And all his lands and goods confiscated.
CLARENCE. What else? And that
succession be determin'd.
WARWICK. Ay,
therein Clarence shall not want his part.
KING HENRY. But, with the first of all your chief affairs,
Let me entreat- for I command no more-
That Margaret your Queen and my son Edward
Be sent for to return from France with speed;
For till I see them here, by
doubtful fear
My joy of liberty is half eclips'd.
CLARENCE. It shall be done, my
sovereign, with all speed.
KING HENRY. My Lord of Somerset, what youth is that,
Of whom you seem to have so tender care?
SOMERSET. My liege, it is young Henry, Earl of Richmond.
KING HENRY. Come
hither, England's hope.
[Lays his hand on his head]
If secret powers
Suggest but truth to my divining thoughts,
This pretty lad will prove our country's bliss.
His looks are full of
peaceful majesty;
His head by nature fram'd to wear a crown,
His hand to wield a sceptre; and himself
Likely in time to bless a regal throne.
Make much of him, my lords; for this is he
Must help you more than you are hurt by me.
Enter a POST
WARWICK. What news, my friend?
POST. That Edward is escaped from your brother
And fled, as he hears since, to Burgundy.
WARWICK. Unsavoury news! But how made he escape?
POST. He was convey'd by Richard Duke of Gloucester
And the Lord Hastings, who attended him
In secret
ambush on the forest side
And from the Bishop's huntsmen rescu'd him;
For
hunting was his daily exercise.
WARWICK. My brother was too
careless of his charge.
But let us hence, my
sovereign, to provide
A salve for any sore that may betide.
Exeunt all but SOMERSET, RICHMOND, and OXFORD
SOMERSET. My lord, I like not of this
flight of Edward's;
For
doubtless Burgundy will yield him help,
And we shall have more wars befor't be long.
As Henry's late presaging prophecy
Did glad my heart with hope of this young Richmond,
So doth my heart misgive me, in these conflicts,
What may
befall him to his harm and ours.
Therefore, Lord Oxford, to prevent the worst,
Forthwith we'll send him hence to Brittany,
Till storms be past of civil enmity.
OXFORD. Ay, for if Edward repossess the crown,
'Tis like that Richmond with the rest shall down.
SOMERSET. It shall be so; he shall to Brittany.
Come
therefore, let's about it
speedily. Exeunt
SCENE VII.
Before York
Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD, GLOUCESTER, HASTINGS,
and soldiers
KING EDWARD. Now, brother Richard, Lord Hastings, and the rest,
Yet thus far fortune maketh us amends,
And says that once more I shall interchange
My waned state for Henry's regal crown.
Well have we pass'd and now repass'd the seas,
And brought desired help from Burgundy;
What then remains, we being thus arriv'd
From Ravenspurgh haven before the gates of York,
But that we enter, as into our dukedom?
GLOUCESTER. The gates made fast! Brother, I like not this;
For many men that
stumble at the threshold
Are well
foretold that danger lurks within.
KING EDWARD. Tush, man, abodements must not now
affright us.
By fair or foul means we must enter in,
For
hither will our friends
repair to us.
HASTINGS. My liege, I'll knock once more to
summon them.
Enter, on the walls, the MAYOR OF YORK and
his BRETHREN
MAYOR. My lords, we were forewarned of your coming
And shut the gates for safety of ourselves,
For now we owe
allegiance unto Henry.
KING EDWARD. But, Master Mayor, if Henry be your King,
Yet Edward at the least is Duke of York.
MAYOR. True, my good lord; I know you for no less.
KING EDWARD. Why, and I
challenge nothing but my dukedom,
As being well content with that alone.
GLOUCESTER. [Aside] But when the fox hath once got in his nose,
He'll soon find means to make the body follow.
HASTINGS. Why, Master Mayor, why stand you in a doubt?
Open the gates; we are King Henry's friends.
MAYOR. Ay, say you so? The gates shall then be open'd.
[He descends]
GLOUCESTER. A wise stout captain, and soon persuaded!
HASTINGS. The good old man would fain that all were well,
So 'twere not long of him; but being ent'red,
I doubt not, I, but we shall soon persuade
Both him and all his brothers unto reason.
Enter, below, the MAYOR and two ALDERMEN
KING EDWARD. So, Master Mayor. These gates must not be shut
But in the night or in the time of war.
What! fear not, man, but yield me up the keys;
[Takes his keys]
For Edward will defend the town and thee,
And all those friends that deign to follow me.
March. Enter MONTGOMERY with drum and soldiers
GLOUCESTER. Brother, this is Sir John Montgomery,
Our
trusty friend, unless I be deceiv'd.
KING EDWARD. Welcome, Sir john! But why come you in arms?
