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 him.

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.

Cf. 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 fa-
ther!

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 them-
selves.

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.
K. Hen. I am content: Richard Plantagenet,
Enjoy the kingdom after my decease.
Clif. What wrong is this unto the prince your

son ?

War. What good is this to England and himself?

West. Base, fearful, and despairing Henry! Clif. How hast thou injur'd both thyself and us ?

• Le. Detrimental to the general rights of hereditary royalty.

West. I cannot stay to hear these articles. North. Nor I.

Clif. Come, cousin, 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'st thou be over.

come !

Or live in peace, abandon'd and despis'd!

[Exeunt NORTHUMBERLAND, CLIFFORD, and WESTMORELAND.

War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them

not.

Eae. They seek revenge, and therefore wil not yield.

K. Hen. Ah! Exeter :

War. Why should you sigh, my lord!

K. Hen. Not for myself, lord Warwick, but my son, 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 thon 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. [Coming from the Throne.
War. Long live king Henry-Plantagenet,
embrace him.

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

York. Now York and Lancaster are recon

cil'd.

Exe, Accurs'd be he that seeks to mase them foes!

[Senet. The Lords come forward. York. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle.

War. And I'll keep Loudon, with my sel diers.

Norf. And I to Norfolk, with my followers. Mont. And I unto the sea, from whence I

came.

[Excunt YORK, and his Sons, WARWICK, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, Soldiers, and Attendants.

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

court.

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 L.

man! 'would I had died a

[Going. 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 maid, And never seen thee, never borne thee son, Seeing thou hast prov'd so unnatural a father! Hath he deserv'd to lose his birthright thus ↑ Hadst thou but lov'd him half so well as 1; 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, Rather than made that savage duke thine heir, And disinherited thine only son.

Betray, discover.

Hath made her break out into terms of rage!
Reveng'd may she be on that hateful duke;
Whose haughty spirit, winged with desire,
Will cost my crown, and, like an empty eagle,
Tire on the flesh of me and of my son!
The loss of those three lords torments my

beart;

I'll write unto them, and entreat them fair!Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger.

Exe. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all. [Exeunt. SCENE II-A Room in Sandal Castle, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire. Enter EDWARD, PICHARD, and MONTAGUE. Rich. Brother, though I be youngest, give

me leave.

Edie. No, I can better play the orator. Mont. But I have reasons strong and forcible.

The crown of England, father, which is your's. 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 the house of Lancaster leave to breathe,

It will outrun 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 forsworn.

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

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 de-

pose,

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.
Thon, Richard, shalt unto the duke of Norfolk,
And tell him privily of our intent.
You, Edward, shall unto my lord Cobham,
With whom the Kentishinen will willingly

rise:

In them I trust; for they are soldiers,
Witty and 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.

But, stay; What news? Why com'st thou in such post?

Mess. The queen, with all the northern carls and lords,

Intend here to besiege you in your castle :
She is hard by with twenty thousand men;
And therefore fortify your hold, my lord.
York. Ay, with my sword. What! think'st
thou that we fear them ?→
Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me ;-
My brother Montague shall post to London:
Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest,
Whom we have left protectors of the king,
With powerful policy strengthen themselves,
And trust not simple Henry, nor his oaths.
Mont. Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it
And thus most humbly I do take my leave.

not:

[Exit. Enter Sir JOHN and Sir HUCH 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.

• Of sonad judgment.