SCENE II.Before York
Flourish.Enter KING HENRY,QUEEN MARGARET,the PRINCE OF WALES,CLIFFORD,NORTHUMBERLAND,with drum and trumpets
QUEEN MARGARET.Welcome,my lord,to this brave town of York.Yonder's the head of that arch-enemy That sought to be encompass'd with your crown.Doth not the object cheer your heart,my lord?KING HENRY.Ay,as the rocks cheer them that fear their wreck-To see this sight,it irks my very soul.Withhold revenge,dear God;'tis not my fault,Nor wittingly have I infring'd my vow.CLIFFORD.My gracious liege,this too much lenity And harmful pity must be laid aside.To whom do lions cast their gentle looks?Not to the beast that would usurp their den.Whose hand is that the forest bear doth lick?Not his that spoils her young before her face.Who scapes the lurking serpent's mortal sting?Not he that sets his foot upon her back,The smallest worm will turn,being trodden on,And doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.Ambitious York did level at thy crown,Thou smiling while he knit his angry brows.He,but a Duke,would have his son a king,And raise his issue like a loving sire:Thou,being a king,bless'd with a goodly son,Didst yield consent to disinherit him,Which argued thee a most unloving father.Unreasonable creatures feed their young;And though man's face be fearful to their eyes,Yet,in protection of their tender ones,Who hath not seen them-even with those wings Which sometime they have us'd with fearful flight-Make war with him that climb'd unto their nest,Offering their own lives in their young's defence For shame,my liege,make them your precedent!Were it not pity that this goodly boy Should lose his birthright by his father's fault,And long hereafter say unto his child 'What my great-grandfather and grandsire got My careless father fondly gave away'?Ah,what a shame were this!Look on the boy;And let his manly face,which promiseth Successful fortune,steel thy melting heart To hold thine own and leave thine own with him.KING HENRY.Full well hath Clifford play'd the orator,Inferring arguments of mighty force.But,Clifford,tell me,didst thou never hear That things ill got had ever bad success?And happy always was it for that son Whose father for his hoarding went to hell?I'll leave my son my virtuous deeds behind;And would my father had left me no more!For all the rest is held at such a rate As brings a thousand-fold more care to keep Than in possession any jot of pleasure.Ah,cousin York!would thy best friends did know How it doth grieve me that thy head is here!QUEEN MARGARET.My lord,cheer up your spirits;our foes are nigh,And this soft courage makes your followers faint.You promis'd knighthood to our forward son:Unsheathe your sword and dub him presently.Edward,kneel down.KING HENRY.Edward Plantagenet,arise a knight;And learn this lesson:Draw thy sword in right.PRINCE OF WALES.My gracious father,by your kingly leave,I'll draw it as apparent to the crown,And in that quarrel use it to the death.CLIFFORD.Why,that is spoken like a toward prince.
Enter a MESSENGER
MESSENGER.Royal commanders,be in readiness;For with a band of thirty thousand men Comes Warwick,backing of the Duke of York,And in the towns,as they do march along,Proclaims him king,and many fly to him.Darraign your battle,for they are at hand.CLIFFORD.I would your Highness would depart the field:The Queen hath best success when you are absent.QUEEN MARGARET.Ay,good my lord,and leave us to our fortune.KING HENRY.Why,that's my fortune too;therefore I'll stay.NORTHUMBERLAND.Be it with resolution,then,to fight.PRINCE OF WALES.My royal father,cheer these noble lords,And hearten those that fight in your defence.Unsheathe your sword,good father;cry 'Saint George!'
March.Enter EDWARD,GEORGE,RICHARD,WARWICK,
NORFOLK,MONTAGUE,and soldiers
EDWARD.Now,perjur'd Henry,wilt thou kneel for grace And set thy diadem upon my head,Or bide the mortal fortune of the field?QUEEN MARGARET.Go rate thy minions,proud insulting boy.Becomes it thee to be thus bold in terms Before thy sovereign and thy lawful king?EDWARD.I am his king,and he should bow his knee.I was adopted heir by his consent:Since when,his oath is broke;for,as I hear,You that are King,though he do wear the crown,Have caus'd him by new
act of parliament To blot out me and put his own son in.CLIFFORD.And reason too:Who should succeed the father but the son?RICHARD.Are you there,butcher?O,I cannot speak!CLIFFORD.Ay,crook-back,here I stand to answer thee,Or any he,the proudest of thy sort.RICHARD.'Twas you that kill'd young Rutland,was it not?CLIFFORD.Ay,and old York,and yet not satisfied.RICHARD.For God's sake,lords,give signal to the fight.WARWICK.What say'st thou,Henry?Wilt thou yield the crown?QUEEN MARGARET.Why,how now,long-tongu'd Warwick!Dare you speak?When you and I met at Saint Albans last Your legs did better service than your hands.WARWICK.Then 'twas my turn to fly,and now 'tis thine.CLIFFORD.You said so much before,and yet you fled.WARWICK.'Twas not your valour,Clifford,drove me thence.NORTHUMBERLAND.No,nor your manhood that durst make you stay.