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The THIRD Part of (1)

King HENRY VI.

A C T I.

SCENE, London.

Alarum. Enter Duke of York, Edward, Richard, Norfolk, Montague, Warwick, and Soldiers.

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WARWICK.

Wonder, how the King efcap'd our hands!

York. While we purfu'd the horfemen of the north,
He flily ftole away and left his men :

Whereat the great Lord of Northumberland,
Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat,

(1) The Third Part of King Henry VI.] The action of this play (which was at first printed under this title, The true Tragedy of Richard Duke of York, and the good King Henry VI: or, The Second Part of the Contention of York and Lancafler) opens juft after the first battle at St. Albans, wherein the York faction carries the day; and clofes with the murder of King Henry VI, and the birth of Prince Edward, afterwards King Edward V. So that this hiftory takes in the space of full 16 Years. The rancour of the contending factions, in this play, is painted too ftrongly to be agreeable: but the poet, in a great meafure, goes on the authority of tradition and if the noblemen appear more favage than can fuit with their dignity or our prefent nction of politeness; confiderable allowances must be made for the inveteracy, with which this civil war was carried on in all its viciffitudes.

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Chear'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 Buckingham, Is either flain or wounded dang'rously.

I cleft his beaver with a down-right blow:
That this is true, father, behold his blood.

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 beft deferv'd of all my fons: Is his Grace dead, my Lord of Somerfet?

Norf. Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt! Rich. Thus do I hope to fhake King Henry's head. War. And fo do I. Victorious Prince of York,

Before I fee thee feated in that throne,

Which now the houfe of Lancaster ufurps,
I vow by heav'n, thefe eyes fhall never close.
This is the palace of that fearful King,
And this the regal feat; poffefs it, York;
For this is thine, and not King Henry's heirs.
York. Affift me then, fweet Warwick, and I will ;
For hither we have broken in by force.

Norf. We'll all affift you; he, that flies, fhall die. York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk; ftay by me, my Lords; And, foldiers, ftay and lodge by me this night. [They go up. War. And when the King comes, offer him no violence; Unless he feek to thrust you out by force.

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 ftay within this house. War. The bloody parliament fhall this be call'd, Unless Plantagenet Duke of York, be King; And bathful Henry depos'd; whofe cowardife 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.

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War. Neither the King, nor he that loves him beft,
The proudest he that holds up Lancaster,
Dares ftir a wing, if Waravick shake his bells.
I'll plant Plantagenet; root him up, who dare:
Refolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown.
Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northumberland, West-
morland, Exeter, and others.

K. Henry. My Lords, look where the sturdy rebel fits,
Even in the chair of state; belike, he means

(Back'd by the power of Warwick, that false Peer,)
T'afpire unto the crown, and reign as King.
Earl of Northumberland, he flew thy father;
And thine, Lord Clifford; and you vow'd revenge
On him, his fons, his fav'rites, and his friends.
North. If I be not, heav'ns be reveng❜d on me!
Clif. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in steel.
Weft. What, hall we fuffer this! let's pluck him down;
My heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it.

K. Henry. Be patient, gentle Earl of Westmorland.
Cliff. Patience is for poltroons, and fuch is 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,
And they have troops of foldiers at their beck?

Exe. But when the Duke is flain, they'll quickly fly. (2)
K. Henry. Far be the thought of this from Henry's heart,

To make a shambles of the parliament-house.

Coufin of Exeter, frowns, words and threats,

Shall be the war that Henry means to use.
Thou factious Duke of York, defcend my throne;
[To the Duke.

(2) Weftm. But when the Duke is flain, &c.] Ever fince the old edition by the players, hath this line been given to Westmorland: but, 'tis plain, the King in his fpeech immediately following replies as to Exeter, who in the modern books has not as yet fpoke a word. I have, upon the authority of the oldeft Quarto, reftor'd this line, therefore, to Exeter.

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And

And kneel for grace and mercy at my

I am thy Sovereign.

York. Thou'rt deceiv'd, I'm thine.

feet:

Exe. For fhame come down: he made thee Duke 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 should he follow, but his natura! King? War. True, Clifford; and that's Richard Duke of York. K. Henry. And shall I ftand, and thou fit in my throne? York. It mult and fhall be fo, content thyfelf. War. Be Duke of Lancafter, let him be King. Weft. He is both King, and Duke of Lancefter; And that the Lord of Westmorland fhall maintain.

War. And Warwick thall difprove it. You forget, That we are thofe, which chas'd you from the field, And flew your fathers, and with colours fpread March'd through the city to the Palace gates.

North. No, Warwick, I remember it to my grief.
And, by his foul, thou and thy houfe fhall rue it.
Weft. Plantagenet, of thee and thefe 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; left that, inftead of words,
I fend thee, Warwick, fuch a meffenger,
As thall revenge his death before I ftir.

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 haft 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 ftcop,
And seiz'd upon their towns and provinces.

War. Talk not of France, fith thou haft loft it all.
K. Hen y. 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 lofe:
Father,

Father, tear the crown from the ufurper's head.
Edw. Sweet father, do fo; fet it on your head.

Mont. Good brother, as thou lovʼst and honour'st arms,, Let's fight it out, and not stand cavilling thus. Rich. Sound drums and trumpets, and the King will York. Sons, peace. [Ay.K.Henry.Peace thou, and give King Henry leave to speak. War. Plantagenet fhall fpeak firft: hear him, Lords, And be you filent and attentive too;

For he, that interrupts him, fhall not live.

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K. Henry. Think'ft thou, that I will leave my kingly
Wherein my grand fire and my father fat?
No: first fhall war unpeople this my realm;
Ay, and their colours, often borne in France,
And now in England to our heart's great forrow,
Shall be my winding fheet: why faint you, Lords?
My title's good, and better far than his.

War. But prove it Henry, and thou shalt be King.
K. Henry. Henry the Fourth by conqueft got the crown,
York. 'Twas by rebellion against his King.

K. Henry. I know not what to fay, my title's weak: Tell me, may not a King adopt an heir ?

York. What then?

K. Henry. And if he may, then am I lawful King: For Richard, in the view of many Lords,

Refign'd the crown to Henry the fourth ;
Whofe heir my father was, and I am his.

York. He rofe against him, being his Sovereign,
And made him to refign his crown perforce.
War. Suppofe, my Lords, he did it unconftrain'd,
Think you, 'twere prejudicial to his crown?

Exe. No, for he could not fo refign his crown,
But that the next heir fhould fucceed and reign.
K. Henry. Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter ?
Exe. His is the right, and therefore pardon me.
York. Why whifper you, my Lords, and anfwer not?
Exe. My confcience tells me, he is lawful King.
K. Henry. All will revolt from me, and turn to him,
North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou layeft,
Think not that Henry fhall be fo depos'd.
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Wars

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