SCENE I. London. The Parliament-house. Alarum. Yorkist soldiers break in. Then enter the DUKE OF YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and others, with white roses in their hats.

War. I 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 abreast, Charg'd our main battle's1 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;

1 Battle, body of troops.

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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 perforce. [Soldiers withdraw.

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 be 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. I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares:

Resolve thee, Richard; claim the English

My heart for anger burns; I cannot brook it. K. Hen. Be patient, gentle Earl of Westmoreland.

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

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To make a shambles of the parliament-house!
Cousin of Exeter, frowns, words, and threats
Shall be the war that Henry means to use.
[Advancing towards York.
Thou factious Duke of York, descend my
throne,
And kneel for grace and mercy at my feet;
I am thy sovereign.

York.
Thou'rt deceiv'd; I am thine.
Exe. For shame, come down: he made thee
Duke of York.

York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was.

[Exe. Thy father was a traitor to the

Shall be my winding-sheet.-Why faint you, lords?

My title 's good, and better far than his. 130 War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king.

K. Hen. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown.

York. T was 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 Henry2 the Fourth, Whose heir my father was, and I am his. 140 York. He rose against him, being his sovereign,

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

strain'd,

K. Hen. [Aside] 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: 't is 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 thy defence: 160 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 o'er the chair of state, where now he sits,
Write up his title with usurping blood.

[He stamps with his foot, and the soldiers

K. Hen. Ah, Exeter! War.

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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: [To York] 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. 200
York. This oath I willingly take, and will
perform. [Descending from the throne.
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 reconcil'd.

Exe. Accurs'd be he that seeks to make them foes. [Sennet. The Lords come forward. York. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle.

1 Fearful, i.e. cowardly. 2 Bands, bonds, i.e. prison.

Q. Mar. Who can be patient2 in such extremes?

Ah, wretched man! would I had died a 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 I, 220
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.

Prince. Father, you cannot disinherit me: If you be king, why should not I succeed? K. Hen. Pardon me, Margaret; pardon me,

sweet son:

1 Bewray, discover, show. 2 Patient, here a trisyllable.

Thou hast undone thyself, thy son, and me;
And giv'n unto the house of York such head,*
As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance.
T' entail him and his heirs unto the crown,
What is it but to make thy sepulchre,
And creep into it far before thy time?
Warwick is chancellor, and the lord of Calais;
Stern Falconbridge commands the narrow seas;
The duke is made protector of the realm; 240
And yet shalt thou be safe? such safety finds
The trembling lamb environed with wolves.
Had I been there, which am a silly woman,