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Henry VI, Part 3 (Octavo 1, 1595)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
The true Tragedie of Richard Duke
of Yorke, and the good King
Henry the Sixt.
Enter Richard Duke of Yorke, The Earle of Warwicke,
The Duke of Norffolke, Marquis Montague, Edward
Earle of March, Crookeback Richard, and the yong Earle
of Rutland, with Drumme and Souldiers, with white Ro-
ses in their hats.
5
Warwike.
I Wonder how the king escapt our hands.
Yorke. Whilst we pursude the horsemen
of the North,
He slilie stole awaie and left his men:
Whereat the great Lord of Northum-
10land,
Whose warlike eares could neuer brooke retrait,
Chargde our maine battels front, and therewith him
Lord Stafford and Lord Clifford all abrest
Brake in and were by the hands of common Souldiers
15Edw. Lord Staffords father Duke of Buckingham,
Is either slaine or wounded dangerouslie,
I cleft his Beuer with a downe right blow:
Father that this is true behold his bloud.
Mont. And brother heeres the Earle of Wiltshires
20Bloud, whom I encountred as the battailes ioind.
Rich. Speake thou for me and tell them what I did.
York. What is your grace dead my L. of Summerset?
Norf. Such hope haue all the line of Iohn of Gawnt.
25Rich. Thus doe I hope to shape king Henries head.
War. And so do I victorious prince of Yorke,
Before I see thee seated in that throne
Which now the house of Lancaster vsurpes,
I vow by heauens these eies shal neuer close.
30This is the pallace of that fearefull king,
And that the regall chaire? Possesse it Yorke:
For this is thine and not king Henries heires.
York Assist me then sweet Warwike, and I wil:
For hither are we broken in by force.
35Norf. Weele all assist thee, and he that flies shall die.
York. Thanks gentle Norffolke. Staie by me my Lords,
and souldiers staie you heere and lodge this night:
War. And when the king comes offer him no
40Violence, vnlesse he seek to put vs out by force.
Rich. Armde as we be, lets staie within this house?
45War. The bloudie parlement shall this be calde,
Vnlesse Plantagenet Duke of Yorke be king
And bashfull Henrie be deposde, whose cowardise
Hath made vs by-words to our enemies.
York. Then leaue me not my Lords: for now I meane
50To take possession of my right.
War. Neither the king, nor him that loues him best,
The proudest burd that holds vp Lancaster.
Dares stirre a wing if Warwike shake his bels.
Ile plant Plantagenet: and root him out who dares?
55Resolue thee Richard: Claime the English crowne.
Enter king Henrie the sixt, with the Duke of Excester,
The Earle of Northumberland, the Earle of Westmerland
and Clifford, the Earle of Cumberland, withred Roses in their hats.
King. Looke Lordings where the sturdy rebel sits,
Euen in the chaire of state: belike he meanes
60Backt by the power of Warwike that false peere,
To aspire vnto the crowne, and raigne as king.
Earle of Northumberland, he slew thy father.
And thine Clifford: and you both haue vow'd reuenge,
On him, his sonnes, his fauorites, and his friends.
65Northu. And if I be not, heauens be reuengd on me.
Clif. The hope thereof, makes Clifford mourn in steel.
West. What? shall we suffer this, lets pull him downe.
My hart for anger breakes, I cannot speake.
70King. Be patient gentle Earle of Westmerland.
Clif. Patience is for pultrouns such as he
He durst not sit there had your father liu'd?
My gratious Lord: here in the Parlement,
Let vs assaile the familie of Yorke.
75North. Well hast thou spoken cosen, be it so.
King. O know you not the Cittie fauours them,
And they haue troopes of soldiers at their becke?
Exet. But when the D. is slaine, theile quicklie flie.
80King. Far be it from the thoughtes of Henries hart,
To make a shambles of the parlement house.
Cosen of Exeter, words, frownes, and threats,
Shall be the warres that Henrie meanes to vse.
Thou factious duke of Yorke, descend my throne,
I am thy soueraigne.
