York. Then leave me not; my Lords, be refolute;

I mean to take poffeffion of my Right.

War. Neither the King, nor he that loves him beft,
The proudest he that holds up Lancaster,

Dares ftir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells.
I'll plant Plantagenet; root him up, who dare:
Refolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown.

Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northumberland, Weft-
morland, Exeter, and others.

K. Henry. My Lords, look where the sturdy rebel fits,
Ev'n in the chair of state; belike, he means
(Back'd by the power of Warwick, that falfe Peer,)
T' afpire unto the crown, and reign as King.
Earl of Northumberland, he flew thy father:
And thine, Lord Clifford; and you vow'd revenge
On him, his fons, his fav'rites, and his friends.
North. If I be not, heav'ns be reveng'd on me!
Clif. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in fteel.
Weft. What, fhall we fuffer this? let's pluck him down;
My heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it.

K. Henry. Be patient, gentle Earl of Westmorland.
Clif. Patience is for poltroons, and fuch is he:
He durft not fit there, had your father liv'd.
My gracious Lord, here in the Parliment
Let us affail the family of York.

North. Well haft thou fpoken, coufin, be it fo.
K. Henry. Ah! know you not, the city favours them,
And they have troops of foldiers at their beck?

Exe. But when the Duke is flain, they'll quickly fly
K. Hen. Far be the thought of this from Henry's heart,
To make a Shambles of the Parliament-house.
Coufin of Exeter, frowns, words and threats,
Shall be the war that Henry means to use.
Thou factious Duke of York, defcend my throne;

And kneel for grace and mercy I am thy Sovereign.

at my

York. Thou'rt deceiv'd, I'm thine.

[To the Duke.

fect:

Exe. For fhame come down: he made thee Duke of Fork.
Fork. 'Twas my inheritance, as the kingdom is.
Exe. Thy father was a traitor to the crown.

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

Clif. Whom fhould he follow, but his natural King? War. True, Cliford; and that's Richard Duke of York. K. Hen. And fhall I ftand, and thou fit in my Throne ? York. It muft and fhall be fo, content thyself. War. Be Duke of Lancaster, let him be King. Weft. He is both King, and Duke of Lancafter; And that the Lord of Westmorland fhall maintain. War. And Warwick fhall difprove it. You forget, That we are thofe, which chas'd you from the field, And flew your fathers, and with colours spread March'd through the city to the palace-gates.

North. No, Warwick, I remember it to my grief. And, by his foul, thou and thy houfe fhall rue it. Weft. Plantagenet, of thee and these thy fons, Thy kinfmen and thy friends, I'll have more lives, Than drops of blood were in my father's veins.

Clif. Urge it no more; left that, instead of words, I fend thee, Warwick, fuch a meffenger, As fhall revenge his death before I ftir.

War. Poor Cliford! how I fcorn his worthlefs threats. York. Will you, we fhew our title to the crown ? If not, our fwords fhall plead it in the field.

K. Henry. What title haft thou, traitor, to the crown?
Thy father was, as thou art, Duke of York;
Thy grandfather Roger Mortimer, Earl of March.
I am the fon of Henry the Fifth,

Who made the Dauphin and the French to ftoop,
And feiz'd upon their towns and provinces.

War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all.
K. Henry. 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 lofe:

Father, tear the crown from the ufurper's head.
Edw. Sweet father, do fo; fet it on your head.

Mont.

Mont, Good brother, as thou lov'ft and honour'ft arms, Let's fight it out, and not ftand 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 fpeak, War. Plantagenet fhall fpeak firft: hear him, Lords, And be you filent and attentive too;

For he, that interrupts him, fhall not live.

K. H.Think't thou, that I will leave my kingly throne,, Wherein my grandfire and my father fat? No: firft fhall war unpeople this my realm; Ay, and their colours, often borne in France, And now in England to our heart's great forrow, Shall be my winding fheet: why faint you, Lords? My title's good, and better far than his.

the crown..

War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be King. K. Henry. Henry the Fourth by conqueft got York. "Twas by rebellion against his King. K. Henry. I know not what to fay, my title's weak: Tell me, may not a King adopt an heir?

York. What then?

