SALISBURY    It is great sin to swear unto a sin:

  But greater sin to keep a sinful oath:

  Who can be bound by any solemn vow

  To do a murd’rous deed, to rob a man,

  To force a spotless virgin’s chastity,

  To reave187 the orphan of his patrimony,

  To wring188 the widow from her customed right,

  And have no other reason for this wrong

  But that he was bound by a solemn oath?

  QUEEN MARGARET    A subtle191 traitor needs no sophister.

  KING HENRY VI    Call Buckingham, and bid him arm himself.

  YORK    Call Buckingham, and all the friends thou hast,

  I am resolved for death or dignity194.

  CLIFFORD    The first I warrant thee, if dreams prove true.

  WARWICK    You were best to go to bed and dream again,

  To keep thee from the tempest of the field197.

  CLIFFORD    I am resolved to bear a greater storm

  Than any thou canst conjure up today:

  And that I’ll write upon thy burgonet200,

  Might I but know201 thee by thy household badge.

  WARWICK    Now by my father’s202 badge, old Neville’s crest,

  The rampant bear chained to the ragged203 staff,

  This day I’ll wear aloft my burgonet204,

  As on a mountain top the cedar shows205

  That keeps his leaves in spite of any storm,

  Even to affright thee with the view thereof.

  CLIFFORD    And from thy burgonet I’ll rend208 thy bear

  And tread it under foot with all contempt,

  Despite the bearherd that protects the bear.

  YOUNG CLIFFORD    And so to arms, victorious father,

  To quell the rebels and their complices212.

  RICHARD    Fie, charity, for shame! Speak not in spite,

  For you shall sup with Jesu Christ tonight.

  YOUNG CLIFFORD    Foul stigmatic215, that’s more than thou canst tell.

  RICHARD    If not in heaven, you’ll surely sup in hell.

  Exeunt [severally]

  [Act 5 Scene 2]

  running scene 21

  [Alarums to the battle.] Enter Warwick

  WARWICK    Clifford of Cumberland, ’tis Warwick calls:

  And if thou dost not hide thee from the bear,

  Now, when the angry trumpet sounds alarum

  And dead4 men’s cries do fill the empty air,

  Clifford, I say, come forth and fight with me:

  Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland,

  Warwick is hoarse with calling thee to arms.

  Enter York

  How now, my noble lord? What, all afoot8?

  YORK    The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed:

  But match to match I have encountered him

  And made a prey for carrion kites11 and crows

  Even of the bonny beast he loved so well.

  Enter Clifford

  WARWICK    Of13 one or both of us the time is come.

  YORK    Hold, Warwick: seek thee out some other chase14,

  For I myself must hunt this deer to death.

  WARWICK    Then, nobly16, York: ’tis for a crown thou fight’st:—

  As I intend, Clifford, to thrive today,

  It grieves my soul to leave thee unassailed.

  Exit Warwick

  CLIFFORD    What seest thou in me, York? Why dost thou pause?

  YORK    With thy brave bearing should I be in love,

  But that thou art so fast21 mine enemy.

  CLIFFORD    Nor should thy prowess want praise and esteem,

  But that ’tis shown ignobly and in treason.

  YORK    So let it help me now against thy sword

  As I in justice and true right express it25.

  CLIFFORD    My soul and body on the action both26!

  They fight, and Clifford falls

  YORK    A dreadful lay! Address27 thee instantly.

  CLIFFORD    La fin couronne les oeuvres.28

  Dies

  YORK    Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou art still.

  Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will.

  [Exit]

  Enter Young Clifford

  YOUNG CLIFFORD    Shame and confusion, all is on the rout31!

  Fear frames32 disorder, and disorder wounds

  Where it should guard. O war, thou son of hell,

  Whom angry heavens do make their minister,

  Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part35

  Hot coals of vengeance. Let no soldier fly36.

  He that is truly dedicate37 to war

  Hath no self-love38: nor he that loves himself

  Hath not essentially but by circumstance39

  Seeing his dead father

  The name of valour.— O, let the vile world end,

  And the premised41 flames of the last day.

  Knit42 earth and heaven together.

