Exeter. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry

sworn,

Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,

Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

Bedford. I do remember it; and here take my leave, To go about my preparation. [Exit. Gloster. I'll to the Tower with all the haste I can, To view the artillery and munition; And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. Exeter. To Eltham will I, where the young king is, Being ordain'd his special governor,

And for his safety there I'll best devise.

[Exit.

Winchester. Each hath his place and function to attend:

I am left out; for me nothing remains.
But long I will not be Jack out of office:
The king from Eltham I intend to steal
And sit at chiefest stern1 of public weal.

PART II. ACT II

SCENE II. LONDON. The Duke of York's Garden. (Enter York, Salisbury, and Warwick.)

York. Now, my good Lords of Salisbury and Warwick,

Our simple supper ended, give me leave

In this close 2 walk to satisfy myself,

In craving your opinion of my title,

Which is infallible, to England's crown.

1 highest place.

2 retired.

Salisbury. My lord, I long to hear it at full.

Warwick. Sweet York, begin; and if thy claim be

good,

The Nevils are thy subjects to command.

York. Then thus:

Edward the Third, my lord, had seven sons:

The first, Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales; The second, William of Hatfield; and the third, Lionel Duke of Clarence; next to whom

Was John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster;

The fifth was Edmund Langley, Duke of York;
The sixth was Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of
Gloucester;

William of Windsor was the seventh and last.

Edward the Black Prince died before his father,

And left behind him Richard, his only son,

Who after Edward the Third's death reign'd as king;
Till Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster,

The eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt,
Crown'd by the name of Henry the Fourth,
Seiz'd on the realm, depos'd the rightful king,
Sent his poor queen to France, from whence she came,
And him to Pomfret, where, as all you know,
Harmless Richard was murther'd traitorously.
Warwick. Father, the duke hath told the truth;

Thus got the house of Lancaster the crown.

York. Which now they hold by force and not by right;

For Richard, the first son's heir, being dead,

The issue of the next son should have reign'd.

Salisbury. But William of Hatfield died without an heir.

York. The third son, Duke of Clarence, from whose line

I claim the crown, had issue, Philippe, a daughter,
Who married Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.
Edmund had issue, Roger Earl of March;
Roger had issue, Edmund, Anne, and Eleanor.
Salisbury. This Edmund, in the reign of Boling-
broke,

As I have read, laid claim unto the crown,
And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king,
Who kept him in captivity till he died.

But to the rest.

York.

His eldest sister, Anne,

My mother, being heir unto the crown,

Married Richard Earl of Cambridge, who was son
To Edmund Langley, Edward the Third's fifth son.
By her I claim the kingdom: she was heir
To Roger Earl of March, who was the son
Of Edmund Mortimer, who married Philippe,
Sole daughter unto Lionel Duke of Clarence:
So, if the issue of the elder son

Succeed before the younger, I am king.

Warwick. What plain proceeding is more plain than this?

Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,
The fourth son; York claims it from the third.
Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign:
It fails not yet, but flourishes in thee

And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.
Then, father Salisbury, kneel we together;
And in this private plot be we the first
That shall salute our rightful sovereign

With honour of his birthright to the crown.

Both. Long live our sovereign Richard, England's king!

York. We thank you, lords.

king

But I am not your

Till I be crown'd, and that my sword be stain'd
With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster;

And that's not suddenly to be perform'd,

But with advice and silent secrecy.

(Drum. Enter Cade, Dick the Butcher, Smith the Weaver, and a Sawyer, with infinite numbers.)

Cade. We John Cade, so termed of our supposed father,

Dick (aside). Or rather, of stealing a cade1 of herrings.

Cade. For our enemies shall fall before us, inspired with the spirit of putting down kings and princes, Command silence.

Dick. Silence!

Cade. My father was a Mortimer, —

1 small barrel.

Dick (aside). He was an honest man, and a good bricklayer.

Cade. My mother a Plantagenet, —

Dick (aside). I knew her well; she was wife.

a mid

Cade. My wife descended of the Lacies, Dick (aside). She was, indeed, a pedler's daughter, and sold many laces.

Smith (aside). But now of late, not able to travel with her furred pack,1 she washes bucks 2 here at home.

Cade. Therefore am I of an honourable house.

Dick (aside). Ay, by my faith, the field is honourable; and there was he born, under a hedge, for his father had never a house but the cage.3

Cade. Valiant I am.

Smith (aside). A' must needs; for beggary is

valiant.

Cade. I am able to endure much.

Dick (aside). No question of that; for I have seen him whipped three market-days together.

Cade. I fear neither sword nor fire.

Smith (aside). He need not fear the sword; for his coat is of proof.

Dick (aside). But methinks he should stand in fear of fire, being burnt i' the hand for stealing of sheep. Cade. Be brave, then; for your captain is brave, and vows reformation. There shall be in England seven halfpenny loaves sold for a penny; the three1 sheepskin knapsack.

2 household linen.

3 8 jail.