Clif. Health and all happiness to my lord the king! [Kneels. York. I thank thee, Clifford: Say, what news with thee?

Nay, do not fright us with an angry look: We are thy sovereign, Clifford, kneel again; For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee.

Clif. This is my king, York, I do not mistake;

Sal. My lord, I have consider'd with my self The title of this most renowned duke; And in my conscience do repnte his grace The rightful heir to England's royal seat. K. Hen. Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto me?

Sal. I have.

K. Hen. Canst thou dispense with heaven for such an oath?

Sal. It is great sin, to swear unto a sin; But greater sin, to keep a sinful oath

tious humour

York. Look in a glass, and call thy image so; [tor.1 am thy king, and thou a false-heart traiCall hither to the stake my two brave bears,* That, with the very shaking of their chains, They may astonish these fell lurking curs; Bid Salisbury, and Warwick, come to me.

Drums. Enter WARWICK and SALISBURY, with Forces.

Clif. Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears to death,

And manacle the bear-ward+ in their chains, If thou dar'st bring them to the baitingplace.

Rich. Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening

yourselves.

K. Hen. Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow?

Old Salisbury,-shame to thy silver hair,
Thou mad misleader of thy brain-sick son!-
What, wilt thou on thy death-bed play the
ruffian,

And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles?
O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty?
If it be banish'd from the frosty head,
Where shall it find a harbour in the earth ?--
Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And shame thine honourable age with blood?
Why art thou old, and want'st experience?
Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?
For shame! in duty bend thy knee to me,
That bows unto the grave with mickle age.

The Nevils, earls of Warwick, had a bear and ragged staff for their crest. + Bear-keeper.

To do a murderous deed, to rob a man,
To force a spotless virgin's chastity,
To reave the orphan of his patrimony,
To wring the widow from her custom'd right;
And have no other reason for this wrong,
But that he was bound by a solemn oath?

Q. Mar. A subtle traitor needs no sophister. K. Hen. Call Buckingham, and bid him arm himself.

York. Call Buckingham, and all the friends thou hast,

I am resolv'd for death, or dignity.

Clif. The first I warrant thee, if dreams

prove true.

War. You were best to go to bed, and dream

again,

To keep thee from the tempest of the field.

Clif. I am resolv'd to bear a greater storm, Than any thou canst conjure up to-day; And that I'll write upon thy burgonet, Might I but know thee by thy household badge.

War. Now, by my father's badge, old Nevil's crest,

This day I'll wear aloft my burgonet,*
The rampant bear chain'd to the ragged staff,
(As on a mountain-top the cedar shows,
Even to affright thee with the view thereof.
That keeps his leaves in spite of any storm,)

Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy

But match to match I have encounter'd him, And made a prey for carrion kites and crows Even of the bonny beast he lov'd so well.

Enter CLIFFORD.

War. Of one or both of us the time is come. York. Hold, Warwick, seek thee out some other chace,

For I myself must hunt this deer to death. War. Then, nobly, York; 'tis for a crown thou fight'st.

As I intend, Clifford, to thrive to-day, It grieves my soul to leave thee unassail'd. [Exit WARWICK. Clif. What seest thou in me, York? why dost thou pause?

York. With thy brave bearing should I be in love,

But that thou art so fast mine enemy.
Clif. Nor should thy prowess want praise

and esteem,

But that 'tis shown ignobly and in treason. York. So let it help me now against thy sword,

As I in justice and true right express it! Clif. My soul and body on the action both!

York. A dreadful lay!*-address thee instantly.

[They fight, and CLIFFORD falls. [Dies. York. Thus war hath given thee peace, for

Clif. La fin couronne les oeuvres.

thou art still.

Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will! [Exit.

Enter young CLIFFORD.