  Now let the general trumpet43 blow his blast,

  Particularities44 and petty sounds

  To cease. Wast thou ordainèd45, dear father,

  To lose46 thy youth in peace, and to achieve

  The silver livery47 of advisèd age,

  And in thy reverence and thy chair-days48, thus

  To die in ruffian battle? Even at this sight

  My heart is turned to stone: and while ’tis mine,

  It shall be stony. York not our old men spares:

  No more will I their babes: tears virginal52

  Shall be to me even as the dew to fire53,

  And beauty that the tyrant oft reclaims54

  Shall to my flaming wrath be oil and flax55:

  Henceforth I will not have to do with pity.

  Meet I an infant of the House of York,

  Into as many gobbets58 will I cut it

  As wild Medea young Absyrtus59 did.

  In cruelty will I seek out my fame.

  Come, thou new ruin of old Clifford’s house:

  As did Aeneas old Anchises bear62,

  So bear I thee upon my manly shoulders:

  But then Aeneas bare64 a living load,

  Nothing so heavy65 as these woes of mine.

  [Exit with Clifford’s body]

  Enter Richard and Somerset to fight. [Somerset is killed]

  RICHARD    So lie thou there:

  For underneath an ale-house’ paltry sign,

  The Castle in St Albans, Somerset

  Hath made the wizard69 famous in his death:

  Sword, hold thy temper: heart, be wrathful still70:

  Priests pray for enemies, but princes kill.

  [Exit]

  Eight. Excursions. Enter King [Henry VI], Queen [Margaret]. and others

  QUEEN MARGARET    Away, my lord, you are slow: for shame, away!

  KING HENRY VI    Can we outrun the heavens? Good Margaret, stay73.

  QUEEN MARGARET    What are you made of? You’ll nor74 fight nor fly:

  Now is it75 manhood, wisdom and defence,

  To give the enemy way, and to secure us76

  By what77 we can, which can no more but fly.

  Alarum afar off

  If you be ta’en78, we then should see the bottom

  Of all our fortunes: but if we haply scape79,

  As well we may, if not through your neglect,

  We shall to London get, where you are loved

  And where this breach82 now in our fortunes made

  May readily be stopped.

  Enter [Young]. Clifford

  YOUNG CLIFFORD    But that my heart’s on future mischief84 set,

  I would speak blasphemy ere85 bid you fly:

  But fly you must: uncurable discomfit86

  Reigns in the hearts of all our present parts87.

  Away, for your relief88, and we will live

  To see their day and them our fortune give.89

  Away, my lord, away!

  Exeunt

  [Act 5 Scene 3]

  running scene 21 continues

  Alarum. Retreat. Enter York, Richard, Warwick and Soldiers, with Drum and Colours

  YORK    Of Salisbury, who can report of him,

  That winter2 lion, who in rage forgets

  Agèd contusions and all brush3 of time,

  And, like a gallant in the brow4 of youth,

  Repairs him with occasion5? This happy day

  Is not itself, nor have we won one foot6,

  If Salisbury be lost.

  RICHARD    My noble father:

  Three times today I holp9 him to his horse,

  Three times bestrid him10: thrice I led him off,

  Persuaded him from any further act:

  But still12 where danger was, still there I met him,

  And like rich hangings in a homely13 house,

  So was his will in his old feeble body.

  But noble as he is, look where he comes.

  Enter Salisbury

  SALISBURY    Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought today:

  By th’mass, so did we all. I thank you, Richard.

  God knows how long it is I have to live:

  And it hath pleased him that three times today

  You have defended me from imminent death.

  Well, lords, we have not got that which we have21:

  ’Tis not enough our foes are this time fled,

  Being opposites of such repairing nature23.

  YORK    I know our safety24 is to follow them,

  For, as I hear, the king is fled to London,

  To call a present26 court of parliament:

  Let us pursue him ere the writs27 go forth.

  What says Lord Warwick, shall we after them?

  WARWICK    After them? Nay, before them, if we can:

  Now by my hand, lords, ’twas a glorious day.

  St Albans battle won by famous York

  Shall be eternized32 in all age to come.

  Sound drum and trumpets, and to London all,

  And more such days as these to us befall!

