King. Far be the thought of this from Henry's heart,
To make a shambles of the Parliament-house!
Cousin of Exeter, frowns, words, and threats

Shall be the war that Henry means to use.

[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'rt deceived; I'm 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 crown.

War. Exeter, thou'rt 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. King. 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 chased you from the field, And slew your fathers, and with colours spread March'd through the city to the palace-gates.

North. No, Warwick, I remember't to my grief; 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.

6 The earldom here intended was the earldom of March, which York inherited from his mother. His title to the crown was not as Duke of York, but as Earl of March; and by naming this he covertly asserts his right to the crown.

Clif. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of words,

I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger

As shall revenge his death before I stir.

War. Poor Clifford ! how I scorn his worthless threats!

York. Will you we show our title to the crown?
If not, our swords shall plead it in the field.

King. What title hast thou, traitor, to the crown?
Thy father was, as thou art, Duke of York ;7
Thy grandfather, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March:
I am the son of Henry the Fifth,

Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop,
And seized upon their towns and provinces.

War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all.

King. The Lord Protector lost it, and not I:

When I was crown'd I was but nine months old.

Rich. You're old enough now, yet, methinks, you lose. — Tear the crown, father, from th' usurper's head.

Edw. Sweet father, do so; set it on your head.

Mont. [To YORK.] Good brother, as thou lovest and honour'st arms,

Let's fight it out, and not stand cavilling thus.

Rich. Sound drums and trumpets, and the King will fly. York. Sons, peace!

North. 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.

King. Think'st thou that I will leave my kingly throne, Wherein my grandsire and my father sat?

7 His father was not Duke of York, but Earl of Cambridge, and even that title was forfeited, leaving the present duke plain Richard Plantagenet, until he was advanced by the present King. Accordingly, Exeter has said, a few lines before, " He made thee Duke of York." So that here we have another discrepancy. See vol. viii. page 41, note I.

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.

War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king.
King. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown.
York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king.

King. [Aside.] I know not what to say; my title's weak. Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir?

York. What then?

King. 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 sovereign, And made him to resign his crown perforce.

War. Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd,
Think you 'twere prejudicial to his crown?

Exe. No; for he could not so resign his crown
But that the next heir should succeed and reign.
King. Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter?
Exe. His is the right, and therefore pardon me.
York. Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not?
Exe. My conscience tells me he is lawful king.

King. [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 deposed.

War. Deposed he shall be, in despite of all.

North. Thou art deceived: '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.

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!
King. O Clifford, how thy words revive my heart!
York. Henry of Lancaster, resign the 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 armèd 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 themselves. King. 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 livest.

King. 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 injured both thyself and us!
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 mayst thou be overcome,
Or live in peace, abandon'd and despised!

[Exeunt NORTHUMB., CLIFF., and WESTMORE. War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not. Exe. They seek revenge, and therefore will not yield. King. Ah, Exeter !

War.

Why should you sigh, my lord?

King. 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.

York. This oath I willingly take, and will perform.

[Coming from the throne, War. Long live King Henry! - Plantagenet, embrace

him.

King. 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. The Lords come forward.

York. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle.8
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, NORFOLK,
MONTAGUE, Soldiers, and Attendants.

King. And I, with grief and sorrow, to the Court.

Exe. Here comes the Queen, whose looks bewray her

Enter Queen MARGARET and the Prince of WALES.

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

8 Sandal Castle, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire.