The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare/Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso/shakes/text/01/01_01

Text File | 1991-04-10 | 15KB | 426 lines

London. The Parliament House.
 Alarum.
 Enter, with white roses in their hats, DUKE OF YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD,
 NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, WARWICK, and SOLDIERS.

Warwick    I wonder how the king escaped our hands?

Duke of York    While we pursued the horsemen of the north,
    He slily stole away and left his men;
    Whereat the great Lord of Northumberland,
    Whose warlike ears could never brook retreat,
    Cheered up the drooping army; and himself,
    Lord Clifford, and Lord Stafford, all abreast,
    Charged our main battle's front, and, breaking in,
    Were by the swords of common soldiers slain.

Edward    Lord Stafford's father, Duke of Buckingham,
    Is either slain or wounded dangerous.
    I cleft his beaver with a downright blow.
    That this is true, father, behold his blood.

Montague    And, brother, here's the Earl of Wiltshire's blood,
    Whom I encountered as the battles joined.

Richard    Speak thou for me, and tell them what I did.
                            [Holds up the Duke of Somerset's head.

Duke of York    Richard hath best deserved of all my sons.
    [To head.] But is your grace dead, my Lord of Somerset?

Norfolk    Such hope have all the line of John of Gaunt.

Richard    Thus do I hope to shake King Henry's head.

Warwick    And so do I. Victorious Prince of York,
    Before I see thee seated in that throne
    Which now the House of Lancaster usurps,
    I vow by heaven these eyes shall never close.
    This is the palace of the fearful king,
    And this the regal seat: possess it, York;
    For this is thine and not King Henry's heirs'.

Duke of York    Assist me then, sweet Warwick, and I will;
    For hither we have broken in by force.

Norfolk    We'll all assist you: - he that flies shall die.

Duke of York    Thanks, gentle Norfolk. Stay by me, my lords;
    And, soldiers, stay and lodge by me this night.
                                                    [They go up.

Warwick    And when the king comes, offer him no violence,
    Unless he seek to thrust you out perforce.
                                                    [SOLDIERS stand apart.

Duke of York    The queen this day here holds her parliament,
    But little thinks we shall be of her council.
    By words or blows here let us win our right.

Richard    Armed as we are, let's stay within this house.

Warwick    The bloody parliament shall this be called,
    Unless Plantagenet, Duke of York, be king,
    And bashful Henry be deposed, whose cowardice
    Hath made us bywords to our enemies.

Duke of York    Then leave me not, my lords; be resolute;
    I mean to take possession of my right.

Warwick    Neither the king nor he that loves him best,
    The proudest he that holds up Lancaster,
    Dares stir a wing if Warwick shake his bells.
    I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares.
    Resolve thee, Richard; claim the English crown.
                                                    [YORK mounts the throne.

                                Flourish.
        Enter, with red roses in their hats, KING HENRY, CLIFFORD,
           NORTHUMBERLAND, WESTMORELAND, EXETER, and SOLDIERS.

King Henry    My lords, look where the sturdy rebel sits,
    Even in the chair of state! Belike he means,
    Backed by the power of Warwick, that false peer,
    To aspire unto the crown and reign as king.
    Earl of Northumberland, he slew thy father,
    And thine, Lord Clifford; and you both have vowed revenge
    On him, his sons, his favourites, and his friends.

Northumberland    If I be not, heavens be revenged on me.

Clifford    The hope thereof makes Clifford mourn in steel.

Westmoreland    What, shall we suffer this? Let's pluck him down.
    My heart for anger burns; I cannot brook it.

King Henry    Be patient, gentle Earl of Westmoreland.

Clifford    Patience is for poltroons, such as he;
    He durst not sit there had your father lived.
    My gracious lord, here in 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.

Duke of York                            I am thine.

Exeter    For shame, come down - he made thee Duke of York.

Duke of York    It was 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?

Duke of 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
    Marched 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 kinsmen, 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!

Duke of 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 crowned 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 lov'st and honourest arms,
    Let's fight it out and not stand cavilling thus.

Richard    Sound drums and trumpets, and the king will fly.

Duke of York    Sons, peace!

Northumberland    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    Plantagenet, why seek'st thou to depose me?
    Are we not both Plantagenets by birth,
    And from two brothers lineally descent?
    Suppose by right and equity thou be king,
    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.

Duke of York    'Twas by rebellion against his king.

King Henry    [Aside.] I know not what to say; my title's weak.
    [Aloud.] Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir?

Duke of York    What then?

King Henry    And if he may, then am I lawful king;
    For Richard, in the view of many lords,
    Resigned the crown to Henry the Fourth,
    Whose heir my father was, and I am his.

Duke of York    He rose against him, being his sovereign,
    And made him to resign his crown perforce.

Warwick    Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrained,
    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.

Duke of 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 layst,
    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!

Duke of 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 armd 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 lifetime reign as king.