K. Henry. And if he may, then am I lawful King: For Richard, in the view of many Lords, Refign'd the crown to Henry the Fourth ;Whofe heir my father was, and I am his. York. He rofe against him, being his Sovereign, And made him to refign his crown perforce. War. Suppofe, my Lords, he did it unconstrain'd,, Think you, 'twere prejudicial to his crown?

Exe. No, for he could not fo refign his crown, But that the next heir should fucceed and reign. K. Henry. Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter? Exe. His is the right, and therefore pardon me. York. Why whifper you, my Lords, and anfwer not?, Exe. My confcience tells me, he is lawful King. K.Henry. All will revolt from me, and turn to him.. North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'ft,, Think not, that Henry fhall be fo depos'd. War. Depos'd he fhall be, in defpight of thee. E 5

Nort

North. Thou art deceiv'd: 'tis not thy fouthern power Of Effex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,

Which makes thee thus prefumptuous and proud,
Can fet the Duke up in defpight of me.

Clif. King Henry, be thy title right or wrong,
Lord Cliford vows to fight in thy defence;
May that ground gape, and fwallow me alive,
Where I fhall kneel to him, that flew my father!

K. Henry. Oh Cliford, how thy words revive my heart!
York. Henry of Lancaster, refign thy crown:
What mutter you, or what confpire you, Lords?
War. Do right unto this princely Duke of York,
Or I will fill this house with armed men;

And, o'er the chair of state, where now he fits,
Write up his title with ufurping blood.

[He ftamps with his foot, and the foldiers fhew themselves. K. Hen. My Lord of Warwick, hear me but one word; Let me but reign in quiet, while I live.

York. Confirm the crown to me and to mine heirs, And thou shalt reign in quiet while thou liv'sft.

K. Henry. I am content: Richard Plantagenet, Enjoy the kingdom after my decease. Clif. What wrong is this unto the Prince your fon? War. What good is this to England and himself? Weft. Bafe, fearful and defpairing Henry!

Clif. How haft thou injur'd both thyself and us!
Weft. I cannot stay to hear these articles.

North. Nor I.

Clif. Come coufin, let us tell the Queen thefe news. West. Farewel, faint-hearted and degen'rate King, In whofe cold blood no fpark of honour 'bides. Noth. Be thou a prey unto the house of York; And die in bands for this unmanly deed!

Clif. In dreadful war may'ft thou be overcome, Or live in peace abandon'd and defpis'd!

[Exeunt Nor. Clif. Westm. War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not. Exe. They feek revenge, and therefore will not yield. K. Henry. Ab, Exeter !

War

War. Why should you figh, my Lord?

K. Kenry. Not for myfelf, Lord Warwick, but my fon Whom I unnaturally fhall difinherit.

But be it, as it may; I here entail

The crown to thee, and to thine heirs for ever;
Conditionally, that here thou take an oath
To cease this civil war; and, whilft I live,
To honour me as thy King and Sovereign:
Neither by treafon nor hoftility

To feek to put me down, and reign thyfelf.
York. This oath I willingly take, and will perform.
War. Long live King Henry! Plantagenet, embrace him.
K. Hen. And long live thou, and these thy forward fons ?
York. Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd.
Exe. Accurft be he, that feeks to make them foes!
[Sennet. Here they come down.
York. Farewel, my gracious Lord, I'll to my caftle.
War. And I'll keep London with my foldiers.
Norf. And I to Norfolk with my followers.
Mont. And I unto the fea, from whence I came.
[Exeunt York, Warwick, Norfolk and Montague.
K. Henry. And I with grief and forrow to the court.

Enter the Queen, and the Prince of Wales.

Exe. Here comes the Queen, whofe looks bewray her anger:

I'll fteal away.

K. Henry. So, Exeter, will I. [Going. Queen. Nay, go not from me; I will follow theeK. Henry. Be patient, gentle Queen, and I will stay. Queen. Who can be patient in fuch extreams? Ah, wretched man! would I had dy'd a maid, And never feen thee, never borne thee fon, Seeing thou haft prov'd fo unnatural a father. Hath he deferv'd to lofe his birth-right thus? Hadft thou but lov'd him half fo well as I, Or felt that pain which I did for him once, Or nourisht him, as I did, with my blood;

Thou