  Exeunt

  TEXTUAL NOTES

  Q = First Quarto text of 1594

  Q2 = Second Quarto text of 1600

  Q3 = Third Quarto text of 1619 F = First Folio text of 1623

  F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632

  F4 = a correction introduced in the Fourth Folio text of 1685

  Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

  SD = stage direction

  SH = speech heading (i.e. speaker’s name)

  List of parts = Ed

  THE … HUMPHREY = F. Printed as The First Part of the Contention betwixt the two famous Houses of York and Lancaster, with the death of the good Duke Humphrey in Q, Q2, and Q3

  1.1.24–31 Great … minister Q has the following alternative lines (all alternative Q passages are here edited and modernized):

  Th’excessive love I bear unto your grace

  Forbids me to be lavish of my tongue,

  Lest I should speak more than beseems a woman:

  Let this suffice: my bliss is in your liking,

  And nothing can make poor Margaret miserable,

  Unless the frown of mighty England’s King.

     50 SD Lets … fall derived from Q’s direction: Duke Humphrey lets it fall 92 had = Ed. F = hath 100 Razing = Ed. F = Racing 131 SH GLOUCESTER = Ed. F = Hum./Glo. (throughout) 168 hoist spelled hoyse in F 177 Protector = Q. F = Protectors 255 in my = Ed. F = in in my 256 grapple = F, Q3. Q = graffle, although there is no record of it in the OED

  1.2.19 thought = F. Ed = hour 22 dreams = F (dreames). Ed = dream 38 are = Q. F = wer 75 witch = F. Q = witch of Ely. Q3 = witch of Rye. Ed = witch of Eye

  1.3.6 SH FIRST PETITIONER = F4. F = Peter. In agreement with the Textual Companion that the First Petitioner must have pushed forward to warrant his apology, “Peter” and “Petitioner” being easily confused; other editors defend F 30 master = Ed. F = Mistresse 31 usurper = F. Q = usurer 66 haughty = F (haughtie). F2 = haught 88 the = F. Ed = their 99 At this point F has an exit direction for Suffolk, yet he contributes to the following discussion; therefore his exit direction has been removed

  102 denied = Ed. F = denay’d 123 dauphin = Ed. F = Dolphin

  140 I’d = Q. F = I could 148 fury = Ed. F = Fume. However, the emendation better fits the meter and the mistake can be explained as a minim error 185 SH HORNER = Ed. F = Armorer 202 judge = F. Ed = judge by case 216–18 Away … away = F. The following alternative lines are spoken by Gloucester in Q, where the action takes place before Queen Margaret drops her glove (as opposed to F’s fan):

  The law my lord is this by case, it rests suspicious

  That a day of combat be appointed

  And there to try each other’s right or wrong

  Which shall be on the thirtieth of this month,

  With Eben staves and standbags combatting

  In Smithfield before your royal majesty.

     The reference to “Eben staves” and “standbags” might refer to the remembered performance of the scene

  1.4.23 SH ASNATH = Ed. F = Spirit 24 SH MARGARET JORDAN = Ed. F = Witch 39–40 Descend … avoid = F. Q has the following longer alternative:

  Then down, I say, unto the damnèd pool,

  Where Pluto in his fiery wagon sits

  Riding, amidst the singed and parchèd smokes,

  The road of Ditis by the River Styx.

  There howl and burn for ever in those flames.

  Rise, Jordan, rise, and stay thy charming spells.

  Zounds, we are betrayed!

     59–60 The … death some editors move the reading aloud of the prophecies to the next scene, following Q, which also assigns them to King Henry

  2.1.27 such = F. Ed = some 52 SH CARDINAL … you. = Ed. F = Cardinall, I am with you. F presents the line as a continuation of Gloucester’s speech rather than a response from the cardinal 65 SH TOWNSMAN = Ed. F = One 138 his = Q. F = it,

  2.2.35 Philippa = Ed. F = Phillip 46–47 who … son = Ed. F’s lines are considered unmetrical and nonsensical:

  Who was to Edmond Langley,

  Edward the thirds fift Sonnes Sonne;

  2.3.3 sins = Ed. F = sinne 68 After the First Prentice Q inserts a third prentice who speaks the following line: Here, Peter, here’s a pint of claret wine for thee. Q also adds the following extra line at the beginning of F’s “Second” Prentice’s line: And here’s a quart for me.

