Henry VI, Part III, William Shakespeare [detective books to read txt] 📗

the parliament
Let us assail the family of York. Northumberland Well hast thou spoken, cousin: be it so. King Henry

Ah, know you not the city favours them,
And they have troops of soldiers at their beck?

Exeter But when the duke is slain, they’ll quickly fly. King Henry

Far be the thought of this from Henry’s heart,
To make a shambles of the parliament-house!
Cousin of Exeter, frowns, words and threats
Shall be the war that Henry means to use.
Thou factious Duke of York, descend my throne,
and kneel for grace and mercy at my feet;
I am thy sovereign.

York I am thine. Exeter For shame, come down: he made thee Duke of York. York ’Twas my inheritance, as the earldom was. Exeter Thy father was a traitor to the crown. Warwick

Exeter, thou art a traitor to the crown
In following this usurping Henry.

Clifford Whom should he follow but his natural king? Warwick True, Clifford; and that’s Richard Duke of York. King Henry And shall I stand, and thou sit in my throne? York It must and shall be so: content thyself. Warwick Be Duke of Lancaster; let him be king. Westmoreland

He is both king and Duke of Lancaster;
And that the Lord of Westmoreland shall maintain.

Warwick

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.

Northumberland

Yes, Warwick, I remember it to my grief;
And, by his soul, thou and thy house shall rue it.

Westmoreland

Plantagenet, of thee and these thy sons,
Thy kinsman and thy friends, I’ll have more lives
Than drops of blood were in my father’s veins.

Clifford

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

Warwick 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.

King Henry

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.

Warwick Talk not of France, sith thou hast lost it all. King Henry

The lord protector lost it, and not I:
When I was crown’d I was but nine months old.

Richard

You are old enough now, and yet, methinks, you lose.
Father, tear the crown from the usurper’s head.

Edward Sweet father, do so; set it on your head. Montague

Good brother, as thou lovest and honourest arms,
Let’s fight it out and not stand cavilling thus.

Richard Sound drums and trumpets, and the king will fly. York Sons, peace! King Henry Peace, thou! and give King Henry leave to speak. Warwick

Plantagenet shall speak first: hear him, lords;
And be you silent and attentive too,
For he that interrupts him shall not live.

King Henry

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?
My title’s good, and better far than his.

Warwick Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king. King Henry Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown. York ’Twas by rebellion against his king. King Henry

Aside. I know not what to say; my title’s weak.⁠—
Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir?

York What then? King Henry

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.

Warwick

Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain’d,
Think you ’twere prejudicial to his crown?

Exeter

No; for he could not so resign his crown
But that the next heir should succeed and reign.

King Henry Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter? Exeter His is the right, and therefore pardon me. York Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not? Exeter My conscience tells me he is lawful king. King Henry Aside. All will revolt from me, and turn to him. Northumberland

Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay’st,
Think not that Henry shall be so deposed.

Warwick Deposed he shall be, in despite of all. Northumberland

Thou art deceived: ’tis not thy southern power,
Of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, nor of Kent,
Which makes thee thus presumptuous and proud,
Can set the duke up in despite of me.

Clifford

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!

King Henry O Clifford, how thy words revive my heart! York

Henry of Lancaster, resign thy crown.
What mutter you, or what conspire you, lords?

Warwick

Do right unto this princely Duke of York,
Or I will fill the house with armed men,
And over the chair of state, where now he sits,
Write up his title with usurping blood. He stamps with his foot, and the Soldiers show themselves.

King Henry

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 livest.

King Henry

I am content: Richard Plantagenet,
Enjoy the kingdom after my decease.

Clifford What wrong is this unto the prince your son! Warwick What good is this to England and himself! Westmoreland Base, fearful and despairing Henry! Clifford How hast thou injured both thyself and us! Westmoreland I cannot stay to hear these articles. Northumberland Nor I. Clifford Come, cousin, let us tell the queen these news. Westmoreland

Farewell, faint-hearted and degenerate king,
In whose cold blood no spark of honour bides.

Northumberland

Be thou a prey unto the house of York,
And die in bands for this unmanly deed!

Clifford

In dreadful war mayst thou be overcome,
Or live in peace abandon’d and despised! Exeunt Northumberland, Clifford, and Westmoreland.

Warwick Turn