THE HISTORY OF

KING HENRY VI.

PART III.

THE third part of Henry VI. continues the series of events involved in the contentions of the houses of York and Lancaster, with consecutive exactness. It opens immediately after the first battle of St. Albans in 1455, and details the struggles of the York faction with Henry; the death of Richard, Duke of York; the subsequent usurpation of the crown by his eldest son, who assumed the throne with the title of Edward IV., and the action closes with the murder of Henry VI., 1471, embracing a history of sixteen years. Shakspeare has painted the leading characters in this part of Henry VI. with great power and fidelity. King Henry's meek and almost saint-like forbearance forms a beautiful contrast to the Amazonian courage and fiery qualities of his Queen. Warwick, the haughty, imperious king-maker," is also drawn with a strong master hand; but in the character of Richard, Duke of Gloster, the poet exhibits the full power of his genius. Intending to make Gloster the subject of a distinct Historical Drama, Shakspeare ingeniously develops the future Richard III. in all his moral and physical deformity, and prepares us for the tissue of crimes which form the principal incidents of the succeeding drama.

66

EDWARD, Earl of March, afterwards KING EDWARD IV.,
EDMUND, Earl of Rutland,

GEORGE, afterwards Duke of Clarence,
RICHARD, afterwards Duke of Glocester,
DUKE OF NORFOLK,

MARQUESS OF MONTAGUE,

EARL OF WARWICK,

EARL OF PEMBROKE,
LORD HASTINGS,

LORD STAFFORD,

Sir JOHN MORTIMER,

Sir HUGH MORTIMER,

of the Duke of York's party.

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 to 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, afterwards Queen to EDWARD IV.
BONA, Sister to the French Queen.

his Sons.

Soldiers, and other Attendants on King Henry and King Edward, Messen

gers, Watchmen, &c.

SCENE,-During part of the Third Act, in FRANCE; during the rest of the Play, in ENGLAND.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-London. The Parliament House.

Drums. Some Soldiers of YORK's party break in.

Then, enter

the DUKE OF YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTA-
GUE, WARWICK, and others, with white roses in their hats.

War. I wonder how the king escap'd our hands.
York. While we pursued the horsemen of the north,

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 a-breast,
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 Buckingham,
Is either slain, or wounded dangerous;

I cleft his beaver with a downright blow:
That this is true, father, behold his blood.

[Showing his bloody sword. 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.But, is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset ?

Norf. Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt!
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. [The Soldiers 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 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,

Dare stir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells.

I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares :—

Resolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown.

[WARWICK leads YORK to the throne, who seats himself. Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and others, with red roses in their

hats.

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 unto the crown, and reign as king.-
Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy father;

And thine, lord Clifford; and you both have vow'd revenge
On him, his sons, his favorites, and his friends.

North. If I be not, heavens be reveng'd on me!
Clif. 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.
Clif. Patience is for poltroons, 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 favors 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.

I am thine.

Exe. For shame, come down: he made thee duke of York.
York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was.
Exe. 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?
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 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 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 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. [To YORK.] Good brother, as thou lov'st and honor'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 colors,-often borne in France,

And now in England, to our heart's great sorrow,-
Shall be my winding-sheet.-Why faint you, lords?

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.

[Aloud.] 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.

York. He rose against him, being his sovereing,
And made him to resign his crown perforce.
Henry of Lancaster, resign thy crown.-
What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords?