KING Henry VI.

Edward, Son to the King, and Prince of Wales.

Duke of Somerset,

Earl of Northumberland,

Earl of Oxford,

Earl of Exeter,

Earl of Westmorland,

Lord Clifford,

Lords of K. Henry's fide.

Earl of Richmond, a Youth, afterwards K. Henry VII, Richard, Duke of York.

Edward, e deft Son to the Duke of York, afterwards King Edward IV.

George, Duke of Clarence, fecond Son to the D. of York. Richard, Duke of Gloucefter, third Son to the Duke of York, afterwards King Richard III.

Edmund, E. of Rutland, youngest Son to the D. of York. Duke of Norfolk,

Marquis of Montague,

Earl of Warwick,
Earl of Salisbury,
Earl of Pembroke,
Lord Haftings,
Lord Stafford,

Sir John Mortimer,

Sir Hugh Mortimer,

of the Duke of York's Party,

Uncles to the Duke of York.

Sir William Stanley, afterwards Earl of Derby."
Lord Rivers, Brother to the Lady Gray.

Sir John Montgomery, Lieutenant of the Tower,
Mayor of Coventry.

Mayor and Aldermen of York. Somerville.
Humphry and Sinklo, two Huntfmen.

Lewis King of France. Bourbon, Admiral of France,
Queen Margaret. Bona, Sifter to the French King.
Lady Gray, Widow of Sir John Gray, afterwards
Queen to Edward IV.

Soldiers and other Attendants on K. Henry and K. Edward,

Part of the Third A, the SCENE is laid in France during all the rest of the Play, in England,

Alarm. Enter Duke of York, Edward, Richard, Norfolk, Montague, Warwick, and Soldiers,

WARWICK.

Wonder, how the King escap'd our hands! '
York. While we purfu'd the horsemen of the
north,

I

He flily ftole away and left his men;

The third part.] Firft printed under the title of the true tragedy of Richard Duke of York, and the good King Henry the fixth, or the fecond part of the Contention between York and Lancaster, 1590. POPE.

2 The Third Part of K. Henry VI.] The action of this Play (which was at firft printed under this Title, The true Tragedy of Richard Duke of York, and the good K. Henry VIth: or, the Second Part of the Contention of York and Lancaster) opens juft after the firft Battle at St. Albans,

wherein the York Faction carried the day; and clofes with the Murder of K. Henry VI. and the Birth of Prince Edward, afterwards King Edward V. So that this Hiftory takes in the Space of full fixteen Years. THEOBALD.

3 I wonder how the King-] This play is only divided from the former for the convenience of exhibition; for the feries of action is continued without interruption, nor are any two scenes of any play more clofely connected than the first scene of this play with the last of the former I 4

Whereat

Whereat the great Lord of Northumberland,
Whofe warlike ears could never brook retreat,
Chear'd up the drooping army; and himself,
Lord Clifford, and Lord Stafford, all a breaft,
Charg'd our main battles front; and, breaking in,
Were by the fwords of common foldiers flain.
Edw. Lord Stafford's father, Duke of Buckingham,
Is either flain or wounded dang'rously.

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

Mount. And, brother, here's the Earl of Wiltshire's blood;

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 beft deferv'd of all my Sons: Is his Grace dead, my Lord of Somerset ?

Norf. Such Hope have all the Line of John of
Gaunt!

Rich. Thus do I hope to fhake King Henry's head. War. And fo do I. Victorious Prince of York, Before I fee thee feated in that Throne,

Which now the House of Lancaster ufurps,
I vow by heav'n, these eyes fhall never close.
This is the Palace of that fearful King,
And this the regal Seat; poffefs it, York;
For this is thine, and not King Henry's heirs'.
York. Affift me then, fweet Warwick, and I will;

For hither we have broken in by force.

Norf. We'll all affift you; he, that flies, fhall die.
York. Thanks, gentle Norfolk; stay by me, my

Lords,

And, foldiers, ftay and lodge by me this night.

[They go up. War. And when the King comes, offer him no

violence;

Unleís he feek to thrust you out by force.

2

York,

York. The Queen this day here holds her Parliament, But little thinks we fhall 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 fhall this be call'd, Unless Plantagenet, Duke of York, be King; And bafhful Henry depos'd; whofe cowardife Hath made us By-words to our enemies.

York. Then leave me not; my Lords, be refolute; I mean to take poffeffion of my Right.

War. Neither the King, nor he that loves him best, The proudeft he that holds up Lancaster,

Dares ftir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells. +
I'll plant Plantagenet; root him up, who dare:
Refolve thee, Richard; claim the English Crown.
[Warwick leads York to the throne, who feats him.

Enter King Henry, Clifford, Northumberland, Westmorland, Exeter, and others, at the further end of the stage.

K. Henry, My Lords, look where the sturdy Rebel fits,

Ev'n in the chair of State; belike, he means
Back'd by the Power of Warwick, that falfe Peer,
T'afpire unto the Crown, and reign as King.
Earl of Northumberland, he flew thy father;
And thine, Lord Clifford; and you vow'd revenge
On him, his fons, his fav'rites, and his friends.
North. If I be not, heav'ns be reveng'd on me!
Clif. The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in fteel.
Weft. What, fhall we fuffer this? let's pluck him
down;

My heart for anger burns, I cannot brook it.

if Warwick hake his bells. The allufion is to falconry. The hawks had fome

times little bells hung upon them, perhaps to dare the birds; that is, to fight them from rifing.

K. Henry

K. Henry. Be patient, gentle Earl of Wetmorland. Clif. Patience is for poltroons, and fuch is he: He durft not fit there, had your father liv'd. My gracious Lord, here in the Parliament Let us affail the Family of York.

North, Well haft thou fpoken, Coufin, be it fo.
K. Henry. Ah! know you not, the City favours
them,

And they have troops of foldiers at their beck?
Exe. But when the Duke is flain they'll quickly fly.
K. Henry. Far be the thought of this from Henry's
heart,

To make a Shambles of the Parliament-house.
Coufin of Exeter, frowns, words and threats,
Shall be the war that Henry means to use.,

[They advance to the Duke, Thou factious Duke of York, defcend my Throne; And kneel for grace and mercy at my

I am thy Sovereign.

York. Thou'rt deceiv'd, I'm thine.

feet.

Exe. For fhame come down: he made thee Duke of York.

York. 'Twas my inheritance, as the Kingdom is. Exe. Thy father was a traitor to the crown. War. Exeter, thou art a traitor to the crown, In following this ufurping Henry.

Clif. Whom should he follow, but his natural King? War, True, Clifford; and that's Richard Duke of York.

K. Henry. And fhall I ftand, and thou fit in my Throne?

Y

York. It must and shall be fo.-Content thyself. War. Be Duke of Lancaster, let him be King. Weft. He is both King, and Duke of Lancaster; And that the Lord of Westmorland fhall maintain. War. And Warwick fhall difprove it. You forget, That we are those which chas'd you from the field, And flew your fathers, and with Colours spread

March'd