West. Plantagenet, of thee, and these thy sons, Clif. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of words, War. Poor Clifford ! how I scorn his worthless threats! K.Hen. What title hast thou, traitor, to the crown? Thy father was, as thou art, duke of York; Thy grandfather, Roger Mortimer, earl of March: Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop, War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all K.Hen. 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 lose: Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head. Let's fight it out, and not stand 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 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.Hen. Think'st thou, that I will leave my kingly throne, Wherein my grandsire, and my father, sat? And now in England, to our heart's great sorrow,- War. But prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. K.Hen. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown. York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king. K.Hen. I know not what to say; my title's weak. [5] The military reputation of Henry the Fifth is the sole support of his son. The name of Henry the Fifth dispersed the followers of Cade. JOH. Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir? K.Hen. An if he may, then am I lawful king: York. He rose against him, being his sovereign, And made him to resign his crown perforce. War. Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain❜d, Think you, 'twere prejudicial to his crown? Exe. No; for he could not so resign his crown, But that the next heir should succeed and reign. K.Hen. 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 Exe. My conscience tells me, he is lawful king. K.Hen. All will revolt from me and turn to him. North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st, Think not, that Henry shall be so depos'd. War. Depos'd he shall be, in despight of all. North. Thou art deceiv'd: 'tis not thy southern power, Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent, Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,- Clif. King Henry, be thy title right or wrong, Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence: May that ground gape, and swallow me alive, K.Hen. O Clifford, how thy words revive my heart And o'er the chair of state, where now he sits, [He stamps, and the Soldiers show themselves. K.Hen. My lord of Warwick, hear me 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. K.Hen. I am content: Richard Plantagenet, Enjoy the kingdom after my decease. Clif. What wrong is this unto the prince your son ? War. What good is this to England, and himself? West. Base, fearful, and despairing Henry! Clif. How hast thou injur'd both thyself and us? Clif. Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these news. West. Farewell, faint-hearted and degenerate king, In whose cold blood no spark of honour 'bides. North. Be thou a prey unto the house of York, And die in bands for this unmanly deed! Clif. In dreadful war may'st thou be overcome ! Or live in peace, abandon'd, and despis'd! [Exeunt NORTH. CLIF. and WEST. War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not. Exe. They seek revenge, and therefore will not yield.5 K.Hen. Ah, Exeter ! War. Why should you sigh, my lord? K.Hen. Not for myself, lord Warwick, but my son, Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit. But, be it as it may :-I here entail The crown to thee, and to thine heirs for ever; [Exeunt YORK, and his Sons, WARWICK, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, Soldiers, and Attendants. 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 her anger: 6 [5] They go away, not because they doubt the justice of this determination, but because they have been conquered, and seek to be revenged. They are not influenced by principle, but passion. JOHNSON. [6] Bewray-that is, betray, discover, STEEV. I'll steal away. [Going Q.Mar. Nay, go not from me, I will follow thee. Thou wouldst have left thy dearest heart-blood there, Prince. Father, you canot disinherit me : 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! [7] The Queen's reproach is founded on a position long received among politicians, that the loss of a king's power is soon followed by loss of life JOHNS. [8] The person here meant was Thomas Nevil, bastard son to the lord Faulconbridge, "a man," says Hall, "of no lesse corage then audacitie, who for his uel condicions was such an apte person, that a more meter could not be chosen to set all the worlde in a broyle, and to put the estate of the realme on an yl hazard." He had been appointed by Warwick vice-admiral of the sea, and had in charge so to keep the passage between Dover and Calais, that none which either favoured King Henry or his friends should escape untaken or undrowned; such at least were his instructions, with respect to the friends and favourers of King Edward, after the rupture between him and Warwick. On Warwick's death, he fell into poverty, and robbed, both by sea and land, as well friends as enemies. He once brought his ships up the Thames, and with a considerable body of the men of Kent and Essex, made a spirited assault on the city, with a view to plunder and pillage, which was not repelled but after a sharp conflict and the loss of many lives; and, had it happened at a more critical period, might have been attended with fatal consequences to Edward. After roving on the sea some little time longer, he ventured to land at Southampton, where he was taken and beheaded. See Hall and Holinshed. RITSON. The duke is made protector of the realm; But thou preferr'st thy life before thine honour: The northern lords, that have forsworn thy colours, Thus do I leave thee :-Come, son, let's away; K.Hen. Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak. 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. Will cost my crown, and, like an empty eagle, The loss of those three lords torments my heart: Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger. Exe. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all. [Exeunt. [9] Cost and coast were ultimately derived of the same original. HENLEY. To coast is a sea-faring expression, and means to keep along shore. We may, however, maintain the integrity of the figure, by inserting the word cote. To cote is to come up with, to overtake, to reach. STEEV. [1] To tire is to fasten, to fix the talons, from the French tirer. JOHNS. [2] That is, Of Northumberland, Westmoreland, and Clifford, who had left him in disgust. JOHNS. |