Dares ftir a wing, if Warwick thake his bells 1. I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares :-Than drops of blood were in my father's vems. Refolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown. [Warwick leads York to the throne, who feats himself. Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northumberland, Weft moreland, Exeter, and others, at the further end of the Aage.

Clif. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of words, send thee, Warwick, fuch a messenger, As fhall revenge his death, before I ftir.

The allufion is to falconry. The hawks had fometimes little bells hung upon them, perhaps to fright the birds from riling.

York. What then?'

K. Henry. An if he may, then am I lawful king:
For Richard, in the view of many lords,
Refign'd the crown to Henry the fourth;
Whofe heir my father was, and I am his.

York. He rofe against him, being his fovereign,
And made him to refign the crown perforce.
War. Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd,
Think you, 'twere prejudicial to the crown
Exa. No; for he could not fo refign his crown,
But that the next heir fhould fucceed and reign.
K. Henry. Art thou against us, duke of Exeter
Exe. His is the right, and therefore pardon me.
York. Why whifper you, my lords, and answer
not?

Exe. My confcience tells me, he is lawful king.
K. Henry. All will revolt from me, and turn

to him.

North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'ft, Think not that Henry fhall be fo ́depos'd.

War. Depos'd he thall be, in defpight of all.
North. Thou art deceiv'd: 'tis not thy fouthern
power,

Of Effex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,-
Which makes thee thus prefumptuous and proud,—
Can fet the duke up, in defpight of me.

Clif. King Henry, be thy title right or wrong,
Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence:
May that ground gape, and fwallow me alive,
Where I fhall kneel to him that flew my father!"
K. lleny. O Clifford, how thy words revive
my heart!

York. Henry of Lancaster refign thy crown :--
What mutter you, or what confpire you, lords?

War. Do right unto this princely duke of York';
Or I will fill the houfe with armed men,
And, o'er the chair of state, where now he fits,
Write up his title with ufurping blood.

He flamps, and the foldiers fhew themselves.
K. Henry. 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'ft.
K. Henry. 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 himfelf?
WA. Bafe, fearful, and despairing Henry!
Clif. How halt thou injur'd both thyfelf and us!
Weft. I cannot stay to hear thefe articles.
[news.
Narth. Nor L.
Clif. Come, coufin, let's go tell the queen these

Weft. Farewel, faint-hearted and degenerate

king,

In whose cold blood no fpark 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 overcome!
Or live in peace, abandon'd, and defpis'd!
[Exeunt Northumberland, Clifford, and Weftmoreland.
War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them
[yield.

not.

Exe. They feek revenge, and therefore will not
K. Henry. Ah, Exeter!

War. Why fhould you figh, my lord? [fon,
K. Henry. Not for myself, lord Warwick, but my
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; and
Neither by treason, nor hostility,

To feek to put me down, and reign thyfelf.
York. This oath Iwillingly take, and will perform.
War. Long live king Henry !-Plantagenet,
embrace him.

K. Henry. And long live thou, and these thy
forward fons!

York. Now York and Lancafter are reconcil'd.
Exe. Accurs'd be he, that feeks to make them
foes! [Here the Lords come forward.
York. Farewel, my gracious lord; I'll to my
caftle.

War. And I'll keep London with my foldiers.
Norf. And I to Norfolk with my followers.
Mont. And I unto the fea, from whence I came.

[Exeunt York, and bis fons, Warwick, Nor-
folk, and Montague.

K. Henry. And I with grief and forrow, to the

court.

Enter the Queen, and Prince. Exe. Here comes the queen, whofe looks bewray her anger:

I'll fteal away.

K. Henry. Exeter, so will I.

[Going.

Queen. Nay, go not from nie; I will follow

thee.

K. Henry. Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay.
Queen. Who can be patient in fuch extremes
Ah, wretched man! 'would I had died a maid,
And never feen thee, never borne thee fon,
Seeing thou haft prov'd fo unnatural a father!
Hath he deferv'd to lofe his birth-right thus ?
Hadit thou but lov'd him half fo 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 deareft heart-blood there,
Rather than made that fa, age duke thine heir,
And difinherited thine only fon.