York. Thou art deceiu'd: I am thine.
Exet. For shame come downe he made thee D. of
90York. Twas mine inheritance as the kingdome is.
Exet. Thy father was a traytor to the crowne.
War. Exeter thou art a traitor to the crowne.
In following this vsurping Henry.
Clif. Whom should he follow but his naturall king.
War. True Clif and that is Richard Duke of Yorke.
King. And shall I stande while thou sittest in my
throne?
York. Content thy selfe it must and shall be so.
War. Be Duke of Lancaster, let him be king.
100West. Why? he is both king & Duke of Lancaster,
And that the Earle of Westmerland shall mainetaine.
War. And Warwike shall disproue it. You forget
That we are those that chaste you from the field
And slew your father, and with colours spred,
105Marcht through the Cittie to the pallas gates.
Nor. No Warwike I remember it to my griefe,
And by his soule thou and thy house shall rew it.
West. Plantagenet of thee and of thy sonnes,
Thy kinsmen and thy friendes, Ile haue more liues,
110Then drops of bloud were in my fathers vaines.
Clif. Vrge it no more, least in reuenge thereof,
I send thee Warwike such a messenger,
As shall reueng his death before I stirre.
War. Poore Clifford, how I skorn thy worthles threats
York. Wil ye we shew our title to the crowne,
Or else our swords shall plead it in the field?
King. What title haste thou traitor to the Crowne?
Thy father was as thou art Duke of Yorke,
120Thy grandfather Roger Mortimer earle of March,
I am the sonne of Henrie the Fift who tamde the French,
And made the Dolphin stoope, and seazd vpon their
Townes and prouinces.
War. Talke not of France since thou hast lost it all.
125King. The Lord protector lost it and not I,
When I was crownd I was but nine months old.
Rich. You are olde enough now and yet me thinkes
you lose,
Father teare the Crowne from the Vsurpers head.
130Edw. Do so sweet father, set it on your head.
Mont. Good brother as thou lou'st & honorst armes,
Lets fight it out and not stand cauilling thus.
Rich. Sound drums and trumpets & the king will fly.
135York. Peace sonnes:
Northum. Peace thou and giue king Henry leaue to
speake.
King. Ah Plantagenet, why seekest thou to depose
Are we not both both Plantagenets by birth,
140And from two brothers line allie discent?
Suppose by right and equitie thou be king,
Thinkst thou that I will leaue my kinglie seate
Wherein my father and my grandsire sat?
No, first shall warre vnpeople this my realme,
145I and our colours often borne in France,
And now in England to our harts great sorrow
Shall be my winding sheete, why faint you Lords?
My titles better farre than his.
War. Proue it Henrie and thou shalt be king?
150King. Why Henrie the fourth by conquest got the
Crowne.
York. T'was by rebellion gainst his soueraigne.
King. I know not what to saie my titles weake,
Tell me maie not a king adopt an heire?
War. What then?
155King. Then am I lawfull king For Richard
The second in the view of manie Lords
Resignde the Crowne to Henrie the fourth,
Whose heire my Father was, and I am his.
York I tell thee he rose against him being his
160Soueraigne, & made him to resigne the crown perforce.
War. Suppose my Lord he did it vnconstrainde,
Thinke you that were preiudiciall to the Crowne?
Exet. No, for he could not so resigne the Crowne,
But that the next heire must succeed and raigne.
165King. Art thou against vs, Duke of Exceter?
Exet. His is the right, and therefore pardon me.
King. All will reuolt from me and turne to him.
170Northum. Plantagenet for all the claime thou laist,
Thinke not king Henry shall be thus deposde?
War. Deposde he shall be in despight of thee.
North. Tush Warwike, Thou art deceiued? tis not thy
Southerne powers of Essex, Suffolke, Norffolke, and of
Kent that makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,
Can set the Duke vp in despight of me.
Cliff. King Henrie be thy title right or wrong,
Lord Clifford vowes to fight in thy defence.
