The Third Part of King Henry the Sixth

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

KING HENRY THE SIXTH

EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES, his son

LEWIS XI, King of France DUKE OF SOMERSET

DUKE OF EXETER EARL OF OXFORD

EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND EARL OF WESTMORELAND

LORD CLIFFORD

RICHARD PLANTAGENET, DUKE OF YORK

EDWARD, EARL OF MARCH, afterwards KING EDWARD IV, his son

EDMUND, EARL OF RUTLAND, his son

GEORGE, afterwards DUKE OF CLARENCE, his son

RICHARD, afterwards DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, his son

DUKE OF NORFOLK MARQUIS OF MONTAGUE

EARL OF WARWICK EARL OF PEMBROKE

LORD HASTINGS LORD STAFFORD

SIR JOHN MORTIMER, uncle to the Duke of York

SIR HUGH MORTIMER, uncle 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 OF 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

Soldiers, Attendants, Messengers, Watchmen, etc.

SCENE: England and France

ACT I. SCENE I. London. The Parliament House

Alarum. Enter DUKE OF YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and soldiers, with white roses in their hats

 
  WARWICK. I wonder how the King escap'd our hands.
  YORK. While we pursu'd 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 abreast,
    Charg'd our main battle's front, and, breaking in,
    Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.
  EDWARD. 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.
  MONTAGUE. And, brother, here's the Earl of Wiltshire's blood,
    Whom I encount'red as the battles join'd.
  RICHARD. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I did.
                                 [Throwing down SOMERSET'S head]
  YORK. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my sons.
    But is your Grace dead, my Lord of Somerset?
  NORFOLK. Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt!
  RICHARD. Thus do I hope to shake King Henry's head.
  WARWICK. 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.
  NORFOLK. 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.
                                                    [They go up]
  WARWICK. And when the King comes, offer him no violence.
    Unless he seek to thrust you out perforce.
  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.
  RICHARD. Arm'd as we are, let's stay within this house.
  WARWICK. 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.
  WARWICK. 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.
                                      [YORK occupies the throne]
 

Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and others, with red roses in their hats