Prince. Father, you cannot difinherit me:
If you be king, why fhould not I fucceed?
K. Henry. Pardon me, Margaret;-pardon me,
fweet fon;-

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, timorous wretch!
Thou haft undone thyfelf, thy for, and me;
And give unto the houfe of York fuch head,
As thou fhalt reign but by their fufferance.
To entail him and his 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 safe? fuch fafety finds
The trembling lamb, environed 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 repeal'd,
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 fhall be; to thy foul difgrace,
And utter ruin of the houfe of York.
Thus do I leave thee :-Come, son, let's away;
Our army's ready; come, we'll after them.
K. Henry. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me
fpeak.
[thee gone.
Queen. Thou haft fpoke too much already; get
K. Henry. Gentle fon Edward, thou wilt ftay

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 [Exeunt Queen and Prince. K. Henry. Poor queen! how love to me, and to her fon,

thus.

Hath made her break out into terms of rage!"
Reveng'd may fhe be on that hateful duke;
Whofe haughty fpirit, winged with defire,
Will coaft my crown, and, like an empty eagle,
Tire on the fleth of me, and of my fon!

The loss of those three lords 3 torments my heartį:
I'll write unto them, and entreat them fair ;-
Come, coufin, you fhall be the meffenger.
Exe. And I, I hope, fhall reconcile them all.

SCENE

11.

[Exeunt.

Sandal Caftle, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire.
Enter Edward, Richard, and Montague.
Rich. Brother, though I be youngest, give me

leave.

Edw. No, I can better play the orator.
Mont. But I have reafons ftrong and forcible.
Enter the Duke of York.

What is your quarrel? how began it first ?
Edw. No quarrel, but a fweet contention 4.
York. About what?
[and us ;
Rich. About that which concerns your grace
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 the houfe 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 fhould 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 magistrate,

That hath authority over 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 whofe circuit is Elyfium,
And all that poets feign of blifs 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 presently,
And whet on Warwick to this enterprize.
Thou, Richard, fhalt to the duke of Norfolk,
And tell him privily of our intent.-
You, Edward, fhall unto my lord Cobham,
With whom the Kentifh men will willingly rife:
In them I truft; for they are foldiers,
Witty 5, and courteous, liberal, full of fpirit.-
While you are thus employ'd, what refteth more,
But that I feek occafion how to rife;
And yet the king not privy to my drift,
Nor any of the house of Lancaster?
Enter a MeJenger.

But, ftay; What news? Why com'st thou in fuck
poft?
lords,

Gab. The queen, with all the northern earls and
Intend here to befiege you in your castle :
She is hard by with twenty thousand men;
And therefore fortify your hold, my lord.
York. Ay, with my fword. What! think't
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 reft,
Whom we have left protectors of the king,
With powerful policy ftrengthen themfelves,

York. Why, how now, fons, and brother, at a And trust not simple Hen, nor his oaths.
ftrife?

Mort. Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it not: i. e. hover over or range about my crown. 2 To tire may either mean to faften, to fix the talons, from the French tirer, or to peck. 3 viz. Northumberland, Weftmoreland, and Clifford. Meaning, that the argument of their difpute was upon a grateful topic, viz. the queftion of their father's immediate right to the crown. 5 Witty would here feein to mean, of found judgement.

And

It could not flake mine ire, nor ease my
The fight of any of the houfe of York
Is as a fury to torment my foul;
And 'till I root out their accurfed line,
And leave not one alive, I live in hell.
Therefore-
[Lifting his band.
Rut. O, let me pray before I take my death:-

Sir John. She fhall not need, we'll meet her in To thee I pray; fweet Clifford, pity me!

This line is in Ovid's Epifle from Phillis to Demophoon.

the mother's side, Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer. 3 i, e. we failed or miscarried again. I dare

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 fuch mercy, as his ruthless arm,
With downright payment, fhew'd unto my father.
Now Phaeton hath tumbled from his car,
"And made an evening at the noon-tide prick.

York. My afhes, 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 n with.
Why come you not? what! multitudes, and fear?
Clif. So cowards fight, when they can fly no
further;

So doves do peck the faulcon's piercing talons;
So defperate 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 canft for blufhing, view this face;
And bite thy tongue, that flanders him with cow-
ardice,

Whofe frown hath made thee faint and fly ere this.
Clif. I will not bandy with thee word for word;
Bat buckle with thee blows, twice two for one.

