War. And, when the king comes, offer him no

violence,
Unless he seek to put us out by force.
York. The queen, this day, here holds her parlia-

ment;
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 callid, Unless Plantagenet, duke of York, be king ;

40 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 :
Resolve thee, Richard ; claim the English crown.

[WARWICK leads YORK to the Throne, who

seats himself.
Enter King Henry, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBER-

LAND, WETSMORELAND, EXETER, and others, at
the further End of the Stage.
K. Henry. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel
sits,

50
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.–

B

Earl

Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy father ;-
And thine, lord Clifford; and you both vow'd re-

venge
On him, his sons, his favourites, 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. 60

K. Henry. Be patient, gentle earl of Westmoreland.

Clif. Patience is for poltroons, and 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 só.
K. Henry. 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. Henry. Far be it from the thoughts of Henry's heart,

70 To make a shambles of the parliament-house! Cousin of Exeter, owns, 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,

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 kingdom is. Exe. Thy father was a traitor to the crown. 80

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

Clif. Whom should he follow, but his natural kingi War. True, Clifford ; and that's Richard, duke of

York. K. Henry. 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;"11 And that the lord of Westmoreland shall maintain.

Wars And Warwick shall disprove it. You forget, That we are those, which chas'd you from the field, And slew your fathers, and with colours spread 9.2. March'd through the city to the palace-gates.

North. No, 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, 100 As shall revenge his death, before listir. War. Poor Clifford! how. I scorn his worthless threats ! Bij

York.

York. Will you, we shew our title to the crown?
If not, our swords shall plead it in the field.
K. Henry. 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. 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,

110

you lose:

120

Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head.

Edw. Sweet father, doʻso; set it on your head.
Mont. Good brother, 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. Henry., Peace thoul 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. Henry. Think'st thou, that I will leave my kingly throne,

Wherein

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 sorrow-
Shall be my winding-sheet.-Why faint you, lords ?
My title's good, and better far than his.

131 War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. K. Henry. Henry the fourth by conquest got the

crown.

York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king.

K. Henry. I know not what to say; my title's weak. Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir ?

York. What then?

K. Henry. 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';:

140 Whose heir my father was, and I am his.

York. He rose against him, being his sovereign, And made him to resign the crown perforce.

War. Supposé, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd, Think you, 'twere prejudicial to the crown ?

Exe. No; for he could not so resign his crown, But that the next heir should succeed and reign.

K. Henry, 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?

150 Exe. My conscience tells me, he is lawful king. K. Henry. All will revolt from me, and turn to him. Biij

North.