West. He is both king and Duke of Lancaster;

And that the Lord of Westmoreland shall maintain. War. And Warwick shall disprove it. You forget

That we are those which chased you from the field And slew your fathers, and with colours spread March'd through the city to the palace gates. North. Yes, Warwick, I remember it to my grief;

And, by his soul, thou and thy house shall rue it.
West. Plantagenet, of thee and these thy sons,

Thy kinsmen and thy friends, I'll have more lives
Than drops of blood were in my father's veins.

Clif. Urge it no more; lest that, instead of words,
I send thee, Warwick, such a messenger
As shall revenge his death before I stir.

War. Poor Clifford! how I scorn his worthless threats.
York. Will you we show our title to the crown?

If not, our swords shall plead it in the field.

K. Hen. What title hast thou, traitor, to the crown?
Thy father was, as thou art, Duke of York.
Thy grandfather, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March.
I am the son of Henry the Fifth,

Who made the Dauphin and the French to stoop,
And seized upon their towns and provinces.
War. Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all.
K. Hen. The lord protector lost it, and not I:

When I was crown'd I was but nine months old.

He is

the Lord.

90

95

100

105

ΙΙΟ

maintain] 82-84. Be... Why? he is. . . the Earle... mainetaine Q. 89-92. And Warwick . . those which chased fathers palace gates] 85-88. And Warwike.. father pallas gates Q. 93, 94. Yes.

rew it Q. 95-97. Plantagenet. . . these thy Plantagenet. of thy Then . vaines Q.

...

that, instead of words stir] 93-95.
stirre Q. 101-106. Poor Clifford.
not Earl of March] 96-101. Poore
ye. or else. earle of March Q.
stoop • provinces] 102-104. I am
Dolphin stoope prouinces Q.

.

head] 105-109. Talk . . since

...

.

.

Urge it. . .
his worthless
Clifford .

those that chaste rue it] 89, 90. No . . . Than... veins] 91-93.

98-100. Urge it. in revenge thereof

...

Will you. If

thy worthles.

Wil

107-109. I am . . . Who made ...

who tamde the French, And made the 110-114. Talk... sith . . . usurper's Vsurper's head Q.

VI. II. ii. 8; and Troilus and Cressida, Iv. i. 69 :—

"For every false drop in her bawdy veins

A Grecian's life hath sunk." 107. I am the son] Johnson says Henry the Fifth's military reputation was the sole support of his son. The name dispersed the followers of Cade. 112. When I was crown'd] Henry

Rich. You are old enough now, and yet, methinks, you lose.
Father, tear the crown from the usurper's head.
Edw. Sweet father, do so; set it on your head.
Mont. Good brother, as thou lovest and honourest arms,
Let's fight it out and not stand cavilling thus.

Rich. Sound drums and trumpets, and the king will fly.

York. Sons, peace!

115

K. Hen. Peace thou! and give King Henry leave to speak. 120 War. Plantagenet shall speak first: hear him, lords ;

And be you silent and attentive too,

For he that interrupts him shall not live.

K. Hen. Think'st thou that I will leave my kingly throne,
Wherein my grandsire and my father sat?
No: first shall war unpeople this my realm;
Ay, and their colours, often borne in France,

And now in England to our heart's great sorrow,
Shall be my winding-sheet. Why faint you, lords?

125

115. Sweet... head] 110. Do so sweet father, set . . . head Q. 116-119. Good brother Sons, peace !] III-114. Good brother . . . Peace sonnes Q. 120. K. Hen. Peace thou!... speak] 115. Northum. Peace thou speake Q. 121-123. War. Plantagenet shall . not live] omitted Q. 124. Think'st thou throne] 116-120. King. Ah Plantagenet, why seekest thou to depose me? Are we not both Plantagenets by birth, And from two brothers lineallie discent? Suppose by right and equitie thou be king, Thinkst thou seate Q. 125-130. Wherein my grandsire. . father their colours. title's good

...

his] 121-126. Wherein my father. titles better far than his Q.

was crowned at Westminster, November 6, 1429. See 2 Henry VI. II. iii. 22-24 for the period (1437) when he assumed the responsibility of govern

ment.

The reference here is to the proclamation of "Prince Henry beyng then about the age of ix Moneths with sounde of Trumpets openly . . . King of England & of Fraunce, the last daye of August, 1422," by his uncles and "the other Lordes of the counsayle" (Grafton, i. 549). For his coronation at Paris (at nine months old), see Richard III. 11. iii. 16, 17.

118. lineallie discent] in Q. See note below at III. iii. 87.

118. Sound drums and trumpets] See again Part II. v. iii. 32, and note. And below, v. vii. 45; and in Richard III. Several times in Locrine.

120. give leave to speak] See Henry VIII. IV. ii. 32. And below, 1. ii. I (Quarto). This speech is given to Northumberland in Q. But it may properly belong to Henry. Like

...

grandsire.. . our colours

...

all weak characters, he is petulantly authoritative at times.

66

126. unpeople this my realm] So Peele in David and Bethsabe (472, b, Dyce, 1874): 'Unpeople Rabbah and the streets thereof." See Antony and Cleopatra, I. v. 78. The King, in this whole scene, shows how his vacillations have been carefully attended to. And Marlowe, Tamburlaine, Part I. III. iii. (Dyce, 22, a) :

"Let him bring millions infinite of
men,

Unpeopling Western Africa and
Greece."

129. winding-sheet] grave-clothes. Not again in Shakespeare, except below, II. V. I14. Nashe (?) uses it in An Almond for a Parrot (ed. M'Kerrow, iii. 362), 1590: "hee will wrappe all your cleargie once agayne in Lazarus winding sheete."

129. Why faint you] "why funk you "would be the synonym. Shakespeare dropped this use later. He has

My title's good, and better far than his.

130

War. Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king.

K. Hen. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown.
York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king.

K. Hen. [Aside.] I know not what to say: my title's weak. Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir?

135

York. What then?

K. Hen. An if he may, then am I lawful king;
For Richard, in the view of many lords,
Resign'd the crown to Henry the Fourth,
Whose heir my father was, and I am his.
York. He rose against him, being his sovereign,

And made him to resign his crown perforce.
War. Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd,
Think you 'twere prejudicial to his crown?
Exe. No; for he could not so resign his crown

But that the next heir should succeed and reign.

140

145

K. Hen. Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter?
Exe. His is the right, and therefore pardon me.
York. Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not?
Exe. My conscience tells me he is lawful king.

150

K. Hen. [Aside.] All will revolt from me, and turn to him. North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st,

Think not that Henry shall be so deposed.

War. Deposed he shall be in despite of all.

North. Thou are deceived: 'tis not thy southern power, 155

... an

131-135. Prove it Henry the Fourth .. against his king. heir?] 127-131. Proue it... Why Henrie the fourth. gainst his soueraigne an heire? Q. 136. York. What then?] 132. War. What then? Q. 137. An if he may] omitted Q. 137-140. then am I... For Richard

his

am his] 133-136. Then am I. For Richard The second . . am his Q. 141, 142. He rose his crown perforce] 137, 138. I tell thee he rose . the crown perforce Q. 143, 144. Suppose, my lords 'twere . crown?] 139, 140. Suppose my Lord... that were the Crowne? Q. 145, 146. No ... his crown should... reign] 141, 142. No . . . the Crowne. must raigne Q. 147, 148. Art thou. me] 143, 144. Art thou. Q. 149, 150. York. Why whisper Exe. My conscience...] omitted Q. 151-154. All will . that Henry so deposed.. of all] 145-148. All will King Henry thus deposde?... of thee Q. 158. Thou art power... Kent, Which . . . of me] 149-152. Tush Warwike, Thou art ... powers of Essex, Suffolke, Norffolke, and of Kent that of me Q.

...

...

Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,

Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,
Can set the duke up in despite of me.
Clif. King Henry, be thy title right or wrong,
Lord Clifford vows to fight in thy defence:
May that ground gape and swallow me alive,
Where I shall kneel to him that slew my father!

K. Hen. O Clifford! how thy words revive my heart.
York. Henry of Lancaster, resign thy crown.

What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords?
War. Do right unto this princely Duke of York,

Or I will fill the house with armed men,
And o'er the chair of state, where now he sits,
Write up his title with usurping blood.

160

165

[He stamps with his foot, and the Soldiers
show themselves.

