THIRD PART OF KING HENRY VI. ACT THE FIRST. SCENE I. London. The Parliament-house. Alarum. Enter the DUKE OF YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and Soldiers. WAR. I wonder how the king escaped our hands. YORK. While we pursued the horsemen of the north, He slily stole away and left his men: Whereat the great Lord of Northumberland, ham, Is either slain or wounded dangerously; MONT. And, brother, here's the Earl of Wiltshire's blood, Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd. RICH. Speak thou for me and tell them what I did. [Throwing down the DUKE OF SOMERSET's head. YORK. Richard hath best deserved of all my sons. But 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 shake King Henry's head. WAR. 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: YORK. Assist me, then, sweet Warwick, and I will; For hither we have broken in by force. NORF. 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. WAR. 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. RICH. Arm'd as we are, let's stay within this house. WAR. The bloody parliament shall this be call'd, Unless Plantagenet, Duke of York, be king, And bashful Henry deposed, 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, rest. K. HEN. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits, Even in the chair of state: belike he means, On him, his sons, his favourites and his friends. NORTH. If I be not, heavens be revenged 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. NORTH. Well hast thou spoken, cousin: be it so. K. HEN. 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. HEN. Far be the thought of this from Henry's heart, To make a shambles of the parliament-house! Thou factious Duke of York, descend my throne, I am thy sovereign. EXE. For shame, come down: he made thee Duke of York. YORK. 'Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was. EXE. Thy father was a traitor to the crown. WAR. Exeter, thou art a traitor to the crown In following this usurping Henry. CLIF. Whom should he follow but his natural king? WAR. True, Clifford; and that's Richard Duke of York. K. HEN. 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 ; And that the Lord of Westmoreland shall maintain. WAR. And Warwick shall disprove it. forget You That we are those which chased you from the field And slew your fathers, and with colours spread March'd through the city to the palace gates. NORTH. Yes, 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 As shall revenge his death before I stir. WAR. 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. K. HEN. What title hast thou, traitor, to the crown? Thy father was, as thou art, Duke of York; |