SCENE I. London. The Parliament-Houfe. Alarum. Enter Duke of YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and others, with white Rofes in their Hats.

I

Warwick.

[north;

WONDER, how the king escap'd our hands. York. While we purfu'd the horsemen of the He flily ftole away, and left his men : Whereat the great lord of Northumberland, Whofe 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 fwords of common foldiers flain.

Edw. Lord Stafford's father, duke of BuckingIs either flain, or wounded dangerously: [ham, I cleft his beaver with a downright blow; That this is true, father, behold his blood.

[Shewing his bloody Sword.

Mont. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's [T WARWICK, fhewing his..

blood,

Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd.

A 2

Rich.

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 fons.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 thake king Henry's head. War. And fo do I.-Victorious prince of York, Before I fee thee feated in that throne

Which now the house of Lancasfter ufurps,
I vow by heaven, these eyes fhall never close.
This is the palace of the fearful king,
And this the regal feat: poffefs it, York;
For this is thine, and not king Henry's heirs.
York. Aflift me then, fweet Warwick, and I will;
For hither are we broken in by force.

Norf. We'll all affift you; he, that flies, fhall die. York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk.-Stay by me, my lords;

And, foldiers, stay, and lodge by me this night. War. And, when the king comes, offer him no violence,

Unless he feek to put us out by force.

York. The queen, this day, here holds her parliament;

But little thinks, we fhall be of her council:
By words, or blows, here let us win our right.
Rich. Arm'd as we are, let's ftay within this houfe.
War. The bloody parliament fhall this be call'd,
Unless Plantagenet, duke of York, be king;
And bafhful Henry depos'd, whofe cowardice
Hath made us by-words to our enemies.

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

he proudeft he that holds up Lancaster, ares ftir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells. plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares :— efolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown. [WARWICK leads YORK to the Throne, who feats himself.

ter King HENRY, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and others, at the further End of the Stage.

K. Henry. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel fits,

ven in the chair of ftate! belike, he means Back'd by the power of Warwick, that falfe peer), o afpire unto the crown, and reign as king.arl of Northumberland, he flew thy father;and thine lord Clifford; and you both vow'd revenge

In him, his fons, his favourites, and his friends. North. If I be not, heavens, 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 Westmoreland.

Clif. Patience is for poltroons, and fuch as he: He durft not fit there, had your father liv'd. My gracious lord, here in the parliament Let us affail the family of York.

North. Well haft thou spoken, coufin; be it fo. K. Henry. Ah, know you not, the city favours them,

Ánd

And they have troops of foldiers at their beck? Exe. But, when the duke is flain, they'll quick ly fly.

K. Henry. Far be it from the thoughts of Henry' heart,

To make a fhambles of the parliament-house! Coufin 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, defcend my throne, And kneel for grace and mercy at my feet ; I am thy fovereign.

York. Thou art deceiv'd, I am thine.

Exe. For fhame, come down; he made thee duk of York.

York. '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, Clifford; and that's Richard duke of York.

K. Henry. And fhall I ftand, and thou fit in my throne?

York. It must and fhall be fo.-Content thyself. War. Be duke of Lancaster, let him be king. Weft. He is both king and duke of Lancaster ; And that the lord of Westmoreland shall 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,

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; leaft that inflead of words, I fend thee, Warwick, fuch a messenger, As fhall revenge his death, before I itir.

War. Poor Clifford! 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 halt 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 stoop,
And feiz'd upon their towns and provinces.

War. Talk not of France, fith thou haft loft it all. K. Henry. The lord protector loft 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. Good brother, as thou lov'it and ho-
nour'it arms,

Let's fight it out, and not ftanding cavilling thus.
Rich. Sound drums and trumpets, and the king
York. Sons, peace!
[will fly.
K. Henry. Peace thou, and give king Henry leave

to fpeak.

War. Plantagenet fhall fpeak first-hear him, And be you filent and attentive too,

[lords;

For