  3.1.0 SD Enter … parliament = F. Q has the following stage direction, which may reflect contemporary performance:

  Enter to the parliament. Enter two heralds before, then the Duke of Buckingham, and the Duke of Suffolk, and then the Duke of York, and the Cardinal of Winchester, and then the King and the Queen, and then the Earl of Salisbury, and the Earl of Warwick.

  78 wolves = F. Ed = wolf 117 disbursèd = Ed. F = dis-pursed which is now archaic 264 deceit = F. Ed = conceit 329 For = F. Ed = From

  3.2.0 SD Enter … Humphrey = F. Q = Then the curtains being drawn, Duke Humphrey is discovered in his bed, and two men lying on his breast and smothering him in his bed. And then enter the Duke of Suffolk to them. 14 Away … gone = F. Q = Then draw the curtains again and get you gone. Ed = Then draw the curtains close; away, be gone! SD Sound … Attendants F’s original direction includes an entry for Suffolk, who is already onstage, and is therefore omitted here 26 Meg = Ed. F = Nell 76 leper = Ed. F = Leaper 80 Dame = F. Ed = Queen Margaret = Ed. F = Elianor 101 Margaret = Ed. F = Elianor 117 witch = Ed. F = watch 121 Margaret = Ed. F = Elinor 203 SD [Exeunt … Somerset] the direction “Exit Cardinal” is found in Q; editors add an exit direction for Somerset here because he has no further activity in the scene 232 SD Exeunt … Warwick based on Q’s direction: Warwick pulls him out. Exit Warwick and Suffolk. F = Exeunt Q’s stage direction continues: and then all the Commons within, cries, ‘Down with Suffolk, down with Suffolk’. This presumably represents original performance, and it is on this basis that some editors have decided to insert stage directions and/or spoken lines for Commons 279 SH COMMONS = Ed. Not in F 309 enemies = Q. F = enemy. Privileging Q over F results in agreement with “them” in the following line 311 Could = Q. F = Would. Emendation directed by the editorial tradition in response to the repeated use of “would” in the following line 319 Mine = F. Q = My on = Ed. F = an 333 turn = Ed. F = turnes 335 the = F. Q = this 345 these = F. Ed = these lips 410 SD [She kisses him] = Q. Not in F 415 SD severally = Q. Not in F

  3.3.0 SD to … bed = F. Q = and then the curtains be drawn, and the Cardinal is discovered in his bed, raving and staring as if he were mad

  4.1.0 SD a Master … prisoners based on Q’s stage direction: Alarms within, and the chambers be discharged, like as it were a fight at sea. And then enter the Captain of the ship and the Master, and the Master’s Mate, and the Duke of Suffolk disguised, and others with him, and Walter Whickmore 1 SH LIEUTENANT = F. Q = Captain 6 Clip = Ed. F = Cleape 20 SH WHITMORE = Ed. In F these lines continue the Lieutenant’s speech 32 death = F. Ed = thee 48 Jove … I = Q. Not in F; justified by the Lieutenant’s following line 50 Obscure … blood = F. Editors often reassign this line to Suffolk, arguing that he is distinguishing between himself and the Lieutenant. However, F’s reading can be supported as a slight on Suffolk by the Lieutenant, and by Whitmore’s subsequent line in response to Suffolk’s speech where he refers directly to Suffolk as “swain” lousy = F (lowsie). Ed = lowly 72 SH SUFFOLK = Ed. F = Sir; presumed compositor misreading of “Suf” or “S” or “Su” 73 SH LIEUTENANT = Ed. F = Lord; presumed compositor misreading of “Lieu” or “L” 79 shalt = Q. F = shall 87 mother’s bleeding = Ed. F = Mother-bleeding 95 are = Ed. F = and 114 Thy … me Q has an extra line at this point attributed to the “Captain,” F’s Lieutenant: Ay, but my deeds shall stay thy fury soon. Some editions print the following: But my deeds, Suffolk, soon shall stay thy rage. 134 SH SUFFOLK = Ed. In F this line is spoken by the Lieutenant, but Suffolk’s “That” appears to refer to it as his own