 
  KING HENRY. 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 favourites, and his friends.
  NORTHUMBERLAND. If I be not, heavens be reveng'd on me!
  CLIFFORD. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in steel.
  WESTMORELAND. What, shall we suffer this? Let's pluck him down;
    My heart for anger burns; I cannot brook it.
  KING HENRY. Be patient, gentle Earl of Westmoreland.
  CLIFFORD. 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.
  NORTHUMBERLAND. Well hast thou spoken, cousin; be it so.
  KING HENRY. Ah, know you not the city favours them,
    And they have troops of soldiers at their beck?
  EXETER. But when the Duke is slain they'll quickly fly.
  KING HENRY. 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.
    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.
  EXETER. For shame, come down; he made thee Duke of York.
  YORK. 'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was.
  EXETER. Thy father was a traitor to the crown.
  WARWICK. Exeter, thou art a traitor to the crown
    In following this usurping Henry.
  CLIFFORD. Whom should he follow but his natural king?
  WARWICK. True, Clifford; and that's Richard Duke of York.
  KING HENRY. And shall I stand, and thou sit in my throne?
  YORK. It must and shall be so; content thyself.
  WARWICK. Be Duke of Lancaster; let him be King.
  WESTMORELAND. He is both King and Duke of Lancaster;
    And that the Lord of Westmoreland shall maintain.
  WARWICK. 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
    March'd through the city to the palace gates.
  NORTHUMBERLAND. Yes, Warwick, I remember it to my grief;
    And, by his soul, thou and thy house shall rue it.
  WESTMORELAND. 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.
  CLIFFORD. Urge it no more; lest that instead of words
    I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger
    As shall revenge his death before I stir.
  WARWICK. 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.
  KING 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.
  WARWICK. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all.
  KING HENRY. The Lord Protector lost it, and not I:
    When I was crown'd, I was but nine months old.
  RICHARD. You are old enough now, and yet methinks you lose.
    Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head.
  EDWARD. Sweet father, do so; set it on your head.
  MONTAGUE. Good brother, as thou lov'st and honourest arms,
    Let's fight it out and not stand cavilling thus.
  RICHARD. Sound drums and trumpets, and the King will fly.
  YORK. Sons, peace!
  KING HENRY. Peace thou! and give King Henry leave to speak.
  WARWICK. Plantagenet shall speak first. Hear him, lords;
    And be you silent and attentive too,
    For he that interrupts him shall not live.
  KING HENRY. 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 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.
  WARWICK. Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be King.
  KING HENRY. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown.
  YORK. 'Twas by rebellion against his king.
  KING HENRY. [Aside] I know not what to say; my title's weak. -
    Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir?
  YORK. What then?
  KING 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,
    Whose heir my father was, and I am his.
  YORK. He rose against him, being his sovereign,
    And made him to resign his crown perforce.
  WARWICK. Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd,
    Think you 'twere prejudicial to his crown?
  EXETER. No; for he could not so resign his crown
    But that the next heir should succeed and reign.
  KING HENRY. Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter?
  EXETER. His is the right, and therefore pardon me.
  YORK. Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not?
  EXETER. My conscience tells me he is lawful King.
  KING HENRY. [Aside] All will revolt from me, and turn to him.
  NORTHUMBERLAND. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st,
    Think not that Henry shall be so depos'd.
  WARWICK. Depos'd he shall be, in despite of all.
  NORTHUMBERLAND. Thou art deceiv'd. 'Tis not thy southern power
    Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,
    Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,
    Can set the Duke up in despite of me.
  CLIFFORD. King Henry, be thy title right or wrong,
    Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence.
    May that ground gape, and swallow me alive,
    Where I shall kneel to him that slew my father!
  KING HENRY. O Clifford, how thy words revive my heart!
  YORK. Henry of Lancaster, resign thy crown.
    What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords?
  WARWICK. 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]
  KING HENRY. My Lord of Warwick, hear but one word:
    Let me for this my life-time reign as king.
  YORK. Confirm the crown to me and to mine heirs,
    And thou shalt reign in quiet while thou liv'st.
  KING HENRY. I am content. Richard Plantagenet,
    Enjoy the kingdom after my decease.
  CLIFFORD. What wrong is this unto the Prince your son!
  WARWICK. What good is this to England and himself!
  WESTMORELAND. Base, fearful, and despairing Henry!
  CLIFFORD. How hast thou injur'd both thyself and or us!
  WESTMORELAND. I cannot stay to hear these articles.
  NORTHUMBERLAND. Nor I.
  CLIFFORD. Come, cousin, let us tell the Queen these news.
  WESTMORELAND. Farewell, faint-hearted and degenerate king,
    In whose cold blood no spark of honour bides.
  NORTHUMBERLAND. Be thou a prey unto the house of York
    And die in bands for this unmanly deed!
  CLIFFORD. In dreadful war mayst thou be overcome,
    Or live in peace abandon'd and despis'd!
                                Exeunt NORTHUMBERLAND, CLIFFORD,
                                                and WESTMORELAND
  WARWICK. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not.
  EXETER. They seek revenge, and therefore will not yield.
  KING HENRY. Ah, Exeter!
  WARWICK. Why should you sigh, my lord?
  KING HENRY. Not for myself, Lord Warwick, but my son,
    Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.
    But be it as it may. [To YORK] 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, whilst I live,
    To honour me as thy king and sovereign,
    And neither by treason nor hostility
    To seek to put me down and reign thyself.
  YORK. This oath I willingly take, and will perform.
                                        [Coming from the throne]
  WARWICK. Long live King Henry! Plantagenet, embrace him.
  KING HENRY. And long live thou, and these thy forward sons!
  YORK. Now York and Lancaster are reconcil'd.
  EXETER. Accurs'd be he that seeks to make them foes!
                                   [Sennet. Here they come down]
  YORK. Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle.
  WARWICK. And I'll keep London with my soldiers.
  NORFOLK. And I to Norfolk with my followers.
  MONTAGUE. And I unto the sea, from whence I came.
                                             Exeunt the YORKISTS
  KING HENRY. And I, with grief and sorrow, to the court.
 

