But ne’er till now his scandal of retire.

  152

  WARWICK

  Nor now my scandal, Richard, dost thou hear?

  153

  For thou shalt know this strong right hand of mine

  154

  Can pluck the diadem from faint Henry’s head

  155

  And wring the awful scepter from his fist,

  156

  Were he as famous and as bold in war

  157

  As he is famed for mildness, peace, and prayer.

  158

  RICHARD

  I know it well, Lord Warwick; blame me not.

  159

  ’Tis love I bear thy glories make me speak.

  160

  But in this troublous time, what’s to be done?

  161

  Shall we go throw away our coats of steel

  162

  And wrap our bodies in black mourning gowns,

  163

  Numb’ring our Ave Marys with our beads?

  164

  Or shall we on the helmets of our foes

  165

  Tell our devotion with revengeful arms?

  166

  If for the last, say “Ay,” and to it, lords.

  167

  WARWICK

  Why, therefore Warwick came to seek you out,

  168

  And therefore comes my brother Montague.

  169

  Attend me, lords: the proud insulting queen,

  170

  With Clifford and the haught Northumberland

  171

  And of their feather many more proud birds,

  172

  Have wrought the easy-melting king like wax.

  173

  He swore consent to your succession,

  174

  His oath enrollèd in the Parliament.

  175

  And now to London all the crew are gone

  176

  To frustrate both his oath and what beside

  177

  May make against the house of Lancaster.

  178

  Their power, I think, is thirty thousand strong.

  179

  Now, if the help of Norfolk and myself,

  180

  With all the friends that thou, brave Earl of March,

  181

  Amongst the loving Welshmen canst procure,

  182

  Will but amount to five and twenty thousand,

  183

  Why, via, to London will we march,

  184

  And once again bestride our foaming steeds,

  185

  And once again cry “Charge!” upon our foes,

  186

  But never once again turn back and fly.

  187

  RICHARD

  Ay, now methinks I hear great Warwick speak.

  188

  Ne’er may he live to see a sunshine day

  189

  That cries “Retire!” if Warwick bid him stay.

  190

  EDWARD

  Lord Warwick, on thy shoulder will I lean,

  191

  And when thou fail’st—as God forbid the hour!—

  192

  Must Edward fall, which peril heaven forfend.

  193

  WARWICK

  No longer Earl of March, but Duke of York;

  194

  The next degree is England’s royal throne:

  195

  For King of England shalt thou be proclaimed

  196

  In every borough as we pass along,

  197

  And he that throws not up his cap for joy

  198

  Shall for the fault make forfeit of his head.

  199

  King Edward, valiant Richard, Montague,

  200

  Stay we no longer dreaming of renown,

  201

  But sound the trumpets and about our task.

  202

  RICHARD

  Then, Clifford, were thy heart as hard as steel,

  203

  As thou hast shown it flinty by thy deeds,

  204

  I come to pierce it or to give thee mine.

  205

  EDWARD

  Then strike up drums! God and Saint George for us!

  206

  Enter a Messenger.

  WARWICK How now, what news?

  207

  MESSENGER

  The Duke of Norfolk sends you word by me,

  208

  The Queen is coming with a puissant host,

  209

  And craves your company for speedy counsel.

  210

  WARWICK

  Why, then it sorts. Brave warriors, let’s away!

  211

  They all exit.

 

  Flourish. Enter King Queen

  Clifford, Northumberland, and young Prince
  all wearing the red rose> with Drum and Trumpets,

 

  QUEEN MARGARET,

  Welcome, my lord, to this brave town of York.

  1

  Yonder’s the head of that arch-enemy

  2

  That sought to be encompassed with your crown.

  3

  Doth not the object cheer your heart, my lord?

  4

  KING HENRY

  Ay, as the rocks cheer them that fear their wrack!

  5

  To see this sight, it irks my very soul.

  6

  Withhold revenge, dear God! ’Tis not my fault,

  7

  Nor wittingly have I infringed my vow.

  8

  CLIFFORD

  My gracious liege, this too much lenity

  9

  And harmful pity must be laid aside.

  10

  To whom do lions cast their gentle looks?

  11

  Not to the beast that would usurp their den.

  12

  Whose hand is that the forest bear doth lick?

  13

  Not his that spoils her young before her face.

  14

  Who scapes the lurking serpent’s mortal sting?

  15

  Not he that sets his foot upon her back.

  16

  The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on,

  17

  And doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.

  18

  Ambitious York did level at thy crown,

  19

  Thou smiling while he knit his angry brows.

  20

  He, but a duke, would have his son a king

  21

  And raise his issue like a loving sire;

  22

  Thou being a king, blest with a goodly son,

  23

  Didst yield consent to disinherit him,

  24

  Which argued thee a most unloving father.

  25

  Unreasonable creatures feed their young;

  26

  And though man’s face be fearful to their eyes,

  27

  Yet in protection of their tender ones,

  28

  Who hath not seen them, even with those wings

  29

  Which sometime they have used with fearful flight,

  30

  Make war with him that climbed unto their nest,

  31

  Offering their own lives in their young’s defense?

  32

  For shame, my liege, make them your precedent.

