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Henry VI, Part 3 (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
The third Part of Henry the Sixt.
149
To honor me as thy King, and Soueraigne:
And neyther by Treason nor Hostilitie,
225To seeke to put me downe, and reigne thy selfe.
Plant. This Oath I willingly take, and will performe.
Warw. Long liue King Henry: Plantagenet embrace
him.
Henry. And long liue thou, and these thy forward
230Sonnes.
Plant. Now Yorke and Lancaster are reconcil'd.
Exet. Accurst be he that seekes to make them foes.
Senet. Here they come downe.
Plant. Farewell my gracious Lord, Ile to my Castle.
235Warw. And Ile keepe London with my Souldiers.
Norf. And I to Norfolke with my followers.
Mount. And I vnto the Sea, from whence I came.
Henry. And I with griefe and sorrow to the Court.

Enter the Queene.
240Exeter. Heere comes the Queene,
Whose Lookes bewray her anger:
Ile steale away.
Henry. Exeter so will I.
Queene. Nay, goe not from me, I will follow thee.
245Henry. Be patient gentle Queene, and I will stay.
Queene. Who can be patient in such extreames?
Ah wretched man, would I had dy'de a Maid?
And neuer seene thee, neuer borne thee Sonne,
Seeing thou hast prou'd so vnnaturall a Father.
250Hath he deseru'd to loose his Birth-right thus?
Hadst thou but lou'd him halfe so well as I,
Or felt that paine which I did for him once,
Or nourisht him, as I did with my blood;
Thou would'st haue left thy dearest heart-blood there,
255Rather then haue made that sauage Duke thine Heire,
And dis-inherited thine onely Sonne.
Prince. Father, you cannot dis-inherite me:
If you be King, why should not I succeede?
Henry. Pardon me Margaret, pardon me sweet Sonne,
260The Earle of Warwick and the Duke enforc't me.
Quee. Enforc't thee? Art thou King, and wilt be forc't?
I shame to heare thee speake: ah timorous Wretch,
Thou hast vndone thy selfe, thy Sonne, and me,
And giu'n vnto the House of Yorke such head,
265As thou shalt reigne but by their sufferance.
To entayle him and his Heires vnto the Crowne,
What is it, but to make thy Sepulcher,
And creepe into it farre before thy time?
Warwick is Chancelor, and the Lord of Callice,
270Sterne Falconbridge commands the Narrow Seas,
The Duke is made Protector of the Realme,
And yet shalt thou be safe? Such safetie findes
The trembling Lambe, inuironned with Wolues.
Had I beene there, which am a silly Woman,
275The Souldiers should haue toss'd me on their Pikes,
Before I would haue granted to that Act.
But thou preferr'st thy Life, before thine Honor.
And seeing thou do'st, I here diuorce my selfe,
Both from thy Table Henry, and thy Bed,
280Vntill that Act of Parliament be repeal'd,
Whereby my Sonne is dis-inherited.
The Northerne Lords, that haue forsworne thy Colours,
Will follow mine, if once they see them spread:
And spread they shall be, to thy foule disgrace,
285And vtter ruine of the House of Yorke.
Thus doe I leaue thee: Come Sonne, let's away,
Our Army is ready; come, wee'le after them.
Henry. Stay gentle Margaret, and heare me speake.
Queene. Thou hast spoke too much already: get thee
290gone.
Henry. Gentle Sonne Edward, thou wilt stay me?
Queene. I, to be murther'd by his Enemies.
Prince. When I returne with victorie to the field,
Ile see your Grace: till then, Ile follow her.
295Queene. Come Sonne away, we may not linger thus.
Henry. Poore Queene,
How loue to me, and to her Sonne,
Hath made her breake out into termes of Rage.
Reueng'd may she be on that hatefull Duke,
300Whose haughtie spirit, winged with desire,
Will cost my Crowne, and like an emptie Eagle,
Tyre on the flesh of me, and of my Sonne.
The losse of those three Lords torments my heart:
Ile write vnto them, and entreat them faire;
305Come Cousin, you shall be the Messenger.
Exet. And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all.
Exit.

Flourish. Enter Richard, Edward, and
Mountague.
Richard. Brother, though I bee youngest, giue mee
310leaue.
Edward. No, I can better play the Orator.
Mount. But I haue reasons strong and forceable.

Enter the Duke of Yorke.

Yorke. Why how now Sonnes, and Brother, at a strife?
315What is your Quarrell? how began it first?
Edward. No Quarrell, but a slight Contention.
Yorke. About what?
Rich. About that which concernes your Grace and vs,
The Crowne of England, Father, which is yours.
320Yorke. Mine Boy? not till King Henry be dead.
Richard. Your Right depends not on his life, or death.
Edward. Now you are Heire, therefore enioy it now:
By giuing the House of Lancaster leaue to breathe,
It will out-runne you, Father, in the end.
325 Yorke. I tooke an Oath, that hee should quietly
reigne.
Edward. But for a Kingdome any Oath may be broken:
I would breake a thousand Oathes, to reigne one yeere.
Richard. No: God forbid your Grace should be for-
330sworne.
Yorke. I shall be, if I clayme by open Warre.
Richard. Ile proue the contrary, if you'le heare mee
speake.
Yorke. Thou canst not, Sonne: it is impossible.
335Richard. An Oath is of no moment, being not tooke
Before a true and lawfull Magistrate,
That hath authoritie ouer him that sweares.
Henry had none, but did vsurpe the place.
Then seeing 'twas he that made you to depose,
340Your Oath, my Lord, is vaine and friuolous.
Therefore to Armes: and Father doe but thinke,
How sweet a thing it is to weare a Crowne,
Within whose Circuit is Elizium,
And all that Poets faine of Blisse and Ioy.
345Why doe we linger thus? I cannot rest,
Vntill the White Rose that I weare, be dy'de
Euen in the luke-warme blood of Henries heart.
Yorke. Richard ynough: I will be King, or dye.
Brother, thou shalt to London presently,
350And whet on Warwick to this Enterprise.
Thou