Duke of York    Confirm the crown to me and to mine heirs,
    And thou shalt reign in quiet while thou liv'st.

King Henry    Convey the soldiers hence, and then I will.

Warwick    Captain, conduct them into Tuthill Fields.
                                                    [Exeunt SOLDIERS.
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.
                                                    [Exit.
Northumberland    Be thou a prey unto the House of York,
    And die in bands for this unmanly deed!
                                                    [Exit.
Clifford    In dreadful war mayst thou be overcome,
    Or live in peace abandoned and despised!
                                                    [Exit.
Warwick    Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not.

Exeter    They seek revenge, and therefore will not yield.

King Henry    Ah, Exeter!

Warwick                    Why should you sigh, my lord?

King Henry    Not for myself, Lord Warwick, but my son,
    Whom I unnaturally shall disinherit.
    But be it as it may. [To YORK.] I here entail
    The crown to thee and to thine heirs for ever;
    Conditionally that here thou take an oath
    To cease this civil war, and, whilst I live,
    To honour me as thy king and sovereign;
    And neither by treason nor hostility
    To seek to put me down and reign thyself.

Duke of York    This oath I willingly take and will perform.

Warwick    Long live King Henry! Plantagenet, embrace him.

King Henry    And long live thou and these thy forward sons!

Duke of York    Now York and Lancaster are reconciled.

Exeter    Accursed be he that seeks to make them foes!
                                        [Sennet. Here they come down.

Duke of York    Farewell, my gracious lord; I'll to my castle.
                                  [Exeunt YORK, EDWARD and RICHARD.

Warwick    And I'll keep London with my soldiers.
                                                    [Exit.
Norfolk    And I to Norfolk with my followers.
                                                    [Exit.
Montague    And I unto the sea from whence I came.
                                                    [Exit.
King Henry    And I with grief and sorrow to the court.

                 Enter QUEEN MARGARET and PRINCE EDWARD.

Exeter    Here comes the queen, whose looks bewray her anger:
    I'll steal away.

King Henry                        Exeter, so will I.

Queen Margaret    Nay, go not from me; I will follow thee.

King Henry    Be patient, gentle queen, and I will stay.

Queen Margaret    Who can be patient in such extremes?
    Ah, wretched man! Would I had died a maid,
    And never seen thee, never borne thee son,
    Seeing thou hast proved so unnatural a father.
    Hath he deserved to lose his birthright thus?
    Hadst thou but loved him half so well as I,
    Or felt that pain which I did for him once,
    Or nourished him as I did with my blood,
    Thou wouldst have left thy dearest heart-blood there,
    Rather than have made that savage duke thine heir,
    And disinherited thine only son.

Prince Edward    Father, you cannot disinherit me.
    If you be king, why should not I succeed?

King Henry    Pardon me, Margaret; pardon me, sweet son;
    The Earl of Warwick and the duke enforced me.

Queen Margaret    Enforced thee! Art thou king, and wilt be forced?
    I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch!
    Thou hast undone thyself, thy son, and me;
    And given unto the House of York such head
    As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance.
    To entail him and his heirs unto the crown,
    What is it but to make thy sepulchre,
    And creep into it far before thy time?
    Warwick is Chancellor and the Lord of Calais;
    Stern Falconbridge commands the narrow seas;
    The duke is made Protector of the realm;
    And yet shalt thou be safe? Such safety finds
    The trembling lamb environd with wolves.
    Had I been there, which am a silly woman,
    The soldiers should have tossed me on their pikes
    Before I would have granted to that act;
    But thou preferr'st thy life before thine honour;
    And seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself
    Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed,
    Until that act of parliament be repealed
    Whereby my son is disinherited.
    The northern lords that have forsworn thy colours
    Will follow mine, if once they see them spread;
    And spread they shall be, to thy foul disgrace
    And utter ruin of the House of York.
    Thus do I leave thee. Come, son, let's away.
    Our army is ready; come, we'll after them.

King Henry    Stay, gentle Margaret, and hear me speak.

Queen Margaret    Thou hast spoke too much already; get thee gone.

King Henry    Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay with me?

Queen Margaret    Ay, to be murdered by his enemies.

Prince Edward    When I return with victory from the field
    I'll see your grace; till then I'll follow her.

Queen Margaret    Come, son, away; we may not linger thus.
                                [Exeunt MARGARET and PRINCE EDWARD.

King Henry    Poor queen! How love to me and to her son
    Hath made her break out into terms of rage!
    Revenged may she be on that hateful duke,
    Whose haughty spirit, wingd with desire,
    Will cost my crown, and like an empty eagle
    Tire on the flesh of me and of my son!
    The loss of those three lords torments my heart:
    I'll write unto them, and entreat them fair.
    Come, cousin, you shall be the messenger.

Exeter    And I, I hope, shall reconcile them all.
                                                    [Flourish. Exeunt.