King Henry VI.
Edward, Prince of Wales, his Son.
Lewis XI. Ring of France.
Duke of Somerset,
Duke of Exeler,
Earl of Oxford,

Lords on King Henry's Earl of Northumberland,

side.
Earl of Westmoreland,
Lord Clifford,
Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York.
Edward, Earl of March, afterwards

King Edward IV.
Edmund, Earl of Rutland,

his Sons.
George, afterwards Duke of Clarence,
Richard, afterwards Duke of Gloster,
Duke of Norfolk,
Marquis of Montague,
Earl of Warwick, of the Duke of York's
Earl of Pembroke,

Party.
Lord Hastings,
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, afterwurds Queen to Edward IV.
Bona, Sister to the French Queen.
Soldiers, and other Attendants on King Henry and King

Edward, Messengers, Watchmen, &c. SCENE, during Part of the Third Act, in France;

during all the rest of the Play, in England.

York.

SCENE 1. LONDON. The PARLIAMENT-HOUSE.
Drums. Some Soldiers of YORK's Party break in.

Then enter the Duke of YORK, EDWARD, Rich-
ARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and
others, with white Roses in their Hats.

Willjas
Somer
Liet

War. I

Keeper her.

WONDER how the king escap'd our hands.
York. While we pursu'd the horsemen of the nortlı,
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's front, and, breaking in,
Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.

Edw. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Buckinghamn,
Is either stain, or wounded dangerous :
I cleft bis beaver with a downright blow;
That this is true, father, behold bis blood.

[Showing his bloody Sword.

ed King

40X124

Mont. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's blood,

[To York, showing his. 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 deserv'd of all my sons.What, is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset?

Norf. Such hope have all the line of John of Gannt!
Rich. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's head.

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. 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 by force. [They retire.

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 callid,
Unless Plantagenet, duke of York, be king;
And bashful Henry 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 bolds 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.

Varwick leads York to the Throne, who seats himself.

Flourish. Enter King Henry, CLIFFORD, NORTHUM

BERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and others,
with red Roses in their Huts.

K. Hen. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits,
Even in the chair of state! belike, he means
(Back'd by the power of Warwick, that false peer),
To aspire unlo the crown, and reign as king:-
Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy father;- [venge
And thine, lord Clifford ; and you both have vow'd re-
On bim, his sons, his favourites, and his friends.

North. If I be not, heavens, be reveng'd on me!
Cliff. 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.

K. Hen. Be patient, gentle earl of Westmoreland.
Cliff. Patience is for poltroons, and 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,
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 faclious duke of York, descend my throne,
And kneel for grace and mercy at my feet;
I am thy sovereign.
York.

Thou art deceiv'd, I am thine.
Exe. For shame, come down; he made thee duke of

York.
York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was.
Ere. Thy father was a traitor to the crown.

War. Exeter thou art a traitor to the crown,
In following this usurping Henry,

Cliff. Whom should he follow, but bis natural king?

a

!

War. True, Clifford; and that's Richard, duke of York.
K. Hen. 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 chas'd you from the field,
And slew your fathers, and with colours spread
March'd through the city to the palace gates.

North. Yes, Warwick, I remember it 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.

Cliff: 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.

K. Hen. What title hast thou, traitor, to the crown?
Thy father was, as thou art, duke of York;
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 seiz'd upon their towns and provinces.

War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all.
K. Hen. The lord protector lost it, and not l;
When I was crown'd, I was but nine months old.
Rich. You are old enough now, and yet, methinks

you lose:
Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head.

Edw. Sweet father, do so; set it on your head.
Mont. Good brother, [To York] as thou lov'st and

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

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

speak K. Hen. Peace thou! and give king Henry leave te