WAR. I wonder how the king escap'd our hands. YORK. While we pursu'd the horsemen of the north,

He slily stole away, and left his men:
Whereat the great lord of Northumberland,
Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat,
Cheer'd up the drooping army; and himself,
Lord Clifford, and lord Stafford, all abreast,
Charg'd our main battle's front, and, breaking in,
Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.

EDW. Lord Stafford's father, duke of Buckingham,

Is either slain, or wounded dangerous:

I cleft his beaver with a downright blow;
That this is true, father, behold his blood.

[Showing his bloody sword. MONT. And, brother, here's the earl of Wiltshire's blood, [To YORK, showing his. Whom I encounter'd as the battles join'd. RICH. Speak thou for me, and tell them what I

did.

[Throwing down the DUKE of SOMERSET's head. YORK. Richard hath best deserv'd of all my

sons.

But, is your grace dead, my lord of Somerset ? NORF. Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt!

[head. RICH. Thus do I hope to shake king Henry's WAR. And so do I.-Victorious prince of York, Before I see thee seated in that throne Which now the house of Lancaster usurps,

VOL. II.

D D

I vow by heaven these eyes shall never close.
This is the palace of the fearful king,
And this the regal seat: possess it, York;
For this is thine, and not king Henry's heirs'.
YORK. Assist me then, sweet Warwick, and I
will;

For hither we have broken in by force.

NORF. We'll all assist you; he that flies shall die. [my lords; YORK. Thanks, gentle Norfolk:-stay by me, And, soldiers, stay, and lodge by me this night. WAR. And, when the king comes, offer him no violence,

Unless he seek to thrust you out perforce.

[The Soldiers retire.

YORK. The queen, this day, here holds her parliament,

But little thinks we shall be of her council:
By words or blows here let us win our right.
RICH. Arm'd as we are, let's stay within this
house.

WAR. The bloody parliament shall this be call'd,
Unless Plantagenet, duke of York, be king,
And bashful Henry depos'd, whose cowardice
Hath made us bywords to our enemies.

YORK. Then leave me not, my lords; be resolute,

I mean to take possession of my right.

WAR. Neither the king, nor he that loves him best,

Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, CLIFFORD, NORTHUMBERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and others, with red roses in their hats.

K. HEN. My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits,

Even in the chair of state! belike he means (Back'd by the power of Warwick, that false peer,) To aspire unto the crown, and reign as king.Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy father. And thine, lord Clifford; and you both have vow'd revenge

On him, his sons, his favourites, and his friends. NORTH. If I be not, heavens be reveng'd on me! [steel.

CLIF. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in

a Patience is for poltroons,-] An old Italian proverb says the same:-" Pazienza è pasto di poltroni."

b But when, &c.] In the folio 1623, this is assigned to Westmoreland: in "The True Tragedy," 1595, it has, rightly, the prefix, Exeter.

I am thine.] "The True Tragedy" reads:-"Thou art deceiv'd: I am thine," which Malone adopts.

WEST. What, shall we suffer this? let's pluck him down:

My heart for anger burns; I cannot brook it.
K. HEN. Be patient, gentle earl of Westmore-
land.

CLIF. Patience is for poltroons, such as he;
He durst not sit there, had your father liv'd.
My gracious lord, here in the parliament
Let us assail the family of York.

NORTH. Well hast thou spoken, cousin; be it so. K. HEN. Ah, know you not the city favours them,

And they have troops of soldiers at their beck? EXE. But when the duke is slain, they'll quickly

fly.b

That we are those which chas'd 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