  33

  Were it not pity that this goodly boy

  34

  Should lose his birthright by his father’s fault,

  35

  And long hereafter say unto his child

  36

  “What my great-grandfather and grandsire got,

  37

  My careless father fondly gave away”?

  38

  Ah, what a shame were this! Look on the boy,

  39

  And let his manly face, which promiseth

  40

  Successful fortune, steel thy melting heart

  41

  To hold thine own and leave thine own with him.

  42

  KING HENRY

  Full well hath Clifford played the orator,

  43

  Inferring arguments of mighty force.

  44

  But, Clifford, tell me, didst thou never hear

  45

  That things ill got had ever bad success?

  46

  And happy always was it for that son

  47

  Whose father for his hoarding went to hell?

  48

  I’ll leave my son my virtuous deeds behind,

  49

  And would my father had left me no more;

  50

  For all the rest is held at such a rate

  51

  As brings a thousandfold more care to keep

  52

  Than in possession any jot of pleasure.

  53

  Ah, cousin York, would thy best friends did know

  54

  How it doth grieve me that thy head is here.

  55

  QUEEN MARGARET

  My lord, cheer up your spirits; our foes are nigh,

  56

  And this soft courage makes your followers faint.

  57

  You promised knighthood to our forward son.

  58

  Unsheathe your sword and dub him presently.—

  59

  Edward, kneel down.

  60

 

  KING HENRY,

  Edward Plantagenet, arise a knight,

  61

  And learn this lesson: draw thy sword in right.

  62

  PRINCE EDWARD,

  My gracious father, by your kingly leave,

  63

  I’ll draw it as apparent to the crown

  64

  And in that quarrel use it to the death.

  65

  CLIFFORD

  Why, that is spoken like a toward prince.

  66

  Enter a Messenger.

  MESSENGER

  Royal commanders, be in readiness,

  67

  For with a band of thirty thousand men

  68

  Comes Warwick backing of the Duke of York,

  69

  And in the towns as they do march along

  70

  Proclaims him king, and many fly to him.

  71

  Deraign your battle, for they are at hand.

  72

 

  CLIFFORD

  I would your Highness would depart the field.

  73

  The Queen hath best success when you are absent.

  74

  QUEEN MARGARET

  Ay, good my lord, and leave us to our fortune.

  75

  KING HENRY

  Why, that’s my fortune too; therefore I’ll stay.

  76

  NORTHUMBERLAND

  Be it with resolution, then, to fight.

  77

  PRINCE EDWARD

  My royal father, cheer these noble lords

  78

  And hearten those that fight in your defense.

  79

  Unsheathe your sword, good father; cry “Saint

  80

  George!”

  81

  March. Enter Edward, Warwick, Richard,

  Norfolk, Montague, and Soldiers,

 

  EDWARD

  Now, perjured Henry, wilt thou kneel for grace

  82

  And set thy diadem upon my head,

  83

  Or bide the mortal fortune of the field?

  84

  QUEEN MARGARET

  Go rate thy minions, proud insulting boy.

  85

  Becomes it thee to be thus bold in terms

  86

  Before thy sovereign and thy lawful king?

  87

  EDWARD

  I am his king, and he should bow his knee.

  88

  I was adopted heir by his consent.

  89

  Since when, his oath is broke; for, as I hear,

  90

  You that are king, though he do wear the crown,

  91

  Have caused him, by new act of Parliament,

  92

  To blot out me and put his own son in.

  93

  CLIFFORD And reason too:

  94

  Who should succeed the father but the son?

  95

  RICHARD

  Are you there, butcher? O, I cannot speak!

  96

  CLIFFORD

  Ay, crookback, here I stand to answer thee,

  97

  Or any he, the proudest of thy sort.

  98

  RICHARD

  ’Twas you that killed young Rutland, was it not?

  99

  CLIFFORD

  Ay, and old York, and yet not satisfied.

  100

  RICHARD

  For God’s sake, lords, give signal to the fight!

  101

  WARWICK

  What sayst thou, Henry? Wilt thou yield the crown?

  102

  QUEEN MARGARET

  Why, how now, long-tongued Warwick, dare you

  103

  speak?

  104

  When you and I met at Saint Albans last,

  105

  Your legs did better service than your hands.

  106

  WARWICK

  Then ’twas my turn to fly, and now ’tis thine.

  107

  CLIFFORD

  You said so much before, and yet you fled.

  108

  WARWICK

  ’Twas not your valor, Clifford, drove me thence.

  109

  NORTHUMBERLAND

  No, nor your manhood that durst make you stay.

  110

  RICHARD

  Northumberland, I hold thee reverently.—

  111

  Break off the parley, for scarce I can refrain

  112

  The execution of my big-swoll’n heart

  113

  Upon that Clifford, that cruel child-killer.

  114

  CLIFFORD

  I slew thy father; call’st thou him a child?

  115

  RICHARD

  Ay, like a dastard and a treacherous coward,

  116

  As thou didst kill our tender brother Rutland.

  117

  But ere sunset I’ll make thee curse the deed.

  118

  KING HENRY

  Have done with words, my lords, and hear me

  119

  speak.

  120

  QUEEN MARGARET

  Defy them, then, or else hold close thy lips.

  121

  KING HENRY

  I prithee, give no limits to my tongue.

  122