Made iffue from the bofom of the boy :
And, if thine eyes can water for his death,
I give thee this to dry thy cheeks withal.
Alas, poor York! but that I hate thee deadly,
I fhould lament thy miferable state.

I pr'ythee, grieve, to make me merry, York.
What, hath thy fiery heart fo parch'd thine entrails,
That not a tear could fall for Rutland's death?
Why art thou patient, man? thou should'st be mad;
And I, to make thee mad, do mock thee thus.
Stamp, rave, and fret, that I may fing and dance.
Thou wouldst be fee'd, I fee, to make me fport;
York cannot fpeak, unless he wear a crown.—
A crown for York;—and, lords, bow low to him-
Hold you his hands, whilft I do fet it on.--

[Putting a paper crown on bi; head. Ay, marry, fir, now looks he like a king! Ay, this is he that took king Henry's chair; And this is he was his adopted heir.But how is it, that great Plantagenet Is crown'd fo foon, and broke his folemn oath ? As I bethink me, you should not be king, 'Till our king Henry had fhook hands with death. And will you pale your head in Henry's glory, And rob his temples of the diadem, Now in his life, against your holy oath? Queen. Hold, valiant Clifford! for a thousand O, 'tis a fault too too unpardonable !— I would prolong a while the traitor's life:- [caufes, Off with the crown; and,with the crown, his head; Wrath makes him deaf: fpeak thou, Northumber- And, whilft we breathe, take time to do hìm dead. land. [much, Clif. That is my office, for my father's death. Queen. Nay, ftay; let's hear the orifons he makes. York. She-wolfof France, but worse than wolves of France,

[Draws.

North. Hold, Clifford! do not honour him to
To prick thy finger, though to wound his heart :
What valour were it, when a cur doth grin,
For one to thrust his hand between his teeth,
When he might (purn him with his foot away?
It is war's prize to take all vantages;
And ten to one is no impeach of valeur.

[They lay band, on York, who fruggles.
Clif. Ay, ay, to ftrives the woodcock with the gin.
North. So doth the coney ftruggle in the net.
[York is taken prifoner.
Yok. So triumph thieves upon their conquer'd
booty!

him now?

So true men yield, with robbers fo o'er-match'd.
North. What would your grace have done unto
[berland,
Queen. Brave warriors, Clifford, and Northum-
Come make him stand upon this mole-hill here;
That raught 2 at mountains with out-ftretched arms,
Yet parted but the fhadow with his hand.-
What! was it you, that would be England's king?
Was't you, that revell'd in our parliament,
And made a preachment of your high defcent?
Where are your meis of fons, to back you now?
The wanton Edward, and the lufty George?
And where's that valiant crook-back prodigy,
Dicky your boy, that, with his grumbling voice,
Was wont to cheer his dad in mutinies ?
Or, with the reft, where is your darling Rutland
Look, York; Iftain'd this napkin 3 with the blood
That valiant Clifford, with his rapier's point,

Whofe tongue more poifons than the adder's tooth!
How ill-beteeming is it in thy fex,

To triumph, like an Amazonian trull,
Upon their woes, whom fortune captivates !
But that thy face is, vizor-like, unchanging,
Made impudent with ufe of evil deeds,

I would affay, proud queen, to make thee blush :
To tell thee whence thou cam'ft, of whom der. 'd,
Were thane enough to fhame thee, wert thou
not thameless.

Thy father bears the type of king of Naples,
Of both the Sicils, and Jerusalem;
Yet not fo wealthy as an English yeoman.
Hath that poor monarch taught thee to infult?
It needs not, nor it boots thee not,' proud queen ;
Unless the adage must be verify'd,—
That beggars, mounted, run their horfe to death.
'Tis beauty, that doth oft make women proud;
But, God he knows, thy fhare thereof is fmall:
'Tis virtue, that doth make them inoft admir'd;
The contrary doth make thee wonder'd at ;
'Tis government 4, that makes them feem divine;
The want thereof makes thee abominable:
Thou art as oppofite to every good,
As the Antipodes are unto us,

Or as the fouth to the feptentrion.
Oh, tyger's heart, wrapp'd in a woman's hide!
How could't thou drain the life-blood of the child,

1 Or, noon-tide point on the dial. 2. e. that reach'd, raught being the ancient preterite and participle pailive of reach. 3 A napkin is a handkerchiet. 4 Government here fignifies evennets

of temper, and decency

of manners.

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