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, 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." Sir John Montgomery, Lieutenant of the Tower, Mayor and Aldermen of York. Somerville. Lewis King of France. Bourbon, Admiral of France, 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! ' 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, I cleft his beaver with a downright blow: 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 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, For hither we have broken in by force. Norf. We'll all affift you; he, that flies, fhall die. 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. + 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 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. And they have troops of foldiers at their beck? To make a Shambles of the Parliament-house. [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 |