MONTGOMERY. To help King Edward in his time of storm,
As every loyal subject ought to do.
KING EDWARD. Thanks, good Montgomery; but we now forget
Our title to the crown, and only claim
Our dukedom till God please to send the rest.
MONTGOMERY. Then fare you well, for I will hence again.
I came to serve a king and not a duke.
Drummer, strike up, and let us march away.
[The drum begins to march]
KING EDWARD. Nay, stay, Sir John, a while, and we'll debate
By what safe means the crown may be recover'd.
MONTGOMERY. What talk you of debating? In few words:
If you'll not here
proclaim yourself our King,
I'll leave you to your fortune and be gone
To keep them back that come to succour you.
Why shall we fight, if you
pretend no title?
GLOUCESTER. Why, brother,
wherefore stand you on nice points?
KING EDWARD. When we grow stronger, then we'll make our claim;
Till then 'tis
wisdom to
conceal our meaning.
HASTINGS. Away with scrupulous wit! Now arms must rule.
GLOUCESTER. And
fearless minds climb soonest unto crowns.
Brother, we will
proclaim you out of hand;
The bruit thereof will bring you many friends.
KING EDWARD. Then be it as you will; for 'tis my right,
And Henry but usurps the diadem.
MONTGOMERY. Ay, now my
sovereign speaketh like himself;
And now will I be Edward's champion.
HASTINGS. Sound
trumpet; Edward shall be here
proclaim'd.
Come, fellow soldier, make thou proclamation.
[Gives him a paper. Flourish]
SOLDIER. [Reads] 'Edward the Fourth, by the grace of God,
King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, &c.'
MONTGOMERY. And whoso'er gainsays King Edward's right,
By this I
challenge him to single fight.
[Throws down gauntlet]
ALL. Long live Edward the Fourth!
KING EDWARD. Thanks, brave Montgomery, and thanks unto you all;
If fortune serve me, I'll requite this kindness.
Now for this night let's harbour here in York;
And when the morning sun shall raise his car
Above the border of this horizon,
We'll forward towards Warwick and his mates;
For well I wot that Henry is no soldier.
Ah, froward Clarence, how evil it beseems the
To
flatter Henry and
forsake thy brother!
Yet, as we may, we'll meet both thee and Warwick.
Come on, brave soldiers; doubt not of the day,
And, that once
gotten, doubt not of large pay. Exeunt
SCENE VIII.
London. The palace
Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, WARWICK, MONTAGUE,
CLARENCE, OXFORD, and EXETER
WARWICK. What
counsel, lords? Edward from Belgia,
With hasty Germans and blunt Hollanders,
Hath pass'd in safety through the narrow seas
And with his troops doth march amain to London;
And many giddy people flock to him.
KING HENRY. Let's levy men and beat him back again.
CLARENCE. A little fire is quickly trodden out,
Which, being suffer'd, rivers cannot quench.
WARWICK. In Warwickshire I have true-hearted friends,
Not mutinous in peace, yet bold in war;
Those will I
muster up, and thou, son Clarence,
Shalt stir up in Suffolk, Norfolk, and in Kent,
The knights and gentlemen to come with thee.
Thou, brother Montague, in Buckingham,
Northampton, and in Leicestershire, shalt find
Men well inclin'd to hear what thou command'st.
And thou, brave Oxford,
wondrous well belov'd,
In Oxfordshire shalt
muster up thy friends.
My
sovereign, with the
loving citizens,
Like to his island girt in with the ocean
Or
modest Dian circled with her nymphs,
Shall rest in London till we come to him.
Fair lords, take leave and stand not to reply.
Farewell, my
sovereign.
KING HENRY. Farewell, my Hector and my Troy's true hope.
CLARENCE. In sign of truth, I kiss your Highness' hand.
KING HENRY. Well-minded Clarence, be thou fortunate!
MONTAGUE. Comfort, my lord; and so I take my leave.
OXFORD. [Kissing the KING'S band] And thus I seal my truth and bid
adieu.
KING HENRY. Sweet Oxford, and my
loving Montague,
And all at once, once more a happy
farewell.
WARWICK. Farewell, sweet lords; let's meet at Coventry.
Exeunt all but the KING and EXETER
KING HENRY. Here at the palace will I rest a while.
Cousin of Exeter, what thinks your lordship?
Methinks the power that Edward hath in field
Should not be able to
encounter mine.
EXETER. The doubt is that he will seduce the rest.
KING HENRY. That's not my fear; my meed hath got me fame:
I have not stopp'd mine ears to their demands,
Nor posted off their suits with slow delays;
My pity hath been balm to heal their wounds,
My mildness hath allay'd their swelling griefs,
My mercy dried their water-flowing tears;