War. Long live king Henry!-Plantagenet, em

brace him.

K. Hen. And long live thou, and these thy forward sons!

York. Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd.
Exe. Accurs'd be he, that seeks to make them
foes! [Senet. The Lords come forward.
York. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my
castle.

War. And I'll keep London, with my soldiers.
Norf. And I to Norfolk, with my followers.
Mont. And I unto the sea, from whence I came.,
[Exeunt YORK, and his Sons, WARWICK, NOR-

FOLK, MONTAGUE, Soldiers, and At-
tendants.

*K. Hen. And I, with grief and sorrow, to the

court.

Enter Queen MARGARET and the Prince of Wales.

Exe. Here comes the queen, whose looks bewray 4 her anger:

I'll steal away.

K. Hen.

Exeter, so will I.

[Going.

Q. Mar. Nay, go not from me, I will follow

thee.

K. Hen. Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay. 'Q. Mar. Who can be patient in such extremes? * Ah, wretched man! 'would I had died a maid,' * And never seen thee, never borne thee son, * Seeing thou hast prov'd so unnatural a father!

+ Betray, discover.

* Hath he deserv'd to lose his birthright thus ? * Hadst thou but lov'd him half so well as I; * Or felt that pain which I did for him once; * Or nourish'd him, as I did with my blood; * Thou wouldst have left thy dearest heart-blood

there,

* Rather than made that savage duke thine heir, * And disinherited thine only son.

* Prince. Father, you cannot disinherit me: * If you be king, why should not I succeed? *K. Hen. Pardon me, Margaret ;-pardon me, sweet son ;

* The earl of Warwick, and the duke, enforc'd me. *Q. Mar. Enforc'd thee! art thou king, and wilt be forc'd?

I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch! Thou hast undone thyself, thy son, and me;

And given unto the house of York such head, * As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance. *To entail him and his heirs unto the crown, *What is it, but to make thy sepulchre,

* And creep into it far before thy time?

* Warwick is chancellor, and the lord of Calais;
Stern Faulconbridge commands the narrow seas;
The duke is made protector of the realm;

' And yet shalt thou be safe?* such safety finds
* The trembling lamb, environed with wolves.
'Had I been there, which am a silly woman,

The soldiers should have toss'd me on their pikes, Before I would have granted to that act. * But thou preferr'st thy life before thine honour: ' And seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself,

'Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed, Until that act of parliament be repeal'd,

Whereby my son is disinherited.

The northern lords, that have forsworn thy colours, Will follow mine, if once they see them spread: And spread they shall be; to thy foul disgrace, And utter ruin of the house of York.

< Thus do I leave thee:-Come, son, let's away; 'Our army's ready; come, we'll after them.

K. Hen. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak.

Q. Mar. Thou hast spoke too much already; get thee gone.

K. Hen. Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay with

me?

Q. Mar. Ay, to be murder'd by his enemies. Prince. When I return with victory from the field,

I'll see your grace: till then, I'll follow her.

Q. Mar. Come, son, away; we may not linger thus.

[Exeunt Queen MARGARET, and the Prince. K. Hen. Poor queen! how love to me, and to

her son,

'Hath made her break out into terms of

rage!

Reveng'd may she be on that hateful duke;

* Whose haughty spirit, winged with desire,
* Will cost my crown, and, like an empty eagle,
* Tires on the flesh of me, and of my son!
* The loss of those three lords torments my
I'll write unto them, and entreat them fair

5 Peck.

heart:

ir ;

* Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger.

* Exe. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Room in Sandal Castle, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire.

Enter EDWARD, RICHARD, and MONTAGUE.

Rich. Brother, though I be youngest, give me leave.

Edw. No, I can better play the orator.

Mont. But I have reasons strong and forcible.

Enter YORK.

'York. Why, how now, sons and brother, at a strife?

'What is your quarrel? how began it first?

'Edw. No quarrel, but a slight contention. York. About what?

Rich. About that which concerns your grace,

and us;

The crown of England, father, which is yours.

York. Mine, boy? not till king Henry be dead. * Rich. Your right depends not on his life, or death.

* Edw. Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it now: * By giving the house of Lancaster leave to breathe, * It will outrun you, father, in the end.

York. I took an oath, that he should quietly reign.

Edw. But, for a kingdom, any oath may be broken:

I'd break a thousand oaths, to reign one year. Rich. No; God forbid, your grace should be forsworn.

• York. I shall be, if I claim by open war.

Rich. I'll prove the contrary, if you'll hear me speak.

York. Thou canst not, son; it is impossible.

Rich. An oath is of no moment, being not took "Before a true and lawful magistrate,

'That hath authority over him that swears:

Henry had none, but did usurp the place;

Then, seeing 'twas he that made you to depose,
Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous.

Therefore, to arms. * And, father, do but think,

How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown;

* Within whose circuit is Elysium,

* And all that poets feign of bliss and joy.

Why do we linger thus? I cannot rest,

* Until the white rose, that I wear, be died

* Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart.

‹ York. Richard, enough; I will be king, or

die.

Brother, thou shalt to London presently,

And whet on Warwick to this enterprise.

Thou, Richard, shalt unto the duke of Norfolk,
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 soldiers,