180Maie that ground gape and swallow me aliue,
Where I do kneele to him that slew my father.
King. O Clifford, how thy words reuiue my soule.
York. Henry of Lancaster resigne thy crowne.
What mutter you? or what conspire you Lords?
185War. Doe right vnto this princelie Duke of Yorke,
Or I will fill the house with armed men,
Enter Souldiers.
And ouer the chaire of state where now he sits,
Wright vp his title with thy vsurping bloud.
King. O Warwike, heare me speake.
Let me but raigne in quiet whilst I liue.
York. Confirme the crowne to me and to mine heires
And thou shalt raigne in quiet whilst thou liu'st.
195King. Conuey the souldiers hence, and then I will.
War. Captaine conduct them into Tuthill fieldes.
Clif. What wrong is this vnto the Prince your son?
War. What good is this for England and himselfe?
Northum. Base, fearefull, and despairing Henry.
200Clif. How hast thou wronged both thy selfe and vs?
West. I cannot staie to heare these Articles.
Exit.
Clif. Nor I, Come cosen lets go tell the Queene.
Northum. Be thou a praie vnto the house of Yorke,
And die in bands for this vnkingly deed.
Exit.
210Clif. In dreadfull warre maist thou be ouercome,
Or liue in peace abandon'd and despisde.
Exit.
Exet. They seeke reuenge, and therefore will not
yeeld my Lord.
215King. Ah Exeter?
War. Why should you sigh my Lord?
King. Not for my selfe Lord Warwike, but my sonne;
Whom I vnnaturallie shall disinherit.
But be it as it maie: I heere intaile the Crowne
220To thee and to thine heires, conditionallie,
That here thou take thine oath, to cease these ciuill
Broiles, and whilst I liue to honour me as thy king
and Soueraigne.
York. That oath I willinglie take and will performe.
War. Long liue king Henry. Plantagenet embrace
him?
King. And long liue thou and all thy forward sonnes.
230York. Now Yorke and Lancaster are reconcilde.
Exet. Accurst be he that seekes to make them foes,
Sound Trumpets.
York My Lord Ile take my leaue, for Ile to Wakefield
To my castell.
Exit Yorke and his sonnes.
235War. And Ile keepe London with my souldiers.
Exit.
Norf And Ile to Norffolke with my followers.
Exit.
Mont. And I to the sea from whence I came.
Exit.
Enter the Queene and the Prince.
Exet. My Lord here comes the Queen, Ile steale away.
King. And so will I.
Queene. Naie staie, or else I follow thee.
245King Be patient gentle Queene, and then Ile staie.
Quee. What patience can there? ah timerous man,
Thou hast vndoone thy selfe, thy sonne, and me,
And giuen our rights vnto the house of Yorke.
Art thou a king and wilt be forst to yeeld?
Had I beene there, the souldiers should haue tost
Me on their launces points, before I would haue
Granted to their wils. The Duke is made
Protector of the land: Sterne Fawconbridge
270Commands the narrow seas. And thinkst thou then
To sleepe secure? I heere diuorce me Henry
From thy bed, vntill that Act of Parlement
280Be recalde, wherein thou yeeldest to the house of Yorke.
The Northen Lords that haue forsworne thy colours,
Will follow mine if once they see them spred,
And spread they shall vnto thy deepe disgrace.
Come sonne, lets awaie and leaue him heere alone.
King. Staie gentle Margaret, and here me speake.
Queene. Thou hast spoke too much alreadie, there-
290fore be still.
King. Gentle sonne Edwarde, wilt thou staie with me?
Quee. I, to be murdred by his enemies.
Exit.
Prin. When I returne with victorie from the field.
Ile see your Grace, till then Ile follow her.
Exit.
King. Poore Queene, her loue to me and to the prince
Her sonne,
Makes hir in furie thus forget hir selfe.
Reuenged maie shee be on that accursed Duke.
305Come cosen of Exeter, staie thou here,
For Clifford and those Northern Lords be gone
I feare towards Wakefield, to disturbe the Duke.