SCENE I. London. The Parliament-house. Alarum. Enter the DUKE OF YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and Soldiers.

War. I wonder how the king escaped our hands.

York. While we pursued 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 abreast, Charged our main battle's front, and breaking in Were by the swords of common soldiers slain. Edw. Lord Stafford's father, Duke of Buckingham,

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Is either slain or wounded dangerously;
I cleft his beaver with a downright blow:
That this is true, father, behold his blood.
Mont. And, brother, here's the Earl of Wilt-
shire's blood,

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 deserved of all my

sons.

But is your grace dead, my Lord of Somerset? Norf. Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt!

LORD STAFFord.

SIR JOHN MORTIMER,

SIR HUGH MORTIMER,

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. BONA, Sister to the French Queen.

Soldiers, Attendants, Messengers, Watchmen, &c.

SCENE: England and France.

Rich. Thus do I hope to shake King Henry's head.

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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.

30

York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk: stay by me, my lords;

And, soldiers, stay and lodge by me this night. [They go up.

War. And when the king comes, offer him no violence,

Unless he seek to thrust you out perforce.
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, 40 And bashful Henry deposed, whose cowardice Hath made us by-words to our enemies.

York. Then leave me not, my lords; be i resolute;

And slew your fathers, and with colours spread

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.
Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, CLIfford,
NORTHUMBERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXE-
TER, and the rest.

K. Hen. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits,

50

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 revenged 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. 60 K. Hen. Be patient, gentle Earl of Westmoreland.

Clif. Patience is for poltroons, such as he:
He durst not sit there, had your father lived.
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,

70

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,

100

I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger
As shall revenge his death before I stir.
War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worth-
less 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?

K. Hen. Peace, thou! and give King Henry leave to speak.

120

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?
My title's good, and better far than his.

130

War. 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. [Aside] 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 sove-
reign,

140

And made him to resign his crown perforce. War. Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd,

160

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 over the chair of state, where now he sits,
Write up his title with usurping blood.

[He stamps with his foot, 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.

170

Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.
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 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.

200

War. Long live King Henry! Plantagenet, | embrace him.

K. Hen. And long live thou and these thy forward sons!

York. Now York and Lancaster are reconciled.

Exe. Accursed be he that seeks to make them foes! [Sennet. Here they come down. 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, Nor

folk, Montague, their Soldiers, and Attendants.

K. Hen. And I, with grief and sorrow, to the

Enter QUEEN MARGARET and the PRINCE OF WALES.

Exe. Here comes the queen, whose looks bewray her anger:

I'll steal away.

K. Hen. Exeter, so will I.

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 proved so unnatural a father! Hath he deserved to lose his birthright thus? Hadst thou but loved 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,

220

Rather than have made that savage duke thine

heir

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 ine 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.

250

The northern lords that have forsworn thy colours
Will follow mine, if once they see them spread;
And spread they shall be, to thy foul disgrace
And utter ruin of the house of York.
Thus do I leave thee. Come, son, let's away;
Our army is ready; come, we 'll after them.

K. Hen. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak.

Q. Mar. Thou hast spoke too much already: get thee gone

K. Hen. Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay with me?

Q. Mar. Ay, to be murder'd by his enemies. Prince. When I return with victory from the field 261 I'll see your grace: till then I'll follow her. Q. Mar. Come, son, away; we may not linger

thus.

I would break a thousand oaths to reign one year. Rich. No: God forbid your grace should be forsworn.

York. I shall be, if I claim by open war. Rich. I'll prove the contrary, if you'll hear me speak.

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30

York. Thou canst not, son; it is impossible. Rich. An oath is of no moment, being not took Before a true and lawful magistrate, That hath authority over him that swears: Henry had none, but did usurp the place; Then, seeing 'twas he that made you to depose, Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous. Therefore, to arms! And, father, do but think How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown; Within whose circuit is Elysium And all that poets feign of bliss and joy. Why do we linger thus? I cannot rest Until the white rose that I wear be dyed Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart. York. Richard, enough; I will be king, or die. Brother, thou shalt to London presently, And whet on Warwick to this enterprise. Thou, Richard, shalt to the Duke of Norfolk, And tell him privily of our intent. You, Edward, shall unto my Lord Cobham, With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise: In them I trust; for they are soldiers, Witty, courteous, liberal, full of spirit. While you are thus employ'd, what resteth more, But that I seek occasion how to rise, And yet the king not privy to my drift, Nor any of the house of Lancaster? Enter a Messenger.

40

And thus most humbly I do take my leave. [Exit. Enter SIR JOHN MORTIMER and SIR HUGH MORTIMER.

York. Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer, mine uncles,

You are come to Sandal in a happy hour;
The army of the queen mean to besiege us.
Sir John. She shall not need; we'll meet her
in the field.

York. What, with five thousand men?
Rich. Ay, with five hundred, father, for a need:
A woman's general; what should we fear?

[A march afar off.

Edw. I hear their drums: let's set our men in order, 70 And issue forth and bid them battle straight.

York.

Five men to twenty! though the odds be great,

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?
[Alarum. Exeunt.
SCENE III. Field of battle betwixt Sandal
Castle and Wakefield.

Alarums. 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, dragged off by Soldiers.
Clif How now! is he dead already? or is it
fear
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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 threatening look.
Sweet Clifford, hear me speak before I die.
I am too mean a subject for thy wrath:
Be thou revenged on men, and let me live.
Clif. In vain thou speak'st, poor boy; my
father's blood

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Hath stopp'd the passage where thy words should

enter.

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;
And till I root out their accursed line
And leave not one alive, I live in hell.
Therefore-

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[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.

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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 ! Thy father slew my father; therefore, die.

[Stabs him.

Rut. Di faciant laudis summa sit ista tur!

[Dies. Clif Plantagenet! I come, Plantagenet! And this thy son's blood cleaving to my blade 50 Shall rust upon my weapon, till thy blood, Congeal'd with this, do make me wipe off both. [Exit.

SCENE IV. Another part of the field. Alarum. Enter RICHARD, Duke of 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 pursued 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,
And thrice cried 'Courage, father! fight it out!'
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 of
ground!'

II

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And cried 'A crown, or else a glorious tomb!
A sceptre, or an earthly sepulchre !'
With this, we charged again: but, out, alas!
We bodged again; as I have seen a swan
With bootless labour swim against the tide
And spend her strength with over-matching
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.

waves.

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Enter QUEEN MARGARET, CLIFFORD, NORTH-
UMBERLAND, the young Prince, 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 his ruthless arm,
With downright payment, show'd unto my father.
Now Phaethon 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,
And in thy thought o'er-run my former time;
And, if thou canst for blushing, view this face,