
QUEEN. Who can be patient in such extremes?
Ah, wretched man! would I had dy'd a maid,
And never feen thee, never born thee fon,
Seeing thou haft prov'd so unnatural a father.
Hath he deferv'd to lose his birth-right thus ?
Hadft thou but lov'd him half fo well 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 deareft heart-blood there,
Rather than made that favage duke thine heir,

And difinherited thine only fon.

PRINCE. Father, you cannot disinherit me: If you be king, why should not I fucceed?

K. HEN. Pardon me, Marg'ret; pardon me, fweet f.n; The earl of Warwick and the duke enforc'd me.

QUEEN. Enforc'd thee? art thou king, and wilt be forc'd? I fhame to hear thee fpeak. Ah, tim'rous wretch? Thou haft undone thyfelf, thy fon, and me; And given unto the house of York fuch head As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance. To entail him and's heirs unto the crown, What is it but to make thy fepulchre, And creep into it far before thy time? Warwick is chancellor, and the lord of Calais; Stern Faulconbridge commands the narrow feas; The duke is made protector of the realm; And yet fhalt thou be fafe?-fuch fafety finds The trembling lamb, invironed with wolves. Had I been there, which am a filly woman, The foldiers fhould have tofs'd me on their pikes, Before I would have granted to that act. But thou preferr'ft thy life before thine honour: And, feeing thou doft, I here divorce myself Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed; Until that act of parliament be repealed, Whereby my fon is difinherited.

The northern lords, that have forfworn thy colours,

Will follow mine, if once they fee them fpread;

And spread they shall be, to thy foul disgrace,
And utter ruin of the house of York.

Thus I do leave thee; come, fon, let's away;
Our army's ready; come, we'll after them.

K. HEN. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak.
QUEEN. Thou haft fpoke too much already; get thee

gone.

K. HEN. Gentle fon, Edward, thou wilt stay with me? QUEEN. Ay, to be murder'd by his enemies.

PRINCE. When I return with victory from the field, I'll fee your grace; till then I'll follow her.

QUEEN. Come, fon, away; we may not linger thus.

[Exeunt queen and prince. K. HEN. Poor queen, how love to me and to her fon Hath made her break out into terms of rage! Reveng'd may she be on that hateful duke,

Whose haughty spirit, winged with defire,

Will coaft my crown; and like an empty eagle,

Tire on the flesh of me and of my

fon!

-The lofs of those three lords torments my heart;

I'll write unto them, and intreat them fair;

-Come, cousin, you fhall be the messenger.

EXE. And as I hope, fhall reconcile them all. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Changes to Sandal-castle, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire.

Enter Richard, Edward, and Montague,

RICH. Brother, though I be youngest give me leave.

EDW. No, I can better play the orator.

MON. But I have reasons strong and forcible.

Enter the duke of York.

YORK. Why how now, fons and brother, at a strife?

What is your quarre!? how began it first?

EDW. No quarrel, but a fweet contention.

YORK. About what?

RICH About that which concerns your grace and us; The crown of England, father; which is yours. YORK. Mine, boy? not 'till king Henry be dead. RICH. Your right depends not on his life or death. EDW. Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it now: By giving th' house of Lancaster leave to breathe, It will out-run you, father, in the end.

YORK. I took an oath that he should quietly reign. EDW. But for a kingdom any oath may be broken: I'd break a thousand oaths to reign one year.

RICH. No, God forbid, your grace should be forfworn. YORK. I fhall be if I claim by open war.

RICH I'll prove the contrary, if you'll hear me speak. YORK. Thou can't not, fon; it is impoffible. RICH. An oath is of no moment, being not took Before a true and lawful magiftrate;

That hath authority o'er him that swears.

Henry had none; but did ufurp the place.
Then, feeing 'twas he that made you to depofe,
Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous;
Therefore, to arms. And, father, do but think
How fweet a thing it is to wear a crown;
Within whose circuit is Elyfium,
And all that poets feign of bliss and joy.
Why do we linger thus? I cannot reft,

Until the white rofe that I wear be dy'd
Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart.

YORK. Richard, enough. I will be king, or die.

Brother, thou shalt to London prefently,