Clifford. Come Cousin, let us tell the Queene these Newes.

Westm. Farwell faint-hearted and degenerate King, In whose cold blood no sparke of Honor bides. Northumb. Be thou a prey unto the House of Yorke, And dye in Bands, for this unmanly deed.

209

Cliff. In dreadfull Warre may'st thou be overcome, Or live in peace abandon'd and despis❜d.

[Exeunt Northumberland, Clifford, and Westminster.] Warw. Turne this way Henry, and regard them not. Exeter. They seeke revenge, and therefore will not yeeld.

Henry. Ah Exeter.

Warw. Why should you sigh, my Lord?

Henry. Not for my selfe Lord Warwick,but my Sonne, Whom I unnaturally shall dis-inherite.

But be it as it may: I here entayle

The Crowne to thee and to thine Heires for ever,
Conditionally, that heere thou take an Oath,
To cease this Civill Warre: and whil'st I live,
To honor me as thy King, and Soveraigne:
And neyther by Treason nor Hostilitie,

219

To seeke to put me downe, and reigne thy selfe. Plant. This Oath I willingly take, and will performe. Warw. Long live King Henry: Plantagenet embrace him.

Henry. And long live thou, and these thy forward Sonnes. 230 Plant. Now Yorke and Lancaster are reconcil'd. Exet. Accurst be he that seekes to make them foes. Senet. Here they come downe.

Plant. Farewell my gracious Lord, Ile to my Castle. Warw. And Ile keepe London with my Souldiers. Norf. And I to Norfolke with my followers.

Mount. And I unto the Sea, from whence I came. [Exeunt York and his Sons, Warwick, Norfolk, Montague, their Soldiers, and Attendants.] Henry. And I with griefe and sorrow to the Court.

Enter the Queene [and the Prince of Wales].
Exeter. Heere comes the Queene,

Whose Lookes bewray her anger:
Ile steale away.

Henry. Exeter so will I.

240

Queene. Nay, goe not from me, I will follow thee. Henry. Be patient gentle Queene, and I will stay. Queene. Who can be patient in such extreames? Ah wretched man, would I had dy'de a Maid? And never seene thee, never borne thee Sonne, Seeing thou hast prov'd so unnaturall a Father. Hath he deserv'd to loose his Birth-right thus? Hadst thou but lov'd him halfe so well as I, Or felt that paine which I did for him once, Or nourisht him, as I did with my blood;

250

Thou would'st have left thy dearest heart-blood there, Rather then have made that savage Duke thine Heire, And dis-inherited thine onely Sonne.

If

Prince. Father, you cannot dis-inherite me:

you be King, why should not I succeede?

Henry. Pardon me Margaret, pardon me sweet Sonne, The Earle of Warwick and the Duke enforc't me. 260 Quee. Enforc't thee? Art thou King, and wilt be forc't? I shame to heare thee speake: ah timorous Wretch, Thou hast undone thy selfe, thy Sonne, and me, And giv'n unto the House of Yorke such head, As thou shalt reigne but by their sufferance.

240-1. I 1.-POPE.

To entayle him and his Heires unto the Crowne,
What is it, but to make thy Sepulcher,

And creepe into it farre before thy time?

Warwick is Chancelor, and the Lord of Callice,
Sterne Falconbridge commands the Narrow Seas, 270
The Duke is made Protector of the Realme,
And yet shalt thou be safe? Such safetie findes
The trembling Lambe, invironned with Wolves.
Had I beene there, which am a silly Woman,
The Souldiers should have toss'd me on their Pikes,
Before I would have granted to that Act.
But thou preferr'st thy Life, before thine Honor.
And seeing thou do'st, I here divorce my selfe,
Both from thy Table Henry, and thy Bed,
Untill that Act of Parliament be repeal'd,
Whereby my Sonne is dis-inherited.

280

The Northerne Lords, that have forsworne thy Colours,
Will follow mine, if once they see them spread:
And spread they shall be, to thy foule disgrace,
And utter ruine of the House of Yorke.
Thus doe I leave thee: Come Sonne, let's away,
Our Army is ready; come, wee'le after them.

290

Henry. Stay gentle Margaret, and heare me speake. Queene. Thou hast spoke too much already: get thee gone. Henry. Gentle Sonne Edward, thou wilt stay me? Queene. I, to be murther'd by his Enemies. Prince. When I returne with victorie to the field, Ile see your Grace: till then, Ile follow her. Queene. Come Sonne away, we may not linger thus. [Exeunt Queen Margaret and the Prince.]

Henry. Poore Queene,

291. stay me: stay with me-2-4F.

293. to the field: from the field-QQ. 2-4F.

296-7. 1 1.-POPE.

How love to me, and to her Sonne,

Hath made her breake out into termes of Rage.
Reveng'd may she be on that hatefull Duke,
Whose haughtie spirit, winged with desire,

300

Will cost my Crowne, and like an emptie Eagle,
Tyre1 on the flesh of me, and of my Sonne. 1 feed
The losse of those three Lords torments my heart:

Ile write unto them, and entreat them faire;
Come Cousin, you shall be the Messenger.

Exet. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all. Exit.

[Scene ii. Sandal Castle.]

Flourish.

Enter Richard, Edward, and
Mountague.

Richard. Brother, though I bee youngest, give mee leave.

Edward. No, I can better play the Orator.

Mount. But I have reasons strong and forceable.

Enter the Duke of Yorke.

Yorke. Why how now Sonnes, and Brother, at a strife? What is your Quarrell? how began it first?

Edward. No Quarrell, but a slight Contention. 10 Yorke. About what?

Rich. About that which concernes your Grace and us, The Crowne of England, Father, which is yours. Yorke. Mine Boy? not till King Henry be dead. Richard. Your Right depends not on his life, or death. Edward. Now you are Heire, therefore enjoy it now: By giving the House of Lancaster leave to breathe, It will out-runne you, Father, in the end.

Yorke. I tooke an Oath, that hee should quietly reigne.

20

Edward. But for a Kingdome any Oath may be broken: I would breake a thousand Oathes, to reigne one yeere. Richard. No: God forbid your Grace should be for

sworne.

Yorke. I shall be, if I clayme by open Warre. Richard. Ile prove the contrary, if you'le heare mee speake.

Yorke. Thou canst not, Sonne: it is impossible. Richard. An Oath is of no moment, being not tooke Before a true and lawfull Magistrate,

That hath authoritie over him that sweares.
Henry had none, but did usurpe the place.
Then seeing 'twas he that made you to depose,
Your Oath, my Lord, is vaine and frivolous.
Therefore to Armes: and Father doe but thinke,
How sweet a thing it is to weare a Crowne,
Within whose Circuit is Elizium,

30

And all that Poets faine of Blisse and Joy.
Why doe we linger thus? I cannot rest,
Untill the White Rose that I weare, be dy'de
Even in the luke-warme blood of Henries heart.

Yorke. Richard ynough: I will be King, or dye. Brother, thou shalt to London presently, And whet on Warwick to this Enterprise. Thou Richard shalt to the Duke of Norfolke, And tell him privily of our intent.

You Edward shall unto my Lord Cobham,

With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise.
In them I trust: for they are Souldiors,
Wittie,1 courteous, liberall, full of spirit.
While you are thus imploy'd, what resteth more?
But that I seeke occasion how to rise,
And yet the King not privie to my Drift,
Nor any of the House of Lancaster.

40

50

1 knowing