Enter QUEEN MARGARET and the PRINCE OF WALES

 
  EXETER. Here comes the Queen, whose looks bewray her anger.
    I'll steal away.
  KING HENRY. Exeter, so will I.
  QUEEN MARGARET. Nay, go not from me; I will follow thee.
  KING HENRY. Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay.
  QUEEN MARGARET. 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!
    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 have made that savage duke thine heir,
    And disinherited thine only son.
  PRINCE OF WALES. Father, you cannot disinherit me.
    If you be King, why should not I succeed?
  KING HENRY. Pardon me, Margaret; pardon me, sweet son.
    The Earl of Warwick and the Duke enforc'd me.
  QUEEN MARGARET. 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 giv'n 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 Falconbridge 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 prefer'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 is ready; come, we'll after them.
  KING HENRY. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak.
  QUEEN MARGARET. Thou hast spoke too much already; get thee
gone.
  KING HENRY. Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay with me?
  QUEEN MARGARET. Ay, to be murder'd by his enemies.
  PRINCE OF WALES. When I return with victory from the field
    I'll see your Grace; till then I'll follow her.
  QUEEN MARGARET. Come, son, away; we may not linger thus.
                            Exeunt QUEEN MARGARET and the PRINCE
  KING HENRY. 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
    Tire on the flesh of me and of my son!
    The loss of those three lords torments my heart.
    I'll write unto them, and entreat them fair;
    Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger.
  EXETER. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all. Exeunt
 

SCENE II. Sandal Castle, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire

Flourish. Enter EDWARD, RICHARD, and MONTAGUE

 
  RICHARD. Brother, though I be youngest, give me leave.
  EDWARD. No, I can better play the orator.
  MONTAGUE. But I have reasons strong and forcible.
 

Enter the DUKE OF YORK

 
  YORK. Why, how now, sons and brother! at a strife?
    What is your quarrel? How began it first?
  EDWARD. No quarrel, but a slight contention.
  YORK. About what?
  RICHARD. 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.
  RICHARD. Your right depends not on his life or death.
  EDWARD. 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.
  EDWARD. But for a kingdom any oath may be broken:
    I would break a thousand oaths to reign one year.
  RICHARD. No; God forbid your Grace should be forsworn.
  YORK. I shall be, if I claim by open war.
  RICHARD. I'll prove the contrary, if you'll hear me speak.
  YORK. Thou canst not, son; it is impossible.
  RICHARD. 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 dy'd
    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 to 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,
    Witty, courteous, liberal, full of spirit.
    While you are thus employ'd, what resteth more
    But that I seek occasion how to rise,
    And yet the King not privy to my drift,
    Nor any of the house of Lancaster?
 

Enter a MESSENGER

 
    But, stay. What news? Why com'st thou in such post?
  MESSENGER. The Queen with all the northern earls and lords
    Intend here to besiege you in your castle.
    She is hard by with twenty thousand men;
    And therefore fortify your hold, my lord.
  YORK. Ay, with my sword. What! think'st thou that we fear them?
    Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me;
    My brother Montague shall post to London.
    Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest,
    Whom we have left protectors of the King,
    With pow'rful policy strengthen themselves
    And trust not simple Henry nor his oaths.
  MONTAGUE. Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it not.
    And thus most humbly I do take my leave. Exit
 

Enter SIR JOHN and SIR HUGH MORTIMER

 
  YORK. Sir john and Sir Hugh Mortimer, mine uncles!
    You are come to Sandal in a happy hour;
    The army of the Queen mean to besiege us.
  SIR JOHN. She shall not need; we'll meet her in the field.
  YORK. What, with five thousand men?
  RICHARD. Ay, with five hundred, father, for a need.
    A woman's general; what should we fear?
                                              [A march afar off]
  EDWARD. I hear their drums. Let's set our men in order,
    And issue forth and bid them battle straight.
  YORK. Five men to twenty! Though the odds be great,
    I doubt not, uncle, of our victory.
    Many a battle have I won in France,
    When as the enemy hath been ten to one;
    Why should I not now have the like success? Exeunt