Exe. Thy father was a traitor to the crown. Clif. Whom should he follow but his natural king? 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 chased you from the field, 90 And slew your fathers, and with colors 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. 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 100 threats! 83. "and that's," the reading of Ff. 2, 3, 4; F. 1, "that's"; Qq., "and that is"; Collier, "that is.” York. Will you we show our title to the crown? Thy father was, as thou art, Duke of York; 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. K. Hen. The lord protector lost it, and not I: 111 When I was crown'd I was but nine months old. 105. "Thy father"; "Thy,” Rowe's correction (from Qq.) of Ff., "My"; "father"; Capell conj. "uncle.”—I. G. It will be remembered that his father was not duke of York, but earl of Cambridge, and that 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, and that not in different plays or scenes, but in different parts of the same scene.-H. N. H. 110. "Sith," since; a contraction of sithence. The following extracts from the Chronicles will show the historical basis of these proceedings. "During the time of this parlement, the duke of Yorke with a bold countenance entered into the chamber of the peeres, and sat downe in the throne roiall, under the cloth of estate, which is the kings peculiar seat, and in the presence of the nobilitie, as well spirituall as temporall, after a pause made, he began to declare his title to the crowne." Then follows the speech which York was said to have made, after which the chroniclers add,-"When the duke had made an end of his oration, the lords sat still as men striken into a certeine amazednesse, neither whispering nor speaking foorth a word, as though their mouthes had been sowed up. The duke, not verie well content with their silence, advised them to consider throughlie, and ponder the whole effect of his words and saiengs; and so neither fullie displeased, nor yet altogither content, departed to his lodgings in the kings palace. The lords forgot not the dukes demand, and, to take some direction therein, diverse of them as spirituall and temporall, with manie grave and sage persons of the commonaltie, dailie assembled at the Blacke Rich. You are old enough now, and yet, me thinks, you lose. Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head. Edw. Sweet father, do so; set it on your head. Mont. Good brother, as thou lovest and honorest arms, Let's fight it out and not stand caviling 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; 121 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? row, friers and other places, to treat of this matter. During which time the duke of Yorke, although he and the king were both lodged in the palace of Westminster, would not for anie praiers or requests once visit the king, till some conclusion were taken in this matter; saieng that he was subject to no man, but only to God, under whose mercie none here superiour but he."-H. Ν. Η. Shall be my winding-sheet. Why faint you, lords? 130 My title 's good, and better far than his. War. Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. K. Hen. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown. York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king. K. Hen. [Aside] I know not what to say; my title's weak. Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir? York. What then? K. Hen. 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. 140 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. K. Hen. 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. 150 K. Hen. [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 144. "his crown"; Johnson, "his son”; Dr. Percy pointed out that Richard II had no son; Capell (from Qq.), "the crown"; Vaughan, "his line"; Wordsworth, “the throne.”—I. G. 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 defense: 160 May that ground gape and swallow me alive, Where I shall kneel to him that slew my father! K. Hen. O Clifford, how thy words revive my heart! York. Henry of Lancaster, resign thy 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 armed men, And over the chair of state, where now he sits, Write up his title with usurping blood. [He stamps with his foot, and the Soldiers show themselves. K. Hen. My Lord of Warwick, hear me but one word: Let me for this my life-time reign as king. 171 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. 171. "for this my life-time reign as king," the reading of F. 1; Ff. 2, 3, 4, "for this time," &c.; Theobald (from Qq.), "but reign in quiet, while I live.”—I. G. |