Y. Clif. Shame and confusion! all is on the rout;

Fear frames disorder, and disorder wounds Where it should guard. O war, thou son of hell,

Whom angry heavens do make their minister,
Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part
Hot coals of vengeance!-Let no soldier fly :
He that is truly dedicate to war,
Hath no self-love; nor he, that loves himself,
Hath not essentially, but by circumstance,
The name of valour.-O, let the vile world
end,
[Seeing his dead Futher.
And the premised+ flames of the last day
Knit earth and heaven together!
Now let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds

To cease!t-Wast thou ordain'd, dear father,
To lose thy youth in peace, and to achieve
The silver livery of advised|| age;

And, in thy reverence, and thy chair-days, thus

To die in ruffian battle?-Even at this sight, My heart is turn'd to stone: and, while 'tis mine,

It shall be stony. York not our old men spares;
No more will I their babes: tears virginal
Shall be to me even as the dew to fire;
And beauty, that the tyrant oft reclaims,
Shall to my flaming wrath be oil and flax.
Henceforth, I will not have to do with pity:
Meet I an infant of the house of York,
Into as many gobbets will I cut it,
As wild Medea young Absyrtus did:
In cruelty will I seek out my fame.

Alarums: Excursions.

[Exit.

Enter King HENRY, Queen MARGARET, and others, retreating.

Q. Mar. Away, my lord! you are slow; for shame, away!

K. Hen. Can we outrun the heavens ? good Margaret, stay.

Q. Mar. What are you made of? you'll not fight, nor fly:

Now is it manhood, wisdom, and defence,
To give the enemy way: and to secure us
By what we can, which can no more but fly.
If you be ta'en, we then should see the bottom
[Alarum afar off.

Of all our fortunes: but if we haply scape,
(As well we may, if not through your neglect,)
We shall to London get; where you are lov'd;
And where this breach, now in our fortunes
made,
May readily be stopp'd.

SCENE III.-Fields near Saint Albans. Alarum: Retreat. Flourish; then enter YORK, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, WARWICK, and Soldiers, with Drum and Colours.

York. Of Salisbury, who can report of him; That winter lion, who, in rage forgets Aged contusions and all brush of time; And, like a gallant in the brow of youth, Repairs him with occasion? this happy day Is not itself, nor have we won one foot, If Salisbury be lost.

Rich. My noble father,

Three times to-day I holp him to his horse,
Three times bestrid him, thrice I led him off,
Persuaded him from any further act:
But still, where danger was, still there I met
him;

And like rich hangings in a homely house,
So was his will in his old feeble body.
But, noble as he is, look where he comes.

Enter SALISBURY.

fought to-day;

Sal. Now, by my sword, well hast thou [Richard: By the mass, so did we all.-I thank you, God knows, how long it is I have to live; And it hath pleas'd him, that three times to-day You have defended me from imminent death.Well, lords, we have not got that which we have:*

"Tis not enough our foes are this time fled, Being opposites of such repairing nature.

I. e. We have not secured that which we have acquired.

† I. e. Being enemies that are likely so soon to rally and recover themselves from this defeat.

KING HENRY THE SIXTH.
EDWARD, Prince of Wales, his Son.
LEWIS XI. King of France.
DUKE OF SOMERSET,-DUKE OF EXE- Lords
TER, EARL OF OXFORD,-EARL (on King
OF NORTHUMBERLAND, EARL OF

side.
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, Duke of York.
EDWARD, Earl of March, after-
wards King Edward IV.

WESTMORELAND, LORD CLIFFORD Henry's

EDMUND, Earl of Rutland,

SIR JOHN MORTIMER, Uncles to the Duke of
SIR HUGH MORTIMER,
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.

LADY GREY, afterwards 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.

L

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; 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 holds up Lancaster, Dares stir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells. I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who

dares:

crown.

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 factious 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.

Clif. Whom should he follow, but his natural king?

Hawks had sometimes little bells hung on them, perhaps to dare the birds; that is, to fright them from rising.

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,

[field, That we are those, which chas'd you from the 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,

[lives, Thy kinsmen, and thy friends, I'll have more Than drops of blood were in my father's veins. Clif. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of

words,

I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger,
As shall revenge his death, before 1 stir.
War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worth-

K. Hen. The lord protector lost it, and not I; 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 fly.
York. Sons, peace!

K. Hen. 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.

K. Hen. Think'st thou, that I will leave my

kingly throne,

Wherein my grandsire, and my father, sat? 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 sor[lords?

row,