K. Hen. My Lord of Warwick, hear me but one word:
Let me for this my life-time reign as king.

York. Confirm the crown to me and to mine heirs,
And thou shalt reign in quiet while thou liv'st.
K. Hen. I am content: Richard Plantagenet,
Enjoy the kingdom after my decease.

170

175

my

159-162. Clif. King Henry shall kneel · father] 153-156. Cliff. King Henrie do kneale . father Q. 163-169. O Clifford . heart... And o'er the chair. usurping blood] 157-163. O Clifford .. my soule. [Enter souldiers] And over the chaire.. thy usurping bloud Q. 170, 171. K. Hen. My Lord... king] 164, 165. King. O Warwike, heare me speake. Let me but raigne in quiet whilst I liue Q. 172-175. Confirm. thou liv'st. K. Hen. I am content decease] 166-169. Confirme. livest. King. Conuey the souldiers hence, and then I will. War. Captaine conduct them into Tuthill fieldes Q.

161. ground gape and swallow me] Compare Richard III. 1. ii. 65: “earth, gape open wide and eat him quick." Both from Peele perhaps :

"Gape earth and swallow me, and let my soul

Sink down to hell." (Edward I. 408, a.) As it comes off in Edward I., it would be impressive. Steevens quotes from Phaer's translation of the fourth Æneid: "But rather would I wish the ground to gape for me below." I have not verified it. See in Kyd, Cornelia: "O earth, why op'st thou not?" (bad news) (v. 39).

162. slew my father] See above, line 9, and line 55.

thou

Clif. What wrong is this unto the prince your son!
War. What good is this to England and himself!
West. Base, fearful, and despairing Henry!
Clif. How hast thou injured both thyself and us!
West. I cannot stay to hear these articles.
North. Nor I.

Clif. Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these news.
West. Farewell, faint-hearted and degenerate king,

In whose cold blood no spark of honour bides.
North. Be thou a prey unto the house of York,
And die in bands for this unmanly deed!
Clif. In dreadful war may'st thou be overcome,
Or live in peace abandon'd and despised!

180

185

[Exeunt North., Clif., and West. War. Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not. Exe. They seek revenge and therefore will not yield. K. Hen. Ah! Exeter.

War.

Why should you sigh, my lord?

K. Hen. Not for myself, Lord Warwick, but my son,

Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.

But be it as it may; I here entail

The crown to thee and to thine heirs for ever;

...

190

195

Henry! Clif. Come

...

wronged go tell the 185-188. Be

176, 177. What wrong to England. . . himself!]_170, 171. What wrong... for England and himselfe ? Q. 178-182. West. Base. Clif. How injured... us! articles. North. Nor I. news] 172-175. Northum. Base Henry. Clif. How vs?... Articles. [Exit.] Clif. Nor I. Come cosen lets 183, 184. West. Farewell. bides] omitted Q. unmanly deed. despised] 176-179. Be thou . unkingly deede. despisde. Exit. Q. 189. Turn. not] omitted Q. 190-195. .. yield.. thine heirs for ever] 180-186. They seeke... yield thine heires, conditionallie Q.

Queene Q.
thou
Exit.

They seek my lord

186. die in bands] in confinement. Marlowe has it in Edward II.: "Weaponless must I fall, and die in bands?" (beginning of Act iii.) (Dyce, 202, a). A later play than The True Tragedie.

...

66

192-201. Not for myself. This oath .] Grafton says: After long arguments made.. among the Peeres, Prelates, and commons of the realme; upon the vigile of all Saintes, it was condescended and agreed, by the three estates, for so much as King Henry had beene taken as King, by the space of xxxviij. yeres and more that he should enioy the name and tytle of king and haue possession of the realme, during his life naturall; And if he eyther died or resigned, or forfeited the same, for

infringing any point of this concorde, then the sayde Crowne and aucthoritie royall should immediately dissende to the Duke of Yorke, if he then lyued, or else to the next heyre of his line or linage, and that the Duke from thenceforth should be Protector and Regent of the land. Provided alway, that if the King did closely or apertly studie or go about to breake or alter this agrement, or to compasse or imagine the death or destruction of the sayde Duke or hys bloud, then he to forfeit the crowne, and the Duke of Yorke to take it. These articles with many other, were not only written, sealed and sworne by the two parties; but also were enacted in the high court of Parliament